Books, glorious books!
I've been doing a lot of reading since school got out. Well, compared to some others, I guess it's not that much...people are always posting their monthly book reviews over onbookish and I'm impressed with how much they get done...I read quickly, but not quite that voraciously. And I have to do other things with my time, occasionally. Anyways, I've been haunting the library fairly regularly and I've picked up some new authors and revisited some old favorites.
Bleak House, by Charles Dickens
This was an excellent book. Sometimes I love Dickens (like this and A Tale of Two Cities) and sometimes I just kind of like him (like Oliver Twist and Great Expectations). His storytelling ability is definitely at its best here. It's very interesting how the narrative switches between a first person POV and an omniscient narrator that speaks in present tense. At first it was puzzling because of all the different story threads that seemed unrelated, but when I started finding the connections it began to make sense. Compelling and joyful and heartbreaking, all at the same time.
The Grand Sophy, by Georgette Heyer
I found this at my favorite used book store, and it reminded me that I had enjoyed her novels once before. This was even better than the first two I had read, and it inspired me to read several more. I love Heyer's writing...she does a lovely job of presenting Jane Austen's era in a way that seems very realistic, right down to the slang! (Though the plots aren't exactly realistic, just amusing!)
Mairelon the Magician, by Patricia Wrede (re-read)
Some light fantasy re-read, from an author I always enjoy.
Magician's Ward, by Patricia Wrede (re-read)
See above.
Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer (re-read)
See above.
Snow White and Rose Red, by Patricia Wrede
As a re-telling of a fairy tale, this was interesting. It was set in Elizabethan England, mixing elements like the land of Faerie with the real fear of witches and Queen Elizabeth's astrologer, John Dee. I liked the ideas she had; however, it was a bit of a slow read for me. Maybe it was because some parts just didn't ring true for me...it seemed a little formulaic at times. I didn't dislike it, though.
Sorcery and Cecilia, or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, by Patricia Wrede (re-read)
This reminded me intensely of Georgette Heyer, which made sense when I read the acknowledgements. The thing that makes it different is the addition of magic! Welcome to a Regency England in which there is a Royal College of Wizards, and Cecy and her cousin Kate are trying to find out what is at the root of all the odd occurences around them, while evading the wrath of the mysterious Miranda.Part of the charm of this book is its epistolary format. I quite enjoyed it, more than all the other Wrede books I read in my spree. I think I liked it even better now that I have discovered Georgette Heyer (I hadn't last time I read this book). There are now two more in the series, continuing the adventures of Kate and Cecy. I have read the second but not the third...I think I shall have to hunt them down.
Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia Wrede (re-read)
See my Wrede comments above.
The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak
I'm not even sure how to describe this book, other than that it was very powerful and made me want to bawl my eyes out (I usually don't get too emotional over books). The view of Nazi Germany from a young girl with her own set of problems (including a Jew in the basement) was so very moving, particularly her way of dealing with emotions through books and words. It's a hard book for me to describe, but I would highly, highly recommend it.
Bloodhound, by Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce is one of my guilty pleasures, introduced to me by one of my good friends when I was in junior high-ish. I love her Tortall books, and this series is quite interesting. It's a different era and setting from her other series, but still connected with the familiar characters. I like the police/detective work, and an interesting portrayal of a justice system that works with the criminals occasionally (the Court of the Rogue, bribes, etc). A fun read, nothing too deep.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
As a Jane Austen fan who does not usually read zombie/horror stories, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was rather amused by this extremely absurd version of everyone's favorite love story. Some parts made me laugh out loud, and some parts just made me roll my eyes, but on the whole, I liked it. Don't try to take it too seriously--just appreciate it for what it is: a parody.
Murder is Easy, by Agatha Christie
Yay Agatha Christie! I love her midcentury British voice. It makes me happy. This was a quick read for me...I think I finished it all in one evening. I was especially pleased with myself for figuring out "whodunnit" before the characters themselves.
Frederica, by Georgette Heyer
I think is my favorite Heyer so far. Several parts made me laugh out loud, particularly because they included things that were so unexpected in a Regency novel--a dog going for a (rather disastrous) walk in the park, a balloon ascension, teenaged boys fascinated with science...I enjoyed it immensely.
False Colours, by Georgette Heyer
Also highly entertaining. Though I can't imagine anyone naming a son "Evelyn" in this era, unless they wanted him to be mocked for eternity.
Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale
I had heard good things about Shannon Hale, so I decided to check her out. This was a very interesting fantasy/fairytale type story in an imaginary land that was clearly based on Mongolia. A quick read, but different. I liked the writing, though one of the main characters annoyed me intensely (to be fair, she rather annoyed the narrator too).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
An autistic boy's attempt at writing a mystery novel about who killed the dog next door. In searching out the answer to the mystery, he learns a great many things about himself and his family. It's written in first-person, so it's like a glimpse into the mind of a person with autism, which was really quite fascinating. I would have appreciated a little less swearing from the characters, but much of it was laugh-out-loud funny.
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett (re-read, for the umpteenth time)
I adore this book. My mom's dad gave this book to her when she was little, and we've always had it in our basement. It was one of the first long chapter-books I ever read, probably in 2nd grade or so, and I re-read it many times throughout my growing-up years. It makes me feel wonderful and happy every time, and it makes me want to be like Sara--to behave like a princess in every situation. I think every little girl needs to read this book.
A lot of Patricia Wrede there, I know...I went on a kick for a couple of weeks. Sometimes it's nice to read something light and YA...I enjoyed that. Also a lot of Georgette Heyer. I first discovered her a couple of years ago...I read Charity Girl and A Lady of Quality and then forgot about her for a while. But she's really what I needed this summer. All of her novels are just frothy fun.
Coming up next (I'm saving these for my camping trip next weekend...we'll be gone for a week and doing lots of driving, so I'll be able to read a lot):
In Cold Blood--Truman Capote
Whose Body?--Dorothy Sayers
Venetia--Georgette Heyer
Hmm...I thought I had four books. Perhaps I shall go find another.
I've also been wanting to check out PG Wodehouse. Any recommendations for where to start?