2010 Challenge Wrap Up

I do love a reading challenge! As a reader, planner and lover of lists (except those annoying "to do" lists), reading challenges hold a special appeal to me. This year I decided to take it easy, however, taking a break from my over-zealousness in past years. It was time to slow down.

I started a feature called the One Night Stand to help quench my challenge thirst--no commitment to complete the challenges, but all the fun of making lists of books I might have read had I participated. Someone suggested I at least read one book from each of the lists, a sampling of sorts, which I did consider doing. In the end, I decided against making such a commitment. My goal was to avoid the commitment aspect, after all. I had an overly ambitious challenge list for my One Night Stand, but only ended up making lists for four challenges (Once Upon a Time, What's In a Name, GLBT Challenge, and Riley's twist to the Cat Book Challenge). Oh well. It was worth a try. And I did have fun in the meantime!

Of the challenges I did take part in, I completed all three. I wouldn't be able to pick a favorite among them as they were all such fun.

The first began in 2009 and continued into 2010. The goal was to read the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris. I already had a head start on the Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge (hosted by Beth Fish) being a fan of the series for years. I was only a couple of books behind at the start. I enjoyed revisiting old friends and going along with Sookie on her latest adventures.

The Southern Vampire Series Books:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone
Dead in the Family
A Touch of Dead (short stories)


The second challenge I took on this year was the War Through the Generations: Vietnam War Challenge (hosted by Anna and Serena). I agreed to read five books about or related to the Vietnam War. This was a personal challenge for as much as a bookish one. My father had fought in the Vietnam War. Even though he did his time there before I was born, it was a part of who my father was and it impacted me in indirect ways. I have read a number of books about Vietnam over the years and was excited to get back into it. I had hoped that with so few challenges, I might have read more for this one, but it didn't work out that way. I am quite content with what I did read, however, and was not disappointed.

Vietnam-Related Books Read:
The Other Side by Jason Aaron & Cameron Stewart
Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam by Barry Fixler
Paco's Story by Heineman (see also read-along discussion posts #1 & #2)
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Short Stories Read Relating to Vietnam (do not officially count toward the challenge):
"The Boat" Nam Le
"Love and Honor and pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice" by Nam Le



In the fall, I slipped in the Readers Imbibing Peril (R.I.P.) Challenge (hosted by Carl V.), reading books full of fright or thrill. I had such great fun with it and enjoyed my reading choices. It was a great way to kick off the season.

Peril the First:
Damaged by Pamela Callow
Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Damaged by Alex Kava
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
The Art of Disappearing by Ivy Pochoda

Short Story Peril:
"The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe
"Best New Horror" by Joe Hill
"20th Century Ghost" by Joe Hill
"Pop Art" by Joe Hill

A lot of hard work goes into putting together a reading challenge, and my hat is off to the hosts of all three of the challenges I participated in this year.

When I first began blogging, reading challenges were few and far between. Today there are challenges for just about any book imaginable. They are addicting and fun. Despite what critics may say, most challenges I've come across are extremely flexible in terms of what books a participant can read--often times, you don't even have to have a list ahead of time and the options to read a small few or a large amount of books is more the rule than the exception. Still, I have no regrets about my decision to take it easy reading challenge wise in 2010. It turned out to be a wise decision for more reasons than one. I enjoyed the challenges I participated in, read a number of memorable books, and enjoyed being a part of the reading challenge community.

Did you participate in any reading challenges this year? Do you have a favorite?

---

© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Review: Semper Cool by Barry Fixler

We either became men or we became statistics at the Siege of Khe Sanh. Those who became statistics were the real men. They were the heroes. Khe Sanh may not have altered the outcome of the war, but it added to the mystique of the Marine Corps because despite overwhelming odds, we refused to lose. [excerpt from Semper Cool]

Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam by Barry Fixler
Exalt Press, 2010
Nonfiction; 320 pgs

Despite my being born after my father's service in Vietnam, the Vietnam War was still a part of my life. It was a part of who my dad was and, to a degree, shaped the way he viewed the world. Like Barry Fixler, my father enlisted in the Marine Corps straight out of high school. The two men went on to serve in Vietnam. From there, their experiences diverge, but I imagine there are some similarities. I read Fixler's memoir thinking of my dad and what his life might have been like during that time in his life. I have always been proud of my father's service, of his being a Marine, and after reading Semper Cool, I couldn't help but feel even more proud.

