Greetings, fellow readers! I hope that all of you celebrating enjoyed your many holidays and that you all make the most of the last days of 2014. This break, I haven't had much chance to read since I've been back to working full time at the bookstore, but I have made some progress in my A Song of Ice and Fire reread: I finished Game of Thrones and am about a third of the way through Clash of Kings.
Those of you who have been with me for some time know that I adore books which reward re-reading, and Martin's series does not disappoint. I have been reading in conjunction with watching the HBO series from start to finish (it's my second time for both the books and the show), and I'm amazed by how many details I had forgotten or missed, as well as how much more fun it is to read the books after having completed the Hedge Knight novellas and The World of Ice and Fire. This is a story world I dearly love to inhabit.
I'm also continuously impressed by all the work that went into adapting the books for film, which brings me to the theme of my post: books to movies. This Christmas, while I haven't read many new books, I have re-read old favorites in preparation for viewing their film adaptations, starting with . . .
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I was never a fan of this book--the Lord of the Rings series is much better both in terms of story and quality of writing--but since I was going to the theater to see The Battle of the Five Armies with my family, I thought it best to do a quick re-read. This was the first time my eleven-year-old sister had been introduced to anything related to LOTR, and it was a joy to watch how excited she was by the story, gasping, laughing, and crying at all the right moments. She was so curious to know what happened after the events which take place in The Hobbit, but luckily, she has a big sister willing to lend her books, DVDs, and nerdy good times. I'm very much looking forward to introducing her to a world where I spent my formative reading years.
As for the film, I thought the first and third in the trilogy did a decent job of combining elements of the novel with material from The Silmarilion and the original trilogy. I wasn't a fan of how drawn out the plot was; in many ways it seemed like the story was ancillary to the special effects, and I think it should be the other way around. Still, as a fan of all things Tolkien, I enjoyed the movie for what it was.
Next up is Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. One of my dear friends, a retired Navy captain who taught me everything I know about book collecting, gave me my own copy of the book as well as the 1992 film on VHS for Christmas. I read the book on my own in high school, and I've never seen the movie, so I'm looking forward to revisiting an old favorite this Christmas. More thoughts on that to come in the future.
Until next time,
Anna
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
Reading Recap: School Edition
Greetings, fellow readers! In the spirit of celebrating finals (see previous post), I now bring you my semester Reading Recap: School Edition.
For the last few weeks of the semester, I didn't have much reading to do, surprisingly enough. In my American Lit class, I finished Herman Melville's The Confidence Man, which I loved. According to my professor, it's "half as long as Moby Dick but twice as hard." I definitely see where she's coming from with that, but still, I am not deterred from the rest of the Melville corpus--it takes more than a big book to scare me away! I'm excited to be working more with Melville in my seminar next semester.
We also read Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William and Ellen Craft and a really strange novel called A Florida Enchantment, which was the bestselling popular novel of its day (think of it as the Gone Girl of 1892). Both of these were shorter works that deal with more of the fringe aspects of the Confidence Man trope: one being the nonfictional narrative of two escaped slaves, the other a story of magical seeds which cause sex change in those who eat them. These were not my favorite books in this class, mostly because the writing is not very good, but they are important because of what they tell us about the types of stories that get included in the canon of the Confidence Man.
We spent most of the last month in my Shakespeare seminar working on King Lear, which is so beautiful and depressing it makes me want to weep my eyes out every time I read it. So much of it is hard to stomach, but after reading it, I can no longer call Gonoreil and Reagan the "bad daughters." Lear is the true villain of the play, lusting after Cordelia, tyrannizing others with his monopoly on language, alienating his friends with cruelty. In many ways, Gonoreil and Reagan were just giving as good as they got, and poor Cordelia was just trying to survive.
With this pretty dim view of the nuclear family fresh in my mind, I transitioned to The Tempest, a play with a *slightly* less terrible father at its head. This is one of my favorite plays, not least because it's one I've performed in. It has some of Shakespeare's best pieces of poetry, and the whole thing is an homage to language itself (I'm one of those people who loves meta-everything and self-reflexive texts.) Reading the play took me back to our performance of it last year and my many fond memories of the cast, which was a great way to end a tough semester.
That's all I have for school reading; now that break has begun, you can expect many more reviews of pleasure books--huzzah!
Until next time,
Anna
For the last few weeks of the semester, I didn't have much reading to do, surprisingly enough. In my American Lit class, I finished Herman Melville's The Confidence Man, which I loved. According to my professor, it's "half as long as Moby Dick but twice as hard." I definitely see where she's coming from with that, but still, I am not deterred from the rest of the Melville corpus--it takes more than a big book to scare me away! I'm excited to be working more with Melville in my seminar next semester.
We also read Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William and Ellen Craft and a really strange novel called A Florida Enchantment, which was the bestselling popular novel of its day (think of it as the Gone Girl of 1892). Both of these were shorter works that deal with more of the fringe aspects of the Confidence Man trope: one being the nonfictional narrative of two escaped slaves, the other a story of magical seeds which cause sex change in those who eat them. These were not my favorite books in this class, mostly because the writing is not very good, but they are important because of what they tell us about the types of stories that get included in the canon of the Confidence Man.
We spent most of the last month in my Shakespeare seminar working on King Lear, which is so beautiful and depressing it makes me want to weep my eyes out every time I read it. So much of it is hard to stomach, but after reading it, I can no longer call Gonoreil and Reagan the "bad daughters." Lear is the true villain of the play, lusting after Cordelia, tyrannizing others with his monopoly on language, alienating his friends with cruelty. In many ways, Gonoreil and Reagan were just giving as good as they got, and poor Cordelia was just trying to survive.
With this pretty dim view of the nuclear family fresh in my mind, I transitioned to The Tempest, a play with a *slightly* less terrible father at its head. This is one of my favorite plays, not least because it's one I've performed in. It has some of Shakespeare's best pieces of poetry, and the whole thing is an homage to language itself (I'm one of those people who loves meta-everything and self-reflexive texts.) Reading the play took me back to our performance of it last year and my many fond memories of the cast, which was a great way to end a tough semester.
That's all I have for school reading; now that break has begun, you can expect many more reviews of pleasure books--huzzah!
Until next time,
Anna
"The Book of Lost Things" Review
Greetings, fellow readers! Now that finals are over, I'd like to celebrate by sharing a review with you. In the last couple weeks of school, I had very little homework/assigned reading, so I read The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. I got this book from work over the summer but only just got around to reading it now . . . I know, my TBR really is too long. I really enjoyed this book: it's about a young boy named David who loves to read fairy tales and escapes from his home in World War II-era London into the pages of his favorite books.
Connolly does a decent job of synthesizing elements of many different fairy tales and other works of literature (including one of my favorite poems, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came") into a novel-length work, and his extensive footnotes on the source material made my little academic heart very happy indeed. As a fan of fairy tale retellings, I enjoyed his adherence to the darkness and violence of the original Grimm tales. My one criticism of this book is that the ending was too neat and tidy: for a book which does not shy away from the gruesome, I thought the ending was contrived. Still, I would recommend this to readers looking for a good yarn to while away the long winter nights.
I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author has written.
Until next time,
Anna
Connolly does a decent job of synthesizing elements of many different fairy tales and other works of literature (including one of my favorite poems, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came") into a novel-length work, and his extensive footnotes on the source material made my little academic heart very happy indeed. As a fan of fairy tale retellings, I enjoyed his adherence to the darkness and violence of the original Grimm tales. My one criticism of this book is that the ending was too neat and tidy: for a book which does not shy away from the gruesome, I thought the ending was contrived. Still, I would recommend this to readers looking for a good yarn to while away the long winter nights.
I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author has written.
Until next time,
Anna
Monday, November 17, 2014
"A Secret History" Review
Greetings, fellow readers! It's perfect weather for reading here in Gainesville today, which of course means that I have a paper due tomorrow and can only weep at the happy thoughts of novels and apple cider tea dancing through my head. Fortunately, I make it my policy to give my rough drafts several hours' rest before revising (the better to catch my own mistakes), and I am now ensconced on my bed with The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
Now, before we get into the book review, let me just say that reading in bed, while pleasurable, is not my ideal for a wet, gray day like today. What this day really needs is a big, comfy chair and a roaring fire with two greyhounds and a black cat stretched out in front of it beneath my feet as I sip my apple cider tea and listen to the drips drop down. If I really wanted to go all out, this scenario would play out in the oak-paneled library of an old English country house, and I would be joined by an officious butler fond of pipe tobacco and The Pickwick Papers. Take note, ladies and gentlemen--this is the way to my heart!
Anyway, I digress: to the book! I started reading The Secret History last night because I was having trouble sleeping. Before I knew it, my roommate was asleep, and I was nearly 150 pages in, feeling wider awake than when I started. This book sucks you in slowly and softly before punching you in the gut with a plot twist. It's about a group of Classics students and their teacher (ahem, no surprise that I'd find this interesting!) at a small college in Vermont. The group is very insular compared to the rest of the college: the students take all their classes with this one professor, and they spend their free time having witty intellectual debates, complete with quotes in Latin, Greek, and French (read with a dictionary or Google handy to catch all the jokes.) All of this seems harmless enough, if a little eccentric, until the main character, who is also the narrator, reveals that one of the group is fated to die at the end of the book.
Why, you ask? Well, said students and teacher are attempting nothing other than the re-creation of the mystery religion of Dionysus, complete with all its attendant substance-induced frenzy and bloodshed, in the woods of rural Vermont. Fortunately, I just had to write a paper on this mystery religion for my Pompeii Archaeology class, so I can offer some explanation for those of you who are unfamiliar with the myth.
The story goes that Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal woman. Zeus, being a god, came to Semele in human form, but his jealous wife, Hera, tricked Semele into getting Zeus to reveal his true form to her. This burned the unfortunate pregnant Semele to a crisp, but luckily Zeus was able to snatch the baby Dionysus from his mother, sew the baby into his thigh, and wait for him to be born. Because of this and other myths, Dionysus came to be regarded as a protector of lost souls and a god of rebirth.
He's also famous for being the god of wine and altered states. His followers were reputed to drink themselves into a frenzy, whereupon they would flee to the woods to dance, shriek, and carouse throughout the night. The satyrs and maenads were his creatures; legend tells us they suckled and copulated with wild animals and tore both people and animals limb from limb as part of the worship of the god.
Sounds like fun, right? Well, these students apparently thought so, and our main character is only just realizing what his friends have been up to on their midnight jaunts.
There's another important part of this religion which I think is going to be essential to the plot: followers of Dionysus could be initiated into the cult at his temple in Greece, thereby securing themselves eternal life. We don't know a lot about the initiation process (the way it works is that if you told the secret, you didn't get eternal life), but we do know that you had to be able to speak Greek (presumably so you could participate in the rituals) and you couldn't be a murderer. There were some other forbidden professions, but otherwise this religion was open to men and women alike. For those of you who are super curious about this backstory, here's a link to the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, where there are wall paintings depicting what scholars think is a Dionysian initiation ceremony.
Here's what I think: main guy hasn't been initiated yet, but he's about to be, and something goes wrong, which is why one of the students dies. I could be entirely wrong about this, but in the interest of avoiding spoilers, I will simply say this: if, based on this quick review, the book sounds interesting, go ahead and check it out for yourself and let me know what you think. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to continue to take advantage of this excellent reading weather.
Until next time,
Anna
Now, before we get into the book review, let me just say that reading in bed, while pleasurable, is not my ideal for a wet, gray day like today. What this day really needs is a big, comfy chair and a roaring fire with two greyhounds and a black cat stretched out in front of it beneath my feet as I sip my apple cider tea and listen to the drips drop down. If I really wanted to go all out, this scenario would play out in the oak-paneled library of an old English country house, and I would be joined by an officious butler fond of pipe tobacco and The Pickwick Papers. Take note, ladies and gentlemen--this is the way to my heart!
Anyway, I digress: to the book! I started reading The Secret History last night because I was having trouble sleeping. Before I knew it, my roommate was asleep, and I was nearly 150 pages in, feeling wider awake than when I started. This book sucks you in slowly and softly before punching you in the gut with a plot twist. It's about a group of Classics students and their teacher (ahem, no surprise that I'd find this interesting!) at a small college in Vermont. The group is very insular compared to the rest of the college: the students take all their classes with this one professor, and they spend their free time having witty intellectual debates, complete with quotes in Latin, Greek, and French (read with a dictionary or Google handy to catch all the jokes.) All of this seems harmless enough, if a little eccentric, until the main character, who is also the narrator, reveals that one of the group is fated to die at the end of the book.
Why, you ask? Well, said students and teacher are attempting nothing other than the re-creation of the mystery religion of Dionysus, complete with all its attendant substance-induced frenzy and bloodshed, in the woods of rural Vermont. Fortunately, I just had to write a paper on this mystery religion for my Pompeii Archaeology class, so I can offer some explanation for those of you who are unfamiliar with the myth.
The story goes that Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal woman. Zeus, being a god, came to Semele in human form, but his jealous wife, Hera, tricked Semele into getting Zeus to reveal his true form to her. This burned the unfortunate pregnant Semele to a crisp, but luckily Zeus was able to snatch the baby Dionysus from his mother, sew the baby into his thigh, and wait for him to be born. Because of this and other myths, Dionysus came to be regarded as a protector of lost souls and a god of rebirth.
