I have just finished reading The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers (translated by John Brownjohn,) which marks the final book in my reading challenge for 2015. This has been an awesome experience, and I'm really glad I did it.
One great thing that came out of this challenge was that it encouraged me to keep track of my books for the year. No, I didn't blog about all of them as I had planned, but I did update my Goodreads more faithfully than I ever have done. This is a habit I hope to keep up on, as it's really helpful to see what I've read and what I thought of it (information I tend to forget.)
The best thing that came from this challenge was a feeling of productivity connected with reading. It's my belief that we should all read as much as we are able, especially those of us who wish to be writers. Reading is a productive pastime. The trouble is, I never seem to be able to convince myself of this. Whenever I read, I always get this anxious feeling that I should be doing something else, something "more productive." Having a check list of books to read helped combat this feeling. I'm stubborn enough to be determined to complete the challenge, and I knew I had to put in time to do so. There was a feeling of fulfillment every time I checked off a book, and apparently I need that.
I will be doing another challenge next year, although this one will be rather different. More on that later.
For now, here are the books I read as part of my 2015 Reading Challenge (reviews attached.)
A book with more than 500 pages
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
A classic romance
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
A book that became a movie
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
A book published this year
Winter by Marissa Meyer
A book with a number in the title
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
A book written by someone under thirty
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
A book with nonhuman characters
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
A funny book
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
A mystery or thriller
The Ghost of Raven Hill by Emily Rodda
A book with a one-word title
Cress by Marissa Meyer
A book of short stories
The Unicorn Treasury compiled by Bruce Coville
A book set in a different country
Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne
A nonfiction book
The Story of Hans Anderson by Esther Meynell
A popular author's first book
Carpet People by Terry Pratchett
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
Mike by P. G. Wodehouse
A book a friend recommended
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
A book your mom loves
The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart
A book that scares you
The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories by H. P. Lovecraft
A book more than one hundred years old
Dracula by Bram Stoker
A memoir
Ride the Butterflies by Donald Davis
A book you can finish in a day
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
A book with antonyms in the title
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
A book that came out the year you were born
Winter Moon by Dean Koontz
A trilogy
The Rondo Trilogy by Emily Rodda
The Key to Rondo
The Wizard of Rondo
The Battle for Rondo
A book from your childhood
Backyard Angel by Judy Delton
A book with a love triangle
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
A book set in the future
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A book set in High School
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
A book with a color in the title
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
A book that made you cry
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
A book with magic
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
A graphic novel
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask by Akira Himekawa
A book by an author you've never read before
The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel
A book that takes place in your hometown
Meet your Match by Stephanie Fowers
A book that was originally written in a different language
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers, translated by John Brownjohn
A book set during Christmas
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
A book written by an author with your same initials
Hannah by Kathryn Lasky
A play
The Tempest by William Shakespeare - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
A banned book
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
A book based on or turned into a TV show
Avatar: the Last Airbender - The Search
A book you started but never finished
The Golden Journey by Agnes Sligh Turnbull
A book on the BYU honors list
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage
An LDS nonfiction
Mary, Martha, and Me by Camille Fronk Olson
A book of poems
Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It by Gail Carson Levine
Showing posts with label 2015 Reading Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015 Reading Challenge. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book Written by Someone Under Thirty
Book: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (age 21 at publication)Pages: 197
Date Read: 12/5 - 12/7/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could have fit into:
A book that became a movie - I haven't seen any adaptations yet, beyond parodies which are amazingly inaccurate
A book with nonhuman characters - just the one
A book with a one-word title
A book set in a different country - it goes all over, actually, though predominantly set in Switzerland
A popular author's first book
A book more than one hundred years old - published in 1818
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
A book that made you cry - we all know I cry in everything
A book by an author you've never read before
I'm unsure how I felt about this book. I adored the beginning. Having read many books from the 18 and early 1900s recently, I was expecting something similar in tone. But I found Frankenstein to be impressively readable, and with a pleasant and easy to follow story structure.
It was about halfway through that I went from loving this book to feeling uncertain about it. The thing that changed for me were my feelings about Frankenstein and his creation. I began liking them both. Frankenstein had many aspects of foolishness, as to be assumed from someone rash enough to try to create life without first considering the consequences, but he was not the cruel, devilish mastermind popular culture had led me to expect. And his creation was duly sympathetic; I wept knowing he would not have the happy ending he sought.
But both characters took unforgivable turns for me. Time and again, Frankenstein showed criminal lack of decision. After allowing his creation to roam free (seeming unconcerned as to where it had gotten to,) he failed to kill the creature, even knowing he had killed his young brother. He did have a plan then, to create a female, but when he turned away from that plan, he again failed to try to stop his creation from killing anyone else. And then again, later, while he had plans to fight with the creature, he did little to ensure that this battle would actually take place. He seemed constantly wrapped up in his own tragedies that he failed to do anything to stop more from occurring.
And, yes, I know that the creation of Frankenstein ought to be sympathized with. But he had some example of the difference between right and wrong, and still he murdered. He didn't do so blindly, unwitting of the crimes he committed, but with intent. And I truly believe that there were those who would have sympathized with him, if he'd been able to give them a chance (Walton actually did, returning to hatred only by recollection of the horrors the creature had perpetrated.)
Both Frankenstein and his creation were so convinced that they were the only ones who knew suffering - that their suffering was greater than any known being had ever felt - that they time and again did horrible and foolish things. Perhaps it's only my state of mind as I read it, but I felt that this was the greatest lesson to learn from this book; that we must look out at the trials of others and realize we are not alone, rather than trying to aggrandize our own miseries. Frankenstein and his monster both possessed an obsession with self (perhaps forgivable in the creation, but not in the man) that led to their downfall.
Anyway, I suppose all of this is me philosophizing and not actually reviewing the book. In spite of my frustrations with the characters (especially difficult as I grew to detest the first person narrator,) I did adore it. The writing is thoughtful, yet constantly moved forward and never became heavy-handed. The characters were thoughtfully crafted, and each stood out individually. There were a lot more moral implications in the book than I here discussed, and so much food for thought that it's hard to take it all in at once. It is a beautifully crafted book; thoughtful and engaging, full of adventure and horror. And I feel the need to point out the descriptions; they were handled really well, to the point where you felt like you got to enjoy lovely scenery, without having it bog down the narration. I'm not sure I've ever read a book that handled description so well.
I would absolutely recommend this classic -- it is quite sad, and in some ways unbearably frustrating, but it's worth it for the ideas and the beautiful writing.
A book that became a movie - I haven't seen any adaptations yet, beyond parodies which are amazingly inaccurate
A book with nonhuman characters - just the one
A book with a one-word title
A book set in a different country - it goes all over, actually, though predominantly set in Switzerland
A popular author's first book
A book more than one hundred years old - published in 1818
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
A book that made you cry - we all know I cry in everything
A book by an author you've never read before
I'm unsure how I felt about this book. I adored the beginning. Having read many books from the 18 and early 1900s recently, I was expecting something similar in tone. But I found Frankenstein to be impressively readable, and with a pleasant and easy to follow story structure.
It was about halfway through that I went from loving this book to feeling uncertain about it. The thing that changed for me were my feelings about Frankenstein and his creation. I began liking them both. Frankenstein had many aspects of foolishness, as to be assumed from someone rash enough to try to create life without first considering the consequences, but he was not the cruel, devilish mastermind popular culture had led me to expect. And his creation was duly sympathetic; I wept knowing he would not have the happy ending he sought.
But both characters took unforgivable turns for me. Time and again, Frankenstein showed criminal lack of decision. After allowing his creation to roam free (seeming unconcerned as to where it had gotten to,) he failed to kill the creature, even knowing he had killed his young brother. He did have a plan then, to create a female, but when he turned away from that plan, he again failed to try to stop his creation from killing anyone else. And then again, later, while he had plans to fight with the creature, he did little to ensure that this battle would actually take place. He seemed constantly wrapped up in his own tragedies that he failed to do anything to stop more from occurring.
And, yes, I know that the creation of Frankenstein ought to be sympathized with. But he had some example of the difference between right and wrong, and still he murdered. He didn't do so blindly, unwitting of the crimes he committed, but with intent. And I truly believe that there were those who would have sympathized with him, if he'd been able to give them a chance (Walton actually did, returning to hatred only by recollection of the horrors the creature had perpetrated.)
Both Frankenstein and his creation were so convinced that they were the only ones who knew suffering - that their suffering was greater than any known being had ever felt - that they time and again did horrible and foolish things. Perhaps it's only my state of mind as I read it, but I felt that this was the greatest lesson to learn from this book; that we must look out at the trials of others and realize we are not alone, rather than trying to aggrandize our own miseries. Frankenstein and his monster both possessed an obsession with self (perhaps forgivable in the creation, but not in the man) that led to their downfall.
Anyway, I suppose all of this is me philosophizing and not actually reviewing the book. In spite of my frustrations with the characters (especially difficult as I grew to detest the first person narrator,) I did adore it. The writing is thoughtful, yet constantly moved forward and never became heavy-handed. The characters were thoughtfully crafted, and each stood out individually. There were a lot more moral implications in the book than I here discussed, and so much food for thought that it's hard to take it all in at once. It is a beautifully crafted book; thoughtful and engaging, full of adventure and horror. And I feel the need to point out the descriptions; they were handled really well, to the point where you felt like you got to enjoy lovely scenery, without having it bog down the narration. I'm not sure I've ever read a book that handled description so well.
I would absolutely recommend this classic -- it is quite sad, and in some ways unbearably frustrating, but it's worth it for the ideas and the beautiful writing.
♥/Kat!e
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book that Scares You
Book: The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories by H. P. LovecraftPages: 365
Date Read: 10/31 - 12/5/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could have fit into:
A book with nonhuman characters
A mystery or thriller
A book of short stories
A book by an author you've never read before
I discovered in this reading challenge that I am not easily scared by books; though that might be because I am not willing to delve too deeply into horror. But this book introduced me to the genre, and did have some terrifying aspects, so it qualifies.