The author has a great sense of humor, even about himself, which is one of the things I most liked about the book. His pride in his country and as a Marine is clear throughout the book. The book is written in a simple and rather plain manner, but that isn't necessarily bad. As a reader, I got a real feel for who Barry Fixler was and what he was going through. He didn't coat the truth with sugar or try to paint himself a hero--although he certainly is that in his own right.

Semper Cool is not just about the author's experiences during the war, but also his story about how he became a Marine and how it shaped his life. He also writes about being a victim of an attempted burglary, and how he turned the tables on the thieves. The author's inspiration for writing the book, however, was to raise money for American Iraqi and Afghani war veterans with medical needs, as well as for their families--all his profits on the book go to the cause. All too often they fall through the cracks and receive little to no aid from the government and country they serve. Fixler's fundraiser at his jewelry store to help the family of one such soldier was a huge success, Americans coming from all over to donate money and volunteer their services. Stories like that always warm my heart. People do care.

You can learn more about Barry Fixler and his book on the author's website.

Challenge Commitment Fulfilled: War Through the Generations: Vietnam War Challenge

Source: Many thanks to Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and the author's publicist for the opportunity to review a copy of this book.

---

© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday Salon: The Vietnam War (My Reading, Part 3)

Unfortunately the final discussion for the Paco's Story read-a-long came and went without my being able to join in last month. I had intended to, even managed to stick to the planned reading schedule, but then got sidetracked by unavoidable events in my life. In that time, I also finished reading The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Both novels cover the lives of Alpha unit soldiers who fought during the Vietnam War.

In Larry Heineman's Paco's Story, Paco was the only surviving soldier after a raid that decimated his unit. With both physical and mental scars, Paco re-enters society, going through the motions of life. Readers are offered a glimpse at how a soldier from that war was treated upon his return, both with disdain and occasional pride. We get an inside look at the horrors of war, and Heineman pulls no punches in describing the war in brutal and honest terms.

Paco's Story began strong, one of those books I was sure would be a five star book by the time I finished. However, I was a little put off by the shifting voice of the narrator as the novel went on. It was inconsistent at times, and therefore a bit disjointed. It is still a powerful book, one I am glad I read, and deserves a high rating and much of the praise it has received.

The Things They Carried hit me almost in the opposite way. As I began reading the collection of stories and essays that make up the novel, I had doubts that it would knock my socks off as it had for so many others. The more I read, the more the stories came together, and the more the book came to life for me. By the end, I was, in fact, blown away.

Tim O'Brien's accounts of the Vietnam War in The Things They Carried are fiction, based in fact. It's hard not to think of the book as completely nonfiction when reading it, especially since the author writes in the first person and the narrator shares the author's name.

O'Brien's book is real and raw, sometimes funny, often sad. The collection of stories is about friendship, love, hope and death as much as it is about the war experience itself. Several of the stories stood out for me, in particular the one in which Tim receives his draft letter. Opposed to the war, he considers dodging the draft. How does a person reconcile one's beliefs with one's duty? My own father enlisted in the military and so his going to Vietnam was not a forced issue, not really. What must it have been like for a man who didn't make that choice on his own, who was forced to fight in a war he didn't believe in? "On the Rainy River" struck a chord with me that still lingers in the back of my mind and probably will for a long time to come.

There are also stories about the first kill, about coping with death, how a soldier may do many brave things during a war, but it is what he fails to do or isn't able to do that gnaws away at him. The author captures the many faces of war: the friendships that form, the horrors, the pressure, pain and strengths of the men. And how fitting the title, The Things They Carried! Not only do these men carry heavy loads of physical items, they also bare psychological and emotional burdens.

In fiction, there is truth. Sometimes it is easier to get to the truth through fiction than through nonfiction. We can see into the heart of it much more clearly. Both Paco's Story and The Things They Carried are good examples of portraying the truth in fiction at its finest.

