Hey all! As indicated in my earlier post about how this year was going to play out, I took January more or less off from reviewing. I have read ten books this month, but I won't be reviewing them as they were all fun books. I love doing the blog and the reviews, but sometimes it is nice just to read guilty pleasure books and not have to think about things to say for them. It was a good mixture of classics and sentimental YA stuff. I have started my project of working my way through Dickens with Oliver Twist. So glad I finally read it. And it was interesting to read Dickens again after having studied other notable novalists from whom Dickens derived inspiration. Specifically, Dickens is said to have admired and to an extent emulated the amazing yet less often known by modern readers Henry Fielding. I can very clearly see his influence in Dicken's writing now. That is kind of fun, making connections and stuff. I am also working through Shakespeare. I will try to hit one Dickens and one Shakespeare a month roughly. I started with Romeo and Juliet. I swear that story never gets old. And I adore the fact about myself that I can read it again and again and each time honestly and genuinely hope it will play out differently this time. But seriously, that story is pretty much the original YA fiction novel, right? Beyond that I took several strolls down memory lane, rereading series and books from my teens and youth. Overall, it was refreshing to read randomly. Which brings to mind a caution I would like to remind myself. I started this as a break from reading for requirement. Should I worry when I really enjoy a break from my break reading?? Oh well, let's see what next month brings. Valentine's day is coming up, so maybe I need some good sappy books. Or not. Whatever.
Keep reading!
Sarah
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Reading means READING, not listening
Hey everyone! Still working on my first book of the year. Dicken's is decidedly wordy, but decidedly worth it. But I just wanted to throw a quick thought up on the board. I just now stumbled upon an eHow article allegedly providing instructions on how to read 100 books in a year. I was, naturally, intrigued and wanted to see how they recommend going about such a feat. Much to my surprise, they instructed the potential "avid reader" to march directly to the audio section of their local library. Sorry folks, unless you have a legitimate reason (i.e., you are physically unable to read because you have no vision), listening to audio books does not count! I know people are busy. I get it. But the skills used in passively listening to a book being read at you are entirely different from those skills used in actually sitting down and using your own mind in reading. Among other things, it is well proven (trust me, I study language instruction and acquisition) that when people read, they do so in a circular fashion, sometimes reading straight through a section, but often re-reading passages or lines multiple times to get the right feeling or understanding. When you listen, the material is presented in a linear fashion. You can't "re-read" a line, you can't go at your own pace, in short, you will not get the same understanding or experience. Further, if you are listening to an audio book while you drive, I sincerely hope you are not getting as into that book as when you actively read, because if you are, that means you are not as focused on the road as you should be. I have a long commute of an hour or more each way, daily. I listen to music.
Come on folks, turn off the technology and pick up a dadgum book. No cheating! If you need or want to count a small handful of audio books a year, fine, but please don't go all audio on me!
On that note, have a lovely (book-filled) day!
Keep reading (not listening...)
Sarah
Come on folks, turn off the technology and pick up a dadgum book. No cheating! If you need or want to count a small handful of audio books a year, fine, but please don't go all audio on me!
On that note, have a lovely (book-filled) day!
Keep reading (not listening...)
Sarah
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Final thoughts for 2010 and welcome to 2011
Well, 2010 has come and gone. I didn't quite meet my goal of 100 books but I came pretty darn close and I learned a lot along the way. I tried never to read when it was a chore. The last thing I wanted out of this was to find myself forcing reading time in a way that would lead to book burnout. That being said, it was a fine line, because when I shifted focus into looking at different kinds of books and reviewing, I felt the need to finish books I might not otherwise have finished. So I never felt the urge to not be reading, but often wished I were reading something else. I often debated the benefits of this approach. On the one hand, in effect I wasted some time by pushing through books that were real duds (ahem, TruBlood books...), but on the other hand, I ended up discovering some real jewels among books that I would have discarded after the first couple of chapters if I didn't feel pushed to finish them. A friend recently asked what I did in situations where I was non-plussed after the first chapters and I honestly don't know what to recommend. It is so hard to anticipate which books will get better as the pages go by! Perhaps the easiest approach, for those who are pressed for time, is to find a book "guru" or reviewer with tastes similar to your own. And I stress that it is important that you have similar literary tastes! Don't just go to a mainstream reviewer, say New York Times or Oprah, unless you have agreed with their conclusions in the past. But even with good reviews, there is no guarantee with reading. It is so personal!
As the year progressed, so did my book speed. Some asked me whether or not I was still reading the books thoroughly. I hope my reviews attest to the fact that, yes, I did read them all completely. Even when I didn't like them! The change in speed is a reflection of my changing habits and schedule. As I started to make reading more important, I started devoting more time to it. We cancelled our cable subscription over the summer and I made other similar changes which allowed increasingly more time for reading as the year went on. Similarly, in the late winter and spring I was enrolled in reading heavy course. Long term followers will remember my struggles with completeling Richardson's Clarissa while also maintaining my personal reading. By the time I reached fall quarter I was enrolled in more practical application classes which involved significantly less reading, thus freeing up more space for personal reading.
