California Road Trip 2019 - Manzanar National Historic Site

Sunday, September 29, 2019
Lone Pine, CA
Day Trip: Manzanar National Historic Site

One of the nice things about traveling without reservations is that if we decide we are enjoying our current location (or need to stay put due to adverse weather conditions further down the road), we can extend our stay. We were fortunate to be able to do just that since the temps at June Lake were still too cold (and with a possibility of snow). We looked forward to more downtime in Lone Pine, and we also wanted to visit Manzanar, so we reserved our site for two more nights.

Manzanar National Historic Site is a short (14 mile) drive up Hwy. 395 from our RV park in Lone Pine. We spent about three hours touring the Visitor Center and museum, driving the 3-mile self-guided tour around the camp, viewing the 20 minute film about about the camp, and exploring the various buildings (barracks, mess hall, etc.). The cemetery and monument were the most moving and I was glad it wasn't too busy with tourists so we could walk quietly, contemplating our country's past and present evils.

One Camp, Ten Thousand Lives; One Camp, Ten Thousand Stories

In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated during World War II. (National Park Service)

 Sentry Post

Manzanar was arranged into 36 blocks. In most blocks, up to 300 people crowded into 14 barracks. Initially, each barracks had four rooms with eight people per room. Everyone ate in a mess hall, washed clothes in a public laundry room, and shared latrines and showers with little privacy. The ironing room and recreation hall offered spaces for classes, shops, and churches. Over time, people personalized their barracks and most blocks evolved into distinct communities. (National Park Foundation)

Catholic stonemason Ryozo Kado built this obelisk in 1943 with help from residents of Block 9 and the Young Buddhist Association. On the east face, Buddhist Reverend Shinjo Nagatomi inscribed kanji characters that mean "soul consoling tower." People attended religious services here during the war. Today the monument is a focal point of the annual pilgrimage, serving as a symbol of solace and hope. (National Park Foundation)

I highly recommend a visit to this national historic site. It was a very moving experience and I'm glad we took the time to see it.

California Road Trip 2019 - Lone Pine (Part III)

Saturday, September 28, 2019
Boulder Creek RV Resort
Site #16
Lone Pine, California
Duration: 3 nights
Cost: $40.50 per night (AAA rate)

I got up early in order to catch the sunrise over the mountains. It didn't disappoint! 

We enjoyed a slow morning, breaking camp sometime before lunch, and headed down the hill to the west end of town. We relocated all of 11 miles to a nearby RV park after learning of the day's forecast for strong wind gusts (predicted for 50 mph). We felt the park would give us a little protection from the wind, plus it gave us a chance to do some laundry.

The "resort" offers full hookups, level pad (sand), concrete patio with a picnic table, and a fire ring at each site. We had some shade, which was nice since it was fairly warm during the day. In addition to the laundry facilities, there is also a pool and hot tub, free showers, and a large store with all sorts of groceries and souvenirs. Cell service (Sprint and Verizon) was decent, as was the free Wi-Fi. We had a relaxing afternoon, going on a couple of walks, and catching up on email and social media.

Beautiful sunrise.

Our site at the end of the row.

Tomorrow's plan is to visit the Manzanar National Historic Site.

Click on photo for larger view.

My Oxford Year

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
Fiction
Read by the author
2018 HarperAudio
Finished on February 1, 2020
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.

I didn't recognize Julia Whelan's name when I heard it mentioned in a recent podcast (What Should I Read Next, Episode #209), but after doing a little research, I discovered that she's the reader for The Great Alone, an audiobook I listened to a couple of years ago. I also learned that she played Sela Ward's daughter, Grace, in Once and Again, a TV series that I used to watch in the late 90s. I enjoyed her audio performance of her debut novel, My Oxford Year, and was impressed with her ability to create unique and distinguishable voices for all of the characters in her book. The novel held my interest and was entertaining, but I kept thinking it was a little too similar to Jojo Moyes' outstanding novel, Me Before You. One could compare plot points, but that's where the similarities end. Unlike Moyes' book, My Oxford Year didn't move me, nor did it leave me broken-hearted for the characters' pain and suffering. Whelan's story, while entertaining, is predictable and underwhelming. For those seeking a light and breezing read, My Oxford Year has all the makings of a decent beach read.