I topped my Vietnam reading spurt off with Jason Aaron's The Other Side, a graphic novel following the stories of two soldiers, one a U.S. Marine and the other from the People's Army of Vietnam. Illustrated by Cameron Stewart, the novel is both beautiful and harsh. For the American, Billy Everette, a farm boy from Alabama, going to Vietnam was not something he especially wanted nor did he believe he'd come home alive. He is haunted by the ghosts of fellow soldiers, scared and unsure of himself. He is fighting a war against communism, to help the Vietnamese people. Vo Binh Dai, also the son of farmers, sees the war more as a spiritual quest; it is his duty to protect his country from the outsiders, the Americans, who are bent on destroying everything the Vietnamese hold dear. Two different views, one war.

I wasn't overly impressed with the author's first volume of Scalped, I confess, but I was really taken with The Other Side. The artwork, above all, is what makes this graphic novel stand out. One of my favorite pages carried panels of the horrors of war while others of a beautiful butterfly. Those drawings said so much more than words could ever express. The Other Side is definitely worth checking out.

Paco's Story by Larry Heinemann (Vintage, 1986) - Rating: (Very Good)
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (Broadway, 1990) - Rating: (Outstanding)
The Other Side by Jason Aaron & Cameron Stewart (Vertigo, 2007) - Rating: (Very Good)

Many thanks to Serena and Anna for hosting the Paco's Story read-a-long as well as the War Through the Generations Vietnam War Challenge. I still have one more book to read for the challenge to reach my personal challenge goal. There are three books in particular I would like to get to before the year is out, but if I read at least two of them, I'll be happy.

I currently am on an urban fantasy kick, having just discovered author Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels' series. I am devouring the books and hope to post my thoughts on the first four books of the series at some point in the near future. There are quite a few movies I have seen recently that I also want to share with you.

You may have noticed my sporadic attendance here at Musings of a Bookish Kitty in recent months. I rarely talk about my work here, and while I won't go into details, I will say that I have been putting in a lot of overtime. In addition, my boss has stepped in to cover for one of her bosses who is now in a different position and, in the meantime, I am one of two who is acting in her stead, along with continuing with my usual duties. We've been told this will go on for awhile, most likely through the end of the year at the minimum. On the home front, my husband and I have been working on several different home projects in preparation for the eventual sale of our house. At times it seems silly given that our house will be torn down, but the more money we can get out of the city, the better off we'll be when we are ready to buy a new house. We finally got the official letter from the city promising an appraisal soon. It looks like the waiting is almost over. I did say almost, right?

That's a taste of what's going on in my life right now, among other things, anyway. I can hear the critics saying it's all about making time for what you love. While true to an extent, I've had to sacrifice somewhere. And right now, that's my blog. I am still reading. Just yesterday I was caught reading while waiting for a train to go by at an intersection. You have to read when you can, after all.

I appreciate all of you who still stop by and visit--more than you know. I am not commenting on your blogs nearly as much as I'd like, but I do visit when I can. I hope to make the rounds soon to say hello and let you know I'm still alive and kicking.

So, tell me what you all are reading these days? Anything you think I should jump on right away? What has been going on in your life?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy reading!

Source: The Other Side was a gift from my husband, which he purchased. The other two books were both purchased by me.

---

© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday Salon: The Vietnam War (My Reading, Part 2)

I spent quite a bit of time this weekend lost in Tim O'Brien's book, The Things They Carried. At times it is funny, while at others heartbreaking. I cannot help but think of my dad and the time he spent in Vietnam during the American war there. So many lives were lost. So many lives changed, as they are with any war. No one comes back from war without scars. Not even Paco.

This past week participants for the read-a-long of Paco's Story by Larry Heinemann were asked to read chapters 3 and 4. The novel takes us from Vietnam, where Paco was the sole survivor in an attack that wiped out his entire unit, to his recovery and eventual attempt to rejoin society back home in the U.S. Heinemann is a gifted storyteller as well as writer. While middle two chapters are not quite as raw as the first two, they still capture the mood and tone of what life must have been like for many soldiers who were trying to adjust to a "normal" life after the war.