I began one of my new classes for this quarter yesterday and as part of an ice breaker we were asked to tell our favorite book or movie of the year. Surprisingly, I was stumped. This happens all the time. I frequently get asked for the best book I read last year or for good recommendations. I wish such an answer were so easy! I read 82 books (or 104, depending on how you look at it) and I have to admit that the books I read last February, for example, are starting to get fuzzy. I can't call a list to mind instantly of all the books I read and sort through it for good ones. Inevitably I forget great books when faced with these questions. I could, perhaps, more easily answer a question broken into categories, such as "What was the best memoir you read last year" or "what was the best of the YA fiction you read?" But even these would be hard to answer with finality. Take for example, the YA paranormal review I did. I found several really great books (and some duds) in that genre. But to name a favorite would be hard because several come to mind depending on my mood. Stiefvater's, Kate's, and Mead's series all resonated well with me, but I couldn't tell you unequivically which one is best. So, I am happy to provide recommendations, and in fact love to do so, but if you really want a solid one you need to give me more of a framework! Tell me who you are, what you love, how you read, how you want to read, and so on.
Ok, moving on to the new year. In 2011 I will be continuing the blog and it will continue to evolve. At the beginning of last year I indicated that I was chronicaling my experience I would avoid reviewing. Obviously that didn't last and, actually, I quite enjoy reviewing the books. So I will continue to do that this year. I will once again, much to my husband's dismay, be trying for 100 non-required reading books in 2011. This should be easier this year, as I am switching programs away from a literature based one to a practical (teaching) program. That being said, don't expect all 100 to be reviewed and posted. I will continue to post reading experience and insight blogs occasionally, but if I am reading an older book, or a classic, I won't feel obligated to post a blog specifically for each book. You already know that Shakespeare is good. And I have a large pile of Dickens and Shakespeare waiting for me. This also allows me to read books that I don't necessarily want to talk about, but rather just want to read for sentimentality, etc. There were several books that I wanted to read or re-read last year which I avoided because I didn't know how it would come out in blog form and I don't want that to always be the case. If I want to read a crappy novel, I get to do it. I will, however, try to read and review a handful of new books each month.
Ok, that about wraps in up! Welcome to the new year and I hope this year encourages you to keep reading!
Sarah
As the year progressed, so did my book speed. Some asked me whether or not I was still reading the books thoroughly. I hope my reviews attest to the fact that, yes, I did read them all completely. Even when I didn't like them! The change in speed is a reflection of my changing habits and schedule. As I started to make reading more important, I started devoting more time to it. We cancelled our cable subscription over the summer and I made other similar changes which allowed increasingly more time for reading as the year went on. Similarly, in the late winter and spring I was enrolled in reading heavy course. Long term followers will remember my struggles with completeling Richardson's Clarissa while also maintaining my personal reading. By the time I reached fall quarter I was enrolled in more practical application classes which involved significantly less reading, thus freeing up more space for personal reading.
I began one of my new classes for this quarter yesterday and as part of an ice breaker we were asked to tell our favorite book or movie of the year. Surprisingly, I was stumped. This happens all the time. I frequently get asked for the best book I read last year or for good recommendations. I wish such an answer were so easy! I read 82 books (or 104, depending on how you look at it) and I have to admit that the books I read last February, for example, are starting to get fuzzy. I can't call a list to mind instantly of all the books I read and sort through it for good ones. Inevitably I forget great books when faced with these questions. I could, perhaps, more easily answer a question broken into categories, such as "What was the best memoir you read last year" or "what was the best of the YA fiction you read?" But even these would be hard to answer with finality. Take for example, the YA paranormal review I did. I found several really great books (and some duds) in that genre. But to name a favorite would be hard because several come to mind depending on my mood. Stiefvater's, Kate's, and Mead's series all resonated well with me, but I couldn't tell you unequivically which one is best. So, I am happy to provide recommendations, and in fact love to do so, but if you really want a solid one you need to give me more of a framework! Tell me who you are, what you love, how you read, how you want to read, and so on.
