tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63314037488715690132024-03-12T21:50:57.860-05:00Literary MusingsBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.comBlogger505125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-65406880927831206962013-04-17T07:28:00.000-05:002013-04-17T07:28:00.353-05:00Recent Reads, Vol II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</i> by Junot Diaz</b>: I'm not sure what took me so long to read this one, but as the Pulitzer season approached I wanted to pick up a recent winner. I couldn't help but feel bad for Oscar, the super-dork struggling to overcome a family curse. But even so, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with him. Also, the footnotes are awesome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk</i> by Ben Fountain</b>: This novel appeared on so many "Best of 2012" lists I had hard time ignoring it. Books about war don't usually appeal to me in the general sense, but I'm really glad I gave this one a shot. There are many present-day truths underlined and examined and to top it off, it's funny as hell. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Lamb</i> by Bonnie Nadzam</b>: I'm a sucker for anything compared to <i>Lolita</i> and after I read about <i>Lamb</i>, I picked it up soon after. Nadzam's debut intrigued me from start to finish. It's both lovely and disturbing in a pervy way. I enjoyed it immensely. Nadzam poses questions that she never fully answers, leaving the reader to discern what they will. This one would make for a great book club pick, as it leaves much to discuss. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Travels in the Scriptorium</i></b> <b>by Paul Auster</b>: Auster is easily one of my favorite writers but I found this book to be just. plain. boring. If it weren't so short, I likely wound't have finished it. Goes to show great novelists don't always write good books. </span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-84208690882433252062013-03-12T06:45:00.000-05:002013-03-12T06:45:00.698-05:00Recent Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>The Lifeboat</i> by Charlotte Rogan</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: This book can be summed up in
one passage: "It was not the sea that was cruel, but the people." The
novel was entertaining enough, but it was on the predictable side and
didn't offer anything I haven't read before. If I could go back and
read it again, I wouldn't.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><b><i>My Ideal Bookshelf </i>by Thessaly La Force (art by Jane Mount)</b>: I found this one at <a href="http://www.halfpricebooks.com/">Half Price Books</a>
and scooped it up immediately. It was so much fun to read about the
favorite books of Dave Eggers, Judd Apatow, and Patti Smith, among
others; the books that shaped them and those that helped them grow and
rethink the world around them. Best of all, it got me thinking about my
own ideal bookshelf. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><b><i>A Confederacy of Dunces</i> by John Kennedy Toole</b>: I didn't know much about this novel before I picked it up, with the exception of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Confederacy_of_Dunces#The_difficult_path_to_publication" target="_blank">the incredible story behind its publication</a>.
Turns out, I was in for quite the treat. Ignatius J. Reilly is
obnoxious and crude and utterly hilarious. This book had be laughing out loud - a lot. Fortuna was on my side
when a friend gifted me this novel a few months back. I am also traveling to New Orleans in May and I'm so happy to have read this
before my trip. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br /><b>Vaclav and Lena</b></i><b> by Haley Tanner</b>: This book kept popping up on
"Favorite Love Story" lists around Valentine's Day and I'm so glad it
fell on my radar. This is a sweet, charming love story about two Russian
children who meet in ESL class and are forever connected. Tanner
writers in simple language and a fresh voice; you could probably finish
this one in a day if you wanted to. </span></span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-39954533804549959232013-02-04T06:28:00.000-06:002013-02-06T17:01:19.969-06:00January Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Me Before You </i>by Jojo Moyes</b>: I was told this one would make me cry uncontrollably. Remarkably enough, I did not. With that said, I did find it to be an incredibly touching story that I won't soon forget. If I had known for about its central theme before I purchased it, I don't think I would have bought it. But I'm really happy I did. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore</i> by Robin Sloan</b>: As a big fan of Sloan's short story that inspired this novel, I have to say the book was a bit of a let down. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I felt removed from the story and the characters seemed rather flat. But it does get extra points for a glow in the dark book jacket. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><i>Attachments</i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 24px;"><b> by Rainbow Rowel</b>: I wouldn't have picked this one up on my own, but after reading how much <a href="http://devouringtexts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/devouring-books-attachments-by-rainbow.html" target="_blank">Laura</a> and <a href="http://reading-rambo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/attachments-prepare-yourself-for.html" target="_blank">Alice</a> and <a href="http://whatredread.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/he-said-he-preferred-armageddon-to-sams.html" target="_blank">Alley</a> liked it, I gave it a go. This one was fun to read and had me laughing out loud a lot. A perfectly light and clever read.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Await Your Reply</i> by Dan Chaon:</b> I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one. I'll just tell you that after I watched <i>The Usual Suspects</i> for the first time I wanted to start the movie over immediately upon finishing it to see all the things I missed after knowing the ending. This book is the literary version of that feeling. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="line-height: 24px;"><i>Packing for Mars</i> by Mary Roach:</b><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Mary Roach is really good at writing about science in a way that makes it accessible and really fun to read about. This one will tell you everything you ever wanted to know, and some things you prefer not to know, about humans in space. I didn't find it to be as interesting as </span><i style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2010/10/stiff-curious-life-of-human-cadavers.html" target="_blank">Stiff</a></i><span style="line-height: 24px;">, but I've always been more intrigued by dead people than space.</span></span></span></div>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-25181699714807419102013-01-15T06:38:00.000-06:002013-01-15T06:38:00.907-06:002013 Reading Plans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Starting about</span> last October I began to feel uninspired to write proper reviews of books I read. The task felt more like a chore than a hobby. At first I thought maybe it was just a slump, but four months later I am still struggling. I started to put some thought into this dilemma; regardless of whether I loved the book or barely got through it, all of the sudden it takes a lot to make myself write something about it.<br /><br />I started this blog in 2009 and at that point it didn't have much direction. Near the start of 2010 I began to treat it as a book blog and began reviewing each book I read. Three years and 143 reviews later, I am ready to take a break. I don’t plan to leave completely, but for now I am going to do away with writing a few paragraphs about each book I read and instead opt for something a little more concise. I have yet to decide exactly how I’ll go about this, but it will ultimately involve fewer posts, as I’ll probably group a few books into one post.<br /><br />So in 2013 I have decided to do away with challenges and memes and traditional reviews and get back to reading for the sake of reading.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image via weheartit.com </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Vonnegut will always have a special place in my heart. He was my first
favorite <strike>liberal philosopher</strike> author with whom I fell madly in love. His writing honest, humorous, and incredibly intelligent. Vonnegut has got this knack for
conveying more ideas in one short sentence than most writers can in an
entire novel.<i> </i>His words are powerful and memorable.<i> </i>Although he held a pessimistic view of politics and the modern day world, he believed in the good of human kind.<br /><i><br />Armageddon in Retrospec</i>t
is a collection of essays published posthumously, one year after
Vonnegut's death. The majority of the essays explore the meaning of war
and it's impact on those involved. While there is a focus on WWII and
the bombing of Dresden, Vonnegut's writing is as relevant today as it
was fifty years ago. I especially liked the introduction, written by
Kurt's son, Mark Vonnegut, where he paid tribute to his father and
offered an interesting perspective of a man and his writing:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“He
