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Check out the July Challenge!
Do you have a book you read in school that you swore was the worst book ever? Have you ever thought that maybe your teachers weren't out to torture you, and there may have been a method to their madness after all? Then the July Challenge is for you!
Details on the challenge can be found here...check it out, and join us!
Details on the challenge can be found here...check it out, and join us!
1001 Books
23. The World According to Garp, John Irving. 437 pages.
I didn't particularly like this book. I liked the first part, when Garp was still growing up. But once he was an adult, and a writer, it just got... weird. And on top of that, a lot of the same plot devices and anecdotes that Irving used in The 158-Pound Marriage showed up in this book, and I didn't particularly like them the first time around.
24. All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque. 296 pages.
It's surprising how easily I became sympathetic with the German army despite being an American whose great-grandfather had his leg shot off by Germans during WWI. I suppose it's the excellent writing combined with the knowledge that the majority of the soldiers were fighting not because they necessarily agreed with the cause, but because it was what was done. This book really brought the horrors of trench warfare, and war in general, into reality. An incredibly well-written but profoundly sad novel, definitely deserves its place on the 1001 Books list.
25. Saturday, Ian McEwan. 304 pages.
The book was okay. McEwan is obviously talented, and his use of words and turn of phrase is exceptional. But I don't care too much for his plots, and this was no exception. I'm not a big fan of 'day in the life of' stories, but if you are, or you like McEwan's writing, I'd recommend the book.
26. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy. 106 pages.
More of a novella than an actual novel. This book begins with the death of Ivan Ilyich, and then then goes on to tell the story of his life and how he actually died. You come to feel his pain, his physical pain from the disease, the mental pain from not knowing exactly what is causing him to die, and the emotional pain of knowing that most of his family won't miss him when he is gone. Tolstoy manages to cram a lot of pain and emotion into those 100 or so pages.
Other Books:
33. Haven Home for Delinquent Girls, Louise Tondeur. 320 pages.
A sweet book about a home for delinquent girls and some of its occupants from the 20s to the present day. Most of the girls were pregnant, lesbians, or both. The stories are told as a girl who has been hired to help turn the house into a baking school uncovers some diaries and meets some of the former occupants.
34. Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones. 329 pages.
Such an adorable book! I loved it, and can't recommend it enough. Definitely need to read more by her.
I'm upping my goal, to 40 books from the 1001 Books list, 100 total books, and 35,000 pages. Ambitious, but it'll give me something to work towards.
1001 Books:
26/40 - 65%
Total Books:
60/100 - 60%
Total Pages:
24,643/35,000 - 70.4%
Days Passed:
278/366 - 76.0%
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23. The World According to Garp, John Irving. 437 pages.
I didn't particularly like this book. I liked the first part, when Garp was still growing up. But once he was an adult, and a writer, it just got... weird. And on top of that, a lot of the same plot devices and anecdotes that Irving used in The 158-Pound Marriage showed up in this book, and I didn't particularly like them the first time around.
24. All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque. 296 pages.
It's surprising how easily I became sympathetic with the German army despite being an American whose great-grandfather had his leg shot off by Germans during WWI. I suppose it's the excellent writing combined with the knowledge that the majority of the soldiers were fighting not because they necessarily agreed with the cause, but because it was what was done. This book really brought the horrors of trench warfare, and war in general, into reality. An incredibly well-written but profoundly sad novel, definitely deserves its place on the 1001 Books list.
25. Saturday, Ian McEwan. 304 pages.
The book was okay. McEwan is obviously talented, and his use of words and turn of phrase is exceptional. But I don't care too much for his plots, and this was no exception. I'm not a big fan of 'day in the life of' stories, but if you are, or you like McEwan's writing, I'd recommend the book.
26. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy. 106 pages.
More of a novella than an actual novel. This book begins with the death of Ivan Ilyich, and then then goes on to tell the story of his life and how he actually died. You come to feel his pain, his physical pain from the disease, the mental pain from not knowing exactly what is causing him to die, and the emotional pain of knowing that most of his family won't miss him when he is gone. Tolstoy manages to cram a lot of pain and emotion into those 100 or so pages.
Other Books:
33. Haven Home for Delinquent Girls, Louise Tondeur. 320 pages.
A sweet book about a home for delinquent girls and some of its occupants from the 20s to the present day. Most of the girls were pregnant, lesbians, or both. The stories are told as a girl who has been hired to help turn the house into a baking school uncovers some diaries and meets some of the former occupants.
34. Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones. 329 pages.
Such an adorable book! I loved it, and can't recommend it enough. Definitely need to read more by her.
I'm upping my goal, to 40 books from the 1001 Books list, 100 total books, and 35,000 pages. Ambitious, but it'll give me something to work towards.
1001 Books:
26/40 - 65%
Total Books:
60/100 - 60%
Total Pages:
24,643/35,000 - 70.4%
Days Passed:
278/366 - 76.0%
- Location:Hong Kong
- Mood:
drained - Music:"YYZ", Rush
 |
Author: Ian Fleming, 1953.
Genre: Spy Fiction.
Other Details: 2006 Penguin Edition with Introduction by Jeffrey Deaver. 213 pages.
"It's not that difficult to get a Double 0 number if you are prepared to kill people. That's all the meaning it has. It's a confusing business but if it's one's profession, one does what one is told. How do you like the grated egg with your caviar?" - James Bond to Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale.
I read most of the James Bond books many years ago and recently decided to buy these new Penguin editions with their attractive retro covers. I found that many of my perceptions of James Bond had been modified by the film adaptations so it was quite interesting to return to the source texts. Given that the novels were written in the 1950s and 1960s the introductions in these editions are useful to put the material into context. In this volume Deaver gives an analysis of Bond as hero and a reminder for younger readers of the Cold War era.
Casino Royale is the first novel in the series and introduced British secret agent James Bond to the world. Set in the south of France it involves Bond using his skills as a card player to ruin a Russian operative known Le Chiffre (the Cypher). Le Chiffre already is in trouble with his Russian masters as he had lost the money entrusted to him by investing in a string of failed brothels. Now he is trying to recover the money at the casino and Bond is assigned to challenge him in a high stakes game with the hope that the sinister Russian organisation SMERSH will kill Chiffre if he fails to regain the lost money. Working with Bond is Mathias, a French agent and Felix Leiter, an agent of the CIA. Also present is Vesper Lynd, a beautiful young woman from the London office, who is there to also help Bond's cover.