He's also famous for being the god of wine and altered states. His followers were reputed to drink themselves into a frenzy, whereupon they would flee to the woods to dance, shriek, and carouse throughout the night. The satyrs and maenads were his creatures; legend tells us they suckled and copulated with wild animals and tore both people and animals limb from limb as part of the worship of the god.
Sounds like fun, right? Well, these students apparently thought so, and our main character is only just realizing what his friends have been up to on their midnight jaunts.
There's another important part of this religion which I think is going to be essential to the plot: followers of Dionysus could be initiated into the cult at his temple in Greece, thereby securing themselves eternal life. We don't know a lot about the initiation process (the way it works is that if you told the secret, you didn't get eternal life), but we do know that you had to be able to speak Greek (presumably so you could participate in the rituals) and you couldn't be a murderer. There were some other forbidden professions, but otherwise this religion was open to men and women alike. For those of you who are super curious about this backstory, here's a link to the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, where there are wall paintings depicting what scholars think is a Dionysian initiation ceremony.
Here's what I think: main guy hasn't been initiated yet, but he's about to be, and something goes wrong, which is why one of the students dies. I could be entirely wrong about this, but in the interest of avoiding spoilers, I will simply say this: if, based on this quick review, the book sounds interesting, go ahead and check it out for yourself and let me know what you think. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to continue to take advantage of this excellent reading weather.
Until next time,
Anna
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
No Taxation without Defenestration
Greetings, fellow readers! With election day nigh and early American literature at the forefront of my mind, I've been thinking a lot lately about that old motto of the revolution, no taxation without representation . . . only for some reason, I wrote "no taxation without defenestration." This struck me as insanely funny, defenestration being one of the English language's grossly underused words. Therefore, I decided to look up the history of the word, and I came across this delightful Wikipedia article concerning the Defenestrations of Prague, whereby unfortunate members of the city council fell out of favor and the window. I can't imagine why this practice ever fell out of fashion.
Then I got to thinking about some of the major grievances the American colonists had concerning taxation, first among them the tax on tea and stamps. I don't think this resonates with many other people today, but to me, the idea of taxing two of the products on which I spend the majority of my income is horrifying in the extreme. I drink about three cups of tea per day and send anywhere from five to ten letters per week. This behavior no doubt means I have more in common with Americans of the past, who were, in fact, British, than with my contemporaries; however, I will say this: I cannot imagine possessing the fortitude required to abstain from tea and stamps to make a political statement.
This may be indicative of weakness and lack of adherence to ideals on my part, but I seriously doubt I would have the presence of mind to follow through with such a resolution. There are few things I consider worth the fight; for my part, I'd much rather solve the problem with defenestration.
There's my version of a modest proposal for you!
Until next time,
Anna
P.S. I realize this post wasn't very much about books, but rest assured, I am busy reading away and will have more updates for you soon.
Then I got to thinking about some of the major grievances the American colonists had concerning taxation, first among them the tax on tea and stamps. I don't think this resonates with many other people today, but to me, the idea of taxing two of the products on which I spend the majority of my income is horrifying in the extreme. I drink about three cups of tea per day and send anywhere from five to ten letters per week. This behavior no doubt means I have more in common with Americans of the past, who were, in fact, British, than with my contemporaries; however, I will say this: I cannot imagine possessing the fortitude required to abstain from tea and stamps to make a political statement.
This may be indicative of weakness and lack of adherence to ideals on my part, but I seriously doubt I would have the presence of mind to follow through with such a resolution. There are few things I consider worth the fight; for my part, I'd much rather solve the problem with defenestration.
There's my version of a modest proposal for you!
Until next time,
Anna
P.S. I realize this post wasn't very much about books, but rest assured, I am busy reading away and will have more updates for you soon.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Book Sale Weekend
Greetings, fellow readers! This past weekend was a very exciting one for me, as it coincided with the fall Friends of the Library sale here in Gainesville. I went with Jordan and David (friends from Shakespeare in the Park), and we camped out in the early morning under a hastily improvised blanket/tent, waiting to enter the Gates of Literary Glory.
This semester's haul was probably my best yet--I got lots of old poetry books with leather bindings and all the books in the I, Claudius series for Allison, my Latinist roommate. I think my favorite book was the poetry and prose of Ernest Dowson from the 1930's. Some other good finds were Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy in an omnibus edition, as well as the sequel to the trilogy; The Children of Hurin to add to my Tolkien collection; and a bunch of the Miss Read Penguin Classics. That's one of my favorite book series, and it's next to impossible to find it in the U.S., so I was very glad to have spotted them before they were snatched up.
It's going to take me a while to get through all of these--schoolwork is creating quite the backlog--but I will post reviews as I begin to read. For now, some pictures:
Until next time,
Anna
This semester's haul was probably my best yet--I got lots of old poetry books with leather bindings and all the books in the I, Claudius series for Allison, my Latinist roommate. I think my favorite book was the poetry and prose of Ernest Dowson from the 1930's. Some other good finds were Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy in an omnibus edition, as well as the sequel to the trilogy; The Children of Hurin to add to my Tolkien collection; and a bunch of the Miss Read Penguin Classics. That's one of my favorite book series, and it's next to impossible to find it in the U.S., so I was very glad to have spotted them before they were snatched up.
It's going to take me a while to get through all of these--schoolwork is creating quite the backlog--but I will post reviews as I begin to read. For now, some pictures:
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| I found I, Claudius! |
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| Jordan and David reading a guide to food and wine we found for $3 |
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| A close up of the food and wine shot |
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| My feet, walking to the book sale |
Anna
Monday, October 20, 2014
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Experience Points
Greetings, fellow readers! This post is about a different medium than I usually write about, but one that has been especially relevant in my life recently: video games.
Aside from a Chronicles of Narnia video game I played on GameBoy Advance when I was a kid, I've never been a big fan of video games, mostly because I find them boring. Without an engaging story line to keep my attention, I get sick of using the same old attack combos over and over. I also really suck at traditional racing/fighting games, which comprised a significant portion of the games I had access to as a kid. Unsurprisingly, because I didn't like them, I rarely played them, and so I never got any better at them.
It's also not that much fun playing those kinds of games by yourself. It's one thing if you're the main character in a point-and-click adventure, or if you can interact with well-developed NPC's within the game (as I could in Chronicles of Narnia), but when playing a competitive game, there's little to no motivation for me to improve if I'm only playing against the computer.
Since coming to college, however, I've had more opportunities to experience the social aspects of gaming. It started my freshman year, when I lived on the "Nintendo 64 Floor" of the Honors dorm. Our walls were decorated with the pipes, plants, and coins of Mario's world, and we had an old N-64 with classic games like Super Smash Bros in the common area. For me, playing against other humans made the game much more enjoyable, and talking with more experienced players made me a stronger competitor, especially when it comes to swallowing people and pooping them out as eggs (ahem, Yoshi).
Later on in my freshman year, I got into playing Brawl with a group of friends and discovered the fun of range weapons (Link and the Arrows of Justice forever!) and heavyweights who could throw their opponents to the ground.
More recently, I played Call of Duty: Black Ops for the first time, and aside from the really creepy music, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. I played this with my friend Jordan. She's really good at knifing zombies, which is lucky for me because as I said, I am more of a range weapons person. I am also really good at problem solving within the video game environment . . . must have been all those Nancy Drew point-and-click games I played as a kid! Together, we made a really kickass team: we built a generator to power the train station door, exploded zombies with balls of fire, and managed to hold a farmhouse for more rounds than we knew we were capable of.
Another game I've gotten addicted to recently is Spellfall, which I downloaded onto my phone. It's a tile-matching puzzle game in the tradition of Candy Crush, but what I like about it is that there's also a story line and a significant amount of strategy involved. I play as a character with magical powers (they're called Dustwalkers in the game) and depending on how I match the tiles, I can cast additional spells to defeat monsters. There are also runes, which act like power-ups to restore health or perform special attacks, in the game, as well as different weapons and armor, which you can tailor towards which type of monster you're fighting. My favorite now is an electric claideamh, which is basically a magically electrified version of the Scottish claymore sword, very good for slaying water monsters.
I've gotten really into this game, not only because it's fun and diverting, but also because it gives me a chance to feel like a heroic warrior. It's the same feeling I get when I read a really good book and I identify with the protagonist: I live vicariously through them, and I learn things about myself.
For example, there have been times within the game when I'm fighting monsters with limited resources. I go into the battle expecting to lose, but still trying because I know I will collect experience points no matter what the outcome.
That's a lot like life, if you think about it. Things don't always work out the way we plan, and sometimes, we do things that we know are going to fail anyway. Or, we really expect something to succeed, but in spite of our best efforts, it's a flop. The important thing is to keep those disappointments in perspective and remember that although we may feel hurt or sad, we also gain valuable experience points from having lived through it. So what are we, as gamers and as fellow human beings, to do about this?
My philosophy, as told by video games, is this: nothing ventured, nothing gained. You haven't really lived if you haven't experienced the bad as well as the good things in life. When in doubt, be daring and go for the experience points. You never know, you just might win, and even if you don't, you might discover something else along the way.
That's all I have for now. Stay classy, you guys!
Until next time,
Anna
Aside from a Chronicles of Narnia video game I played on GameBoy Advance when I was a kid, I've never been a big fan of video games, mostly because I find them boring. Without an engaging story line to keep my attention, I get sick of using the same old attack combos over and over. I also really suck at traditional racing/fighting games, which comprised a significant portion of the games I had access to as a kid. Unsurprisingly, because I didn't like them, I rarely played them, and so I never got any better at them.
It's also not that much fun playing those kinds of games by yourself. It's one thing if you're the main character in a point-and-click adventure, or if you can interact with well-developed NPC's within the game (as I could in Chronicles of Narnia), but when playing a competitive game, there's little to no motivation for me to improve if I'm only playing against the computer.
Since coming to college, however, I've had more opportunities to experience the social aspects of gaming. It started my freshman year, when I lived on the "Nintendo 64 Floor" of the Honors dorm. Our walls were decorated with the pipes, plants, and coins of Mario's world, and we had an old N-64 with classic games like Super Smash Bros in the common area. For me, playing against other humans made the game much more enjoyable, and talking with more experienced players made me a stronger competitor, especially when it comes to swallowing people and pooping them out as eggs (ahem, Yoshi).
Later on in my freshman year, I got into playing Brawl with a group of friends and discovered the fun of range weapons (Link and the Arrows of Justice forever!) and heavyweights who could throw their opponents to the ground.
More recently, I played Call of Duty: Black Ops for the first time, and aside from the really creepy music, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. I played this with my friend Jordan. She's really good at knifing zombies, which is lucky for me because as I said, I am more of a range weapons person. I am also really good at problem solving within the video game environment . . . must have been all those Nancy Drew point-and-click games I played as a kid! Together, we made a really kickass team: we built a generator to power the train station door, exploded zombies with balls of fire, and managed to hold a farmhouse for more rounds than we knew we were capable of.
Another game I've gotten addicted to recently is Spellfall, which I downloaded onto my phone. It's a tile-matching puzzle game in the tradition of Candy Crush, but what I like about it is that there's also a story line and a significant amount of strategy involved. I play as a character with magical powers (they're called Dustwalkers in the game) and depending on how I match the tiles, I can cast additional spells to defeat monsters. There are also runes, which act like power-ups to restore health or perform special attacks, in the game, as well as different weapons and armor, which you can tailor towards which type of monster you're fighting. My favorite now is an electric claideamh, which is basically a magically electrified version of the Scottish claymore sword, very good for slaying water monsters.
I've gotten really into this game, not only because it's fun and diverting, but also because it gives me a chance to feel like a heroic warrior. It's the same feeling I get when I read a really good book and I identify with the protagonist: I live vicariously through them, and I learn things about myself.
For example, there have been times within the game when I'm fighting monsters with limited resources. I go into the battle expecting to lose, but still trying because I know I will collect experience points no matter what the outcome.
That's a lot like life, if you think about it. Things don't always work out the way we plan, and sometimes, we do things that we know are going to fail anyway. Or, we really expect something to succeed, but in spite of our best efforts, it's a flop. The important thing is to keep those disappointments in perspective and remember that although we may feel hurt or sad, we also gain valuable experience points from having lived through it. So what are we, as gamers and as fellow human beings, to do about this?
My philosophy, as told by video games, is this: nothing ventured, nothing gained. You haven't really lived if you haven't experienced the bad as well as the good things in life. When in doubt, be daring and go for the experience points. You never know, you just might win, and even if you don't, you might discover something else along the way.
That's all I have for now. Stay classy, you guys!
Until next time,
Anna
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
And the Word of the Day Award goes to . . .
NERDGASM!!!!
nerdgasm, n. (according to our trusty friend, Urban Dictionary):
When someone has experienced just too much nerdiness at one time, they are said to have a nerdgasm. The person usually goes into a state of shock and can't speak for up to one hour. Never disturb someone who has recently nerdgasmed because the person is prone to just spurt out random nerdy things that regular people could never comprehend.
Why do I bring this up now, you ask? Well, dear readers, this is because I have just experienced a nerdgasm of the first degree over the book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Seriously, this is how my roommate described my behavior after listening to me shriek and exclaim with every plot twist and dramatic moment.
Ready Player One is the story of Wade Watts, an Oklahoma City teenager living in the not-too-distant future. Rather than spend his life as an ordinary person in the wasteland that is our world post-fossil fuels, Wade prefers to adventure inside the OASIS, a virtual reality anyone in the world can access for free. There he plays as Parzival, an avatar who goes on adventures, attends high school on a planet called Ludus, and searches for the ultimate prize: Halliday's Easter Egg.
