October 2013 Wrap Up - Late!

So- I realize it is not longer October and that this happened quite a few months ago. I found this post in my backlog of drafts that I didn't get to publish before my blogging sebbatical but it's good stuff so I wanted to share anyway! It's fun to look back at what I was thinking almost six months ago.

Enter the Stacks and Shelves time wrap back to 10/2013:

 I can't believe October is already winding down and my favorite time of the year is in full swing.  I experienced a slump in my normal reading habits in September (mostly because of my wedding!) but I bounced back in October and had a wonderful reading month.

I read a total of nine (!!!) books and I wrote posts for almost every book.    I also participated in The Historian readalong, the Doctor Sleep readalong and Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon.  (Click on the book title's name to link back to the original post).

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• Doctor Sleep by Stephen Kind
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman
• The Selection and The Elite by Kiera Cass
• Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron by Jonathan Strahan
• Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
• Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

Unfortunately, There will not be a review for Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor.  This is a young adult high fantasy series that is definitely out of my comfort zone, and I am not completely comfortable with writing my thoughts about a book I don't fully understand.  Plus, it has been a long time since I read the first book in the series so it would be an unfair assessment on the progression of the story line.  With that being said, it is still an enjoyable series to read and I will definitely be buying the third book that comes out next year (March 2013 update: this book comes out in 2 weeks!).

In August I wrote out my Fall 2013 TBR and I am surprised to say that I actually read books from that list.  Four of the books I talked about were read (one in September, the other three this month) and I am still interested in the remaining books so I might actually read all of them!

Overall, I have read 73 books towards my goal of 80 books on Goodreads (bumped up from my original goal of 60) and I am considering bumping my goal up just a bit because I am going to start reading a lot of middle grade fiction for Middle Grade Mondays and those books take significantly less time to get through.

I also managed to acquire an obscene amount of new books throughout September and October so I am going to try my best and not buy anything new throughout the end of the year.  I recently discovered this new e-lending program at my library which will make my "buying ban" easier to manage.

Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron - A Review

Image Credit: Goodreads

Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron is a short story collection edited by Jonathan Strahan.  I found out about this book through a few different YouTube videos and to be honest, I only purchased it because Neil Gaiman's name was attached to the book.  Lately it seems that anything with Gaiman's imprint ends up in a package at my door.  I read a majority of this book during Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon in October to break up the monotony of other books I was reading.  I also thought it would be a great, non-horrific way to read some additional material for RIPVIII.

(Disclaimer: Gaiman only contributed a poem to this book that is one page long.  If you are buying this book solely based on his work, I would suggest checking it out from the library).

All of the stories in this book have a common thread of witches (who and what they are, how to find them and how to kill them, among other things). As with most short story collections, you win some and you lose some.  Unfortunately I lost more with this book than I won and can't strongly recommend it to anyone else as a purchase.  This book is a great tool for discovering the writing styles of multiple authors and seeing their take on the same topic.

The most frustrating thing I experience with short stories is their lack of depth and their abrupt endings that are critical to their nature.  After all, if there was in depth character development and plot lines I would be reading a novel instead of a short story and wouldn't be able to dip in and out of so many writing styles within 400 pages.  I don't regret expanding my witch-lore with this book but I don't think I will be trying any short story collections in the near future.

Doctor Sleep - The Wrap Up!

I missed last week's check in for the Doctor Sleep readalong hosted by Tif Talks Books and Cheap Thrills so I am going to skip ahead for the final discussion questions below.  


Warning! If you have not read The Shining or Doctor Sleep you will probably be spoiled!

Discussion #3 - Chapters 14-end

Before we started reading, we asked if you had any expectations for Doctor Sleep.  Did you get what you were hoping for out of the book?

I got SO MUCH MORE out of this book than I was expecting! The Shining was lackluster for me, and I saw this book as representing a greater possibility for Danny's character and story line.  I read very few synopses and tried to limit my expectations as much as possible so I wouldn't be let down.  Stephen King delivered this time - I was so enraptured by this story that I blew threw the book in 2 days and put everything (eating, sleeping) aside until I was done.  Even after I was done reading I stayed up for a few hours to read what others thought about the book too.

Having finished the book, do you think having read The Shining is important for enjoying this one?

I think reading The Shining is essential for understanding the interpersonal connections between characters.  However, the True Knot brought so much to the story that didn't directly involve the Overlook Hotel that anyone could pick up Doctor Sleep without feeling lost.  The prologue to the book also did a great job of recapping what happened in Danny's childhood to provide a good knowledge base for Doctor Sleep.

In one word, one phrase, one sentence ... describe Doctor Sleep.