Fleming writes in a sparse journalistic style which works well and keeps the tension high. Bond comes across as a very cool and ruthless man but not an unthinking one as he questions his role as a spy in the Cold War era. Still suffice to say that the events towards the end of the book set Bond's feet firmly on his path as Agent 007. Although the story is quite slight taken on its own, it is an important book in terms of setting the tone for Bond's character.
| |
22 / 50 (44.0%) |
Per request, I'm putting most of this post behind an LJ-Cut.
The books you'll find within:
#13-#15 is actually an ominbus edition of all three books in the Wraeththu trilogy by Storm Constantine, and I'll review it as one book.
#16 was Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser
#17 was Notes from an Incomplete Revolution: Real Life Since Feminism by Merideth Maran
#18 was Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore
#19 was Food and Feast in Tudor England by Alison Sim
#20 was The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
#21 was Folly by Laurie R. King
#22 was House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
( Wraethuthu )
( Broken Open )
( Fluke )
( The Bean Trees )
( Folly )
- Mood:accomplished
1001 Books:
18. Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy. 492 pages.
This was a depressing book. Really depressing. That being said, once you got past the flowery late-nineteenth century language, it was really well-written and rather enjoyable. Hardy did a wonderful job of creating characters that seemed real, and Tess was incredibly sympathetic. However, the way Tess was treated was horrendous, and the only thing that made her treatment somewhat palatable was that it was clear that Hardy didn't feel that way. This book wasn't an easy read, but it's definitely worth reading.
19. North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell. 496 pages.
I was surprised at how much I like this book. Gaskell writes like the love child of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, and it works.
20. The Razor's Edge, W. Somerset Maugham. 314 pages.
I liked this book, but I didn't think it was as good as I had heard it was. It's a story about a young man who travels around the world trying to find himself, and it's related by the author, who is a character in the novel.
Other Books:
26. Fluke, Christopher Moore. 321 pages.
Ah, Christopher Moore. I love Christopher Moore. This wasn't one of his best novels, but that doesn't mean much. It's still bizarrely hilarious.
27. Sorcery and Cecelia, Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. 320 pages.
A very cute YA novel. There are definite Austen influences, and the magic is reminiscent of the Harry Potter books, but this was written before Rowling started to write them. A really quick read.
28. Breaking Dawn, Stephanie Meyer. 756 pages.
I won't say anything spoilerish, but I wasn't expecting much after really disliking the first three books. I liked this one a lot better. Almost all of the issues I had previously were resolved.
1001 Books:
20/25 - 80%
Total Books:
48/75 - 64%
Total Pages:
21,419/22,500 - 95.2%
Days Passed:
226/366 - 61.7%
18. Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy. 492 pages.
This was a depressing book. Really depressing. That being said, once you got past the flowery late-nineteenth century language, it was really well-written and rather enjoyable. Hardy did a wonderful job of creating characters that seemed real, and Tess was incredibly sympathetic. However, the way Tess was treated was horrendous, and the only thing that made her treatment somewhat palatable was that it was clear that Hardy didn't feel that way. This book wasn't an easy read, but it's definitely worth reading.
19. North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell. 496 pages.
I was surprised at how much I like this book. Gaskell writes like the love child of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, and it works.
20. The Razor's Edge, W. Somerset Maugham. 314 pages.
I liked this book, but I didn't think it was as good as I had heard it was. It's a story about a young man who travels around the world trying to find himself, and it's related by the author, who is a character in the novel.
Other Books:
26. Fluke, Christopher Moore. 321 pages.
Ah, Christopher Moore. I love Christopher Moore. This wasn't one of his best novels, but that doesn't mean much. It's still bizarrely hilarious.
27. Sorcery and Cecelia, Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. 320 pages.
A very cute YA novel. There are definite Austen influences, and the magic is reminiscent of the Harry Potter books, but this was written before Rowling started to write them. A really quick read.
28. Breaking Dawn, Stephanie Meyer. 756 pages.
I won't say anything spoilerish, but I wasn't expecting much after really disliking the first three books. I liked this one a lot better. Almost all of the issues I had previously were resolved.
1001 Books:
20/25 - 80%
Total Books:
48/75 - 64%
Total Pages:
21,419/22,500 - 95.2%
Days Passed:
226/366 - 61.7%
- Location:Wisconsin
- Mood:accomplished
- Music:What Not to Wear
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
From the back of the book:
This is the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and then into the Eqyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book. It's style is simple, like that of a fairy tale or a fable - all telling and no showing - but that suits the story. It reminded me of a parable. I felt as if I were sitting around a camp fire while and aged Bedouin wove a tale to entertain and educate me. The message could be considered an old one, but there is nothing new under the sun. Take the message with a pinch of salt, and don't expect to find a new philosophy for life. Just enjoy and then think about what you've read.
Fiction List (9/50)
From the back of the book:
This is the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and then into the Eqyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book. It's style is simple, like that of a fairy tale or a fable - all telling and no showing - but that suits the story. It reminded me of a parable. I felt as if I were sitting around a camp fire while and aged Bedouin wove a tale to entertain and educate me. The message could be considered an old one, but there is nothing new under the sun. Take the message with a pinch of salt, and don't expect to find a new philosophy for life. Just enjoy and then think about what you've read.
Fiction List (9/50)
I haven't had a chance to post in quite a while. Here's what I've read since I last posted in April.