For those of you who don't know, an easter egg is a little joke programmers leave in games. It doesn't really do anything, and it's usually activated by some occult sequence of in-game commands. For example, in one of the point-and-click adventure games I play, one of the easter eggs involves poking an in-game stick into a prairie dog hole to unlock the surprise. Bizarre, right? Easter eggs often hide in plain sight, but they're usually hidden behind a veil of obscurity.
In the book, James Halliday, master programmer and creator of the OASIS, leaves an easter egg in the OASIS after his death. Whoever finds it will inherit the entire Halliday estate and become rich between all imagination. The storyline pits independent egg hunters, or "gunters," like Parzival against a monolithic corporation that wants to find the egg so it can exploit the OASIS for commercial gain.
This book is chock-full of classic 1980's geek culture, which becomes an essential part of Parzival's quest to think like Halliday in order to find the egg. Hence, I experienced multiple nerdgasmic moments when Parzival has to play the perfect game of PacMan or quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail in its entirety.
There is also a lot of in-depth characterization, which, coupled with an engrossing narrative, managed to compel me into reading the entire book in less than 48 hours (a rather astonishing feat when you consider I also had to go to class, preside over Shakespeare in the Park auditions, do my homework, gulp down food, and sleep . . . well, maybe sleep took a backseat to this book.)
I was so immersed in this story it was like being in the OASIS itself: I read it while I was eating, while I was walking across campus between classes, when I should have been sleeping . . . my every waking moment for two days was consumed by the world within its pages. When I finally finished it, I had a very intense ten minutes of geek-squeek-ery--that's when my roommate made the comment about the nerdgasm :) Little did she know she'd be experiencing the same thing only hours later when I gave her the book to read . . . but I digress.
It would be an understatement to say that I love this book. This book goes beyond love: it reaches into the very depths of myself, my most cherished dreams, my most secret fears. This book is what I wish my life was, who I wish I was, every adventure I've wanted in the world. I've enthusiastically recommended it to everyone among my group of friends, and I recommend it to you as well, especially if you are a geek, like adventures, or are looking for something to get you out of a reading slump. This book will deliver, I promise you.
Until next time,
Anna
P.S. If you've already read the book and you're looking for something to remedy the killer book hangover this story leaves behind, check out castleanorak.com, a Ready Player One fan site dedicated to help those of us recovering from this whirlwind journey enjoy our lives once again.
nerdgasm, n. (according to our trusty friend, Urban Dictionary):
When someone has experienced just too much nerdiness at one time, they are said to have a nerdgasm. The person usually goes into a state of shock and can't speak for up to one hour. Never disturb someone who has recently nerdgasmed because the person is prone to just spurt out random nerdy things that regular people could never comprehend.
Why do I bring this up now, you ask? Well, dear readers, this is because I have just experienced a nerdgasm of the first degree over the book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Seriously, this is how my roommate described my behavior after listening to me shriek and exclaim with every plot twist and dramatic moment.
Ready Player One is the story of Wade Watts, an Oklahoma City teenager living in the not-too-distant future. Rather than spend his life as an ordinary person in the wasteland that is our world post-fossil fuels, Wade prefers to adventure inside the OASIS, a virtual reality anyone in the world can access for free. There he plays as Parzival, an avatar who goes on adventures, attends high school on a planet called Ludus, and searches for the ultimate prize: Halliday's Easter Egg.
For those of you who don't know, an easter egg is a little joke programmers leave in games. It doesn't really do anything, and it's usually activated by some occult sequence of in-game commands. For example, in one of the point-and-click adventure games I play, one of the easter eggs involves poking an in-game stick into a prairie dog hole to unlock the surprise. Bizarre, right? Easter eggs often hide in plain sight, but they're usually hidden behind a veil of obscurity.
In the book, James Halliday, master programmer and creator of the OASIS, leaves an easter egg in the OASIS after his death. Whoever finds it will inherit the entire Halliday estate and become rich between all imagination. The storyline pits independent egg hunters, or "gunters," like Parzival against a monolithic corporation that wants to find the egg so it can exploit the OASIS for commercial gain.
This book is chock-full of classic 1980's geek culture, which becomes an essential part of Parzival's quest to think like Halliday in order to find the egg. Hence, I experienced multiple nerdgasmic moments when Parzival has to play the perfect game of PacMan or quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail in its entirety.
There is also a lot of in-depth characterization, which, coupled with an engrossing narrative, managed to compel me into reading the entire book in less than 48 hours (a rather astonishing feat when you consider I also had to go to class, preside over Shakespeare in the Park auditions, do my homework, gulp down food, and sleep . . . well, maybe sleep took a backseat to this book.)
I was so immersed in this story it was like being in the OASIS itself: I read it while I was eating, while I was walking across campus between classes, when I should have been sleeping . . . my every waking moment for two days was consumed by the world within its pages. When I finally finished it, I had a very intense ten minutes of geek-squeek-ery--that's when my roommate made the comment about the nerdgasm :) Little did she know she'd be experiencing the same thing only hours later when I gave her the book to read . . . but I digress.
It would be an understatement to say that I love this book. This book goes beyond love: it reaches into the very depths of myself, my most cherished dreams, my most secret fears. This book is what I wish my life was, who I wish I was, every adventure I've wanted in the world. I've enthusiastically recommended it to everyone among my group of friends, and I recommend it to you as well, especially if you are a geek, like adventures, or are looking for something to get you out of a reading slump. This book will deliver, I promise you.
Until next time,
Anna
P.S. If you've already read the book and you're looking for something to remedy the killer book hangover this story leaves behind, check out castleanorak.com, a Ready Player One fan site dedicated to help those of us recovering from this whirlwind journey enjoy our lives once again.
Friday, September 19, 2014
The Most Impossible Short Distance in the History of Humanity
Greetings, fellow readers! I am in the midst of a slight schoolwork slam right now: we're heading into the first round of papers and exams, and it seems like no matter how much preparation I do on the front end, I'm still behind when it comes to studying and writing. Below is a short comic from one of my favorite websites detailing exactly how I feel right now.
Speaking of comics, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention what excellent procrastination aids they are. Whenever I sit down to study or write, there comes a time when my brain reaches what I like to call "critical mass," aka the point where it's so flipping stuffed with information that it's like an engorged Christmas goose ready to spew the contents of its belly all over the feasting table.
At this point, I have to take a break (for my mental health, of course). I don't want to read a Fun Book because the amount of required reading I've completed at this point has not only shattered my concentration, but also scattered the fragments far and wide across the universe, so much so that "reading" at this juncture mostly consists of me looking at pages full of words for an hour without comprehending anything that's going on.
Enter comics. They're just short enough that my poor fractured consciousness can handle them, and just funny enough that they actually make my head hurt a teensy bit less. The beauty of comics is that by breaking up my Fun Reading into short, manageable episodes, they actually make me read a greater volume of material than I would if I sat down with a novel. I feel about comics the way the xkcd guy (sorry dude, not sure if you have a name) feels about spinny desk chairs.
As we know from the old Lay's potato chips commercials, it's impossible to read just one comic. Inevitably, I end up clicking the "random" button on xkcd, and before I know it, 45 minutes have gone by. I do not, however, believe that reading comics while studying falls under the category of Time Wasted. As someone close to me once said, time you enjoy wasting is time well spent. Well, I enjoy wasting my homework time with comics, and to all of you suffering from similar midterm pains, I offer this list of my favorites. Have fun!
Until next time,
Anna
Friday, September 5, 2014
Enough is Enough: A Response to the Recent Attacks Against Women on Campus
Fair warning: this is not one of my usual blog posts. Like Lemony Snicket advised, if you'd like to read about happy elves frolicking in the woods or sweet, docile children going on a picnic, then this is not the blog post for you. Put it down, walk away, and go on with your merry little life. If, however, you are looking for someone who, like you, is similarly outraged by the escalating numbers of women being sexually assaulted on campus, then stay.
Fair warning: I am a feminist, and I am angry about this situation caused by the rape culture that is rampant in America, especially on college campuses. Thus, this blog post will be something along the lines of the ANGRY FEMINIST RANTS dismissed by so many people as "hysterical women on their periods" or "bra-burning feminists who don't shave a hair on their bodies." If this kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, close your browser window and walk away from your laptop RIGHT NOW.
You're still here? Ok, here goes: just don't say I didn't warn you.
I have been back at school for less than two weeks, and already there have been three attempts of sexual battery and/or assault against women on campus. That's one every five days--think about it. At 3:41 this morning, I was rudely awakened by the University Police Department's UF Alert text messages warning that a woman had been attacked right in front of the school library. Two other women reported being grabbed and battered by a male assailant: the University Police Department believes the perpetrator is the same across all three cases.
While many well-meaning officials and friends have urged female students to stay in well lit areas, not walk alone at night, and be aware of their surroundings, this does nothing to actually solve the problem. It is unacceptable that the focus remains on what all women on campus should not do rather than on what the male attacker should not do. College women's lives should not be dictated by regulations designed to prevent them from being raped. Though I believe the people who advise women to take precautions do so with good intentions, their efforts are misguided. Until we teach men not to rape, we will never end the rape culture endemic on our college campuses.
I am tired of being told not to walk alone at night. I am tired of hearing that "she was asking for it" because "she was dressed like a slut." I am tired of feeling unsafe on this campus, which has been my home for almost three years now.
I demand a safe campus. I demand that we teach men not to rape instead of cautioning women against being the victims of crime. Is a murder victim "asking for it" by "being in the wrong place at the wrong time"? Does a victim of theft "get off" on having their home invaded? We need to apply the same standards to rape as we do to any other crime.
If the streets of our campus are not safe, then where is? It's time to put a halt to this: enough it enough. It's time to take back the night and stress that whatever we do, wherever we go, yes means yes, and no means no.
Final thought: if this post provokes you to leave a comment or to share the link with others, I ask that you remain respectful and civil when leaving feedback. This is a serious issue, and I will delete/ban comments that are offensive or insensitive.
That being said, if you agree with me and would like to spread the word to end rape culture on campus, pleas like this post, share the link, and promote it in whatever way you wish.
That's all for now, dear readers.
Until next time,
Anna
Fair warning: I am a feminist, and I am angry about this situation caused by the rape culture that is rampant in America, especially on college campuses. Thus, this blog post will be something along the lines of the ANGRY FEMINIST RANTS dismissed by so many people as "hysterical women on their periods" or "bra-burning feminists who don't shave a hair on their bodies." If this kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, close your browser window and walk away from your laptop RIGHT NOW.
You're still here? Ok, here goes: just don't say I didn't warn you.
I have been back at school for less than two weeks, and already there have been three attempts of sexual battery and/or assault against women on campus. That's one every five days--think about it. At 3:41 this morning, I was rudely awakened by the University Police Department's UF Alert text messages warning that a woman had been attacked right in front of the school library. Two other women reported being grabbed and battered by a male assailant: the University Police Department believes the perpetrator is the same across all three cases.
While many well-meaning officials and friends have urged female students to stay in well lit areas, not walk alone at night, and be aware of their surroundings, this does nothing to actually solve the problem. It is unacceptable that the focus remains on what all women on campus should not do rather than on what the male attacker should not do. College women's lives should not be dictated by regulations designed to prevent them from being raped. Though I believe the people who advise women to take precautions do so with good intentions, their efforts are misguided. Until we teach men not to rape, we will never end the rape culture endemic on our college campuses.
I am tired of being told not to walk alone at night. I am tired of hearing that "she was asking for it" because "she was dressed like a slut." I am tired of feeling unsafe on this campus, which has been my home for almost three years now.
I demand a safe campus. I demand that we teach men not to rape instead of cautioning women against being the victims of crime. Is a murder victim "asking for it" by "being in the wrong place at the wrong time"? Does a victim of theft "get off" on having their home invaded? We need to apply the same standards to rape as we do to any other crime.
If the streets of our campus are not safe, then where is? It's time to put a halt to this: enough it enough. It's time to take back the night and stress that whatever we do, wherever we go, yes means yes, and no means no.
Final thought: if this post provokes you to leave a comment or to share the link with others, I ask that you remain respectful and civil when leaving feedback. This is a serious issue, and I will delete/ban comments that are offensive or insensitive.
That being said, if you agree with me and would like to spread the word to end rape culture on campus, pleas like this post, share the link, and promote it in whatever way you wish.
That's all for now, dear readers.
Until next time,
Anna
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Back To School
Greetings, fellow readers! Fall semester at the University of Florida is in full swing, and as I suspected, I am buried in textbook readings. It's all ok, though, because I'm taking classes I'm super excited about. To give you a quick overview, I am enrolled in:
Special Topics in Shakespeare's Tragedies
American Literature before 1865
Pompeii Archaeology Lab
The Power and Limits of Persuasive Speech
Programming Fundamentals 2 (aka C++)
Since it's the first week of class, we've mostly been covering introductory material and the necessary background to provide context for our work over the course of the semester. However, I have already read Pericles, Venus and Adonis, and the sonnets for my Shakespeare class, and some very interesting documents about the Salem Witch Trials for my American Lit class. Will keep you posted with more reading updates as time goes by.