Lovecraft is a classic author, and I'm really glad I decided to give his stories a try. He's a prime example of early American writing, while clearly influenced by Poe, Bram Stoker, and Robert Louis Stevenson. I loved this collection and will be looking for more of his writing.
Each story was so individual that I would like to go through them and review them separately. Bear with me, there are a lot.
The Tomb
This story had elements of a classic ghost story, with the draw of death and the appeal of all things beyond. The twist at the end, though heavily foreshadowed, was still worded perfectly to send a thrill through you. Though most of the following stories were written from the perspective of someone outside the horror, this one is up close and personal with the madman (but is he mad?) himself.
The tone and pacing of this story had me excited to read the next.
Beyond the Wall of Sleep
This is one that I look forward to rereading, as I am sure there is more to be gained from it.
The White Ship
The Temple
(Manuscript found on the coast of Yucatan.)
Then there was the lovely ghost story aspect to this story. Ghosts at sea are a special favorite of mine, and this had all the best elements of such a tale. There was a definite sense of impending doom that made the ending inevitable. There were also some really wonderful, eerie visuals. This story may have been a bit harder to get through, but it was definitely worth the read.
The Quest of Iranon
The Music of Erich Zann
Under the Pyramids
(with Harry Houdini)
However, this story was a bit... long and slow. Sometimes you get the overwhelming feeling that Lovecraft was being paid by the word. Scenes of this story were really interesting, and some truly horrifying, but I think several pages could have been cut to the story's betterment. That said, it was fun to get the Houdini style, and still have all the Lovecraft horror. Plus, there are some really interesting descriptions of Egypt. Overall, I enjoyed this story, but it did drag a bit.
Pickman's Model
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
That said, this still had a lot of quality in it. The premise was properly disturbing, with necromancy being practiced in a way that almost made it seem almost logical. And Lovecraft did have a gift for making the horrific seem possible, even plausible, which makes it that much more terrifying. The characters in this one were distinct, and you felt bad for Charles Ward, in over his head and exploring things that ought to be left alone. This one was certainly thought provoking; I only wish it had been pared down a bit.
The Dunwich Horror
At the Mountains of Madness
I would like to reread this story when I'm in perhaps a more patient frame of mind. I did really love some elements of it. They explore an ancient city, its art and history, built by beings that predate earth life, and it was truly fascinating. The descriptions were gorgeous, and it built a whole idea of this culture without actually showing it to us. I also felt like the narrator was refreshingly understanding, and it was cool to have some non-evil aliens. And there were some exciting scenes at the end. This is one where I felt like Lovecraft left just enough to our imaginations to be haunting, without being obscure.
The Thing on the Doorstep
Over all, I really enjoyed this collection. I would recommend it to anyone who's interested in classic horror, similar in style to Edgar Allan Poe. Lovecraft's style is beautiful, and his stories dark and deep.
A book with nonhuman characters
A mystery or thriller
A book of short stories
A book by an author you've never read before
I discovered in this reading challenge that I am not easily scared by books; though that might be because I am not willing to delve too deeply into horror. But this book introduced me to the genre, and did have some terrifying aspects, so it qualifies.
Lovecraft is a classic author, and I'm really glad I decided to give his stories a try. He's a prime example of early American writing, while clearly influenced by Poe, Bram Stoker, and Robert Louis Stevenson. I loved this collection and will be looking for more of his writing.
Each story was so individual that I would like to go through them and review them separately. Bear with me, there are a lot.
The Tomb
"In relating the circumstances which have led to my confinement in this refuge for the demented, I am aware that my present position will create a natural doubt for the authenticity of my narrative."Those were the first words of Lovecraft's I ever read, and I immediately fell in love. How could you not? The greatest horror stories always begin with the insane, and the voice was perfection.
This story had elements of a classic ghost story, with the draw of death and the appeal of all things beyond. The twist at the end, though heavily foreshadowed, was still worded perfectly to send a thrill through you. Though most of the following stories were written from the perspective of someone outside the horror, this one is up close and personal with the madman (but is he mad?) himself.
The tone and pacing of this story had me excited to read the next.
Beyond the Wall of Sleep
"I have frequently wondered if the majority of mankind ever pause to reflect upon the occasionally titanic significance of dreams, and of the obscure world to which they belong."There were some familiar science fiction elements to this story that felt almost Ray Bradbury-esque. Of course, Lovecraft came first, writing science fiction before that was officially a genre. This piece was thought-provoking, and opened my mind to the expansive world that Lovecraft imagined and explored in his other stories. There was also the classic insane asylum, which reminds me a lot of those sections from Dracula and lead me to believe that Lovecraft was heavily influenced by that book.
This is one that I look forward to rereading, as I am sure there is more to be gained from it.
The White Ship
"I am Basil Elton, keeper of the North Point light that my father and grandfather kept before me."This story was lovely, and most intriguing in that the mythology felt familiar while being entirely new to me. I wonder how much Lovecraft's work has made its way into other stories I've read, that I knew his worlds before I was ever officially introduced to them. I don't have a lot to say on this one, other than that I would like to reread it and follow up some of his references, tracking down some of his other stories, so that I can get a firmer grasp of the ideas he was exploring. Reading it the first time it was a bit beyond me, but I look forward to going deeper into it.
The Temple
(Manuscript found on the coast of Yucatan.)
"On August 20, 1917, I, Karl Heinrich, Graf von Altberg-Ehrenstein, Lieutenant-Commander in the Imperial German Navy and in charge of the submarine U-29, deposit this bottle and record in the Atlantic Ocean at a point t me unknown but probably about N. Latitude 20°, W. Longitude 35°, where my ship lies disabled on the ocean floor."Definitely the best part about this story was its voice. Though a bit slow, dry, and military (as you can tell from the first line,) there was definite character. And a German U-boat captain written by an American in 1925 was interesting to say the least. He captured the exaggerated German pride and over-logical thinking to a nicety.
Then there was the lovely ghost story aspect to this story. Ghosts at sea are a special favorite of mine, and this had all the best elements of such a tale. There was a definite sense of impending doom that made the ending inevitable. There were also some really wonderful, eerie visuals. This story may have been a bit harder to get through, but it was definitely worth the read.
The Quest of Iranon
"Into the granite city of Teloth wandered the youth, vine-crowned, his yellow hair glistening with myrrh and his purple robe torn with briers of the mountain Sidrak that lies across the antique bridge of stone."This story was downright tragic, easily the saddest in the collection. It was also beautiful and haunting. I think it was my favorite.
"Wherefore do ye toil; is it not that ye may live and be happy? And if ye toil only that ye may toil more, when shall happiness find you? Ye toil to live, but is not life made of beauty and song? And if ye suffer no singers among you, where shall be the fruits of your toil? Toil without song is like a weary journey without an end. Were not death more pleasing?"There was a lot in this story about the nature of man and dreams. It broke my heart, and I look forward to reading it again.
The Music of Erich Zann
"I have examined maps of the city with the greatest care, yet have never again found the Rue d'Auseil."One of the great things about Lovecraft's horror writing was that Hitchcock-esque quality of never quite showing us everything, but leaving the greatest of the horror to our own imagination. However, this story, I felt, left too much to the imagination, to the point where I felt like we didn't get the story at all. Something terrifying was no doubt happening, but I can't even begin to guess what, which makes it less terrifying than it could be. The setting was on point, and the characters distinct, but I would have liked more details. As it was, I found this story obscure to the point of boring.
Under the Pyramids
(with Harry Houdini)
"Mystery attracts mystery."This story was ghost written for Harry Houdini, which was really exciting. I love Houdini, and hadn't even thought about him and Lovecraft being contemporaries. They go together perfectly.
However, this story was a bit... long and slow. Sometimes you get the overwhelming feeling that Lovecraft was being paid by the word. Scenes of this story were really interesting, and some truly horrifying, but I think several pages could have been cut to the story's betterment. That said, it was fun to get the Houdini style, and still have all the Lovecraft horror. Plus, there are some really interesting descriptions of Egypt. Overall, I enjoyed this story, but it did drag a bit.
Pickman's Model
"You needn't think I'm crazy, Eliot--plenty of others have queerer prejudices than this."And here we come to the story that made me count this book as "a book that scares me." This one struck a little too close to home as being possible and horrific. I'm glad I don't ride the subway. This is exactly the sort of thing I want from contemporary horror -- taking distant and ancient evils, and then bringing them right up to your door. I also really loved the voice, which was conversational and familiar. The dramatic plot twist at the end was obvious from about halfway through, but it was horrifying enough that knowing it ahead of time really just served to make things worse. I really loved this story, though I'm creeped out just remembering it -- which I suppose is a compliment to a horror story.
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
"From a private hospital for the insane near Providence, Rhode Island, there recently disappeared an exceedingly singular person."This is the longest piece Lovecraft ever published, crossing the line from short story to novella. But, to be honest, Lovecraft's strength was in brevity. His longer works tend to be redundant, exaggeratedly mysterious, and simply not as clean-cut as his short ones.
That said, this still had a lot of quality in it. The premise was properly disturbing, with necromancy being practiced in a way that almost made it seem almost logical. And Lovecraft did have a gift for making the horrific seem possible, even plausible, which makes it that much more terrifying. The characters in this one were distinct, and you felt bad for Charles Ward, in over his head and exploring things that ought to be left alone. This one was certainly thought provoking; I only wish it had been pared down a bit.
The Dunwich Horror
"When a traveller in north central Massachusetts takes the wrong fork at the junction of the Aylesbury pike just beyond Dean's Corners he comes upon a lonely and curious country."This wasn't one of my favorite stories, and was quite slow in spots, but it had some great visuals. It had more action than some of the others, and some classic monster attacks. Honestly, it could have been done as a really great horror movie from the 1960s -- and I wouldn't be surprised if it inspired some of those B monster movies. It was entertaining, and had great characters, but wasn't as thought provoking as some of the others.
