50 Books in 52 Weeks
Here's my master list of all the books I've accomplished so far for 50 books in 52 weeks!
1. A Study in Scarlet
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The first book to ever host the tales of the ever-talented Sherlock Holmes. It starts off with a great introduction to Watson (the narrator)'s backstory, and then we are intrigued with an entire chapter devoted to the great detective himself. The murder was a fast-paced tale, but I loved the writing style and enjoyed it immensely. Sure, I was a bit baffled by the tale of the Mormons, but it all made sense in the end. A great, short read and a good start-off for the following stories.
2. The Sign of Four
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
More intriguing than the last! The adventure was a page-turner, and I streamlined through this story faster than the first one. Sir Doyle is a wonderful storyteller and knows how to keep the reader interested, even if the entire page is full of narrative paragraphs. I find the mystery was much more fun than the first, and I quite enjoyed the tale. And I always avoided these books because I thought I wouldn't like them!
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A whole bunch of short stories for the amusement of the reader. I loved that each one seemed to have a tie-in with the previous story or would often refer back to the first two novels written by the author. Some were intriguing while others were full of adventure and crime. The last story in the book was probably my favorite. It was a story of intrigue and mystery, but there was no actual crime committed. I am surprised Doyle actually created more to write. Great novel.
4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Oh my God I loved this book!!! It was such a hilarious take on the classic tale, I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoyed it only be expressing how quickly I tackled it. My favorite line, said by Mr. Bennet: "Girls! Pentagram of Death!" Incredible. I laughed out loud, I was shaking with anticipation on when Jane and Bingley and Lizzy and Darcy would get together. Such a great tale made even more enjoyable by appearances of those ghoulish zombies. Made even better by illustrations of such scenes. I might have to check out Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters now.
5. A Year in the Merde
By Stephen Clarke
A tale of a naive British bloke who gets a job in Paris. He spits all over the French culture and then ends up becoming a French man. Who knew?! While I enjoy the tales of the city and the countryside, I hated how was an ignorant jerk to the culture and the people. Sure, he made them act the same way to him, but they just didn't know...and he was on their turf, so it's not like it mattered. I don't know if I want to read the rest in the series.
6. The Princess Bride
By William Goldman
After seeing the film 98524786565055987987 times, I thought it'd be a good idea to read the book. HOLY CRAP SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE! Ok, only by a smidge, since it's so similar, but still. GOOD STUFF. I love the extra back story for each character. It was incredible, I loved it. I want to read it again. Or watch the movie. It also makes me want to kick Stephen King in his face because he took Buttercup's Baby from Goldman. LAME. As much as I was kind of upset with the first chapter in general (just the original writing and flow). I need my Princess Bride, thank you very much.
7. Monsters of Templeton
By Lauren Groff
To be honest, I just picked this book off the bargain table, read the description, and then bought it. I'm glad I did. It was a good tale full of interesting, unique characters. There were some characters I wish she had developed more, but the main plot was very well done and thought out. A good book and I'm glad I got to read it--for a good price. :)
8. The Legendary Adventures of Alexander the Great
By Anonymous/Translated by Richard Stoneham
I originally got this book from the library to see if I could use it for my Alexander paper. I didn't, but I thought I'd read it. It was only 100 pages of propaganda listing how amazing Alexander was. I know he wasn't the greatest person that ever lived, but it was an interesting history on his exploits. Some information was helpful, but the rest of it was all heresy. That being said, I enjoy a good mythology, and this was definitely a fun read. Especially if you want to know explicit details of how Alexander gracefully brought down the Persian Empire.
9. Cross Bones
By Kathy Reichs
Number eight in the Temperance Brennan series, we follow our favorite forensic anthropologist on a whirlwind adventure that takes her from her cold, frozen Montreal to the hot, dangerous Israel. She spends the entire book finding out the identity of a complete, first-century skeleton found on Masada and why no one ever mentioned it. Soon, she finds herself in the tomb that may house the remains of the Jesus family. Holy moley! Not only was it fascinating to her her describe Jerusalem in vivid detail (since the author actually went there to write the book), but she accurately captures the tensions that are ever-present between the Israelis and Palestinians and fills it in with some shenanigans she always seems to find herself in. These books just seem to get better and better as she gets more comfortable with her voice and creating such a unique and thrilling plot. I love me some Tempe Brennan--even if she's nothing like the character on the show.