often said he had to be a writer because he wasn't good at anything
else. He was not good at being an employee. Back in the mid-1950's, he
was employed for Sports Illustrated, briefly. He reported back to work,
was asked to write a short piece on a racehorse that jumped over a fence
and tried to run away. Kurt stared at the blank piece of paper all
morning and then typed, "The horse jumped over the fucking fence," and
walked out, self-employed again.” </span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have to say this wasn't my
favorite collection of Vonnegut's - some stories outshine the others -
but it's worth the read, nonetheless. If you're new to Vonnegut's
essays, I would suggest starting with <i><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/man-without-country-by-kurt-vonnegut.html">A Man Without A Country</a></i>. <br /><br />Publisher: Putnam, 2008</span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-91660169489475131892012-12-26T10:50:00.000-06:002012-12-26T10:50:37.583-06:00Favorite Books Read in 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2012 was a pretty good year in reading for me. I set a goal to read 50 books and as of today I'm at 45, which puts me a little behind pace but I'm alright with that. Below is a list of my favorite books I read in 2012, listed in order. Some are new releases and others are much older.<br /><br />1 . <b><i>Native Son</i> by Richard Wright</b>, 1940: This might be the most powerful book I've read in my adulthood thus far. Not only is this an explicit and heart-wrenching account of the perils of the black man in 1930's America (and in some cases, they story is also relevant today), but it is truly a page-turner. Despite the brutal and affecting details, I was completely engrossed in this book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. <b><i>Where'd You Go, Bernadette</i> by Maria Semple</b>, 2012: I don’t have anything profound to say about this novel, except that I enjoyed it immensely. Bernadette is certainly one of the more memorable characters I’ve read this year<span style="font-size: small;">; s</span>he has her flaws but is completely likeable at the same time. The novel as a whole is funny, sharp-witted, and immensely readable.<br /><br />3. <b><i>11/22/63</i> by Stephen King, </b>2011: The premise of the novel is what initially drew me to this book, but in the end the reasons I adored it so much was not because it was a time travel novel (I'm a serious sucker for those) but because it was truly moving and really made me think about destiny how the choices we make today change our future in a way we can't even imagine.<br /><br />4. <b><i>East of Eden</i> by John Steinbeck</b>, 1952: Steinbeck's prose is straightforward and his setting rich. The novel spans three generations of two families and although it's a thick book, it is not at all hard to follow and reads a lot quicker than I thought it would. The novel delights and engages from start to finish.<br /><br />5. <b><i>People Who Eat Darkenss</i> by Ricahrd Llyod Parry</b>, 2012: I didn't expect to read this one in just a few days, but it was just so fascinating. This non-fiction book reads like fiction and follows the disappearance of Lucie Blackman; a young English woman who moves to Toyko in hopes of a more exciting life. It turns out, this is much more than a true crime book. It's also a lens for what happens behind closed doors in eastern culture, like an anthropological look at the darker, hidden aspects of this culture and their obsession with ritual and role play.<br /><br />6. <b><i>The Round House</i> by Louise Erdrich</b>, 2012: When I first heard about this novel I pegged it for a powerful book that could expose me to a way of living with which I was not very familiar and Erdrich delivered. This is a story that will pull at your heart strings and make you reconsider the rights and tangle of laws surrounding Native Americans.<br /><br />7.<i> </i><b><i>Gone Girl</i> by Gillian Flynn</b>, 2012: This was probably the most widely talked about book of 2012, and for good reason. I had so much fun reading it mostly because Flynn is really good at setting you up to believe one thing and then turning it around completely, leaving your head spinning.<br /><br />8. <b><i>Moon Palace</i> by Paul Auster</b>, 1990: This is a book that offers unlikely adventure, a bit of mystery, and a whole lot of heartache. As always, the characterization of Auster's main character is incredibly believable, but also unconventional. The plethora of characters and events of the novel are whimsical and odd, but also complex and exuberant, making for a fun and intelligent read.<br /><br />9. <b><i>Ham on Rye</i> by Charles Bukowski</b>, 1982: Ham on Rye is a semi-autobiographical novel of Bukowski's childhood; it's a coming-of-age story, but it's quite different from most other novels I've read in that genre. The prose is straightforward but powerful, the diction is crude but intriguing. The novel as a whole is about the awkwardness that is adolescence and growing up in a time when there was little opportunity and making the most out of it.<br /><br />10. <b><i>Love in the Time of Cholera</i> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez</b>, 1985: There is so much to examine throughout this novel. It explores a myriad of human emotions. It's a novel about love, loss, sex, passion, hope, and obsession. Although the chapters go on forever, there is careful attention to detail that I really enjoyed. But this isn't your mushy-gushy love story, not even close. This novel takes patience, but it's worth the effort.</span></span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-29352535206848829432012-12-12T10:35:00.001-06:002012-12-12T10:37:54.262-06:00Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's been a few weeks since I finished this. Actually, more
like a month. After reading a handful of good things about this book I decided
to give it a go. I'm generally not a fan of epistolary novels, but this one
sounded different. The relationship I had with this book was a good one; I finished
it in two days because it was just that pleasurable to read. This is not a book
to be read in short spurts but rather consumed all at once. I don’t have
anything profound to say about it, except that I enjoyed it immensely. Bernadette
is certainly one of the more memorable characters I’ve read this year. She has
her flaws but is completely likeable at the same time. The novel as a whole is funny,
sharp-witted, and immensely readable. </span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More relevant was the cover sheet, which set forth the psychological
profile of candidates best suited to withstand the extreme conditions at the
South Pole. They are “individuals with blasé attitudes and antisocial tendencies,”
and people who “feel comfortable spending lots of time alone in small rooms,” “don’t
feel the need to get outside and exercise,” and the kicker, “can go long
stretches without showering.</span></span></i>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the past twenty years I’ve been in training for
overwintering at the South Pole! I knew I was up to something. </span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was actually sad when this book ended because I enjoyed it
so much. If you’re looking for a novel that you just might fall in love with,
give Semple’s book a try. It’s a gem.<span style="font-size: small;"> And just right. </span></span></span>
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Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-59575531109162678222012-12-07T15:52:00.000-06:002012-12-07T15:53:03.107-06:00A Look at Lena Dunham's Book Proposal<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My presence here has been scarce lately. I need to catch up on reviews and get moving on my best of 2012 list. But until then, please enjoy this gem from Lena Dunham's book proposal. You know, that one for which she got a $3.7 million.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Read Dunham's proposal <a href="http://gawker.com/5966563/here-is-lena-dunhams-37-million-book-proposal" target="_blank">in its entirety here</a>. </span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-73853882279208978702012-11-13T12:02:00.001-06:002012-11-13T12:02:53.817-06:00The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I picked this one up for the RIP challenge, as I've heard it compared to books like <i>Sha</i><i>dow of the Wi</i><i>nd</i> and <i>The Book of Lost Things</i>. I'm pretty sure I'm the last blogger to read this book, so I'm not going
to do much recap. This has been called a book for book lovers as our
narrator, Margaret Lea, is the operator of a bookshop and longtime
bibliophile, preferring the company of books to the company of people. As the novel moves forward, Margaret finds herself working with an
incredibly famous though reclusive author, Vida Winter. Winter has hired <span style="font-size: small;">Margaret</span> to tell <span style="font-size: small;">the author<span style="font-size: small;">'s</span></span> untold life story. The novel holds certain parallels to Victorian classics that are mentioned throughout; most notably
<i>Jane Eyre</i>, <i>Wuthering H<span style="font-size: small;">eights</span></i> and <i>The Turn of the Screw</i>, to name a few. <br /><br />For me, the narrative had a few moments of suspense but overall I
found the twists underwhelming and the plot filled with conveniences.