At the Mountains of Madness
"I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why."Again, this story is longer, and I just think Lovecraft did better with fewer words. Writing has changed a lot in the past hundred years, and Lovecraft's story structure is often meandering and over-explanatory. Sometimes I really enjoy that, but with this story I just got impatient to get to the exciting things that he was referencing time and again.
I would like to reread this story when I'm in perhaps a more patient frame of mind. I did really love some elements of it. They explore an ancient city, its art and history, built by beings that predate earth life, and it was truly fascinating. The descriptions were gorgeous, and it built a whole idea of this culture without actually showing it to us. I also felt like the narrator was refreshingly understanding, and it was cool to have some non-evil aliens. And there were some exciting scenes at the end. This is one where I felt like Lovecraft left just enough to our imaginations to be haunting, without being obscure.
The Thing on the Doorstep
"It is true that I have sent six bullets through the head of my best friend, and yet I hope to shew by this statement that I am not his murderer."First off, that may well be the best first line I have ever read. Second, this story was perfect. I completely adored the characters and the concept. It was hugely stressful, since you worry no one will listen to the narrator and the horror will just continue growing. The fact that it didn't really end was perfect for a horror story. As for the rest of it -- walking corpses, hypnotic possession, a quest for immortality -- it had all the perfect elements for a truly creepy story. It was exactly what I wanted, and made for an excellent ending to this anthology.
Over all, I really enjoyed this collection. I would recommend it to anyone who's interested in classic horror, similar in style to Edgar Allan Poe. Lovecraft's style is beautiful, and his stories dark and deep.
♥/Kat!e
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Book Challenge: A Memoir
Book: Ride the Butterflies: Back to School with Donald DavisPages: 94
Date Read: 2/24 - 2/26/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could have fit into:
A funny book
A book of short stories
A nonfiction book - as much as memoirs are ever nonfiction
A book that made you cry
This book probably would have received more than three stars if I'd never heard Donald Davis tell his stories -- but because I have, I know that he's a much better teller than he is writer.
Actually, I probably still would have given it only three stars, because several of the stories had a gross sense of humor that I just find annoying. But some of them were really sweet, and some were really funny. I loved the one about the typing teacher. My favorite is the story that the title comes from, about riding the butterflies, but I've heard him tell that one and it was just so much better in person.
The kindergarten teacher and the teacher who took them on a tour around the world were my favorites; the type of people who really inspire me and make me think, not only about how we should educate our children, but how I should educate myself. How we should find context and fun in our learning rather than just memorizing facts.
This book is definitely worth a read. There are some really thought-provoking elements to it. I recommend it; but I more highly recommend finding some recordings of Donald Davis' storytelling, because the way he tells a story is simply enchanting.
A book of short stories
A nonfiction book - as much as memoirs are ever nonfiction
A book that made you cry
This book probably would have received more than three stars if I'd never heard Donald Davis tell his stories -- but because I have, I know that he's a much better teller than he is writer.
Actually, I probably still would have given it only three stars, because several of the stories had a gross sense of humor that I just find annoying. But some of them were really sweet, and some were really funny. I loved the one about the typing teacher. My favorite is the story that the title comes from, about riding the butterflies, but I've heard him tell that one and it was just so much better in person.
The kindergarten teacher and the teacher who took them on a tour around the world were my favorites; the type of people who really inspire me and make me think, not only about how we should educate our children, but how I should educate myself. How we should find context and fun in our learning rather than just memorizing facts.
This book is definitely worth a read. There are some really thought-provoking elements to it. I recommend it; but I more highly recommend finding some recordings of Donald Davis' storytelling, because the way he tells a story is simply enchanting.
♥/Kat!e
Monday, February 23, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book Your Mom Loves
Book: The Ivy Tree by Mary StewartPages: 270
Date Read: 2/17 - 2/23/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A classic romance - does Mary Stewart count as "classic"? I feel like she does
A mystery or thriller - I mean, not technically, but it has elements of both
A book set in a different country - England
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - and the descriptions made it sound especially beautiful
A book by an author you've never read before - unless you count reading the first few pages of The Crystal Cave when I was twelve
This book was a high 3-star for me. I did really like it. Especially the beginning.
The first-person narrator is super interesting. She's dry and snarky, and certainly unreliable. Some of the sections are so beautifully cryptic.
All of the characters are interesting and it's hard to tell who to like. I adore Julie and Donald. Con was ridiculously fascinating, and Lisa as well. And I have mixed feelings about Adam, but he was certainly well-crafted.
I definitely got caught up in the intrigue and some of the moments are pretty intense. However, the drama was a little high for my tastes. The real reason this book only received three stars is that Gothic Romance just isn't my genre. I didn't care about a lot of the things going on, and did not get even marginally invested in the love story. Still, there were enough other things going on that my interest held.
I was sort of let down by the ending, and I lost my desire to seek out more of Mary Stewart's books -- or at least any of her others in this genre. Still, this story was beautifully told and plenty intriguing. It wasn't too heavy on the drama. If you like clean Gothic Romances, then this book is definitely worth a read.
A classic romance - does Mary Stewart count as "classic"? I feel like she does
A mystery or thriller - I mean, not technically, but it has elements of both
A book set in a different country - England
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - and the descriptions made it sound especially beautiful
A book by an author you've never read before - unless you count reading the first few pages of The Crystal Cave when I was twelve
This book was a high 3-star for me. I did really like it. Especially the beginning.
The first-person narrator is super interesting. She's dry and snarky, and certainly unreliable. Some of the sections are so beautifully cryptic.
All of the characters are interesting and it's hard to tell who to like. I adore Julie and Donald. Con was ridiculously fascinating, and Lisa as well. And I have mixed feelings about Adam, but he was certainly well-crafted.
I definitely got caught up in the intrigue and some of the moments are pretty intense. However, the drama was a little high for my tastes. The real reason this book only received three stars is that Gothic Romance just isn't my genre. I didn't care about a lot of the things going on, and did not get even marginally invested in the love story. Still, there were enough other things going on that my interest held.
I was sort of let down by the ending, and I lost my desire to seek out more of Mary Stewart's books -- or at least any of her others in this genre. Still, this story was beautifully told and plenty intriguing. It wasn't too heavy on the drama. If you like clean Gothic Romances, then this book is definitely worth a read.
♥/Kat!e
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Book Challenge: A Funny Book
Pages: 219
Date Read: 2/10 - 2/14/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book by an author I've never read before
A book my mom loves
A book set in a different country
I put this book down as a funny book because its humor was its saving grace. It was painfully boring, but then it would make me laugh, and that kept me going.
I really wanted to love this book. My mother adored it and could not stop raving about it. But almost nothing happens. It's a quest story and they don't even get attacked until on the way back. When they got what they were questing for and turned around to back, I literally moaned aloud. And I almost wept from boredom during one of the history lessons (that's a literal description of the scene -- one of the characters sits down and gives his apprentices a history lesson on the political structure of the three kingdoms.)
This was honestly an interesting story with a complex political structure, a fascinating religion, and likable characters. And it was told in the slowest, dullest way possible. Frequently, I would flip forward to see how many pages I had left, and the answer was always, "Too many."
For all its merits, this book was ruined by its dullness. I wouldn't recommend it; though, of course, my mother adores it and thinks everyone should read it. So take that as you will.
A book by an author I've never read before
A book my mom loves
A book set in a different country
I put this book down as a funny book because its humor was its saving grace. It was painfully boring, but then it would make me laugh, and that kept me going.
I really wanted to love this book. My mother adored it and could not stop raving about it. But almost nothing happens. It's a quest story and they don't even get attacked until on the way back. When they got what they were questing for and turned around to back, I literally moaned aloud. And I almost wept from boredom during one of the history lessons (that's a literal description of the scene -- one of the characters sits down and gives his apprentices a history lesson on the political structure of the three kingdoms.)
This was honestly an interesting story with a complex political structure, a fascinating religion, and likable characters. And it was told in the slowest, dullest way possible. Frequently, I would flip forward to see how many pages I had left, and the answer was always, "Too many."
For all its merits, this book was ruined by its dullness. I wouldn't recommend it; though, of course, my mother adores it and thinks everyone should read it. So take that as you will.
♥/Kat!e
Monday, February 9, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book Set Somewhere You've Always Wanted to Visit
Book: The Graveyard Book by Neil GaimainPages: 307
Date Read: 1/8 - 1/9/2014 (except I haven't gone to sleep yet, so it's still totally 1/8.)
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book with nonhuman characters
A book set in a different country
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
A book you can finish in a day
A book with magic
First of all, in answer to the challenge, this book takes place in England -- in an old English cemetery, no less. Definitely someplace I would like to visit.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I mean, I did like it, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting to love it, and I'm feeling kind of meh. It's an old problem with me -- whenever I read a story about Death, I'm always disappointed because of all the things I would have done differently.
For starters, if I'd written the book, Silas would be the main character. I don't know why the most interesting characters are always minor characters. I mean, not that Nobody wasn't wonderful, and he was definitely the appropriate main character for the target age group of the book, but I found myself getting bored with Bod's story as I wondered what Silas was up to. All the most interesting action sequences were summarized or skipped.
There were a lot of cool scenes in this. But the pacing felt off, and it was a struggle to keep up with the timeline. There were many times that it felt like the plot had been lost entirely.
But it is clever, and the world is beautiful. I love the Jack thing (that's all I'm saying, for fear of spoilers, but the Jack thing is super clever.) I really love the ghosts and the concept of a child being raised in a graveyard. I loved the uniqueness of Bod -- he was unnatural in exactly the way you would expect a child raised by ghosts to be.
I just loved the first half so much more than the second. This book had so much potential, and then I felt like it fell flat. I came out thinking of all the cool stories that could be told in this world, and definitely wanting to write some Silas fan fiction. Honestly, I would love it if Gaiman would write more in this world ... it's weird to want more from a book you didn't love. But I feel like there's still so much potential that could be tapped.
