26 books. Yippee!
Let's aim for 30 next year. OR BETTER YET, 50.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Winter Break
So I actually haven't done much reading, even though it's been snowing like crazy and I haven't gotten much done. I've just been fighting the snow for a social life, and in turn end up hiking around town all day. I got around to reading Coraline though this week, which I actually really liked. I had read another book by Neil Gaiman last summer (Stardust, obviously, the movie came out) which I really liked, and I've been meaning to read this when I saw they were making it. The trailer doesn't do much for me, I don't much like the animation style, but if it's half as good as the book I might enjoy it.
It was very much like Alice in Wonderland in some ways, obviously not a classic but not a rip off. Maybe that's part of the reason why I liked it a lot. I liked the eloquent way it was written, you don't see that much anymore. Also, I realized why I like kids books so much. They're written for children, so they're meant to be comforting and have a moral ending. Adult books are less directed towards a specific audience, so they don't try to treat you any kinder. I really liked the moral in Coraline, all about bravery and working hard to earn things and all that.
It was a nice little book that I'd highly recommend to anyone, really, and I'm now looking forward to the movie in February!
It was very much like Alice in Wonderland in some ways, obviously not a classic but not a rip off. Maybe that's part of the reason why I liked it a lot. I liked the eloquent way it was written, you don't see that much anymore. Also, I realized why I like kids books so much. They're written for children, so they're meant to be comforting and have a moral ending. Adult books are less directed towards a specific audience, so they don't try to treat you any kinder. I really liked the moral in Coraline, all about bravery and working hard to earn things and all that.
It was a nice little book that I'd highly recommend to anyone, really, and I'm now looking forward to the movie in February!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
What a Busy Fall
I refuse to write 5 new posts on all those damn English class books. I don't need to review them, because I spent a week on each, analyzing them to the point where they don't even need to be analyzed. So here is one post, before I embark on the final, partly to jog my memory for the near future, and partly to jog my memory for the future future, when I for some reason care how much I hated these books.
First off, there was more melodramatic Asian bullshit in The Samurai's Garden. Long story short, it was written by a girl, but the narrator was a boy. You can't do that. Boys don't daydream about beautiful Asian gardens and all that. Even in poetry, no poetry written by a man is that flowery and sappy. Sorry Asian authors, with all your reflective peacefulness and legends, I just don't like it. I'd rather have an adventure. This book was well written and thick in description, but other than that, nothing really happened.
Then we read Coyote Waits, where again, nothing really happened. The entire novel, you are kind of waiting for some mystery to be solved, but then you realize that nothing happens. Really, I'm going to spoil the ending: The old guy IS the killer, just like it says at the beginning of the book, and all throughout. They basically investigate a murder, even though they know who the killer is. They lead you on to think that maybe there is another killer, but no, they were right all along, and not only was the investigation a waste of time, but so was the book. Surprise!
Then I think we read Solo Faces. This was when I realized that I no longer want to store knowledge from these books in my brain, and stopped reading them. I read half of this one, and then the last couple chapters so that I knew the ending. This is the first time I've finished a book just to get it done. And I'm patient! It was all, something about mountain climbing, and adults, and not interesting, and yeah. This one just wasn't my cup of tea. It was forgettable. Like, I'll at least remember Coyote Waits for being an asshole to me, but I will forget anything from this book within the next month.
After that, we embarked on All Quiet On the Western Front. Which I actually liked. Not just because it's well known, but it's well known because I liked it. It actually knew how to draw me in to the action, gory descriptions of war are a little more bad-ass than partial molestation (Cab Called Reliable). It also took me to a different place in time, which we all know I’m a fan of. And the movie for it isn’t a crappy made for TV movie (Coyote Waits). Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to finish this book because the teacher made a million things due at once, but I hope I can finish it over Christmas break or something.
Also, we were required to do another book for outside reading accompanied by an analytical essay which was due today. It’s funny, because the final is due in 2 days. Actually, it’s not funny at all. And I’m really stressed out. Because I caught strep throat over the weekend. And have two other really tough finals to study for this week. And I’m drifting in and out of sleep, and I’m extremely drowsy, and I fever randomly, and it hurts like a bitch to swallow. Fun, no? But school will all be over in 2 days, and I will finally resume reading books that I actually want to read in the month that I have off. And the positive thing about my sickness coinciding with winter break, is that I have 10 days ahead of me of just pure relaxation. Where I can drift in and out of sleep without worrying, and I can read all day if I want, and play video games and paint and all that. It won’t be any social party but hopefully my friends are nice enough people to stop by every once in awhile.
Anyways, the book I read for outside reading was Sula. I actually kind of liked this book. It was short. And made me angry. Why would she sleep with her best friend’s husband? Bitch. Also, more bad-ass than whiney. We have moms catching on fire, moms jumping out of windows, and an entire city drowning on accident. Okay.
So yeah, I hope that I will read something other than the Lord of the Rings this December. Maybe some Shakespeare. In any case, I can’t wait to count up how many books I’ve read this year, because I’ve almost finished year one of Book Blog. I might shove as many as I can in these next few weeks because of that dry spell in the spring. It’s an embarrassingly low total probably
First off, there was more melodramatic Asian bullshit in The Samurai's Garden. Long story short, it was written by a girl, but the narrator was a boy. You can't do that. Boys don't daydream about beautiful Asian gardens and all that. Even in poetry, no poetry written by a man is that flowery and sappy. Sorry Asian authors, with all your reflective peacefulness and legends, I just don't like it. I'd rather have an adventure. This book was well written and thick in description, but other than that, nothing really happened.