1. Do you think Paco is ready to rejoin the living and will he easily re-enter “normal” life?

I think Paco is as ready as he can be given his circumstances. Despite the pain and medication he is on, he appears to do quite well for himself, at least in terms of going through the motions. He has his priorities set: finding a job and a place to sleep. It will not be easy for him, no doubt. He has a lot going against him. Not having a clear of idea of what is going on in his head, it is hard to know what psychological issues Paco may be dealing with and how he is working through those, if at all.


2. How do you think the lively atmosphere of Rita’s Tender Tap affects Paco?

The environment seemed to overwhelm him and so he made as quick a retreat as he could without seeming unfriendly. Having come from a war where life and death were paramount, stepping back into society where trivial issues are what seem to be important is not so easy to do. Paco most likely feels out of place, unsure of where he fits in anymore.


3. Do you think Heinemann made the right choice in narrator, or do you believe Paco should be telling his own story?

I think the author's use of an outside narrator offers the reader a necessary glimpse at what those Paco encounters are thinking. The reader is able to see just what obstacles Paco encountered on his journey and gets a feel for how society responded to someone like Paco: a soldier from an unpopular war, an outsider, and a person with a disability. Most people wanted him to be on his way so they could get back to their own lives.


4. Do you think the side stories about the medic who found Paco, the bus driver, and Mr. Elliot, etc., add to the narrative or take too much attention away from Paco, who seems to hide in the background during these asides?

I found the side stories interesting and informative. As I mentioned in my response the question #3, such narrative provides more insight into what Paco faced. What struck me about Mr. Elliot was his struggle with his own demons from war. It was a different war than the one Paco fought in, but seeing Paco, brought back those memories for Mr. Elliot and the reader is offered yet another impression of how war impacts individuals, whether from a solider or civilian perspective. In the diner owner, we discover a man who connects instantly with Paco, having been a soldier himself. He understands what Paco is going through and offers to help. Whereas the people in the barbershop saw Paco as an outsider, a man with a disability, would was more a burden than a help. They wanted nothing to do with him. All of the different perspectives offered in the book capture the variety of ways a soldier may have been treated upon his return home after war.


5. How do you feel about Paco at this point in the book?

I rather like Paco and have much empathy for what he is going through. I think, at this point, he is just going through the motions to survive and work through the pain he is suffering. The reader is more of an observer to the events happening to Paco, rather than being in his head. This has its advantages, as mentioned above, but also the disadvantage of not letting the reader know just where his head is through all of this. There are so many unanswered questions still about Paco and who he is exactly. I am curious to know if my impression of him will change as the final two chapters of the novel unfold.


Leaving Paco for the time being, I turned my attention to the final story in Nam Le's collection of short stories called The Boat.

Escape does not come easy. Vietnamese people fled Vietnam after the war, trying to get away from the communists. This is the story of Mai, Quyen and Quyen's six year old son, Truong. Sixteen year old Mai meets Quyen and Troung on the crowded boat, when Quyen takes Mai under her wing. Mai takes an instant liking to the young Truong, whose eyes are always distant.

Their escape is fraught with difficulties: a storm, failing engines and the heat above deck. There is little food and hardly any water. Sickness and death are all around them.

Nam Le's story, The Boat, is not an easy story to read. The characters' journey is described in raw terms. Relief comes in Mai's memories of her father and family, but only slightly. Their story too, is a sad one. Even in the midst of the suffering, I couldn't help but be reminded of the strength of the human spirit. This is a story that will haunt my dreams tonight, no doubt.

I had hoped to have Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart's The Other Side read for today, but I was unable to get to it. It is a graphic novel that tells the tale of two soldiers during the American War in Vietnam, each on the opposite side. Look for that next Sunday.

---

© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday Salon: The Vietnam War (My Reading, Part 1)

I met a woman the other day who shared her story with me. She was a young mother in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. She fled for her life, having no knowledge that she was carrying her second child at the time. She was scared, afraid for her life as well as that of her family. She made it to the United States, although how exactly, she sometimes wonders to this day. She brought with her both painful and happy memories. Hers is just one of many stories about Vietnam and the toll the war had on our lives.

It impacted me in a much less direct way. My father is a Vietnam Vet, having served time during the war. It changed him in ways I cannot imagine. His experiences will always be with him, and so, however indirectly, with me. It is that knowledge that I bring with me into every book I read that touches on the Vietnam War. The stories become more personal as a result. I can't help but think of my father during that time in his life.