Last week, I finally got around to doing something I've wanted to do for a while: get my Alachua County library card. I went with my friends Jordan and Alison (my scene partners from Shakespeare in the Park, if you're new to the blog), and we all got our cards, then proceeded to pillage the shelves. I restrained myself to checking out only three books, including a choose-your-own-adventure-style adaptation of Hamlet. It's been quite entertaining so far: I played as the ghost of Hamlet's father and became a posthumous oceanographer, and as Hamlet and Ophelia. Surprisingly enough, I not only survived the story both times, but also lived a long and happy life--go figure!
I have also been reading The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais, upon which the recent film starring Helen Mirren is based. I have not seen the movie yet, but if it's anything like the book, I know I am going to love it. The story follows a young chef, Hassan Haji, and his family on their journey from India to France, and their clash with Madame Mallory, a rival chef from the small French village in which they settle. The writing in this book is delightful, and the descriptions of the food are so vivid I can almost taste them (which, by the way, is an extraordinarily difficult thing to write well).
That's all I have for now. Until next time, dear readers!
Anna
Special Topics in Shakespeare's Tragedies
American Literature before 1865
Pompeii Archaeology Lab
The Power and Limits of Persuasive Speech
Programming Fundamentals 2 (aka C++)
Since it's the first week of class, we've mostly been covering introductory material and the necessary background to provide context for our work over the course of the semester. However, I have already read Pericles, Venus and Adonis, and the sonnets for my Shakespeare class, and some very interesting documents about the Salem Witch Trials for my American Lit class. Will keep you posted with more reading updates as time goes by.
Last week, I finally got around to doing something I've wanted to do for a while: get my Alachua County library card. I went with my friends Jordan and Alison (my scene partners from Shakespeare in the Park, if you're new to the blog), and we all got our cards, then proceeded to pillage the shelves. I restrained myself to checking out only three books, including a choose-your-own-adventure-style adaptation of Hamlet. It's been quite entertaining so far: I played as the ghost of Hamlet's father and became a posthumous oceanographer, and as Hamlet and Ophelia. Surprisingly enough, I not only survived the story both times, but also lived a long and happy life--go figure!
I have also been reading The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais, upon which the recent film starring Helen Mirren is based. I have not seen the movie yet, but if it's anything like the book, I know I am going to love it. The story follows a young chef, Hassan Haji, and his family on their journey from India to France, and their clash with Madame Mallory, a rival chef from the small French village in which they settle. The writing in this book is delightful, and the descriptions of the food are so vivid I can almost taste them (which, by the way, is an extraordinarily difficult thing to write well).
That's all I have for now. Until next time, dear readers!
Anna
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Summer Reading List, Part 7
Greetings, fellow readers! In true college student fashion, I have left my last summer blog post until the last minute . . . gosh, I'm ready for finals already!! (Just kidding, profs.) In between manic bursts of madcap packing, punctuated by long periods of laziness during which I lolled about, lamenting the demise of another summer, I managed to read quite a lot of books. I'll get to those in a minute, but first, some more news from the stacks:
I have finally cleaned out my TBR! For those of you who don't know, my Amazon Wishlist does double duty as a "To Be Read" list of all the books I want/were recommended by friends/looked interesting/will probably be terrible but only cost $0.99/can't live without. As you can imagine, it's quite a long list, and before I cleared it out, I clocked in at over 600 items. After a brief purge, I found my list about 100 items lighter. Most of the books I had either read but forgot I read, bought but haven't read yet, or lost interest in (cue the probably terrible $0.99 editions.) This was a very therapeutic afternoon of fall cleaning (is that a thing?), and the best part is, my list is now free of clutter, and it's easier for me to find the books I really want to read.
And now, for the reviews:
The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan. I actually first heard of this book about a year ago from my good friend, Sasha, who bought it at the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris while we were studying abroad together last summer. I've never read anything by David Levithan, but she gave it a good review, so I decided to take the plunge.
This is the story of a love story, as told through a series of dictionary words and their definitions. It's a very personal account of a specific relationship, but anyone who has ever been in love will find something in this novel which resonates with them. I liked that this story was honest and did not rely on cliches to get its point across. It did a good job of illustrating that love is messy, and sometimes it's not easily resolved. Though I know Levithan writes for teenagers, this is really a book for adults. I recommend it for someone looking for a fresh take on the tried-and-true love story.
I have finally cleaned out my TBR! For those of you who don't know, my Amazon Wishlist does double duty as a "To Be Read" list of all the books I want/were recommended by friends/looked interesting/will probably be terrible but only cost $0.99/can't live without. As you can imagine, it's quite a long list, and before I cleared it out, I clocked in at over 600 items. After a brief purge, I found my list about 100 items lighter. Most of the books I had either read but forgot I read, bought but haven't read yet, or lost interest in (cue the probably terrible $0.99 editions.) This was a very therapeutic afternoon of fall cleaning (is that a thing?), and the best part is, my list is now free of clutter, and it's easier for me to find the books I really want to read.
And now, for the reviews:
The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan. I actually first heard of this book about a year ago from my good friend, Sasha, who bought it at the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris while we were studying abroad together last summer. I've never read anything by David Levithan, but she gave it a good review, so I decided to take the plunge.
This is the story of a love story, as told through a series of dictionary words and their definitions. It's a very personal account of a specific relationship, but anyone who has ever been in love will find something in this novel which resonates with them. I liked that this story was honest and did not rely on cliches to get its point across. It did a good job of illustrating that love is messy, and sometimes it's not easily resolved. Though I know Levithan writes for teenagers, this is really a book for adults. I recommend it for someone looking for a fresh take on the tried-and-true love story.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This was a re-read for me, and as has been the case for the past several times I've read it, I actually like the parts where Jane is a child more than when she is an adult. For me, the book really fell down in terms of the relationship between Jane and Rochester (I know, that makes me a terrible person, but I really can't stand Byronic heroes.) He's not really a nice guy, and he takes advantage of her youth and inexperience on more than one occasion. I found this realization of baffling because I always enjoyed their romance as a younger reader. I also noticed Jane's conflicted relationship with religion, meaning both the organized church and her own private faith. She seems very confused about what she believes in the doctrinal sense, although she does have a strong sense of morality. I won't say I enjoyed this re-read as much as I've enjoyed them in the past, but of course it's still a good book.
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Oh. My. God. This book was laugh out loud, wet your pants funny! Culled from Brosh's award-winning blog, Hyperbole and a Half is the story of one woman and her outrageously millennial first-world problems. Between the crazy antics of the simple dog and the helper dog and her depressed cackling over a piece of corn, I fell in love with this book. I'm going to be lending this one out to many friends. I promise you if you need a laugh, this book will deliver.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman. This book was just . . . weird. I expected to like it, I really did. What fan of Harry Potter and Narnia doesn't wish for the magical worlds of childhood favorites to be real for adults? This book, however, had no focus, and long passages which felt like the author was describing a strange drug trip. I don't even know what to say about this book, except that it had so much potential but no authorial skill to sustain its vision. Thumbs down on this one.
The Girl who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente. This is the third book in the Fairyland series, and I did not like it as much as I did the other two. Most of it consists of September taking a road trip across the moon, and I feel like Valente was just marking time. The magical elements seemed forced somehow. Plus, the end of the book was just bizarre: it turns out that the moon is both alive and pregnant, and what's more, the moon's midwife is a yeti, who up until now was the villain of the story. The ending of this book made no sense to me, and I wish Valente had tried harder.
Breakfast with Socrates by Robert Roland Smith. This book was ok: nothing special, but a good introductory primer to philosophy and its application to daily life.
The Queen of the Tearling by Erica Johansen. Finally, redemption! This book was recommended to me by two friends at work, both of whom have completely different tastes in science fiction and fantasy novels. This book was so good--I think I read it in less than three days, and I'm already dying for the next one to come out.
Kelsea (the Queen of the Tearling) has been raised in the woods by foster parents, unaware of her true identity. When she comes of age, she is thrust into the role of queen of an impoverished kingdom lacking in modern medicine and technology, with a government largely based on the annual tribute of slaves to a nearby kingdom. I liked how Kelsea has to balance her own values and sense of right and wrong with the politics of her kingdom. There are also some really great battle scenes, and did I mention the magical sapphires? If you're looking for a seriously good read, pick up this book. You won't regret it. (Sidenote: lest my review fool you, this is definitely adult fantasy fiction, not YA. Strong language and thematic material make it inappropriate for young readers.)
That's it for now; when we next meet, I'll probably be drowning in a sea of required reading!
Until next time,
Anna
The Girl who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente. This is the third book in the Fairyland series, and I did not like it as much as I did the other two. Most of it consists of September taking a road trip across the moon, and I feel like Valente was just marking time. The magical elements seemed forced somehow. Plus, the end of the book was just bizarre: it turns out that the moon is both alive and pregnant, and what's more, the moon's midwife is a yeti, who up until now was the villain of the story. The ending of this book made no sense to me, and I wish Valente had tried harder.
Breakfast with Socrates by Robert Roland Smith. This book was ok: nothing special, but a good introductory primer to philosophy and its application to daily life.
The Queen of the Tearling by Erica Johansen. Finally, redemption! This book was recommended to me by two friends at work, both of whom have completely different tastes in science fiction and fantasy novels. This book was so good--I think I read it in less than three days, and I'm already dying for the next one to come out.
Kelsea (the Queen of the Tearling) has been raised in the woods by foster parents, unaware of her true identity. When she comes of age, she is thrust into the role of queen of an impoverished kingdom lacking in modern medicine and technology, with a government largely based on the annual tribute of slaves to a nearby kingdom. I liked how Kelsea has to balance her own values and sense of right and wrong with the politics of her kingdom. There are also some really great battle scenes, and did I mention the magical sapphires? If you're looking for a seriously good read, pick up this book. You won't regret it. (Sidenote: lest my review fool you, this is definitely adult fantasy fiction, not YA. Strong language and thematic material make it inappropriate for young readers.)
That's it for now; when we next meet, I'll probably be drowning in a sea of required reading!
Until next time,
Anna
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Summer Reading List, Part 6
Greetings, fellow readers! With the end of summer rapidly approaching, I thought I'd try and squeeze in one last Summer Reading blog post. This one's kind of short--I've been working full-time hours at the bookstore, so most of my reading lately has been squeezed into my lunch break. I have managed to keep up with my ever-growing TBR, however; I feel like I need to do as much as I can before school starts again and I don't have time to breathe. Here goes:
NW by Zadie Smith. Pronounced "northwest," this novel about an ordinary corner of London is one I've anticipated greatly, given how much I've enjoyed Smith's other work. That being said, I'm finding this novel a disappointment. I'm about halfway through it, and it seems like it was written by a totally different person. Neither the story line nor the characters move with any purpose, and the narrative seems fractured and unfocused. More than once I've found myself thinking, where did the real Zadie Smith go? I've put this one aside for now in the hope of finding a better book.
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. A. LaFevre. This book was so good; I got it free through my Kindle Unlimited trial, and I finished it in a couple of days. The protagonist is an eleven year old girl who lives in an Egyptology museum in Victorian England. She can sense which artifacts possess magical qualities and knows how to thwart the ancient curses they contain. When her archaeologist mother brings home a trove which inflicts plagues on London, Theodosia takes matters into her own hands to avert chaos and restore peace and order to the world.
I found Theodosia witty and acerbic, and I relished the descriptions of Egyptian artifacts--I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid, and reading this book was like revisiting my childhood. I'm glad this is the first in a series because now I have a whole new set of adventures awaiting me!
The Giver by Lois Lowry. Somehow I missed having to read this one for school, but what with the movie coming out soon and all the kids coming to the bookstore to buy it for summer reading, I felt I had to. This book does not disappoint; it lives up to the name "classic." I don't want to give away too much and spoil the story, but I will say this: this book is about a young boy named Jonas who lives in a society where individual free will is all but eradicated. Each stage of life is planned by those in power, from the occupations citizens practice to the clothes they wear.
When the time comes for the children to be assigned jobs, Jonas is singled out for the job of Receiver, which is both a great honor and a burden. He gets the chance to see life as it would be if people had free will and shared their memories, and this experience changes him forever. I'll say no more, except that if you haven't read this yet, get thee to a library and read it posthaste!
I am also rereading Jane Eyre, my old favorite, which never fails to cheer me up. And now I will say farewell, and happy reading!
Until next time,
Anna
NW by Zadie Smith. Pronounced "northwest," this novel about an ordinary corner of London is one I've anticipated greatly, given how much I've enjoyed Smith's other work. That being said, I'm finding this novel a disappointment. I'm about halfway through it, and it seems like it was written by a totally different person. Neither the story line nor the characters move with any purpose, and the narrative seems fractured and unfocused. More than once I've found myself thinking, where did the real Zadie Smith go? I've put this one aside for now in the hope of finding a better book.
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. A. LaFevre. This book was so good; I got it free through my Kindle Unlimited trial, and I finished it in a couple of days. The protagonist is an eleven year old girl who lives in an Egyptology museum in Victorian England. She can sense which artifacts possess magical qualities and knows how to thwart the ancient curses they contain. When her archaeologist mother brings home a trove which inflicts plagues on London, Theodosia takes matters into her own hands to avert chaos and restore peace and order to the world.
I found Theodosia witty and acerbic, and I relished the descriptions of Egyptian artifacts--I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid, and reading this book was like revisiting my childhood. I'm glad this is the first in a series because now I have a whole new set of adventures awaiting me!