Looking Back - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
Fiction
1999 Scribner
Read in May 1999
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

What if the woods were full of them? And of course they were, the woods were full of everything you didn't like, everything you were afraid of and instinctively loathed, everything that tried to overwhelm you with nasty, no-brain panic.

The brochure promised a "moderate-to-difficult" six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, where nine-year-old Trisha McFarland was to spend Saturday with her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. When she wanders off to escape their constant bickering, then tries to catch up by attempting to shortcut through the woods, Trisha strays deeper into a wilderness full of peril and terror. Especially when night falls.

Trisha has only her wits for navigation, only her ingenuity as a defense against the elements, only her courage and faith to withstand her mounting fear. For solace she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox games and the gritty performances of her hero, number 36, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio's reception begins to fade, Trisha imagines that Tom Gordon is with her--her key to surviving an enemy known only by the slaughtered animals and mangled trees in its wake.

A classic story that engages our emotions at the most primal level, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, explores our deep dread of the unknown and the extent to which faith can conquer it. It is a fairy tale grimmer than Grimm, but aglow with a girl's indomitable spirit.

My Original Notes (1999):

I haven't read Stephen King in such a long time and I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was quite suspenseful, but not too scary. A quick read.

My Current Thoughts:

Unlike most of the books I've read by King, I have only a vague memory of this novel. 

The Dearly Beloved

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
Fiction
2019 Simon & Schuster
Finished on February 1, 2020
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Charles and Lily, James and Nan. They meet in Greenwich Village in 1963 when Charles and James are jointly hired to steward the historic Third Presbyterian Church through turbulent times. Their personal differences however, threaten to tear them apart.

Charles is destined to succeed his father as an esteemed professor of history at Harvard, until an unorthodox lecture about faith leads him to ministry. How then, can he fall in love with Lily—fiercely intellectual, elegantly stern—after she tells him with certainty that she will never believe in God? And yet, how can he not?

James, the youngest son in a hardscrabble Chicago family, spent much of his youth angry at his alcoholic father and avoiding his anxious mother. Nan grew up in Mississippi, the devout and beloved daughter of a minister and a debutante. James's escape from his desperate circumstances leads him to Nan and, despite his skepticism of hope in all its forms, her gentle, constant faith changes the course of his life.

The Dearly Beloved follows these two couples through decades of love and friendship, jealousy and understanding, forgiveness and commitment. Against the backdrop of turbulent changes facing the city and the church’s congregation, these four forge improbable paths through their evolving relationships, each struggling with uncertainty, heartbreak, and joy. It's a poignant meditation on faith and reason, marriage and children, and the ways we find meaning in our lives.

It took me quite a while to become interested in this character-driven novel, but once I had a firm grip on each of the four individuals and their relationships with one another, I began to better enjoy the story. And yet, I never came to care about any of the characters and one in particular was very disagreeable and easy to dislike. I felt the book's ending was much stronger than the first half, but overall it wasn't anything special.

Always a sucker for passages about books and libraries, I especially liked this particular paragraph:

It was there, in late May 1954, that Charles sat in the library reading a book about Catherine of Aragon. He loved the library, its mahogany shelves that climbed to the ceiling, its bounty of lush pages majestically restrained. He loved it especially on days like this, when it was empty, steeped in quiet, electric with promise, as if the books were breathing, alive as big dogs sleeping at the foot of his bed. He reveled in that particular stillness, in which he felt as if he could, at any minute, turn a page and recognize everything there was in the world to know.

A year from now, I will probably only have a vague memory of this debut novel, but in spite of my overall reaction, I think it would be a good book club choice, as there is quite a bit to discuss about faith, marriage, and family.

