I am currently reading The Once and Future King and it's taking me a while. I have not abandoned this; I just chose a book that took me several days to get 1/3 of teh way through. It's good though. I should be done with it by Sunday. We'll see.
Happy New Years!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
This is a book I borrowed from LU. I read it before JH's books because I want to get it back to her before I go back to school. Moving on.
I started out thinking I was going to hate this book, which is always a good attittude. It is written in free verse poetry format and I was annoyed with the description on the back cover. The fact is, if a book summary asks a question, I am going to be annoyed; "Will the main character be able to overcome the problems given them by the antagonist?" Hmmm, I wonder. Anyway, the only problem I actually had with this book was that instead of " she used italics for what people were saying out loud. It was slightly confusing and reading italics that often gives me a headache. Also, I hated the cover picture. I don't have the slightest idea who the girl on the cover is supposed to be; there were only three female characters in the book.
So, this book was an Arthurian legend book. This is the first version of Tristan/Tristram I have run across that I didn't hate (I tried twice to watch the movie Tristan and Isolde. Couldn't get through it.) Lancelot I still found an idiot but Gwynivere grew on me. I have no idea who the protagonist, Elaine, is in actual Arthurian legend, having only come across her in The Squire's Tales, so I don't know how well her character fit with the stories but she seemed like a realistic 16 year old girl.
Sandell's depiction of love was one I can approve of, mostly; none of the love at first sight or every other person cheating and whatnot. And, while some things may have been to convenient, I didn't really mind, which is all that really matters when reading fiction. I probably should read it again, though; I skimmed most of the beginning because I didn't like the form Sandell was writing in. Also, I probably would have gotten more out of this book if I knew more about the original stories. You will see how dumb I was in this regard in my next post.
Rating: Good to great
Read again: definitely.
You read: Girls will definitely like this story more then a guy would. If you are a girl, then yes; read it. Guys probably want to skip this one, but, then again, what do I know? Do what you want.
Age: Teens +
I started out thinking I was going to hate this book, which is always a good attittude. It is written in free verse poetry format and I was annoyed with the description on the back cover. The fact is, if a book summary asks a question, I am going to be annoyed; "Will the main character be able to overcome the problems given them by the antagonist?" Hmmm, I wonder. Anyway, the only problem I actually had with this book was that instead of " she used italics for what people were saying out loud. It was slightly confusing and reading italics that often gives me a headache. Also, I hated the cover picture. I don't have the slightest idea who the girl on the cover is supposed to be; there were only three female characters in the book.
So, this book was an Arthurian legend book. This is the first version of Tristan/Tristram I have run across that I didn't hate (I tried twice to watch the movie Tristan and Isolde. Couldn't get through it.) Lancelot I still found an idiot but Gwynivere grew on me. I have no idea who the protagonist, Elaine, is in actual Arthurian legend, having only come across her in The Squire's Tales, so I don't know how well her character fit with the stories but she seemed like a realistic 16 year old girl.
Sandell's depiction of love was one I can approve of, mostly; none of the love at first sight or every other person cheating and whatnot. And, while some things may have been to convenient, I didn't really mind, which is all that really matters when reading fiction. I probably should read it again, though; I skimmed most of the beginning because I didn't like the form Sandell was writing in. Also, I probably would have gotten more out of this book if I knew more about the original stories. You will see how dumb I was in this regard in my next post.
Rating: Good to great
Read again: definitely.
You read: Girls will definitely like this story more then a guy would. If you are a girl, then yes; read it. Guys probably want to skip this one, but, then again, what do I know? Do what you want.
Age: Teens +
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A book
I read a book to... yesterday. Um, and it was ok. Just ok. So just ok I don't even feel like putting it in here but then this is worthless to me so here it is; The Crown of Earth by Hilari Bell. I need to stop taking random books from the new rack. It's not successful. I mean, it wasn't bad and it was more original but her books always end so... Not anticlimatic, but not exactly tying off every question the reader wants answered. I need sleep now. Night.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
In all honesty, I read this before I read Flowers For Algernon but it's an old one so I decided to wait before adding this. You may notice that I've written three posts today... Yeah, I haven't had much to do.
Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite authors whom I have previously forgotten to mention for reasons unknown. She writes fantasy (my favorite of which is 'Mordred';it's also the longest), basic fiction set in the present, and futuristic sci-fi. Heir Apparent I would accept being classified as both sci-fi and fantasy; here's why! The main character, Giannine, goes into a videogame where she has to survive to become the next king. So inside the videogame is fantasy, the outside world is sci-fi. If you want to know what happens read the book.
I like VVV because her books are usually hilarious. And they have suspense and originality, etc. (Hey, I didn't use whatnot!) This is one of the two of her books that I actually own and therefore I have read it a million times. Literally. Not really.
Rating: Good to Great.
Read again? Already have.
You read? You'll probably like it more if you're a girl, but sure.
Age level: Teen.
Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite authors whom I have previously forgotten to mention for reasons unknown. She writes fantasy (my favorite of which is 'Mordred';it's also the longest), basic fiction set in the present, and futuristic sci-fi. Heir Apparent I would accept being classified as both sci-fi and fantasy; here's why! The main character, Giannine, goes into a videogame where she has to survive to become the next king. So inside the videogame is fantasy, the outside world is sci-fi. If you want to know what happens read the book.
I like VVV because her books are usually hilarious. And they have suspense and originality, etc. (Hey, I didn't use whatnot!) This is one of the two of her books that I actually own and therefore I have read it a million times. Literally. Not really.
Rating: Good to Great.
Read again? Already have.
You read? You'll probably like it more if you're a girl, but sure.
Age level: Teen.
Blue Fire by Janice Hardy
This is a new book I randomly grabbed when we are at the the library Saturday... It's a sequel to a book I randomly read awhile ago called Shifter. I don't feel like writing about it but it's a good one for teens to read if they're looking for fantasyish stuff that isn't overwhelmed with elves and dwarfs and magic and whatnot. (I need to come up with a synonym for whatnot, don't I?) Hardy is one of the more original writers I've come across and that's why I'm mentioning her.
Rating: Good.
Read again: Maybe. I am going to read the sequel if I notice when it comes out.
You read: If you like this type of thing, I guess. Read Shifter first.
Rating: Good.
Read again: Maybe. I am going to read the sequel if I notice when it comes out.
You read: If you like this type of thing, I guess. Read Shifter first.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Ages
I'm going to give myself some clear guidelines so what I say actually means something.
Children's Book; 1-7 (This is a picture book. There will not be many of these, but you never know.)
Pre-teen; Ages 8-11 (These are also basically Children's books, but novels instead of pictures.)
Teen;12-16 (More mature and more difficult without a complicated plot necessary for keeping the attention of an older reader. Most chick flicky books, like Twilight, will be in this area.)
Young Adult; 17-25 (Mature content but not graphic. Longer or more complicated subject matter.)
Adult; 26-100 (Probably not going to be a good book.)
Anyone in a higher age group is perfectly welcome to read books assigned to previous age groups. There is nothing wrong with reading a book that is too easy as long as its interesting and not all you're reading. Also, my age groups are iffy. People have different intelligence levels and reading speeds, as well as time available for reading. This is a general guideline to give people somewhere to start with. I'm sure you can figure out where the books you usually read are classified and go from there.
Please remember one thing; I am not a teacher yet and this is my own personal opinion. And no that doesn't mean I'm just throwing out random numbers. It means I'm guessing and that is a totally different thing. Yes, I'm kidding. Again.
Children's Book; 1-7 (This is a picture book. There will not be many of these, but you never know.)
Pre-teen; Ages 8-11 (These are also basically Children's books, but novels instead of pictures.)
Teen;12-16 (More mature and more difficult without a complicated plot necessary for keeping the attention of an older reader. Most chick flicky books, like Twilight, will be in this area.)
Young Adult; 17-25 (Mature content but not graphic. Longer or more complicated subject matter.)
Adult; 26-100 (Probably not going to be a good book.)
Anyone in a higher age group is perfectly welcome to read books assigned to previous age groups. There is nothing wrong with reading a book that is too easy as long as its interesting and not all you're reading. Also, my age groups are iffy. People have different intelligence levels and reading speeds, as well as time available for reading. This is a general guideline to give people somewhere to start with. I'm sure you can figure out where the books you usually read are classified and go from there.
Please remember one thing; I am not a teacher yet and this is my own personal opinion. And no that doesn't mean I'm just throwing out random numbers. It means I'm guessing and that is a totally different thing. Yes, I'm kidding. Again.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Well, I finally sat down and finished Flowers for Algernon. Just three of J.H.'s books to go.
This book is about a man with mental retardation, Charlie, who is the subject of an experimental surgery that makes him an incredible genius. Algernon is a mouse who also had the surgery. While this book talks a lot about science and psychology and literature and whatnot, the main thing I got out of it was that none of that really matters when you think about it. By that I mean, as Charlie gets smarter he gradually loses most of his friends and becomes more and more lonely, less able to emphasize with others. Meanwhile, everyone he knows suddenly find themselves looked down upon intellectually by him maybe even more so than they had looked down on him in the first place. It is a very interesting book and gives the reader new ways of viewing several things.
