I didn't quite meet the goal of 18 books but I managed to get within spitting distance. I read 15 books in February, most of them not from the list. Oh well is all I can say about that. I think I've learned a bit about writing those lists though.
So looking back:
My 3 favorite books of the month:
1. The Neverending Story
2. Chocolat
3. The Hobbit
Favorite Non-fiction book of the month:
1. Zen in the Art of Writing
3 Hardest reads of the month:
1. Name of the Rose
2. God of Small Things
3. The Neverending Story
3 Best Children's books of the month:
1. Wise Child
2. Skellig
3. Sourcery
Monday, February 28, 2005
19. Skellig
By David Almond (182 pgs Dell Yearling 1998)
It may be that my perception has been colored by the last thing I read but it seems to me that this is a story about overcoming despair with love. A young boy discovers a stranger in the derelict garage of his parent's new house. Between worrying about his ill baby sister and learning about learning from his new friend Mina, he discovers with Mina's help that the man is not perhaps a man after all.
I think this is a lovely book and a good work of fiction for children. The reading level is 10 years old but I feel a precocious 8 year old could probably manage it.
It may be that my perception has been colored by the last thing I read but it seems to me that this is a story about overcoming despair with love. A young boy discovers a stranger in the derelict garage of his parent's new house. Between worrying about his ill baby sister and learning about learning from his new friend Mina, he discovers with Mina's help that the man is not perhaps a man after all.
I think this is a lovely book and a good work of fiction for children. The reading level is 10 years old but I feel a precocious 8 year old could probably manage it.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
18. Deadly Sins (NF 3)
(125 Pgs William Morrow and Company, Inc. New York 1993)
This is a collection of essays written on the Deadly Sins and the one unforgivable one (Despair) by novelist, fiction short story writers, and a poet. What drew me to this book was that I recognized some of the authors and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Each sin was covered by a different author :
Sloth by Thomas Pynchon
Anger by Mary Gordon
Lust by John Updike
Gluttony by William Trevor
Pride by Gore Vidal
Avarice by Richard Howard
Envy by A.S. Byatt
and
Despair by Joyce Carol Oates.
I think Envy and Pride were my favorites, closely followed by Sloth and Gluttony. This is a book well worth owning and I think I may try to find a copy to add to my library.
This is a collection of essays written on the Deadly Sins and the one unforgivable one (Despair) by novelist, fiction short story writers, and a poet. What drew me to this book was that I recognized some of the authors and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Each sin was covered by a different author :
Sloth by Thomas Pynchon
Anger by Mary Gordon
Lust by John Updike
Gluttony by William Trevor
Pride by Gore Vidal
Avarice by Richard Howard
Envy by A.S. Byatt
and
Despair by Joyce Carol Oates.
I think Envy and Pride were my favorites, closely followed by Sloth and Gluttony. This is a book well worth owning and I think I may try to find a copy to add to my library.
17. A Series of Unfortunate Events : The Austere Academy
By Lemony Snickett (227 pgs)
Book number 5 in the series. It seems the three orphans have finally run out of relatives. Either that or the relatives have wised up since all the one's who've taken in the children have ended up dead. In any case, this time the Baudelaires find themselves in a wretched boarding school.
The Baudelaires meet some kindred spirits in two children named the Quagmires. That's about the only good thing going for them in this one. Count Olaf of course shows up and his plot isn't quite as obvious as most have been. This one was kinda blah....but then I'm not the biggest fan to begin with.
Book number 5 in the series. It seems the three orphans have finally run out of relatives. Either that or the relatives have wised up since all the one's who've taken in the children have ended up dead. In any case, this time the Baudelaires find themselves in a wretched boarding school.
The Baudelaires meet some kindred spirits in two children named the Quagmires. That's about the only good thing going for them in this one. Count Olaf of course shows up and his plot isn't quite as obvious as most have been. This one was kinda blah....but then I'm not the biggest fan to begin with.
16. Wise Child
by Monica Furlong (240 pgs)
This is a story about a child who's parents, while not dead, have left her a virtual orphan. Set in Middle Age Scotland, Wise Child is taken in by Juniper, the local herbwoman or witch, depending on who you talk to. Juniper begins to teach Wise Child her art and a sudden renewed interest in the part of Wise Child's mother begins to cause a great deal of strife.
There is a pervasive moral discussion going on here about idleness and sloth and I found as I read I was much more inclined to do housework (which is....just weird.)
