empress orchid - anchee min

anchee min || empress orchid || 4.5/5.0

empress orchid is historical fiction, loosely based on the life of the empress dowager cixi, who ruled china for the second half of the 19th century until her death in 1908. this novel actually only covers until about 1860, and there is a second novel (the last empress), which covers her reign itself.

empress orchid is the story of her rise from poverty to becoming leader of china. i know it's fiction, but i still think i learned more about china's history reading this book than i ever did in school. (thanks history major!) i'm certainly encouraged to learn more.

the writing is great, and the story engaging. i'll definitely be picking up the sequel soon! it was well received when released in 2004, and i can understand why.

REM - furry happy monsters

inauguration

i had a great time at inauguration. i metroed in, took in the atmosphere, chanted, lamented the boos, cheered the cheers, puzzled over the poem, moved en masse, sang, danced, froze, breathed in some history, and finally walked back across the potomac.

(1) facing the capitol (which is blocked from view by the jumbotron) just in front of the american history museum
(2) yours truly
(3) facing backwards, the crowd surrounding the monument
(4) post-inaugural walkers of the memorial bridge

hello again, ebola

the international herald-tribune has an article reporting an outbreak of ebola in philippine pigs. its only the ebola reston strain (a non-lethal strain for humans), and there may be only one case of transmission to humans.... but i'm still not feeling so good about the news. more hospitible warm bodies in which ebola can hunker down = no good.

signs of the times

during the lost premier tonight (!!!), two commercials got me thinking. the first was a movie trailer for a new action flick starring clive owen... apparently about a bank that just won't fail. the second was a car commercial featuring a promise to allow anyone who buys their car but then loses their job the chance to return the car.

interesting times we're living in, eh?

duran duran - hungry like the wolf

the winter of our discontent - john steinbeck

john steinbeck || the winter of our discontent || 4.0/5.0

i love steinbeck. this is the last novel he finished before his death. i love the title, which actually comes from richard III, "now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York".

it wasn't my favorite of steinbeck's, but he's so good that i can't complain. it's his parting shot at the declining morality of small town life (and perhaps the 1960's united states in general); some critics have critisized the transparency of his message. for me, though, it was another chance to submerge myself in his beautiful use of language.

i'm rationing myself to one steinbeck novel per year. that doesn't mean i can't reread, though, so perhaps a revisit to east of eden is in order this year? i've read grapes of wrath and travels with charley each several times already, and just can't get enough. aren't favorite authors great?