Normally this would be a criticism section, but I don't have any that come to mind. Some of it was a bit graphic but nothing I found over the top, I suppose. Mainly, the problem I had with this book was that the way everyone treated him when he was retarded made me feel kind of sick but that was probably the point. Also, expect this book to make you cry. I didn't cry, but that's because my high school English teacher read me a condensed version so I knew the ending. Also, the copyright is 1959 so some parts of the book jar a little with the modern reader, like saying that a $10 therapy session was expensive and so on. Admittedly, I would have gotten a tiny bit more out of the book if I hadn't just looked at the date five seconds ago but now you know and that's all that matters.
Rating? Good to great. (Honestly, my ratings are basically worthless. They depend too much on my mood at the time, but they give a general picture for you people too lazy to do anything but skim so I'll keep them.)
Read again? Yes, but not until after a year or two probably. Yes, I usually read books again after a month or two. Sometimes after an hour or two. I could go on a rant about how you won't always get the same thing out of a book every time you read it but you skimmers are probably already getting upset with how long this normally six word section is so I won't.
You read? Yes.
Age :Young Adult. I already mentioned it but... you know what? See paragraph above this.
As always, if you have read this book and have more to say, let me know. My opinion is not the only one in the world, after all. Yes, that is an incredibly sad and depressing thought, but we all just have to live with it.
Yes, I'm kidding.
This book is about a man with mental retardation, Charlie, who is the subject of an experimental surgery that makes him an incredible genius. Algernon is a mouse who also had the surgery. While this book talks a lot about science and psychology and literature and whatnot, the main thing I got out of it was that none of that really matters when you think about it. By that I mean, as Charlie gets smarter he gradually loses most of his friends and becomes more and more lonely, less able to emphasize with others. Meanwhile, everyone he knows suddenly find themselves looked down upon intellectually by him maybe even more so than they had looked down on him in the first place. It is a very interesting book and gives the reader new ways of viewing several things.
Normally this would be a criticism section, but I don't have any that come to mind. Some of it was a bit graphic but nothing I found over the top, I suppose. Mainly, the problem I had with this book was that the way everyone treated him when he was retarded made me feel kind of sick but that was probably the point. Also, expect this book to make you cry. I didn't cry, but that's because my high school English teacher read me a condensed version so I knew the ending. Also, the copyright is 1959 so some parts of the book jar a little with the modern reader, like saying that a $10 therapy session was expensive and so on. Admittedly, I would have gotten a tiny bit more out of the book if I hadn't just looked at the date five seconds ago but now you know and that's all that matters.
Rating? Good to great. (Honestly, my ratings are basically worthless. They depend too much on my mood at the time, but they give a general picture for you people too lazy to do anything but skim so I'll keep them.)
Read again? Yes, but not until after a year or two probably. Yes, I usually read books again after a month or two. Sometimes after an hour or two. I could go on a rant about how you won't always get the same thing out of a book every time you read it but you skimmers are probably already getting upset with how long this normally six word section is so I won't.
You read? Yes.
Age :Young Adult. I already mentioned it but... you know what? See paragraph above this.
As always, if you have read this book and have more to say, let me know. My opinion is not the only one in the world, after all. Yes, that is an incredibly sad and depressing thought, but we all just have to live with it.
Yes, I'm kidding.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
One More Exam
So I've got one more exam and I don't feel there is much need to study for it so... Here are some great book quotes! And by great I mean I googled book quotes, chose the funniest, and threw some serious ones in to make myself look better. (No, I'm not bored. What are you talking about?)
Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures. ~Jessamyn West
Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. ~P.J. O'Rourke
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. ~Groucho Marx
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. ~Groucho Marx
My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter. ~Thomas Helm
He who lends a book is an idiot. He who returns the book is more of an idiot. ~Arabic Proverb
Monday, December 06, 2010
Favorite Books
As I am not going to be reading anything for a long time(for me)... :( I decided to get a list of favorite books from my friends for your and my own future reference.
CZ-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by JK Rowling or 'Mama, Do You Love Me' by Barbara M. Joosse and illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. I concur with both of those. MDYLM is a picture book and it's both sweet and well illustrated.
MW-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Persuasion is a close 2nd. Again, I like both of these.
BU-Host by Stephanie Meyer.Only one of hers I like anymore.
CR- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engel. Excellent book.
SS- The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett. But she has a ton more favorites. None of which I've read :'(.
CG- The Last Song by Nicholas Spark. I haven't read this.
AA- Dante's Inferno. Haven't read this either.
CP- John Dies at the End by David Wong. Nope.
LU-anything by Sara Dessen. Haven't read anything by her. Oh, dear.
KP-The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Read both.
More coming soon... in theory... If you read this then message me your favorite book... And if you're wondering why J.H.'s book isn't up here it''s because I keep forgetting to ask him. Also, BU is the same as the aforementioned RU. I changed my mind, ok?
CZ-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by JK Rowling or 'Mama, Do You Love Me' by Barbara M. Joosse and illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. I concur with both of those. MDYLM is a picture book and it's both sweet and well illustrated.
MW-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Persuasion is a close 2nd. Again, I like both of these.
BU-Host by Stephanie Meyer.Only one of hers I like anymore.
CR- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engel. Excellent book.
SS- The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett. But she has a ton more favorites. None of which I've read :'(.
CG- The Last Song by Nicholas Spark. I haven't read this.
AA- Dante's Inferno. Haven't read this either.
CP- John Dies at the End by David Wong. Nope.
LU-anything by Sara Dessen. Haven't read anything by her. Oh, dear.
KP-The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Read both.
More coming soon... in theory... If you read this then message me your favorite book... And if you're wondering why J.H.'s book isn't up here it''s because I keep forgetting to ask him. Also, BU is the same as the aforementioned RU. I changed my mind, ok?
Sunday, December 05, 2010
A List
- Just wanted to take a break and say that I changed the settings so anyone can comment anonymously now.
- I can't get stats or design to work on my laptop and it's annoying. If you have any idea why this is, lemme know. JH thinks I haven't updated firefox. Stats works fine on Explorer so that's probably it. Design is weird though. : P
- One of these days I should actually post a post to my facebook wall.
- I should be writing pages 10 and 11 of my Economics of Communism paper right now.
- I will eventaully finish Flowers for Algernon. I'm annoyed with myself about that but since I should really be reading a fairy tale book for Kiddie Lit, I really can't do anything about it.
- So... I think I'm going to start asking my friends for the names of their fav books and make a list. Just cuz I don't have time to do anything more elaborate. I seriously thought of that two seconds before I wrote the sentence.
- I write too much. And by that I mean; I talk too much.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Well, I read this book over break because I forgot Flowers for Algernon at school. It was interesting to see how this book was both similar and different to her first one and I think I liked this one.
Basically, Cashore made up her own new world that's not quite as terrifying as Funke's but still scary. There are random people in these world with deadly unnatural talents and these people are usually either evil or unusually good, in my opinion. The story is creative and it was an enjoyable read. I identified with the characters for the most part and was not half annoyed with Fire as I would be with a real person who tried to shut out the world because they realized that everybody is going to die someday. With her, it was more understandable, I suppose. It was a pretty good read. I kinda saw the twist coming but that was because of foreshadowing not predicatbility.
Criticism: To start out, the things I am complaining about are not necessarily a major part of the book. They are just things i picked up on because of one reason or anthoer. I did not really appreciate the fact that every character over 15 broke the 6th commandment or the attitude that surrounded this. I mean, really. Not necessary. Also, Fire and the main character of Graceling both went through the books being feared by everyone except the guy you knew they were going to fall in love with. My computer just deleted everything I typed after this so I can't remember what else I had. Uh... Oh, I went on a rant about recycling characters! Alright, so she killed off her evil king bad guy in the last book but then went back and reused him in this book. Honestly, if you, nonexistant reader, ever write a book please do not do this unless your book is going back and focusing on this evil character. If he is just randomly there messing with things in the background, it is just lazy. Thank you. I'm done now.
Rating: Pretty good.
You read? meh
Read again? Mehbe.
Age level? Young adult.
Basically, Cashore made up her own new world that's not quite as terrifying as Funke's but still scary. There are random people in these world with deadly unnatural talents and these people are usually either evil or unusually good, in my opinion. The story is creative and it was an enjoyable read. I identified with the characters for the most part and was not half annoyed with Fire as I would be with a real person who tried to shut out the world because they realized that everybody is going to die someday. With her, it was more understandable, I suppose. It was a pretty good read. I kinda saw the twist coming but that was because of foreshadowing not predicatbility.
Criticism: To start out, the things I am complaining about are not necessarily a major part of the book. They are just things i picked up on because of one reason or anthoer. I did not really appreciate the fact that every character over 15 broke the 6th commandment or the attitude that surrounded this. I mean, really. Not necessary. Also, Fire and the main character of Graceling both went through the books being feared by everyone except the guy you knew they were going to fall in love with. My computer just deleted everything I typed after this so I can't remember what else I had. Uh... Oh, I went on a rant about recycling characters! Alright, so she killed off her evil king bad guy in the last book but then went back and reused him in this book. Honestly, if you, nonexistant reader, ever write a book please do not do this unless your book is going back and focusing on this evil character. If he is just randomly there messing with things in the background, it is just lazy. Thank you. I'm done now.
