Don't expect me to be happy for you, and don't smile at me.
The State Of The Book
(Or, Reading Shit That You Probably Won't Care About)
In order to give you some context, you should know that I have a tendency to have three, potentially more books on the go at one time. I've finished thirteen so far this year, and my goal is to hit 100 by the time it's over.
This isn't me trying to brag. It's just laying out an explanation for the dorktitude that you're about to witness.
1) The Hunger Games
I'm almost done this one and still am not sold. I'm not quite sure what it is that bothers me about it, to be honest. I still want to punch Katniss, and don't know why. I don't like the fact that I can't put my finger on why this book frustrates me. I'll admit that I went in with a very cynical not-wanting-to-like-it mindset, which might help. It probably helps that the writing style is difficult for me to truly get in to. I think the word I'm looking for is juvenile, but I'm not sure.
All I can state definitively is that I don't care for the book in the slightest, and have no desire to read the other two.
Whatever. Because I feel like it, and because it's somewhat related to "The Hunger Games", check out this BAMF.
Click to view2) The Arm of the Starfish
I'd like to make it clear that I have a strong, strong admiration for Madeleine L'Engle and everything she penned. I read "A Wrinkle In Time" when I was ten or so, and was in love with all the Cronos and Kairos books from that point on.
I will not buy the 50th Anniversary edition of AWiT. I will not buy the 50th Anniversary edition of AWiT.
I only recently discovered that my local library has some of her more 'obscure' works that fall outside of the Cronos/Kairos universe. Why I've yet to read these I don't know. The fact of the matter is that they are there, I have one on hold, and lo, it is good.
3) The Once and Future King
I've been fascinated by Arthurian myth for a long time, most particularly the characterization of Lancelot. T.H. White presents a fascinating character study in the section entitled "The Ill-made Knight". He creates a Lancelot that is cruel and cowardly, but it is because of this that Lancelot knows what is good and brave and can therefore do it. I like that. I really do.
I also like White's sly sense of humour. The man is good at what he does. This is a slower read that Collins or L'Engle, of course, but enjoyable as hell.
Next on the reading docket?
- "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. I was a vegetarian for a time. While I'm omnivorous now, I still maintain an interest in animal rights, food production, and meat production and consumption. This promises to be an interesting one.
- "And Both Were Young" by Madeleine L'Engle. This is the book I have set aside for me at the library, and I think I'm going to go pick it up tomorrow seeing as I have the morning off.
- "Everything's Eventual" by Stephen King. I've been meaning to get around to this one for seemingly forever, so I'm going to finally read it.
- "Across the Universe" by Beth Revis. This has been recommended to me by a friend. She was excited about this series after reading it as I was after completing Veronica Roth's "Divergent". I trust her taste -- she's the one who turned me on to Megan McCafferty's writing -- so chances are good I'll enjoy it. We'll see.
Next on the docket tonight?
Unsurprisingly, a cup of tea and "The Arm of the Starfish". I've only got 60 pages left in it.
[/pretension]
[/the promised reading shit you probably don't care about]