Ooops.. I disappeared for a week. It happens. I am in the final planning stages for my wedding (just one more week!) so the literary aspect of my life has taken a backseat to everything else. I started reading Wuthering Heights last weekend, and am about 30% way through it right now.
This Just In
Even though I haven't had much time to read, I was tempted to buy a few books on Amazon. I bought The Witches by Roald Dahl in honor of Roald Dahl Day (September 13) and I plan on finishing and reviewing that tonight. I also bought Stardust by Neil Gaiman and Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron, a short story anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan. All of these books were inspired by Chels from Chels&ABook. They are lighter and shorter reads to break up the more serious novels I am focusing on for the RIPVIII read-a-thon and a fun way to get in the Halloween spirit.
How is your September reading going so far? Are you in full swing for the RIPVIII read-a-thon yet?
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Fahrenheit 451 Review - Classics Club
I recently finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury as part of my Classics Club Commitment and for the Classics Spin #3.
This book is so popular and frequently assigned to high school students that I am not going to recap the events here. After finishing the book I was left with a "huh?" feeling. The first 130 or so pages demonstrate Guy Montag's struggle against himself and the society in which he lives; he finally finds a release through the discovery of literature.
However, immediately after the climax of the book Bradbury takes Montag into a path that I neither saw coming nor understood. Once he meets up with the other literary scholars along the railroad tracks I have absolutely no idea what Bradbury was saying. All of a sudden the focus became on the limits of human society in comparison with nature as a whole and I did not understand how that related to the previous societal conflict. Overall this was just an average book for me. I may have to read it again to put the puzzle pieces together on what Bradbury was trying to do at the end; I don't think I fully grasped his message (the same thing happened with The Great Gatsby, I read the book three times before I could connect with the plot, let alone the meaning behind it).
Have you read Fahrenheit 451 and understood it, or did you also have difficulty understanding Bradbury's message? Let me know (or help explain) in the comments!
Fahrenheit 451 was originally published in 1953 by Ballantine Books.
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This book is so popular and frequently assigned to high school students that I am not going to recap the events here. After finishing the book I was left with a "huh?" feeling. The first 130 or so pages demonstrate Guy Montag's struggle against himself and the society in which he lives; he finally finds a release through the discovery of literature.
However, immediately after the climax of the book Bradbury takes Montag into a path that I neither saw coming nor understood. Once he meets up with the other literary scholars along the railroad tracks I have absolutely no idea what Bradbury was saying. All of a sudden the focus became on the limits of human society in comparison with nature as a whole and I did not understand how that related to the previous societal conflict. Overall this was just an average book for me. I may have to read it again to put the puzzle pieces together on what Bradbury was trying to do at the end; I don't think I fully grasped his message (the same thing happened with The Great Gatsby, I read the book three times before I could connect with the plot, let alone the meaning behind it).
Have you read Fahrenheit 451 and understood it, or did you also have difficulty understanding Bradbury's message? Let me know (or help explain) in the comments!
Fahrenheit 451 was originally published in 1953 by Ballantine Books.
Friday, September 6, 2013
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.
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.
Monday, September 2, 2013
It's Monday! What are you reading?
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Rather than enjoying the last warm days of summer, I am holed up in my apartment because of the torrential thunderstorms forecasted for the rest of today. I'm not going to complain too much however because it's perfect reading weather, There are a lot of good things going on this month.. RIPVIII, The Historian Read a long and Classics Club Spin #3 are all in full swing!
I'm currently reading...
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This book was picked from my Classics Club Spin #3 list. I will finish and post a review by Oct. 1
I'm currently listening to...
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This is the first book I will review for RIPVIII and while it is enchanting, and wonderfully written, I'm starting to get bored. I think this has more to do with listening to the book on audio (which will take about 14 hours) rather than reading the physical text (which I would have finished in one night). A good experience however because the narrator's voice adds a lot to the atmosphere the writing in the book creates.
The last book I finished was...
Nothing yet. I've put down The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel and The Essence (Pledge #2) by Kimberly Derting. I am not feeling either of those books right now.
I'm currently reading...
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This book was picked from my Classics Club Spin #3 list. I will finish and post a review by Oct. 1
I'm currently listening to...
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This is the first book I will review for RIPVIII and while it is enchanting, and wonderfully written, I'm starting to get bored. I think this has more to do with listening to the book on audio (which will take about 14 hours) rather than reading the physical text (which I would have finished in one night). A good experience however because the narrator's voice adds a lot to the atmosphere the writing in the book creates.