Rating: Pretty good.
You read? meh
Read again? Mehbe.
Age level? Young adult.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
I am a
horrible person. I read the 7th Harry Potter book for the fourth time instead of Flowers for Algernon. Please forgive me, oh faithful nonexistent readers of my blog. I will finish it and write about it as soon as I finish my 11 page paper on the economics of Communism. And no, I am NOT writing a review of Harry Potter. That's just ridiculous.
Oh! And btw I cannot get the design part of this site to load so my background may be doomed to be fall leaves til the end of time. We'll see.
Oh! And btw I cannot get the design part of this site to load so my background may be doomed to be fall leaves til the end of time. We'll see.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Facebook Book List
I should be writing a paper but my head hurt so I took a break. This is from facebook. I can't get the background page to load so I decided to add a post instead. I really don't know why.
The original note: The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here. Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you've read in their entirety. Italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read only an excerpt. Tag other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma -Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Most of the Italicized I tried to read years ago. A couple I read in grade school and can't really remember. But I've read 24 of these books. Huh.
The original note: The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here. Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you've read in their entirety. Italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read only an excerpt. Tag other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma -Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Most of the Italicized I tried to read years ago. A couple I read in grade school and can't really remember. But I've read 24 of these books. Huh.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey
This is probably the fourth or fifth time I've read this book. I really like this book.
It's not exactly a mystery, more of a crime adventure novel. From the beginning you know that one of the main characters is a liar and is attempting to cheat his way into a dead boy's inheritance but he feels really guilty about it so you like him anyway. He mainly does it because he loves horses. It makes more sense when you read it.
This is one of those books that I shouldn't read where anybody can hear me because I end up yelling at the characters. If a book can get me to hate someone who doesn't exist it's a good book. Also, this is a book that will surprise you the first time but not one that once you know the ending there's no point in reading it. That's usually the case with Tey's books.
Criticism: The ending could possibly be considered a bit contrived. Not going to go into it though. There was a lot of jargon about horses that I did not have a clue about even though when I was younger I loved horses and learned everything I could about them. Although, really, that didn't matter as much as I just made it sound. Aaaand... anything else I would go into would be a spoiler alert. Except that I'm tired of her throwing in main characters of her other books in randomly. But since they are well respected investigators or whatever it does make sense for the non police characters to go to them for advice.
Rating: Meh. I think I'll throw out another Holy Cow!! Well, great to Holy Cow.
Read again? And again and again and again.
You read? Yes. And The Franchise Affair. If you like history, read The Daughter of Time.
Age; Teen, Young Adult
It's not exactly a mystery, more of a crime adventure novel. From the beginning you know that one of the main characters is a liar and is attempting to cheat his way into a dead boy's inheritance but he feels really guilty about it so you like him anyway. He mainly does it because he loves horses. It makes more sense when you read it.
This is one of those books that I shouldn't read where anybody can hear me because I end up yelling at the characters. If a book can get me to hate someone who doesn't exist it's a good book. Also, this is a book that will surprise you the first time but not one that once you know the ending there's no point in reading it. That's usually the case with Tey's books.
Criticism: The ending could possibly be considered a bit contrived. Not going to go into it though. There was a lot of jargon about horses that I did not have a clue about even though when I was younger I loved horses and learned everything I could about them. Although, really, that didn't matter as much as I just made it sound. Aaaand... anything else I would go into would be a spoiler alert. Except that I'm tired of her throwing in main characters of her other books in randomly. But since they are well respected investigators or whatever it does make sense for the non police characters to go to them for advice.
Rating: Meh. I think I'll throw out another Holy Cow!! Well, great to Holy Cow.
Read again? And again and again and again.
You read? Yes. And The Franchise Affair. If you like history, read The Daughter of Time.
Age; Teen, Young Adult
Monday, November 08, 2010
Russia... What?
I just looked at my stats and, while there is a lot I do not quite understand, I am wondering who in Alaska and Russia are reading my blog. It's cool and all, but I don't know anyone living there currently. It's probably Google. I love Google.
But you know what? If you have come here more than once then you should follow me. Just create a blogger.com account and follow me. Please? I'd like to have more than one follower. Not that it really matters but I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from... Unless you speak Russian and not English... Um...
Последующие моем блоге! Почему? Потому что я удивительный! И да я использовал Google Translate для этого, и именно поэтому это не имеет смысла.
But you know what? If you have come here more than once then you should follow me. Just create a blogger.com account and follow me. Please? I'd like to have more than one follower. Not that it really matters but I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from... Unless you speak Russian and not English... Um...
Последующие моем блоге! Почему? Потому что я удивительный! И да я использовал Google Translate для этого, и именно поэтому это не имеет смысла.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
First off, this is another Kiddie Lit book. And this time, I did not mind so much that I was reading a book meant for grade schoolers.
This book is basically a compilation of Chinese myths and legends into one long story. It was interesting. It was educational. It was inspiring. Basically, it moralistic story about how to achieve happiness but it was a good read. It made me laugh.
Criticism: I have nothing really to add about the book itself. I just want to complain about what it said on the cover about this book following the tradition of 'The Wizard of Oz'. I've read 'The Wizard of Oz'. It is nothing like this book. At all. This book is based on a culture's traditions. Oz was made up randomly by that one guy. The other problem I have is that the cover fulfilled one of my two pet peeves about book covers. It gave away part of the ending. Half the point of the book is that the dragon can't fly and what is he doing on the cover? Flying! I mean really!
(The other pet peeve is when the cover makes no sense with the book. Example; the version of Out of the Silent Planet that I read had a guy in a space suit even though Lewis never had his characters use them. And the planet the spaceship and man were on looked nothing like Malacandra could possibly have..
Random comment: I loooooooved the pictures in this book. They were really pretty :)
Rating: Good to very good.
Read again? Maybe. Probably.
You read? Sure.
Age level: Pre-teen but a bit long.
This book is basically a compilation of Chinese myths and legends into one long story. It was interesting. It was educational. It was inspiring. Basically, it moralistic story about how to achieve happiness but it was a good read. It made me laugh.
Criticism: I have nothing really to add about the book itself. I just want to complain about what it said on the cover about this book following the tradition of 'The Wizard of Oz'. I've read 'The Wizard of Oz'. It is nothing like this book. At all. This book is based on a culture's traditions. Oz was made up randomly by that one guy. The other problem I have is that the cover fulfilled one of my two pet peeves about book covers. It gave away part of the ending. Half the point of the book is that the dragon can't fly and what is he doing on the cover? Flying! I mean really!
(The other pet peeve is when the cover makes no sense with the book. Example; the version of Out of the Silent Planet that I read had a guy in a space suit even though Lewis never had his characters use them. And the planet the spaceship and man were on looked nothing like Malacandra could possibly have..
Random comment: I loooooooved the pictures in this book. They were really pretty :)
Rating: Good to very good.
Read again? Maybe. Probably.
You read? Sure.
Age level: Pre-teen but a bit long.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo
Hurray for another Kiddie Lit book! Let's see, where should I start?
So my teacher pegged this one as a biography. Or maybe it's a memoir because those are fictional. And this book is completely fiction except for the basic outline. Strangely, I have no problem with this because the author really had no choice. Iqbal was a real person who... couldn't be interviewed. Um... So the author wrote about what he thought Iqbal's life would be like from the eyes of a girl around his age.
This book focuses on child labor/slavery/bond labor in Pakistan. Iqbal was a slave, not exactly but basically, and Fatima, the main character, was as well. Iqbal gives them hope and then he frees them and then he helps free other children and it's very uplifting and then I don't want to completely give away what happens. One last thing; this is actually a pretty non-graphic book considering its subject matter.
Criticisms: This is just my personal opinion--which is a dumb thing to say on a blog--but I think that authors need to be very careful when writing through the eyes of a main character who is the opposite gender. I started reading and the voice made me think the main character was a boy. I have nothing more bad to say. That I can think of. Right now. Honestly, I forgot about my blog and already gave it back to the library.
Rating: Pretty good.
Read again? Probably not but only because of the intended age group.
You read? If you want to. :) I'm really not passionate about it and there are other books you could find that would be better. But it wasn't bad.
So my teacher pegged this one as a biography. Or maybe it's a memoir because those are fictional. And this book is completely fiction except for the basic outline. Strangely, I have no problem with this because the author really had no choice. Iqbal was a real person who... couldn't be interviewed. Um... So the author wrote about what he thought Iqbal's life would be like from the eyes of a girl around his age.
This book focuses on child labor/slavery/bond labor in Pakistan. Iqbal was a slave, not exactly but basically, and Fatima, the main character, was as well. Iqbal gives them hope and then he frees them and then he helps free other children and it's very uplifting and then I don't want to completely give away what happens. One last thing; this is actually a pretty non-graphic book considering its subject matter.
Criticisms: This is just my personal opinion--which is a dumb thing to say on a blog--but I think that authors need to be very careful when writing through the eyes of a main character who is the opposite gender. I started reading and the voice made me think the main character was a boy. I have nothing more bad to say. That I can think of. Right now. Honestly, I forgot about my blog and already gave it back to the library.