Then we read Coyote Waits, where again, nothing really happened. The entire novel, you are kind of waiting for some mystery to be solved, but then you realize that nothing happens. Really, I'm going to spoil the ending: The old guy IS the killer, just like it says at the beginning of the book, and all throughout. They basically investigate a murder, even though they know who the killer is. They lead you on to think that maybe there is another killer, but no, they were right all along, and not only was the investigation a waste of time, but so was the book. Surprise!
Then I think we read Solo Faces. This was when I realized that I no longer want to store knowledge from these books in my brain, and stopped reading them. I read half of this one, and then the last couple chapters so that I knew the ending. This is the first time I've finished a book just to get it done. And I'm patient! It was all, something about mountain climbing, and adults, and not interesting, and yeah. This one just wasn't my cup of tea. It was forgettable. Like, I'll at least remember Coyote Waits for being an asshole to me, but I will forget anything from this book within the next month.
After that, we embarked on All Quiet On the Western Front. Which I actually liked. Not just because it's well known, but it's well known because I liked it. It actually knew how to draw me in to the action, gory descriptions of war are a little more bad-ass than partial molestation (Cab Called Reliable). It also took me to a different place in time, which we all know I’m a fan of. And the movie for it isn’t a crappy made for TV movie (Coyote Waits). Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to finish this book because the teacher made a million things due at once, but I hope I can finish it over Christmas break or something.
Also, we were required to do another book for outside reading accompanied by an analytical essay which was due today. It’s funny, because the final is due in 2 days. Actually, it’s not funny at all. And I’m really stressed out. Because I caught strep throat over the weekend. And have two other really tough finals to study for this week. And I’m drifting in and out of sleep, and I’m extremely drowsy, and I fever randomly, and it hurts like a bitch to swallow. Fun, no? But school will all be over in 2 days, and I will finally resume reading books that I actually want to read in the month that I have off. And the positive thing about my sickness coinciding with winter break, is that I have 10 days ahead of me of just pure relaxation. Where I can drift in and out of sleep without worrying, and I can read all day if I want, and play video games and paint and all that. It won’t be any social party but hopefully my friends are nice enough people to stop by every once in awhile.
Anyways, the book I read for outside reading was Sula. I actually kind of liked this book. It was short. And made me angry. Why would she sleep with her best friend’s husband? Bitch. Also, more bad-ass than whiney. We have moms catching on fire, moms jumping out of windows, and an entire city drowning on accident. Okay.
So yeah, I hope that I will read something other than the Lord of the Rings this December. Maybe some Shakespeare. In any case, I can’t wait to count up how many books I’ve read this year, because I’ve almost finished year one of Book Blog. I might shove as many as I can in these next few weeks because of that dry spell in the spring. It’s an embarrassingly low total probably
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Second off,
...So today after school, I went and visited my friend at work and she bought me pumpkin spice chai and a cinnamon roll and it was absolutely divine. I was in a state of complete ecstasy. But the point is, I settled into a cozy couch in the corner with Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and took the journey for the first time in 5 years. I knew I really liked it, but I know now that I love it. It's so clever, and some of the silly things are similar to ways that I think. Plus, I laughed out loud many times. I hardly ever laugh at books! Anyways, I was done by 2:30 and went off, to make my life curiouser and curiouser.
First off,
I finished another book for that damned English class yesterday. A Cab Called Reliable. I stepped into it thinking, "Aww man, another book by an Asian-American woman. More crap flowery poetry about cranes and orchids and shit." I was wrong, but I wasn't pleasantly surprised. There was some amount of village lore, which of course pissed me off. But the main thing I didn't like, was how the book was trying to get you to feel sorry for the girl for being abused. Like she made a list of crappy things that happened to her as a kid, and why that made her a rebellious bitch in middle school. There is no excuse for being a bitch. You are a bitch because you are a bitch. Not because your dad rubbed your belly, not because an older man called you pretty. And anyways, I read books to escape reality, not to go into a terrible reality. And if it is going to be a terrible reality, it has to be ridiculous. So that it's no longer a reality. You know? Anyways, one more book...
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ugh, Shane.
Well, school is back in session, and I'm so very disappointed with my English class. The first day, I optimistically wrote on the "get to know you" paper that the last book I read was Emma. I thought it would show the teacher that I'm serious about reading, but I was scared he would think it was cliche and not that impressive. From what I've hear about this level of schooling, I assumed Emma would be below me.
Then, he showed us the piece of shit books that we would be reading this term. That's when I realized what a crap class it is. I'm sorry, but oftentimes I DO judge books by how popular they are. Same with movies! Indie movies aren't good simply because they're indie movies. There is a reason why certain things are popular: because they are good. Unless we're referring to 2 Fast 2 Furious or Britney Spears or some shit. Anyways, he takes out these books that NO one has heard of, and NO bookstore in town carries them. And they're supposed to give us a fervor for reading, which I already have. This is the most pointless class ever.
So they're all weird genres, like, The Genre Written By Asian Women Talking About How Different Asia Is From America. Damnit, I had enough of that with The Woman Warrior. And The Genre About Native Americans Nowadays As Mystery Detectives. Ughh...What the hell, seriously.
Anyways, the assignment is to rip these books apart and find symbolism in nothing, stuff I learned 3 damn years ago. It makes sense to read between the lines of Hamlet, because it's genius, but Shane? It's this boring ass book about a kid and his stupid parents, living on a farm. Then Shane comes, and teaches them how to be a mysterious character with a dark past. It's so ridiculously dramatic at some points I wanted to kick it. The sucky part is, we were assigned the book on Monday and expected to finish it by Friday. I mean....so yeah...I finished it in one night, but I feel bad for other people who have jobs and a life, and who don't read as often as me. I genuinely feel sorry for them.