10. The Boss's Unconventional Assistant
By Jennie Adams
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11. Those Who Save Us
By Jenna Blum
Oh my God, wow. This was such a fantastic book. It felt so real and I could see it actually being the lives of a mother and daughter during and after WWII. Just. Stunning. I had to wait to the very end for my resolution, so I was quite pleased with the entire novel. The characterization was flawless--I could almost picture these lives. I want to adapt this into a screenplay. I think I might and just keep it and maybe one day I can actually turn it into a movie. It's just...wow.
12. The Tortilla Curtain
By T.C. Boyle
This was a terrible book. The only thing going for him is that he did an all right job looking through the eyes of both the Mexicans and the white people. Everything was...rather pointless. There were entire scenes in the book that could have been cut out, and the end...wasn't an ending. NOTHING HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK. It was like, a window in the mundane lives of two couples. And then nothing happened. A story is supposed to have an ending. I am not a fan of the non-ending ending. I am not a fan of this un-edited book.
13. Fire in the Blood
By Irène Némirovsky
A short tale of a family during the forties. It's full of mystery, murder, intrigue, and romance. The ending was a bit abrupt, but this book wasn't published until a couple of years ago when researchers found the rest she had done for this book in the same suitcase in which they discovered Suite Francaise. This book was so well written and the translator did an excellent job of putting it all together cohesively. Now I just need to read Némirovsky's epic tale that she she never got to finish because of those damn Nazis. I definitely want to read the rest of her works because it was an amazing piece of literature.
14. Nightlight
By The Harvard Lampoon
I have never read the Twilight series but this book was FREAKING HILARIOUS! I loved how they made Belle so dumb and was in love with a guy she THOUGHT was a vampire but really just an unpopular geek. XD YES, PLEASE. Her stupid moves were well done, and all I have to say is that the book ended too soon for my taste. Perhaps a sequel?
15. Break No Bones
By Kathy Reichs
A different feel to this book, but still as amazing as the others. I kinda love that this Brennan is completely different from the TV Brennan. This was such a great story that absorbed from beginning to end and I just always enjoy the stories Reichs tells. If I ever became an anthropologist, I'd want to be like her or Brennan. Either version.
16. The City of Thieves
By David Benioff
A fictional portrayal of Beioff's grandfather's life during WWII. He grew up knowing his grandpa killed two Germans, and this story is the tale of how he did and what led to it. A powerhouse tale that is funny, depressing, and interesting, and I did not want to ever put the book down. Of course, that was hard when I had class and work. :/ By far one of the best books I've ever read. I need to read more by this author because he is a talented writer and his stories are well-progressed. Aces!
17. Cranford
By Elizabeth Gaskell
A great tale of a bunch of spinsters in a town of spinsters, this was a fun little story about their lives. While there wasn't the great romances that were evident in North and South and Wives and Daughters, I liked this book. She is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Obviously, since I've now read three of her books. Next on my Gaskell list, probably Mary Barton because I think that might be the last one besides some short stories. I'll investigate this. Anyway, I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would and grew to love all the characters. I felt like I was included in their lives! Great storytelling and a wonderful story of some lovely middle-aged ladies. Good fun!
18. The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945
By Wladyslaw Szpilman
If you have never read the book or seen the movie: KILL YOURSELF! This was a fantastic tale of his survival during the Nazi Occupation. Just...wow. You'd think it could never happen, but it did because those Nazis were bastards. And the telling is so vivid because (as I later found out) he wrote his story almost right after it ended. He did it when it was still fresh in his mind and he could recall the details and, while he isn't specific in dates, he tries to give it some context. It was such an amazing book and you don't know how fast you're reading it until you're practically done! An educational tale everyone should read to understand the suffering those poor people had to go through all because they were Jewish. This only cements how disgusting those Nazis and their ringleader were.
