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Oh, another thing about books... here's the ones that I have read since I graduated (minust the embarassing ones that I don't want to admit to reading):
-Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell A
Witty, Microscopically epic, and almost real. The magic that the novel talks about feels real, as it is set in the early ninetenth century England and characters like Napoleon appear. Finely crafted and expertly written, though I feel like it could have been a little shorter. The fact that I gave a fantasy novel (that isn't Harry Potter) a great score means something (I'm not a huge fantasy fan, though I do like SOME fantasy).
-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time B+
A quick and fun read, but still moving and deeply convincing. The author gets into the mind of an autistic child and, while the mystery draws you in, the piece becomes more a character study than anything else.
-The DaVinci Code D-
I really wanted to like this book. I liked Angels and Demons (a C+ of a book and a solid B for its genre), but this book was absolute shit in my opinion. Brown clearly had this book imagined as a film, but his descriptions blatantly suck and his mysteries were like the ones you could have read in an Encyclopedia Brown novel. If you haven't read it, I won't ruin it, but damn was this mystery easy to figure out. Oh, and of course the characters that seem like they will betray the heroes do. At least with Angels and Demons there were some surprises. This was just typical to the point of being a waste of time. Also, the author's attempts at humor fall flat to the point that I wanted to rip out my eyes and pour alcohol in the sockets so that I might feel real pain as opposed to mental pain. But I really wanted to like it, and I even had the illustrated copy. I don't get why this is so popular and I REALLY don't get how people love it so much to claim it as their favorite book, ever.
-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A
The best of the series? Maybe. Definitely different. That's what I like about the last three Potter books--each one is very different in tone and have very different focuses. Parts of the ending were surprising though this was the first of the books where the ending wasn't mostly surprise and a few things I figured out. However, that's not the point of this book and those plot points are probably because they further the story of the whole series. J.K.'s style shines through in this book. I loved it.
-Everything is Illuminated A+
Quite possibly one of my favorite books ever. It took me about 20 pages to get into it, but once I did I could not put it down. I read it in three incriments of 100 pages at a time (roughly). Foer's style is vastly different in the three main voices of the novel and the parts that are told through the tour guide dude (I forget his name) are hilarious. The author captures the awkwardness of the language divide and the broken English in the character's letters is clever.
-Light Before Day C
A fun beach book but highly forgetable. That's really all I can say about it, but definitely better than DaVinci Code.
-The Rule of Four C+
This trumps DaVinci, any day. It is not great but it is intriguing enough to keep reading on. I enjoyed the mystery and the authors' (it was co-written) attempt at character development.
-The Amateur Marriage A+
Great piece of fiction. The other book I read this year that I will swear by. The chapters read like short stories and each one is a vignette in the life of two characters and how they are defined by their marriage that never should have happened. It spans over half a century and the characters are so human, so flawed, and so rich. Run out and grab this book. I listened to much of it on CD because I picked it up at Cracker Barrell (they rent Audio books out) on my way back from California (I owned the book but never read it till then) and the reading is fantastic. In fact, it is such a great reading of the book that I would recommend that over reading the book yourself (I went on to reading it, which was a good experience also, but I went back to listening to it because it is just that great of a reading).
-The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle B+
Finally, the book Chris and I read to each other out loud as we drove to California. I finished it on my own and it's very interesting. It falls into that category of post-modernism where the book itself knows it is post-modern, so of course I loved that about it (I love that shit!--and no, the book doesn't reference that it is a book, but clearly the author is aware of what it is and includes that in the book). I don't know how to explain it, but give this book a try.
In progress:
-It's Superman!
Love it so far. Read my last post.
-The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
Honestly? I'm disappointed. And I love all the other Eco I've read (The Name of the Rose, bits of Literature [or On Literature? I read a few sections one day in the two hours I had between classes]), but this just seems like it could be better. I should try to get past page 60, though. It was very easy to put down.
-Hairstyles of the Damned
A not-as-good version of Perks of Being a Wallflower, but so far, enjoyable.
-The Keybearer by Jackson Pearce
A friend's manuscript. The only reason I put it down was for NaNoWriMo (and because when I read books that are printed from a computer I get ADD--I'm that way with reading friends' papers and short stories... I don't know why but it really is the way they're printed, not the material) and so far I really enjoy it. The style is subtle at times but mostly is clearly present and the characters are very well fleshed out. I'm excited to finish it (though I do know the plot and the ending--another reason for my ADD). I will most likely finish this by the end of next week.
-Watership Down
Great book so far. I also put this on the backburner for NaNo and then I got caught up in Superman... But thanks, Nathan. Good choice :-D
-The Truth About Diamonds
Um... I read the first chapter. Doesn't that count as reading the book?
(yes, I do tend to read a few books at a time... I usually can't get through one without picking another up).
Next Up:
-The Corrections
-100 Years of Solitude
I hope to finish all these by Jan. 1. Why? My goal for next year is to read all of Proust's In Search of Lost Time, or, Rememberances of Things Past. (I don't know what it officially goes by--I've heard both about equal and I've seen both printed on copies). I want to read the new translations, though. They have been getting rave reviews (and look really pretty by their covers!)
I AM SUCH A NERD.