Back to the part about the "get to know you" paper. I come into class this morning, and he explains that he got some interesting answers. Who is this Stephanie Meyers that was mentioned on so many of the papers? I glare at the beefy goth kid in front of me who is wearing a Twilight t-shirt, while over-enthusiastic girls tell him that they're excellent books and Stephanie Meyers is an amazing author, and they're coming out with a movie starring this handsome boy from Harry Potter. These are the girls who read to keep up with a fad.
Then he says that he was very surprised to see that someone wrote that they read Emma, he thought that no one had heard of it. So 2 nerdy girls bashfully tell him that they're aware of Jane Austen. Like, who isn't? And all the while ignoring me, he praises them and says that they're likely English majors. Really Mr. French name that I can't remember? Really? Does he really think so lowly of the class?
So, I regretfully end this post keeping in mind that for the next 10 weeks, I will be spending my time reading books that I very much do not want to read. Hopefully I can finish another pleasure one off before I get to Mystery Novel From The Bottom Shelf Of A Used Bookstore, Officially Out Of Print Since 1992. Good day for now.
Then, he showed us the piece of shit books that we would be reading this term. That's when I realized what a crap class it is. I'm sorry, but oftentimes I DO judge books by how popular they are. Same with movies! Indie movies aren't good simply because they're indie movies. There is a reason why certain things are popular: because they are good. Unless we're referring to 2 Fast 2 Furious or Britney Spears or some shit. Anyways, he takes out these books that NO one has heard of, and NO bookstore in town carries them. And they're supposed to give us a fervor for reading, which I already have. This is the most pointless class ever.
So they're all weird genres, like, The Genre Written By Asian Women Talking About How Different Asia Is From America. Damnit, I had enough of that with The Woman Warrior. And The Genre About Native Americans Nowadays As Mystery Detectives. Ughh...What the hell, seriously.
Anyways, the assignment is to rip these books apart and find symbolism in nothing, stuff I learned 3 damn years ago. It makes sense to read between the lines of Hamlet, because it's genius, but Shane? It's this boring ass book about a kid and his stupid parents, living on a farm. Then Shane comes, and teaches them how to be a mysterious character with a dark past. It's so ridiculously dramatic at some points I wanted to kick it. The sucky part is, we were assigned the book on Monday and expected to finish it by Friday. I mean....so yeah...I finished it in one night, but I feel bad for other people who have jobs and a life, and who don't read as often as me. I genuinely feel sorry for them.
Back to the part about the "get to know you" paper. I come into class this morning, and he explains that he got some interesting answers. Who is this Stephanie Meyers that was mentioned on so many of the papers? I glare at the beefy goth kid in front of me who is wearing a Twilight t-shirt, while over-enthusiastic girls tell him that they're excellent books and Stephanie Meyers is an amazing author, and they're coming out with a movie starring this handsome boy from Harry Potter. These are the girls who read to keep up with a fad.
Then he says that he was very surprised to see that someone wrote that they read Emma, he thought that no one had heard of it. So 2 nerdy girls bashfully tell him that they're aware of Jane Austen. Like, who isn't? And all the while ignoring me, he praises them and says that they're likely English majors. Really Mr. French name that I can't remember? Really? Does he really think so lowly of the class?
So, I regretfully end this post keeping in mind that for the next 10 weeks, I will be spending my time reading books that I very much do not want to read. Hopefully I can finish another pleasure one off before I get to Mystery Novel From The Bottom Shelf Of A Used Bookstore, Officially Out Of Print Since 1992. Good day for now.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Lalala
You guys know I like Tracy Chevalier, right? Oh, maybe not. Well I've read all her books, a nice art lesson mixed with romance and history. Girl With a Pearl Earring? Scarlett Johansson? Anyways, I just finished her newest book, Burning Bright. Well last time I checked it was her newest book. That was like a year ago, when it wasn't available at the library for the longest time. So I enjoyed it. They all seem to be aimed at 12 year olds, only they're rated R. Like Pan's Labyrinth, or the Fall. This just made me really want to go to London. I've wanted to go there for awhile, but I'm drawn there even more now. It's so completely steeped in history, decades of kingdoms and opium and knights and whores and artists. All that fog and all those churches. All those pubs and everything. Notting Hill, 28 Days Later, Sweeney Todd. I decided that once I have $5000, I'm going to head out there and live off of cereal and chips and beef jerky for a week. And one day I will splurge and have Shepherd's Pie and Tea and shit. Well after that break of "easy reads" (AKA books written in this century) I think I'm going to go back to classic literature.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Interesting!
I just found this while browsing livejournal, and couldn't resist.
"The Big Read thinks that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read
3) Put a star by the books you LOVE."
Is it crazy that most of my favorite books are on here? Like, should I expand my interest? Heh..
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
6. The Bible
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 Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger*
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
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 - AA 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' 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 Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
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 Flauberti
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB 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
Eughh...why all the Dickens?
"The Big Read thinks that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read
3) Put a star by the books you LOVE."
Is it crazy that most of my favorite books are on here? Like, should I expand my interest? Heh..
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
6. The Bible
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 Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger*
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
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 - AA 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' 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 Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
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 Flauberti
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB 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
Eughh...why all the Dickens?
Monday, September 15, 2008
Hipster's Choice
I've had this book on my shelf for maybe 3 years. I heard about it through a hipster friend who's hipster brother had read it. And tempted by all the hipsters who have been reading it lately, and the HEFTY 100 something pages, I had to read it. Also tempted by the author, J.D. Salinger.
The book I read was Franny and Zooey, and the author also wrote one of my favorite books Catcher in the Rye. But there's a reason as to why one is famous among EVERYONE, and the other is only notorious through hipsters. Want to know why? Because Catcher is OBVIOUSLY good. Franny and Zooey, not so much. It just didn't hold up well, I can't figure out why. But anyways, hipsters only like things that are obscure and secret, and since F&Z is not well known, it's all of a sudden golden.