19 - ( Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas )
20 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer #13: Wolves at the Gate pt 2
21 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer #14: Wolves at the Gate pt 3 (I'll post about these after #4)
22 - ( Angel #5: After the Fall pt 5 )
23 - ( I Heard that Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark )
24 - ( Grief by Andrew Holleran )
25 - ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer #15: Wolves at the Gate pt 4 )
26 - ( A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice )
27 - ( Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley )
28 - ( Us Ones in Between by Blair Mastbaum )
29 - ( The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger )
30 - ( The Year of Ice by Brian Malloy )
31 - ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer #16 - Time of Your Life pt 1 )
32 - ( A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon )
33 - ( Spike #1 - After the Fall pt 1 )
34 - ( The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold )
19 - ( Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas )
20 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer #13: Wolves at the Gate pt 2
21 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer #14: Wolves at the Gate pt 3 (I'll post about these after #4)
22 - ( Angel #5: After the Fall pt 5 )
23 - ( I Heard that Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark )
24 - ( Grief by Andrew Holleran )
25 - ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer #15: Wolves at the Gate pt 4 )
26 - ( A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice )
27 - ( Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley )
28 - ( Us Ones in Between by Blair Mastbaum )
29 - ( The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger )
30 - ( The Year of Ice by Brian Malloy )
31 - ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer #16 - Time of Your Life pt 1 )
32 - ( A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon )
33 - ( Spike #1 - After the Fall pt 1 )
34 - ( The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold )
- Mood:
relaxed - Music:Goldfrapp ~ Caravan Girl
Books 53-61
53. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, 1929, 321 pages. Faulkner won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949.
54. November by David Mamet, 2008, 120 pages.
55. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson, 1995, 282 pages.
56. The Norman Conquest: A Trilogy of Plays by Norman Ayckbourn, 1975, 226 pages.
57. The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh, 2003, 58 pages.
58. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, 2000, 186 pages.
59. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, 2007, 274 pages.
60. A Zoo in my Luggage by Gerald Durrell, 1960, 191 pages.
61. Gerald Durrell: The Authorized Biography by Douglas Botting, 1999, 607 pages.
I'm not posting reviews at the moment because I cannot get myself in the mood for it. If you have any questions, please ask. I usually love doing reviews but right now I hate it, and haven't posted much lately as I just can't face it. Finally decided to post the books without reviews in the hope that our kind moderator would let it pass this once. :-D
Now reading: The Gathering by Anne Enright
- Mood: bored
Now that I've made it to 50 books - I'm pushing on to 100!
51. Sunrise on the Mediterranean by Suzanne Frank This was the 3rd in her time travel series between Chloe and Cheftu and by far the dullest one yet. It took me a week to finish, I just could not get into this book, but at least I finally got it over with! 2/5 Review
52. Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas Not a bad romance, part of the Wallflower Series. I liked the first book better, but this was a quick, entertaining read. 3.5/5 Full Review
53. Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro A gem of a book, I simply loved it and read it in less than a day. One of the best of the year that I've read. 5/5 Full Review
53 / 100 books. 53% done!
51. Sunrise on the Mediterranean by Suzanne Frank This was the 3rd in her time travel series between Chloe and Cheftu and by far the dullest one yet. It took me a week to finish, I just could not get into this book, but at least I finally got it over with! 2/5 Review
52. Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas Not a bad romance, part of the Wallflower Series. I liked the first book better, but this was a quick, entertaining read. 3.5/5 Full Review
53. Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro A gem of a book, I simply loved it and read it in less than a day. One of the best of the year that I've read. 5/5 Full Review
Wow, I haven't posted in a long time. Here's my (rather long) list.
1001 Books:
15. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson. 1168 pages.
This book blew my mind, in a good way. Of all the books I've actually enjoyed reading, I think this was the most difficult to get through. It also seemed to take forever, and not just because of the length. There's so much going on that it's hard to wrap your mind around it. Plus, I was a math major in college, and even though all the cryptography stuff was way over my head, I still tried to figure out what they were doing, which made the going even slower.
16. The Shining, Stephen King. 683 pages.
This was the first book by King that I've ever read. Honestly, I only read it because it was on the 1001 Books list; I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre. I liked it more than I thought I would, but I still don't think I'll read any more books by him. I can see his talent; but, really, the genre's just not for me.
17. The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett. 223 pages.
Ah, the legendary Nick and Nora Charles. Honestly, they weren't as great as I've heard them built up to be. I am curious to see the movie, though, to see if they come off better on screen. Still an enjoyable, quick read, though.
Other Books
20. Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon. 1088 pages.
Not as good as the first three, but still a good read. I hear that the fifth book is the worst in the series, but it picks up again with the sixth. Now that I'm back in the United States with access to a library with a large selection of English-language books, I'm hoping that I can finish the series this summer. Well, the books that have been published already, that is.
21. Twilight, Stephanie Meyer. 544 pages.
22. New Moon, Stephanie Meyer. 608 pages.
23. Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer. 640 pages.
I finally broke down and read this series, partially because my cousin was begging me, and partially to see what all the hype was about. I'll give her credit, Meyer has a knack for coming up with engaging plots. Unfortunately, her writing and characterization skills don't live up to her plotting skill. The book, especially the dialogue, was poorly written. And the characters were not very fleshed out, and when they were, they were disturbing - and not in a good way. Bella seems to exist just to get into trouble and have the men in her life tell her what to do. Her main ambition in life is to die. Edward is possessive, controlling, and borderline abusive, if not crossing the line into being actually abusive. (Girls: if your boyfriend kidnaps you to ensure that you don't see one of your friends, get out of the relationship ASAP. That is NOT a good thing.) I liked Jacob more, but he really wasn't much better. In my opinion, Bella should drop both of them, go to college, find a normal boyfriend, and try to live a normal life. It truly pains me that there are so many young girls out there who want to be like Bella and who want a boyfriend like Edward. Bella's no role model, and she and Edward do not have a healthy relationship.
24. Coraline, Neil Gaiman. 194 pages.
Wow, Gaiman's kids' books really are a lot creepier than his adult books. A really quick, but thoroughly enjoyable read.
25. The 158-Pound Marriage, John Irving. 255 pages.
This book is about wrestling and swingers. There's not really a whole lot else to say about it. I didn't particularly like or dislike it.
1001 Books:
17/25 - 68%
Total Books:
42/75 - 56%
Total Pages:
18,720/22,500 - 83.2%
Days Passed:
191/366 - 52.2%
1001 Books:
15. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson. 1168 pages.
This book blew my mind, in a good way. Of all the books I've actually enjoyed reading, I think this was the most difficult to get through. It also seemed to take forever, and not just because of the length. There's so much going on that it's hard to wrap your mind around it. Plus, I was a math major in college, and even though all the cryptography stuff was way over my head, I still tried to figure out what they were doing, which made the going even slower.
16. The Shining, Stephen King. 683 pages.
This was the first book by King that I've ever read. Honestly, I only read it because it was on the 1001 Books list; I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre. I liked it more than I thought I would, but I still don't think I'll read any more books by him. I can see his talent; but, really, the genre's just not for me.