It was with these thoughts that I opened Nam Le's The Boat, a collection of short stories, only a couple of which are directly related to Vietnam. I decided to read the first story in the book, "Love and Honor and pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice," which is about a father and son who have barely spoken in three years. The son, Nam, is struggling to find inspiration for his current writing project, when he decides to write about his father's experiences during the Vietnam War. His father, who is visiting from out of town, is reluctant for the story to be written, but shares it with his son anyway. Author Nam Le's story is beautifully written and yet it does not blunt the horror of the son's father's story of the Americans arrival in Vietnam, of the murder and fear. But more so, this is a story about a father and son, about their relationship, and the son's desire to distance himself from his father while all the while to understand his father and to have his father understand and accept him.

I recently read an interview with the author in which he discusses his exploration of "'authenticity' in fiction." The story is autobiographical but is also fiction; but how much of it? The author purposefully leaves the reader to wonder and ponder whether it affects the reading experience.


This month I am participating in the read-a-long of Paco's Story by Larry Heinemann for the War Through the Generations Vietnam War Challenge. Each week, participants are reading two chapters of the book and answering a set of questions. This past week, we were assigned to read the first two chapters. I confess, it was hard to just stop there!

1. Who do you think the narrator is?

While this may seem like a simple question on the surface, when it comes to Paco's Story it appears to be a bit more complicated. The identity of the narrator is not exactly clear. The text seems to indicate that he is one of the Alpha Company soldiers who died that fateful day at Fire Base Harriette.


2. What does the opening paragraphs of Chapter 1 tell you about the narrator?

The war has touched the narrator as it did many of the soldiers who fought in it. He is hardened and embittered. He makes it clear up front that he isn't writing just another war story--no one wants to hear that, he says. From what I can tell so far, the novel seems like so much more than just that.


3. How do you think Paco’s survival impacted the medic’s world view? And how did that change the medic?

The medic from Bravo Company had been disillusioned long ago. Death is an inevitable part of war, and, all around him, it seemed as if death followed. His efforts to save the injured soldiers were for naught all too often. He came to expect that everyone he attempted to bandage up and heal would die. He expected no less of Paco. Facing the carnage of the Alpha Company was the last straw for the medic. And as he waited for the call that never came, the call that Paco had died, he realized just how fruitless his efforts were, how helpless he was, and how hopeless he felt. He lost all interest in pretending anymore that he could make a difference.


4. Is Paco's Story narrated in a way that is “too” honest?

Paco's Story is raw and real in a way that novels like this should be written. War is violent and harsh. There is nothing pleasant about it and to gloss it over would be to betray the experiences of so many who have fought, died and survived. I also think it is important for those of us who have not experienced similar events in our lives to know the unvarnished truth. Paco's Story strikes the right balance of honesty in the narration. This novel would not be as powerful or authentic as it is otherwise.


Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness is hosting a read-along for Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried this month. She plans to post her thoughts on the book on July 26th and encourages others to join in on the discussion.

I bought a copy of the book years ago for my father, hoping he would loan it to me after he read it. He loved it, but because of the physical distance between us, I never was able to borrow the book from him. As a result, I bought my own copy and it has sat unread on my shelf for quite some time. The Things They Carried was the first book I thought of adding to my reading list for the Vietnam War Challenge this year.

It seems fitting that I should choose to read this book right alongside Paco's Story. Paco had been a soldier in the Alpha Company, and the interconnected stories that make up The Things They Carried are about men in the Alpha Company. I will not be reviewing each of the stories in The Things They Carried separately; rather, I will follow Kim's example and post my overall thoughts on the book later this month.

Are you participating in any of these read-a-longs this month? Have you read these books? If so, what did you think?

Where has your reading taken you lately?