Ok, moving on to the new year. In 2011 I will be continuing the blog and it will continue to evolve. At the beginning of last year I indicated that I was chronicaling my experience I would avoid reviewing. Obviously that didn't last and, actually, I quite enjoy reviewing the books. So I will continue to do that this year. I will once again, much to my husband's dismay, be trying for 100 non-required reading books in 2011. This should be easier this year, as I am switching programs away from a literature based one to a practical (teaching) program. That being said, don't expect all 100 to be reviewed and posted. I will continue to post reading experience and insight blogs occasionally, but if I am reading an older book, or a classic, I won't feel obligated to post a blog specifically for each book. You already know that Shakespeare is good. And I have a large pile of Dickens and Shakespeare waiting for me. This also allows me to read books that I don't necessarily want to talk about, but rather just want to read for sentimentality, etc. There were several books that I wanted to read or re-read last year which I avoided because I didn't know how it would come out in blog form and I don't want that to always be the case. If I want to read a crappy novel, I get to do it. I will, however, try to read and review a handful of new books each month.
Ok, that about wraps in up! Welcome to the new year and I hope this year encourages you to keep reading!
Sarah
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Here is what I read in 2010:
Ok, for those of you keeping track, here is a list of all of the books I read and blogged this year. This list does not include the 22 books I read for required class reading, which included such titles as Pamela, Clarissa, Tom Jones, 1984, Hamlet, and many others. Looking back, it is a great list!
1. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier-Ishmael Beah
2. Chosen by a Horse- Susan Richards
3. The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel-Maureen Lindley
4. Sarah-Marek Halter
5. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet-Jamie Ford
6. The Wednesday Sisters-Meg Waite Clayton
7. The Gargoyle-Andrew Davidson
8. Running For My Life-Ann Gonzalez
9. The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry-Kathleen Flinn
10. The Forbidden Daughter-Shobhan Bantwal
11. Chasing Harry Winston-Lauren Wiesberger
12. The Big Bad Wolf- James Patterson
13. The Birth of Venus-Sarah Dunant
14. Wedding Girl-Madeleine Wickham
15. The Nanny Returns-Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
16. The Art of Racing in the Rain-Garth Stein
17. The Commoner-John Burnham Schwartz
18. The Lost Symbol-Dan Brown
19. The Heretic's Daughter-Kathleen Kent
20. Mornings in Jenin-Susan Abulhawa
21. Please Stop Laughing at Me-Jodee Blanco
22. A Rather Charming Invitation-C.A. Belmond
23. Eve-Elissa Elliott
24. Good Things-Mia King
25. Nefertiti- Michelle Moran
26. The Heretic Queen-Michelle Moran
27. The Book of Night Women- Marlon James
28. Raven Stole the Moon-Garth Stein
29. In the Convent of Little Flowers-Indu Sundaresan
30. Dragon House-John Shors
31. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner-Stephenie Meyer
32. Christie-Catherine Marshall
33. Part of the Pride-Kevin Richardson
34. The House at Sugar Beach-Helene Cooper
35. The Scarlet Letter-Nathaniel Hawthorne
36. Gulliver's Travels-Jonathan Swift
37. I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced-Nujood Ali
38. Chef-Jaspreet Singh
39. Twenties Girl-Sophia Kinsella
40. Dracula-Bram Stoker
41. Beowolf-Anonynous
42. The Faerie Queene-Edmund Spenser
43. A Midsummer Night's Dream-William Shakespeare
44. Kidnapped- Robert Louis Stevenson
45. The Catcher in the Rye--.D. Salinger
46. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings-Maya Angelou
47. Wuthering Heights-Emily Bronte
48. Beloved-Toni Morrison
49. Persuasion-Jane Austin
50. Honolulu-Alan Brennert
51. Molokai-Alan Brennert
52. The Concubine's Daughter-Pai Kit Fai
53. Treasure Island- Robert Louis Stevenson
54. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-Robert Louis Stevenson
55. Confessions of a Shopaholic-Sophie Kinsella
56. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan-Sophie Kinsella
57. Shopaholic Ties the Knot-Sophie Kinsella
58. Shopaholic and Sister-Sophie Kinsella
59. Shopaholic and Baby-Sophie Kinsella
60. Mini Shopaholic-Sophie Kinsella
61. Heart of Darkness -Joseph Conrad
62. Kim -Rudyard Kipling
63. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening--.J. Smith
64. The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle-L.J. Smith
65. Dead Until Dark-Charlaine Harris
66. Witch & Wizard-James Patterson
67. Shiver-Maggie Stiefvater
68. Linger-Maggie Stiefvater
69. Marked-P.C. Cast, Kristen Cast
70. Fallen-Thomas Sniegoski
71. Leviathan-Thomas Sniegoski
72. Wuthering Bites- Sarah Gray
73. Hush, Hush -Becca Fitzpatrick
74. Crescendo- Becca Fitzpatrick
75. Vampire Academy-Richelle Mead
76. Frostbite- Richelle Mead
77. Blue Bloods-Melissa De La Cruz
78. Fallen-Lauren Kate
79. Torment-Lauren Kate
80. The Forgotten Garden-Kate Morton
81. Little Bee-Chris Cleave
82. Girl in a Blue Dress-Gaynor Arnold
If you really want the full list of required readings as well, just ask.