Wow - it's difficult to pick just one. I think closure is a good one.  Danny, Abra, Abra's grandmother, the Overlook - everything wraps up at the end of the book.  Bad feelings are put to rest and people are able to move on with their lives without fear of their shining.

Anything else you feel like discussing about the end of the book?  Or, about the book as a whole?

Yes - the True Knot! Who are they, where did they come from, how did they start.. I need to know! The True Knot could be a separate novella with an explanation to their history.  The mystery surrounding the group enhances to story but the fan in me needs to know whats going on!

As for the True Knot's hunt for Abra using "the grid" (basically the Internet), I think Stephen King was trying to make commentary on how much of our lives are spent, conducted or stored online or in electronic records that are vulnerable to groups or people trying to harm us (like the True Knot).  When the True Knot was trying to find Abra and able to so easily determine her location it felt like the internet was the enemy, and it was unsettling.  If the True Knot were coming after us, who is to say we couldn't be found just as easily?

So tell me - what are your thoughts?? Did you love it, hate it, couldn't get enough of it? 

Wuthering Heights - A RIPVIII Review

I finished reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte during Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon this past weekend.  I originally selected the book because it's a classic that I feel everyone else but me had read.  I had also never read any Victorian literature, or anything by the Bronte sisters.

In case you didn't know, Wuthering Heights is a multi-generational tale of a love-square involving Cathy, Heathcliffe, Edgar and Isabella who do not get what they want while they are alive.  They pass this terrible lifestyle on to their children who are also miserable for 95% of the book.  It is not until the final chapter that we see a couple genuinely happy together without extenuating circumstances that pull them apart.

The story is told partially through the perspective of Mr. Lockwood, who is renting Thrushcross Grange a few miles from Wuthering Heights.  The first few chapters of this book are the hilarious encounters of mis-manners between Mr. Lockwood and Heathcliffe, his landlord.  The rest of the story is told through stories that Nelly, Thrushcross Grange's caretaker, relates to Mr. Lockwood.  She grew up at Wuthering Heights with Cathy and Heathcliffe and had first hand experience at all of the horrible events that took place over their lifetimes.

The characters in this book are terrible for the most part.  It's not really their fault - they have a lot circumstances they are unable to overcome in the very beginning of their lives - but I think that's what makes the book work so well.  You feel terrible for the characters because they were molded into unpleasant people but at the same time they are so unpleasant you love to hate them.  The writing was difficult to read because I was not acclimated to the Victorian writing style, but once I was able to focus and sink into the rhythm of the words it made much more sense.  However, I think this is a book that needs to be read more than once to be fully understood.  I struggled through the book for a while so I don't think I will be reading it again any time soon, but I am willing to look into other people's reviews and discussions to learn more about it.

While reading I highlighted two passages from the book:

Cathy to Nelly regarding Heathcliffe - "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliffe now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am.  Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same;" (Chapter 9)

Heathcliffe to Nelly regarding Cathy - "If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn't love as much in eighty years as I could in a day.  And Catherine has a heart as deep as I have: the sea could be as readily contained in that horse-trough as her whole affection be monopolised by him!" (Chatper 14)

Have you read Wuthering Heights? I've heard from some people that absolutely love it and others that hate it.  I would love to know what you think!

The Historian - Final Check In & Discussion

Hello readers! It's been quite a month so far.. I finished both The Historian and Doctor Sleep within the past few weeks and I've got so many discussion questions to catch up on.  Today I will be posting my answers to the final discussion questions for The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.  This readalong event was hosted by The Estella Society for RIPVIII, which ends on October 31. 

If you're just catching up you can read my answers to the mid-way discussion here, and I posted my full review on The Historian here. 

Just in case you didn't realize - this is a discussion post so if you have not read or finished the book you may be spoiled by my answers!

1. What did you think of the way everything unfolded at the end? Any surprises?

The ending to the book did not shock or surprise me - I think it ended up being pretty predictable once Paul and Helen got to the final church site, and the overall ending of the book tied all of the story ends up quite nicely. I didn't think the additional perspective of Paul and Helen's daughter was completely unnecesary for the ending that Kostova wrote because it only added an additional emotional layer rather than enhancing the plot.  Reading everything through her perspective made the story confusing and I would have preferred a narrative rather than epistolary format for the overall book.

2. What did you think of Dracula?

I didn't think Dracula was all that impressive.  Is it just me or did anyone else feel that way? The build up to finding him was so great that I didn't even know what to expect and I think that is what led me to being let down. I think it would have been better if they didn't find his tomb or his "presence" and left it as a mystery.