---

© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Review: The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Helen picked her way back home using the less traveled streets and alleys, avoiding the larger thoroughfares such as Nguyen Hue, where trouble was likely. When she first came to Saigon, full of the country's history from books, it had struck her out little any of the Americans knew or cared about the country, how they traveled the same streets day after day - Nguyen Huge, Hai Ba Trung, Le Loi - with no idea that these were the names of Vietnamese war heroes who rose up against foreign invaders. That was the experience of Vietnam: things in plain view, their meaning visible only to the initiated. [pg 7]

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
St. Martin's Press, April 2010
Fiction; 400 pgs

I watched the film The Hurt Locker recently. I have had difficulty putting my thoughts onto paper about it and so you haven't seen a review. One thing in particular that stood out for me, however, was the scene where Staff Sergeant James is grocery shopping, followed by a scene of him trying to talk to his wife about his experiences in the Iraq War as she prepares a meal. These are very revealing scenes. The soldier goes from intense and life threatening situations in Iraq to the every day monotony of life back home. His wife is not able to understand what he has been through, everything he has seen.

The violence and shared horrors, the adrenalin rush, the camaraderie and strong bonds that form between the soldiers, and the sense of duty and honor . . . War can change a person. It can make adjusting to home life upon return difficult. It is not uncommon for soldiers to return to battle even when they don't have to. Some feel most comfortable there in a way many of us who haven't experienced it can't even begin to understand. I thought of this as I read The Lotus Eaters. A different war, a different time period. A novel about photojournalists rather than a movie about soldiers. The pull of war, of danger, seduces some almost like a drug. It makes the title of Tatjana Soli's novel all the more fitting.

I was drawn to Soli's The Lotus Eaters because of the setting. The novel is set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It is the story of an American female photojournalist, Helen Adams, who is set on following in her father and brother's footsteps, wanting to know how her brother died and to experience some of what he must have as a soldier in the Vietnam War. It is also the story of Linh, a Vietnamese man who has lost everything and who is doing what he can to survive. And then there is Sam Darrow, an American photojournalist whose entire life is wrapped up in shooting wars.

The novel opens as Helen is making her way home to her apartment in Saigon where Linh, bedridden and in need of medical care, is waiting. The Americans are fleeing the city as the Communists take over, the final sign of a war lost. Helen struggles with whether to leave with Linh or stay to see the changeover first hand, capturing it on film. Her decision made, the novel, and her thoughts, shift to the past and the reader is taken to the moment she first arrived in Saigon and from there her story and that of Linh's and Darrow's unfold.

I fell in love with this novel from the very first word. My biggest regret is that I read the novel without my reading journal handy and so my notes are few, and I don't have a record of the many quotations that especially moved me. The author's writing is beautiful. There was a melancholy and underlying tension about it which helped to create the tone of the novel. None of the characters in the novel are perfect, each one flawed and multi-faceted. They are tormented but driven, eager but at times reluctant.

Helen changes quite a bit during her time in Vietnam. She arrives as a naive young woman, eager to make a name for herself and prove she can hold her own in a man's world. She has her work cut out for her and, even at her most fearful, she is courageous. As the novel progresses, Helen grows stronger and wiser but there is a recklessness there too, much like that of veteran photographer, Darrow, who finds comfort and meaning in war. He sees something in Helen, a hint himself in his younger years, but also someone who may finally be his match.

Linh's story intrigued me. He is Darrow's assistant and proves to be an invaluable companion. He is the biggest mystery of all throughout the novel, but as his personal story unfolds, I was even more drawn to him, and I couldn't help but wish I had known him in real life.

Through the author's words and the characters' eyes, I could understand their love/hate relationship with Vietnam. It is a beautiful country. The Vietnamese people were tenacious and adaptable. They had to be given the circumstances of the country's history. The author's knowledge and interest in Vietnam shined through on every page. She included a bibliography at the end of the book for those interested in reading more about the country. While her story is fiction, there is truth woven in. Soli did not take sides but presented a realistic and complicated picture of events in Vietnam at the time.

The Lotus Eaters is beautiful, dark, and thought provoking. War is cruel and Soli does not hold back from sharing the ugly side of it. Within it too, however, are sparks of humanity and compassion. The author does not leave that out either. In fact, it is often those moments, that help Helen through the darker moments. The Lotus Eaters is an amazing novel: a love story just as much as it is about the Vietnam War and the impact war can have on those touched by it. After having just finished it, I am still hesitant to pick up another book, still caught in its spell.

