Cutting For Stone

Cutting For Stone  by Abraham Verghese
2009
Weight: 1.9 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving at Joe's in EAV

I went to Iowa last year to visit my Stepmother's family.  I finally got to spend a substantial amount of time with her mom, dad, and sister.  I also got to see the school I have always wanted to attend for creative writing and explore Iowa City.  My brother and his family came over from Colorado, and it was all around a great experience.

There is an amazing bookstore in Iowa City called Prairie lights, and I might have gone a little wild there.  I was in love with it the second I walked in and the love just grew as I walked about.  I saw a posting for my college professor who I love and deeply respect, Amber Dermont.  She was teaching some summer writing classes and had given a reading at that bookstore.  I saw postcards made by children to raise money for a youth writing program.  There were so many literary journals!

My Stepmother's mom bought me this book on one of our last days in the city.  She bought it at a library sale, and it is one of her personal favorites.  She is an avid reader too.  I finally read it and, while it is not one of my favorites, it does grip your attention.  It may not be believable, but it is intense, and I cherish it as a gift from my family.

Go With Me

Go With Me by Castle Freeman Jr.

2009

Weight: 5.6 oz

Method of Disposal: Leaving in Coralville, Iowa

I went to Prairie Lights in Iowa City for the first time this weekend. I let myself go a little, and I bought some books I probably should not have. This was one of them. It was a definite splurge to get this book and then leave it somewhere just a couple days later. Financially, it was really stupid, but in the spirit of the moment it was the right thing.

Go With Me is a quick read, and there some fine things about it, but overall it is not one of my favorites. The typography in this edition is disgraceful. It can really pull you out of the story, but that is not the author's fault. The skill of the story probably lies in the very thing I did not enjoy about it. It is not that it is bad, but that it is not really my type. It is the story of a woman trying to escape the threats and abuse of the town criminal. She seeks the help of the police and is directed to a group of local men. Two of which agree to go after him and take care of him for good. They were men of few words, and they did not show a lot of excitement or energy whether they were in danger, relaxing, or traveling to a fight. The woman was desperate for help but resentful of the type of men who were willing to help her. The only ones who will do anything. She lacks respect for them and fights them almost the whole way. The beauty of the story is in these relationships and that big, dramatic moves like murder are actually shown to be small, mundane acts of violence.

I am leaving this small book in Iowa instead of packing it in with all the other stuff I picked up along the way. I hope someone else finds it and enjoys it. I found it on a display at Prairie Lights and now it will be given away for free somewhere nearby. That bookstore, by the by, was great. I really like the quality of the books on display and that there's a decent selection of literary journals. I like that there is a tie between the bookstore and the university. Just two days before I flew in my past college professor had done a reading there. I adore that professor and was glad to see she had been there, right across from one of the universities she attended and has led workshops at. My trip to Iowa has been fun. I have enjoyed exploring downtown and checking out the school.