This is a story about a child who's parents, while not dead, have left her a virtual orphan. Set in Middle Age Scotland, Wise Child is taken in by Juniper, the local herbwoman or witch, depending on who you talk to. Juniper begins to teach Wise Child her art and a sudden renewed interest in the part of Wise Child's mother begins to cause a great deal of strife.
There is a pervasive moral discussion going on here about idleness and sloth and I found as I read I was much more inclined to do housework (which is....just weird.)
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
15. The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien (255 pgs)
This was actually better than I remember it being, although I always felt it was the best of the four. I think I understand much more than I did 12 years ago when I first read it. I was a little surprised by some points of the book that I didn't remember previously, particularly those concerning Elrond. I think I forgot altogether that he was in The Hobbit.
This was actually better than I remember it being, although I always felt it was the best of the four. I think I understand much more than I did 12 years ago when I first read it. I was a little surprised by some points of the book that I didn't remember previously, particularly those concerning Elrond. I think I forgot altogether that he was in The Hobbit.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
14. A Series of Unfortunate Events : The Miserable Mill
by Lemony Snicket (199 pgs)
this is the 4th installment of the series and I actually found this one enjoyable. The word defining nonsense is still there but it's being played with and almost clever in places.
The children seem to be running out of relatives and they end up in a lumber mill...working...even the baby. Count Olaf doesn't seem to be there but Klaus is acting very...strange.
this is the 4th installment of the series and I actually found this one enjoyable. The word defining nonsense is still there but it's being played with and almost clever in places.
The children seem to be running out of relatives and they end up in a lumber mill...working...even the baby. Count Olaf doesn't seem to be there but Klaus is acting very...strange.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
13. The Name of the Rose
by Umberto Eco (611 pgs)Warner Books edition 1980 copyright
This is a very large book of Faulknerian density. Like Faulkner there is a definite sense of pride in having read it, also it's worth the read. It is a good book and having read it I can honestly say that I'm glad that I did. However, Eco indulges in too much nearly useless exposition. Many of the theological debates are interesting but are only marginally important to the plot. The book could easily be 200 pages shorter simply by editing out the useless exposition or condensing it.
This is a very large book of Faulknerian density. Like Faulkner there is a definite sense of pride in having read it, also it's worth the read. It is a good book and having read it I can honestly say that I'm glad that I did. However, Eco indulges in too much nearly useless exposition. Many of the theological debates are interesting but are only marginally important to the plot. The book could easily be 200 pages shorter simply by editing out the useless exposition or condensing it.
Monday, February 14, 2005
12. A Series of Unfortunate Events : The Wide Window
by Lemony Snicket (218 pgs)
*sigh* I'm pretty sure children's literature could potentially be better than this. It's not that this is awful but it strays fairly close to obnoxious. I know kids love it, but there's better stuff out there for them. Anyway....
In this, the third, book of the series we find the Baudelaires with their rather droopy Aunt Josephine. The aunt is rather annoyingly afraid of absolutely everything. Thankfully it annoys the children as well but unlike the previous installment there was a dearth of witty dialog. Of course Aunt Josephine doesn't survive very long and I'm beginning to wonder if the orphans will have any relatives left for the next book in the series.
*sigh* I'm pretty sure children's literature could potentially be better than this. It's not that this is awful but it strays fairly close to obnoxious. I know kids love it, but there's better stuff out there for them. Anyway....
In this, the third, book of the series we find the Baudelaires with their rather droopy Aunt Josephine. The aunt is rather annoyingly afraid of absolutely everything. Thankfully it annoys the children as well but unlike the previous installment there was a dearth of witty dialog. Of course Aunt Josephine doesn't survive very long and I'm beginning to wonder if the orphans will have any relatives left for the next book in the series.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
11. A Series of Unfortunate Events : The Reptile Room
by Lemony Snicket (190 pgs)
This is the 2nd book in the series and a rather large improvement over the first. The Baudelaire children find themselves in the care of yet another relative but this time the very pleasant Dr. Montgomery. Things soon go wrong however when Dr. Montgomery dies from an apparent snake bite and his mysterious assistant turns out to be someone the children recognize.
I tend to feel that these books are rather patronizing...Particularly the way the author insists on defining words for the readers, and the children's) 'benefit.' Luckily in this volume the children start getting annoyed with it too and that made it somewhat easier to get through.
This is the 2nd book in the series and a rather large improvement over the first. The Baudelaire children find themselves in the care of yet another relative but this time the very pleasant Dr. Montgomery. Things soon go wrong however when Dr. Montgomery dies from an apparent snake bite and his mysterious assistant turns out to be someone the children recognize.
