It's a book-reading montage!! [insert "Eye of the Tiger" here]
I successfully doubled my reading output from last year! \o/ Okay, so 2010 was a sad year in which I only read 6 books. Which means this isn't exactly a record breaker of epic proportions. But it's still an improvement! I shall celebrate by reccing my favorite reads thus far. :)
Two of them are among my all time favorites: The Charioteer by Mary Renault, and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. They both take place in England. Umm... They both have a love triangle? If you squint?. And... Well, one's written primarily for children (though I still loves it and loves it, so I'll say it translates to the more grownup world) and the other is considered a classic of gay literature. But they're both about self-discovery and have incredibly compelling characters, both main and supporting, that I'd seriously love to hang out with. They both hit my happy place in just the right way. ♥ Wherever I may live, those books will be with me.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, is a new one for me. It's historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell and I avoided wikipedia while reading because spoilers and then went wikipedia-mad when I was done. (Thank God, I'd already done a quick overview of the War of the Roses - long story - so I had a bit of context.) From what I understand, this story turns convention on its head by playing Cromwell as the hero and Thomas More as the villain (to over-simplify). All I can say is I fell completely in love with Cromwell while reading (wikipedia broke my heart!) and also gained a new appreciation for the massive, massive deal Henry VIII's wedding blues had on England at the time. I should add that I think readers already familiar with the time period will enjoy the book even more. In a sense Wolf Hall is like well-written fanfiction in that there are little moments that cause a burst of awareness if you know the canon.
And finally, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The way I read it (breathlessly fast, turning pages like a mad-thing), the three books have merged into one for me. As soon as I was finished (and had caught my breath *g*) I turned around and read them again. Then I read all of Mark Read's entries on the trilogy (come for the commentary, stay for the gifs). So I'd say I've read them 2 1/2 times. It's funny because I went into The Hunger Games kind of hostile. Maybe because it was sooo popular? Anyway, I started out scoffing at the whole premises. But it won me over! It was such an intelligent look at tyranny and what you hold onto when everything's falling apart. I still find myself thinking about the story and the characters at odd moments during the day. Which is exactly the right side effect of a good story. :)
So now I have to decide what I'm going to set as my new goal for Goodread's 2011 reading challenge. Do I double down and aim for 24? Or stay conservative with 18? Why be meek? 24 it is! :D
Two of them are among my all time favorites: The Charioteer by Mary Renault, and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. They both take place in England. Umm... They both have a love triangle? If you squint?. And... Well, one's written primarily for children (though I still loves it and loves it, so I'll say it translates to the more grownup world) and the other is considered a classic of gay literature. But they're both about self-discovery and have incredibly compelling characters, both main and supporting, that I'd seriously love to hang out with. They both hit my happy place in just the right way. ♥ Wherever I may live, those books will be with me.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, is a new one for me. It's historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell and I avoided wikipedia while reading because spoilers and then went wikipedia-mad when I was done. (Thank God, I'd already done a quick overview of the War of the Roses - long story - so I had a bit of context.) From what I understand, this story turns convention on its head by playing Cromwell as the hero and Thomas More as the villain (to over-simplify). All I can say is I fell completely in love with Cromwell while reading (wikipedia broke my heart!) and also gained a new appreciation for the massive, massive deal Henry VIII's wedding blues had on England at the time. I should add that I think readers already familiar with the time period will enjoy the book even more. In a sense Wolf Hall is like well-written fanfiction in that there are little moments that cause a burst of awareness if you know the canon.
And finally, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The way I read it (breathlessly fast, turning pages like a mad-thing), the three books have merged into one for me. As soon as I was finished (and had caught my breath *g*) I turned around and read them again. Then I read all of Mark Read's entries on the trilogy (come for the commentary, stay for the gifs). So I'd say I've read them 2 1/2 times. It's funny because I went into The Hunger Games kind of hostile. Maybe because it was sooo popular? Anyway, I started out scoffing at the whole premises. But it won me over! It was such an intelligent look at tyranny and what you hold onto when everything's falling apart. I still find myself thinking about the story and the characters at odd moments during the day. Which is exactly the right side effect of a good story. :)
So now I have to decide what I'm going to set as my new goal for Goodread's 2011 reading challenge. Do I double down and aim for 24? Or stay conservative with 18? Why be meek? 24 it is! :D