In the end, I was simply underwhelmed. I don't highly recommend this book, though it is an interesting world that has me thinking. I do appreciate it for the creativity it lent me alone. And Silas. Ok, it's totally worth reading this book just for Silas. Can Neil Gaiman write a book in which Silas is the main character? That's all I want.
(I really need to stop writing my book reviews at two o'clock in the morning.)
A book with nonhuman characters
A book set in a different country
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
A book you can finish in a day
A book with magic
First of all, in answer to the challenge, this book takes place in England -- in an old English cemetery, no less. Definitely someplace I would like to visit.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I mean, I did like it, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting to love it, and I'm feeling kind of meh. It's an old problem with me -- whenever I read a story about Death, I'm always disappointed because of all the things I would have done differently.
For starters, if I'd written the book, Silas would be the main character. I don't know why the most interesting characters are always minor characters. I mean, not that Nobody wasn't wonderful, and he was definitely the appropriate main character for the target age group of the book, but I found myself getting bored with Bod's story as I wondered what Silas was up to. All the most interesting action sequences were summarized or skipped.
There were a lot of cool scenes in this. But the pacing felt off, and it was a struggle to keep up with the timeline. There were many times that it felt like the plot had been lost entirely.
But it is clever, and the world is beautiful. I love the Jack thing (that's all I'm saying, for fear of spoilers, but the Jack thing is super clever.) I really love the ghosts and the concept of a child being raised in a graveyard. I loved the uniqueness of Bod -- he was unnatural in exactly the way you would expect a child raised by ghosts to be.
I just loved the first half so much more than the second. This book had so much potential, and then I felt like it fell flat. I came out thinking of all the cool stories that could be told in this world, and definitely wanting to write some Silas fan fiction. Honestly, I would love it if Gaiman would write more in this world ... it's weird to want more from a book you didn't love. But I feel like there's still so much potential that could be tapped.
In the end, I was simply underwhelmed. I don't highly recommend this book, though it is an interesting world that has me thinking. I do appreciate it for the creativity it lent me alone. And Silas. Ok, it's totally worth reading this book just for Silas. Can Neil Gaiman write a book in which Silas is the main character? That's all I want.
(I really need to stop writing my book reviews at two o'clock in the morning.)
♥/Kat!e
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book with Antonyms in the Title
Pages: 285
Date Read: 2/1-2/8/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book with a love triangle - not your average love triangle, but I'd still say it counts
A book that made you cry - more on that in the review, but let's just say I could have filled buckets
A book by an author you've never read before
Nothing about this book is ok. "But, Kat!e!" you say, "You gave it five stars!" sigh Ok, this book is actually beautiful. One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. It's three o'clock in the morning, and I'm awake because I couldn't stop reading.
And now my heart is broken. Shattered into a million pieces. I have never sobbed so hard while reading a book. Thinking about it now, I'm tearing up again. I was terrified I was going to wake up my parents and they were going to come in to find me sobbing, and they'd be horrified, thinking something terrible had happened. And something terrible had happened. Just not to me. To some very dear friends of mine.
I feel like I know Henry and Keiko. Which I guess I could say about a lot of book characters, but I lived an entire lifetime with these two -- traveling back and forth between twelve and fifty, seeing the way their lives were shaped and changed. And they're so real. Everyone in this book is real. And there are so many wonderful people -- Henry and Keiko, Sheldon, Marty, Samantha, Mr. and Mrs. Okabe, Mrs. Beatty, and even Ethel. And then there are people like Henry's father, whom I'm honestly not sure I can forgive. I know I should, I know that's a lot of the point, but I just can't.
I really shouldn't be writing the review now, being sleep-deprived and emotionally broken, but I wanted to talk about these feelings while they were still raw and fresh.
This book is about such an ugly period of history. And it captures the ugliness. It's faithful to America, but it's honest about what happened, the horrible things done by Americans. War is ugly from both sides, there's no escaping it. And, I admit, I'd never really thought about the Germans and Japanese in America during the war. But now I have. And I feel like that's so important, but it also hurts really bad.
There's just so much in this little book; so much truth and pain. And then it's just about the people. About two little lives in the midst of everything that's happening.
I honestly feel like I want to own this book, to remind me of everything inside it, but I don't think I could handle ever reading it again. I was flipping through to find names, and I kept getting caught up in pieces, and I had to pull away because it hurts. And I had to give this book five stars, because any book capable of hurting me in this way is amazing.
This book is simply beautiful. And I do recommend it -- to those who are better at handling history than I am. To those who can read a sad book without it ruining their lives. Me, I'll probably spend the next week or so curled up in a ball, just sobbing. But that's ok. Sometimes it's important to hurt for someone else -- even if they are just two fictional little kids.
♥/Kat!e
A book with a love triangle - not your average love triangle, but I'd still say it counts
A book that made you cry - more on that in the review, but let's just say I could have filled buckets
A book by an author you've never read before
Nothing about this book is ok. "But, Kat!e!" you say, "You gave it five stars!" sigh Ok, this book is actually beautiful. One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. It's three o'clock in the morning, and I'm awake because I couldn't stop reading.
And now my heart is broken. Shattered into a million pieces. I have never sobbed so hard while reading a book. Thinking about it now, I'm tearing up again. I was terrified I was going to wake up my parents and they were going to come in to find me sobbing, and they'd be horrified, thinking something terrible had happened. And something terrible had happened. Just not to me. To some very dear friends of mine.
I feel like I know Henry and Keiko. Which I guess I could say about a lot of book characters, but I lived an entire lifetime with these two -- traveling back and forth between twelve and fifty, seeing the way their lives were shaped and changed. And they're so real. Everyone in this book is real. And there are so many wonderful people -- Henry and Keiko, Sheldon, Marty, Samantha, Mr. and Mrs. Okabe, Mrs. Beatty, and even Ethel. And then there are people like Henry's father, whom I'm honestly not sure I can forgive. I know I should, I know that's a lot of the point, but I just can't.
I really shouldn't be writing the review now, being sleep-deprived and emotionally broken, but I wanted to talk about these feelings while they were still raw and fresh.
This book is about such an ugly period of history. And it captures the ugliness. It's faithful to America, but it's honest about what happened, the horrible things done by Americans. War is ugly from both sides, there's no escaping it. And, I admit, I'd never really thought about the Germans and Japanese in America during the war. But now I have. And I feel like that's so important, but it also hurts really bad.
There's just so much in this little book; so much truth and pain. And then it's just about the people. About two little lives in the midst of everything that's happening.
I honestly feel like I want to own this book, to remind me of everything inside it, but I don't think I could handle ever reading it again. I was flipping through to find names, and I kept getting caught up in pieces, and I had to pull away because it hurts. And I had to give this book five stars, because any book capable of hurting me in this way is amazing.
This book is simply beautiful. And I do recommend it -- to those who are better at handling history than I am. To those who can read a sad book without it ruining their lives. Me, I'll probably spend the next week or so curled up in a ball, just sobbing. But that's ok. Sometimes it's important to hurt for someone else -- even if they are just two fictional little kids.
♥/Kat!e
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book with More than 500 Pages
Book: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna ClarkePages: 1,006
Date Read: 1/20-1/31/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book with nonhuman characters - most are human, but there is a fairy or two
A funny book
A book set in a different country - mostly the UK
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - the UK and Faerie both
A book that made you cry
A book with magic - beautiful, glorious magic
A book by an author you've never read before - but I will waste no time in tracking down everything of hers I can find!
A book turned into a TV show - which is scheduled to air this year; I'm not sure if I want to see it or not
This book is perfect. I enjoyed every moment of reading it. I urge anyone who may be interested in checking it out not to be discouraged by its length; it reads very quickly and never drags for a moment. Jane Austen said, "If a book is well written I always find it too short." Even with a thousand and six pages, this book was much too short to satisfy me. Susanna Clarke has written short stories that take place in the same world, and I need to own them all. This book took me eleven days to read, and that only because I kept slowing down, not wishing for it to end.
I don't mean to over-praise this book. I hate to do that and then have someone read it by my recommendation and be disappointed. But I myself adored every moment.
The story is an alternate-history of nineteenth century England, where an English gentleman magician is trying to return magic to England. Many true historical figures are shown -- magic is used to defeat Napoleon, and one of the magicians befriends Lord Byron (though highly disapproving of him, naturally.)
The magic is wonderful. It has much basis in old mythology, and reminded me of Irish fairytales of the darker kind. There are great illusions, travels through mirrors, and other strange and wonderful things. Every time magic was performed it was delightful and surprising. I could not wait to see what new spells would be cast.
The complexity of the characters is overwhelming. There is a large cast, but each character was so distinct that I never mistook one for another and had no trouble keeping track of them all. It was a constant struggle deciding whom I liked and whom I detested, but this only added to the realistic nature of the characters; after all, it can be rather hard to decide how one feels about real people. The exception was Mr Honeyfoot, who was perfect and the very embodiment of Hufflepuff values and I just adored everything about him (except that he wasn't a main character.) The two title characters were often at odds and I vacillated between being a Norrellite and a Strangite. I'm still not quite settled, and would have to agree with Childermass in being a little of both.
One of the greatest things about this book is that it is written in a very old fashion, like the nineteenth century gothic novels, and similar in style, though very different in content, to the works of Jane Austen. However, it is written with a modern audience in mind, and as such is easier to understand than older works. The language is somehow modern and archaic at once. The pacing is much faster than old books, and the description more in keeping with modern tastes. How Clarke combined the old-fashioned feel with modern preferences is more than I can understand, but I adored reading it. The narrator, though third-person and seemingly absent, manages to come in with some wickedly sarcastic comments and a truly snarky sense of humor that I for one found hilarious (bear in mind, this is a very dry humor, and very British.)
There is no way to do justice to this book by describing it. If you are fond of old-fashioned books, tales of magic, and good writing then this book is one that I highly recommend.