Rating: Pretty good.
Read again? Probably not but only because of the intended age group.
You read? If you want to. :) I'm really not passionate about it and there are other books you could find that would be better. But it wasn't bad.
Monday, November 01, 2010
The Island by Gary Paulsen
I had a bit of trouble getting through this book because it is about a boy who spends a lot of time on an island looking at nature and I kept wanting to go do it myself instead of reading about him doing it. It's basically a story about a boy trying to find out more about himself and the world around him through an island. That's actually all I really have to say.
This isn't like the books I normally read. Not much really happens, but at the same time a lot of stuff happens? Honestly, it's more of a thinking book than an adventure book. Does that make sense? There's a little section before each chapter that has some sort of profound story and lesson that the main character had learned in the past. Explaining this book would negate reading it. I don't know; I think it was pretty good but it's not one of those books you have to read. I never read those for one thing.
I think I need to get other people's opinions on this one... but I think only one person I know might have read this book.
I have no criticisms. Yes, this is really me. I know it's scary, but this was a pretty decent book.
Rating: Good.
Read again? Probably not but it's possible. Actually, yes; I'll probably like it better the second time.
You read?Yes.
This isn't like the books I normally read. Not much really happens, but at the same time a lot of stuff happens? Honestly, it's more of a thinking book than an adventure book. Does that make sense? There's a little section before each chapter that has some sort of profound story and lesson that the main character had learned in the past. Explaining this book would negate reading it. I don't know; I think it was pretty good but it's not one of those books you have to read. I never read those for one thing.
I think I need to get other people's opinions on this one... but I think only one person I know might have read this book.
I have no criticisms. Yes, this is really me. I know it's scary, but this was a pretty decent book.
Rating: Good.
Read again? Probably not but it's possible. Actually, yes; I'll probably like it better the second time.
You read?Yes.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Coming Soon to A Blog... yeah, nevermind
My next book is going to be either Island by Gary Paulson or another Kiddie Lit book, probably Iqbal. Keep sending your comments and let me know what you think of books or what books you might want me to look at if you don't have much time.
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
First of all, I think Reckless would be a cool last name. So would Funke, come to think of it. Hmmm.
Second of all, Cornelia is one of the most successful authors I've found in the area of not romanticizing her characters; they actually have understandable faults. Yes, these faults are eventually overcome by the love they have for their family, friends, whatever, but they have faults and their faults don't magically disappear after a crisis.
This was one of those books that I wanted to keep reading and ended up postponing homework to do so. The ending was reasonable even if I hate it when movies and authors set up for a sequel instead of just tieing things off. I'll be fine as soon as her sequel does come out. She wasn't as predictable as she could have been but I have a feeling what I thought would happen is going to happen in the next book.
The main thing I like about Funke is... well, she has a cool last name... but the main thing about her writing is that she really paints a good picture of what's going on. She captures your imagination and she keeps you with her throughout the book. Yeah, this was a pretty good book.
Criticisms: (Yes, I changed the title again. I really don't know what I want to call this section of trying to balance out my entry between good and bad.) Funke's imaginary worlds have a common theme; they are incredibly terrifying but still beautiful. As in, if you go there you will risk death with every step but you still won't want to go home. This keeps happening to her characters. Also, quick hint, this book is a tiny tiny bit more adult than her last couple but not so much that an unaware person would notice. Honestly, I put these hints and comments about swearing, etc. in because I feel guilty if I don't warn people... and my mom reads this blog. Oh, another things Funke keeps repeating; she is one of those authors who cannot let someone just stay dead. Seriously; it's ok to kill off a character, mourn them, and move on. Oh, well, she's not nearly as bad as R.A. Salvatore.
Rating: Good to great. Wait, is there a very good on my scale? W/e, read it.
Read again? Yes.
You read? Yes.
Age Level: Young adult.
New Temporary Section!!! Where'd I get this book from? My mom gave it to me because I'm a fan of Funke. :)
Hey! I just remembered what I was going to do after I sent that email; I was gonna go to bed! I was gonna write a paragraph and finish this tomorrow! I wonder if there's a Bloggers Anonymous. Probably. Besides which, I'm much more likely to need Pretzel M&Ms anonymous. Those things are seriously addicting. I'm tired.
Second of all, Cornelia is one of the most successful authors I've found in the area of not romanticizing her characters; they actually have understandable faults. Yes, these faults are eventually overcome by the love they have for their family, friends, whatever, but they have faults and their faults don't magically disappear after a crisis.
This was one of those books that I wanted to keep reading and ended up postponing homework to do so. The ending was reasonable even if I hate it when movies and authors set up for a sequel instead of just tieing things off. I'll be fine as soon as her sequel does come out. She wasn't as predictable as she could have been but I have a feeling what I thought would happen is going to happen in the next book.
The main thing I like about Funke is... well, she has a cool last name... but the main thing about her writing is that she really paints a good picture of what's going on. She captures your imagination and she keeps you with her throughout the book. Yeah, this was a pretty good book.
Criticisms: (Yes, I changed the title again. I really don't know what I want to call this section of trying to balance out my entry between good and bad.) Funke's imaginary worlds have a common theme; they are incredibly terrifying but still beautiful. As in, if you go there you will risk death with every step but you still won't want to go home. This keeps happening to her characters. Also, quick hint, this book is a tiny tiny bit more adult than her last couple but not so much that an unaware person would notice. Honestly, I put these hints and comments about swearing, etc. in because I feel guilty if I don't warn people... and my mom reads this blog. Oh, another things Funke keeps repeating; she is one of those authors who cannot let someone just stay dead. Seriously; it's ok to kill off a character, mourn them, and move on. Oh, well, she's not nearly as bad as R.A. Salvatore.
Rating: Good to great. Wait, is there a very good on my scale? W/e, read it.
Read again? Yes.
You read? Yes.
Age Level: Young adult.
New Temporary Section!!! Where'd I get this book from? My mom gave it to me because I'm a fan of Funke. :)
Hey! I just remembered what I was going to do after I sent that email; I was gonna go to bed! I was gonna write a paragraph and finish this tomorrow! I wonder if there's a Bloggers Anonymous. Probably. Besides which, I'm much more likely to need Pretzel M&Ms anonymous. Those things are seriously addicting. I'm tired.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Honestly, I do not understand how this book did not make me cry. I guess I wasn't tired enough.
This book was... well, not indescribable. It was very good in my opinion but it's definitely not a book that everyone is going to like. I strangely appreciated the fact that the author did tell you that certain people were going to die because I do have a slight tendency to get frustrated and look at the ending of books this long.
I think this book did a good job explaining the horrors of WWII even though it didn't go too far into the concentration camps. I say think because I wasn't there and I can't know.The book also deals with other issues of growing up but I'm tired of talking about that and it's not important anyway.
I really don't know what else to say about this book; I like it, read it and decide for yourself.
Potential Bad Things: (I have been uneasy about the title 'Bad Things' because usually I just write what people might not like so from now on I'll have clarifying words that will take away any real meaning from what I am saying.) There is a lot of swearing. Most of it, however, is German and didn't really bother me. The book is narrated by Death which is why my mom didn't read it but I think the author did a good job of taking away any possible creepiness or controversial. Well, I suppose for someone else it might be... I don't know. Also, lots of characters die. It's a war. Also, the book is narrated by Death and he only sees what happens when people die so... Yeah, people die.
Rating: For me, Holy Cow. For others, maybe, Burn It which is ironic (or something people think is ironic) because one of the books she steals she snatches from a bonfire.
Read again: some day.
You read: if swearing, Death, and lots of death don't bother you, then yes.
This book was... well, not indescribable. It was very good in my opinion but it's definitely not a book that everyone is going to like. I strangely appreciated the fact that the author did tell you that certain people were going to die because I do have a slight tendency to get frustrated and look at the ending of books this long.
I think this book did a good job explaining the horrors of WWII even though it didn't go too far into the concentration camps. I say think because I wasn't there and I can't know.The book also deals with other issues of growing up but I'm tired of talking about that and it's not important anyway.
I really don't know what else to say about this book; I like it, read it and decide for yourself.
Potential Bad Things: (I have been uneasy about the title 'Bad Things' because usually I just write what people might not like so from now on I'll have clarifying words that will take away any real meaning from what I am saying.) There is a lot of swearing. Most of it, however, is German and didn't really bother me. The book is narrated by Death which is why my mom didn't read it but I think the author did a good job of taking away any possible creepiness or controversial. Well, I suppose for someone else it might be... I don't know. Also, lots of characters die. It's a war. Also, the book is narrated by Death and he only sees what happens when people die so... Yeah, people die.
Rating: For me, Holy Cow. For others, maybe, Burn It which is ironic (or something people think is ironic) because one of the books she steals she snatches from a bonfire.
Read again: some day.
You read: if swearing, Death, and lots of death don't bother you, then yes.
