Jenza's first list
anniewaits had a great idea to start a book blog for our friends so that we can share our opinions, discuss our favorites, and pick up great recommendations. We've each set some goals as to how many books we'd like to read this year and I hope that this journal will be a way for us to stay on track and keep a record of our successes.
This year, I'm doing extremely well with my goals. I aim to finish 35 books by year-end and I’m already more than halfway through, with 20 books down. All 20 would be a bit much for one entry, so here’s a brief rundown of the first 10 with the rest to follow soon…
Coming Attractions (aka Daisy Faye and the Miracle Man), Fannie Flagg: This is the first Fannie Flagg I’d ever read and I just adore her. This one flew by fast and the characters are so quirky and fun, you’ll kind of wish you knew them. Also, the beautiful ending will leave you feeling satisfied. (***)
Quote: “He also gave me other useful information to protect me in the real world. If anyone hits me, I’m not to hit them back. I wait until their back is turned, then hit them in the head with a brick. I have a beautiful aristocratic nose and Daddy doesn’t want it hurt.”
Slipping Into Paradise: Why I Live in New Zealand, Jeffrey Masson: I’d only recommend this if you’re really interested in New Zealand. The book starts off wonderfully and it literally made me ache for travel, but towards the middle of the book he starts pushing his agendas (including his hardcore stance on animal rights and veganism), which left me less than amped about the book. It also begins to feel like a mish-mash of things as he jumps back and forth between Maori culture, Kiwi culture, New Zealand government, and a random interview with Sir Edmund Hillary. (**)
Book Lust and More Book Lust, Nancy Pearl: These books are great if you’re looking for book recommendations because she’s got all of her favorites marked by category - so if you’re looking for something different, something light, something funny, etc. it’s easy to find. Beware, though: I ended up with a huge list of books which can be daunting at times. Also, several of the books she recommends are out of print or hard to find, so get ready for a bit of disappointment. (***)
I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith: This was a Jamsky recommended book, and I’m so very glad she told me about it because it made my list of personal favorites. Sort of Jane Austen-y in spirit, it’s such a lovely coming of age story that really pulls you in. (*****)
Quote: “I like seeing people when they can’t see me. I have often looked at our family through lighted windows and they seem quite different, a bit the way rooms seen in looking-glasses do.”
Mansfield Park, Jane Austen: I made a side goal this year to finish the complete works of Jane Austen, so you’ll see quite a few of her novels on the rest of my list. Mansfield Park was supposedly Austen’s favorite, but it wasn’t mine. It was good, as all of her novels are good, but I didn’t love it. Pride & Prejudice and Emma still reign supreme. (***)
Here’s Your Hat, What’s Your Hurry, Elizabeth McCracken: Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I absolutely love this book and anything else I’ve ever read of hers. She has such an incredible way of describing things - sometimes it’s so beautiful you want to cry. Here’s Your Hat is a collection of short stories and it’s a testament to her writing that the characters in a 10 page story can stick to you like glue. I especially loved “It’s Bad Luck to Die” and “Some Have Entertained Angels, Unaware”. (*****)
Quote: “I had loved Portland. It was a clean city with weather so delicate that at night you had to look at the streetlights to tell whether it was raining or snowing. Everything was heavier near Boston: air, accents, women. Even the candy was difficult - sugary capsules that caked your teeth, aggressive licorice or cinnamon or even coffee. Jawbreakers that jacked my ten-year-old mouth wide open; caramel wrapped around clots of powdered sugar. In Oregon, I had eaten sweets from the Japanese fruit market, candy so willing to be consumed that even the rice paper wrapper dissolved on my tongue.”
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde: The only other Wilde I’d read before this was The Importance of Being Earnest and the two are very different (which you probably already knew). I knew this book was going to be dark before starting it, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how morbid it actually is. Don’t get me wrong - I liked it and I thought the story was fascinating, but don’t read this unless you’re prepared to go to to a pretty dismal place. (***)
Monstrous Regiment, Terry Pratchett: Just because I rated this one 2 stars doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it…I just didn’t enjoy it as much as some of the other things I’ve read this year. The book is really imaginative and the writing will make you chuckle, but it did feel a bit long. If you’re looking for something to escape with, this is a good choice. (**)
Quote: “The word ‘fat’ could not honestly be applied to him, not when the word ‘gross’ was lumbering forward to catch your attention. He was one of those people who didn’t have a waist. He had an equator. He had gravity. If he fell over, in any direction, he would rock.”
Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie: I’m glad that I finally read this because the idea I had of Peter Pan from popular culture (see: Disney) is quite different than what J.M. Barrie had envisioned. The actual tale is a bit sadder, and Peter does not exactly come off as loveable. What I really liked about the book is that the character of Captain Hook is fleshed out a bit more than you’ll find in later re-tellings of the story - he’s not just a one-dimensional villian. [Also, if you like Peter Pan, I really enjoyed Peter Pan and the Star Catchers, a prequel written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.] (**)
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jenza