A Month in Summary - January 2020

Tidal Raves Restaurant

Depoe Bay, Oregon

January 2020

January was another great month of reading. I listened to one audiobook, reread an old favorite and borrowed four books from the library. Of the six books I finished, four were outstanding. Next month, I hope to read more from my stacks, but we'll see how that goes since I already have three library books on my nightstand. It doesn't help that my TBR list is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to the new podcasts I recently discovered. But had I not listened, I might not have discovered Two Girls Down, which was one of my favorite reads this month. Between the podcasts and binging on This Is Us, my audiobook numbers may drop in 2020, but it's all good. I'm enjoying all types of media. 

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

The River by Peter Heller (4.5/5)

The Only Plane In the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff (5/5)

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (5/5)

The Girls by Emma Cline (2/5)

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (1/5)

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna (4.5/5)

First Lines:

They had been smelling smoke for two days. (The River)

Nearly every American above a certain age remembers precisely where they were on September 11, 2001. What began as an ordinary day became the deadliest terrorist attack in world history and the deadliest attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor, shocking and terrifying the global community, exposing us to unimaginable tragedy and evil, while also reminding us of the strength, bravery, and power of the human spirit. Heroes quite literally emerged from the ashes, and the hours and decisions that followed defined not just a generation but our modern era. (The Only Plane In the Sky - Author's Note)

I have been afraid of putting air in a tire ever since I saw a tractor tire blow up and throw Newt Hardbine's father over the top of the Standard Oil sign. I'm not lying. He got stuck up there. About nineteen people congregated during the time it took for Norman Strick to walk up to the Courthouse and blow the whistle for the volunteer fire department. They eventually did come with the ladder and haul him down, and he wasn't dead but lost his hearing and in many other ways was never the same afterward. They said he overfilled the tire. (The Bean Trees)

I looked up because of the laughter, and kept looking because of the girls. (The Girls)

A convenience store is a world of sound. From the tinkle of the door chime to the voices of TV celebrities advertising new products over the in-store cable network, to the calls of the store workers, the beeps of the bar code scanner, the rustle of customers picking up items and placing them in baskets, and the clacking of heels walking around the store. It all blends into the convenience store sound that ceaselessly caresses my eardrums. (Convenience Store Woman)

Jamie Brandt was not a bad mother. Later she would tell that to anyone who would listen: police, reporters, lawyers, her parents, her boyfriend, her dealer, the new bartender with the knuckle tattoos at Schultz's, the investigator from California and her partner, and her own reflection in the bathroom mirror, right before cracking her forehead on the sink's edge and passing out from the cocktail of pain, grief, and fear. (Two Girls Down)

Podcasts:

What Should I Read Next (Anne Bogel) - I don't know who mentioned this podcast, but I am so grateful. I love it and my Goodreads TBR has exploded with all the recommendations.

He Read She Read - Another great podcast for book lovers!

Movies & TV Shows:

Ken Burns' Country Music - I enjoyed the last few episodes in this miniseries, but the first two were a little dull. I started listening to country music in the late 80s. The Judds, Dan Seals, Randy Travis, Dwight Yokum, Garth Brooks, Tricia Yearwood, Rodney Crowell, Roseanne Cash, George Strait, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Keith Whitley, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Reba McEntire, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris and, of course, Kris Kristofferson were among my favorites.

The Mule - Entertaining, but somewhat sappy.

This Is Us (Season 1) - Finally jumping on the bandwagon with this series. My husband gave up after the fourth episode, but I'm hooked in spite of the fact that it's a little sappy. The writing is good, though, and I love the non-linear time line. Very creative!

State of Play - Entertaining and a wonderful cast. 

Puzzlemania:

How was your first month of the new decade?

California Road Trip 2019 - Tuttle Creek Campground - Lone Pine (Part II)

Friday, September 27, 2019
Tuttle Creek Campground

We had such a nice relaxing day. After checking the forecast for our next stop at June Lake, we decided to delay our arrival since they were predicting snow (and forecasted lows in the teens). Rather than stay at Tuttle Creek over the weekend (with a wind advisory for 50 mph gusts), we reserved two nights at an RV park in Lone Pine and head over there in the morning. 

Sunrise

My favorite camping partner.

There were a lot of Friday afternoon arrivals, but our spot at the end of the loop still felt peaceful and somewhat isolated, in spite of the lack of trees and shrubbery around us.

Click on photo for larger view.