The Giver by Lois Lowry. Somehow I missed having to read this one for school, but what with the movie coming out soon and all the kids coming to the bookstore to buy it for summer reading, I felt I had to. This book does not disappoint; it lives up to the name "classic." I don't want to give away too much and spoil the story, but I will say this: this book is about a young boy named Jonas who lives in a society where individual free will is all but eradicated. Each stage of life is planned by those in power, from the occupations citizens practice to the clothes they wear.
When the time comes for the children to be assigned jobs, Jonas is singled out for the job of Receiver, which is both a great honor and a burden. He gets the chance to see life as it would be if people had free will and shared their memories, and this experience changes him forever. I'll say no more, except that if you haven't read this yet, get thee to a library and read it posthaste!
I am also rereading Jane Eyre, my old favorite, which never fails to cheer me up. And now I will say farewell, and happy reading!
Until next time,
Anna
Monday, July 28, 2014
Things I'm Excited About!
Greetings, fellow readers! I thought I'd take a short break from my summer reading log posts to share with you some of the other bookish things (besides books, of course) I'm excited about this summer.
1. Free stuff. You would not believe how much free stuff I get working in a bookstore. Free limited edition Batman comics? No problem. Free samples of a new fantasy series from Tor.com? We've got a whole box of 'em to give away. Free magazines? You had me at Entertainment Weekly's special coverage of San Diego ComiCon! Which, by the way, I am crushed I was not able to attend this year--I was in California a week too early. Ah well, I'm still young! And I did score a pretty sweet vintage Doctor Who t-shirt online brought back special for the event.
2. Indie bookstores. While I realize that in some ways my working for a chain bookstore could be considered selling out to The Man, I spend quite a few of my hard-earned dollars at The Bookmark, Neptune Beach's independent bookstore-by-the-sea. Seriously, if you live in the Jax Beaches area or are here for a visit (please come!), you HAVE to check this place out. It's small and sunny and full of signed copies from their weekly author events. They're even bringing Tomie DePaola of children's book fame to speak in October! That's one I can't miss.
I was there yesterday with my dad, intending to buy one book (the third book in Cathrynne M. Valente's Fairyland series) but I ended up coming away with four--I should really know better by now that books are like Lay's potato chips: you can't have just one. In addition to the Fairyland book, I found the most beautiful illuminated copy of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself that I absolutely couldn't live without (Thank you, Brain Pickings, for breaking my checkbook with your covet-inducing reviews!), a centennial Penguin Deluxe edition of James Joyce's Dubliniers with a drool-worthy cover, and the Penguin Great Ideas edition of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. This is a neat little series that I discovered at Foyles while I was in England last summer. Penguin has collected the most world-changing essays and works of nonfiction into a lovely series with minimalist covers that capture the ethos of the ideas themselves. I already have two, which I bought in London, and I think Signor Machiavelli will feel quite at home with his compatriots on my shelves.
3. Magazines. Normally, I'm not a big magazine reader (other than the occasional Mental Floss for long plane trips) but lately I've become enamored of Wired and its sleek synthesis of art, technology, and design, not to mention the thought-provoking, often hilarious, articles. Jerry Sinefeld on Google Glass--guys, you have to check this one out. I feel a certain kinship with the good folk of Wired: I'm excited about all the new developments in technology and what we can do with things like prehistoric superfoods and tablet journalism, but I also admire beautiful things and the tradition of human artistry that predates the digital age. Wired succeeds where many other observers fail to combine the two and create something new and awesome--so awesome, in fact, I might even subscribe.
1. Free stuff. You would not believe how much free stuff I get working in a bookstore. Free limited edition Batman comics? No problem. Free samples of a new fantasy series from Tor.com? We've got a whole box of 'em to give away. Free magazines? You had me at Entertainment Weekly's special coverage of San Diego ComiCon! Which, by the way, I am crushed I was not able to attend this year--I was in California a week too early. Ah well, I'm still young! And I did score a pretty sweet vintage Doctor Who t-shirt online brought back special for the event.
2. Indie bookstores. While I realize that in some ways my working for a chain bookstore could be considered selling out to The Man, I spend quite a few of my hard-earned dollars at The Bookmark, Neptune Beach's independent bookstore-by-the-sea. Seriously, if you live in the Jax Beaches area or are here for a visit (please come!), you HAVE to check this place out. It's small and sunny and full of signed copies from their weekly author events. They're even bringing Tomie DePaola of children's book fame to speak in October! That's one I can't miss.
I was there yesterday with my dad, intending to buy one book (the third book in Cathrynne M. Valente's Fairyland series) but I ended up coming away with four--I should really know better by now that books are like Lay's potato chips: you can't have just one. In addition to the Fairyland book, I found the most beautiful illuminated copy of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself that I absolutely couldn't live without (Thank you, Brain Pickings, for breaking my checkbook with your covet-inducing reviews!), a centennial Penguin Deluxe edition of James Joyce's Dubliniers with a drool-worthy cover, and the Penguin Great Ideas edition of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. This is a neat little series that I discovered at Foyles while I was in England last summer. Penguin has collected the most world-changing essays and works of nonfiction into a lovely series with minimalist covers that capture the ethos of the ideas themselves. I already have two, which I bought in London, and I think Signor Machiavelli will feel quite at home with his compatriots on my shelves.
 |
| How I feel at the end of each new haul. |
4. BookTube! Readers of this blog will be well acquainted with my obsession with Ron Lit and, more recently, Words of a Reader, but lately, my YouTube channel has exploded with BookTube videos. I can't stop watching them! Or subscribing! Or fighting the urge to go out and buy all the awesome books these rockin' ladies recommend!!! (I am highly caffeinated right now, in case you couldn't tell.) If you're looking for your next great read, or just wanting to expand your literary horizons, go to BookTube. The channels I've tagged will give you a good start, and once you're down the rabbit hole, like Alice, you'll go wherever your heart takes you.
So that's about it for today--let me know what you think of this post by commenting below! As always, I'm all about da recommendations.
Until next time,
Anna
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Summer Reading List, Part 5
Greetings, fellow readers! I have returned from the west coast with my head full of space exploration and my suitcase full of completed books. While I was in California, I got to take a tour of the SpaceX factory floor (which was mind-blowingly amazing!) and visit the California ScienCenter, where the space shuttle Endeavour is kept. All of these adventures, plus spending lots of time with Jacob, made this one of the best weekends of the whole summer.
Here are some reviews of what I've been reading since my last post:
Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs. Another guilty pleasure summer mystery, this book was nothing special, but still fun to read.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this book! My friend Elli recommended it, and I couldn't be happier I decided to read it. It's about a girl named Cath who writes fan fiction for a Harry Potter-esque book series. She and her twin sister have always worked on these stories together, but when they leave for college, their relationship is strained as each girl adjusts to new experiences. This is a sweet little ode to the stories we write and the books we love best. Highly recommend.
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, all by Alan Bradley. Now that I am all caught up on the Flavia de Luce series, I can only say I'm sad I have to wait another year until the new book comes out! These mysteries are awesome--I recommend you give them a shot if you're in the mood for something clever.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This was a really good book about two teenagers, one French and one German, growing up during World War Two. Part coming of age novel, part historical mystery, this book went by so quickly for me: I couldn't stop reading it! Definitely a keeper.
Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr. A good biography of the US's first woman astronaut, including an intensely personal look at the woman behind the NASA portraits.
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. This one was a recommendation from my youngest sister. Two girls, Sophie and Agatha, are sent to a school to train as either fairy tale heroes or villains. Upon arriving, however, each girl is convinced she has been placed in the wrong school. The story follows their adventures as they try to undo the mistake while remaining true to their natures.
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. This is a two-part graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion in China that I found at The Bookmark, our local independent bookstore. Being new to graphic novels, I didn't really know what to expect, but I thought the artwork was really good and the two perspectives gave an interesting interpretation of this time in history.
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle and Hope Larson. The original novel was one of my favorites as a kid--still is--so I was delighted to see that the graphic novel turned out so well. The blues and blacks of the panels evoke the space and time travel of the original novel, and the characters' personalities really shine through the drawings. This is one I will probably go out and purchase for myself.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. One of the best, most consistent books I have read in a long time. I can see why it won the Pulitzer prize. This book is about a teenage boy and a piece of stolen art, and the story follows them both on their interconnected journey through life. It is also about the trauma of loss and the power of art to heal and hurt us. I honestly can't do this book justice--you just have to read it for yourself. It's long, but I promise you, it will be worth it.
Until next time,
Anna
Here are some reviews of what I've been reading since my last post:
Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs. Another guilty pleasure summer mystery, this book was nothing special, but still fun to read.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this book! My friend Elli recommended it, and I couldn't be happier I decided to read it. It's about a girl named Cath who writes fan fiction for a Harry Potter-esque book series. She and her twin sister have always worked on these stories together, but when they leave for college, their relationship is strained as each girl adjusts to new experiences. This is a sweet little ode to the stories we write and the books we love best. Highly recommend.
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, all by Alan Bradley. Now that I am all caught up on the Flavia de Luce series, I can only say I'm sad I have to wait another year until the new book comes out! These mysteries are awesome--I recommend you give them a shot if you're in the mood for something clever.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This was a really good book about two teenagers, one French and one German, growing up during World War Two. Part coming of age novel, part historical mystery, this book went by so quickly for me: I couldn't stop reading it! Definitely a keeper.
Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr. A good biography of the US's first woman astronaut, including an intensely personal look at the woman behind the NASA portraits.
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. This one was a recommendation from my youngest sister. Two girls, Sophie and Agatha, are sent to a school to train as either fairy tale heroes or villains. Upon arriving, however, each girl is convinced she has been placed in the wrong school. The story follows their adventures as they try to undo the mistake while remaining true to their natures.
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. This is a two-part graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion in China that I found at The Bookmark, our local independent bookstore. Being new to graphic novels, I didn't really know what to expect, but I thought the artwork was really good and the two perspectives gave an interesting interpretation of this time in history.
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle and Hope Larson. The original novel was one of my favorites as a kid--still is--so I was delighted to see that the graphic novel turned out so well. The blues and blacks of the panels evoke the space and time travel of the original novel, and the characters' personalities really shine through the drawings. This is one I will probably go out and purchase for myself.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. One of the best, most consistent books I have read in a long time. I can see why it won the Pulitzer prize. This book is about a teenage boy and a piece of stolen art, and the story follows them both on their interconnected journey through life. It is also about the trauma of loss and the power of art to heal and hurt us. I honestly can't do this book justice--you just have to read it for yourself. It's long, but I promise you, it will be worth it.
Until next time,
Anna
Monday, June 30, 2014
Summer Reading List, Part 4
Greetings, fellow readers! The dog days of summer are upon us, and I finally feel like I'm getting into the swing of things this season. While it may seem to you readers like books cover my hobbies, exercise, and social life, (which they do!) I have been up to a few other things this summer. I've been writing letters by snail mail to friends (if you want a letter, message me your address and I'll send you one right away), practicing my writing in the archaic German script Suetterlin, spending a lot of time at the beach and the gym, and making friends with all the neighborhood dogs, including Lulu, an English Sheepdog puppy who is just as goofy as I am (her hair's pretty poofy, too, so we have a lot in common!) I am also planning a trip to California later this month and continuing to work away at the bookstore.
(Behold, the Penguins of Florida!)
Fortunately, my reading has not suffered at all! Here's what I've enjoyed lately.
The Astronaut Wives' Club by Lily Koppel. I loved Koppel's first book, The Red Leather Diary, which is a true story of how the author found a journal from the 1920's inside and old trunk and tracked down the woman who wrote it so many years ago. I've always wished something like that would happen to me, and this book gave me the chance to live my dream vicariously.
Of course I was ecstatic to hear she'd written another--this book is about the wives of the astronauts who flew in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. Their story has never been told before (imagine that!), but seriously, without these women, the Apollo missions wouldn't have made it off the ground, and the U.S. wouldn't have put a man on the moon.
It wasn't easy to live with the pressure of being in the public eye, not to mention the stress and worry of having a husband in space when no such thing had ever been done before. The wives banded together, offering each other support and friendship through good times and bad. Their camaraderie survived divorce, suicide, alcoholism, and NASA politics, and ushered in the feminist movement and a new age of scientific discovery and exploration. I highly recommend this book.
A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger. This is a historical mystery (my favorite!) set in medieval England. It concerns a book of prophecies suspected to contain a plot for the death of the king. Poet John Gower (a real person, by the way) and his friend Geoffrey Chaucer, of Canterbury Tales fame, must unmask the conspiracy before the king is murdered.
Not only was the writing in this book fabulous, but so was the scholarship. The author is an expert on medieval literature who teaches at the University of Virginia, and I can attest to his thorough research, having read many of the books in his bibliography myself. I think this is the first in a new series--I sincerely hope so because I can't wait to read the second one!
Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope. This is also the first in a new series called The Austen Project, where bestselling authors rewrite Jane Austen's classics set in the modern day. The writing wasn't stellar, but I enjoyed it because I love the original. I'm looking forward to the retelling of Northanger Abbey, which is my favorite Austen.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Summer really is the season for mysteries! It's my favorite genre, but still. This novel, also the first in a series, came to me from a BookTuber--you can watch her recommendation video here.
First of all, I love, love, LOVE! the protagonist of this book. She is eleven years old, her name is the Flavia de Luce, and she is the smartest little evil genius I ever did see. Basically, she's me as a child, only with a passion for chemistry that I never had. Flavia solves murders all on her own, despite the obstacles set forth by condescending grownups, and she does so in a way that is both extremely intelligent and roaringly funny. This book made me chuckle out loud several times, and I can't wait to read the next one.
