books, books, books!
OK, so I don't have time to properly post, but I wanted to update quickly about some things before I forget. I promise I'll find my way back to regular updates soon.
As is obvious, I like to post what books I've read and a few thoughts on them here. It helps me remember what I've read and specifically what I liked about them. Over break, I read 8 books. I was a reading machine. I read day and night and couldn't stop. The last book I read before break was one Katie lent to me: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I was skeptical at first, as it took place in a disjointed, dystopian future, and that's not typically the trend of books I follow. After three chapters, though, I was beyond hooked. I literally could do nothing but read. I started at 10 p.m. and read until I'd closed the book at 4:45. Immediately I ran downstairs and ordered the second in the series.
I recognized the dangers of becoming so immersed in a book right as I was about to start classes, but I knew i couldn't control it. I'm freakishly OCD about books, which is why I tend to stop reading altogether while at school (otherwise I get no sleep or work done). My new book arrived yesterday. I set to reading asap. I read for hours in my bed. At dinnertime I emerged and spent time with my roomies till about 12:30 when I retreated to dive back into Catching Fire. I fell asleep reading (I can't tell you exactly when because I avoided looking at the clock to ignore the deep feeling of guilt). This morning, I woke at about 10:30 and finished the book. It was perfect, and I am positively ITCHING to get the new one. I could just try to wait it out to avoid becoming submersed again, but I know myself well enough to know I should just get it over with now.
So now I'm just waiting on the third book. I'm also currently reading The Witch of Portobello, but I've put that on hold for The Hunger Games series. Anyway, here's a list of the books I read over break and up till now with short thoughts and post-its on each!
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
I lump these all together obviously because they're the last three books of the Narnia series. I read the first four while still at school and ifnished the series over break. I have to say, I tired of them after a while and had to take breaks with other, unrelated books between those left in the series. However, I think this is due to the fact that I read all 7 rapidly in succession, and anyone can tire of the same tone and language after awhile. By the last book, I wasn't really even reading for enjoyment but to satisfy my need to finish the series. I'm glad I did. I'm happy to have such an iconic set of books under my belt, but I wouldn't say they're my favorite. Of the three I read over break, I'd say The Silver Chair was my favorite. The Last Battle was just downright depressing for a while. :(
How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward
Kristy lent me this book before break. I read it while visiting Chris, and I LOVED it. I absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and easy read. There's not a ton to understand, and the language is simple enough. It's not too long, but the story is worthwhile. I think it took me about three days to get through, and that was with sub-par dedication, so anyone could certainly get through it quickly enough if they wanted. Here's a post-it I marked:
"When you are small, if you reach out and nobody takes your hand, you stop reaching out and reach inside instead. That's just the way it was."
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Piccoult
I got this book for Christmas from my mother at Fallon's recommendation. I had read Change of Heart by Piccoult previously and LOVED it, so Fallon knew I'd like this one, too. And I did, to an extent. This one was much more depressing, in a way. It took a situation that I've had no relation to my entire life and exploded it over the pages. I found it hard to connect, truly connect with the characters, but at the same time, my heart went out to them. The layout of the book was unique and very interesting. I would say it took me about four days to get through and about 100 pages to get truly hooked. Of the three Piccoult books I've read so far, I would say this is my least favorite. Here are some excerpts:
"What if love wasn't the act of finding what you were missing but the give-and-take that made you both match?"
"Sure, but look at how it's still the same. Avarice, cowardice, depravity, a need to control other people - these have all been around forever. Maybe nowadays a pedophile will start a kiddie-porn site instead of flashing the subway tunnels, or a murderer will choose to use an electric chain saw to kill, instead of his bare hands ... Technology helps us be more creative in the way we sin, bu it doesn't mean that the basic sin is different."
"Just because you didn't speak the facts out loud didn't erase their existence. Silence was just a quieter way to lie."
"A child's job, ostensibly, was to grow up. So why, when it happened, did a parent feel so disappointed?"