Yet Another Quick Note
In reference to what I said or didn't say about 'The Earth, My Butt...' and adults writing about growing up I have soemthing to add. If you want to read a good book about growing up read 'Up a Road Slowly' by Irene Hunt. This book is about a girl who is raised by her Aunt after her mother dies. Yes, it is from a while ago and isn't exactly the same as today but her emotions and whatnot are realistic. The main character has to deal with adn talks about the cruelty of children to one another, the difference between making sacrifices for someone you love adn being a doormat, alcholism, having a stepmother, her older sister having a baby and feeling replaced, I am going to ruin the story if I go on. But you should read this book. Have a nice day. :)
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
This is another Kiddie Lit book and, while I'm getting tired of reading children's books, it was a pretty good read. The book doesn't talk about racism until almost the end and it seems like the second half of the book has a completely different setting, plot, and point from the first half. What I mean is, everything gets a lot more serious and the main character has to deal with some things he is definitely not ready for. But everything turns out alright in the end. The back cover summed it up well, I think, when it said that the books starts out with the typical family in the Midwest and then turns serious as the parents' decision to take a vacation in the south "immerses" the family in the racial tension. The only problem I have with that is that there was only one event that showed the racial tension and the main character really did not understand that at all; it only really mentioned why the church bombing happened in passing, as far as I remember.
This was Curtis' first novel, according to the back cover, and I think it was pretty good. I haven't read 'Bud, Not Buddy' so I can't say if it was better or worse but if it's like this book it must be worth reading. It seemed like what a boy of the main character's age would think and write and react so I was happy with that.
Bad things: There was one part, about the Wool Pooh that I wasn't quite sure I understood. Kenny, the main character, says he sees something and it's not clear if his eyes are playing tricks on him, he's hallucinating out of terror, or there really is someone there. But that was probably just me trying to get a book done before I went to our concert.
Rating: Good.
Read again? Maybe.
You read? Sure.
This was Curtis' first novel, according to the back cover, and I think it was pretty good. I haven't read 'Bud, Not Buddy' so I can't say if it was better or worse but if it's like this book it must be worth reading. It seemed like what a boy of the main character's age would think and write and react so I was happy with that.
Bad things: There was one part, about the Wool Pooh that I wasn't quite sure I understood. Kenny, the main character, says he sees something and it's not clear if his eyes are playing tricks on him, he's hallucinating out of terror, or there really is someone there. But that was probably just me trying to get a book done before I went to our concert.
Rating: Good.
Read again? Maybe.
You read? Sure.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight
This is the sequel to Homecoming and a Newbery winner. I read it for my Children's Literature class and I actually liked this one. It's a story about Dicey, the eldest of four children who's mother has gone insane, and the changes in her life as they are raised by the grandmother they didn't know existed. As a future teacher I was interested by this book because it talked about learning to read and how different people need different approaches; this doesn't mean that they are stupid. It also spoke about making assumptions about your students and so forth from the student's point of view.
It was a coming of age story but a good one. The author wasn't just guessing and throwing around stereotypes but still dealt with bullying, fighting, being more or less intelligent then peers, and so on. It gave me a lot to think about. Also it made me laugh and want to cry so there's also that.
Possibly bad things: Dicey is very blunt. She mentions parts of growing up but that's not really that big a deal as long as the kids reading this book know about them already. Also, it drove me crazy when Maybeth did not understand fractions and no one used musical notes to explain it to her; this is a byproduct of spending a lot of time thinking about teaching.
Rating:Anywhere from ok to Great depending on why you're reading it.
Read again? Maybe. After a couple years if I do.
You read? Yes.
Others' Comments: This was another Kiddie Lit book and there was a group discussion between those of us who had read it. My teacher was in our group because of odd numbers and her opinion was that she liked this book the first time she read it but not the second. She thinks that it is outdated; for example, Dicey's situation would have been taken care of by Social Workers before she ever had to make the journey with her siblings. I agree adn disagree. Yes the exact situation is outdated, but there are probably still situations in which children are taking care of everything because from teh outside everything looks ok. Not to mention the whole idea of children dealing with mentally ill parents. Then there is the fact that I can apparently relate to anything I read no matter how random or unrealistic it is.
It was a coming of age story but a good one. The author wasn't just guessing and throwing around stereotypes but still dealt with bullying, fighting, being more or less intelligent then peers, and so on. It gave me a lot to think about. Also it made me laugh and want to cry so there's also that.
Possibly bad things: Dicey is very blunt. She mentions parts of growing up but that's not really that big a deal as long as the kids reading this book know about them already. Also, it drove me crazy when Maybeth did not understand fractions and no one used musical notes to explain it to her; this is a byproduct of spending a lot of time thinking about teaching.
Rating:Anywhere from ok to Great depending on why you're reading it.
Read again? Maybe. After a couple years if I do.
You read? Yes.
Others' Comments: This was another Kiddie Lit book and there was a group discussion between those of us who had read it. My teacher was in our group because of odd numbers and her opinion was that she liked this book the first time she read it but not the second. She thinks that it is outdated; for example, Dicey's situation would have been taken care of by Social Workers before she ever had to make the journey with her siblings. I agree adn disagree. Yes the exact situation is outdated, but there are probably still situations in which children are taking care of everything because from teh outside everything looks ok. Not to mention the whole idea of children dealing with mentally ill parents. Then there is the fact that I can apparently relate to anything I read no matter how random or unrealistic it is.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
This is another book I read a while ago. I'd seen the movie years ago and I read the book about a year to two years ago. I don't remember much but I like the movie enough to write about it anyway.
I have to be really careful about this one; it's basically a mystery so any hint will ruin it. Well, not ruin it but you won't have the fun of experiencing the apprehension and confusion and suspense yourself. This book is told in an unusual way; it is written as though the story happened in the past and those who were there wrote down their statements as to what took place. The first chapters are written by the head servant who loves Robinson Crusoe and makes you laugh. Then there is a cousin who annoys everybody but you get her point of view and she's funny too. Then there's the dying doctor who everybody hates for basically no reason at all and he makes you sad. And so on and so on. I'm slightly ashamed that I can't remember any one of the character's names right now but oh well.
Bad stuff: Ah... I can't remember. It's not the easiest book to read, but I think I liked it better than The Woman in White.
Rating: Good.
Read again? Eventually yes.
You read? Yes. And watch the movie. Maybe even watch the movie first; it's a bit easier to understand.
I have to be really careful about this one; it's basically a mystery so any hint will ruin it. Well, not ruin it but you won't have the fun of experiencing the apprehension and confusion and suspense yourself. This book is told in an unusual way; it is written as though the story happened in the past and those who were there wrote down their statements as to what took place. The first chapters are written by the head servant who loves Robinson Crusoe and makes you laugh. Then there is a cousin who annoys everybody but you get her point of view and she's funny too. Then there's the dying doctor who everybody hates for basically no reason at all and he makes you sad. And so on and so on. I'm slightly ashamed that I can't remember any one of the character's names right now but oh well.
Bad stuff: Ah... I can't remember. It's not the easiest book to read, but I think I liked it better than The Woman in White.
Rating: Good.
Read again? Eventually yes.
You read? Yes. And watch the movie. Maybe even watch the movie first; it's a bit easier to understand.
I, Keturah by Ruth Wolff
I haven't had enough time to read another book what with school and work and my attempts to run cross country so I'm going to write about a book I read this summer. I did list it on my favorites but then I remembered some things and I decided I should write more comments.
'I, Keturah' became one of my favorite books approximately a quarter through the book. It's about an orphan and her quest/desire to become a "lady". Keturah is about 15 at the beginning of the book and around 20, I think, at the end. As a teacher in training I enjoyed this book because of her attitude toward children; there are some real brats she has to deal with, there's an invalid three year old girl who is practically ignored by everyone, etc. As a reader I loved this book because it made me laugh and cry and, while it had romance, it did not make finding true love the whole point of the book. On the other hand, she didn't pull a Jane Austen and sum up the success of the romantic relationship in a neat little paragraph.
I felt what the main character felt. I was enough engrossed in the story that I didn't start elaborating on my guesses. I need to get my own copy of this book.
Potential Bad Stuff: There are references to abortion and sex but it's not so much that a younger reader would even catch it. A friend of the main character was pregnant at about fourteen and talks about how she jumped off a step. Also, there is a crazy woman and a really depressing story tied in with the sick little girl. I don't know that this is the best book for anyone under high school, but parents this is a good enough book that you should read it yourself and decide. Wait, parents? Who am I talking to?
Rating: Great to Holy Cow!!!
Read Again? Yes; hence the fact that I said I want my own copy.
You read? Let me think about it... Um, n--YES!!!
'I, Keturah' became one of my favorite books approximately a quarter through the book. It's about an orphan and her quest/desire to become a "lady". Keturah is about 15 at the beginning of the book and around 20, I think, at the end. As a teacher in training I enjoyed this book because of her attitude toward children; there are some real brats she has to deal with, there's an invalid three year old girl who is practically ignored by everyone, etc. As a reader I loved this book because it made me laugh and cry and, while it had romance, it did not make finding true love the whole point of the book. On the other hand, she didn't pull a Jane Austen and sum up the success of the romantic relationship in a neat little paragraph.
I felt what the main character felt. I was enough engrossed in the story that I didn't start elaborating on my guesses. I need to get my own copy of this book.
Potential Bad Stuff: There are references to abortion and sex but it's not so much that a younger reader would even catch it. A friend of the main character was pregnant at about fourteen and talks about how she jumped off a step. Also, there is a crazy woman and a really depressing story tied in with the sick little girl. I don't know that this is the best book for anyone under high school, but parents this is a good enough book that you should read it yourself and decide. Wait, parents? Who am I talking to?