Ok, that is all I can do tonight. Chech back tomorrow for 2010's wrap up and concluding thoughts and an intro into what to expect in 2011.
Good night and happy reading to all!
Sarah
1. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier-Ishmael Beah
2. Chosen by a Horse- Susan Richards
3. The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel-Maureen Lindley
4. Sarah-Marek Halter
5. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet-Jamie Ford
6. The Wednesday Sisters-Meg Waite Clayton
7. The Gargoyle-Andrew Davidson
8. Running For My Life-Ann Gonzalez
9. The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry-Kathleen Flinn
10. The Forbidden Daughter-Shobhan Bantwal
11. Chasing Harry Winston-Lauren Wiesberger
12. The Big Bad Wolf- James Patterson
13. The Birth of Venus-Sarah Dunant
14. Wedding Girl-Madeleine Wickham
15. The Nanny Returns-Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
16. The Art of Racing in the Rain-Garth Stein
17. The Commoner-John Burnham Schwartz
18. The Lost Symbol-Dan Brown
19. The Heretic's Daughter-Kathleen Kent
20. Mornings in Jenin-Susan Abulhawa
21. Please Stop Laughing at Me-Jodee Blanco
22. A Rather Charming Invitation-C.A. Belmond
23. Eve-Elissa Elliott
24. Good Things-Mia King
25. Nefertiti- Michelle Moran
26. The Heretic Queen-Michelle Moran
27. The Book of Night Women- Marlon James
28. Raven Stole the Moon-Garth Stein
29. In the Convent of Little Flowers-Indu Sundaresan
30. Dragon House-John Shors
31. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner-Stephenie Meyer
32. Christie-Catherine Marshall
33. Part of the Pride-Kevin Richardson
34. The House at Sugar Beach-Helene Cooper
35. The Scarlet Letter-Nathaniel Hawthorne
36. Gulliver's Travels-Jonathan Swift
37. I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced-Nujood Ali
38. Chef-Jaspreet Singh
39. Twenties Girl-Sophia Kinsella
40. Dracula-Bram Stoker
41. Beowolf-Anonynous
42. The Faerie Queene-Edmund Spenser
43. A Midsummer Night's Dream-William Shakespeare
44. Kidnapped- Robert Louis Stevenson
45. The Catcher in the Rye--.D. Salinger
46. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings-Maya Angelou
47. Wuthering Heights-Emily Bronte
48. Beloved-Toni Morrison
49. Persuasion-Jane Austin
50. Honolulu-Alan Brennert
51. Molokai-Alan Brennert
52. The Concubine's Daughter-Pai Kit Fai
53. Treasure Island- Robert Louis Stevenson
54. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-Robert Louis Stevenson
55. Confessions of a Shopaholic-Sophie Kinsella
56. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan-Sophie Kinsella
57. Shopaholic Ties the Knot-Sophie Kinsella
58. Shopaholic and Sister-Sophie Kinsella
59. Shopaholic and Baby-Sophie Kinsella
60. Mini Shopaholic-Sophie Kinsella
61. Heart of Darkness -Joseph Conrad
62. Kim -Rudyard Kipling
63. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening--.J. Smith
64. The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle-L.J. Smith
65. Dead Until Dark-Charlaine Harris
66. Witch & Wizard-James Patterson
67. Shiver-Maggie Stiefvater
68. Linger-Maggie Stiefvater
69. Marked-P.C. Cast, Kristen Cast
70. Fallen-Thomas Sniegoski
71. Leviathan-Thomas Sniegoski
72. Wuthering Bites- Sarah Gray
73. Hush, Hush -Becca Fitzpatrick
74. Crescendo- Becca Fitzpatrick
75. Vampire Academy-Richelle Mead
76. Frostbite- Richelle Mead
77. Blue Bloods-Melissa De La Cruz
78. Fallen-Lauren Kate
79. Torment-Lauren Kate
80. The Forgotten Garden-Kate Morton
81. Little Bee-Chris Cleave
82. Girl in a Blue Dress-Gaynor Arnold
If you really want the full list of required readings as well, just ask.
Ok, that is all I can do tonight. Chech back tomorrow for 2010's wrap up and concluding thoughts and an intro into what to expect in 2011.
Good night and happy reading to all!
Sarah
Fiction about a great fictionalist
Dickens is a literary great, there is no denying that. He also happens to be a favorite of mine. For my birthday this year, my husband got me all of his works in a matching set and, dork that I am, I am itching to start reading/re-reading them all. Great writer, excellent philanthropist and public moralist, however as a husband it appears he was a real dud. My final read of 2010 presents his marriage wrapped in fiction.