17. The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett. 223 pages.
Ah, the legendary Nick and Nora Charles. Honestly, they weren't as great as I've heard them built up to be. I am curious to see the movie, though, to see if they come off better on screen. Still an enjoyable, quick read, though.
Other Books
20. Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon. 1088 pages.
Not as good as the first three, but still a good read. I hear that the fifth book is the worst in the series, but it picks up again with the sixth. Now that I'm back in the United States with access to a library with a large selection of English-language books, I'm hoping that I can finish the series this summer. Well, the books that have been published already, that is.
21. Twilight, Stephanie Meyer. 544 pages.
22. New Moon, Stephanie Meyer. 608 pages.
23. Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer. 640 pages.
I finally broke down and read this series, partially because my cousin was begging me, and partially to see what all the hype was about. I'll give her credit, Meyer has a knack for coming up with engaging plots. Unfortunately, her writing and characterization skills don't live up to her plotting skill. The book, especially the dialogue, was poorly written. And the characters were not very fleshed out, and when they were, they were disturbing - and not in a good way. Bella seems to exist just to get into trouble and have the men in her life tell her what to do. Her main ambition in life is to die. Edward is possessive, controlling, and borderline abusive, if not crossing the line into being actually abusive. (Girls: if your boyfriend kidnaps you to ensure that you don't see one of your friends, get out of the relationship ASAP. That is NOT a good thing.) I liked Jacob more, but he really wasn't much better. In my opinion, Bella should drop both of them, go to college, find a normal boyfriend, and try to live a normal life. It truly pains me that there are so many young girls out there who want to be like Bella and who want a boyfriend like Edward. Bella's no role model, and she and Edward do not have a healthy relationship.
24. Coraline, Neil Gaiman. 194 pages.
Wow, Gaiman's kids' books really are a lot creepier than his adult books. A really quick, but thoroughly enjoyable read.
25. The 158-Pound Marriage, John Irving. 255 pages.
This book is about wrestling and swingers. There's not really a whole lot else to say about it. I didn't particularly like or dislike it.
1001 Books:
17/25 - 68%
Total Books:
42/75 - 56%
Total Pages:
18,720/22,500 - 83.2%
Days Passed:
191/366 - 52.2%
- Location:Wisconsin
- Mood:awake
- Music:none
Book 38: Audrey Hepburn
Author: Barry Paris
Genre: Biography, Non-fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 39: Hallucinating Foucault
Author: Patricia Duncker
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 40: Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 9/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 41: Ella Minnow Pea
Author: Mark Dunn
Genre: Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 9/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 42: The Cubicle Next Door
Author: Siri L. Mitchell
Genre: Chick Lit, Romance
( Summary )
My Rating: 6/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 43: The Sea
Author: John Banville
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 44: Amsterdam
Author: Ian McEwan
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction, British
( Summary )
My Rating: 7/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 45: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
( Summary )
My Rating: 7/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 46: Pnin
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Classic, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 7/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 47: The Last Time They Met
Author: Anita Shreve
Genre: Fiction, Romance
( Summary )
My Rating: 6/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 48: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Author: Truman Capote
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction, Modern Classic
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 49: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Autism, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 50: Hunting and Gathering
Author: Anna Gavalda
Genre: Fiction, European
( Summary )
My Rating: 10/10
( My thoughts: )
50 / 74 books. 68% done!
Author: Barry Paris
Genre: Biography, Non-fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 39: Hallucinating Foucault
Author: Patricia Duncker
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 40: Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 9/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 41: Ella Minnow Pea
Author: Mark Dunn
Genre: Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 9/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 42: The Cubicle Next Door
Author: Siri L. Mitchell
Genre: Chick Lit, Romance
( Summary )
My Rating: 6/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 43: The Sea
Author: John Banville
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 44: Amsterdam
Author: Ian McEwan
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction, British
( Summary )
My Rating: 7/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 45: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
( Summary )
My Rating: 7/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 46: Pnin
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Classic, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 7/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 47: The Last Time They Met
Author: Anita Shreve
Genre: Fiction, Romance
( Summary )
My Rating: 6/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 48: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Author: Truman Capote
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Fiction, Modern Classic
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 49: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Genre: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, Autism, Fiction
( Summary )
My Rating: 8/10
( My thoughts: )
Book 50: Hunting and Gathering
Author: Anna Gavalda
Genre: Fiction, European
( Summary )
My Rating: 10/10
( My thoughts: )
- Music:Dream a Little Dream of Me - Ella Fitzgerand & Louis Armstrong
47. Too Late to Say Goodbye by Ann Rule, 2007, 425 pages.
48. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, 1988, 245 pages. Winner of the Booker Prize.
49. - 51. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. [The Golden Compass, 1995, 399 pages, The Subtle Knife, 1997, 326 pages, The Amber Spyglass, 2000, 518 pages.
- Location:dining room
- Mood:
anxious - Music:crows cawing
39. Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon. I was really disappointed in this collection - the weakest of all her Lord John books.
See review 3/5
40. Highland Fling by Tess Mallory This book just hurt my head reading it! Some sexy hero - he's throwing up everywhere in the book everytime he kissed the heroine! It was laughable. Full review. 2/5
41. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Very, very depressing book about the hardships and friendship between two women in war-torn Afghanistan. I liked his first one much more. For some reason I was not as emotionally involved in this one as I was with The Kite Runner. Time for something light and frothy now! Full review. 3.5/5
41 / 50 books. 82% done!
See review 3/5
40. Highland Fling by Tess Mallory This book just hurt my head reading it! Some sexy hero - he's throwing up everywhere in the book everytime he kissed the heroine! It was laughable. Full review. 2/5
41. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Very, very depressing book about the hardships and friendship between two women in war-torn Afghanistan. I liked his first one much more. For some reason I was not as emotionally involved in this one as I was with The Kite Runner. Time for something light and frothy now! Full review. 3.5/5
Books 1-4; Books 5-8; Books 9-12; Books 13-16; Books 17-19; Books 20-22; Books 23-26; Books 27 and 28
LJ-cut for length, not because of spoilers. I hope. I think.
29. Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw
I read Pygmalion back in January. It's one of those books I neither hate nor love. For me it was a funny, entertaining read, but neither intellectually nor emotionally very stimulating. That might be unfair, but between horrible German accents - as we read it loud in classes - and the lengthy explanations of my teacher, who instisted on translating almost everybloody sentence into German, my interest in exploring a possible deeper meaning decreased rapidly.
( Eliza Doolittle is a flower girl who knows many cuss words but little manners. )
30. The Seducer's Diary - Søren Kierkegaard
Other book, same problem. Johannes is an aesthete. When he meets the beautiful, but reserved Cordelia, he is intrigued by her. He decides to make every effort to seduce her. But it shan't be an ordinary seduction, no, it must be done aesthetically. So he approaches her carefully,practically stalks her, dazzles her with love letters, manipulates her into an engagement and then out of it again, so that in the end he can play her like an instrument. Again it's all about possession, not necessarily bodily, but mental possession; women are merely challenges, opportunities to show his masteries or to please his eye, and not equal human beings.
( I think Johannes wants to be cast for the next movie adaption of Pygmalion. )
31. The Marble Statue (Das Marmorbild) - Joseph von Eichendorff
Eichendorff is a German writer of the 19th century, during German Romanticism. His writing has everything what makes Romanticism such an ambiguous topic for me - enchanted ruins, ancient curses, pure maidens, lots of nature, wanderers, the longing for an higher being - could be endlessly continued. The Marble Statue tells the story of young Florio. Arriving in Lucca, he gets to know the pretty Bianca and Fortunato, a minstrel he has adored for a long time. In the evening he discovers an ancient statue of Venus and immediately falls under her spell. When he looks for the statue the next day, he comes to a mansion and sees a noblewoman who looks exactly like the marble statue the evening before. From that moment on he lives only to see the mysterious woman again and pays no attention anymore to Bianka.
The medieval setting, the fairy-tale-like plot, the dark atmosphere - all that intrigued me about The Marble Statue. Here are the dark, mysterious leftovers of the ancient world, the captivating Venus and the diabolical knight Donati, there the ideals of the Christian world, the fair Bianka and the celebrated Fortunato. Of course I cheered a bit more for the Ancient World Team and the author more for the Christian one, but I guess you can't be always at one with someone. But: I just can't get used to Eichendorff's writing. It's a tad too much for my taste, all those metaphores and similes he uses. It's perhaps a silly prejudice, but I just can't help it. As much as I love it, German is a rather heavy, portentuous language anyway, and together with the writing I always feel a bit buried in words.
32. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
I heard so much praise for the book. Nevertheless, it took me a while to actually get around reading it. Angels, demons and the apocalypse are always a major turn-off topic for me, for the simple reasons that I feel it has been used ad nauseam. That said, I enjoyed the book. Of course. It's a Pratchett book, after all. I laughed out loud a couple of times, I decided to try and use the Fear of Crowley on my plants, and, as always after reading Pratchett, I feel the world is a sad place, but not so sad after all. If you know what I mean. I even took a shine to Aziraphale, even if only because he collects books and it is said that he has "a penchant for Wilde first editions". Yeah, um, sorry. I know. But I can't help it.
( Tibetans, Aliens, Americans, Atlanteans and other rare and strange creatures of the Last Days. )
LJ-cut for length, not because of spoilers. I hope. I think.
29. Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw
I read Pygmalion back in January. It's one of those books I neither hate nor love. For me it was a funny, entertaining read, but neither intellectually nor emotionally very stimulating. That might be unfair, but between horrible German accents - as we read it loud in classes - and the lengthy explanations of my teacher, who instisted on translating almost every
( Eliza Doolittle is a flower girl who knows many cuss words but little manners. )
30. The Seducer's Diary - Søren Kierkegaard
Other book, same problem. Johannes is an aesthete. When he meets the beautiful, but reserved Cordelia, he is intrigued by her. He decides to make every effort to seduce her. But it shan't be an ordinary seduction, no, it must be done aesthetically. So he approaches her carefully,
( I think Johannes wants to be cast for the next movie adaption of Pygmalion. )
31. The Marble Statue (Das Marmorbild) - Joseph von Eichendorff
Eichendorff is a German writer of the 19th century, during German Romanticism. His writing has everything what makes Romanticism such an ambiguous topic for me - enchanted ruins, ancient curses, pure maidens, lots of nature, wanderers, the longing for an higher being - could be endlessly continued. The Marble Statue tells the story of young Florio. Arriving in Lucca, he gets to know the pretty Bianca and Fortunato, a minstrel he has adored for a long time. In the evening he discovers an ancient statue of Venus and immediately falls under her spell. When he looks for the statue the next day, he comes to a mansion and sees a noblewoman who looks exactly like the marble statue the evening before. From that moment on he lives only to see the mysterious woman again and pays no attention anymore to Bianka.
The medieval setting, the fairy-tale-like plot, the dark atmosphere - all that intrigued me about The Marble Statue. Here are the dark, mysterious leftovers of the ancient world, the captivating Venus and the diabolical knight Donati, there the ideals of the Christian world, the fair Bianka and the celebrated Fortunato. Of course I cheered a bit more for the Ancient World Team and the author more for the Christian one, but I guess you can't be always at one with someone. But: I just can't get used to Eichendorff's writing. It's a tad too much for my taste, all those metaphores and similes he uses. It's perhaps a silly prejudice, but I just can't help it. As much as I love it, German is a rather heavy, portentuous language anyway, and together with the writing I always feel a bit buried in words.
32. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
I heard so much praise for the book. Nevertheless, it took me a while to actually get around reading it. Angels, demons and the apocalypse are always a major turn-off topic for me, for the simple reasons that I feel it has been used ad nauseam. That said, I enjoyed the book. Of course. It's a Pratchett book, after all. I laughed out loud a couple of times, I decided to try and use the Fear of Crowley on my plants, and, as always after reading Pratchett, I feel the world is a sad place, but not so sad after all. If you know what I mean. I even took a shine to Aziraphale, even if only because he collects books and it is said that he has "a penchant for Wilde first editions". Yeah, um, sorry. I know. But I can't help it.
( Tibetans, Aliens, Americans, Atlanteans and other rare and strange creatures of the Last Days. )
1001 Books:
12. Crome Yellow, Aldous Huxley. 172 pages.
A bit boring, and not much of a plot. A quick read, though.
13. Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer. 288 pages.
I loved this book. It was incredibly moving. It made me laugh and cry in turns. Foer is a brilliant word smith, and the whole book was a delight to read. It was just spectacular.
14. At Swim, Two Boys, Jamie O'Neill. 562 pages.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I liked the two main characters and I liked most of the plot. But I hated one of the secondary characters a lot. I really despise story lines where an adult takes on a minor as a sort of sexual apprentice. And one of the characters did that to both of the main characters. But the big problem I had was that the book was written in stream-of-consciousness style, which, despite growing up in the south eastern US and reading a lot of Faulkner in high school (or perhaps because of) I really despise. This made it really hard to get through the book, and frankly, I only finished it because it was on the 1001 books list.
Other Books:
17. My Century, Gunter Grass. 288 pages.
A book of short stories, one for each year of the twentieth century. (Though, technically, the first story was about the last year of the nineteenth century, and the last year of the twentieth century wasn't included.) I liked the idea, and I liked all of the stories individually, but I would have liked it more if I was better at reading short stories. But I had trouble separating what was happening in the story I was reading with what happened in the previous story, especially since there was a different narrator for each story, and they were all told in the first person. But it was interesting to see the major events of the twentieth century unfold, especially from a German perspective. And the stories are all very well-written.
18. Voyager, Diana Gabaldon. 880 pages.
The third book in the Outlander series. Just as good as the first two.
19. The Book of Lost Things, John Connolly. 502 pages.
Just as good as all the hype, if not better. It reminded me a bit of Pan's Labyrinth. I really liked all of the re-worked fairy tales. I had trouble putting this down. And my copy had some author's notes at the end that included all the original versions of the fairy tales, which was interesting.
1001 Books:
14/25 - 56%
Total Books:
33/75 - 44%
Total Pages:
13,317/22,500 - 59.2%
Days Passed:
145/366 - 39.6%
12. Crome Yellow, Aldous Huxley. 172 pages.
A bit boring, and not much of a plot. A quick read, though.
13. Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer. 288 pages.
I loved this book. It was incredibly moving. It made me laugh and cry in turns. Foer is a brilliant word smith, and the whole book was a delight to read. It was just spectacular.
14. At Swim, Two Boys, Jamie O'Neill. 562 pages.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I liked the two main characters and I liked most of the plot. But I hated one of the secondary characters a lot. I really despise story lines where an adult takes on a minor as a sort of sexual apprentice. And one of the characters did that to both of the main characters. But the big problem I had was that the book was written in stream-of-consciousness style, which, despite growing up in the south eastern US and reading a lot of Faulkner in high school (or perhaps because of) I really despise. This made it really hard to get through the book, and frankly, I only finished it because it was on the 1001 books list.
Other Books:
17. My Century, Gunter Grass. 288 pages.
A book of short stories, one for each year of the twentieth century. (Though, technically, the first story was about the last year of the nineteenth century, and the last year of the twentieth century wasn't included.) I liked the idea, and I liked all of the stories individually, but I would have liked it more if I was better at reading short stories. But I had trouble separating what was happening in the story I was reading with what happened in the previous story, especially since there was a different narrator for each story, and they were all told in the first person. But it was interesting to see the major events of the twentieth century unfold, especially from a German perspective. And the stories are all very well-written.
18. Voyager, Diana Gabaldon. 880 pages.
The third book in the Outlander series. Just as good as the first two.
19. The Book of Lost Things, John Connolly. 502 pages.
Just as good as all the hype, if not better. It reminded me a bit of Pan's Labyrinth. I really liked all of the re-worked fairy tales. I had trouble putting this down. And my copy had some author's notes at the end that included all the original versions of the fairy tales, which was interesting.
1001 Books:
14/25 - 56%
Total Books:
33/75 - 44%
Total Pages:
13,317/22,500 - 59.2%
Days Passed:
145/366 - 39.6%
- Location:Hong Kong
- Mood:
sleepy - Music:"Pink Flamingos", Wonderfalls
Books 1-4; Books 5-8; Books 9-12; Books 13-16; Books 17-19
20. The Museum of Silence (Chinmoku hakubutsukan) - Yôko Ogawa
An old woman who steals memorabilia of recently deceased. A young man who gets hired to create a museum out of these memorabilias. A book which takes you into a world so strange, frightening and at the same time intriguing that I can't really put it into words. Reading it feels like dreaming, as if you were at a peaceful place and then you make the unsettling discovery that you can't even control your own actions anymore. I felt thoroughly, but subtly manipulated by this book, and loved every minute of it. Rather curious considering the narration is very matter-of-fact, almost impersonal (none of the characters has a name), but pays great attention to details, to colours, odours, the shape of things, small movements, wordless messages. I could picture the huge and lonely villa where the story takes place, hear the old woman telling the young man the stories of people who died long ago, and feel the subtle force drawing him deeper and deeper into this enchanted world of memories and silence. As you have probably guessed from this review, this book is not recommendable for people who seek plot and action, but for those who appreciate the beauty of language and the magic of words.
Apparently there is no English translation yet. The title is a translation from German and behind it in the brackets there is the romanized original title.
21. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
I read that book because I wanted to know about what everyone was making such a fuss - and honestly: it's overrated, in my opinion. I mean, a novel that "challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil"? "A punchy allegory that alludes to everything from Nazi Germany to Nixon's America"? ... Come on. This is clearly one of those cases where the high praise leads to you having such high standards that you can't appreciate the book even if it is, in fact, good. Just not that good. So there's a thin line between good and evil; good intensions don't invariably lead to good deeds; 'evil' has its reasons, and 'good' can be shallow and vane. Now that's astonishing news. And where exactly was the challenge again? There is too much common consent about that to really make you think, even if or precisely because you kind of agree on that matter.
Despite of this consensus bug, I fairly enjoyed Wicked, though the repeatedly abrupt change of the point of view and the setting was annoying. It impeded the reading flow and prevented you from getting to know a character you were interested in or could relate to better. Which is a shame because especially Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, was a character I could greatly sympathize with. She's strong, opinionated, socially awkward, and in a very brambly way charming - what's not to love about such a woman? Though I can definitely see some people complaining how the author put the whole children's book world of L. Frank Baum in an adult context - but I must admit that I never liked The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as much as to be bothered by that. (And the movie gives me the creeps.) For my first shot at fantasy in a long time - Terry Pratchett doesn't count, I read him for other reasons - it was entertainingly enough. I even got this feeling I had back then when I read almost only fantasy, that feeling to delve into another world full of strange and unknown creatures, magical and wondrous places and a sheer endless amount of possibilities.
22. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
I think there's no need to explain the plot, because I feel as if I'm the last person on earth to read this book. I was surprised by how much I liked Breakfast at Tiffany's, considering that I was not really into Capote's work so far. Though, come to think of it, I'd probably like him better now anyway than when I was fifteen. I can definitely see different ways to look at this book, but I'm tired and will be content with mentioning only that which is the most important to me: Holly. There are few fictional characters of whom I have a vivid picture in my mind the moment they appear, and whose pictures will stay with me for years and be probably the only thing I remember about the book. Mind you, this is not something bad, the books I like most are those who later make me feel something or see a picture when I think of them. I think Holly will definitely stay with me. She reminded me somehow of Maude ('Harold and Maude'), though those two women couldn't be more different in every aspect of their respective characters. But there is one thing which connects Holly to Maude, and that is the fact that we all need at a certain point in our life a Holly. At least I do. But I also think I've found my Holly already. :P I'm not talking about Audrey Hepburn in a slinky dress - though that would be welcome, too - but about the Holly type, the fun-loving, outgoing and yet searching person whose mere presence makes you in love with life again: ( 'See?' she shouted. 'It's great!' )
20. The Museum of Silence (Chinmoku hakubutsukan) - Yôko Ogawa
An old woman who steals memorabilia of recently deceased. A young man who gets hired to create a museum out of these memorabilias. A book which takes you into a world so strange, frightening and at the same time intriguing that I can't really put it into words. Reading it feels like dreaming, as if you were at a peaceful place and then you make the unsettling discovery that you can't even control your own actions anymore. I felt thoroughly, but subtly manipulated by this book, and loved every minute of it. Rather curious considering the narration is very matter-of-fact, almost impersonal (none of the characters has a name), but pays great attention to details, to colours, odours, the shape of things, small movements, wordless messages. I could picture the huge and lonely villa where the story takes place, hear the old woman telling the young man the stories of people who died long ago, and feel the subtle force drawing him deeper and deeper into this enchanted world of memories and silence. As you have probably guessed from this review, this book is not recommendable for people who seek plot and action, but for those who appreciate the beauty of language and the magic of words.
Apparently there is no English translation yet. The title is a translation from German and behind it in the brackets there is the romanized original title.
21. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
I read that book because I wanted to know about what everyone was making such a fuss - and honestly: it's overrated, in my opinion. I mean, a novel that "challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil"? "A punchy allegory that alludes to everything from Nazi Germany to Nixon's America"? ... Come on. This is clearly one of those cases where the high praise leads to you having such high standards that you can't appreciate the book even if it is, in fact, good. Just not that good. So there's a thin line between good and evil; good intensions don't invariably lead to good deeds; 'evil' has its reasons, and 'good' can be shallow and vane. Now that's astonishing news. And where exactly was the challenge again? There is too much common consent about that to really make you think, even if or precisely because you kind of agree on that matter.
Despite of this consensus bug, I fairly enjoyed Wicked, though the repeatedly abrupt change of the point of view and the setting was annoying. It impeded the reading flow and prevented you from getting to know a character you were interested in or could relate to better. Which is a shame because especially Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, was a character I could greatly sympathize with. She's strong, opinionated, socially awkward, and in a very brambly way charming - what's not to love about such a woman? Though I can definitely see some people complaining how the author put the whole children's book world of L. Frank Baum in an adult context - but I must admit that I never liked The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as much as to be bothered by that. (And the movie gives me the creeps.) For my first shot at fantasy in a long time - Terry Pratchett doesn't count, I read him for other reasons - it was entertainingly enough. I even got this feeling I had back then when I read almost only fantasy, that feeling to delve into another world full of strange and unknown creatures, magical and wondrous places and a sheer endless amount of possibilities.
22. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
I think there's no need to explain the plot, because I feel as if I'm the last person on earth to read this book. I was surprised by how much I liked Breakfast at Tiffany's, considering that I was not really into Capote's work so far. Though, come to think of it, I'd probably like him better now anyway than when I was fifteen. I can definitely see different ways to look at this book, but I'm tired and will be content with mentioning only that which is the most important to me: Holly. There are few fictional characters of whom I have a vivid picture in my mind the moment they appear, and whose pictures will stay with me for years and be probably the only thing I remember about the book. Mind you, this is not something bad, the books I like most are those who later make me feel something or see a picture when I think of them. I think Holly will definitely stay with me. She reminded me somehow of Maude ('Harold and Maude'), though those two women couldn't be more different in every aspect of their respective characters. But there is one thing which connects Holly to Maude, and that is the fact that we all need at a certain point in our life a Holly. At least I do. But I also think I've found my Holly already. :P I'm not talking about Audrey Hepburn in a slinky dress - though that would be welcome, too - but about the Holly type, the fun-loving, outgoing and yet searching person whose mere presence makes you in love with life again: ( 'See?' she shouted. 'It's great!' )
I haven't posted on here for ages because I've been in the last months of my degree and have been to busy to keep up with the posts. But these are the last few books I have read. I have been re-reading a lot of books recently for my exams but will only include the ones I've read last that haven't been repeats!
#27 - Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
If you've seen the film and not read the book, then it's basically the same. I think the film adaptation is a pretty good interpretation and I found it difficult not to imagine Brad Pitt as Tyler. Without giving much away, the novel centres around the unnamed narrator and his friend Tyler who set up an underground fight club for men to beat on eachother until they say stop. The only rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club! A good examination of modern day hypermasculinity in a post-feminist world.
7/10
#28 Trumpet by Jackie Kay
This novel was based loosely on the life of Billy Tipton, a jazz musician who on his death was found to be biologically female. The novel takes place after Joss, a Trumpet player's death and is written from the point of view of those who knew him. I thought this novel was very interesting, it really makes you think about what makes a man a man and a woman a woman.