Rating: Great to Holy Cow!!!
Read Again? Yes; hence the fact that I said I want my own copy.
You read? Let me think about it... Um, n--YES!!!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
I liked this book. The character descriptions were good. The scenery depiction was excellent. The toad was cool. Yeah, this is a good book. The ending was sad but it made sense which is becoming more and more important to me *cough cough, Messenger, cough*. It wasn't as predictable as it could have been but I did catch the foreshadow. Maybe I'll add more later.
Bad stuff: I need to stop reading books meant for children. They end too soon. This is the third time in a week I've read a book and thought; 'That probably could have been drawn out for about ten more chapters.' Basically if you can sum up the entire plot on the back cover it's too short. You know, I have a lot more fun writing about books I didn't like.
Rating: Great.
Read again? Maybe.
Should you read? Yes.
Bad stuff: I need to stop reading books meant for children. They end too soon. This is the third time in a week I've read a book and thought; 'That probably could have been drawn out for about ten more chapters.' Basically if you can sum up the entire plot on the back cover it's too short. You know, I have a lot more fun writing about books I didn't like.
Rating: Great.
Read again? Maybe.
Should you read? Yes.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Macker
Don't read this book. There are better uses of your time. Yes, it's all 'how teenagers really feel' but honestly I'd suggest listening to the song "I'm Still Here" by either GooGoo Dolls or Knights Bridge instead. Adults writing about teenage 'angst' is rarely going to turn out right.
Messenger by Lois Lowry
Oct 14: I think this entry will only make sense if you've read the book. Sorry.
Oct 3: I continue my quest to make this blog entry easier to follow. It's a bit more difficult than I thought it would be.
I don't understand how this book could possibly be considered a successful conclusion to The Giver and Gathering Blue. Lowry went from having the slight impossibility of passing on memories of past generations to people having special magical talents and inanimate objects telling them if a situation is ok or not.I was fine with this because the two books weren't necessarily set in the same world... Here's the thing: in Messenger she completely lost her mind!!
I'm sorry; I really really don't understand how you go from "I can give you my memory" to "AAAAH!!! THE FOREST IS ALIVE AND IT DOESN'T WANT ME TO WALK THROUGH IT!!!" I'm not making this up!... well I am paraphrasing. I'm a bit upset about this apparently. I thought waiting until the next day to write about the book would let me calm down. Guess not.
So I hated the ending of the book. But I already said I wouldn't be spoiler which is turning out to be more difficult then I originally realized. Well, here's a partial spoiler alert: Hmmm... let me just say that if a character falls in love within the first 1/2 of the book he's dead by the end. If he says after 1/2 way through the book in a distracted way that a girl is pretty then the two are meant to be; yes, Kira(Gathering Blue main character) and Jonah(The Giver main character) end up together as far as I can tell. How contrived can you get? And how did "I can see color and no one else can" turn in to "I can see far away but, wait for it, THE FOREST IS ANGRY AND IT DOESN'T WANT ME TO SEE!!!" And then there was the whole trade/market thing that really wasn't explained at all. I mean, this book had one of the worst endings I've ever encountered; nothing was tied together. Matty just "healed the earth" and made everything magically better. That is not what I consider "the main character solves his own problems!" That's a case of the author wanted to end the book so she gave the main character a vision of everything being better and then killed him and had other people reflect on how he had magically made everything better. I mean, come on! I think I just quoted one of my profs.
Good stuff: um... Shoot. I think I laughed. It wasn't inappropriate. (I hate saying something wasn't something so the fact that I did say it says something.<--here we see the worst sentence in the history of humankind.) Lowry is a good writer; I think she just, I don't know, tried too hard? The story wasn't difficult to read and though I did throw the book when I was done, I didn't throw it that hard.
My friend just sent me a message saying she didn't understand this review. Well, I didn't understand the book. But I'll work on clarifying this if people let me know what exactly doesn't make sense.
Rating: Ok.
Read again: Haha no.
You read: I guess.
Other's comments: J.H. completely agreed with me and didn't see my blog or hear my opinion first. However he said what I said in a much more understandable/professional way: He thought that Lowry was playing off the popularity of the other books. He said that the ending felt rushed and was not a good example for kids. She went way overboard on superstition and had more of a magical influence on the story than her previous plots. This is paraphrase; if JH goes on and sees this he can leave his own comment and I'll delete this.
Oct 3: I continue my quest to make this blog entry easier to follow. It's a bit more difficult than I thought it would be.
I don't understand how this book could possibly be considered a successful conclusion to The Giver and Gathering Blue. Lowry went from having the slight impossibility of passing on memories of past generations to people having special magical talents and inanimate objects telling them if a situation is ok or not.I was fine with this because the two books weren't necessarily set in the same world... Here's the thing: in Messenger she completely lost her mind!!
I'm sorry; I really really don't understand how you go from "I can give you my memory" to "AAAAH!!! THE FOREST IS ALIVE AND IT DOESN'T WANT ME TO WALK THROUGH IT!!!" I'm not making this up!... well I am paraphrasing. I'm a bit upset about this apparently. I thought waiting until the next day to write about the book would let me calm down. Guess not.
So I hated the ending of the book. But I already said I wouldn't be spoiler which is turning out to be more difficult then I originally realized. Well, here's a partial spoiler alert: Hmmm... let me just say that if a character falls in love within the first 1/2 of the book he's dead by the end. If he says after 1/2 way through the book in a distracted way that a girl is pretty then the two are meant to be; yes, Kira(Gathering Blue main character) and Jonah(The Giver main character) end up together as far as I can tell. How contrived can you get? And how did "I can see color and no one else can" turn in to "I can see far away but, wait for it, THE FOREST IS ANGRY AND IT DOESN'T WANT ME TO SEE!!!" And then there was the whole trade/market thing that really wasn't explained at all. I mean, this book had one of the worst endings I've ever encountered; nothing was tied together. Matty just "healed the earth" and made everything magically better. That is not what I consider "the main character solves his own problems!" That's a case of the author wanted to end the book so she gave the main character a vision of everything being better and then killed him and had other people reflect on how he had magically made everything better. I mean, come on! I think I just quoted one of my profs.
Good stuff: um... Shoot. I think I laughed. It wasn't inappropriate. (I hate saying something wasn't something so the fact that I did say it says something.<--here we see the worst sentence in the history of humankind.) Lowry is a good writer; I think she just, I don't know, tried too hard? The story wasn't difficult to read and though I did throw the book when I was done, I didn't throw it that hard.
My friend just sent me a message saying she didn't understand this review. Well, I didn't understand the book. But I'll work on clarifying this if people let me know what exactly doesn't make sense.
Rating: Ok.
Read again: Haha no.
You read: I guess.
Other's comments: J.H. completely agreed with me and didn't see my blog or hear my opinion first. However he said what I said in a much more understandable/professional way: He thought that Lowry was playing off the popularity of the other books. He said that the ending felt rushed and was not a good example for kids. She went way overboard on superstition and had more of a magical influence on the story than her previous plots. This is paraphrase; if JH goes on and sees this he can leave his own comment and I'll delete this.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Note to You
Hello my one follower and other people who randomly find this blog on my fb page!
Just want to say that if you have read one of the books I review please please please comment on whether you loved/liked/disliked/hated the book and any other comments you might have. If you don't have an account just send me your comments and I will add them myself along with your initials. I want to know your opinion most likely more than you want to know mine.
Thank you,
J.M.Paustian : )
Just want to say that if you have read one of the books I review please please please comment on whether you loved/liked/disliked/hated the book and any other comments you might have. If you don't have an account just send me your comments and I will add them myself along with your initials. I want to know your opinion most likely more than you want to know mine.
Thank you,
J.M.Paustian : )
The Giver by Lois Lowry
I liked this book better than Gathering Blue but that's probably because I read The Giver originally in 8th grade and wasn't guessing ahead as to what would happen. This book was actually one that didn't feel long enough for me. I was reading and something happened and my thought was, "I thought this happened at the end of the book... Oh, this is the end of the book. Shoot." I think Lowry could have made the book longer but given the age it is meant for, it is probably best as it is.
I don't want to have a good/bad stuff section for this one. There was not anything overtly bad, there wasn't anything good that I didn't mention for Gathering Blue. But I really liked the Giver and next I'm going to read Lowry's sequel to the both of them (I think): The Messenger. After that is either 'The Earth, My Butt and other Big Round Things(it's a controversial book for my Kiddie Lit class) or Brat Farrar(which I started two weeks ago and haven't touched since).
Rating: Great.
Read again? I just did.
Should you read? I would hope you already have; if not, then yes.
Other's comments: H.L. says- She hated The Giver because it was too "sterile". We both agreed the part in which his parents talk about how love is too general but they "enjoy his company" drove us crazy. She understood that this was basically teh point of the book but she still hated it. I think her words were basically it "made her skin crawl". Then again, she thought the 7th Harry Potter movie was too dark.
(Nobody I know has a blog account so I'm putting their comments up for them.)