The biggest problem that I had with the book was that I found it to be
over-narrated; characters and ideas rarely spoke for themselves, instead
our narrator told us everything, including the obvious, and never let
me assess things for myself. The narration made the story too
accessible, giving it an almost juvenile, corny feel:
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Everybody has a story. It's like families. You might not know who they are, might have lost them, but they exist all the same. You might drift apart or you might turn your back on them, but you can't say you haven't got them. Same goes for stories.</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Aside from that it was an
engaging story in parts, but lacking in its delivery. I know I'm in the
minority with this one, it just didn't do it for me. </span></span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-22334194896534643272012-11-09T07:31:00.000-06:002012-11-09T07:31:00.864-06:00Book Riot Readers’ Top 50 Favorite Novels<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You know I'm a sucker for l<span style="font-size: small;">ists! </span>Awhile back Book Riot asked its readers to vote on their top 3 <span style="font-size: small;">favorite</span> novels. They <span style="font-size: small;">complied</span> the list and <a href="http://bookriot.com/2012/11/01/book-riot-readers-top-50-favorite-novels/" target="_blank">posted the results</a>. Only one of my votes made the list - <i>The Time <span style="font-size: small;">Traveler's</span> Wife</i>. The other <span style="font-size: small;">b<span style="font-size: small;">ooks I voted<span style="font-size: small;"> for</span></span> </span>were Richard Wright's <i>Native Son</i> and Jhumpa Lahiri's <i>The <span style="font-size: small;">Namesake</span></i>. </span></span><br />
<ol>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>To Kill A Mockingbird</i> by Harper Lee (126 votes)</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Pride and Prejudice</i> by Jane Austen</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Jane Eyre</i> by Charlotte Bronte</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <i>Harry Potter</i> series by J.K. Rowling</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Great Gatsby</i> by F. Scott Fitzgerald</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <i>Lord of the Rings</i> series by J.R.R. Tolkien</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Gone With the Wind</i> by Margaret Mitchell</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Wuthering Heights</i> by Emily Bronte</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Book Thief</i> by Markus Zusak</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Catcher in the Rye</i> by J.D. Salinger</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>One Hundred Years of Solitude</i> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Secret History</i> by Donna Tartt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Catch-22</i> by Joseph Heller</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i> by Betty Smith</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i> by Kurt Vonnegut</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>A Prayer for Owen Meany</i> by John Irving</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Stand</i> by Stephen King</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Hobbit</i> by J.R.R. Tolkien</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Anna Karenina</i> by Leo Tolstoy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Infinite Jest</i> by David Foster Wallace</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Persuasion</i> by Jane Austen</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i> by Oscar Wilde</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Brothers Karamozov</i> by Fyodor Dostoevsky</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <i>Outlander</i> series by Diana Gabaldon</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>East of Eden</i> by John Steinbeck</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Shadow of the Wind</i> by Carlos Ruiz Zafon</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Time Traveler’s Wife</i> by Audrey Niffenegger</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>American Gods</i> by Neil Gaiman</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> by Alexandre Dumas</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Fahrenheit 451</i> by Ray Bradbury</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>1984</i> by George Orwell</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Crime and Punishment</i> by Fyodor Dostoevsky</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Little Women</i> by Louisa May Alcott</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Moby-Dick</i> by Herman Melville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Grapes of Wrath</i> by John Steinbeck</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Handmaid’s Tale</i> by Margaret Atwood</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</i> series by Douglas Adams</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Lolita</i> by Vladimir Nabokov</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Rebecca</i> by Daphne du Maurier</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Ulysses</i> by James Joyce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Cloud Atlas</i> by David Mitchell</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> by Stephen Chbosky</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Ender’s Game</i> by Orson Scott Card</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Middlesex</i> by Jeffrey Eugenides</span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</i> by Michael Chabon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Dune</i> by Frank Herbert</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Gilead</i> by Marilynne Robinson</span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Les Miserables</i> by Victor Hugo</span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Night Circus</i> by Erin Morgenstern<i> </i></span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Poisonwood Bible</i> by Barbara Kingsolver (13 votes)</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">How many have you read? Go <a href="http://bookriot.com/2012/11/02/the-book-riot-50-how-many-have-you-read/" target="_blank">over here</a> and let BookRiot know! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also, if you voted, which books did you vote for?</span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-11408225826677211552012-11-08T07:40:00.000-06:002012-11-08T09:29:00.401-06:00RIP VII Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRg8NipxqMA/UEZ-7Jb_KWI/AAAAAAAABIA/YrL97_sDjt0/s1600/rip7400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRg8NipxqMA/UEZ-7Jb_KWI/AAAAAAAABIA/YrL97_sDjt0/s320/rip7400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Halloween has come and gone and with that, I read some fantastically dark and suspenseful book for the <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/r-eaders-i-mbibing-p-eril-vii" target="_blank">RIP VII Challenge</a>. I participated in Peril the Second: </span><span class="Apple-style-span">Read two books, any length, that you feel fits my very broad definition of
scary. It could be Stephen King or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming
or Edgar Allan Poe…or anyone in between. I read three novels, all of which leaned heavily in the mystery/suspense genre:</span></span></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-eyre-affair-by-jasper-fford.html" target="_blank"><i>The Eyre Affair</i>, Jasper Fford</a>:</b> </span>Fford has created an alternate
history in which the lines between reality and fiction become blurred
and people can literally step into the pages of a book, meet its central
characters, and experience the setting for themselves. With that they
can also manipulate the outcome of the novel and even kidnap fictional
characters. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-big-sleep-by-raymond-chandler.html" target="_blank"><i>The Big Sleep</i>, Raymond Chandler</a>:</b> This book was fun to read and
knowing that it was one of the first of its kind, it's even more
impressive. The novel has been adapted into film twice (1946, 1978) with
the first staring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall - so you know it
was a pretty big deal. Bogart of course plays Philip Marlowe, one of the
more memorable characters I've read in while. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><b><i>The Thirteenth Tale</i>, Diane Setterfield:</b> Full review coming soon, but I'm sorry to report this one didn't blow my socks off as many of you predicted it would. It was entertaining but a little too straight forward for my taste. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="color: #444444;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">If you're interested in reading brief reviews of the books I read for RIP last year, <a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2011/11/rip-challenge-complete.html" target="_blank">you can find that here</a>. The books I included for my probabl<span style="font-size: small;">e reads came from <span style="font-size: small;">my list bel<span style="font-size: small;">ow. <span style="font-size: small;">I<span style="font-size: small;"> still plan to read the others list<span style="font-size: small;">ed<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">eventually. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<ul style="color: #444444;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>Rebecca</i>, Daphne DuMarier </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Gun Slinger</i>, Stephen King </span></span></span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Big Sleep</i>, Raymond Chandler</span></span></span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Thirteenth Tale</i>, Diane Setterfield </span></span></span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>Case Histories</i>, Kate Atkinson </span></span></span></li>
<li><strike><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Eyre Affair</i>, Jasper Fford </span></span></span></strike></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>Something Wicked This Way Comes</i>, Ray Bradbury </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>We Have Always Lived In the Castle</i>, Shirley Jackson </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>In The Woods</i>, Tana French </span></span></span> </li>
</ul>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-56531537949575456642012-11-06T06:55:00.000-06:002012-11-06T06:55:00.714-06:00The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtucymNMWpo/UIA9GOr8zJI/AAAAAAAABMI/p6HOYlTr31E/s1600/sleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtucymNMWpo/UIA9GOr8zJI/AAAAAAAABMI/p6HOYlTr31E/s1600/sleep.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by
things like that, oil and water were the same as wind and air to you.
