'the best thing' by Margo Lanagan

First Impressions
'the best thing' by Margo Lanagan was a very interesting read. About half way through I nearly abandoned it, finding it mundane and sad and too real to be readable. I'm glad I hung in there.
Mothering
I loved the way Margo Lanagan describes the passage of pregnancy and childbirth and the early days of mothering. Her protagonist is a young woman, yet I found it a description that closely resembled the feelings I had when I was a slightly older young mother.
Margo Lanagan's Writing
I discussed Margo Lanagan's writing today with a colleague and we both agreed it wasn't always easy to read, not that it was difficult to understand, it was emotionally confronting. I always find her writing rewarding though precisely because it is confronting.
Short Story vs Novel
When I started the novel, I wondered if I didn't prefer Lanagan's writing in short story form as I had loved the three anthologies of short stories I had read 'Red Spikes', 'Black Juice' and 'White Time'. At the conclusion of this novel, I find that I love her writing in both forms. She cuts to the heart of what's really important and describes it beautifully. It is truly a vibrant and triumphant tale that is gutsy in it's subject choice as well as the depth it delves into.

Reading Challenge Stocktake

Premiers Reading Challenge
At school our kids participate in the Premiers Reading Challenge at year 7, 8 and 9. They need to read 15 books in a period of around 6 months. Most of them complete this and I try to challenge them to extend themselves a little. 10 of the books they read need to come from a list. I like to complete the challenge also and read 10 from the CBCA Award shortlist. The CBCA Award winners are announced during Childrens Book Week which is 18th - 24th August. This co-incides with the end of the Premiers Reading Challenge, which for schools is 17th August.
My Challenge Progress
The challenge began on the 31st January and in this time I've read; 'Don't Call Me Ishmael' by Michael Gerard Bauer , 'The Red Shoe' by Ursula Dubosarsky, 'Red Spikes' by Margo Lanagan and 'One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke. From my own choice books, I've read 'The Lollipop Shoes' by Joanne Harris, 'The Witch of Portobello' by Paulo Coelho, 'The Journeys of Socrates' by Dan Millman, 'Stalker' by Hazel Edwards , 'The Running Man' by Michael Gerard Bauer, 'The Zahir' by Paulo Coelho, 'Theodora's Gift' by Ursula Duborsarsky, 'White Time by Margo Lanagan, 'Flying South' by L M Elliott and 'I Heard the Owl Call My Name' by Margaret Craven. So I've actually over read in my own choice section. Well I guess that is the challenge! I have the last two from the shortlist for older readers, and one of the 2007 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books shortlisted books, because it had red in the title of course. I aim to read these during the next week.
In Summary
So I've read 4 out of 10 from the CBCA Awards shortlist. I have 3 here from the list to complete and would like to read the Catherine Bateson's book 'Being Bee' in the Younger Readers Category as well as the one with Macbeth in the title by Jackie French. That will make 9. I've read two picture books from the list, so I will reread them and review them and then my work is done. Work - that's a joke, I love reading. It's been great listing this. It made me realise some more progress made.

White Time by Margo Lanagan

I have read Margo Lanagan's stories in a different order to most probably. I began with her second book, "Black Juice", I then read her latest short story collection "Red Spikes" and I am currently reading "White Time". I enjoyed every story and have had favourites but mostly loved them all amongst the stories. This book, so far, will be even more difficult to select a favourite. I don't want to finish it. She says she was experimenting with a variety of styles in this first book. I have enjoyed them all. I especially loved the story about the kid with the weight problem caused by withholding his emotions. There feels to be some truth to that.

Margo Lanagan

I have just completed reading 'Red Spikes'. It is a delightful collection of short stories that has really fired my imagination. My favourites were 'Winkie', 'A Feather in the Breat of God' and 'Under Hell, Over Heaven', yet each was a special little adventure into a surreal, yet familiar somehow landscape. 'Under Hell, Over Heaven' was especially thought provoking and brought up fears and thoughts so young and forgotton in me.

I read 'Black Juice' last year and found it terribly good. I have 'White Time' on my bedside table and will dig into it soon.