19. Bones to Ashes
By Kathy Reichs
Book Ten of the Temperance Brennan series and it just keeps getting better! Not only is the writing getting stronger, but the stories do not let up in their adventure! I love that Reichs draws from her real life cases, but can still fictionalize them. As much as I wish there was a book version of Angela, Hodgins, and Zack (or any intern), it works. This story was great and I felt like I learned something! I always feel that way whenever I read one of her books. I can't wait to start the next one! Only two more to read and I'll be all caught up. Amazing how I don't tire of these stories.
20. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Carroll
I bought this book when I was in France for 3 Euros, and I just now read it. It was cute, full of fun adventures, and I guess kids sure acted differently so long ago! While I thought the entire story was just one silly thing after another, I have to say the ending was really abrupt and vague. Just, wham-o! It ended. Although, when I see commercials on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I totally get it now! However, there is no White Queen and no Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Those characters might be in Through the Looking Glass. I'll have to read that one...
21. Devil Bones
By Kathy Reichs
I love Brennan books, yes I do! And this one was no different. Holy crap I really enjoyed this one!! Now I have to wait until the end of the month before I can get the twelfth Brennan book. Also, THERE'S A THIRTEENTH COMING OUT SOON!! But anyway, this book was really awesome and I was even clueless until the end. Usually I kinda know who the killer is, but this one was just one twist after another, everyone was either dying or in trouble, and there was a new love interest for Tempe. While I'm Team Ryan, I still kinda like this Charlie guy. Maybe he'll reappear. Maybe not. All I know is, I'm preordering the next book (and the next Gabaldon book) tomorrow so I can get it (them) on the 22nd. I cannot wait past then. I LOVE ANTHROPOLOGY! /dork
22. Sarah's Key
By Tatiana de Rosnay
While it was obvious this was the writer's first novel, you have to give her credit for writing in English when she was born and raised in Paris. The story was beautiful, I loved the intermingling tales and how they became one. Like I've said before, I've been on a WWII fiction kick, and this just adds to the delightful, tearful, well-portrayed depiction of life for those in and experiencing the tragedies of the war and those who still have no idea what happened. I liked how the story ended, too. It was rather vague, but I like that it was open to the imagination. Overall, a good book. I'd read it again.
23. The Uncommon Reader
By Alan Bennett
This was a cute little novella about the Queen starting to read for fun. While it is a bit dry, one can capture the essence and the true meaning of the book. Literature is fun. Books open up a world of infinite possibilities and can say so many different things. There were some wonderful quotes in this book and I loved how the Queen transformed throughout the course of the book. All in all, a very good story.
24. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky
OHMYGODSUCHAGOODBOOK. Seriously. This book was fan-freaking-tastic. I really wish those stupid Nazis hadn't arrested her (and subsequently sent her to Auschwitz/her death) so she could have finished this amazing novel. It truly was on its way to being an absolute masterpiece. Even the first two parts are extraordinary! The translator did a fantastic job capturing her voice and making it sound a little bit easier to understand in our tongue. So great! I have to read the rest of her other works. Maybe now I can go on to her actually-finished works. Still, she was a fantastic writer and brought living in Occupied France so vivid--much more than modern authors can even hope to capture. It's a very true statement: you write what you know. It's absolutely true.
25. 206 Bones
By Kathy Reichs
The latest installment in the Bones series, Brennan is up to her shenanigans again: doing anthropology work, detective work, and almost getting herself killed. This is the recipe with almost all of her other books, so it shouldn't be much different. But it so is. This time, the book starts off with her capture and then rewinds back in time until it leads up to the moment she was kidnapped. Of course, you're scared because she's buried alive. Sounds like a Gravedigger episode? Almost. She also adds a new fun twist to the story (aka a pathologist who wants to do it all and take all the credit). Not as freaking awesome as Devil Bones, but I liked how she laid it all out. Can't wait for the new book in August! Although, I'll probably be waiting another year before the paperback comes out.
26. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The penultimate collection in my first volume of Sherlock Holmes works. A great set of short stories full of different mysteries. I really enjoy how creative Doyle is with his crimes and such. While I'm getting the hang of starting to figure out Holmes's methods, I still enjoy discovering how he gets to his conclusion. Toward the end of it, I was really seeing RDJ in my head. Maybe it had to do with the lead-up to the story with Moriarty. (Also, casting did a fantastic job with Moriarty in the film. The description in the book was spot on with the film portrayal.) It's almost an end; just one more Holmes book and I'll be done with Vol. 1, and then I'll get into the next volume. Hooray for mysteries written in the late 1800s!
27. The Hound of the Baskervilles
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This is my favorite Holmes story so far. Oh man. It was soooo good! Thank you, British society, for demanding Doyle to resurrect the good detective! This is definitely Doyle (and Holmes) at his best. I can't wait to head on to the next volume to see how Doyle did with the stories ~in between~. Loved it and had me in suspense the entire time. Such a good mystery. So good.
28. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
By Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
This classic tale got a new twist with lots of sea creatures trying to kill the humans! Not as great as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but still a great spin. I rather enjoyed that Colonel Brandon had an "affliction of the face" (aka tentacles on his chin). This made Marianne grow much more as a character in the end. I was also quite thrilled with how they handled Lucy Steele and enjoyed how the writer treated Margaret (poor, forgetful, little sister!). A fun story to read in between some great novels and makes the original story much more tolerable. Now to actually finish the original...
29. The Three Musketeers
By Alexandre Dumas
Why don't we write like this anymore? The writing style is so fantastic! I loved every minute I was reading it!! While it took about 100 pages to actually start getting into the story, the rest of the 600 pages were amazing! The story was so intricate, so well-written, so well-executed! The villains were superb, the heroes were flawed, the supporters were all important in some little way. Just...wow. This makes me want to re-read The Count of Monte Cristo. That might just be the next book I read... I recommend everyone to READ THIS BOOK. It'll change your life. Seriously.
29/50 completed
1. A Study in Scarlet
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The first book to ever host the tales of the ever-talented Sherlock Holmes. It starts off with a great introduction to Watson (the narrator)'s backstory, and then we are intrigued with an entire chapter devoted to the great detective himself. The murder was a fast-paced tale, but I loved the writing style and enjoyed it immensely. Sure, I was a bit baffled by the tale of the Mormons, but it all made sense in the end. A great, short read and a good start-off for the following stories.
2. The Sign of Four
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
More intriguing than the last! The adventure was a page-turner, and I streamlined through this story faster than the first one. Sir Doyle is a wonderful storyteller and knows how to keep the reader interested, even if the entire page is full of narrative paragraphs. I find the mystery was much more fun than the first, and I quite enjoyed the tale. And I always avoided these books because I thought I wouldn't like them!
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A whole bunch of short stories for the amusement of the reader. I loved that each one seemed to have a tie-in with the previous story or would often refer back to the first two novels written by the author. Some were intriguing while others were full of adventure and crime. The last story in the book was probably my favorite. It was a story of intrigue and mystery, but there was no actual crime committed. I am surprised Doyle actually created more to write. Great novel.
4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Oh my God I loved this book!!! It was such a hilarious take on the classic tale, I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoyed it only be expressing how quickly I tackled it. My favorite line, said by Mr. Bennet: "Girls! Pentagram of Death!" Incredible. I laughed out loud, I was shaking with anticipation on when Jane and Bingley and Lizzy and Darcy would get together. Such a great tale made even more enjoyable by appearances of those ghoulish zombies. Made even better by illustrations of such scenes. I might have to check out Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters now.
5. A Year in the Merde
By Stephen Clarke
A tale of a naive British bloke who gets a job in Paris. He spits all over the French culture and then ends up becoming a French man. Who knew?! While I enjoy the tales of the city and the countryside, I hated how was an ignorant jerk to the culture and the people. Sure, he made them act the same way to him, but they just didn't know...and he was on their turf, so it's not like it mattered. I don't know if I want to read the rest in the series.
