Monday, October 17, 2011

Eastern Trees: Peterson Field Guides

I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction, but over the years I've increasingly found myself drawn to non-fiction because I'm a constant learner and I feel that non-fiction feeds this "need" moreso than the average fiction book. With this said, each year I ask for a handful of books for Christmas and one year in particular I really wanted books about trees. I ended up receiving a book from my mom as well as from my husband's parents. The book my mom gave me was Eastern Trees, which is one of the Peterson Field Guides. The other book, the one from Mark's parents, was Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs. This pretty much explains my family: my mom= self-taught botanist and Mark's parents= landscaping outfitters (they coordinate trees from nurseries to go to large landscape projects). While I enjoy both books, I enjoy them for entirely different reasons. Most recently, I've been glued to the Peterson Guide since I've been doing some recon in the local parks and wildlife areas.

The Peterson Guide to Eastern Trees is wonderful in that it breaks down the trees in the table of contents based on the characteristics of the tree, much like the Newcomb Wildflower Guide, only on a much less complex level. Immediately after this, there are a couple of pages that diagram the main parts of the tree and it explains the differences between needles, leave, leaflets and the various structures of buds. The next section includes a general overview of the overall structure of the trees-- silhouettes. This is particularly helpful for identification from a distance and also for when the leaves are no longer on the trees. After this section, there are charts with the characteristics of the trees and then color drawings on the opposite page to help the reader visually identify the tree by the leaves and the fruit/seeds/nuts. The last main section is the "species accounts" section. This section tells more about the individual species, where they're found, the trees' preferences and their uses for animals and people.

I have found myself particularly drawn to the silhouettes and the quick reference charts and drawings because they're so helpful in identifying the trees while in the field. With this said, I have not been drawn into the species accounts because it feels like it should be part of a separate book since the style is so different. I would probably have been more likely to read these accounts if they were linked in with the charts and drawings for the identification (like Newcomb's Wildflower Guide). As it is though, I've found myself using the Peterson Field Guide whenever I'm away from internet access, but then once I'm home, I can't help but be drawn to the internet's resources to answer my infinite questions about when the trees seed, what they're used for and where they're originally found. While most of this information can be found in the Peterson Guide, I also find that it feels merely surface level and I may be needing something a bit more in depth as my curiosity deepens.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

"The Girl Who Played with Fire"

I've been reading "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest"-- which is the second book in "The Millenium Series," but I've been struggling to make much progress with it. There are a few possible reasons for this: 1. I think just reading during my lunch and during DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) is not nearly enough reading for me. 2. Stieg Larsson must have had a contract that paid by the word. 3. I really must be a slower reader than I realize. With this said, I'm writing the review now even though I'm only 170 some pages in to the 500+ page monster. I know the story is decent as a whole, because I made a point to see the Swedish version of the movies (they'll be coming out soon in an English version too).

Why am I writing the review now? Well, in all honesty, I'm not sure that I can bring myself to finish the book in a timely manner (i.e. within the span of two months at this rate!). I've not just taken to reading the book when I need something to fill my time-- which is rarely, because I'm pretty good at keeping myself busy. Also, I feel like my impression of the book hasn't changed since the first 50 pages. So, what's my recommendation? Save your time.

I love the main character, Lisbeth Salander. She's an autistic misfit with a penchant for putting domestic abusers in their shameful places. However, for some reason Stieg Larsson decided to try to clean her up a bit by having her get a tattoo removed, take out some of her piercings and then get a boob job. Seriously, a boob job. Nothing goes more against the grain for everything Salander would have stood up for than a boob job.

My next bit of beef with the story... the sex. Seriously, I think Larsson was just looking for an excuse to write some lesbian love scenes and he was vicariously trying to live through Mikael Blomkvist, who happens to bed any dame in his proximity but never has to deal with much fallout in the way of jealous ladies. Again, Larsson couldn't sell me on this one.

Aside from the overdone sex forays and the boob job, the story has been decent enough: someone is out to murder Salander, her former abusive guardian is trying to figure how to get back at her, and the Millenium crew is hot on the trail of some corrupt officials who enjoy underage prostitutes. So, that part of the story is decent... it's just the other silliness that must be overlooked. So for now, this read will drop to the "bored and/or looking for something to read before bed" category. Sorry for your luck, Stieg.