You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you
died or where you fell."</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Raymond Chandler is considered to be one
of the founders of the "hard-boiled" genre, setting the stage for
several generations of crime writers. This book was fun to read and
knowing that it was one of the first of its kind, it's even more
impressive. The novel has been adapted into film twice (1946, 1978) with
the f<span style="font-size: small;">irst</span> staring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall - so you know it
was a pretty big deal. Bogart of course plays Philip Marlowe, one of the
more memorable characters I've read in while. He lives in a corrupt
world that driven him to become cynical; he's hard-drinking lady killer
who also happens to be a private detective. Chandler himself admitted to
the unbelievability of Marlowe's character when he wrote, “The private
detective of fiction is a fantastic creation who acts and
speaks like a real man. He can be
completely realistic in every sense but one, that one sense being
that in life as we know it such a man would not be a private detective.”<br /><br />I
do not think this unbelievability took away from the novel as whole. In
fact, it is this lead character and the overall atmosphere of the novel
that carries it. The atmosphere is gorgeous and
descriptive and everything has that old Hollywood vibe. Although the
novel takes place in LA, the setting is less concerned with the city as
it is with its immediate surroundings; lavish mansions overlooking the
Hollywood hills, clubs that look <span style="font-size: small;">swanky</span> by night and seedy by day, and
of course Marlowe's own dingy office. Added bonus: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I did not predict the ending before it was revealed,
which made it even more fun.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />I will say that I had to pay
careful attention to the plot throughout, as it changes often, taking
more turns than any other 250 page novel I've read. If I lost
concentration for even a page I had to go back and reread it, because
you better believe something happened to change the direction of the
storyline. Aside from the somewhat confusing plot, I have no complaints.
Among his other novels, Chandler wrote a total of seven Philip Marlowe
titles. <i>The Big Sleep</i> was the first, and I definitely plan to read more. <br /><br />Publisher: Vintage Crime, 1939</span></span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-50742432814593610362012-10-23T13:46:00.001-05:002012-10-23T14:02:06.226-05:00Post Office by Charles Bukowski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEpXsoyzYJs/UFtm305QhPI/AAAAAAAABKY/bUrBRuQgCr0/s1600/po.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEpXsoyzYJs/UFtm305QhPI/AAAAAAAABKY/bUrBRuQgCr0/s1600/po.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer128783866"><span id="freeText15939036149035881463"><i> <span style="font-size: large;">"I didn't make for an interesting person. I didn't want to be interesting, it was too hard."</span></i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Post Office</i> is Bukowski's first novel. <span style="font-size: small;">Up until <span style="font-size: small;">it was published he was <span style="font-size: small;">focused on<span style="font-size: small;"> writing poetry. </span></span></span></span></span>I finished this book about four weeks ago and never got around to writing a review. I just starting reading Bukowski this year, and he's quite the guy.<i> Post Office</i> follows Bukowski's alter ego, Henry Chianski, while he's an employee of the US post office. There isn't much in terms of plot. Instead, we follow Henry through his day-to-day; waking up with hangovers, dragging himself to work, seducing women, boozing, and repeating it all the next day. (Bukowski himself worked at the US post office for 11 years before he quit at the age of 50 to pursue writing full-time.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bukowski</span> is very direct in terms of language and subject matter - he discusses sex, women, and booze in a way that would easily offend a lot of people. I admit t<span style="font-size: small;">here were certain <span style="font-size: small;">passages that grossed me out<span style="font-size: small;"> - like</span> <span style="font-size: small;">when he discusse<span style="font-size: small;">d h<span style="font-size: small;">is bowel movements with <span style="font-size: small;">adjectives l<span style="font-size: small;">ike "goo<span style="font-size: small;">d" and "hot".</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> But <span style="font-size: small;">I also </span>I found some of these bits to be humorous and smart - exposing human nature in an honest a<span style="font-size: small;">nd amusing</span> way.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"The midget was married to a <span style="font-size: small;">very beau<span style="font-size: small;">tiful girl. When she was in her teens she go<span style="font-size: small;">t a coke bottle trapped in her <span style="font-size: small;">p*ssy and had to go to a doctor to get it out, and, l<span style="font-size: small;">ike in all small towns, the word got out about the coke <span style="font-size: small;">bottle<span style="font-size: small;">, the p<span style="font-size: small;">oor girl was shunned<span style="font-size: small;">, and the<span style="font-size: small;"> midget was the only taker. He'd ended up with the best piece of ass in town."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><quote about="about" bottle="bottle"></quote></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Post Office</i> is about a drifter, an alcoholic who doesn't aspire to be anything more than he <span style="font-size: small;">already is. It's dry, it's crude and it's rough<span style="font-size: small;">; it's filled with <span style="font-size: small;">profanities<span style="font-size: small;">, violence, and sex.</span></span></span> Bu<span style="font-size: small;">kowski <span style="font-size: small;">supposedly</span> wrote <span style="font-size: small;">the novel in just three weeks after Black Sparrow Press offered to pay him<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> to quit<span style="font-size: small;"> the post office to write <span style="font-size: small;">full<span style="font-size: small;">-time.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> I have to say I enjoyed <a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2012/06/ham-on-rye-by-charles-bukowski.html" target="_blank"><i>Ham on Rye</i></a> more than this one because it was more plot focused and less of <span style="font-size: small;">a <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">character</span> study,</span></span> but i<span style="font-size: small;">f you like Bukowski,</span> <i>Post Office</i> is still worth the read. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">Publisher: Ecco, 1971</span></span>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-2138401846330054462012-10-18T15:31:00.000-05:002012-10-18T16:59:41.733-05:00The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling: A Late Read-Along Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYkmsjSTbCY/UFp0DGwygMI/AAAAAAAABJ8/4et5Bi3G9p8/s1600/ReadalongImage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYkmsjSTbCY/UFp0DGwygMI/AAAAAAAABJ8/4et5Bi3G9p8/s400/ReadalongImage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alright, a week after I was supposed to, I finished <i>The Casual Vacancy</i>.