6. The Princess Bride
By William Goldman
After seeing the film 98524786565055987987 times, I thought it'd be a good idea to read the book. HOLY CRAP SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE! Ok, only by a smidge, since it's so similar, but still. GOOD STUFF. I love the extra back story for each character. It was incredible, I loved it. I want to read it again. Or watch the movie. It also makes me want to kick Stephen King in his face because he took Buttercup's Baby from Goldman. LAME. As much as I was kind of upset with the first chapter in general (just the original writing and flow). I need my Princess Bride, thank you very much.
7. Monsters of Templeton
By Lauren Groff
To be honest, I just picked this book off the bargain table, read the description, and then bought it. I'm glad I did. It was a good tale full of interesting, unique characters. There were some characters I wish she had developed more, but the main plot was very well done and thought out. A good book and I'm glad I got to read it--for a good price. :)
8. The Legendary Adventures of Alexander the Great
By Anonymous/Translated by Richard Stoneham
I originally got this book from the library to see if I could use it for my Alexander paper. I didn't, but I thought I'd read it. It was only 100 pages of propaganda listing how amazing Alexander was. I know he wasn't the greatest person that ever lived, but it was an interesting history on his exploits. Some information was helpful, but the rest of it was all heresy. That being said, I enjoy a good mythology, and this was definitely a fun read. Especially if you want to know explicit details of how Alexander gracefully brought down the Persian Empire.
9. Cross Bones
By Kathy Reichs
Number eight in the Temperance Brennan series, we follow our favorite forensic anthropologist on a whirlwind adventure that takes her from her cold, frozen Montreal to the hot, dangerous Israel. She spends the entire book finding out the identity of a complete, first-century skeleton found on Masada and why no one ever mentioned it. Soon, she finds herself in the tomb that may house the remains of the Jesus family. Holy moley! Not only was it fascinating to her her describe Jerusalem in vivid detail (since the author actually went there to write the book), but she accurately captures the tensions that are ever-present between the Israelis and Palestinians and fills it in with some shenanigans she always seems to find herself in. These books just seem to get better and better as she gets more comfortable with her voice and creating such a unique and thrilling plot. I love me some Tempe Brennan--even if she's nothing like the character on the show.
10. The Boss's Unconventional Assistant
By Jennie Adams
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11. Those Who Save Us
By Jenna Blum
Oh my God, wow. This was such a fantastic book. It felt so real and I could see it actually being the lives of a mother and daughter during and after WWII. Just. Stunning. I had to wait to the very end for my resolution, so I was quite pleased with the entire novel. The characterization was flawless--I could almost picture these lives. I want to adapt this into a screenplay. I think I might and just keep it and maybe one day I can actually turn it into a movie. It's just...wow.
12. The Tortilla Curtain
By T.C. Boyle
This was a terrible book. The only thing going for him is that he did an all right job looking through the eyes of both the Mexicans and the white people. Everything was...rather pointless. There were entire scenes in the book that could have been cut out, and the end...wasn't an ending. NOTHING HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK. It was like, a window in the mundane lives of two couples. And then nothing happened. A story is supposed to have an ending. I am not a fan of the non-ending ending. I am not a fan of this un-edited book.
13. Fire in the Blood
By Irène Némirovsky
A short tale of a family during the forties. It's full of mystery, murder, intrigue, and romance. The ending was a bit abrupt, but this book wasn't published until a couple of years ago when researchers found the rest she had done for this book in the same suitcase in which they discovered Suite Francaise. This book was so well written and the translator did an excellent job of putting it all together cohesively. Now I just need to read Némirovsky's epic tale that she she never got to finish because of those damn Nazis. I definitely want to read the rest of her works because it was an amazing piece of literature.
14. Nightlight
By The Harvard Lampoon
I have never read the Twilight series but this book was FREAKING HILARIOUS! I loved how they made Belle so dumb and was in love with a guy she THOUGHT was a vampire but really just an unpopular geek. XD YES, PLEASE. Her stupid moves were well done, and all I have to say is that the book ended too soon for my taste. Perhaps a sequel?