Waiting Rooms

Waiting Rooms are designed to drive me insane. I have spent a little time in them the last few days. I have completed a whole book sitting in a waiting room. That is the good thing about them. Now I know to bring a book, because the magazine selections are always poor and insulting. The chiropracter's waiting room is tolerable because the people waiting there are usually not contagious. If you go to a doctor's waiting room however, it always seems to me insane that all the sick people are hanging out together, waiting for so long. Who knows what you could catch? The name itself, "Waiting" how's that for setting you up for impatience? I guess it's better than the catch the flu room, which is how it feels sometimes in there.

By the way the book I finished was the short story collection by Margo Lanagan, "White Time". It was great. I can't say my favourites because I loved every one of them.

CBCA Winners 2007

2007 Winners
I am delighted that 'Red Spikes' has won the Older Readers category. Although I totally enjoyed each book that was shortlisted and we are considering using 'Don't Call Me Ishmael' for our year 9s, my favourite's were 'Red Spikes' and 'The Red Shoe'. Margo Lanagan is an amazing writer and I have another of her earlier books to enjoy when I have completed two others I have began.
Catherine Bateson has taken out the Younger Readers book of the year with 'Being Bee'. I am yet to read the rest of this category, but I can say I really enjoyed this one.
I am even less familiar with the other categories the CBCA Award Winners for 2007, I enjoyed Shaun Tan's 'The Arrival', which won the Picture book category as well as the Honour books for the 2007 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books.

Sally Murphy at Scribblings has a great post on the CBCA Junior Judges Project. She has also created a list of 12 books to read before you turn 12. I want to create my own and will attempt it on the weekend perhaps.

CBCA Awards 2007 Shortlist

I finally looked at the CBCA Awards shortlist today and looked forward to reading the books on the list. I read most of the shortlist last year and totally enjoyed them. It's great to look forward to winter with a list of books to read that are almost guaranteed to be great. I have included a new tag "CBCA Awards" in my blog. I'll have to go back and add it to all the books I read from the list and mentioned on this blog last year. My apologies to readers with feeds who may get these posts reposted.

I have already had the pleasure of reading "Red Spikes" by Margo Lanagan. It is a collection of amazing and wonderful short stories and is my favourite so far! There is a great story 'Under Hell, Over Heaven' in there based on the Catholic concept of Limbo. I wonder if the Pope read this story too as he has recently made some changes.

Swimming Carnival and the week that was...

Yesterday we had the annual swimming carnival. It was a washout. I got wet to the bone. This week has been a long one. All the illness in my home has skirted around me and I have felt it creep closer from time to time. My new routines of eating fruit and vegetables and taking vitamins and exercising and drinking plenty of water have protected me well. It has not quite penetrated my health to the extent of really stopping me.
I am reading a book of short stories called "Black Juice" by Margo Lanagan. It is delightful. When I got it out of the library at the senior campus last year, with the intention of reading it over the holidays, the librarian said the young person who had been the one and only borrower had given it a 5/10 and she didn't expect much of it. I guess that is why I have not rushed into it, although I had read many positive reviews. In my mind I put it in the category of those things that get good reviews because they are all buddies and afraid to tell each other the truth. I usually trust the opinions of the children around me before the 'experts' or 'acclaimed'. In this case I judged wrongly.
This week has passed well. I thought it had been a dull week until I came to write about it. I had a lovely pizza dinner with family and friend last night. It was a great combo of good food, funny, often interrupted stories and much laughter. We were fare welling my daughters best friend who is heading off to Wodonga to study. It was an enjoyable evening although underneath the laughter and smiles, I felt sad to be setting her off into the world. I had that sense that things would never be the same again. So many nights she has spent laughing and being ridiculous, always spontaneously and rarely planned. It is right that they should grow up and pursue their own lives but that is the pain of young people growing up . When they are successful and grown they leave.
I also brought home a ceramic mask I made last year after school. I made the mask at an after school workshop. I was pretty cranky whilst I was putting it together and I really enjoyed the process as a distraction from the hurt I was feeling at the time. It turned out well. One day when I am not tired and lazy (as I am right now) I will put a photo of it on this blog.