A book with nonhuman characters - most are human, but there is a fairy or two
A funny book
A book set in a different country - mostly the UK
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - the UK and Faerie both
A book that made you cry
A book with magic - beautiful, glorious magic
A book by an author you've never read before - but I will waste no time in tracking down everything of hers I can find!
A book turned into a TV show - which is scheduled to air this year; I'm not sure if I want to see it or not
I am rather of the opinion that in England a gentleman's dreams are his own private concern. I fancy there is a law to that effect and, if there is not, why, Parliament should certainly be made to pass one immediately! It ill becomes another man to invite himself into them.I knew nothing about this book going into it. I bought it only because, in a piece of "fan fiction" written by one of the creators of In Earnest (is it fan fiction if it's written by one of the original authors?) Algernon stated that this was his favorite book. Since I have agreed with Algernon on his other tastes, I decided to trust his judgment, but I was wary, having no idea what I would find.
This book is perfect. I enjoyed every moment of reading it. I urge anyone who may be interested in checking it out not to be discouraged by its length; it reads very quickly and never drags for a moment. Jane Austen said, "If a book is well written I always find it too short." Even with a thousand and six pages, this book was much too short to satisfy me. Susanna Clarke has written short stories that take place in the same world, and I need to own them all. This book took me eleven days to read, and that only because I kept slowing down, not wishing for it to end.
I don't mean to over-praise this book. I hate to do that and then have someone read it by my recommendation and be disappointed. But I myself adored every moment.
The story is an alternate-history of nineteenth century England, where an English gentleman magician is trying to return magic to England. Many true historical figures are shown -- magic is used to defeat Napoleon, and one of the magicians befriends Lord Byron (though highly disapproving of him, naturally.)
The magic is wonderful. It has much basis in old mythology, and reminded me of Irish fairytales of the darker kind. There are great illusions, travels through mirrors, and other strange and wonderful things. Every time magic was performed it was delightful and surprising. I could not wait to see what new spells would be cast.
The complexity of the characters is overwhelming. There is a large cast, but each character was so distinct that I never mistook one for another and had no trouble keeping track of them all. It was a constant struggle deciding whom I liked and whom I detested, but this only added to the realistic nature of the characters; after all, it can be rather hard to decide how one feels about real people. The exception was Mr Honeyfoot, who was perfect and the very embodiment of Hufflepuff values and I just adored everything about him (except that he wasn't a main character.) The two title characters were often at odds and I vacillated between being a Norrellite and a Strangite. I'm still not quite settled, and would have to agree with Childermass in being a little of both.
One of the greatest things about this book is that it is written in a very old fashion, like the nineteenth century gothic novels, and similar in style, though very different in content, to the works of Jane Austen. However, it is written with a modern audience in mind, and as such is easier to understand than older works. The language is somehow modern and archaic at once. The pacing is much faster than old books, and the description more in keeping with modern tastes. How Clarke combined the old-fashioned feel with modern preferences is more than I can understand, but I adored reading it. The narrator, though third-person and seemingly absent, manages to come in with some wickedly sarcastic comments and a truly snarky sense of humor that I for one found hilarious (bear in mind, this is a very dry humor, and very British.)
There is no way to do justice to this book by describing it. If you are fond of old-fashioned books, tales of magic, and good writing then this book is one that I highly recommend.
♥/Kat!e
Monday, January 19, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book From Your Childhood
Pages: 107
Date Read: 1/19/15
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A funny book
A book you can finish in a day
It's kind of a sad little book, to be honest. It's about a girl who never smiles. Her father left when she was six, and her mother is now over-protective and a little paranoid. Angel (whose real name is Caroline; her mother calls her Angel when she's mad at her because it sounds less harsh) has inherited her mother's worries. She has an over-active imagination and always assumes worst-case scenarios.
But it's beautiful. There's a lot of thought in this book, and ideas that are still applicable as an older reader. It reads realistically as how an anxious ten-year-old would think. And her little brother, Rags, is just adorable. I really love this story.
I would recommend this book to those who like children's fiction along the lines of the Ramona books; especially if, like me, you read Ramona and related more to Beezus.
A funny book
A book you can finish in a day
Ever since school had closed in late spring, Angel sat on the back steps every morning. When she was younger she had sat waiting to be old enough to go to school. Now she just sat waiting.This is one of those weird books that I've always owned but have no idea where it came from. I don't know how old I was when I read it for the first time, but I do remember thinking that the ten-year-old heroine was so old.
It's kind of a sad little book, to be honest. It's about a girl who never smiles. Her father left when she was six, and her mother is now over-protective and a little paranoid. Angel (whose real name is Caroline; her mother calls her Angel when she's mad at her because it sounds less harsh) has inherited her mother's worries. She has an over-active imagination and always assumes worst-case scenarios.
But it's beautiful. There's a lot of thought in this book, and ideas that are still applicable as an older reader. It reads realistically as how an anxious ten-year-old would think. And her little brother, Rags, is just adorable. I really love this story.
She wondered if that was the way all of life was: Things were so much fun when you were very small, and then, bang, all of a sudden the excitement was gone. She looked at Rags and suddenly felt very sorry for him. Here he was, jumping up and down thinking about the oil truck, and then one day he'd come here and find he didn't want to climb on it anymore. If that's what growing up was, Angel decided, there was no reason to be in a hurry.I learned today that there are six more books about Angel and Rags! I'm really excited to track them all down and read them.
I would recommend this book to those who like children's fiction along the lines of the Ramona books; especially if, like me, you read Ramona and related more to Beezus.
♥/Kat!e
Book Challenge: A Book You Can Finish in a Day
Book: The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de AngeliPages: 121
Date Read: 1/19/15
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book that made you cry - I mentioned before, I cry in everything
A book by an author you've never read before - I'd like to find more of her work
A book set during Christmas - only the last scene, but that scene was incredibly Christmasy; it didn't just happen to take place at Christmas, instead that holiday was very relevant
Those grievances aside, I will say that I loved everything about this story. I was just thinking sadly the other day that there are no books with invalids as the protagonist, and then I happened to pick up this beautiful little book. As a bed-ridden invalid, I found this story incredibly inspiring.
The characters are just wonderful. Everyone is nice, even the one bad guy we talk to. Which sounds absolutely ridiculous and boring, but it really worked. It's a very happy, safe place to go -- which is something I appreciate on my bad days.
The quotes I collected from this book are things I needed to hear. Maybe it's just my particular stage in life that makes this book so beautiful to me, but I really adored everything about it.
A book that made you cry - I mentioned before, I cry in everything
A book by an author you've never read before - I'd like to find more of her work
A book set during Christmas - only the last scene, but that scene was incredibly Christmasy; it didn't just happen to take place at Christmas, instead that holiday was very relevant
For reading is another door in the wall.Before I start on my actual review, I would like to take a moment to express just how much I hate the cover art of this book. There are plenty of other editions, but the pictured one is the one I have, and it makes this book look comical and stupid and it frustrates me. That's all. If you ever see this book lying around, just remember the old cliché about judging books by their covers.
Those grievances aside, I will say that I loved everything about this story. I was just thinking sadly the other day that there are no books with invalids as the protagonist, and then I happened to pick up this beautiful little book. As a bed-ridden invalid, I found this story incredibly inspiring.
"Fret not, my son. None of us is perfect. It is better to have crooked legs than a crooked spirit. We can only do the best we can with what we have. That, after all, is the measure of success: what we do with what we have."Amazingly, this book didn't feel preachy. It is a very moral book, I won't deny, but because the events came about naturally it never felt didactic. It just felt like everyone in the story was trying to do the best they could, and as they encouraged each other they encouraged me, too. In a longer book I might have found it annoying, but this book is the perfect length for a story of its kind.
The characters are just wonderful. Everyone is nice, even the one bad guy we talk to. Which sounds absolutely ridiculous and boring, but it really worked. It's a very happy, safe place to go -- which is something I appreciate on my bad days.
The quotes I collected from this book are things I needed to hear. Maybe it's just my particular stage in life that makes this book so beautiful to me, but I really adored everything about it.
"Each of us has his place in the world. If we cannot serve in one way, there is always another. If we do what we are able, a door always opens to something else."I would recommend this book to those who are discouraged, or simply need a place of refuge. If you want a book with little external conflict, but regular people who are trying to get through daily struggles (well, and plague, and there is actually a siege at one point...) then I definitely recommend this little book. It's heavily historical, but, again, lets things come out through the story instead of beating you over the head with it. It's just a simple, beautiful little book and I love it to bits.
♥/Kat!e
Book Challenge: A Book Based on a TV Show
Book: Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search (parts 1, 2, and 3) by Gene Luen Yang, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and GurihiruPages: 76 each, 228 total
Date Read: 01/19/15
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book with nonhuman characters - a couple spirits and, of course, Appa (no sign of Momo, though)
A funny book - classic Sokka
A book set in a different country - mainly the Fire Nation
A book you can finish in a day - reading all three books took about as long as watching an episode of the show
A trilogy
A book with magic - well, bending
A graphic novel
A book with nonhuman characters - a couple spirits and, of course, Appa (no sign of Momo, though)
A funny book - classic Sokka
A book set in a different country - mainly the Fire Nation
A book you can finish in a day - reading all three books took about as long as watching an episode of the show
A trilogy
A book with magic - well, bending
A graphic novel
I honestly enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It felt very much like an episode of the show. Maybe not one of the best episodes, but certainly on-par with the average ones.
Most importantly, it answered a question that has been killing me since the show ended -- what happened to Zuko's mother?? I'm not sure how canonical this book is considered, but I really like the answer it gives and am completely willing to accept it. It kind of broke my heart, but in a good way.
This book is getting four stars because, for what it is, it was awesome and I was pleasantly surprised. I came out of it feeling totally satisfied. I'm actually thinking of tracking down the other graphic novels for this show, even though I don't have any more pressing questions, that's how much I liked it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the show and is dying to know what happened to Zuko's mother.