15. Break No Bones
By Kathy Reichs
A different feel to this book, but still as amazing as the others. I kinda love that this Brennan is completely different from the TV Brennan. This was such a great story that absorbed from beginning to end and I just always enjoy the stories Reichs tells. If I ever became an anthropologist, I'd want to be like her or Brennan. Either version.
16. The City of Thieves
By David Benioff
A fictional portrayal of Beioff's grandfather's life during WWII. He grew up knowing his grandpa killed two Germans, and this story is the tale of how he did and what led to it. A powerhouse tale that is funny, depressing, and interesting, and I did not want to ever put the book down. Of course, that was hard when I had class and work. :/ By far one of the best books I've ever read. I need to read more by this author because he is a talented writer and his stories are well-progressed. Aces!
17. Cranford
By Elizabeth Gaskell
A great tale of a bunch of spinsters in a town of spinsters, this was a fun little story about their lives. While there wasn't the great romances that were evident in North and South and Wives and Daughters, I liked this book. She is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Obviously, since I've now read three of her books. Next on my Gaskell list, probably Mary Barton because I think that might be the last one besides some short stories. I'll investigate this. Anyway, I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would and grew to love all the characters. I felt like I was included in their lives! Great storytelling and a wonderful story of some lovely middle-aged ladies. Good fun!
18. The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945
By Wladyslaw Szpilman
If you have never read the book or seen the movie: KILL YOURSELF! This was a fantastic tale of his survival during the Nazi Occupation. Just...wow. You'd think it could never happen, but it did because those Nazis were bastards. And the telling is so vivid because (as I later found out) he wrote his story almost right after it ended. He did it when it was still fresh in his mind and he could recall the details and, while he isn't specific in dates, he tries to give it some context. It was such an amazing book and you don't know how fast you're reading it until you're practically done! An educational tale everyone should read to understand the suffering those poor people had to go through all because they were Jewish. This only cements how disgusting those Nazis and their ringleader were.
19. Bones to Ashes
By Kathy Reichs
Book Ten of the Temperance Brennan series and it just keeps getting better! Not only is the writing getting stronger, but the stories do not let up in their adventure! I love that Reichs draws from her real life cases, but can still fictionalize them. As much as I wish there was a book version of Angela, Hodgins, and Zack (or any intern), it works. This story was great and I felt like I learned something! I always feel that way whenever I read one of her books. I can't wait to start the next one! Only two more to read and I'll be all caught up. Amazing how I don't tire of these stories.
20. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Carroll
I bought this book when I was in France for 3 Euros, and I just now read it. It was cute, full of fun adventures, and I guess kids sure acted differently so long ago! While I thought the entire story was just one silly thing after another, I have to say the ending was really abrupt and vague. Just, wham-o! It ended. Although, when I see commercials on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I totally get it now! However, there is no White Queen and no Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Those characters might be in Through the Looking Glass. I'll have to read that one...
21. Devil Bones
By Kathy Reichs
I love Brennan books, yes I do! And this one was no different. Holy crap I really enjoyed this one!! Now I have to wait until the end of the month before I can get the twelfth Brennan book. Also, THERE'S A THIRTEENTH COMING OUT SOON!! But anyway, this book was really awesome and I was even clueless until the end. Usually I kinda know who the killer is, but this one was just one twist after another, everyone was either dying or in trouble, and there was a new love interest for Tempe. While I'm Team Ryan, I still kinda like this Charlie guy. Maybe he'll reappear. Maybe not. All I know is, I'm preordering the next book (and the next Gabaldon book) tomorrow so I can get it (them) on the 22nd. I cannot wait past then. I LOVE ANTHROPOLOGY! /dork
22. Sarah's Key
By Tatiana de Rosnay
While it was obvious this was the writer's first novel, you have to give her credit for writing in English when she was born and raised in Paris. The story was beautiful, I loved the intermingling tales and how they became one. Like I've said before, I've been on a WWII fiction kick, and this just adds to the delightful, tearful, well-portrayed depiction of life for those in and experiencing the tragedies of the war and those who still have no idea what happened. I liked how the story ended, too. It was rather vague, but I like that it was open to the imagination. Overall, a good book. I'd read it again.