Rating: (Outstanding)
Challenge Commitment Fulfilled: War Through the Generations: Vietnam War Challenge

You can learn more about Tatjana Soli and her book on the author's website. Be sure and check the TLC Book Tours website as well.

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. Book for review provided by the publisher.

Tatjana Soli's TLC Tour Stops:

Thursday, March 18th: Book Club Classics!

Monday, March 22nd: Feminist Review

Tuesday, March 23rd: Reading, Writing, and Retirement

Wednesday, March 24th: Caribousmom

Thursday, March 25th: Word Lily

Friday, March 26th: Bookfoolery and Babble

Monday, March 29th: My Friend Amy

Wednesday, March 31st: Books and Movies

Thursday, April 1st: Lit and Life

Friday, April 2nd: Luxury Reading

Monday, April 5th: Suko’s Notebook

Tuesday, April 6th: One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books

Wednesday, April 7th: Diary of an Eccentric

Thursday, April 8th: Happy Lotus

Friday, April 9th: At Home With Books

Monday, April 12th: Savvy Verse and Wit

Monday, April 13th: A High and Hidden Place

---

© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

War Through the Generations: Vietnam War Challenge

It never really crossed my mind to give up the War Through the Generations Challenge, even after I made the decision to take a reading challenge hiatus. While a new challenge is starting up, in my mind, it is just a part of the bigger whole, and therefore, not really a separate challenge. I was eager to see what war we would be reading about next. Would it be the American Civil War? I could certainly use a challenge for that one. I have quite a few books that would fit into that category. World War I would do just as nicely too. When I saw that the focus of 2010 will be the Vietnam War, I knew I would join in. This one is too close to home not to.

There was a time when I was a daddy's girl. My father took me to my first ballet. I remember dressing up, so proud to be wearing my "nylons" (tan tights). We had dinner, just the two of us, at a Mexican restaurant before the show. I was beyond thrilled. We saw one of my favorite fairy tales, Sleeping Beauty. It is a memory I hold close to my heart. My father is a book lover and has a massive collection of books. Is it any surprise then that I followed in his footsteps?

My father has a love for history, including war history. I'm sure that's in part where my interest in the subject came from as well. World War II is a special favorite for both of us. Then there is the Vietnam War.

My dad is a Vietnam Veteran. He was an enlisted man, having joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. His time in the war was a part of his life he never talked about, other than a funny story here and there. I knew it haunted him. I could see it in his eyes. I longed to know that part of him, to understand what he went through. As a result, I began reading as much as I could about the war, and even watched quite a few movies based on the conflict. As an adult, I have a better understanding of why he kept that part of his life closed off from me.

My personal goal is to read at least five (5) books related to the Vietnam War. Anna and Serena have graciously agreed that watching a movie related to the Vietnam War may count towards this challenge too. I may have to take them up on that idea!

Tentative Reading Ideas for the Vietnam War Challenge:
The Things They Carried by Time O'Brien
Dragon House by John Shors
Paco’s Story by Larry Heinneman (challenge group read selection)
Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King
Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

I'd love to hear of any titles relating to the Vietnam War that you might recommend. Are you participating in the challenge? What will you be reading?

About the Vietnam War Challenge:

The 2010 War Through the Generations reading challenge will focus on The Vietnam War (1959-1975), which is technically a Cold War military conflict and is sometimes referred to as the Second Indochina War.

The fighting occurred in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and relates to the rise of Communism in Asia following the defeat of the French, who had colonized the region, during WWII.

The challenge will run from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010.

Rules:

This year you have options when reading your fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. with the Vietnam War as the primary or secondary theme.

Books can take place before, during, or after the war. Books from other challenges count so long as they meet the above criteria.

Dip: Read 5 books in any genre with the Vietnam War as a primary or secondary theme.

Wade: Read 6-10 books in any genre with the Vietnam War as a primary or secondary theme.

Swim: Read 11 or more books in any genre with the Vietnam War as a primary or secondary theme.

The War Through the Generations Challenges are hosted by Anna and Serena. For more information about the Vietnam War Challenge or to sign up visit the challenge website. The challenge website has a great list of recommendations as well, a feature that comes in mighty handy for me!

---

© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.