3. In Chapter 73, Dracula states his credo: “History has taught us that the nature of man is evil, sublimely so.” Do the characters and events in the novel seem to agree or disagree with this?

I may have skimmed over this section .. so I will have to pass on this question!

4. Helen’s history is deeply intertwined with Dracula. In what ways are the two characters connected? Does she win out over his legacy?

Dracula and Helen are connected by their culture's history, language and customers on a very basic level, but ultimately their connection morphs into something else over the story.  Helen is initially motivated to find more information about Dracula because she is searching for her father and a way to connect with him on a scholarly level - the only way she has to reach out to him.  What she discovers when she meets up with Paul is someone who had Rossi as a paternal figure in their life, something she has always wanted.  I think this is where Helen's love for Paul comes from, apart from the incredible experience Paul and Helen had together searching for Dracula.  

Looking at the surface of the novel I think it is very easy to say that Helen won out over Dracula's legacy because she was able to escape him for years without being turned into a vampire and she was reunited with her family at the end of the story.  However, she had to give up so much of herself to searching through history and travelling all over the world to find his tomb to destroy him that she was never able to live her own life. She had to hide in the shadows the same way that he did so I don't think you can definitely say that she won out over his legacy

Overall I think this was a good book worth reading, but it exhausted the novelty of vampires for me this year. I won't be reading any bloodsucking books in the near future!

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Update Post 10/13

Hello fellow readathon-ers! I am going to update every few hours with my reading progress for Dewey's. I am SO EXCITED to be participating in the event this October and can't wait to see what it brings!

I've got my set up ready to go with comfy blankets on my couch.  I've also got an Amazon gift card at the ready just in case any of the books I've lined up aren't satisfying what I am looking for and I need a new e-book.

Introductory Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Just outside of South Philadelphia, PA!

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? FINALLY finishing Wuthering Heights! It's been months. 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? White pizza with broccoli.. yum! Small enough to eat with one hand and hold with the other.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! This is the first time I'm participating in Dewey's Readathon, or 24 hour readathon at all!

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I'm looking forward to a full 24 hours - I've never stayed up that long so I'm really excited for the challenge to try it!

Update #1

Time: 10:08 AM

Pages read: 52 pages from Wuthering Heights

Books finished: 0

Thoughts: Twitter is so distracting! 

***Mid Event Survey***
1. How are you doing? Sleepy? Eyes tired?
I am experiencing some fatigue - I haven't gotten up to do anything other than shower all day.  My eyes are a little tired but nothing switching out of my contacts to my glasses can't fix. 

2. What have you finished reading so far?
NOTHING! I have been powering through Wuthering Heights - only sixty pages left - and once it's done I'm having a dance party celebration. 

3. What has been your favorite read so far?
In between bouts of Wuthering Heights I've been reading Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron which is a short story anthology all about Witches.  It's been really enjoyable so far to break up the desperation of Wuthering Heights. 

4. What about your favorite snacks?
Delicious sprinkle Italian cookies I got especially for today.

5. Have you found any new blogs? Give them some love!
I have! Connecting with the larger community is the best part of this event. I haven't been on the computer too much but two blogs I've really enjoyed so far are River City Reading, Ciska's Book Chest and The Relentless Reader.

Now-- I think I'm going to stretch my legs and head over to Starbucks for a little late night caffeine and then finish up Wuthering Heights.  Happy reading!

The Historian - A RIPVIII Review

The Historian is a trip down the rabbit hole of Dracula lore.  Told in epistolary format, it is a story within a story within a story to find the tomb of Dracula to determine whether or not he is still alive. Sound confusing? It is.  At the end of the book I wasn't sure who's perspective we were reading from or who was writing the letters telling the story.  It is also very, very long, weighing in at over 700 pages.  It's well written, but often dry and there were portions of the book where I had to completely skip a 200 page primary document (that was made up!).  I read this book as part of a readalong hosted by the Estella Society for RIPVIII.  I will have the second round of discussion questions posted on October 14th, but I wanted to jot down my thoughts on the book before then.  You can read my answers to the first set of discussion questions here.

I really appreciate the depth of information that Kostova embedded in this novel.  I don't know anything about the Ottoman or Byzantine empires, so the knowledge included in the story line flowed well even if I didn't always know what they were talking about.  Being unaware of the specifics of the history also prevented any inaccuracies from marring the story for me.  I really enjoyed the main characters Paul and Helena and their developing relationship. However, the side characters fell short.  They were introduced into the story line too conveniently, and without any speculation as to why they were willing to help or believe the main characters in their quest.  They were lovely as individuals, and I especially enjoyed the hospitality of Turgut and his wife - but aligning their immediate kindness with the political turmoil in the middle east and eastern European countries at the time did not match up, making the novel fall short.