I don't get it hipsters. Please explain your logic. Please explain why crappy garage bands are somehow better than bands signed by huge record labels? Pray tell why poorly filmed indie movies, hardly even raved about at Sundance are better than blockbuster hits? There's reasons why Titanic is the highest grossing movie of all time, y'know? I mean, kid me not, I love my share of Wes Anderson and Belle & Sebastian, but you don't see me worshiping the Moldy Peaches. Y'know? You do know. Sure, sure, beauty in the ugliness, the simplicity of things, the reflective nature. But what's wrong with Green Day? Oh yeah, they played on MTV.
Well that's cool. To each his own. I need a new read.
The book I read was Franny and Zooey, and the author also wrote one of my favorite books Catcher in the Rye. But there's a reason as to why one is famous among EVERYONE, and the other is only notorious through hipsters. Want to know why? Because Catcher is OBVIOUSLY good. Franny and Zooey, not so much. It just didn't hold up well, I can't figure out why. But anyways, hipsters only like things that are obscure and secret, and since F&Z is not well known, it's all of a sudden golden.
I don't get it hipsters. Please explain your logic. Please explain why crappy garage bands are somehow better than bands signed by huge record labels? Pray tell why poorly filmed indie movies, hardly even raved about at Sundance are better than blockbuster hits? There's reasons why Titanic is the highest grossing movie of all time, y'know? I mean, kid me not, I love my share of Wes Anderson and Belle & Sebastian, but you don't see me worshiping the Moldy Peaches. Y'know? You do know. Sure, sure, beauty in the ugliness, the simplicity of things, the reflective nature. But what's wrong with Green Day? Oh yeah, they played on MTV.
Well that's cool. To each his own. I need a new read.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Middlesex
YES! Finally a book I can sing praises about! Finally a reasonably large sized book that I finished in a good amount of time! And most of all, finally a book that isn't a movie, or isn't going to be a movie anytime soon! Hurray! Maybe I'll get back on the reading track.
SO this time, when choosing the book, I did it the right way. I randomly chose with my eyes closed from the "Priority Pile" under my bed, consisting of the books that I feel are most important for me to read. This is aside from the 2 leisure shelves of books that should be read at some point in time. See why I need to pick up the pace? I happened upon the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I bought this like 2 years ago because there was a rave review of it in the school newspaper, and it's the same author as one of my favorite books, The Virgin Suicides. (Which is also one of my favorite movies.)
Here's why I loved it: It was a mixture of some of my favorite things.
It had the messed up romance of my favorite book, Lolita. It made you sympathize for their love, despite the fact that you would consider them sickos in real life.
It had the kooky, ironic humor of my favorite show, Arrested Development. How the messed up family has secrets that make one thing lead to another in terrible yet funny ways.
It was like one of my #3 favorite movie, Amelie, in that it told uninteresting and silly things about characters that ultimately filled them out.
It had foreign people with funny accents. It had war-torn lovers. It had every age and type of human, every gender (including the mysterious 3rd gender). It had beautiful imagery.
This is exactly what I needed after reading Twilight, a well written romance/epic/...mystery I guess. Who has ever made freckles sound so amazing? Seriously, why would someone tell their kid that they are angel kisses when they could simply describe the freckles like:
"A Big Bang had occurred, origination at the bridge of her nose, and the force of this explosion had sent galaxies of freckles hurtling and drifting to every end of her curved, warm-blooded universe. There were clusters of freckles on her forearms and wrists, an entire Milky Way spreading across her forehead, even a few sputtering quasars flung into the wormholes of her ears."
I am on my knees right now. Bowing to a statue of Mr. Eugenides in the temple of literature.
(Speaking of statues, Edward is compared to marble a total of 8 times in just the first book. Isn't that going a little too far? Couldn't she think of anything else? Like that his skin was like the universe?)
SO this time, when choosing the book, I did it the right way. I randomly chose with my eyes closed from the "Priority Pile" under my bed, consisting of the books that I feel are most important for me to read. This is aside from the 2 leisure shelves of books that should be read at some point in time. See why I need to pick up the pace? I happened upon the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I bought this like 2 years ago because there was a rave review of it in the school newspaper, and it's the same author as one of my favorite books, The Virgin Suicides. (Which is also one of my favorite movies.)
Here's why I loved it: It was a mixture of some of my favorite things.
It had the messed up romance of my favorite book, Lolita. It made you sympathize for their love, despite the fact that you would consider them sickos in real life.
It had the kooky, ironic humor of my favorite show, Arrested Development. How the messed up family has secrets that make one thing lead to another in terrible yet funny ways.
It was like one of my #3 favorite movie, Amelie, in that it told uninteresting and silly things about characters that ultimately filled them out.
It had foreign people with funny accents. It had war-torn lovers. It had every age and type of human, every gender (including the mysterious 3rd gender). It had beautiful imagery.
This is exactly what I needed after reading Twilight, a well written romance/epic/...mystery I guess. Who has ever made freckles sound so amazing? Seriously, why would someone tell their kid that they are angel kisses when they could simply describe the freckles like:
"A Big Bang had occurred, origination at the bridge of her nose, and the force of this explosion had sent galaxies of freckles hurtling and drifting to every end of her curved, warm-blooded universe. There were clusters of freckles on her forearms and wrists, an entire Milky Way spreading across her forehead, even a few sputtering quasars flung into the wormholes of her ears."
I am on my knees right now. Bowing to a statue of Mr. Eugenides in the temple of literature.
