Off the Shelf, May 2013

The books I've picked up, turned the pages of, and thought about during the month.

Fever by Mary Beth Keane

For the second month in a row, I have finished my book group book a week ahead of time. This may be a record for me. Fever was good. The novel didn’t blow me away, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Keane ‘s novel follows the (fictionalized) story of Typhoid Mary, the woman who was discovered to be an asymptomatic carrier of Typhoid Fever in New York at the turn of the 20^th century, infecting people for whom she worked as a cook, but never showing signs of the illness herself. After reading the story, I have a difficult time referring to her as Typhoid Mary; it was likely a name she hated. The story is quite sympathetic toward Mallon (for good reason) without romanticizing her, which I appreciated. So much of her story is heartbreaking because of the lack of knowledge about disease and medicine—Mary Mallon was unusual and few people, let alone a working cook and those around her, understood what it meant that she could pass on a disease she never had herself. Keane wrote Mallon as a complex, emotional character; she exhibits pain and anger along with love and kindness, often all at once. Keane’s novel made me want to know more about the non-fiction Mary Mallon; it made me wonder how much we know about Mallon’s life and if we have access to her correspondence, but then, I’m a giant nerd who loves that stuff. I would read more by Keane.

Film: a Very Short Introduction by Michael Wood

I’m teaching a film class in July. I ordered books for the course last week and am in the process of research for planning classes. I will be reading more film books in the next two months. I did not end up ordering this one (which I might regret, this is a good little book). I think the Very Short Introduction series by Oxford University Press is pretty fabulous. They are smart, (very) short, and $10. There are 183 books in the series. Browse. Learn stuff. 

Mason Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne

I don’t own many knitting books (only three, I think) but I find myself picking this one up pretty often. A friend recommended it and I have found myself knitting several of the projects, some regularly. I like the authors’ sense of humor (one of the best project names: Absorba, the Great Bathmat) and they don’t shy away from mentioning mistakes or colors gone wrong. The projects range from beginner to more advanced and cover everything from dishcloths and baby blankets to curtains and nighties. So far, I haven’t had any difficulty with instructions and have been happy with every project I’ve worked. Next up: Absorba, the Great Bathmat!

An update on The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Sutterfield from April: I finished the novel this month and I did enjoy the story. It’s not one I feel the need to read again, but it’s an intriguing mystery about storytelling, memory, and loss. I’m glad I finished it and recommend it. 

To be fair, I also read, commented on, and graded over 200 pages of student papers during the first half of May. I’m hoping to pull more books off the shelf in June. Many more. Sometimes I think my job teaching literature and writing is bad for my reading of literature and writing.