Am I glad I read it? Yes. Will it be one of my favorite reads this year?
No. I liked the end well enough; it was powerful and memorable (albeit a
bit contrived), but the rest of the novel was on the slower side. I
felt the middle could have been edited down, as there were large
sections that dragged. I will say if you have the perseverance to make
your way though the middle, I think you'll be happy you did by the end.
But the getting there was though for me; whenever I'd put down the book,
I wasn't dying to pick it back up. I'm not exactly sure if it was me or
the book but regardless, I felt no sense of urgency to finish this.
(Clearly, as I missed our last read-along post, and I was hosting.)<br /><br />Before the book was released, critics joked that an alternate title
for the novel could have been <i>Mugglemarch</i>, pointing to it's similarities
to George Eliot's <i>Middlemarch</i>, a book I've read twice and respect
greatly. The main similarity I noted between <i>The Casual Vacancy</i> and
Eliot's classic is that both revolve around a plethora of characters who
are all interconnected in a web of dishonesty. That, and both novels
lean towards the depressing side of human nature. But that's human
nature; it's irrational, selfish, and ignorant. Rowling's novel explores
this less than glamorous side of human nature, exposing its weaknesses
through a number of imperfect characters. </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He never seemed to grasp the immense mutability of human nature, nor to
appreciate that behind every nondescript face lay a wild and unique
hinterland like his own.
</span></span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last thing I want to do is
compare <i>The Casual Vacancy</i> to <i>Harry Potter</i> but what I will say is that
if anything, <i>Harry Potter</i> proved that not only does Rowling have an incredible
imagination, but she's got a gift for conveying her richly imagined worlds through
her writing. In my opinion, there was nothing very imaginative about
this novel. Of the ideas she presented, there was nothing new in the way
she brought them forth. I did not feel challenged while reading her
book (if you don't count my difficulty to finish it) and it all felt a
bit mundane. What I will say is Rowling proved she can write adult
fiction and she can write it well - her prose is crafted beautifully
and her characters are well developed. I'm just hoping that her next
novel is more absorbing and a little less trite. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Publisher: Little, Brown 2012 </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Read my initial thoughts on the novel <a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-casual-vacancy-read-along-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I'd also like to thank Beth at <a href="http://bookwormmeetsbookworm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bookworm Meets Bookworm</a> once more for co-hosting the read-along and for designing the lovely button you see above. </span></span>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-6372377908303093192012-10-11T06:30:00.000-05:002012-10-11T06:30:05.507-05:00The Casual Vacancy: A Read-Along Part 2 (Sort Of)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYkmsjSTbCY/UFp0DGwygMI/AAAAAAAABJ8/4et5Bi3G9p8/s1600/ReadalongImage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYkmsjSTbCY/UFp0DGwygMI/AAAAAAAABJ8/4et5Bi3G9p8/s400/ReadalongImage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today </span><strike style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we</strike><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> you are posting our final thoughts on </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Casual Vacancy</i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>.</b> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, you guys, I'm just going to come out and say it; I did not finish the book. This is not a DNF because it's horrible, it's a momentary DNF because I have been crunched for time. I am a terrible host and I apologize, because it's a total buzz kill to sign up for a read-along and then have a terrible host. I could get into things like the 3-day wedding festivities I partook in over the weekend and the extra hours I've been putting in at work, but I'll just say I feel like an ass and that's that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please feel free to link up your final thoughts below. I will post my final thoughts upon completion and come back to the linkup to read yours. Until then, please accept my apologies and know that I feel terrible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?owner=brenkalm&postid=11Oct2012" type="text/javascript"></script>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-5551805650948720242012-10-04T07:00:00.000-05:002012-10-04T07:00:04.884-05:00The Casual Vacancy: A Read-Along Part 1<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/10/2/1349204632853/JK-Rowlings-The-Casual-Va-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/10/2/1349204632853/JK-Rowlings-The-Casual-Va-008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Today we are posting our general and early impressions of the novel with NO spoilers. So even if you aren't participating in the read-along, feel free to read on!</b><br /><br />It has been one week since <i>The Casual Vacancy</i> was published and I've made it through the first third of the novel. I was a bit overwhelmed with the first few chapters, as we were introduced to a new character on every page, or so it seemed. As I read on things started to come together, only to become a bit stagnant. Yes, so far, I am not head over heels. This isn't to say it's bad; Rowlings writing is fantastic. She can certainly capture a feeling or detail in a way that allows me to imagine it wholly. However, in terms of plot and even character development it feels a little bland. To be fair though, I am only a third of the way through and I have no doubt things will (hopefully) pick up.<br /><br />From what I've read so far, one device that stands out is Rowling's portrayal of Pagford and its foil, Yarvil. Pagford represents the "English idyll... cupped in a hallow between three hills, one of which was crested with the remains of the twelfth-century abbey. A thin river snaked around the edge of the hill and through town, straddled by a toy stone bridge." Of course this is in contrast to the long-hated town of Yarvil, filled with unemployed drug addicts who frequent rehab. When social worker Kay Bawden visits a family in Yarvil, she notes the griminess of it all:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Bits of rubbish had tumbled or been scattered over the scrubby patch of lawn, but the bulk of it remained piled beneath one of the two downstairs windows. A bald tire sat in the middle of the lawn... After ringing the doorbell, Kay noticed a used condom glistening in the grass beside her feet, like the gossamer cocoon of some huge grub.</i></span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my opinion, Rowling has succeeded in establishing a detailed and impressive sense of place that encompasses these two contrasting towns - now I'd like to see where this leads. Like I mentioned before, as far as characters go, there are many. I'm starting to get a better sense of what drives each and exactly how varied they all are. Thus far, I'd have to say I really enjoy Andrew. Maybe I have taken a liking because he is an underdog of sorts, or maybe it's because I find his thoughts damn funny. Either way, I look forward to learning what Andrew has got in store for us. It seems as though he may turn out to be a moderator of sorts, in contrast to his hard-headed father.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In addition, I would like to address all the body parts Rowling describes; we have encountered, thus far, balls, penises, breasts, and boners. We read a confession from a virgin who exclaims "Lots of pushing to get in properly. It's tighter than I thought". These descriptions don't feel out of place and I think they add even more color to an already diverse novel. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />All in all, do I love <i>The Casual Vacancy</i>? Not yet, though it may be too soon to tell. What I will say is I'm happy to read something so different from Harry Potter. Regardless of any expectations I had going into this, I was not expecting a story like this. And for that, I'd like to congratulate Rowling.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you are participating in the read-along, feel free to link up your first post below! We will be posting our final thoughts next Thursday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?owner=brenkalm&postid=04Oct2012" type="text/javascript"></script>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-8699721779724326712012-10-02T15:51:00.001-05:002012-10-02T15:51:27.563-05:00The Round House by Louise Erdrich<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfD0L2E25SA/UGtIG9K1NdI/AAAAAAAABLo/tJojN5f9wtY/s1600/round+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfD0L2E25SA/UGtIG9K1NdI/AAAAAAAABLo/tJojN5f9wtY/s320/round+house.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>One of the most