I tend to feel that these books are rather patronizing...Particularly the way the author insists on defining words for the readers, and the children's) 'benefit.' Luckily in this volume the children start getting annoyed with it too and that made it somewhat easier to get through.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
10. Zen in the Art of Writing (NF 2)
by Ray Bradbury (176 pgs)published in 1994.
I first encountered this book the summer after my freshman year in college. It was sitting on a sale rack at one of the Toledo Borders Booksellers. I picked it up, flipped through it, noticed the poetry in the the back, and bought it on a whim. The book ended up being one of the saving graces of the summer ruled by unreasonable bosses punctuated by sheer retail boredom. Of course, I lent it out and of course it never came back. Well I replaced my copy and just finished reading it.
Zen in the Art of Writing is a collection of essays and poems by Bradbury on the subjects of writing and creativity. Much of it is out of context, being pulled from various places including prefaces, film interviews, and lectures, but still relevent and oddly compelling. This book has, and I suspect always will, inspire me to write. I love this book and, no, you can't borrow it. :-P
I first encountered this book the summer after my freshman year in college. It was sitting on a sale rack at one of the Toledo Borders Booksellers. I picked it up, flipped through it, noticed the poetry in the the back, and bought it on a whim. The book ended up being one of the saving graces of the summer ruled by unreasonable bosses punctuated by sheer retail boredom. Of course, I lent it out and of course it never came back. Well I replaced my copy and just finished reading it.
Zen in the Art of Writing is a collection of essays and poems by Bradbury on the subjects of writing and creativity. Much of it is out of context, being pulled from various places including prefaces, film interviews, and lectures, but still relevent and oddly compelling. This book has, and I suspect always will, inspire me to write. I love this book and, no, you can't borrow it. :-P
9. Around the World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne (170 pgs) originally published in 1872, I read the Dover Thrift Edition published in 2000 translated from French by George Makepeace Towle.
Phileas Fogg is an odd English gentleman obsessed with punctuality. Passepartout is his new French manservant who took the job looking for a quiet position in which to enjoy the pleasures of domesticity. Together they undertake circumnavigate the globe on a wager of 20,000 pounds. The difficult task is soon complicated by the appearance of detective Fixx, who is convinced Phileas Fogg is a bank robber.
I remember trying to read this book when I was 12 or 13 and not being able to get in to it. Now that I'm a bit older, I found it an enthralling read. I became truly invested in the characters and found myself laughing at the end and agitated when some obstacle appeared to delay the journey.
Phileas Fogg is an odd English gentleman obsessed with punctuality. Passepartout is his new French manservant who took the job looking for a quiet position in which to enjoy the pleasures of domesticity. Together they undertake circumnavigate the globe on a wager of 20,000 pounds. The difficult task is soon complicated by the appearance of detective Fixx, who is convinced Phileas Fogg is a bank robber.
I remember trying to read this book when I was 12 or 13 and not being able to get in to it. Now that I'm a bit older, I found it an enthralling read. I became truly invested in the characters and found myself laughing at the end and agitated when some obstacle appeared to delay the journey.
Friday, February 04, 2005
8. The Neverending Story
By Michael Ende (445 pgs)
Originally written in German this book has spawned one of the classic children's movies of my childhood. Surprisingly the movie is actually pretty close to the first 200 pages of the book and in, some few ways, the movie is better than the book. The differences though make sense in the context of the whole novel. The second movie, while less true to the book, contains many of the same themes.
The story is aimed towards a younger audience and is about the wishes universal to all children. I wish I had read it when I was younger. I think I would have found it immensely comforting.
Originally written in German this book has spawned one of the classic children's movies of my childhood. Surprisingly the movie is actually pretty close to the first 200 pages of the book and in, some few ways, the movie is better than the book. The differences though make sense in the context of the whole novel. The second movie, while less true to the book, contains many of the same themes.
The story is aimed towards a younger audience and is about the wishes universal to all children. I wish I had read it when I was younger. I think I would have found it immensely comforting.
7. Chocolat
By Joanne Harris (306 pgs)
Interesting book told from the point of two different characters, Vianne the free-spirited chocolate seller and Reynaud the close-minded priest. Soon after Vianne's arrival in Lansquenet, the two characters begin a fierce but quiet war for the hearts of the townspeople. Vianne with her chocolate and small seeming magics and Reynaud with his church and seeming purity.