Doctor Sleep - Check In #1

Here are my responses to the Doctor Sleep check in #1 for the prologue and first section of the book.  There is still time to join! You can sign up at TifTalksBooks and Cheap Thrills.

WARNING: There may be spoilers if you have not finished Part 1 of Doctor Sleep or read The Shining.

Doctor Sleep picks up not long after the closing of The Shining.  For those who have recently read The Shining, do you think it proves to be helpful in diving into the sequel?  If you have not recently read The Shining, do you feel you are missing out on some of the details?

I think King did a good job at recapping some of the major points of The Shining in the prologue of Doctor Sleep for any new readers, but having the previous experience of diving into Jack and Danny's psyche adds an additional layer of depth and understanding to the book.  Has anyone noticed the similarities to Jack wiping his lips before going off the deep end and Abra wiping her mouth when she is nervous? I am sure that King wrote the two behavior tics intentionally and I am excited to see how deep the connection between the two characters goes.

Danny has now become Dan.  In Part One, we watch his transformations from learning to live with the horrors of The Overlook to succumbing to the drink (like his father) to his road to sobriety and earning the title of Doctor Sleep.  What do you think about the journey King has taken Dan on thus far?

I think there are parallels between Dan and King's life; I am not very well read on his background but I do know that he was using drugs and alcohol during the time frame that he wrote The Shining, and now with Doctor Sleep he has the chance to revisit the same characters in his sobriety much the same way that Dan is. 

For character development, I much prefer Dan as an adult to a child.  I had a hard time relating to a five year old boy with extraordinary abilities, but now that Dan's talent has been limited with his age he is easier to relate to than he was before.

We are also introduced to the True Knot in this first section.  What do you think about this group?

The True Knot is a fantastic villain, in my opinion.  The way King has written the characters individually and as a whole make me sympathetic toward their situation (doesn't everyone want to thrive and survive?) while being horrific at the same time.  I can enjoy the thought of Abra and Dan defeating them because of their actions while at the same time mourning the deaths of their members. Their origins and true identity are full of mystery and I hope there is more exposition on their history. 

Overall, what do you think so far?  Have you completely fallen into the story?  Or, has it taken a bit longer to get back into the life of little Danny Torrance?

I am all in, head over heels in for this book! It will easily be in my top 10 books of the year. It's been a really pleasurable read so far with just enough creeping horror to keep me on the edge of my seat.  

Doctor Sleep Readalong

After being pretty indecisive in my latest #FridayReads post, I decided to pick up Stephen King's latest (and highly anticipated) release, Doctor Sleep.  This follows the story of Danny Torrence after life at The Overlook hotel in The Shining.  Most King books start out very slow for me and I anticipate reading very slowly for the first part of the book, but I was really surprised at how invested I was in the story line from the beginning.  All of the POVs flowed very smoothly from one chapter to the next so I didn't experience the initial stalling of interest with Doctor Sleep like I do with his other books.

I read the first 200 pages in just over a day which was perfect timing to join in on the Doctor Sleep #Sleepalong hosted by Charlene at Cheap Thrills and Tif at TifTalksBooks.  This book will also go toward the RIPVIII reading event that ends on October 31.  Here are a few pre-reading questions:

Have you read The Shining?  Was it recently or ages ago?  Or, is your knowledge of The Shining from the movie and mainstream pop culture?
I read The Shining a few months ago and only after finding out that Doctor Sleep was being released.  I have been reading King for about 10 years now and always had The Shining on my list to read but it wasn't a priority until I found out about Doctor Sleep.  I also saw the movie when I was in middle school and that experience was much different than reading the book.

In a few sentences, describe your feelings on The Shining.  Did you like it?  What thoughts or images stand out for you?
I thought The Shining was a little underwhelming, but I think that is because I was heavily influenced by the altered story line of the movie and iconic images/scare tactics that it used.  The book is more of a slow creeping horror rather than a shock and awe horror that the movie was.  The main scene from the book that stands out is when the elevator starts moving by itself.  I was reading that part at night in bed and I honestly had trouble sleeping afterwards.

What do you expect from Doctor Sleep?
I am going in with zero expectations, and I haven't even read a plot summary of the book. I always find this to be the best way to experience any book because there is no hype surrounding the plot or characters for me to compare them to while reading.


So tell me, have you read The Shining and will you also read Doctor Sleep? Check back tomorrow for the first check in for #sleepalong!