Title: Girl in a Blue Dress
Author: Gaynor Arnold
My start date: 12/27/10
My finish date: 1/1/11
Book count: 82
While it is currently known and excepted that Dickens ditched his wife for an affair with an actress, at the time it was much hidden to prevent scandal. Arnold tells the story of Dicken's previously voiceless wife in this novel, which is set during the week of the great author's death. However, technically, this story is a work of fiction and rather than calling her characters by their real names, Arnold has created pseudonyms for them. So, this is really a story of Alfred and Dorothea Gibson. But don't be fooled, it is really Dickens and his wife under scrutiny here. And Arnold stays pretty darn close to the truth. While the use of pseudonyms allows her a greater degree of artistic liberty, most of the major details seemed easily enough confirmable on wikipedia.
Arnold's narrative flips between the events in the week following the author's death and the wife's flashbacks and memories of their past together. The time flips are all very digestable, as they are almost, if not entirely chronological within their timelines.
The story itself is great. It is Dickens after all. What's not to love? Arnold clearly put a ton of research into her work and her attention to detail and obvious love of her characters is very transparent. This novel is a diamond mine of information for the Dickens-lover. Further, Arnold manages to very cleverly work in some very Dickens-esque aspects to her story, making the great author's life read very much like one of his own stories.
That being said, the prose was a little stiff in areas. Perhaps there was simply too much information being presented, but a lot of the conversations were too contrived, as if they were nothing more than pretty showboxes for the information which needed to be presented at that juncture. People don't really converse in that way. Similarly, the way the events flowed from one moment to another simply didn't feel right and often the required literary tension seemed to be missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on the problem. The material was all there and Arnold has a lot of talent, but it needs a little more development perhaps.
I did like the ending though. I won't spoil it, but the ending was right. Dickens would approve.
On that note, perhaps I will start the new year with a Dickens.
Ok folks, that is it for 2010! Check back for the year wrap up!
Keep reading!
Sarah
Title: Girl in a Blue Dress
Author: Gaynor Arnold
My start date: 12/27/10
My finish date: 1/1/11
Book count: 82
While it is currently known and excepted that Dickens ditched his wife for an affair with an actress, at the time it was much hidden to prevent scandal. Arnold tells the story of Dicken's previously voiceless wife in this novel, which is set during the week of the great author's death. However, technically, this story is a work of fiction and rather than calling her characters by their real names, Arnold has created pseudonyms for them. So, this is really a story of Alfred and Dorothea Gibson. But don't be fooled, it is really Dickens and his wife under scrutiny here. And Arnold stays pretty darn close to the truth. While the use of pseudonyms allows her a greater degree of artistic liberty, most of the major details seemed easily enough confirmable on wikipedia.
Arnold's narrative flips between the events in the week following the author's death and the wife's flashbacks and memories of their past together. The time flips are all very digestable, as they are almost, if not entirely chronological within their timelines.
The story itself is great. It is Dickens after all. What's not to love? Arnold clearly put a ton of research into her work and her attention to detail and obvious love of her characters is very transparent. This novel is a diamond mine of information for the Dickens-lover. Further, Arnold manages to very cleverly work in some very Dickens-esque aspects to her story, making the great author's life read very much like one of his own stories.
That being said, the prose was a little stiff in areas. Perhaps there was simply too much information being presented, but a lot of the conversations were too contrived, as if they were nothing more than pretty showboxes for the information which needed to be presented at that juncture. People don't really converse in that way. Similarly, the way the events flowed from one moment to another simply didn't feel right and often the required literary tension seemed to be missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on the problem. The material was all there and Arnold has a lot of talent, but it needs a little more development perhaps.
I did like the ending though. I won't spoil it, but the ending was right. Dickens would approve.
On that note, perhaps I will start the new year with a Dickens.
Ok folks, that is it for 2010! Check back for the year wrap up!
Keep reading!
Sarah
Buzz about a little bee
The back of the next book I read had an intriguing plea to readers not to divulge the surprise ending when they were inevitably pursuaded to encourage others to read it. With a lead like that I couldn't help but wonder what the buzz was all about in Little Bee.
Title: Little Bee
Author: Chris Cleave
My start date: 12/22/10
My finish date: 12/27/10
Book count: 81
Well, the book was good, but I am not sure the ending was quite as "startling" as the publishers obviously thought it would be. Once again we have a book told from multiple perspectives, which seems to be the big thing lately. This time we were only working with two angles, the title character, Little Bee, who is a Nigerian refugee in England, and Sarah, a British journalist.
The story is very confusing until you get your bearings. This is due, in combination, to the cycling of perspectives and also to the only "peri-chronological" (I may have just made that word up, but I think it fits) nature of the story-telling. Events seem to flow in order, but sometimes that order is forwards into the future, others it seems to work backwards toward an event in the past. Other times it seems to flow sideways. Quite a jumble. However, once you get what they are working at, things seem to make sense.