23. The Uncommon Reader
By Alan Bennett
This was a cute little novella about the Queen starting to read for fun. While it is a bit dry, one can capture the essence and the true meaning of the book. Literature is fun. Books open up a world of infinite possibilities and can say so many different things. There were some wonderful quotes in this book and I loved how the Queen transformed throughout the course of the book. All in all, a very good story.
24. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky
OHMYGODSUCHAGOODBOOK. Seriously. This book was fan-freaking-tastic. I really wish those stupid Nazis hadn't arrested her (and subsequently sent her to Auschwitz/her death) so she could have finished this amazing novel. It truly was on its way to being an absolute masterpiece. Even the first two parts are extraordinary! The translator did a fantastic job capturing her voice and making it sound a little bit easier to understand in our tongue. So great! I have to read the rest of her other works. Maybe now I can go on to her actually-finished works. Still, she was a fantastic writer and brought living in Occupied France so vivid--much more than modern authors can even hope to capture. It's a very true statement: you write what you know. It's absolutely true.
25. 206 Bones
By Kathy Reichs
The latest installment in the Bones series, Brennan is up to her shenanigans again: doing anthropology work, detective work, and almost getting herself killed. This is the recipe with almost all of her other books, so it shouldn't be much different. But it so is. This time, the book starts off with her capture and then rewinds back in time until it leads up to the moment she was kidnapped. Of course, you're scared because she's buried alive. Sounds like a Gravedigger episode? Almost. She also adds a new fun twist to the story (aka a pathologist who wants to do it all and take all the credit). Not as freaking awesome as Devil Bones, but I liked how she laid it all out. Can't wait for the new book in August! Although, I'll probably be waiting another year before the paperback comes out.
26. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The penultimate collection in my first volume of Sherlock Holmes works. A great set of short stories full of different mysteries. I really enjoy how creative Doyle is with his crimes and such. While I'm getting the hang of starting to figure out Holmes's methods, I still enjoy discovering how he gets to his conclusion. Toward the end of it, I was really seeing RDJ in my head. Maybe it had to do with the lead-up to the story with Moriarty. (Also, casting did a fantastic job with Moriarty in the film. The description in the book was spot on with the film portrayal.) It's almost an end; just one more Holmes book and I'll be done with Vol. 1, and then I'll get into the next volume. Hooray for mysteries written in the late 1800s!
27. The Hound of the Baskervilles
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This is my favorite Holmes story so far. Oh man. It was soooo good! Thank you, British society, for demanding Doyle to resurrect the good detective! This is definitely Doyle (and Holmes) at his best. I can't wait to head on to the next volume to see how Doyle did with the stories ~in between~. Loved it and had me in suspense the entire time. Such a good mystery. So good.
28. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
By Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
This classic tale got a new twist with lots of sea creatures trying to kill the humans! Not as great as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but still a great spin. I rather enjoyed that Colonel Brandon had an "affliction of the face" (aka tentacles on his chin). This made Marianne grow much more as a character in the end. I was also quite thrilled with how they handled Lucy Steele and enjoyed how the writer treated Margaret (poor, forgetful, little sister!). A fun story to read in between some great novels and makes the original story much more tolerable. Now to actually finish the original...
29. The Three Musketeers
By Alexandre Dumas
Why don't we write like this anymore? The writing style is so fantastic! I loved every minute I was reading it!! While it took about 100 pages to actually start getting into the story, the rest of the 600 pages were amazing! The story was so intricate, so well-written, so well-executed! The villains were superb, the heroes were flawed, the supporters were all important in some little way. Just...wow. This makes me want to re-read The Count of Monte Cristo. That might just be the next book I read... I recommend everyone to READ THIS BOOK. It'll change your life. Seriously.
29/50 completed