#FridayReads

Image Source: Boardwalks and Boulevards

Happy Friday everyone!!

Today is an especially happy day because I finally finished The Historian after work for the Estella Society readalong, part of RIPVIII. Huzzah! At about page 500 or so, the plot seemed to drag and I didn't think I would ever get to the end. I am going to postpone my full review until the second part of the discussion questions are released, but I did give it 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

The Historian took me two weeks to finish, and I am still half way through Wuthering Heights so I'm not sure what I'm going to read next.  Perhaps Doctor Sleep or Night Film to throw a fast pasted book into the mix? I am still unsure but excited to dive into my TBR.

What are you reading this weekend?

The Historian Readalong - Discussion and Midway Check In

Hello friends! Are you reading The Historian along with me and The Estella Society? This readalong is also a part of RIPVIII.

I am currently 60% through with the book and I a few days late with the discussion questions but I wanted to check in anyway.

1. What do you think of the structure of the novel? 

I am loving the story within a story, down the rabbit hole structure of this story. It switches between stories/perspectives enough to maintain suspense and interest without being confusing.

2. What are your thoughts on Helen's characterization? Have you warmed to her?

Actually, it did not occur to me to dislike Helen until I read this question.  I never received the overall impression that she was dislikeable, just aloof or stand off-ish. After Kostova developed Helen's character and background more I have grown quite fond of her.  I do think she is quite forward for the time period (1950s) and her history of being a women scholar in a communist county doesn't seem very realistic.

3. What do you think of the peripheral characters? Are their motivations pure? (Turget, Helen's family, etc).

I've just started to indulge in the chapters of Helen's family so I haven't fully formed my opinion on them, with the exception of her mother.  I do believe her intentions are pure based on the history between her and Rossi.  As for the other characters such as Turgut and Professor Hugh came into the story line too easily and offered their backgrounds too readily for me to fully believe they do not have an ulterior motive.  Even in the historic academic world I find it hard to believe that anyone will accept the theory that Dracula is still alive.  I think their eagerness to assist (monetarily, personally) on this investigation for Dracula is for their benefit rather than Paul's.

4. Other thoughts on this book?

Loving it! I originally read the first 20% or so and set it down for no reason. I picked it back up for this reading challenge and I am so glad I did.  I am enthralled in the stories and settings and can't wait to find out.  I think it's a great compliment to Kostova that I can fall deeply into her writing (on a topic that seems boring on the surface) for a few hours at a time without losing interest or falling asleep.

The Night Circus Review - A RIPVIII Read

I have a confession - I did not finish this book.  I am listening to the audiobook and I have about 2.5 hours left, but I can't bring myself to listen to them despite having a story line I was initially interested in and beautiful writing, not the mention the rich voice of Jim Dale.

The Night Circus follows three story lines: the challenge between Celia and Marco, the creation and characters of the circus, and Bailey, a young man from Concord, Massachusetts who wishes to be rescued by the circus like so many characters in fairy tales.  It really is too complex to try and explain to someone without spoiling; each detail builds upon the one before it and eventually manifest into a bigger picture.

These story lines are interwoven through multiple decades by the phenomenal writing of Erin Morgenstern. She has the ability to describe setting, character and dialogue utilizing all five senses and I was immersed in the story line from the very first line.

So what happened?

The Night Circus is written with vignettes that jump across decades, continents, and story lines.  While this normally isn't a problem to read, listening to a story written in this form is an entirely different and confusing experience.  I could only listen to the book for about an hour at a time without getting antsy so a book that would normally take me 1-2 days to read would eventually elapse into a 13 day listening experience due to the length of the audio.  Even when I forced myself to listen to a few hours per day, I would mentally wander or distract myself with something else.  I think if the story was told in a more linear manner I wouldn't have such a difficult time with the book.

Despite my inability to finish the audio version of The Night Circus I might still pick up a physical copy of the book to read so I can finish the story. I would highly recommend this book, especially for an event like RIPVIII because it was generally creepy at the very beginning and has an overall, fantasy/noir feel.

The Night Circus was published in 2011 by Anchor Books.

This Just In - September 1

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you are enjoying the long weekend we have in the U.S. for Labor Day.

 I know I said a few posts ago that I wasn't going to pick up any new books for a while, but I just happened upon Nightfilm by Marisha Pessl in my local Books a Million.  I first heard about this book from Chels and a Book on YouTube (she also has a blog!).  She posted a rave review about it last week that piqued my interest.  Nightfilm is a literary thriller, and since it fits in perfectly with the theme RIPVIII I bought it without hesitation when I first saw it. 

Image Source @ Goodreads

Have you picked up any good books lately?