But, if I inspire someone to read or debate with me, I have done my job :-D
-Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell A
Witty, Microscopically epic, and almost real. The magic that the novel talks about feels real, as it is set in the early ninetenth century England and characters like Napoleon appear. Finely crafted and expertly written, though I feel like it could have been a little shorter. The fact that I gave a fantasy novel (that isn't Harry Potter) a great score means something (I'm not a huge fantasy fan, though I do like SOME fantasy).
-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time B+
A quick and fun read, but still moving and deeply convincing. The author gets into the mind of an autistic child and, while the mystery draws you in, the piece becomes more a character study than anything else.
-The DaVinci Code D-
I really wanted to like this book. I liked Angels and Demons (a C+ of a book and a solid B for its genre), but this book was absolute shit in my opinion. Brown clearly had this book imagined as a film, but his descriptions blatantly suck and his mysteries were like the ones you could have read in an Encyclopedia Brown novel. If you haven't read it, I won't ruin it, but damn was this mystery easy to figure out. Oh, and of course the characters that seem like they will betray the heroes do. At least with Angels and Demons there were some surprises. This was just typical to the point of being a waste of time. Also, the author's attempts at humor fall flat to the point that I wanted to rip out my eyes and pour alcohol in the sockets so that I might feel real pain as opposed to mental pain. But I really wanted to like it, and I even had the illustrated copy. I don't get why this is so popular and I REALLY don't get how people love it so much to claim it as their favorite book, ever.
-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A
The best of the series? Maybe. Definitely different. That's what I like about the last three Potter books--each one is very different in tone and have very different focuses. Parts of the ending were surprising though this was the first of the books where the ending wasn't mostly surprise and a few things I figured out. However, that's not the point of this book and those plot points are probably because they further the story of the whole series. J.K.'s style shines through in this book. I loved it.
-Everything is Illuminated A+
Quite possibly one of my favorite books ever. It took me about 20 pages to get into it, but once I did I could not put it down. I read it in three incriments of 100 pages at a time (roughly). Foer's style is vastly different in the three main voices of the novel and the parts that are told through the tour guide dude (I forget his name) are hilarious. The author captures the awkwardness of the language divide and the broken English in the character's letters is clever.
-Light Before Day C
A fun beach book but highly forgetable. That's really all I can say about it, but definitely better than DaVinci Code.
-The Rule of Four C+
This trumps DaVinci, any day. It is not great but it is intriguing enough to keep reading on. I enjoyed the mystery and the authors' (it was co-written) attempt at character development.
-The Amateur Marriage A+
Great piece of fiction. The other book I read this year that I will swear by. The chapters read like short stories and each one is a vignette in the life of two characters and how they are defined by their marriage that never should have happened. It spans over half a century and the characters are so human, so flawed, and so rich. Run out and grab this book. I listened to much of it on CD because I picked it up at Cracker Barrell (they rent Audio books out) on my way back from California (I owned the book but never read it till then) and the reading is fantastic. In fact, it is such a great reading of the book that I would recommend that over reading the book yourself (I went on to reading it, which was a good experience also, but I went back to listening to it because it is just that great of a reading).
-The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle B+
Finally, the book Chris and I read to each other out loud as we drove to California. I finished it on my own and it's very interesting. It falls into that category of post-modernism where the book itself knows it is post-modern, so of course I loved that about it (I love that shit!--and no, the book doesn't reference that it is a book, but clearly the author is aware of what it is and includes that in the book). I don't know how to explain it, but give this book a try.
In progress:
-It's Superman!
Love it so far. Read my last post.
-The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
Honestly? I'm disappointed. And I love all the other Eco I've read (The Name of the Rose, bits of Literature [or On Literature? I read a few sections one day in the two hours I had between classes]), but this just seems like it could be better. I should try to get past page 60, though. It was very easy to put down.
-Hairstyles of the Damned
A not-as-good version of Perks of Being a Wallflower, but so far, enjoyable.
-The Keybearer by Jackson Pearce
A friend's manuscript. The only reason I put it down was for NaNoWriMo (and because when I read books that are printed from a computer I get ADD--I'm that way with reading friends' papers and short stories... I don't know why but it really is the way they're printed, not the material) and so far I really enjoy it. The style is subtle at times but mostly is clearly present and the characters are very well fleshed out. I'm excited to finish it (though I do know the plot and the ending--another reason for my ADD). I will most likely finish this by the end of next week.
-Watership Down
Great book so far. I also put this on the backburner for NaNo and then I got caught up in Superman... But thanks, Nathan. Good choice :-D
-The Truth About Diamonds
Um... I read the first chapter. Doesn't that count as reading the book?
(yes, I do tend to read a few books at a time... I usually can't get through one without picking another up).
Next Up:
-The Corrections
-100 Years of Solitude
I hope to finish all these by Jan. 1. Why? My goal for next year is to read all of Proust's In Search of Lost Time, or, Rememberances of Things Past. (I don't know what it officially goes by--I've heard both about equal and I've seen both printed on copies). I want to read the new translations, though. They have been getting rave reviews (and look really pretty by their covers!)
I AM SUCH A NERD.
But, if I inspire someone to read or debate with me, I have done my job :-D