(Speaking of statues, Edward is compared to marble a total of 8 times in just the first book. Isn't that going a little too far? Couldn't she think of anything else? Like that his skin was like the universe?)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Finally
So, this morning I finally finished Emma by Jane Austen. It took me 7 months, which I'm absolutely certain is a personal record. I started it last winter and halfway through became bored and started other books, and this summer I came to the conclusion that since I have the time, why not finish it before I forgot how it began? But it took me almost a month to read the second half. It's not that it was boring, it just wasn't engaging. It was extremely well written, and the characters were more developed than any I've ever read. It was clever and realistic, and put other books that claim to be realistic to shame. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I just waned to give the famous author a chance. And I might not even give up on her yet! I have every intention of reading Pride and Prejudice. I just hope it's more filled with adventure than Emma.
It just sucks that I didn't read too many books this summer. There have been summers where I read ten in a month! But I've been trying to stay focused and finish what I started, therefore avoiding all books. I've been reading articles on the internet and newspaper and magazines to keep me occupied. I'm just going to accept the fact that reading more than one book at a time is something I can handle. When I was a kid, I couldn't handle it. But I'm pretty sure I can do it now. It took me long enough to notice though.
It just sucks that I didn't read too many books this summer. There have been summers where I read ten in a month! But I've been trying to stay focused and finish what I started, therefore avoiding all books. I've been reading articles on the internet and newspaper and magazines to keep me occupied. I'm just going to accept the fact that reading more than one book at a time is something I can handle. When I was a kid, I couldn't handle it. But I'm pretty sure I can do it now. It took me long enough to notice though.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
*Sigh*
I regretfully admit that I, Diederek Staas, just finished the fourth installment in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn. I also admit that I've spent the past 2 weeks reading these wretched books. (Yes, New Moon and Eclipse too).So I liked the first one alright, it was entertaining. But unfortunately, once I was about 300 Pages through the 2,515 page melodrama I realized that it was basically just an over dramatic teenage girl's mushy stream of consciousness. But I was sucked in. There was nothing I could do to leave. I will give Stephenie Meyer credit for making her series irresistible. It seemed to be full of adventure, and exciting, but it isn't. It's just a facade to draw the reader in with some amount of suspense. Altogether, the books are just a boring discussion of "What should we do next?". All this planning and barely any action. Especially in the last book- THERE WAS NO FINAL BATTLE.
WTF??! Now, I am no war mongrel by any means. I hate violence in any way shape or form. I am one of the most passive, gentle people you can ever meet. But that's in real life. In fiction, death isn't real enough for me to acknowledge it as the terrible thing that it is in real life. So when the bad guys in a book don't get what they had coming whether through karma or revenge just kind of pisses me off. How are we supposed to be left with that content feeling that a book is finished unless good conquers evil? Nothing is resolved at the end of Breaking Dawn, and we're just left to this ridiculous, corny, happily ever after with the wrong couples paired off.
Yes, I am on Team Jacob. Bella and Edward have a physical infatuation that I can hardly call love. It's mushy, sickening, and ridiculous. I feel bad for Jacob for being forced into a physical infatuation too. I almost would be happier if he were never paired off, and his true love for Bella lived forever, even though he was in pain for his loss. Because they had true love. And it's so annoying. It's just. All. So. Annoying.
Can I just take a moment to give the author some amount of props on her music taste? Really, any book inspired by the Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Muse, The Flaming Lips, and some other crappy bands that I don't care too much about is alright. Though I think that was her immature way of relating to her fans, and making her music taste seem a little superior to theirs. I've known kids who would do anything to publicize the fact that they listen to cool music, just to get respect from their peers. Well it worked, you silly girl.
I'm gonna get really pissed off if I don't read anything with substance soon...so back to 19th century England. I'll explain when I return.
WTF??! Now, I am no war mongrel by any means. I hate violence in any way shape or form. I am one of the most passive, gentle people you can ever meet. But that's in real life. In fiction, death isn't real enough for me to acknowledge it as the terrible thing that it is in real life. So when the bad guys in a book don't get what they had coming whether through karma or revenge just kind of pisses me off. How are we supposed to be left with that content feeling that a book is finished unless good conquers evil? Nothing is resolved at the end of Breaking Dawn, and we're just left to this ridiculous, corny, happily ever after with the wrong couples paired off.
Yes, I am on Team Jacob. Bella and Edward have a physical infatuation that I can hardly call love. It's mushy, sickening, and ridiculous. I feel bad for Jacob for being forced into a physical infatuation too. I almost would be happier if he were never paired off, and his true love for Bella lived forever, even though he was in pain for his loss. Because they had true love. And it's so annoying. It's just. All. So. Annoying.
Can I just take a moment to give the author some amount of props on her music taste? Really, any book inspired by the Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Muse, The Flaming Lips, and some other crappy bands that I don't care too much about is alright. Though I think that was her immature way of relating to her fans, and making her music taste seem a little superior to theirs. I've known kids who would do anything to publicize the fact that they listen to cool music, just to get respect from their peers. Well it worked, you silly girl.
I'm gonna get really pissed off if I don't read anything with substance soon...so back to 19th century England. I'll explain when I return.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Snoozefest 08
I recently finished Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Let's just say it would be interesting if I liked science. I mean, it had it's "exciting" parts but instead of being suspenseful they were just painful. Like, ughhhh that sucks that they're starving to death and in a horrible situation. For the most part though, it was painfully boring. I'm just not interested in geology.
Of course, I just got back from the movie. (Is it possible for me to read a book and NOT see the movie?) Although it had an uninteresting story, it was at least exciting. It didn't have a lot to do with the book, but it didn't pretend to. The 3D was like WOAH! I think the only way I can reccomend the movie is in 3D though, it wouldn't hold itself up otherwise.