"No one ever said yes to make sex consensual. You took hints from body language, from the way two people came together. Why, then, didn't a shake of the head or a hand pushing hard against a chest speak just as loudly? Why did you have to actually say the word no for it to be rape?"
"Life could take on any number of shapes while you were busy fighting your own demons. But if you were changing at the same rate as the person beside you, nothing else really mattered. You became each other's constant."
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Emma bought me this one for Christmas. To put it simply, it was adorable and perfect for what it was. What it was was a simple, sweet love story between a girl and her imaginary friend. It's such an easy read, that I read it in a matter of hours. I got hooked on the characters' charm and read until I knew how they all ended up. It was beautiful and a perfect book with a perfect happy ending. It doesn't challenge you as a reader, but sometimes a lack of challenge is exactly what a reader wants. Anyone who likes love stories should give this one a try.
"And then I'm thinking - is it so impossible to imagine or believe? - that a man and a woman can find happiness together for a little while, which, after all, is all that we have. All anyone has."
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Piccoult
Another Christmas gift. The thing about Piccoult is that, while the story wraps up neatly, it's always bittersweet. Whatever happiness you feel for one character is bogged down by the weighty despair of another. It's good, I supposed, because it's very similar to real life. YOu rarely get the perfect happy ending, the Sundays at Tiffany's, but you feel all the joy with the real twinge of pain or regret. Life is made of ups and downs, and Piccoult rides those highs and lows effortlessly in her books. One second you're elated, until you remember the fate of another, equally loved character. This book was so beautiful and real it was hard to swallow, and I wished for a happier, more perfect ending. But, it was a great book, and that's really all I can ask for. I know I marked a few pages and excerpts, but Fallon scooped the book up from me as quickly as I put it down, so I can't give you what I had. I'm sure it was great, though! haha
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
I think I've said all I need to say about these books up top, but I HIGHLY recommend you read them. They're a fascinating escape for the mundane, day-to-day stuff other books get bogged down with. Read them, and I really believe you won't regret it!
As is obvious, I like to post what books I've read and a few thoughts on them here. It helps me remember what I've read and specifically what I liked about them. Over break, I read 8 books. I was a reading machine. I read day and night and couldn't stop. The last book I read before break was one Katie lent to me: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I was skeptical at first, as it took place in a disjointed, dystopian future, and that's not typically the trend of books I follow. After three chapters, though, I was beyond hooked. I literally could do nothing but read. I started at 10 p.m. and read until I'd closed the book at 4:45. Immediately I ran downstairs and ordered the second in the series.
I recognized the dangers of becoming so immersed in a book right as I was about to start classes, but I knew i couldn't control it. I'm freakishly OCD about books, which is why I tend to stop reading altogether while at school (otherwise I get no sleep or work done). My new book arrived yesterday. I set to reading asap. I read for hours in my bed. At dinnertime I emerged and spent time with my roomies till about 12:30 when I retreated to dive back into Catching Fire. I fell asleep reading (I can't tell you exactly when because I avoided looking at the clock to ignore the deep feeling of guilt). This morning, I woke at about 10:30 and finished the book. It was perfect, and I am positively ITCHING to get the new one. I could just try to wait it out to avoid becoming submersed again, but I know myself well enough to know I should just get it over with now.
So now I'm just waiting on the third book. I'm also currently reading The Witch of Portobello, but I've put that on hold for The Hunger Games series. Anyway, here's a list of the books I read over break and up till now with short thoughts and post-its on each!