revered novelists of our time—a brilliant chronicler of Native-American
life—Louise Erdrich returns to the territory of her bestselling, Pulitzer Prize
finalist The Plague of Doves with The Round House, transporting readers to the
Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota. It is an exquisitely told story of a boy on
the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a
terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family. Riveting and
suspenseful, arguably the most accessible novel to date from the creator of
Love Medicine, The Beet Queen, and The Bingo Palace, Erdrich’s The Round House
is a page-turning masterpiece of literary fiction—at once a powerful
coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a tender, moving novel of family, history,
and culture.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>The Round House</i>
was the first Louis Erdrich novel I have read and I’m already looking forward to
reading more. In this novel, Erdrich examines the Ojibwe's modern-day culture,
the discrimination they face, and the conflicts and complications of their
justice system as a result of jurisdiction. Specifically, if a crime is committed
against an Ojibwe member on non-Native American soil, the crime cannot be tried
in the Ojibwe legal system. When I first heard about this novel I pegged it for
a powerful book that could expose me to a </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">way of living with which I was not very familiar and Erdrich delivered. This is a novel that will pull at your heart strings and make you reconsider the rights and tangle of laws </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">surrounding Native Americans. </span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"We want the right to prosecute criminals of all races
on all lands within our original boundaries... What i am doing now is for the
future, though it may seem small, or trivial, or boring, to you."</span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">First and foremost, <i>The
Round House</i> is a coming-of-age story narrated by thirteen-year-old Joe Bazil, who
is young enough to not yet be a man but too old to be considered just a kid. We
as readers piece together and understand details of the crime and his family’s
unfolding just as he does. There is something to be said about an innocent
narrator who doesn’t deserve the reality with which he is faced and the amount
of sympathy we as readers feel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The title of the book itself refers to a sacred meeting place, where the Ojibwe gather to
worship and hold significant gatherings. In this novel, the Round House is also
the scene of a heinous crime. (Not a spoiler – this is revealed in the first
100 pages.) The fact that sacred space saw such a horrible crime highlights the
underlying Ojibwe traditions that were violated as a result of this crime, in addition to
the Bazil family itself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Among other things, I enjoyed that Erdich weaves details of the
traditions and stories of Ojibwe culture into the narrative. In the novel ghost expose themselves and wendigos seek to possess humans. Erdich
also emphasizes the tremendous support extended families provide for one
another in this culture. All in all, this is a story about injustices and how a
family pulls together in the wake of tragedy. It’s a story of redemption and
speaks to the prejudice many Native American women face across our nation. If
you do read this novel, and I recommend that you do, be sure to read the afterward;
it details sobering statistics that I think would be considered spoilers if I
included them here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Publisher: Harper, 2012</span></span></div>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-55307481133818116352012-09-20T06:55:00.000-05:002012-09-20T06:55:00.041-05:00JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy: A Read-Along<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYkmsjSTbCY/UFp0DGwygMI/AAAAAAAABJ8/4et5Bi3G9p8/s1600/ReadalongImage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYkmsjSTbCY/UFp0DGwygMI/AAAAAAAABJ8/4et5Bi3G9p8/s400/ReadalongImage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beth at </span><a href="http://bookwormmeetsbookworm.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Bookworm Meets Bookworm</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and I are so excited about the release of Rowling's first novel for adults that we decided to host a read-along! We both knew we'd read it </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">immediately</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> upon its release, so it only makes sense to ask you to join in and read it with us! If you've been living under a rock, the synopsis of the novel is as follows:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?</span></i>
</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As far as read-alongs go, this one will be pretty informal, with just two posts. Since this will most likely be a novel we can burn through, we've allotted two weeks for the schedule. The novel will be published a week from today, Thursday, September 27th. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The first post will be Thursday, October 4th</b> and will include first impressions and general thoughts, really anything you'd like to discuss is fair game but NO SPOILERS! Since there isn't a set page number you need to get to before the first post, we don't want to ruin anything for anyone else participating.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The second and final post will be Thursday, October 11th</b> when we will wrap up the discussion with our overall impression of the novel. This may include an examination of its themes and motifs, character development, or how you felt about Rowling's first first novel for adults compared to the Harry Potter phenomenon she created. Again, you can discuss anything you want and at this point, and spoilers are fair game. This probably goes wihtout saying, but when you post final thoughts you should have the novel completed.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay, formalities aside, we really just planned this read-along as a means to have fun and promote discussion! If you are thinking about reading the novel right away and want to join in, grab the button and link up! Also a big thanks to Beth for making an awesome button! </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?owner=brenkalm&postid=20Sep2012" type="text/javascript"></script>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-23422427686498734342012-09-17T11:52:00.000-05:002012-09-17T11:55:01.179-05:00The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I-3gF6Nbc2s/UD4-1woYtFI/AAAAAAAABHQ/wICcQVxJROU/s1600/eyreaffair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I-3gF6Nbc2s/UD4-1woYtFI/AAAAAAAABHQ/wICcQVxJROU/s1600/eyreaffair.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: large;">“Governments and fashions come and go but Jane Eyre is for all time.” </span></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br />I'm a little late to the Thursday Next party, but I'm happy to now be a part of it! <i>The Eyre Affair</i> is the first novel of the Thursday Next Series and it was such a fun read. Fford has created an alternate history in which the lines between reality and fiction become blurred and people can literally step into the pages of a book, meet its central characters, and experience the setting for themselves. With that they can also manipulate the outcome of the novel and even kidnap fictional characters. Enter LiteraTec Thursday Next, a literary protector of sorts, working to maintain the authenticity of great works of literature. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><i>The barriers between reality and fiction are softer than we thing; a bit like a frozen lake. Hundreds of people can walk across it, but then one evening a thin spot develops and someone falls through; the hole is frozen over by the following morning.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">If you haven't already guessed, this is definitely a book for book lovers as it's filled with literary references. I don't want to give away much of the plot, because the not knowing is what makes it so enjoyable. The story is incredibly imaginative and odd, but I mean that in the best possible way. I will say it took me about 100 plus pages to really get into the book, so don't get discouraged if you pick it up and feel confused or removed; if you keep going I promise you will be rewarded in the second half of the novel. I should also mention you'll probably enjoy this book much more if you have already read or are very familiar with <i>Jane Eyre</i>. I wouldn't say Rochester and Jane are main characters per se, but their story is at the forefront of the novel (hence the title<i> The Eyre Affair</i>) and the bits in which they appeared were among my favorite parts of the book. Fford did a great job maintaining the genuine feel of the characters and I appreciated the novel that much more because of those details. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br />All in all this was a fun, substantial read. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys studying literature and those who love <i>Jane Eyre</i>. A special thanks to <a href="http://whatredread.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alley</a> for recommending this book so highly. There are currently a total of seven books in the Thursday Next series and I look forward to picking up the second, <i>Lost In a Good Book</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Publisher: Penguin, 2001</span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-78966899645805103882012-09-11T15:25:00.000-05:002012-09-11T15:25:10.425-05:00Books That Make You Think<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7apxZr_XcPE/UE-Ys5Tjv1I/AAAAAAAABJI/t_DSstzaub4/s1600/189995677999723607_Ic32Zuc3_c_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7apxZr_XcPE/UE-Ys5Tjv1I/AAAAAAAABJI/t_DSstzaub4/s400/189995677999723607_Ic32Zuc3_c_large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This week's <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-ten-tuesday-books-that-make-you.html" target="_blank">top ten Tuesday</a> gives me a chance to highlight some of my favorite kinds of books; those that make you think. Allow me to elaborate - these are books that examine an issue that doesn't have a "right" or "wrong" answer ; these books present both sides of an issue, open your eyes to it, and make you really think about about where you stand, or make you question what you thought you believed in the first place. For me, these books tend to be the most powerful and the most memorable. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2012/01/native-son-by-richard-wright.html" target="_blank"><i>Native Son</i> by Richard Wright</a> / What you'll consider: Civil rights; discrimination in the American judicial system; racism; generational poverty<br />
<br /><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2010/08/zeitoun-by-dave-eggers.html" target="_blank"><i>Zeitoun</i> by Dave Eggers</a> / What you'll consider: What in means to be an American Muslim post 9/11; racial profiling; hypocrisy of governments<br />
<br /><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2012/04/people-who-eat-darkness-by-richard.html" target="_blank"><i>People Who Eat Darkness</i> by Richard Llyod Parry</a>
/ What you'll consider: Eastern vs. Western culture in terms of media,
law, sexual behavior and government; how culture determines gender roles<br />
<br />
<a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2011/10/submission-by-amy-waldman.html" target="_blank"><i>The Submission</i> by Amy Waldman</a> / What you'll consider: What it means to be an American Muslim post 9/11; government propaganda;<span> the non-apologetic attitude of modern-day America</span>; the irrationality of certain post 9/11 fears</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
<br /><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/them-by-joyce-carol-oates.html" target="_blank"><i>them</i> by Joyce Carol Oates</a> / What you'll consider: </span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Poverty in America; class struggle; the role of women<br /><br /><i>Animal Farm</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> by George Orwell / What you'll consider: The problems
that arise from absolute power/totalitarian regimes; political
corruption; the human desire for power<br /><br /><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2011/05/middlesex-by-jeffery-eugenides.html" target="_blank"><i>Middlesex</i> by Jeffrey Eugindes </a>/ What you'll consider: Cultural history; divided identities; the impact one has on the lives around him or her; gender vs. sex<br /><i><br />
11/22/63</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> by Stephen King / What you'll consider: The power of "what
if;" the idea that the past it obdurate; </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /><a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2011/04/reluctant-fundamentalist-by-mohsin.html"><i>The Reluctant Fundamentalist</i> by Moshin Hamid</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
/ What you'll consider: What it means to be a Muslim in post 9/11
America; the ever-changing American landscape and its consequences</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><i>Life of Pi</i> by Yann Martel / What you'll consider: Faith; religion; free will </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">As I said, these kind of books tend to be my favorite kind of read, so please feel free to leave any recommendations in the comments! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/33149296/via/paula_hopker" target="_blank">image via weheartit.</a></span></span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-65346745972012856332012-09-06T17:24:00.001-05:002012-09-06T17:24:19.327-05:00Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ld_zmQfkSc/UEkhrcpVhXI/AAAAAAAABIw/IW49rW4FPEM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ld_zmQfkSc/UEkhrcpVhXI/AAAAAAAABIw/IW49rW4FPEM/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Oh where to begin. I should start by telling you how I came across this title. Ben at <a href="http://www.deadendfollies.com/" target="_blank">Dead End Follies</a> is hosting a year-long reading challenge called <a href="http://www.deadendfollies.com/2011/11/smooth-criminals-reading-challenge-for.html" target="_blank">Smooth Criminals</a> that I'm taking part in. The challenge focuses on literary crime fiction and one of the categories is to read a work by a writer who did time. Upon googling authors who spent time in prison I stumbled across <a href="http://listverse.com/2008/08/08/10-literary-geniuses-who-went-to-jail/" target="_blank">10 Literary Geniuses Who Went To Jail</a>. Upon further Googling I found that not only did genet go to prison, but he wrote one of his novels, <i>Our Lady of the Flowers</i>, while he was in there:<br /><br />"Jean Genet's first, and arguably greatest, novel was written while he was in prison. As Sartre recounts in his introduction, Genet penned this work on the brown paper which inmates were supposed to use to fold bags as a form of occupational therapy. The masterpiece he managed to produce under those difficult conditions is a lyrical portrait of the criminal underground of Paris and the thieves, murderers and pimps who occupied it. Genet approached this world through his protagonist, Divine, a male transvestite prostitute. In the world of Our Lady of the Flowers, moral conventions are turned on their head. Sinners are portrayed as saints and when evil is not celebrated outright, it is at least viewed with a benign indifference. Whether one finds Genet's work shocking or thrilling, the novel remains almost as revolutionary today as when it was first published in 1943 in a limited edition, thanks to the help of one its earliest admirers, Jean Cocteau.</span><span style="font-size: small;">"</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />I thought this all sounded quite interesting and unlike anything I've ever read. A male transvestite prostitute as the protagonist? Thieves, murderers, and pimps? I'm in. So I bought the novel at <a href="http://www.halfpricebooks.com/" target="_blank">Half Price Books</a> and even after reading a few pages I knew I'd been right - this was unlike any other book I've read before. To start, the prose is shockingly beautiful. It reads like a poem, lyrical and rhythmic. Since I read a translated edition I can only assume that the original French edition read even more handsomely, but kudos to the translator.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Now, describing the plot is where is gets a little sticky. It's not straightforward in the least. It is dreamlike and almost follows a stream of conscious, but not exactly 100% of the time. It seems to come and go; </span><span style="font-size: small;">we read Genet's thoughts as he lets himself succumb to them on the one hand, building his own fantasies through the stories of Divine, but the work as a whole seems to speak to the isolation of oneself and the gift of our freedom of thought once it's removed from the hustle bustle of the everyday.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> It highlights the possibilities of fantasy and our ability to create magic when hurling our thoughts full-force ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The whole world is dying of of panicky fright. Five million young men of all tongues will die by the cannon that erects and discharges. But where I am I can muse in comfort at the lovely dead of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Anyhow, that doesn't really sum up much. The novel is actually quite erotic as Genet's thoughts often tend toward the sexual. Much of it is a meditation on masturbation; an act I can only assume occurs often in prison. This is a novel about passion and intimacy; there are some raunchy bits but they are written so tastefully. It makes sense why Genet may focus on these ideas while in prison, deprived of any sort of physical sexual activity, he chose to write about it as a means of fulfillment and a means of escape. That's how I understand it at least.<br /><br />This one definitely begs for a reread because there are so many ideas to digest and consider. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to read something a little different,with ideas that may be a little outside or his or her comfort zone. I'd also push this on anyone who has a passion for eloquently written verse-like language. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Publisher: Grove Press, 1951 </span></div>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-36896516463250978352012-09-05T13:46:00.001-05:002012-09-17T17:29:32.454-05:00RIP VII: It's Here! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRg8NipxqMA/UEZ-7Jb_KWI/AAAAAAAABIA/YrL97_sDjt0/s1600/rip7400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRg8NipxqMA/UEZ-7Jb_KWI/AAAAAAAABIA/YrL97_sDjt0/s320/rip7400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">You guys! <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/r-eaders-i-mbibing-p-eril-vii" target="_blank">RIP is back!</a> Which means</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> my favorite season is upon us! I know every year around this time I gush about Fall but I can't help it! After a long, hot summer I just love the crisp air, apple picking, scarves, leaves... the list goes on! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Anyhow, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">RIP. It starts September 1st and ends October 31st. To participate, you can