Yeah this is a short post, just a brain reminder. I just didn't get really worked up over this book.
Of course, I just got back from the movie. (Is it possible for me to read a book and NOT see the movie?) Although it had an uninteresting story, it was at least exciting. It didn't have a lot to do with the book, but it didn't pretend to. The 3D was like WOAH! I think the only way I can reccomend the movie is in 3D though, it wouldn't hold itself up otherwise.
Yeah this is a short post, just a brain reminder. I just didn't get really worked up over this book.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Twilight
...When's the movie, right? Actually, when I began reading Twilight I had no idea they were making a movie about it. I simply realized that every 12 year old kid on the planet was making a huge fuss about it, and I had to see what the big deal was.
The big deal is that it's actually pretty good. It was exciting and romantic. And kind of realistic in the way I like a good fantasy to be. It was well written. Worth the fuss. The only problem I had with it was that the love was totally shallow. They kept saying "I love you! I love you! I want to be with you forever!" but they only knew each other for like, 3 months. It was very fickle, and based on the wrong things. I'd like to rewrite the entire book, replacing every "love" with "infatuation." It was kind of funny though, because the other piece of literature I think of when I think of this teenage "love" is Romeo and Juliet, and they mentioned it in the book. Maybe the author had some idea of her silly vision of what love is.
But anyways, I was on this website where this kid was asking people whether they preferred Twilight or Harry Potter. Before I read the book, I answered Harry Potter. But now? I'm not going to answer that, I'm just going to make a new comparison. Twilight kind of reminded me of the book Ella Enchanted, and I think it's safe to compare the two.
So, Twilight or Ella Enchanted?
The big deal is that it's actually pretty good. It was exciting and romantic. And kind of realistic in the way I like a good fantasy to be. It was well written. Worth the fuss. The only problem I had with it was that the love was totally shallow. They kept saying "I love you! I love you! I want to be with you forever!" but they only knew each other for like, 3 months. It was very fickle, and based on the wrong things. I'd like to rewrite the entire book, replacing every "love" with "infatuation." It was kind of funny though, because the other piece of literature I think of when I think of this teenage "love" is Romeo and Juliet, and they mentioned it in the book. Maybe the author had some idea of her silly vision of what love is.
But anyways, I was on this website where this kid was asking people whether they preferred Twilight or Harry Potter. Before I read the book, I answered Harry Potter. But now? I'm not going to answer that, I'm just going to make a new comparison. Twilight kind of reminded me of the book Ella Enchanted, and I think it's safe to compare the two.
So, Twilight or Ella Enchanted?
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Summer!!
Though Wednesday was technically my last day of school, the rest of the week was filled with school related activities, so I'm going to count today as the official First Day Of Summer, 08. For me, this represents total and complete freedom to camp, party, finally beat Zelda: Twilight Princess (It's about time, I've had it for almost 2 years..), and of course, READ!
I took advantage of today to drift in and out of naps all day and read an entire book: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. I'm going to give it a plus sign...instead of a minus sign. I'm going to admit, as awesome as the summary sounded, I was reluctant to read it as soon as I saw the cheesy 90's cover . I'm pretty sure I just picked the oldest copy in the library or something. However, I was happy to find it was a super action packed, surprisingly gory pirate adventure. The only problem was Charlotte Doyle herself, a whiny, overly obedient, lady-in-training. She was kind of cool in the second half of the book, but how she evolved into a super-sailor in two weeks is beyond me. I mean, it took Goku and Gohan a full year in the hyperbolic time chamber to reach super-sayan status.
Overall it was a fun read. But unfortunately, I have to use this post to recommend a similar book. A book with more likable and developed characters, suspense, romance, pirates, war, and a more awesome time period. A book I read 2 summers ago, Bloody Jack. Starring a cooler and braver Charlotte named Jacky. READ THIS BOOK, and all of the sequels. It is awesome beyond belief. If you don't want Charlotte Doyle to be a huge disappointment, read it first. Sorry. Sorry I can't give positive reviews anymore.
Okay, so let's get hyped for summer reading!
I took advantage of today to drift in and out of naps all day and read an entire book: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. I'm going to give it a plus sign...instead of a minus sign. I'm going to admit, as awesome as the summary sounded, I was reluctant to read it as soon as I saw the cheesy 90's cover . I'm pretty sure I just picked the oldest copy in the library or something. However, I was happy to find it was a super action packed, surprisingly gory pirate adventure. The only problem was Charlotte Doyle herself, a whiny, overly obedient, lady-in-training. She was kind of cool in the second half of the book, but how she evolved into a super-sailor in two weeks is beyond me. I mean, it took Goku and Gohan a full year in the hyperbolic time chamber to reach super-sayan status.
Overall it was a fun read. But unfortunately, I have to use this post to recommend a similar book. A book with more likable and developed characters, suspense, romance, pirates, war, and a more awesome time period. A book I read 2 summers ago, Bloody Jack. Starring a cooler and braver Charlotte named Jacky. READ THIS BOOK, and all of the sequels. It is awesome beyond belief. If you don't want Charlotte Doyle to be a huge disappointment, read it first. Sorry. Sorry I can't give positive reviews anymore.
Okay, so let's get hyped for summer reading!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Obviously, Narnia
Several weeks ago, I realized that with the new movie coming out, Prince Caspian was going to need a rereading. I don't quite remember it from the first time around, but I was slightly disappointed.
Let me start by saying that 2 years ago when I first read the Chronicles of Narnia, I had no idea that they were influenced by religion. I was ultimately convinced that Aslan was the best big daddy ever, before I finally read that he was based on the dictating, hell-banishing, all powerful Christian God. That trickster, C.S. Lewis. For a minute, he had me putting my faith in a lion. It killed the series for me.