The last book I finished was...
Nothing yet. I've put down The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel and The Essence (Pledge #2) by Kimberly Derting. I am not feeling either of those books right now.
It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
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.
Have you picked up any good books lately?
Friday, August 30, 2013
Kindle Daily Deals
One of the best things about owning a Kindle e-reader is the Kindle Daily Deals email I receive every morning. It features four (sometimes more) books that are less than $3 for the entire day. I love the Daily Deal because it allows me to take a chance on books or authors I am unfamiliar with without breaking the bank. Today, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is available for only $2.99!
It tells the store of the Price family on their Baptist mission to the Congo in the 1950s just before civil war breaks out. Let me tell you this is a phenomenal book and I encourage everyone to pick it up!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
On Stacks & Shelves: Fall 2013 TBR
On Stacks and Shelves is a feature where I update you on my unread books shelf and my TBR pile for the next couple of months.
September is right around the corner with my favorite season of the year, fall! The weather is cooling down at night and leaves are already starting to turn. I am a seasonal reader in that my taste for books changes depending on what time of the year it is. As the fall (and Halloween) approaches, I stray away from the YA, romance and fantasy novels of the spring and summer and focus on darker books.
Fortunately, RIP VIII starts in September! I will be participating as a Peril the First reader this year (my first year) with the read-along -- 4 books that fit the RIP VIII guidelines and in the Estella Society read-along of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Carl @ Stainless Steel Droppings has updated his post with all of the challenges for this read-along that runs from September 1 - October 30.
Currently Reading:
The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel and The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern (audiobook). I also have two books on hold at the library (Prodigy by Marie Lu and The Essence by Kimberly Derting) that I will finish by the end of August.
On Stacks: My Fall 2013 Short List
On Shelves
I currently have 24 unread physical books in my house right now which is an all time low. At the beginning of the year I had 60+ books that I hadn't read and one of my goals for 2013 was to read or eliminate those books from my collection. I have culled my bookshelves a few times this year so I am not going to get rid of any more unread books at this point, and I am very proud of the progress I've made so far. I also have 17 unread Kindle ebooks, an all time high. I don't have a plan to read through these any time soon but I will be travelling to Florida in September and that will probably be when I utilize my Kindle the most. Most of the books I want to read I already own or have on hold at the library so I am going to hold off on purchasing any books for the next few weeks (with the exception of my Fall 2013 Anticipated Reads, of course!).
September is right around the corner with my favorite season of the year, fall! The weather is cooling down at night and leaves are already starting to turn. I am a seasonal reader in that my taste for books changes depending on what time of the year it is. As the fall (and Halloween) approaches, I stray away from the YA, romance and fantasy novels of the spring and summer and focus on darker books.
Fortunately, RIP VIII starts in September! I will be participating as a Peril the First reader this year (my first year) with the read-along -- 4 books that fit the RIP VIII guidelines and in the Estella Society read-along of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Carl @ Stainless Steel Droppings has updated his post with all of the challenges for this read-along that runs from September 1 - October 30.
Currently Reading:
The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel and The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern (audiobook). I also have two books on hold at the library (Prodigy by Marie Lu and The Essence by Kimberly Derting) that I will finish by the end of August.
On Stacks: My Fall 2013 Short List
- Friday Night Lights - H.G. Bissinger
- House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski (Classics Club)
- Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (Classics Club)
- IT - Stephen King
- The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters
- Winter's Bone - Daniel Woodrell
- The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
- Daughters of Witching Hill - Mary Sharrat
- Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (Classics Club Spin #3 Challenge)
- The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
On Shelves
I currently have 24 unread physical books in my house right now which is an all time low. At the beginning of the year I had 60+ books that I hadn't read and one of my goals for 2013 was to read or eliminate those books from my collection. I have culled my bookshelves a few times this year so I am not going to get rid of any more unread books at this point, and I am very proud of the progress I've made so far. I also have 17 unread Kindle ebooks, an all time high. I don't have a plan to read through these any time soon but I will be travelling to Florida in September and that will probably be when I utilize my Kindle the most. Most of the books I want to read I already own or have on hold at the library so I am going to hold off on purchasing any books for the next few weeks (with the exception of my Fall 2013 Anticipated Reads, of course!).
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