8/10
#29 The Prestige by Christopher Priest
I loved this book. The basic plot: Two rival magicians try to outperfom eachother and find out the secrets to one another's most famous tricks. The more you read the more you get confused but it all becomes clear in the end and there are lots of twists and turns which will keep you entertained.
9/10
#27 - Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
If you've seen the film and not read the book, then it's basically the same. I think the film adaptation is a pretty good interpretation and I found it difficult not to imagine Brad Pitt as Tyler. Without giving much away, the novel centres around the unnamed narrator and his friend Tyler who set up an underground fight club for men to beat on eachother until they say stop. The only rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club! A good examination of modern day hypermasculinity in a post-feminist world.
7/10
#28 Trumpet by Jackie Kay
This novel was based loosely on the life of Billy Tipton, a jazz musician who on his death was found to be biologically female. The novel takes place after Joss, a Trumpet player's death and is written from the point of view of those who knew him. I thought this novel was very interesting, it really makes you think about what makes a man a man and a woman a woman.
8/10
#29 The Prestige by Christopher Priest
I loved this book. The basic plot: Two rival magicians try to outperfom eachother and find out the secrets to one another's most famous tricks. The more you read the more you get confused but it all becomes clear in the end and there are lots of twists and turns which will keep you entertained.
9/10
- Mood: chipper
Ella Minnow Pea is a first novel by Mark Dunn who is in fact a successful writer of over 25 plays. The novel structure is epistolary, which means that the story unfolds via letters between the characters. This is supposed to add greater realism to the story and demonstrate differing points of view without recourse to the device of an omniscient narrator. The approach was a popular 18th century device but mostly abandoned for most of the 19th and mid 20th century with the notable exceptions of Dracula by Bram Stoke and the Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. Recently it has a bit of a popular revivable with works such as The Boy Next Door (2002) by Meg Cabot and We Need to Talk about Kevin (2003) using the format.
- Location:Bristol, UK
- Mood:artistic
- Music:The Neat Change - I Earthling Society - Sundropped
So, I joined pretty late but doesn't matter, I'm a pretty eager bookworm when I get something interesting in my hands. Anyways, I have already read some books earlier this year but I'll just start with the first book I read since I joined.
BOOK 1:
Title: Bret Easton Ellis - The Rules of Attraction
Genre: Satire, says Wikipedia.
Published: 1987.
Summary: The Rules of Attraction describes the lives of art school students in '80s USA, mainly focusing on Sean Bateman, Lauren Hynde and Paul Denton.
The book basically describes the main characters sleeping around, doing drugs and partying. The storytelling is a bit different though; the story is told from different characters' Point of Views. There isn't really a beginning or an ending.
I enjoyed this novel a lot. I saw the movie based on it some years ago, and decided to hunt down the novel version as well, and it was not a disappointment.
I'd give it 4/5.
BOOK 1:
Title: Bret Easton Ellis - The Rules of Attraction
Genre: Satire, says Wikipedia.
Published: 1987.
Summary: The Rules of Attraction describes the lives of art school students in '80s USA, mainly focusing on Sean Bateman, Lauren Hynde and Paul Denton.
The book basically describes the main characters sleeping around, doing drugs and partying. The storytelling is a bit different though; the story is told from different characters' Point of Views. There isn't really a beginning or an ending.
I enjoyed this novel a lot. I saw the movie based on it some years ago, and decided to hunt down the novel version as well, and it was not a disappointment.
I'd give it 4/5.
1001 Books
11. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell. 368 pages.
After reading Animal Farm way back in ninth grade, I vowed never to read Orwell again. Boy, am I glad that I didn't stick to that. I really liked this book. There were parts of it that were psychologically and emotionally difficult to read, but that was part of what made it so good. It really hammers home just how powerful propaganda can be, and also makes it obvious how strongly we need to fight to keep the freedoms we have.
Other Books
14. Diary, Chuck Palahniuk. 272 pages.
Do you remember those scary fairy-tale-ish stories that you read when you were a kid? Bluebeard and the like? This is an adult version of those types of stories. This was a really quick read for me - I finished it in one afternoon. While I didn't think it was as good as some of his other books, Palahniuk's writing still manages to suck me in and keep me enthralled.
15. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card. 336 pages.
Another venture into the world of sci-fi. Very enjoyable, very gripping. And I have to say, the ending blindsided me. I plan on reading the rest of this series, even though I hear they're not as good.
16. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels, Jasper Fforde. 384 pages.
Man, I want to be friends with Jasper Fforde. Anyone who is this funny and has a love of books and cheese would have to be fun to hang out with. I think this rivals The Eyre Affair for my favorite book in the series.
Currently reading: The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie and My Century by Gunter Grass. Both are a bit slow going.
1001 Books:
11/25 - 44%
Total Books:
27/75 - 36%
Total Pages:
10,625/22,500 - 47.2%
Days Passed:
109/366 - 29.8%
11. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell. 368 pages.
After reading Animal Farm way back in ninth grade, I vowed never to read Orwell again. Boy, am I glad that I didn't stick to that. I really liked this book. There were parts of it that were psychologically and emotionally difficult to read, but that was part of what made it so good. It really hammers home just how powerful propaganda can be, and also makes it obvious how strongly we need to fight to keep the freedoms we have.
Other Books
14. Diary, Chuck Palahniuk. 272 pages.
Do you remember those scary fairy-tale-ish stories that you read when you were a kid? Bluebeard and the like? This is an adult version of those types of stories. This was a really quick read for me - I finished it in one afternoon. While I didn't think it was as good as some of his other books, Palahniuk's writing still manages to suck me in and keep me enthralled.
15. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card. 336 pages.
Another venture into the world of sci-fi. Very enjoyable, very gripping. And I have to say, the ending blindsided me. I plan on reading the rest of this series, even though I hear they're not as good.
16. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels, Jasper Fforde. 384 pages.
Man, I want to be friends with Jasper Fforde. Anyone who is this funny and has a love of books and cheese would have to be fun to hang out with. I think this rivals The Eyre Affair for my favorite book in the series.
Currently reading: The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie and My Century by Gunter Grass. Both are a bit slow going.
1001 Books:
11/25 - 44%
Total Books:
27/75 - 36%
Total Pages:
10,625/22,500 - 47.2%
Days Passed:
109/366 - 29.8%
- Location:work
- Mood:accomplished
- Music:none