While rereading Caspian with this knowledge, the allusions to heaven ("the end of the earth") and belief in god and all that were completely obvious. I felt like I was reading the bible. It wasn't as fun, because all the mystery of magic was sucked out and turned into common religious miracles. Also, the book lacked in action and made me wonder how they could successfully adapt it into a movie. After attending the midnight premiere last night, I now know how.
The special effects were ENCHANTING to say the least. But this was nothing compare to all the beautiful natural scenery they used to depict this mystical medieval land. They replaced the boring "We're lost in the woods!!" part with a good 3 chapters worth of action, involving a siege of Miraz's castle. The utterly short battle chapter from the book was now captivating swordplay and creative battle tactics (why didn't Lewis think to cave in Aslan's How in order to completely surround Miraz's army?). At some points, it even poked fun at how old fashioned the books tend to be (Lucy's calling a dwarf her "dear little friend" is shot down as patronizing). This is one of the rare times that I will say, the movie was better than the book.
The only problems I had with the movie was the flirtatious relationship between Susan and Caspian, Caspian's macho heartthrob status, the cut of my favorite small character Bacchus, and the cheesy soundtrack. But you can't have everything your way. All in all, I had a nice time in Narnia, and when The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is released on May 7th, 2010, expect another double review.
Let me start by saying that 2 years ago when I first read the Chronicles of Narnia, I had no idea that they were influenced by religion. I was ultimately convinced that Aslan was the best big daddy ever, before I finally read that he was based on the dictating, hell-banishing, all powerful Christian God. That trickster, C.S. Lewis. For a minute, he had me putting my faith in a lion. It killed the series for me.
While rereading Caspian with this knowledge, the allusions to heaven ("the end of the earth") and belief in god and all that were completely obvious. I felt like I was reading the bible. It wasn't as fun, because all the mystery of magic was sucked out and turned into common religious miracles. Also, the book lacked in action and made me wonder how they could successfully adapt it into a movie. After attending the midnight premiere last night, I now know how.
The special effects were ENCHANTING to say the least. But this was nothing compare to all the beautiful natural scenery they used to depict this mystical medieval land. They replaced the boring "We're lost in the woods!!" part with a good 3 chapters worth of action, involving a siege of Miraz's castle. The utterly short battle chapter from the book was now captivating swordplay and creative battle tactics (why didn't Lewis think to cave in Aslan's How in order to completely surround Miraz's army?). At some points, it even poked fun at how old fashioned the books tend to be (Lucy's calling a dwarf her "dear little friend" is shot down as patronizing). This is one of the rare times that I will say, the movie was better than the book.
The only problems I had with the movie was the flirtatious relationship between Susan and Caspian, Caspian's macho heartthrob status, the cut of my favorite small character Bacchus, and the cheesy soundtrack. But you can't have everything your way. All in all, I had a nice time in Narnia, and when The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is released on May 7th, 2010, expect another double review.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Where's the Movie?
It's been a million years, hasn't it? Well, I'm back. I would have posted sooner...but I actually haven't finished any books all year. I've gotten halfway through a couple, but up until two nights ago, none were finished. I guess the reading frenzy of Christmas break took its toll on me.
Let's get to business. Inkheart has been rotting on my shelf since I saw the epic trailer last fall (How can I resist Brendan Fraser yelling "You're going back in that book!"), and immediately went to Borders and bought it. When this happens, I either get to reading it right away, or it rots there for a remarkably long amount of time. For this instance, it was the latter.
I can't help but comparing it to the only other (wonderful) work by that author that I've read, which is The Thief Lord. They both take place in modern times, and are seemingly realistic- except for one magical element. Which, in this case, is the fact that the characters can read books to life.
I love this. I love that it's not like other fantasy books, where anything goes. We know how the world works without magic- it's just asking: What would happen IF people could read characters out of books? I think the more realistic it is, the easier it is to imagine. The more you can imagine yourself into a book, the more fun it is to read. You are actively living in this barely-fictional world, which is an incredible reading experience.
It was just a really cool book, 2 thumbs up. It is definitely geared towards book lovers, which suckered me in. The story is intertwined with characters, quotes and references from famous novels, and encourages kids to love books. I really really enjoyed it.
Now I just have to wait till January 2009 for the movie to come out. Which I'm boggled about. The advertisements have been out since last fall, and according to the IMDB page it's been completed for a good while. All I can do is sit and wait (and play GTA IV). And re-read Prince Caspian before the movie comes out in two weeks.
Let's get to business. Inkheart has been rotting on my shelf since I saw the epic trailer last fall (How can I resist Brendan Fraser yelling "You're going back in that book!"), and immediately went to Borders and bought it. When this happens, I either get to reading it right away, or it rots there for a remarkably long amount of time. For this instance, it was the latter.
I can't help but comparing it to the only other (wonderful) work by that author that I've read, which is The Thief Lord. They both take place in modern times, and are seemingly realistic- except for one magical element. Which, in this case, is the fact that the characters can read books to life.
I love this. I love that it's not like other fantasy books, where anything goes. We know how the world works without magic- it's just asking: What would happen IF people could read characters out of books? I think the more realistic it is, the easier it is to imagine. The more you can imagine yourself into a book, the more fun it is to read. You are actively living in this barely-fictional world, which is an incredible reading experience.
It was just a really cool book, 2 thumbs up. It is definitely geared towards book lovers, which suckered me in. The story is intertwined with characters, quotes and references from famous novels, and encourages kids to love books. I really really enjoyed it.
