50 Book Challenge Post #3 (13-17)
#13. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, by Parker J. Palmer. 117 pages (2000) Non-Fiction: Inspirational
I wish that Palmer had spent more time talking about his depression and quest for vocation in specific and less time with complicated metaphors about seasons and such. Maybe I missed the point, but he didn't seem to ever get to 'how to listen for your vocation' in all of the flowery speech of especially the last chapter, and his personal story, from the part he told, would have been far more interesting.
#14. Imperium, by Robert Harris. 305 pages (2006) Historical Fiction
A fictional "reproduction" of the lost biography of Cicero written by his slave Tiro (there really was a biography written by Tiro and mentioned in other ancient Roman documents, but it didn't survive into the modern period), Imperium was not only well-researched and not overly fictionalized, but also relatively readable. Granted, I majored in Classical Studies in College so my idea of readable may not be everyone's, but I actually found the description of the Roman political process interesting in light of the current US election coverage. I really enjoyed that it personalized so many Roman icons, and, set as it was pre-triumverate and Caesar being made emperor, also put those pieces of history, which I knew a little more about than this period, into better perspective.
#15. The Vampire's Secret, by Raven Hart. 390 pages (2007) Horror (Vampire)
I picked this up on the Read, Ride, Return rack at the train station (which is a beautiful thing) and started reading it not realizing it's the 2nd book in a series. I have to say that while I usually love vampires, and especially when vampires are struggling to be good guys, the main character in this book (William) just sort of pissed me off, maybe because he was a total hypocrite, who kept doing "bad" things, and never feeling bad about them in any way, but getting pissed off if anyone else messed up at all, but never once got called on it, which totally ruined the whole "struggle to be the goodguy" thing. I'm trying to decide if I'm interested enough in the supporting cast (especially Jack) to read others in this series, but it's a toss up right now.
#16. A Taste for Love, by Donna Bell. 221 pages (1999) Regency Romance
I admit it, I am a sucker for Regency Romances. I love the formality of "the Season," the frilly dresses, the scandelousness of (OMG) dancing twice with someone. And I love the crazy situations the authors are able to come up with to try to make their story just slightly different in the whole archetype of meet; fight; fall in love; get married; live happily ever after. I found this premise of a lord wanting to be a secret chef slightly ridiculous, but I might have enjoyed the book more for it's ridiculousness.... that's part of the nature of the beast.
#17 Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. 300 pages (1854) Classic Literature
And for something completely different... there was no shred of romance in this book. I admit that I only picked up this book (which was literally laying around my house) in an attempt to have a good variety of books to post, and to read more "classics." It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be in the beginning, although I do think that the point tends to get lost in Dickens's infamous wordiness. For example, I still have no idea why the other workers turned on Stephen Blackpool before the robbery accusation. Bad things happen to good people, bad people more or less get away with it, all in all it was depressingly realistic.
17 / 50 books. 34% done!
5940 / 15000 pages. 40% done!
47 / 153 days in the challenge (August 1-December 31). 31% done!
I wish that Palmer had spent more time talking about his depression and quest for vocation in specific and less time with complicated metaphors about seasons and such. Maybe I missed the point, but he didn't seem to ever get to 'how to listen for your vocation' in all of the flowery speech of especially the last chapter, and his personal story, from the part he told, would have been far more interesting.
#14. Imperium, by Robert Harris. 305 pages (2006) Historical Fiction
A fictional "reproduction" of the lost biography of Cicero written by his slave Tiro (there really was a biography written by Tiro and mentioned in other ancient Roman documents, but it didn't survive into the modern period), Imperium was not only well-researched and not overly fictionalized, but also relatively readable. Granted, I majored in Classical Studies in College so my idea of readable may not be everyone's, but I actually found the description of the Roman political process interesting in light of the current US election coverage. I really enjoyed that it personalized so many Roman icons, and, set as it was pre-triumverate and Caesar being made emperor, also put those pieces of history, which I knew a little more about than this period, into better perspective.
#15. The Vampire's Secret, by Raven Hart. 390 pages (2007) Horror (Vampire)
I picked this up on the Read, Ride, Return rack at the train station (which is a beautiful thing) and started reading it not realizing it's the 2nd book in a series. I have to say that while I usually love vampires, and especially when vampires are struggling to be good guys, the main character in this book (William) just sort of pissed me off, maybe because he was a total hypocrite, who kept doing "bad" things, and never feeling bad about them in any way, but getting pissed off if anyone else messed up at all, but never once got called on it, which totally ruined the whole "struggle to be the goodguy" thing. I'm trying to decide if I'm interested enough in the supporting cast (especially Jack) to read others in this series, but it's a toss up right now.
#16. A Taste for Love, by Donna Bell. 221 pages (1999) Regency Romance
I admit it, I am a sucker for Regency Romances. I love the formality of "the Season," the frilly dresses, the scandelousness of (OMG) dancing twice with someone. And I love the crazy situations the authors are able to come up with to try to make their story just slightly different in the whole archetype of meet; fight; fall in love; get married; live happily ever after. I found this premise of a lord wanting to be a secret chef slightly ridiculous, but I might have enjoyed the book more for it's ridiculousness.... that's part of the nature of the beast.
#17 Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. 300 pages (1854) Classic Literature
And for something completely different... there was no shred of romance in this book. I admit that I only picked up this book (which was literally laying around my house) in an attempt to have a good variety of books to post, and to read more "classics." It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be in the beginning, although I do think that the point tends to get lost in Dickens's infamous wordiness. For example, I still have no idea why the other workers turned on Stephen Blackpool before the robbery accusation. Bad things happen to good people, bad people more or less get away with it, all in all it was depressingly realistic.
17 / 50 books. 34% done!
5940 / 15000 pages. 40% done!
47 / 153 days in the challenge (August 1-December 31). 31% done!