♥/Kat!e
Book Challenge: A Book a Friend Recommended
Book: The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamilloPages: 201
Date Read: 11:30pm January 18 - 1:00am January 19, 2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Recommended by: Joshua Fagg
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book with nonhuman characters
A funny book
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
A book you can finish in a day - (or a single sitting)
A book that made you cry
A book with magic
A book with nonhuman characters
A funny book
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
A book you can finish in a day - (or a single sitting)
A book that made you cry
A book with magic
"Magic is always impossible," said the magician. "It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between. That is why it is magic."Kate DiCamillo is steadily becoming my favorite author. Her prose is poetry; wondrous, delicious. Even moments that aren't sad make me cry because they're so unbearably beautiful.
"Have you, in truth, ever seen something so heartbreakingly lovely? What are we to make of a world where stars shine bright in the midst of so much darkness and gloom?"Elements of this story are kind of unsettling. And there's an anti-war motif that I really didn't like. In fact, I almost gave the book four stars because of it. But, on reflection, I decided that it's ok. You don't have to agree with something to love it. This book is beautiful, and has a lot of truth -- Sister Marie's dream is one of the most breathtaking things I have ever read. And, honestly, I don't necessarily disagree with the views on war -- it is horrible, and often pointless. But I felt like there was some disrespect to soldiers by the complete dismissal of war, as though it never matters, as though it's never necessary. However, this was somewhat countered by the realization that Vilna Lutz is not actually a villain, but a completely sympathetic character. In the end, I decided the war motif was more intriguing than offensive; it's good to read things you disagree with sometimes.
But I know something. I know something. What is it I know? ... Ah, yes, I know what I know. Life is funny. That is what I know.I filled an entire page of my notebook with quotes from this little novel. I almost wrote down Sister Marie's entire dream, before reflecting that I own the book and therefore that might be a little excessive.
"But perhaps you do not understand, I was crippled by an elephant! Crippled by an elephant that came through the roof!"I highly recommend this sad, dark, beautiful little book. As usual in Kate DiCamillo's work, there is pain and beauty, darkness and light, all wrapped up into one simple, or not so simple, story.
The impossible has happened again.
♥/Kat!e
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book from an Author You Love that You Haven't Read Yet
Book: Mike by P. G. WodehousePages: 297
Date Read: 01/07 - 01/18/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A funny book - naturally, it's Wodehouse
A book written by someone under thirty - Plum was 28 when it was first published
A book with a one-word title
A book set in a different country - the U.K.
A book more than one hundred years old - First published in 1909, though it was republished and added to several times after that
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - though I have no particular desire to visit an English boys' school, I should like to go to England
The only, only complaint I could have against this book is that there was rather too much cricket in it. And, honestly, I might not have minded if I understood cricket. However, since I have no idea how the scoring or play or anything in cricket works, I was left to struggle through several chapters trying to imagine that it was something like baseball, which I actually don't understand much more than cricket. However, the important thing was who played well and who won the game, and that was all spelled out, so I could skim along through those sections without missing any of the plot.
Otherwise, the book is perfect. The characters are all so wonderful it's impossible to pick a favorite -- Mike's brother Bob, Wyatt, Adair, Psmith, or, of course, Mike himself. All were great and realistic and hilarious.
As usual with Wodehouse, there were sections of great wisdom:
If you would like a free digital copy of Mike, click here.
A funny book - naturally, it's Wodehouse
A book written by someone under thirty - Plum was 28 when it was first published
A book with a one-word title
A book set in a different country - the U.K.
A book more than one hundred years old - First published in 1909, though it was republished and added to several times after that
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - though I have no particular desire to visit an English boys' school, I should like to go to England
"One of the Georges," said Psmith, "I forget which, once said that a certain number of hours' sleep a day--I cannot recall for the moment how many--made a man something, which for the time being has slipped my memory. However, there you are. I've given you the main idea of the thing; and a German doctor says that early rising causes insanity."I read this book specifically because it was Wodehouse's favorite that he ever wrote. It didn't necessarily win through as my favorite, but it certainly has all the Wodehouse charm. The humor was right in line with what I'm used to (there was an entire speech that can be found almost word-for-word in A Damsel in Distress, which was published ten years after this book's debut.) It was absolutely on par with his usual work, and I love it to bits.
The only, only complaint I could have against this book is that there was rather too much cricket in it. And, honestly, I might not have minded if I understood cricket. However, since I have no idea how the scoring or play or anything in cricket works, I was left to struggle through several chapters trying to imagine that it was something like baseball, which I actually don't understand much more than cricket. However, the important thing was who played well and who won the game, and that was all spelled out, so I could skim along through those sections without missing any of the plot.
Otherwise, the book is perfect. The characters are all so wonderful it's impossible to pick a favorite -- Mike's brother Bob, Wyatt, Adair, Psmith, or, of course, Mike himself. All were great and realistic and hilarious.
As usual with Wodehouse, there were sections of great wisdom:
One's attitude towards Life's Little Difficulties should be that of the gentleman in the fable, who sat down on an acorn one day and happened to doze. The warmth of his body caused the acorn to germinate, and it grew so rapidly that, when he awoke, he found himself sitting in the fork of an oak sixty feet from the ground. He thought he would go home, but, finding this impossible, he altered his plans. "Well, well," he said, "if I cannot compel circumstances to my will, I can at least adapt my will to circumstances. I decide to remain here." Which he did, and had a not unpleasant time. The oak lacked some of the comforts of home, but the air was splendid and the view excellent.And some lines of absolute truth:
Man's inability to get out of bed in the morning is a curious thing. One may reason with oneself clearly and forcibly without the slightest effect. One knows that delay means inconvenience. Perhaps it may spoil one's whole day. And one also knows that a single resolute heave will do the trick. But logic is of no use. One simply lies there.All-in-all, I was absolutely pleased with this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Wodehouse -- and, if you haven't read Wodehouse, then I highly recommend you do so if you have a sense of humor at all. And, if you are a cricket fan, you should make a beeline for this particular book (and then maybe explain the process of the game to me, because I'm completely fogged.)
If you would like a free digital copy of Mike, click here.
♥/Kat!e
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book that Became a Movie
Book: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne JonesPages: 429
Date Read: 01/04 - 01/06/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book with nonhuman characters - well, just one character happened to be a demon (who is wonderful)
A funny book
A book with a love triangle - and one in which I got very emotionally invested
A book with magic
A trilogy - I didn't know it was a trilogy! In the back, there was an interview with the author, and it referenced the next two books. So I immediately bought them. I can't wait to read them!
This book does not fall into the category of "A book by an author you've never read before" because, unbeknownst to me when I bought it, it was written by the same author as The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. I don't know why this surprised me so much, but it was just really strange when I entered it into my list of books I own and realized I already had a book by this author.
Omigoodness, everything about this book is beautiful. I'm having to really fight the temptation to start it all over again instead of moving on to my next book.
The characters are fantastic. Howl is ridiculous and terrible and I love him with all of my soul. Michael is a sweetheart. Calcifer is a pill, but a darling. Fanny, Lettie, and Martha read like real people -- lovable and with definite faults. The entire ensemble was good. And Sophie was just straight-up awesome. Sassy and rude, but also way too nice for her own good and a total pushover. It was really interesting to read things from her perspective. She was super bright, but also wrong about a lot of things (since things were rather confusing) which made her an awesomely inaccurate narrator.
The magic was so much fun! I love the moving castle and the door that leads to so many different places. All the spells were cool and interesting, and the witches were what witches should be (high praise from me.)
So many plot twists I did not seem coming. It was a lot of fun to keep learning more and more about each of the characters and the world and the plot that was so much more complicated than I realized.
I didn't know anything at all coming into this book, except for the title and that it was made into a movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki. With these two pieces of information, I managed to come up with an idea of this book that was totally wrong -- and I like what it really is so much better! I was delightfully surprised by how fun, silly, and charming this book is. I enjoyed every moment of it, and will definitely be reading it again (though probably not just this minute, since I have a Book Challenge to complete.)
The movie:
I decided that, since this category is a book based on a movie, I should watch and review the movie, too. Not surprisingly, it wasn't anywhere near as good as the book. They changed so many things they really shouldn't have. They added a war (I mean, there's a war in the book, but it's not as relevant,) messed with the magic, and changed all sorts of characters. They turned one of my favorite characters from the book into a villain (whose motivation didn't make a whole lot of sense,) and turned the main villain from the book into a pathetic old lady (ok, she's kind of a pathetic old lady in the book, too, but in a much cooler way. Though, admittedly, she was kind of hilarious in the movie.) They also changed the time period it took place in, and took out one of the coolest plots from the book, which was all sorts of frustrating. I hated the flying ships and the train and everything; that's not the sort of story it's supposed to be.
Then again, they did a lot of things right. Howl was really good, even though they took out his tendency to woo every woman he meets (which was frustrating, since that's kind of a relevant character trait.) Michael was adorable, though they made him younger and inexplicably changed his name to Markl. Calcifer was SO PERFECT! And he was voiced by the same guy who does the voice of Mike Wazowski. And I loved Sophie. She's one of my favorite characters of all times, and I feel like they did a really good job with her.
I don't know why movie adaptations always feel the need to over-explain character motivation; I was really frustrated by some of the heavy-handed dialogue ("I finally have something to protect. It's you.") Over-all, the movie was fun, but nothing like the book. I probably would have liked it better if I hadn't read the book. But I'm grateful to it for existing, because I probably never would have read the book if I hadn't heard about the movie.
I would definitely recommend reading Howl's Moving Castle to anyone who loves a good fantasy novel. The movie is ok, and if you do alright with movie adaptations that don't stick to the book, you'll probably like it more than I did.