Now I just have to wait till January 2009 for the movie to come out. Which I'm boggled about. The advertisements have been out since last fall, and according to the IMDB page it's been completed for a good while. All I can do is sit and wait (and play GTA IV). And re-read Prince Caspian before the movie comes out in two weeks.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
December Reading Part 2
Caught in the fantasy spirit, and after countless recommendations, I realized it was high time I read Eragon and Eldest. Little did I know I'd be caught in a teenagers poorly written daydreams.
I've come to the conclusion that Christopher Paolini was watching Star Wars one day, and thought to himself, "I will write a book about myself..uh..super-elf-powered...in middle earth..with a dragon...and the story of Luke Skywalker! OoOoO!" As far as fantasy epics go, The Inheritance books were nothing new. And I am not alone in thinking this- I found a website that actually supports all my ideas with reasonable (and sometimes hilarious) arguments. Here is an article on the website that shows the similarities between Eragon and Star wars. Plagiarize much?
I don't even know if I have the heart to recommend these books to anyone my age. It's obvious they'd like them, Eldest alone sold more than 425,000 copies the week it was released. But the suck-age is just too much. Sure, they were exciting and engaging enough to get me through 2 novels, but looking back I wish I'd never even entered Alagaesia.
On a happier note, while searching the internet for information about Christopher Paolini (omgz he wuz only 15??) I stumbled upon this gem, one of the most interesting interviews I've ever read. Pullman and Pierce are the authors of some of my favorite books of all time, so I actually squealed in excitement when I found this. As an avid fan of His Dark Materials and the Song of the Lioness quartet etc., I gobbled this up like I did my mom's homemade apple pie on Christmas (which was extraordinary this year!).
Now I must say a hearty "BRB!!!!!" to the fantasy world, while I visit 19th century England for who knows how long. Until then,
I've come to the conclusion that Christopher Paolini was watching Star Wars one day, and thought to himself, "I will write a book about myself..uh..super-elf-powered...in middle earth..with a dragon...and the story of Luke Skywalker! OoOoO!" As far as fantasy epics go, The Inheritance books were nothing new. And I am not alone in thinking this- I found a website that actually supports all my ideas with reasonable (and sometimes hilarious) arguments. Here is an article on the website that shows the similarities between Eragon and Star wars. Plagiarize much?
I don't even know if I have the heart to recommend these books to anyone my age. It's obvious they'd like them, Eldest alone sold more than 425,000 copies the week it was released. But the suck-age is just too much. Sure, they were exciting and engaging enough to get me through 2 novels, but looking back I wish I'd never even entered Alagaesia.
On a happier note, while searching the internet for information about Christopher Paolini (omgz he wuz only 15??) I stumbled upon this gem, one of the most interesting interviews I've ever read. Pullman and Pierce are the authors of some of my favorite books of all time, so I actually squealed in excitement when I found this. As an avid fan of His Dark Materials and the Song of the Lioness quartet etc., I gobbled this up like I did my mom's homemade apple pie on Christmas (which was extraordinary this year!).
Now I must say a hearty "BRB!!!!!" to the fantasy world, while I visit 19th century England for who knows how long. Until then,
December Reading part 1
Much of my December was spent indoors sheltered from the awful weather. I finished 5 books in the entire month. That's pretty good considering I have little to no time for reading, what with school, friends, and- well let's be honest- video games.
At the beginning of December, after watching a hilarious episode of Flight Of The Conchords I was inspired to read The Fellowship of the Ring for the second time. It was 5x more amazing the second time around. This time I actually understood what was going on. Although some parts were as boring as before, (*cough*the council of elrond*cough*) I no longer thought of them as unnecessary. It was way cool, for all the same reasons everyone else likes it.
After completing that, I decided to complete the series this time, because I would feel like a total LOTR failure if I didn't. Besides, I was anxious to watch the movies again and actually understand them. So I embarked on the epic journeys that are The Two Towers and The Return Of The King. Long long long. Though they kept me very entertained, I still have to say the Hobbit is the best. :-)
I then spent 2 days watching the extended versions of the movies and keeping it real. I was kind of disappointed that Tom Bombadil and Goldberry were left out, but I can understand why. Also I thought Treebeard was SO not as cool as in the books. And why that is, is a mystery to me.
Middle Earth was nothing compared to the dangers I would soon encounter in Alagaesia though...
At the beginning of December, after watching a hilarious episode of Flight Of The Conchords I was inspired to read The Fellowship of the Ring for the second time. It was 5x more amazing the second time around. This time I actually understood what was going on. Although some parts were as boring as before, (*cough*the council of elrond*cough*) I no longer thought of them as unnecessary. It was way cool, for all the same reasons everyone else likes it.
After completing that, I decided to complete the series this time, because I would feel like a total LOTR failure if I didn't. Besides, I was anxious to watch the movies again and actually understand them. So I embarked on the epic journeys that are The Two Towers and The Return Of The King. Long long long. Though they kept me very entertained, I still have to say the Hobbit is the best. :-)
I then spent 2 days watching the extended versions of the movies and keeping it real. I was kind of disappointed that Tom Bombadil and Goldberry were left out, but I can understand why. Also I thought Treebeard was SO not as cool as in the books. And why that is, is a mystery to me.
Middle Earth was nothing compared to the dangers I would soon encounter in Alagaesia though...
Hi Everybody!
Welcome internet friends! I really like to read...but I also have a terrible memory, so I present to you my book blog. I want to review books I've read so that I can remember why I liked or disliked them. Which will give me a chance to let my opinion be known to the world!!
I like a wide variety of books, but mainly classics and fantasy. I love reading a book just before the movie adaptation comes out too. I will begin a review of all the books I read over winter break in my next post. LATER!!!
I like a wide variety of books, but mainly classics and fantasy. I love reading a book just before the movie adaptation comes out too. I will begin a review of all the books I read over winter break in my next post. LATER!!!
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