I don't want to have a good/bad stuff section for this one. There was not anything overtly bad, there wasn't anything good that I didn't mention for Gathering Blue. But I really liked the Giver and next I'm going to read Lowry's sequel to the both of them (I think): The Messenger. After that is either 'The Earth, My Butt and other Big Round Things(it's a controversial book for my Kiddie Lit class) or Brat Farrar(which I started two weeks ago and haven't touched since).
Rating: Great.
Read again? I just did.
Should you read? I would hope you already have; if not, then yes.
Other's comments: H.L. says- She hated The Giver because it was too "sterile". We both agreed the part in which his parents talk about how love is too general but they "enjoy his company" drove us crazy. She understood that this was basically teh point of the book but she still hated it. I think her words were basically it "made her skin crawl". Then again, she thought the 7th Harry Potter movie was too dark.
(Nobody I know has a blog account so I'm putting their comments up for them.)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Background
Quick Note to follower and people who glance at my blog: I will eventually decide on a background. I just can't find one that fits and looks right and doesn't end half way through my blog. Let me know if you like a particular one; I am very good about caving in to peer pressure when I don't know what to do. :)
In addition, here's a list of classic books you should read either because they are good (gd) or because you will sound smarter if you tell people you've read them and aren't lying (sm). Sorry, I'm not adding the authors. I might do it later, but most are easy enough to look up on your own.
Jane Eyre-gd, sm, don't know why it took me so long to get through. This is a really good book.
I, Keturah-gd, this book made me want to cry, want to punch someone, want to cry, and then really happy. Read it. I command thee.
Pride and Prejudice-sm, gd, if you are female you should read this. If you are not you are most likely not reading my blog, but hey, if you really like to read this is a classic so go ahead. This applies for the rest of Austen's books.
The Count of Monte Cristo-gd, sm, although it's too long for me to want to read over, I really enjoyed the plot twists and the generation gap differences that he showed. I read this year ago but I still remember that I liked it.
Anything Agatha Christie. Just read it.
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins-gd, it's a mystery. I like the movie and the book and that barely ever happens. Just read it.
The Great Gatsby--sm, ok. You should read this. It's one of the basic books everyone should read for some reason.
I'll add more tomorrow or tonight. Meanwhile, I have stuff to do.
In addition, here's a list of classic books you should read either because they are good (gd) or because you will sound smarter if you tell people you've read them and aren't lying (sm). Sorry, I'm not adding the authors. I might do it later, but most are easy enough to look up on your own.
Jane Eyre-gd, sm, don't know why it took me so long to get through. This is a really good book.
I, Keturah-gd, this book made me want to cry, want to punch someone, want to cry, and then really happy. Read it. I command thee.
Pride and Prejudice-sm, gd, if you are female you should read this. If you are not you are most likely not reading my blog, but hey, if you really like to read this is a classic so go ahead. This applies for the rest of Austen's books.
The Count of Monte Cristo-gd, sm, although it's too long for me to want to read over, I really enjoyed the plot twists and the generation gap differences that he showed. I read this year ago but I still remember that I liked it.
Anything Agatha Christie. Just read it.
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins-gd, it's a mystery. I like the movie and the book and that barely ever happens. Just read it.
The Great Gatsby--sm, ok. You should read this. It's one of the basic books everyone should read for some reason.
I'll add more tomorrow or tonight. Meanwhile, I have stuff to do.
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
If you liked the Chronicles of Narnia; read this book.
If you like science fiction like A Wrinkle in Time: read this book.
If you enjoy books that are apparently long extended metaphors for the failings of the human race; read this book.
So I really liked this book even though I'm still a bit confused as to its purpose. The human characters were completely believable and I loved the non human characters. I have a ton of random theories about the Oyarsa and eldila that I'm not going to bother to record.
I don't understand why this isn't a classic; it probably has something to do with the lack of spacesuits (in the book--not, annoyingly enough, on the cover). This book was written around one to three years after the first man in space... so I think Lewis just made up whatever he felt like and it sounds good to me but some science people might hate it. I enjoyed the way he based all his made up creatures, plants, and landscape on the idea of what lesser gravity would do. I also laughed out loud in several places. If a book makes me laugh out loud or call people idiots, it automatically goes up one rating.
Bad stuff: not so much. I am still confused about how the book relates to what Lewis actually believed but the relation of different planets was vaguely similar to A Wrinkle in Time so those who know nothing about C.S. Lewis will probably be less interpretive of the book.
Alright, let's see...
Rating: Great. to Great!
Read again? Yes.
You read? Yes.
If you like science fiction like A Wrinkle in Time: read this book.
If you enjoy books that are apparently long extended metaphors for the failings of the human race; read this book.
So I really liked this book even though I'm still a bit confused as to its purpose. The human characters were completely believable and I loved the non human characters. I have a ton of random theories about the Oyarsa and eldila that I'm not going to bother to record.
I don't understand why this isn't a classic; it probably has something to do with the lack of spacesuits (in the book--not, annoyingly enough, on the cover). This book was written around one to three years after the first man in space... so I think Lewis just made up whatever he felt like and it sounds good to me but some science people might hate it. I enjoyed the way he based all his made up creatures, plants, and landscape on the idea of what lesser gravity would do. I also laughed out loud in several places. If a book makes me laugh out loud or call people idiots, it automatically goes up one rating.
Bad stuff: not so much. I am still confused about how the book relates to what Lewis actually believed but the relation of different planets was vaguely similar to A Wrinkle in Time so those who know nothing about C.S. Lewis will probably be less interpretive of the book.
Alright, let's see...
Rating: Great. to Great!
Read again? Yes.
You read? Yes.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Not Long Enough
I think I've finally settled on a title for my blog. This (hopefully) final one is based on a quote from C.S.Lewis. "You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." Now I really don't like tea but that's not really the point. The two former titles of my blog were really lame and I'm not even going to bother to admit to what they were.
So this quote isn't always true by which I mean there are always going to be those books that are honestly not short enough. But I know we've all read that one book that we couldn't let go of when we reached the last page: or that we cried over or immediately read over or maybe even possibly threw against the wall and then had to ran and grab in order to find out what happened. So no matter who you are or when you are reading this or how much you hate me and this blog I want you to scroll down, click leave a comment or whatever it says, and tell me this book. Now. Or later. Just do it. This means you.
Meanwhile I'm going to try to remember what that one book I threw was...
In incredibly unrelated new, you should watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUq9kJRKki8
So this quote isn't always true by which I mean there are always going to be those books that are honestly not short enough. But I know we've all read that one book that we couldn't let go of when we reached the last page: or that we cried over or immediately read over or maybe even possibly threw against the wall and then had to ran and grab in order to find out what happened. So no matter who you are or when you are reading this or how much you hate me and this blog I want you to scroll down, click leave a comment or whatever it says, and tell me this book. Now. Or later. Just do it. This means you.
Meanwhile I'm going to try to remember what that one book I threw was...
In incredibly unrelated new, you should watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUq9kJRKki8
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Let me just start out by saying that I am now distracted by wanting to know what happens next just like I was when I read The Giver in 8th grade. Apparently Lowry likes to end her books with an idea of what's coming and let the reader think about it for themselves before they can get a hold of the next one. In my case I both want to read the next one and to also get through the other 7 that J.H. gave me. Not to mention the James Harriot and Charles Dickens books my mother made me pack.
I really liked this book. Just like (I can't believe I'm saying this but just ignore it) the Hunger Games trilogy, this book depicts a future world where most civilization has been destroyed and mankind has gone way way downhill. Most of this book I found sadly realistic and what I didn't find realistic wasn't supposed to be... I think. For all I know, tomorrow I'll pick up one of my drawings and it will tell me to drive more carefully. That wouldn't make much sense not the least of which because I don't have a car. Can you say AD--so yeah I liked this book.
Bad Stuff: I don't really have anything to put here because every problem I had with this books was circumstantial. I am 20 and it's meant for 11 year olds. I have a tendency to guess ahead in books and I figured out several things way before I felt I was supposed to. Then there was some other stuff but you get the point. And by you I mean my one follower. :( Hey my first emoticon! How did it take this long?
Rating: Good to great. (I will probably never get above great now that I think about it.)
Read again? Yep.
Should you read? Yes. Read the rest of Lowry's books too.
I really liked this book. Just like (I can't believe I'm saying this but just ignore it) the Hunger Games trilogy, this book depicts a future world where most civilization has been destroyed and mankind has gone way way downhill. Most of this book I found sadly realistic and what I didn't find realistic wasn't supposed to be... I think. For all I know, tomorrow I'll pick up one of my drawings and it will tell me to drive more carefully. That wouldn't make much sense not the least of which because I don't have a car. Can you say AD--so yeah I liked this book.
Bad Stuff: I don't really have anything to put here because every problem I had with this books was circumstantial. I am 20 and it's meant for 11 year olds. I have a tendency to guess ahead in books and I figured out several things way before I felt I was supposed to. Then there was some other stuff but you get the point. And by you I mean my one follower. :( Hey my first emoticon! How did it take this long?
Rating: Good to great. (I will probably never get above great now that I think about it.)
Read again? Yep.