All the characters are amazingly drawn and the book is incredibly absorbing. Seeing the movie gives none of the twists and turns truly away.
Interesting book told from the point of two different characters, Vianne the free-spirited chocolate seller and Reynaud the close-minded priest. Soon after Vianne's arrival in Lansquenet, the two characters begin a fierce but quiet war for the hearts of the townspeople. Vianne with her chocolate and small seeming magics and Reynaud with his church and seeming purity.
All the characters are amazingly drawn and the book is incredibly absorbing. Seeing the movie gives none of the twists and turns truly away.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
6. The God of Small Things
By Arundhati Roy (340 pgs)
Well...I have a friend who gave up on this book saying that it was too depressing. That in the end everyone either had to have sex or die. She was right...but I'm not telling which.
I think the artistry of this book is how the story was spun together from recollections, much like looking at the family picture album from a family who's last surviving member you've just met and who is telling you her family history and using the pictures to help her remember. ...Ok if that makes any sense at all, be sure to let me know.
In the end, it is a depressing book. But it has a redeeming quality in what it has to say about the tenderness of love, and that makes it a worthwhile depression.
Well...I have a friend who gave up on this book saying that it was too depressing. That in the end everyone either had to have sex or die. She was right...but I'm not telling which.
I think the artistry of this book is how the story was spun together from recollections, much like looking at the family picture album from a family who's last surviving member you've just met and who is telling you her family history and using the pictures to help her remember. ...Ok if that makes any sense at all, be sure to let me know.
In the end, it is a depressing book. But it has a redeeming quality in what it has to say about the tenderness of love, and that makes it a worthwhile depression.
Feburary Update and Notes
Well, obviously I'm behind. I should have read something like 16 books and I only read 5 *sheepish look* So that means, for the next 11 months I need to read 17 or 18 books each month. I've also been a little silly at the used book stores and bought a whole bunch of books so here's what is on the menu for Febuary:
1 Chocolat by Joanne Harris
2 The Neverending Story by Micheal Ende
3 Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury (NF)
4 The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
5 The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
6 The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien
7 The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
8 Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
9 Portrait of the Artist by James Joyce
10 Wise Child by Monica Furlong
11 Four Ways to Forgiveness by Ursula K. LeGuin
12 Islam By Karen Armstrong (NF)
13 Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem
14 The Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway
15 Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
16 A Maze of Death by Philip K. Dick
17 The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin
18 Game-Players of Titan Philip K. Dick
and just in case I'm insane and manage it:
19 A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick
20 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
I plan to tackle these more or less in this order. A little switching around may happen if I get tired of Tolkien, for example. Pray for my sanity.
1 Chocolat by Joanne Harris
2 The Neverending Story by Micheal Ende
3 Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury (NF)
4 The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
5 The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
6 The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien
7 The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
8 Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
9 Portrait of the Artist by James Joyce
10 Wise Child by Monica Furlong
11 Four Ways to Forgiveness by Ursula K. LeGuin
12 Islam By Karen Armstrong (NF)
13 Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem
14 The Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway
15 Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
16 A Maze of Death by Philip K. Dick
17 The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin
18 Game-Players of Titan Philip K. Dick
and just in case I'm insane and manage it:
19 A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick
20 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
I plan to tackle these more or less in this order. A little switching around may happen if I get tired of Tolkien, for example. Pray for my sanity.
5. Sourcery
by Terry Pratchett 260 pgs.
As always, Pratchett's books are a lot of fun. Sourcery is the typical Pratchett book filled with clever references and word jokery. I always feel, no matter how many I catch, that I've missed a ton of them. The one true trial of a Pratchett book, however, remains the lack of chapter breaks.
In the disk world, the 8th son of an 8th son is invariably a wizard. And wizards don't have...ahem relations....with the opposite gender. But what if one did? What would be the 8th son of an 8th son of an 8th son? Apparently, it would be a sourcerer. This is also, apparently, a bad thing.
As always, Pratchett's books are a lot of fun. Sourcery is the typical Pratchett book filled with clever references and word jokery. I always feel, no matter how many I catch, that I've missed a ton of them. The one true trial of a Pratchett book, however, remains the lack of chapter breaks.
In the disk world, the 8th son of an 8th son is invariably a wizard. And wizards don't have...ahem relations....with the opposite gender. But what if one did? What would be the 8th son of an 8th son of an 8th son? Apparently, it would be a sourcerer. This is also, apparently, a bad thing.
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