The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig. I'm currently reading this one, which is the third in the Pink Carnation series--more historical mysteries, but with a strong romantic component. This one is about a group of English spies and their attempts to thwart an Irish rebellion. Again, the author has a J.D. and a Ph.D. in History, both from Harvard, so these books are immaculately researched, good for smart people who like a nice love story now and then.
FYI: the author, Lauren Willig, is really nice. I've emailed her a few times, so if you like her book, write her a fan letter, and I'm sure she'll reply.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susana Clarke. This is another one I'm reading currently; it came as a recommendation from my friend Alex, and I bought it used for 50 cents (impressive when you consider the hardcover retails for $27.99). This one is about a society of scholarly English magicians during the Napoleonic wars who find their authority threatened by two men, the title characters, who--gasp!--can actually do magic. I'm not very far into this one--it's almost 800 pages--but I like it so far. More thoughts to come later.
That's it for now! I think it's about time for a cup of tea and a book . . . the only question is, which one?
Until next time,
Anna
(Behold, the Penguins of Florida!)
Fortunately, my reading has not suffered at all! Here's what I've enjoyed lately.
The Astronaut Wives' Club by Lily Koppel. I loved Koppel's first book, The Red Leather Diary, which is a true story of how the author found a journal from the 1920's inside and old trunk and tracked down the woman who wrote it so many years ago. I've always wished something like that would happen to me, and this book gave me the chance to live my dream vicariously.
Of course I was ecstatic to hear she'd written another--this book is about the wives of the astronauts who flew in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. Their story has never been told before (imagine that!), but seriously, without these women, the Apollo missions wouldn't have made it off the ground, and the U.S. wouldn't have put a man on the moon.
It wasn't easy to live with the pressure of being in the public eye, not to mention the stress and worry of having a husband in space when no such thing had ever been done before. The wives banded together, offering each other support and friendship through good times and bad. Their camaraderie survived divorce, suicide, alcoholism, and NASA politics, and ushered in the feminist movement and a new age of scientific discovery and exploration. I highly recommend this book.
A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger. This is a historical mystery (my favorite!) set in medieval England. It concerns a book of prophecies suspected to contain a plot for the death of the king. Poet John Gower (a real person, by the way) and his friend Geoffrey Chaucer, of Canterbury Tales fame, must unmask the conspiracy before the king is murdered.
Not only was the writing in this book fabulous, but so was the scholarship. The author is an expert on medieval literature who teaches at the University of Virginia, and I can attest to his thorough research, having read many of the books in his bibliography myself. I think this is the first in a new series--I sincerely hope so because I can't wait to read the second one!
Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope. This is also the first in a new series called The Austen Project, where bestselling authors rewrite Jane Austen's classics set in the modern day. The writing wasn't stellar, but I enjoyed it because I love the original. I'm looking forward to the retelling of Northanger Abbey, which is my favorite Austen.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Summer really is the season for mysteries! It's my favorite genre, but still. This novel, also the first in a series, came to me from a BookTuber--you can watch her recommendation video here.
The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig. I'm currently reading this one, which is the third in the Pink Carnation series--more historical mysteries, but with a strong romantic component. This one is about a group of English spies and their attempts to thwart an Irish rebellion. Again, the author has a J.D. and a Ph.D. in History, both from Harvard, so these books are immaculately researched, good for smart people who like a nice love story now and then.
FYI: the author, Lauren Willig, is really nice. I've emailed her a few times, so if you like her book, write her a fan letter, and I'm sure she'll reply.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susana Clarke. This is another one I'm reading currently; it came as a recommendation from my friend Alex, and I bought it used for 50 cents (impressive when you consider the hardcover retails for $27.99). This one is about a society of scholarly English magicians during the Napoleonic wars who find their authority threatened by two men, the title characters, who--gasp!--can actually do magic. I'm not very far into this one--it's almost 800 pages--but I like it so far. More thoughts to come later.
That's it for now! I think it's about time for a cup of tea and a book . . . the only question is, which one?
Until next time,
Anna
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Summer Reading List, Part 3
Greetings, fellow readers! I'm happy to report that as we approach the midpoint of the summer this Saturday, I am reading more than ever. Unfortunately, my book record-keeping system is in need of repair: ever since I filled up my last reading logbook, I haven't been able to settle on a way to record the titles I've finished. I tried Goodreads for a while but couldn't stick with it, perhaps because my TBR is mainly concentrated in my (very large) Amazon Wishlist. I've been writing book reviews for my library's adult summer reading program, but those have to be turned in to the reference desk, leaving me no paper trail with which to jog my memory.
That being said, I will do my best to reconstruct a list of what I've finished since my last post:
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I'll admit, once I realized this book was authored by the same woman who penned some very lackluster YA fiction a few years ago, I was less enthusiastic about reading it than I was after reading the blurb. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this touching hybrid between George Eliot's Silas Marner and Penumbra-esque homage to bookstores and those who love them. I don't know what's causing the recent proliferation of books about books, but whatever it is, please, keep them coming! This book is bittersweet, delightful, and heartwarming, a must-read for all book lovers.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. This was another excellent recommendation from Jacob, which I finished last weekend. It tells the story of an autistic teenager who sets out to solve the murder of a neighborhood dog and gets more than he bargained for. This is a tale of family, thought, and altered perspective. I liked it very much; I enjoyed both the mystery and the character's distinctive voice. Reminded me of Flowers for Algernon and its sympathetic portrayal of mental disability.
Art and Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light by Leonard Shlain. This history of humanities and science written by a California surgeon took me back to the Good Ol' Days of my Science and Literature class. Shlain explores the predictive capabilities of art and examines how shifts in artistic perspective and representation prefigure new discoveries in physics. The "world soul" stuff at the end was a little too theoretical for me, but I really enjoyed Shlain's scholarship and idolization of Leonardo Da Vinci. This book made me appreciate modern art because of the way it taught me to see the world. It also sparked my interest in the life and work of the French artist Marcel Duchamp, about whom I cannot wait to read more.
Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor by Liam Hearn. My friend Grant told me about this series, which he described as "Eragon set in medieval Japan." With a description like that, how could I not be curious? All I can say is, I'm so glad this book is part of a series because the story is so awesome, I don't want it to end. Though there are some fantastic elements, the book is based on Japan's rich history, something which I firmly believe people in the West should know more about. I can't wait to read the second one.
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. I'm almost finished with this one, and though it is Binchy's Big Break, I'm not really a fan. For one thing, the storyline is pretty depressing: girl suffers from negative body image, unrequited love, and feelings of stagnation in provincial Irish town. Men and women alike are mean to this girl: they use her, make fun of her, and play with her affections. The other reason why I'm not a huge fan of this book is that I've seen what Maeve Binchy can do, and this is not it. In many ways, this prefigures the richness of Whitethorn Woods and Quentins, but it's not all there yet. I suppose that's what you get for going back and reading the early stuff after reading what the author wrote in her prime.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. I just got this one from the library today, and I'm about halfway through it. I remember when this book came out, I thought it was silly to have a book for adults told from the point of view of a dog. How wrong I was. This dog is more human than I am, for goodness sake! I love this book--I know I will be sad to see it end.
That's it for now--I went to the library this morning and came home with a pretty sizable haul, so it'll probably be a while before I have enough finished to write another post. In the meantime, maybe I'll figure out a suitable way of recording the books I read!
Until next time,
Anna
That being said, I will do my best to reconstruct a list of what I've finished since my last post:
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I'll admit, once I realized this book was authored by the same woman who penned some very lackluster YA fiction a few years ago, I was less enthusiastic about reading it than I was after reading the blurb. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this touching hybrid between George Eliot's Silas Marner and Penumbra-esque homage to bookstores and those who love them. I don't know what's causing the recent proliferation of books about books, but whatever it is, please, keep them coming! This book is bittersweet, delightful, and heartwarming, a must-read for all book lovers.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. This was another excellent recommendation from Jacob, which I finished last weekend. It tells the story of an autistic teenager who sets out to solve the murder of a neighborhood dog and gets more than he bargained for. This is a tale of family, thought, and altered perspective. I liked it very much; I enjoyed both the mystery and the character's distinctive voice. Reminded me of Flowers for Algernon and its sympathetic portrayal of mental disability.
Art and Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light by Leonard Shlain. This history of humanities and science written by a California surgeon took me back to the Good Ol' Days of my Science and Literature class. Shlain explores the predictive capabilities of art and examines how shifts in artistic perspective and representation prefigure new discoveries in physics. The "world soul" stuff at the end was a little too theoretical for me, but I really enjoyed Shlain's scholarship and idolization of Leonardo Da Vinci. This book made me appreciate modern art because of the way it taught me to see the world. It also sparked my interest in the life and work of the French artist Marcel Duchamp, about whom I cannot wait to read more.
Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor by Liam Hearn. My friend Grant told me about this series, which he described as "Eragon set in medieval Japan." With a description like that, how could I not be curious? All I can say is, I'm so glad this book is part of a series because the story is so awesome, I don't want it to end. Though there are some fantastic elements, the book is based on Japan's rich history, something which I firmly believe people in the West should know more about. I can't wait to read the second one.
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. I'm almost finished with this one, and though it is Binchy's Big Break, I'm not really a fan. For one thing, the storyline is pretty depressing: girl suffers from negative body image, unrequited love, and feelings of stagnation in provincial Irish town. Men and women alike are mean to this girl: they use her, make fun of her, and play with her affections. The other reason why I'm not a huge fan of this book is that I've seen what Maeve Binchy can do, and this is not it. In many ways, this prefigures the richness of Whitethorn Woods and Quentins, but it's not all there yet. I suppose that's what you get for going back and reading the early stuff after reading what the author wrote in her prime.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. I just got this one from the library today, and I'm about halfway through it. I remember when this book came out, I thought it was silly to have a book for adults told from the point of view of a dog. How wrong I was. This dog is more human than I am, for goodness sake! I love this book--I know I will be sad to see it end.
That's it for now--I went to the library this morning and came home with a pretty sizable haul, so it'll probably be a while before I have enough finished to write another post. In the meantime, maybe I'll figure out a suitable way of recording the books I read!
Until next time,
Anna
Monday, June 2, 2014
Summer Reading List, Part 2
Greetings, readers! Before I get started on this second installment of my summer reading list for grownups, I have some exciting news: I got a job in a bookstore this summer! Needless to say, this is a dream come true for me, and I'm looking forward to many new literary adventures in the weeks and months ahead.
I haven't finished any more books since my last post, but I am currently reading four:
Firefly Summer by Maeve Binchy. I usually turn to Maeve Binchy for some literary comfort, but this book was actually really sad. It's very Great Gatsby-esque, with an American hotel tycoon expanding his business to a small Irish village in pursuit of his dream of returning to his homeland. However, his values clash with those of the villagers, with disastrous consequences. Nobody wins in this book; it was more of a bittersweet read than a comforting one.
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer. Another YA recommendation from Book Riot, this novel is a hilarious account of what happens when the set of a reality tv show invades an arts high school in northern Minnesota. Though I am a bit older than the target audience for this book, I'm enjoying the jokes that only people who did music or drama in high school will understand. If this sounds like you, give this book a shot for a light, entertaining summer read.
My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead. I've discovered I have a penchant for literary memoirs, and My Life in Middlemarch is my latest fix in this genre. Some of you know that I wrote a 30-page thesis on George Eliot's first novel, Adam Bede, during my senior year of high school, and as I read this memoir, I'm reliving my own year of reading, research, and total immersion in Eliot's work. While the biographical sections are a little repetitive for me (I did read something like three different 800-biographies of Eliot while I was writing my thesis), this is a wonderful trip down memory lane for anyone who has enjoyed Eliot's work.
The Beetle by Richard Marsh. This is a gothic novel recommended by BookTuber Ron Lit. It's about a beetle that causes a political scandal in the British parliament. This book is very strange, and it's taking me forever to get through it because the story moves so slowly. My bookmark is languishing about halfway through this one.
Until next time,
Anna
I haven't finished any more books since my last post, but I am currently reading four:
Firefly Summer by Maeve Binchy. I usually turn to Maeve Binchy for some literary comfort, but this book was actually really sad. It's very Great Gatsby-esque, with an American hotel tycoon expanding his business to a small Irish village in pursuit of his dream of returning to his homeland. However, his values clash with those of the villagers, with disastrous consequences. Nobody wins in this book; it was more of a bittersweet read than a comforting one.
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer. Another YA recommendation from Book Riot, this novel is a hilarious account of what happens when the set of a reality tv show invades an arts high school in northern Minnesota. Though I am a bit older than the target audience for this book, I'm enjoying the jokes that only people who did music or drama in high school will understand. If this sounds like you, give this book a shot for a light, entertaining summer read.
My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead. I've discovered I have a penchant for literary memoirs, and My Life in Middlemarch is my latest fix in this genre. Some of you know that I wrote a 30-page thesis on George Eliot's first novel, Adam Bede, during my senior year of high school, and as I read this memoir, I'm reliving my own year of reading, research, and total immersion in Eliot's work. While the biographical sections are a little repetitive for me (I did read something like three different 800-biographies of Eliot while I was writing my thesis), this is a wonderful trip down memory lane for anyone who has enjoyed Eliot's work.
The Beetle by Richard Marsh. This is a gothic novel recommended by BookTuber Ron Lit. It's about a beetle that causes a political scandal in the British parliament. This book is very strange, and it's taking me forever to get through it because the story moves so slowly. My bookmark is languishing about halfway through this one.