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
I lump these all together obviously because they're the last three books of the Narnia series. I read the first four while still at school and ifnished the series over break. I have to say, I tired of them after a while and had to take breaks with other, unrelated books between those left in the series. However, I think this is due to the fact that I read all 7 rapidly in succession, and anyone can tire of the same tone and language after awhile. By the last book, I wasn't really even reading for enjoyment but to satisfy my need to finish the series. I'm glad I did. I'm happy to have such an iconic set of books under my belt, but I wouldn't say they're my favorite. Of the three I read over break, I'd say The Silver Chair was my favorite. The Last Battle was just downright depressing for a while. :(
How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward
Kristy lent me this book before break. I read it while visiting Chris, and I LOVED it. I absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and easy read. There's not a ton to understand, and the language is simple enough. It's not too long, but the story is worthwhile. I think it took me about three days to get through, and that was with sub-par dedication, so anyone could certainly get through it quickly enough if they wanted. Here's a post-it I marked:
"When you are small, if you reach out and nobody takes your hand, you stop reaching out and reach inside instead. That's just the way it was."
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Piccoult
I got this book for Christmas from my mother at Fallon's recommendation. I had read Change of Heart by Piccoult previously and LOVED it, so Fallon knew I'd like this one, too. And I did, to an extent. This one was much more depressing, in a way. It took a situation that I've had no relation to my entire life and exploded it over the pages. I found it hard to connect, truly connect with the characters, but at the same time, my heart went out to them. The layout of the book was unique and very interesting. I would say it took me about four days to get through and about 100 pages to get truly hooked. Of the three Piccoult books I've read so far, I would say this is my least favorite. Here are some excerpts:
"What if love wasn't the act of finding what you were missing but the give-and-take that made you both match?"
"Sure, but look at how it's still the same. Avarice, cowardice, depravity, a need to control other people - these have all been around forever. Maybe nowadays a pedophile will start a kiddie-porn site instead of flashing the subway tunnels, or a murderer will choose to use an electric chain saw to kill, instead of his bare hands ... Technology helps us be more creative in the way we sin, bu it doesn't mean that the basic sin is different."
"Just because you didn't speak the facts out loud didn't erase their existence. Silence was just a quieter way to lie."
"A child's job, ostensibly, was to grow up. So why, when it happened, did a parent feel so disappointed?"
"No one ever said yes to make sex consensual. You took hints from body language, from the way two people came together. Why, then, didn't a shake of the head or a hand pushing hard against a chest speak just as loudly? Why did you have to actually say the word no for it to be rape?"
"Life could take on any number of shapes while you were busy fighting your own demons. But if you were changing at the same rate as the person beside you, nothing else really mattered. You became each other's constant."
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Emma bought me this one for Christmas. To put it simply, it was adorable and perfect for what it was. What it was was a simple, sweet love story between a girl and her imaginary friend. It's such an easy read, that I read it in a matter of hours. I got hooked on the characters' charm and read until I knew how they all ended up. It was beautiful and a perfect book with a perfect happy ending. It doesn't challenge you as a reader, but sometimes a lack of challenge is exactly what a reader wants. Anyone who likes love stories should give this one a try.
"And then I'm thinking - is it so impossible to imagine or believe? - that a man and a woman can find happiness together for a little while, which, after all, is all that we have. All anyone has."
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Piccoult
Another Christmas gift. The thing about Piccoult is that, while the story wraps up neatly, it's always bittersweet. Whatever happiness you feel for one character is bogged down by the weighty despair of another. It's good, I supposed, because it's very similar to real life. YOu rarely get the perfect happy ending, the Sundays at Tiffany's, but you feel all the joy with the real twinge of pain or regret. Life is made of ups and downs, and Piccoult rides those highs and lows effortlessly in her books. One second you're elated, until you remember the fate of another, equally loved character. This book was so beautiful and real it was hard to swallow, and I wished for a happier, more perfect ending. But, it was a great book, and that's really all I can ask for. I know I marked a few pages and excerpts, but Fallon scooped the book up from me as quickly as I put it down, so I can't give you what I had. I'm sure it was great, though! haha
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
I think I've said all I need to say about these books up top, but I HIGHLY recommend you read them. They're a fascinating escape for the mundane, day-to-day stuff other books get bogged down with. Read them, and I really believe you won't regret it!