A book with nonhuman characters - well, just one character happened to be a demon (who is wonderful)
A funny book
A book with a love triangle - and one in which I got very emotionally invested
A book with magic
A trilogy - I didn't know it was a trilogy! In the back, there was an interview with the author, and it referenced the next two books. So I immediately bought them. I can't wait to read them!
This book does not fall into the category of "A book by an author you've never read before" because, unbeknownst to me when I bought it, it was written by the same author as The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. I don't know why this surprised me so much, but it was just really strange when I entered it into my list of books I own and realized I already had a book by this author.
Omigoodness, everything about this book is beautiful. I'm having to really fight the temptation to start it all over again instead of moving on to my next book.
The characters are fantastic. Howl is ridiculous and terrible and I love him with all of my soul. Michael is a sweetheart. Calcifer is a pill, but a darling. Fanny, Lettie, and Martha read like real people -- lovable and with definite faults. The entire ensemble was good. And Sophie was just straight-up awesome. Sassy and rude, but also way too nice for her own good and a total pushover. It was really interesting to read things from her perspective. She was super bright, but also wrong about a lot of things (since things were rather confusing) which made her an awesomely inaccurate narrator.
The magic was so much fun! I love the moving castle and the door that leads to so many different places. All the spells were cool and interesting, and the witches were what witches should be (high praise from me.)
So many plot twists I did not seem coming. It was a lot of fun to keep learning more and more about each of the characters and the world and the plot that was so much more complicated than I realized.
I didn't know anything at all coming into this book, except for the title and that it was made into a movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki. With these two pieces of information, I managed to come up with an idea of this book that was totally wrong -- and I like what it really is so much better! I was delightfully surprised by how fun, silly, and charming this book is. I enjoyed every moment of it, and will definitely be reading it again (though probably not just this minute, since I have a Book Challenge to complete.)
The movie:
I decided that, since this category is a book based on a movie, I should watch and review the movie, too. Not surprisingly, it wasn't anywhere near as good as the book. They changed so many things they really shouldn't have. They added a war (I mean, there's a war in the book, but it's not as relevant,) messed with the magic, and changed all sorts of characters. They turned one of my favorite characters from the book into a villain (whose motivation didn't make a whole lot of sense,) and turned the main villain from the book into a pathetic old lady (ok, she's kind of a pathetic old lady in the book, too, but in a much cooler way. Though, admittedly, she was kind of hilarious in the movie.) They also changed the time period it took place in, and took out one of the coolest plots from the book, which was all sorts of frustrating. I hated the flying ships and the train and everything; that's not the sort of story it's supposed to be.Then again, they did a lot of things right. Howl was really good, even though they took out his tendency to woo every woman he meets (which was frustrating, since that's kind of a relevant character trait.) Michael was adorable, though they made him younger and inexplicably changed his name to Markl. Calcifer was SO PERFECT! And he was voiced by the same guy who does the voice of Mike Wazowski. And I loved Sophie. She's one of my favorite characters of all times, and I feel like they did a really good job with her.
I don't know why movie adaptations always feel the need to over-explain character motivation; I was really frustrated by some of the heavy-handed dialogue ("I finally have something to protect. It's you.") Over-all, the movie was fun, but nothing like the book. I probably would have liked it better if I hadn't read the book. But I'm grateful to it for existing, because I probably never would have read the book if I hadn't heard about the movie.
I would definitely recommend reading Howl's Moving Castle to anyone who loves a good fantasy novel. The movie is ok, and if you do alright with movie adaptations that don't stick to the book, you'll probably like it more than I did.
♥/Kat!e
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Book Challenge: A Book of Short Stories
Book: The Unicorn Treasury compiled by Bruce Coville
Pages: 202
Date Read: 01/03/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book with nonhuman characters - one was even told from the point of view of a unicorn
A funny book - not all of the stories were funny, but some had me laughing aloud
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
A book you can finish in a day - at least, I can if I don't do anything but read that day
A book that made you cry - once again, I wasn't bawling, but tears came to my eyes during more than one of the stories
A book with magic
A book of poems - I'm not sure it would really count for this one, but there were some poems mixed in with the stories
Wherever else they may have come from, unicorns live inside the true believer's heart. Which means that so long as we can dream, there will be unicorns.Rating this book was difficult, given how many stories are in it. Some of them deserved four stars, and at least one deserved five, but there were plenty that I wouldn't have given more than two. Hence the three stars -- which means I liked it, but wasn't blown away. However, as I said, some of the stories deserved more than that.
First was Ragged John, a poem by Beatrice Farrington.
I know there's nothing sadder/ Than a heart that feared its dreams.It was a really poignant poem, and the first one that got me crying.
Next was Homeward Bound by Bruce Coville.
They were all beings of power and light. The terrible thing was, they didn't know it.This story started out kind of ordinary, and would have been a three-star story, if it hadn't been for the ending. It was so powerful I simply gasped. I was blown away by the truth in that simple line.
Also noteworthy was The Boy Who Drew Unicorns by Jane Yolen, which was really powerful and uniquely written. The dialogue had no tags and was all in italics, whereas the boy's thoughts and the things he saw (whether real or not) were written as normal text. This separated reality from his feelings, and gave a really disjointed feel that was perfect for the story.
Many of the poems were mediocre, but I did enjoy The Paint Box by E. V. Rieu.
I was frustrated by the amount of excerpts in this anthology. They dropped you in the middle of a story, with a brief summary of what had been happening up until that point, and then ended long before the ending. Though it did remind me that I want to read more of Madeleine L'Engle's books, and made me want to seek out The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen (though I've now read the ending.)
My absolute favorite story of the entire collection was The Princess, the Cat, and the Unicorn by Patricia C. Wrede. She caught the personality of a cat in absolute perfection.
"Shhhh," she said. "Poor puss! Shhh. It's all right."
"It is not all right," said the cat crossly. "How would you like to have your tail stepped on?"
"I don't have a tail," Elyssa said, considerably startled. "And if you hadn't been lying in front of me, I wouldn't have stepped on you."
"Cat's privilege," said the cat.This was a fairytale where nothing happened the way it should, and it was glorious. It had me laughing out loud more than once, and was just light, bright, and exactly the kind of story I like.
I enjoyed this anthology over-all, and there are definitely stories within it that I will be rereading -- though there are others I will skip over and be just fine. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes unicorn stories and fairytales.
♥/Kat!e
Book Challenge: A Book Set in a Different Country
Book: Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules VernePages: 188
Date Read: 12/28/2014 - 01/03/2015
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Other Categories this book could
have fit into:
A book that became a movie - which I refuse to watch because they added a woman
A book with a number in the titleA funny book - I was surprised by how many times I laughed out loud reading this
A popular author's first book - I didn't realize this was Verne's first novel; it's really well-developed and doesn't read like a first work
A book more than one hundred years old - published in 1863
A book that made you cry - ok, I wasn't sobbing, but I teared up in a few spots
A book that was originally written in a different language - Cinq Semaines en Ballon (who knew it was originally in French?)
Excelsior!
I went into this book expecting something factual and dull. And there is much more information on how to build a hot air balloon than I wanted. But this book was so much more than that, and I'm really glad I read it!
It's really quite character-driven. The doctor, the Scotsman, and Joe are all individual and real. By the end of the book, I felt that they were friends of mine, and I was sorry to see them go. The doctor is always imperturbable, solving problems calmly and intelligently while the others panic. The Scotsman is the protector of the troupe, and, though he tries to talk the doctor out of going on the trip, never for an instant considers not going with him. And he's always willing to shoot any problem that comes in their path.
And then there's Joe. Wonderful Joe! I fell in love with him. He can live with any problem, since problems are, "Quite natural." He's always willing to sacrifice himself for the others. And he's ridiculous. All three men were funny, but Joe had me cracking up throughout. He's selfless, loyal, chill, and absolutely silly.
One has only just to follow things along as they happen, and he can always work his way out of a scrape! The safest plan, you see, is to take matters as they come.
As mentioned above, this book fit into many categories, but it wasn't hard to decide which one I should count it for. Not only does this book take place in another country, but it thoroughly explores that country. We travel over Africa in a balloon, and learn much of its geography and its people. It was an adventure! This book had everything I wanted from a story of its kind -- cannibals, daring rescues, lion hunts, crocodiles, desert oases... the list goes on.
There were also some surprising thoughts on war and death. I loved this, because it wasn't overly didactic -- the topics were spoken of only as they came up, rather than being the cause of the book.
Death, the commencement of things eternal, is but the end of earthly cares.
All-in-all, I would definitely recommend this book.
♥/Kat!e
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
2015 Reading Challenge
Happy New Year! This year, I am doing a Reading Challenge -- and I thought I would blog about the books I read as I go. I'm not a very good book reviewer, but I think this will be a fun addition to the challenge and hopefully you will all enjoy it ^_^ I'd love it if you joined in with the challenge with me and let me know as we go along how it's going for you.
Here's the challenge:
A book with more than 500 pages - This shouldn't be hard, though it will take some searching. I don't have anything specific in mind yet.
A classic romance - Not my favorite genre, but there's plenty of Jane Austen novels I haven't read.
A book that became a movie - Lots of choices here. I'm probably going to do Howl's Moving Castle, since I've been dying to read and watch that one.
A book published this year - I'll wait for the end of the year for this one. I don't have any books I'm waiting for, so I'll probably read one by an author I'm friends with.
A book with a number in the title - Twice 22 by Ray Bradbury has been on my TBR pile for awhile.
A book written by someone under thirty - I'm thinking Girl Online, since I already want to read it and know the author is under thirty.
A book with nonhuman characters - I can finally read Watership Down.
A funny book - Instead of specifically looking for a funny book, I'll just wait until I read one that makes me laugh and then I'll count it for this, though I do have a few in mind that will probably qualify.
A mystery or thriller - I'm trying to decide between The Maltese Falcon and something by Agatha Christie.
A book with a one-word title - I keep thinking of Variant by Robison Wells, but I'm aiming for books I haven't read. I'm sure I'll find something.