read books that fall in the genre of: mystery, suspense, thriller, dark
fantasy, Gothic, horror and supernatural. As always, there are multiple
perils. This year, since I am a bit behind in my other challenges and I have a few ARC's headed my way that I'm really excited about, I am going to participate in Peril the Second:</span>
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<br /><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Read two books, any length, that you feel fit (my very broad definitions) of <span style="background-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">R.I.P</span>. literature. It could be Stephen King or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming or Edgar Allan Poe…or anyone in between.</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">If you're interested in reading brief reviews of the books I read for RIP last year, <a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2011/11/rip-challenge-complete.html" target="_blank">you can find that here</a>. The books I read this year will most likely come from the list below. </span></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>Rebecca</i>, Daphne DuMarier </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Gun Slinger</i>, Stephen King </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Big Sleep</i>, Raymond Chandler</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Thirteenth Tale</i>, Diane Setterfield </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>Case Histories</i>, Kate Atkinson </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Eyre Affair</i>, Jasper Fford </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>Something Wicked This Way Comes</i>, Ray Bradbury </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>We Have Always Lived In the Castle</i>, Shirley Jackson </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>In The Woods</i>, Tana French </span></span></span> </li>
</ul>
Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-68118978506324503782012-08-29T15:19:00.001-05:002012-08-29T15:22:35.354-05:00The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oGXvPLXmFYg/UD55Nl58nYI/AAAAAAAABHo/-_Bnrax2AwA/s1600/prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oGXvPLXmFYg/UD55Nl58nYI/AAAAAAAABHo/-_Bnrax2AwA/s320/prince.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: small;"><i>A mysterious house harbors an unimaginable secret. . . . It’s
wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they
live and move to a small coastal village where they’ve recently bought a
home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things
begin to happen. In that mysterious house there still lurks the spirit
of Jacob, the previous owners’ son, who died by drowning. With
the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to
explore the suspicious circumstances of that death and discover the
existence of a mysterious being called The Prince of Mist—a diabolical
character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from
the past. Soon the three friends find themselves caught up in an
adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden, which will
change their lives forever.</i><br /><br />Shortly after I finished <a href="http://literarymusings-blog.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-prisoner-of-heaven-by-carlos-ruiz.html" target="_blank"><i>The Prisoner of Heaven</i></a> I came across <i>The Prince of Mist</i> at <a href="http://www.halfpricebooks.com/" target="_blank">Half Price Books</a>. It's the first novel Zafon published and since I was still on a high from his latest, I snatched it up. <i>The Prince of Mist</i>
is a young adult thriller and while it made for a quick, fun read I
think I would have enjoyed it more if had I read it when I was younger.
It felt a bit too juvenile for my taste. There were definitely parts of
the short novel that creeped me out, and Zafon did a good job pulling me
into the story from the start, but having read his adult novels, this
one felt a little too basic and a little too transparent by comparison. <br />
<br />
On the positive front, I will say that Zafon brought a strong sense of
place to the forefront of the novel, just as he does in his adult works.
The beach house, complete with a cemetery of stone figures, the sunken
ship in the bay and the lighthouse overlooking the area made for an
eerie and memorable landscape. He also included a few twists to keep
it interesting. Plain and simple, this is a fun little read. I just
prefer Zafon's adult stuff better. Recommended, to my 12-year-old self. </span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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Publisher: Weidenfield & Nicolson, 1993</span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-22135362401282330682012-08-27T07:12:00.000-05:002012-08-27T07:12:00.448-05:00One Month Until The Casual Vacancy, You Guys!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Today marks exactly one month until the release of <i>The Casual Vacancy</i>, JK Rowling's first novel for adults. I couldn't be more excited. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-We3qyL7EYoA/UDZAfyROYaI/AAAAAAAABG0/FNEzI4AxK3Q/s1600/kristen.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-We3qyL7EYoA/UDZAfyROYaI/AAAAAAAABG0/FNEzI4AxK3Q/s400/kristen.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The synopsis definitely piques my interest - much more than the bland looking cover does anyway. I'm happy the novel will take place in England, because it just wouldn't feel JK Rowling-ish if it didn't. Cobblestones? Check. Wonderfully traditional English sounding names? Check. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the
little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an
English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but
what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with
poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their
husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it
first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon
becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who
will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and
unexpected revelations?</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Sounds promising, right? I'm trying not to get my hopes too high, but it's JK Rowling and it's really hard not to expect greatness. I'll try not to compare her new novel to her best selling series, but I will say I hope it is just as imaginative. It seems Rowling herself doesn't want any comparisons to her earlier works, even when it comes to her marketing. B&N Vice President Patricia Bostelman says of the "left in the dark" marketing approach of Little, Brown, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> "Apparently much of their behavior is at J.K. Rowling's wishes." Rowling "has very strong opinions on how she wants publishing
of the book handled. She's trying not to live on the laurels of Harry
Potter and very much wants to have this book stand alone, on its own
merit, just as if she were just any other author who was landing on the
scene." Except it's JK Rowling, and she most certainly isn't "any other author."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Beth from <a href="http://bookwormmeetsbookworm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bookworm Meets Bookworm</a> and I talked about doing a read-along that would start right around, or on, the novel's release date. More details to come on that... </span>Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780185535345559390noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6331403748871569013.post-45805634657171955722012-08-24T06:57:00.000-05:002012-08-24T06:57:00.768-05:00A Bulldog Gets Stuck In A Bookshelf<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Friday! Enjoy.</span><br />
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