Should you read? Yes. Read the rest of Lowry's books too.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Favorite Authors
So I said I would list my favorite authors and then I wrote a review instead; I'm actually doing it now.
Agatha Christie, Wilkie Collins, James Herriot, Josephine Tey, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Gerald Morris, Sherwood Smith, Jane Austen, Shannon Hale, Charlotte Bronte, Edith Pattou, Suzanne Collins, Ruth Wolff.
I think that's all of them; it's all that's on my Facebook page, anyway. And everybody knows if it's not on Facebook it's not true ("sarcasm."- as my mom would say).This post is very short. But that's ok because I should be reading Economics.
Agatha Christie, Wilkie Collins, James Herriot, Josephine Tey, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Gerald Morris, Sherwood Smith, Jane Austen, Shannon Hale, Charlotte Bronte, Edith Pattou, Suzanne Collins, Ruth Wolff.
I think that's all of them; it's all that's on my Facebook page, anyway. And everybody knows if it's not on Facebook it's not true ("sarcasm."- as my mom would say).This post is very short. But that's ok because I should be reading Economics.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
It's probably dangerous to judge a book so widely considered a classic but I've always been of the opinion that if you don't like something, you don't like it and popular opinion should only be used as a guideline. Not that I didn't like it; it's just not going onto my favorites list and I'm not going to go into as much detail as I normally do.
Ok, so it's hard to appreciate a book named after a character the narrator himself "never approved of". Every character other then the narrator was selfish or an idiot or a liar and basically everyone had an affair. On the other hand, this book did a great job showing the carefree, idyllic attitude everyone claims is indicative of the roaring twenties. The ending is just slightly depressing, that's all.
Good Stuff (I will alternate between a section called good stuff or bad stuff depending on what I talk about early in the post): It wasn't too difficult of a reading. The characters were all believable. Also, the movie didn't ruin it for me and I did enjoy reading it.
Overall Rating: Ok to Pretty Good
Read this again? Probably not, but it's possible
Should you read this book? Yes. People will apparently be disappointed in you if you don't. Yes, I am referring to you, R.U.
Ok, so it's hard to appreciate a book named after a character the narrator himself "never approved of". Every character other then the narrator was selfish or an idiot or a liar and basically everyone had an affair. On the other hand, this book did a great job showing the carefree, idyllic attitude everyone claims is indicative of the roaring twenties. The ending is just slightly depressing, that's all.
Good Stuff (I will alternate between a section called good stuff or bad stuff depending on what I talk about early in the post): It wasn't too difficult of a reading. The characters were all believable. Also, the movie didn't ruin it for me and I did enjoy reading it.
Overall Rating: Ok to Pretty Good
Read this again? Probably not, but it's possible
Should you read this book? Yes. People will apparently be disappointed in you if you don't. Yes, I am referring to you, R.U.
My Plans
Looking at my first post, I said I wanted to complain about bad books but I didn't mention good books. I'll talk about those, too. The only thing is, well... I like about 90% of books I've read and other people don't always feel the same. As long as I'm not bored and it's not inappropriate and graphic I'll probably like it.
I'm going to try very very hard not to spoil books so I'll avoid plot summaries. I might start throwing in what genre they are but that's never mattered much to me and no one is even following me so then again I might not.
I'm going to try to intersperse my favorite books throughout the next few months so it doesn't turn into a LOVE THIS, LOVE THIS, LOVE THIS, just read this, hate this, LOVE THIS, LOVE THIS parade of meaningless junk. This is meant more for me to think about things more and to help me deal with the severe inconvenience of never remembering the names of books I've read. To make up for the scarcity of books on this blog (I have 1 right now) I will make my next post about all my favorite authors as this will not take nearly as much time as my favorite books.
The other thing about this blog is that I want people to give me books to read. Right now I have my mom, R.U., J.H., R.R., C.R. and other friends telling me good stuff but it'd be nice to have it written down as, once again, i don't have the best memory for book titles or authors.
Thank you and have a great day.
I'm going to try very very hard not to spoil books so I'll avoid plot summaries. I might start throwing in what genre they are but that's never mattered much to me and no one is even following me so then again I might not.
I'm going to try to intersperse my favorite books throughout the next few months so it doesn't turn into a LOVE THIS, LOVE THIS, LOVE THIS, just read this, hate this, LOVE THIS, LOVE THIS parade of meaningless junk. This is meant more for me to think about things more and to help me deal with the severe inconvenience of never remembering the names of books I've read. To make up for the scarcity of books on this blog (I have 1 right now) I will make my next post about all my favorite authors as this will not take nearly as much time as my favorite books.
The other thing about this blog is that I want people to give me books to read. Right now I have my mom, R.U., J.H., R.R., C.R. and other friends telling me good stuff but it'd be nice to have it written down as, once again, i don't have the best memory for book titles or authors.
Thank you and have a great day.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I really don't know what to say about this one. If she hadn't gone for the "I'm going to give my readers a heart attack approach" I probably would have ended up a little less depressed. I don't mind books that are gruesome and kill off tons of characters; I just like to be prepared and the Hunger Games did not prepare me for this.
Yes, the mutant wolves and killing off 22 characters was bad. And yes she did it in Catching Fire too. Well, Mockingjay is worse. Well, no, she doesn't kill off as many characters, (only about half of what she had left). She just makes you like them more. My complaints about who dies would spoil the book so I won't get into it. Oh, but their deaths are much worse, sometimes seemed pointless to me, and so close together you have no time to absorb it or mourn them. Half the time Katniss doesn't have a chance to mourn them. And then there is a lot more talk about torture. And getting horribly injured. And about killing children. And being insane. I seriously thought Katniss was going to go insane a couple times there; she basically is by the end. Last bad thing; I hate the name Peeta.
Good Stuff; it kept me captivated right to the end. I felt everything Katniss felt, I wanted to know what would happen, I understood why she picked who she picked at the end even though I had previously rooted for the other guy. I did enjoy it, I just think I'll enjoy it a lot more the second time when I know what's coming.
I'd say, if you liked the first two, read the third and be prepared for nightmares. I think the worst part about her books is that I found none of it unrealistic. Half of it is based on the past... I'm on the brink of going too deep but this is my first review and I'm going to save that for now; next up, Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. Or maybe Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey.
Rating? Good, probably great the second time
Read again? Definitely.
You read? If you enjoy the first two then yes, of course. Otherwise, I would encourage you to try the first two (skip the stuff about clothes if you have to); just be ready for the realistic consequences of war and human nature.
Yes, the mutant wolves and killing off 22 characters was bad. And yes she did it in Catching Fire too. Well, Mockingjay is worse. Well, no, she doesn't kill off as many characters, (only about half of what she had left). She just makes you like them more. My complaints about who dies would spoil the book so I won't get into it. Oh, but their deaths are much worse, sometimes seemed pointless to me, and so close together you have no time to absorb it or mourn them. Half the time Katniss doesn't have a chance to mourn them. And then there is a lot more talk about torture. And getting horribly injured. And about killing children. And being insane. I seriously thought Katniss was going to go insane a couple times there; she basically is by the end. Last bad thing; I hate the name Peeta.
Good Stuff; it kept me captivated right to the end. I felt everything Katniss felt, I wanted to know what would happen, I understood why she picked who she picked at the end even though I had previously rooted for the other guy. I did enjoy it, I just think I'll enjoy it a lot more the second time when I know what's coming.
I'd say, if you liked the first two, read the third and be prepared for nightmares. I think the worst part about her books is that I found none of it unrealistic. Half of it is based on the past... I'm on the brink of going too deep but this is my first review and I'm going to save that for now; next up, Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. Or maybe Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey.
Rating? Good, probably great the second time
Read again? Definitely.
You read? If you enjoy the first two then yes, of course. Otherwise, I would encourage you to try the first two (skip the stuff about clothes if you have to); just be ready for the realistic consequences of war and human nature.
I like to explain myself
Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?
~ Henry Ward Beecher ~
I laughed when I read this quote because I know several people who can't go into a bookstore without buying something. I am also one of them, but that doesn't matter right now.
This blog is for me to complain about all the bad books I read and tell my and others' opinions about them. If anyone starts reading this I might go into books I've read before that I've hated... but that isn't likely which makes me sad because I like to vent about those... Mostly this will be a record of what I've read and a place for others to tell me what to read. I should have done this years ago...
I will include an overall rating, whether I plan to read it again, and whether you should read it at the end of each review. My ratings will be: Burn it, Bad, Pretty Bad, Boring, Ok, Pretty Good, Good, Great, Holy Cow.
I think I'm already getting addicted to blogging.
~ Henry Ward Beecher ~
I laughed when I read this quote because I know several people who can't go into a bookstore without buying something. I am also one of them, but that doesn't matter right now.
This blog is for me to complain about all the bad books I read and tell my and others' opinions about them. If anyone starts reading this I might go into books I've read before that I've hated... but that isn't likely which makes me sad because I like to vent about those... Mostly this will be a record of what I've read and a place for others to tell me what to read. I should have done this years ago...
I will include an overall rating, whether I plan to read it again, and whether you should read it at the end of each review. My ratings will be: Burn it, Bad, Pretty Bad, Boring, Ok, Pretty Good, Good, Great, Holy Cow.
I think I'm already getting addicted to blogging.
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