A book of short stories - Many to choose from! I'm thinking of going with O. Henry.
A book set in a different country - This won't be hard. Most books I read take place in Europe.
A nonfiction book - Not my usual genre, but the idea of this list is to stretch a little. I have a Hans Christian Anderson biography I've been thinking of reading that would do well for this list.
A popular author's first book - I don't read a lot of popular authors. Perhaps I'll look for Lois Lowry's or Stephen King's first novel.
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet - I just got a Wodehouse book I've never read!
A book a friend recommended - Do any of you have any recommendations?
A book your mom loves - This is the only one that I know what I'm going to read; Ivy Tree. My mother has been trying to get me to read it since I was twelve.
A book that scares you - I've got a nice collection of Poe just waiting for this one.
A book more than one hundred years old - So, pretty much everything I read?
A memoir - Stephen King's On Writing counts, right?
A book you can finish in a day - Something pretty short; I'm a slow reader.
A book with antonyms in the title - I'm thinking Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - England or Ireland; it won't be hard to find one. I have a collection of Irish fairytales I've been wanting to read.
A book that came out the year you were born - The Giver was published in 1993, but I am trying to avoid rereading too many books (though I haven't read The Giver in awhile, so I may well go with it.) I also found a book called Crazy Lady! which was a Newbery Honor Book in 1994 and looks kind of interesting. Those are probably the two I'll be choosing between.
A trilogy - I just said I don't want to reread too many books in this challenge, but I really need an excuse to reread the Three Doors trilogy by Emily Rodda. Or maybe I'll finally finish Beyonders. A few choices for this one; but I'll have to make sure it's something I like, since I'll be stuck with three books.
A book from your childhood - Too many to choose from! I have a whole shelf of these; picking won't be easy.
A book with a love triangle - Another category that I'll probably decide after I've read it. But if any of you have a recommendation for a book with a great love triangle, please let me know!
A book set in the future - Does it have to be my future, or just the author's? I'm kind of thinking of reading 1984 for this one, since I've never read it. Or maybe something by H. G. Wells.
A book set in High School - I almost didn't include this one, since High School books are not my favorite. But I'm trying to stretch myself, so I'm going to suck it up and find something. My mother recommended The Outsiders.
A book with a color in the title - I have The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson. Or maybe The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (which I've read, but have been wanting to reread.) I don't have a set idea for this one, but there are plenty to choose from.
A book that made you cry - Time to get out... anything written by Kate DiCamillo. I'm sure this won't be a hard category to fill; I cry in everything.
A book with magic - Oh, this one will be hard. I never read books with magic in them. (I need a sarcasm font.)
A graphic novel - Any recommendations? I've read the Rapunzel books by Shannon and Dean Hale, but that's about it for graphic novels.
A book by an author you've never read before - Not a hard category, though it may be hard to know what I want to read. I'm open to recommendations for obscure books whose authors I may not have heard of.
A book that takes place in your hometown - Break out the LDS fiction!
A book that was originally written in a different language - I should read something new, but I'm really just trying to decide between The City of Dreaming Books and The Little Prince.
A book set during Christmas - Maybe I'll finally read A Christmas Carol!
A book written by an author with your same initials - Anyone know any authors whose initials are KWL? (or even just KL?) *goes on a quest to find one*
A play - Lots to choose from. I want to read some Shakespeare this year, and I have a book of Oscar Wilde plays I haven't read yet.
A banned book - I kind of want to read Fahrenheit 451, just because the irony of that book being banned is my favorite thing. Or maybe I'll read some Junie B. Jones. This is another category that will be easy to find something for, since pretty much every book under the sun has been banned at one point or another.
A book based on or turned into a TV show - I've been wanting to read some Star Trek novels, because I'm just that nerdy. Or maybe I'll reread Deltora Quest, because I always need an excuse to reread those books.
A book you started but never finished - I'm definitely reading The Golden Journey for this one. I was loving it, and am really not sure why I stopped reading.
A book on the BYU honors book list - Many, many to choose from. This isn't really helping in my "narrow down my list!" plan, but I'm still excited. *Edit* I'm strongly considering Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.
An LDS nonfiction - I'll just go pull something off my mom's bookshelf.
A book of poems - Another one that's going to be easy to find books and hard to choose. I have a book of Byron and a book of Robert Frost, both of which are vying for my attention.
I mostly added my notes so that I remember in August which books I was planning on reading. Also, I would really appreciate some recommendations! I hope you all enjoy this journey with me.
Here's the challenge:
A book with more than 500 pages - This shouldn't be hard, though it will take some searching. I don't have anything specific in mind yet.
A classic romance - Not my favorite genre, but there's plenty of Jane Austen novels I haven't read.
A book that became a movie - Lots of choices here. I'm probably going to do Howl's Moving Castle, since I've been dying to read and watch that one.
A book published this year - I'll wait for the end of the year for this one. I don't have any books I'm waiting for, so I'll probably read one by an author I'm friends with.
A book with a number in the title - Twice 22 by Ray Bradbury has been on my TBR pile for awhile.
A book written by someone under thirty - I'm thinking Girl Online, since I already want to read it and know the author is under thirty.
A book with nonhuman characters - I can finally read Watership Down.
A funny book - Instead of specifically looking for a funny book, I'll just wait until I read one that makes me laugh and then I'll count it for this, though I do have a few in mind that will probably qualify.
A mystery or thriller - I'm trying to decide between The Maltese Falcon and something by Agatha Christie.
A book with a one-word title - I keep thinking of Variant by Robison Wells, but I'm aiming for books I haven't read. I'm sure I'll find something.
A book of short stories - Many to choose from! I'm thinking of going with O. Henry.
A book set in a different country - This won't be hard. Most books I read take place in Europe.
A nonfiction book - Not my usual genre, but the idea of this list is to stretch a little. I have a Hans Christian Anderson biography I've been thinking of reading that would do well for this list.
A popular author's first book - I don't read a lot of popular authors. Perhaps I'll look for Lois Lowry's or Stephen King's first novel.
A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet - I just got a Wodehouse book I've never read!
A book a friend recommended - Do any of you have any recommendations?
A book your mom loves - This is the only one that I know what I'm going to read; Ivy Tree. My mother has been trying to get me to read it since I was twelve.
A book that scares you - I've got a nice collection of Poe just waiting for this one.
A book more than one hundred years old - So, pretty much everything I read?
A memoir - Stephen King's On Writing counts, right?
A book you can finish in a day - Something pretty short; I'm a slow reader.
A book with antonyms in the title - I'm thinking Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - England or Ireland; it won't be hard to find one. I have a collection of Irish fairytales I've been wanting to read.
A book that came out the year you were born - The Giver was published in 1993, but I am trying to avoid rereading too many books (though I haven't read The Giver in awhile, so I may well go with it.) I also found a book called Crazy Lady! which was a Newbery Honor Book in 1994 and looks kind of interesting. Those are probably the two I'll be choosing between.
A trilogy - I just said I don't want to reread too many books in this challenge, but I really need an excuse to reread the Three Doors trilogy by Emily Rodda. Or maybe I'll finally finish Beyonders. A few choices for this one; but I'll have to make sure it's something I like, since I'll be stuck with three books.
A book from your childhood - Too many to choose from! I have a whole shelf of these; picking won't be easy.
A book with a love triangle - Another category that I'll probably decide after I've read it. But if any of you have a recommendation for a book with a great love triangle, please let me know!
A book set in the future - Does it have to be my future, or just the author's? I'm kind of thinking of reading 1984 for this one, since I've never read it. Or maybe something by H. G. Wells.
A book set in High School - I almost didn't include this one, since High School books are not my favorite. But I'm trying to stretch myself, so I'm going to suck it up and find something. My mother recommended The Outsiders.
A book with a color in the title - I have The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson. Or maybe The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (which I've read, but have been wanting to reread.) I don't have a set idea for this one, but there are plenty to choose from.
A book that made you cry - Time to get out... anything written by Kate DiCamillo. I'm sure this won't be a hard category to fill; I cry in everything.
A book with magic - Oh, this one will be hard. I never read books with magic in them. (I need a sarcasm font.)
A graphic novel - Any recommendations? I've read the Rapunzel books by Shannon and Dean Hale, but that's about it for graphic novels.
A book by an author you've never read before - Not a hard category, though it may be hard to know what I want to read. I'm open to recommendations for obscure books whose authors I may not have heard of.
A book that takes place in your hometown - Break out the LDS fiction!
A book that was originally written in a different language - I should read something new, but I'm really just trying to decide between The City of Dreaming Books and The Little Prince.
A book set during Christmas - Maybe I'll finally read A Christmas Carol!
A book written by an author with your same initials - Anyone know any authors whose initials are KWL? (or even just KL?) *goes on a quest to find one*
A play - Lots to choose from. I want to read some Shakespeare this year, and I have a book of Oscar Wilde plays I haven't read yet.
A banned book - I kind of want to read Fahrenheit 451, just because the irony of that book being banned is my favorite thing. Or maybe I'll read some Junie B. Jones. This is another category that will be easy to find something for, since pretty much every book under the sun has been banned at one point or another.
A book based on or turned into a TV show - I've been wanting to read some Star Trek novels, because I'm just that nerdy. Or maybe I'll reread Deltora Quest, because I always need an excuse to reread those books.
A book you started but never finished - I'm definitely reading The Golden Journey for this one. I was loving it, and am really not sure why I stopped reading.
A book on the BYU honors book list - Many, many to choose from. This isn't really helping in my "narrow down my list!" plan, but I'm still excited. *Edit* I'm strongly considering Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.
An LDS nonfiction - I'll just go pull something off my mom's bookshelf.
A book of poems - Another one that's going to be easy to find books and hard to choose. I have a book of Byron and a book of Robert Frost, both of which are vying for my attention.
I mostly added my notes so that I remember in August which books I was planning on reading. Also, I would really appreciate some recommendations! I hope you all enjoy this journey with me.
♥/Kat!e
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