I liked the character of Little Bee a lot. Cleave infused her with enough personality for the whole book. Which is good, because I was less impressed with the other lead, Sarah. (Pity, she has such a good name after all) A little of the slack, however, is also picked up in the unique character of Sarah's son, Charlie/Batman. The four-year-old spends the entire novel in a batsuit, convinced he is a superhero. Parents will find it precious and I just find it plain hilarious.
The ending was less surprising to me than promised. But I won't say anymore than that, as the back cover explicitly begs me not too. You will have to read it yourself I guess. And actually, the subject matter is important enough that I will say you should. Heavy, but vital. Or then again, since this novel is joining the ever-expanding ranks of books about to be on film...(sheesh, already) you could just wait and let Nicole Kidman tell it to you.
One more book to end the year!
Keep reading!
Sarah
Title: Little Bee
Author: Chris Cleave
My start date: 12/22/10
My finish date: 12/27/10
Book count: 81
Well, the book was good, but I am not sure the ending was quite as "startling" as the publishers obviously thought it would be. Once again we have a book told from multiple perspectives, which seems to be the big thing lately. This time we were only working with two angles, the title character, Little Bee, who is a Nigerian refugee in England, and Sarah, a British journalist.
The story is very confusing until you get your bearings. This is due, in combination, to the cycling of perspectives and also to the only "peri-chronological" (I may have just made that word up, but I think it fits) nature of the story-telling. Events seem to flow in order, but sometimes that order is forwards into the future, others it seems to work backwards toward an event in the past. Other times it seems to flow sideways. Quite a jumble. However, once you get what they are working at, things seem to make sense.
I liked the character of Little Bee a lot. Cleave infused her with enough personality for the whole book. Which is good, because I was less impressed with the other lead, Sarah. (Pity, she has such a good name after all) A little of the slack, however, is also picked up in the unique character of Sarah's son, Charlie/Batman. The four-year-old spends the entire novel in a batsuit, convinced he is a superhero. Parents will find it precious and I just find it plain hilarious.
The ending was less surprising to me than promised. But I won't say anymore than that, as the back cover explicitly begs me not too. You will have to read it yourself I guess. And actually, the subject matter is important enough that I will say you should. Heavy, but vital. Or then again, since this novel is joining the ever-expanding ranks of books about to be on film...(sheesh, already) you could just wait and let Nicole Kidman tell it to you.
One more book to end the year!
Keep reading!
Sarah
A "Secret Garden" for Grownups
I don't know about everyone else, but I was a huge fan of the works of Francis Hodgson Burnett growing up. Ok, honestly, I still am. I read A Little Princess every year at Christmas. Well, every year except this one, that is. There is something so very appealing about her mixture of fantasy and reality, as if there is a bit of fairy tale in every little Victorian story. If you like this type of Victorian fairy tale style but are looking for something a little more adult, look no further.
Title: The Forgotten Garden
Author: Kate Morton
My start date: 12/7/10
My finish date: 12/21/10
Book count: 80
This gem came on the recommendation of my sister, Rachel, for which I must thank her. Morton writes an enchanting tale incredibly reminiscent of Hodgson Burnett's turn of the century works. In fact, Morton even writes the esteemed author into her own story and the story is rife with intertextual references to the famous The Secret Garden. The reader must be involved however. This story is long, around 550 pages, and told from three different perspectives at varying periods. One set of characters tells their story at the turn of the 20th century in Victorian England, another tells her's during the 70s between Australia and England, and a third story is told in 2005. This doesn't even include the prelude which introduces the story in 1913 and then the 30s. Whew! But no worries! This story is so fantastic that you are immediately drawn in and you can't help but want to keep turning the pages.
The plot is meant to be a mystery. Not that kind of mystery, though. We aren't taking murder, theft or the like here, but the reader must try to put together the pieces of the characters' past along with the characters as they are trying to learn it as well. I figured out the ending pretty early on. I wondered if perhaps that is just because I read for a living and am pretty hard to fool at this point, but my sister confirmed that she also knew the ending rather early on. However, that in absolutely no way detracted from the beautiful ride Morton takes you on to get there. Morton's imagery is beautiful and even if she was telling the most well-known story in the world, I have to believe it would be worth reading again and again.
One of the best aspects of this book is Morton's use of a multi-genre approach. In my teaching, I am beginning to explore genre theory as a way to teach writing to students who are bored with the "standard essay only" stance all too often used in schools. Morton's work is a lovely example of what can be done when genres are blended to create an image. While the vast majority of the story is told in standard narrative prose, she also includes full examples of other genres to paint her picture, such as full newspaper articles, encyclopedia or reference book entries, complete fairy tales, and so on. This brilliant diversity makes for a story that is significantly more well-rounded and paints a full picture, which straight narrative may not have been able to do. At the very least, it prevents the narrative portion from becoming boring. Well played in my opinion. If it was a little shorter, I would want to include it on a future required reading list!