Until next time,
Anna
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Summer Reading List
I love summer. To me, it's the time when, freed at last from course syllabi and lists of required reading, I can sit back and relax with a cup of Darjeeling and a book of my own choosing. It reminds me of when I was a little kid and my mom would take me and my sister Brigid to the summer reading programs at the library, the same library where I worked throughout high school. Each week, we'd be entertained by the traveling Mashed Potato Players comedy shows or an exhibit of animals from the Jacksonville Zoo. We'd line up to have our reading logs stamped and collect our prizes for reading five books each week, a benchmark which I never failed to reach and often surpassed. I still have my collection of plastic clown bookmarks from one of those reading-filled summers.
This post is the second in a series about my Summer Reading Log for Grown-Ups. Since I last wrote, I finished
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Don't waste your time on this one. I thought the book really had it going until the very end, where, between a gimmicky time travel scene and an irritating necessity on the part of the author to wrap up each and every loose end with a red ribbon, I became so disgusted I could barely finish.
A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin. If Revolution was the raw burger at a two-star diner, A Soldier of the Great War was dinner at La Cupole. This book was a delight from start to finish (thank you, Jacob, for the recommendation). The writing was descriptive and blessedly consistent; the story remained light in spite of the heavy subject matter (for more on lightness in literature, I recommend Six Memos for the Next Millennium by Italo Calvino); and most importantly, the book made me want to go to the places I had read about. I credit my vast experience with British literature as the inspiration for my trip to England last summer, and after finishing this book, I must go to Italy. I highly recommend this one.
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie. While not the best of his books, this one is sure to please old Rushdie fans. If you're new, hold off on this one and read The Moor's Last Sigh first. You'll know after that one whether you like him or not. This novel takes us to Renaissance Florence and the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar. A mysterious Florentine traveler, revealed later to be none other than Niccolo Machiavelli, travels to India and explores many questions of power, passion, and human nature with the emperor. A good read, if you are a Rushdie fan.
Great by Sarah Benincasa. This beach read aimed at a young adult audience is a fun, if predictable, retelling of The Great Gatsby, this time with a lesbian twist. I bought this one on my Kindle after spotting it on a recommended reading list from the folks over at Book Riot.
White Teeth by Zadie Smith. I. Love. This. Book. A loaner from my friend, Jordan, White Teeth is one of the freshest novels I've read in a long time. First of all, Zadie Smith's writing is absolutely hilarious--it is very difficult for me to find a book that makes me laugh out loud, but this one did. Smith looks at British suburban life in the 80's through a lens that's slightly askew, and her novel is populated with characters as eccentric as the ones you'll find next door. Everyone should read this book; it should be required reading for high schoolers everywhere. It deals with so many questions of race, suicide, education, friendship, and literature in an honest, funny way that is very true to life. White Teeth examines how the stories we tell about our past shape who we are now, a fitting homage to the power of literature to create our worlds.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. This one I finished just today; I read it on my Kindle after finding it on the same list as Great. This book is magical realism with a strong Gothic component. Though it's aimed at the YA audience, it resonates equally well with older readers, I think. It is the story of a family, a girl with wings, and the characters' journeys as they endure heartbreak and learn to love themselves. A fun summer read--I breezed through it in less than a day.
Until next time,
Anna
This post is the second in a series about my Summer Reading Log for Grown-Ups. Since I last wrote, I finished
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Don't waste your time on this one. I thought the book really had it going until the very end, where, between a gimmicky time travel scene and an irritating necessity on the part of the author to wrap up each and every loose end with a red ribbon, I became so disgusted I could barely finish.
A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin. If Revolution was the raw burger at a two-star diner, A Soldier of the Great War was dinner at La Cupole. This book was a delight from start to finish (thank you, Jacob, for the recommendation). The writing was descriptive and blessedly consistent; the story remained light in spite of the heavy subject matter (for more on lightness in literature, I recommend Six Memos for the Next Millennium by Italo Calvino); and most importantly, the book made me want to go to the places I had read about. I credit my vast experience with British literature as the inspiration for my trip to England last summer, and after finishing this book, I must go to Italy. I highly recommend this one.
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie. While not the best of his books, this one is sure to please old Rushdie fans. If you're new, hold off on this one and read The Moor's Last Sigh first. You'll know after that one whether you like him or not. This novel takes us to Renaissance Florence and the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar. A mysterious Florentine traveler, revealed later to be none other than Niccolo Machiavelli, travels to India and explores many questions of power, passion, and human nature with the emperor. A good read, if you are a Rushdie fan.
Great by Sarah Benincasa. This beach read aimed at a young adult audience is a fun, if predictable, retelling of The Great Gatsby, this time with a lesbian twist. I bought this one on my Kindle after spotting it on a recommended reading list from the folks over at Book Riot.
White Teeth by Zadie Smith. I. Love. This. Book. A loaner from my friend, Jordan, White Teeth is one of the freshest novels I've read in a long time. First of all, Zadie Smith's writing is absolutely hilarious--it is very difficult for me to find a book that makes me laugh out loud, but this one did. Smith looks at British suburban life in the 80's through a lens that's slightly askew, and her novel is populated with characters as eccentric as the ones you'll find next door. Everyone should read this book; it should be required reading for high schoolers everywhere. It deals with so many questions of race, suicide, education, friendship, and literature in an honest, funny way that is very true to life. White Teeth examines how the stories we tell about our past shape who we are now, a fitting homage to the power of literature to create our worlds.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. This one I finished just today; I read it on my Kindle after finding it on the same list as Great. This book is magical realism with a strong Gothic component. Though it's aimed at the YA audience, it resonates equally well with older readers, I think. It is the story of a family, a girl with wings, and the characters' journeys as they endure heartbreak and learn to love themselves. A fun summer read--I breezed through it in less than a day.
Until next time,
Anna
Friday, May 9, 2014
Put me in summer and I'll be a . . .
Greetings, fellow readers! I, like Olaf, am overjoyed that summer is finally here! The semester is over, final grades are in, and now it's time for me to dive into my summer reading stack. Here's a quick overview of what I've read so far this summer:
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber. This account of a Victorian era prostitute's ascent through the social strata of London promised to be an excellent read, at least for the first couple hundred pages. The vocabulary is lush and descriptive and the writing so mesmerizing I found myself immersed in the book for hours at a time. However, the story bogged down after a while in the minutiae of the characters' inner lives. I realize that's precisely what a novel is supposed to be about, but all the characters except Sugar (the prostitute) and Emmeline Fox (who doesn't get a lot of narration time anyway) were thoroughly detestable. As anyone who's ever been to the movies with me will attest, I do not like whiny characters, and this novel, alas, was full of them.
Conclusion: A good book, but not one I'd leap out of my chair to recommend to a friend.
A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin. This one came to me last summer from an excellent recommender, but as the book is nearly 800 pages long, I had to wait until this summer to start it. It's the story of an Italian alpine veteran of World War One, and it reads a lot like A Farewell to Arms, only without the misogyny. The main character's reminiscences have a more Romantic bent as well, which I can appreciate. I'm about a quarter of the way through this delightful book--it's one I'll enjoy reading slowly.
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. I read her first novel, A Northern Light, last summer at the recommendation of my friend Elli. It was ok, but Revolution is better. Perhaps that's because the plot centers around one of my most cherished dreams: a young girl finds a diary from the past hidden away and commences to solve the mystery of its origins and contents. In this case, protagonist Andi is a musician who travels to Paris to work on her senior thesis. The diary she discovers is from the time of the Revolution and the Terror, which just so happens to be the very period she is researching for her project. I just started the book yesterday, so the mystery is still in its early stages, but I am excited to know what happens.
Not a bad list for my first week back home! Stay tuned for more updates and reading adventures this summer.
Until next time,
Anna
Monday, April 21, 2014
Happy Birthday, Charlotte Bronte!
"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day."
With those ten words, I'm catapulted back in time to when I was thirteen years old, reading Jane Eyre for the first time. I fell in love with the novel's heroine, at once passionate and rational, and with the eloquent way she told her story, addressing me as "Reader." I felt like she was reaching out to me through the pages, teaching me about what it means to be a strong, smart, independent woman.
Greetings, fellow readers! Today we celebrate Charlotte Bronte, born 198 years ago today. Although the literary achievements of her and her siblings are complex and manifold, I'm going to focus today on the novel I have loved since the day my mom bought me my first copy seven years ago: Jane Eyre. It's the book I have loved most consistently to this day, the one I return to when I'm in need of comfort or advice, or when I just want to wrap myself in a familiar story.
I still remember that day now--my mom and I were at a homeschool convention in my hometown of Jacksonville, and we had stopped at the Usborne publishing booth, which was selling a variety of fiction for all ages. The book that caught my eye had a picture of a woman with her hair in a bun sitting at the window, her silhouette standing out against a background of pink and grey. Slate blue calligraphy spelled out the title: Jane Eyre. I remember asking my mom to buy it for me, and I will always be grateful she said yes.
When I read the book as a child, I was captivated by the suspenseful, Gothic aspects of the story. Who was the mysterious figure laughing in the night? Why did Rochester keep so many secrets? Would Jane ever find a family of her own? These questions burned in me and kept the story going. I would stay up long past my bedtime, flipping covers under the sheets to find the answers.
I try to read the book once every year, and as I've grown older, I feel like Jane has grown with me, too. I really look up to her: she's intelligent and independent, and she survives in an indifferent, often unfriendly world. As someone who was bullied and/or shunned throughout middle school and high school, I found a much-needed friend in Jane, who stood up to her abusive cousin, John Reed, who held her ground when Mr. Brocklehurst quizzed her on her virtue, who insisted upon speaking the truth even when it meant risking the wrath of those in power. I admired her strong sense of self, her thick skin, and her adherence to an intensely personal moral code.
As I grew older, I gained a new appreciation for the way Jane handles her relationship with Rochester. When they first meet, she refuses to let him catch her off guard. By behaving as his equal, she commands his respect. When their love is threatened by the revelation of Bertha's identity (no plot spoilers here--go read the book!), Jane has to choose between happiness with him and staying true to herself, and the beautiful thing about Jane Eyre is that she refuses to sacrifice her principles, even for the man she loves more than anyone else in the world. She knows their happiness would always be tainted, and even though it breaks her heart, she would rather leave him than cause irreparable damage to their relationship. That's a woman I can look up to, someone who refuses to compromise who she is to make someone else happy.
My test of a good book is that you can always find something new each time you read it. Though my original copy of Jane Eyre fell to pieces long ago, I still carry so much of that book within myself. Each year, when I pick it up, I notice something I never marked before. With any luck, I'll continue to read this book for many years to come, each time finding some new morsel to feed my hungry imagination. So happy birthday, Charlotte Bronte: thank you for making this woman's life richer because of your book. And thank you, Jane.
Until next time, readers,
Anna
With those ten words, I'm catapulted back in time to when I was thirteen years old, reading Jane Eyre for the first time. I fell in love with the novel's heroine, at once passionate and rational, and with the eloquent way she told her story, addressing me as "Reader." I felt like she was reaching out to me through the pages, teaching me about what it means to be a strong, smart, independent woman.
Greetings, fellow readers! Today we celebrate Charlotte Bronte, born 198 years ago today. Although the literary achievements of her and her siblings are complex and manifold, I'm going to focus today on the novel I have loved since the day my mom bought me my first copy seven years ago: Jane Eyre. It's the book I have loved most consistently to this day, the one I return to when I'm in need of comfort or advice, or when I just want to wrap myself in a familiar story.
I still remember that day now--my mom and I were at a homeschool convention in my hometown of Jacksonville, and we had stopped at the Usborne publishing booth, which was selling a variety of fiction for all ages. The book that caught my eye had a picture of a woman with her hair in a bun sitting at the window, her silhouette standing out against a background of pink and grey. Slate blue calligraphy spelled out the title: Jane Eyre. I remember asking my mom to buy it for me, and I will always be grateful she said yes.
When I read the book as a child, I was captivated by the suspenseful, Gothic aspects of the story. Who was the mysterious figure laughing in the night? Why did Rochester keep so many secrets? Would Jane ever find a family of her own? These questions burned in me and kept the story going. I would stay up long past my bedtime, flipping covers under the sheets to find the answers.
I try to read the book once every year, and as I've grown older, I feel like Jane has grown with me, too. I really look up to her: she's intelligent and independent, and she survives in an indifferent, often unfriendly world. As someone who was bullied and/or shunned throughout middle school and high school, I found a much-needed friend in Jane, who stood up to her abusive cousin, John Reed, who held her ground when Mr. Brocklehurst quizzed her on her virtue, who insisted upon speaking the truth even when it meant risking the wrath of those in power. I admired her strong sense of self, her thick skin, and her adherence to an intensely personal moral code.
As I grew older, I gained a new appreciation for the way Jane handles her relationship with Rochester. When they first meet, she refuses to let him catch her off guard. By behaving as his equal, she commands his respect. When their love is threatened by the revelation of Bertha's identity (no plot spoilers here--go read the book!), Jane has to choose between happiness with him and staying true to herself, and the beautiful thing about Jane Eyre is that she refuses to sacrifice her principles, even for the man she loves more than anyone else in the world. She knows their happiness would always be tainted, and even though it breaks her heart, she would rather leave him than cause irreparable damage to their relationship. That's a woman I can look up to, someone who refuses to compromise who she is to make someone else happy.