Overall, one of the more enjoyable reads of the year. Hats of to you, Rae, for the rec. Keep 'em coming!
Keep reading!
Sarah
P.S. The versions of Hodson Burnett's classics which I have posted here are NOT my prefered versions. I adore the versions in which Graham Rust is the illustrator. They are incomparable in my opinion. However, they are increasingly difficult to find. I am going to have to start buying them up when I find them so that I don't ever find myself without copies, as, alas, I am without one at the moment for Secret Garden.
More P.S. I may not have had time to read A Little Princess this year, but my oh-so-thoughtful husband was sweet enough to give me a copy of the Shirley Temple movie version which I was delighted to watch instead. #myhusbandisthebest.
Title: The Forgotten Garden
Author: Kate Morton
My start date: 12/7/10
My finish date: 12/21/10
Book count: 80
This gem came on the recommendation of my sister, Rachel, for which I must thank her. Morton writes an enchanting tale incredibly reminiscent of Hodgson Burnett's turn of the century works. In fact, Morton even writes the esteemed author into her own story and the story is rife with intertextual references to the famous The Secret Garden. The reader must be involved however. This story is long, around 550 pages, and told from three different perspectives at varying periods. One set of characters tells their story at the turn of the 20th century in Victorian England, another tells her's during the 70s between Australia and England, and a third story is told in 2005. This doesn't even include the prelude which introduces the story in 1913 and then the 30s. Whew! But no worries! This story is so fantastic that you are immediately drawn in and you can't help but want to keep turning the pages.
The plot is meant to be a mystery. Not that kind of mystery, though. We aren't taking murder, theft or the like here, but the reader must try to put together the pieces of the characters' past along with the characters as they are trying to learn it as well. I figured out the ending pretty early on. I wondered if perhaps that is just because I read for a living and am pretty hard to fool at this point, but my sister confirmed that she also knew the ending rather early on. However, that in absolutely no way detracted from the beautiful ride Morton takes you on to get there. Morton's imagery is beautiful and even if she was telling the most well-known story in the world, I have to believe it would be worth reading again and again.
One of the best aspects of this book is Morton's use of a multi-genre approach. In my teaching, I am beginning to explore genre theory as a way to teach writing to students who are bored with the "standard essay only" stance all too often used in schools. Morton's work is a lovely example of what can be done when genres are blended to create an image. While the vast majority of the story is told in standard narrative prose, she also includes full examples of other genres to paint her picture, such as full newspaper articles, encyclopedia or reference book entries, complete fairy tales, and so on. This brilliant diversity makes for a story that is significantly more well-rounded and paints a full picture, which straight narrative may not have been able to do. At the very least, it prevents the narrative portion from becoming boring. Well played in my opinion. If it was a little shorter, I would want to include it on a future required reading list!
Overall, one of the more enjoyable reads of the year. Hats of to you, Rae, for the rec. Keep 'em coming!
Keep reading!
Sarah
P.S. The versions of Hodson Burnett's classics which I have posted here are NOT my prefered versions. I adore the versions in which Graham Rust is the illustrator. They are incomparable in my opinion. However, they are increasingly difficult to find. I am going to have to start buying them up when I find them so that I don't ever find myself without copies, as, alas, I am without one at the moment for Secret Garden.
More P.S. I may not have had time to read A Little Princess this year, but my oh-so-thoughtful husband was sweet enough to give me a copy of the Shirley Temple movie version which I was delighted to watch instead. #myhusbandisthebest.
Finishing up the Paranormal Collection
As you may recall from the last posts, by the time November was drawing to a close, and with it my review of the paranormal fantasy genre, I had been overcome with pretty strong paranormal burnout. Thankfully, my final reviews ended on a high note, thus restoring some of my earlier enthusiasm. Here is where we ended:
Title(s): Fallen
Torment
Author: Lauren Kate
Reading dates: 11/28/10-12/3/10 & 12/3/10-12/7/10 respectively
Book counts: 78 & 79
This new series is another spin on the fallen angel approach and I admit that the early chapters of the first book combined with my afore-mentioned genre burnout had me wanting to put the book down and walk away. So glad I didn't. Despite a slightly strange and rocky beginning in which the lead character suddenly finds herself in a rather rough reform school and in which the male lead unromantically flips her off, this series grew into one of my favorite finds of the genre. Kate seems to settle into her story as it progresses and what began as slightly awkward and uncomfortable moves gradually into cute and kind of kitsch before finally maturing into a story that has a lot of strength. The initially unsavory male lead, fallen angel Daniel, becomes quite appealing as the pages fly by. The quirky cast of supporting characters similarly finds footing by the second half of the first book and the diversity of the group makes for one of the better story structures I have read in this genre. At the core of what makes this series so appealing, in fact, is the close proximity of good and bad. You can't help occasionally being deliciously drawn to the bad guys and often the good guys make questionable decisions. Best of all, at times they must work together. I love it!