My test of a good book is that you can always find something new each time you read it. Though my original copy of Jane Eyre fell to pieces long ago, I still carry so much of that book within myself. Each year, when I pick it up, I notice something I never marked before. With any luck, I'll continue to read this book for many years to come, each time finding some new morsel to feed my hungry imagination. So happy birthday, Charlotte Bronte: thank you for making this woman's life richer because of your book. And thank you, Jane.
Until next time, readers,
Anna
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Check out my haul!
Greetings, fellow readers! This weekend marks the semi-annual Alachua County Friends of the Library Booksale, an event which inspires near religious fervor among the bibliophiles of Gainesville. This year, I went with my friend Jordan, who has never been before. We ended up having a mini-Shakespeare in the Park cast reunion, as we ran into Ashlyn and David, our director and stage manager/god of thunder (aka special effects), while we were there.
There's something about books that brings people together like nothing else does. When you see someone reading one of your favorites, that's a book recommending a person. Though we bookworms are a solitary bunch--how can we get any reading done if we're surrounded by people?--when we do venture out, our best friends are those who also love to read. We divide ourselves into little cults and factions, worshiping poetry here, adoring stream of consciousness there. Like I said, it's almost religious.
There's something about books that brings people together like nothing else does. When you see someone reading one of your favorites, that's a book recommending a person. Though we bookworms are a solitary bunch--how can we get any reading done if we're surrounded by people?--when we do venture out, our best friends are those who also love to read. We divide ourselves into little cults and factions, worshiping poetry here, adoring stream of consciousness there. Like I said, it's almost religious.
As I said in the title, I came away with a fantastic haul this time, all for the grand total of $20.25. I'm most looking forward to reading Will in the World, a biography of William Shakespeare which comes highly recommended by both my mother the English professor and Ron Lit, booktuber extraordinaire. (See my previous posts for more about her.) I also got some poetry by Margaret Atwood, Mary Oliver, Seamus Heaney, Emily Bronte, and Charles Baudelaire, as well as my third copy of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land and Other Poems and a funny little paperback full of limericks. I scored a copy of Anna Karenina bound in red leather for $1.50 and Harold Bloom's Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human in hardcover for 25 cents. IN HARDCOVER!!!!! Add in some more works about Shakespeare, some more poetry, and a couple of intriguing novels, and you have my haul for Spring 2014. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of reading to do!
Until next time,
Anna
Thursday, April 3, 2014
YouTube, the Book Lover's Best Friend
Greetings, fellow readers! It's that time of the semester where I am so burned out from reading books for all my classes that I have resorted to watching YouTube videos as a means of simultaneous procrastination and entertainment. Some of you may remember fall of my freshman year when I went a little haywire on Disney movies in foreign languages and Sherlock dubbed over with silly songs. Since this was before I started blogging, let me give you a little sample below:
Yeah, my productivity hit an all-time low that finals week. Since then, I have discovered a more cultured side of YouTube, beginning with the I F***ing Love Science channel (which many of you watch, I know) and also the various vlogs about/adaptations of classic literature.
Let me begin with my new personal hero, Ron Lit. This woman has it all: she's a Canadian graduate student studying English literature, and she does videos about books, feminism, and cats. CATS!! All very good things, to be sure. I first found out about her through a feminist Facebook group I'm a member of, and I quickly watched all of her videos and even read some of the books she talks about. I am seriously in love with Ron Lit--her analysis is so sharp, she's funny and gorgeous, and she doesn't apologize for going on "feminist rants." I cannot wait until she makes more videos. Here's a link to her most recent one, which is an excellent analysis of the role of women in detective fiction:
Once I ran out of Ron Lit videos to watch, I went into a severe YouTube withdrawal and was only able to recover with the help of . . .
The Lizzie Bennett Diaries!
My friend Jordan has been trying to get me to watch these for ages, but it wasn't until Maria, a friend from my computer science class, also recommended them that I began to watch the series. Oh. My. Goodness. First of all, imagine this: Lizzie Bennett of Pride and Prejudice fame as a 21st century grad student with her own video blog. Not only that, but Jane, Lydia, and Charlotte all appear on the vlog, too. This adaptation is hilarious and sticks to the spirit of the original novel. There are a few small changes to update the book when necessary (instead of being a rich landed gentleman, Mr. Bingley is transformed into Bing Lee, a young medical student), but the basic plot is still the same. To whoever came up with this, yours is an ingenious idea. I've also heard there's a series called "Emma Approved," which reimagines Austen's Emma--I'm looking forward to starting it once I finish LBD. Here's a link to the first episode, in case you're interested:
That's all for now; I hope this post leads you to some great new literary YouTube channels of your own!
Until next time,
Anna
Yeah, my productivity hit an all-time low that finals week. Since then, I have discovered a more cultured side of YouTube, beginning with the I F***ing Love Science channel (which many of you watch, I know) and also the various vlogs about/adaptations of classic literature.
Let me begin with my new personal hero, Ron Lit. This woman has it all: she's a Canadian graduate student studying English literature, and she does videos about books, feminism, and cats. CATS!! All very good things, to be sure. I first found out about her through a feminist Facebook group I'm a member of, and I quickly watched all of her videos and even read some of the books she talks about. I am seriously in love with Ron Lit--her analysis is so sharp, she's funny and gorgeous, and she doesn't apologize for going on "feminist rants." I cannot wait until she makes more videos. Here's a link to her most recent one, which is an excellent analysis of the role of women in detective fiction:
Once I ran out of Ron Lit videos to watch, I went into a severe YouTube withdrawal and was only able to recover with the help of . . .
The Lizzie Bennett Diaries!
My friend Jordan has been trying to get me to watch these for ages, but it wasn't until Maria, a friend from my computer science class, also recommended them that I began to watch the series. Oh. My. Goodness. First of all, imagine this: Lizzie Bennett of Pride and Prejudice fame as a 21st century grad student with her own video blog. Not only that, but Jane, Lydia, and Charlotte all appear on the vlog, too. This adaptation is hilarious and sticks to the spirit of the original novel. There are a few small changes to update the book when necessary (instead of being a rich landed gentleman, Mr. Bingley is transformed into Bing Lee, a young medical student), but the basic plot is still the same. To whoever came up with this, yours is an ingenious idea. I've also heard there's a series called "Emma Approved," which reimagines Austen's Emma--I'm looking forward to starting it once I finish LBD. Here's a link to the first episode, in case you're interested:
That's all for now; I hope this post leads you to some great new literary YouTube channels of your own!
Until next time,
Anna
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Escapism, or How Books Helped Me Survive the World's Worst Camping Trip
Greetings, fellow readers! At some point in your reading lives, I'm sure you've encountered some statements similar to these:
"Isn't reading just a form of escapism and wishful thinking?"
"Shouldn't books focus on, you know, serious issues?"
"We shouldn't read fairy tales to kids because it keeps them from living in the Real World."
Even the great Jane Austen had to deal with the attitude that novels did not count as Serious Literature. In fact, her novel Northanger Abbey has an entire chapter devoted to Austen's own apologia for novel reading. In her day, Cultured People read poetry, and novels were seen as trashy and frivolous. Austen argued that novels are worthy; in fact, her heroine, Catherine, uses her vast experience reading novels to uncover the mystery of Northanger Abbey. Far from being a form of escapism, novels can teach us and comfort us when our circumstances are miserable and inescapable, which brings me to my theme for this post.
Over the weekend, I went camping at Skidaway Island in Georga with some friends from the Honors Program Ambassadors club at my school. This trip was supposed to be a fun experience for us to bond and honor the graduating seniors, but the reality was not nearly so rosy. By the time we arrived at the campsite, it was pitch black and raining buckets. Everything was so wet we were unable to start a fire; all we could do was huddle inside a small shelter and eat our s'more ingredients raw as we tried to keep warm. To make matters worse, we had no tarps laid down under our tents. Not only was the floor of my tent one giant lake, but all my gear was waterlogged, and the tent roof leaked.
Now, let me pause for a moment to say I've survived many a bad camping trip in my day. I've slogged through rain, eaten food covered in onion juice because someone forgot to keep the pungent food off the rest of our meals, gotten lost in the woods, and my personal favorite, huddled under a tarp on an airfield in Canada amidst the wildest thunderstorm ever, but I have never lost my faith that things would be ok. This camping trip was entirely without hope or succor. I slept not a wink, and around 2 AM, thoroughly disheartened by my situation, I decided to pick up a book in the hopes of making myself feel at least a little bit better.
The soft light of my Kindle paperwhite illuminated the tent as my eyes drank in the familiar words of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. (Yes, I know you're supposed to be in the wilderness and commune with nature when you're out camping, but at this point, I didn't give a sh!t. I just wanted to be happy, and we live in the 21st century, dammit! I wasn't about to deprive myself of a good book just because I happened to be out in the woods.) Little Women is a book that never fails to remind me of home, perhaps because growing up, my mom, my sisters, and I were known as "the little women" among our friends. Also, when my mom was really sick after I was born, my dad took her to see the movie with Winona Ryder as Jo when she got out of the hospital--he was the only man in the theater, and it's a mark of his love and respect for my mom that he didn't care a bit. When I was little, Dad and I made our own version of the March girls' Pickwick Society (I still have our little handmade newspapers), and on our way to Canada (of rain-lashed airfield fame mentioned above), we stopped at Orchard House, the real life home of Alcott and her family and the inspiration for the Marches' house in the novel.
I read until just before sunrise, which was around 7 AM. Though I was exhausted, soaked, and sore by the time I stumbled out of the tent, my heart and mind were happy, still filled with visions of the girls and Marmee sitting around the fire, reading letters from Father, of Laurie and Jo dancing at the Gardners' Christmas party, of Amy losing her limes to the little Irish children, of Meg's tender courtship with John Brooke. The book didn't make my situation go away, but it did make me feel better, and that's a powerful thing. You may call reading books escapism if you want, but you cannot deny the power of literature to improve our state of mind and affect our emotions. I will always be glad I had Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy there to help me get through that horrible camping trip.
Until next time,
Anna
"Isn't reading just a form of escapism and wishful thinking?"
"Shouldn't books focus on, you know, serious issues?"
"We shouldn't read fairy tales to kids because it keeps them from living in the Real World."
Even the great Jane Austen had to deal with the attitude that novels did not count as Serious Literature. In fact, her novel Northanger Abbey has an entire chapter devoted to Austen's own apologia for novel reading. In her day, Cultured People read poetry, and novels were seen as trashy and frivolous. Austen argued that novels are worthy; in fact, her heroine, Catherine, uses her vast experience reading novels to uncover the mystery of Northanger Abbey. Far from being a form of escapism, novels can teach us and comfort us when our circumstances are miserable and inescapable, which brings me to my theme for this post.
Over the weekend, I went camping at Skidaway Island in Georga with some friends from the Honors Program Ambassadors club at my school. This trip was supposed to be a fun experience for us to bond and honor the graduating seniors, but the reality was not nearly so rosy. By the time we arrived at the campsite, it was pitch black and raining buckets. Everything was so wet we were unable to start a fire; all we could do was huddle inside a small shelter and eat our s'more ingredients raw as we tried to keep warm. To make matters worse, we had no tarps laid down under our tents. Not only was the floor of my tent one giant lake, but all my gear was waterlogged, and the tent roof leaked.
Now, let me pause for a moment to say I've survived many a bad camping trip in my day. I've slogged through rain, eaten food covered in onion juice because someone forgot to keep the pungent food off the rest of our meals, gotten lost in the woods, and my personal favorite, huddled under a tarp on an airfield in Canada amidst the wildest thunderstorm ever, but I have never lost my faith that things would be ok. This camping trip was entirely without hope or succor. I slept not a wink, and around 2 AM, thoroughly disheartened by my situation, I decided to pick up a book in the hopes of making myself feel at least a little bit better.
The soft light of my Kindle paperwhite illuminated the tent as my eyes drank in the familiar words of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. (Yes, I know you're supposed to be in the wilderness and commune with nature when you're out camping, but at this point, I didn't give a sh!t. I just wanted to be happy, and we live in the 21st century, dammit! I wasn't about to deprive myself of a good book just because I happened to be out in the woods.) Little Women is a book that never fails to remind me of home, perhaps because growing up, my mom, my sisters, and I were known as "the little women" among our friends. Also, when my mom was really sick after I was born, my dad took her to see the movie with Winona Ryder as Jo when she got out of the hospital--he was the only man in the theater, and it's a mark of his love and respect for my mom that he didn't care a bit. When I was little, Dad and I made our own version of the March girls' Pickwick Society (I still have our little handmade newspapers), and on our way to Canada (of rain-lashed airfield fame mentioned above), we stopped at Orchard House, the real life home of Alcott and her family and the inspiration for the Marches' house in the novel.
I read until just before sunrise, which was around 7 AM. Though I was exhausted, soaked, and sore by the time I stumbled out of the tent, my heart and mind were happy, still filled with visions of the girls and Marmee sitting around the fire, reading letters from Father, of Laurie and Jo dancing at the Gardners' Christmas party, of Amy losing her limes to the little Irish children, of Meg's tender courtship with John Brooke. The book didn't make my situation go away, but it did make me feel better, and that's a powerful thing. You may call reading books escapism if you want, but you cannot deny the power of literature to improve our state of mind and affect our emotions. I will always be glad I had Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy there to help me get through that horrible camping trip.
Until next time,
Anna
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