Besides the oddity of the first book's setting, something which is remedied in the second book, my other complaints are fairly minimal. As mentioned, the first book matures as you go along and I am not entirely satisfied with the way in which the lead characters transition from seeming hatred to deep-rooted love. But then again, especially for teenagers, that is such a fine line in truth, isn't it? Wow, I hope my skepticism on that part doesn't represent getting older?!?
Kate still has some room to grow in her writing, but she has great stuff with which to work and two more books scheduled for this series, so she has time. And honestly, I am kind of looking forward to the release of book three this coming summer. And, of course, no surprise, this series too has been picked up for a movie, this time by Disney. Hmmm, maybe I will see it??
Ok, FINALLY, that concludes the paranormal fantasy genre review. I didn't hit NEARLY everything, nor did I even hit everything that is headlining at the moment. I am still curious about some of the other titles out there, both in YA and in adult fiction, so perhaps I will revisit it at some point, but for now I need to read something with normal humans. I am starting to see fantastical creatures in everyone I meet. That's not normal for grown ups. Moving on...
OH, almost forgot:
Grade for this series: A
Would a grownup enjoy: Yep, more so than some of the others. Less high school routine and more good vs. evil philosophy. That seems to be the recipe for adult interest in these YA books.
Ok, that's that then.
Keep reading!
Sarah
Title(s): Fallen
Torment
Author: Lauren Kate
Reading dates: 11/28/10-12/3/10 & 12/3/10-12/7/10 respectively
Book counts: 78 & 79
This new series is another spin on the fallen angel approach and I admit that the early chapters of the first book combined with my afore-mentioned genre burnout had me wanting to put the book down and walk away. So glad I didn't. Despite a slightly strange and rocky beginning in which the lead character suddenly finds herself in a rather rough reform school and in which the male lead unromantically flips her off, this series grew into one of my favorite finds of the genre. Kate seems to settle into her story as it progresses and what began as slightly awkward and uncomfortable moves gradually into cute and kind of kitsch before finally maturing into a story that has a lot of strength. The initially unsavory male lead, fallen angel Daniel, becomes quite appealing as the pages fly by. The quirky cast of supporting characters similarly finds footing by the second half of the first book and the diversity of the group makes for one of the better story structures I have read in this genre. At the core of what makes this series so appealing, in fact, is the close proximity of good and bad. You can't help occasionally being deliciously drawn to the bad guys and often the good guys make questionable decisions. Best of all, at times they must work together. I love it!
Besides the oddity of the first book's setting, something which is remedied in the second book, my other complaints are fairly minimal. As mentioned, the first book matures as you go along and I am not entirely satisfied with the way in which the lead characters transition from seeming hatred to deep-rooted love. But then again, especially for teenagers, that is such a fine line in truth, isn't it? Wow, I hope my skepticism on that part doesn't represent getting older?!?
Kate still has some room to grow in her writing, but she has great stuff with which to work and two more books scheduled for this series, so she has time. And honestly, I am kind of looking forward to the release of book three this coming summer. And, of course, no surprise, this series too has been picked up for a movie, this time by Disney. Hmmm, maybe I will see it??
Ok, FINALLY, that concludes the paranormal fantasy genre review. I didn't hit NEARLY everything, nor did I even hit everything that is headlining at the moment. I am still curious about some of the other titles out there, both in YA and in adult fiction, so perhaps I will revisit it at some point, but for now I need to read something with normal humans. I am starting to see fantastical creatures in everyone I meet. That's not normal for grown ups. Moving on...
OH, almost forgot:
Grade for this series: A
Would a grownup enjoy: Yep, more so than some of the others. Less high school routine and more good vs. evil philosophy. That seems to be the recipe for adult interest in these YA books.
Ok, that's that then.
Keep reading!
Sarah
And so the year comes to a close....
and the project comes to a rather incomplete end, but the reading, however, does not. While I do have a handful of posts to write up for December, which was much busier with the holidays than I anticipated, I am sure you can guess from November's numbers that I did not quite make it to 100 books, unless that is, you count my required reading, in which case I hit 104 books this year. I can be pretty pleased with that! And the fun doesn't end here. Not the type to be content, I have decided to try this goal every year. At least, every year until I hit it. So keep reading! I will shortly post my thoughts on the last of my 2010 reads, then some thoughts to wrap up the year and then, check back as we move into an even greater 2011!
Keep reading!
Sarah
Keep reading!
Sarah
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