Love and Fiction – A Book Blog

I found this meme at Of Books and Bicycles, which I have is a blog I read in my Google reader, but which I have yet to post about.

The idea is simple:

1.) Go to your bookshelves…
2.) Close your eyes. If you’re feeling really committed, blindfold yourself.
3.) Select ten books at random. Use more than one bookcase, if you have them, or piles by the bed, or… basically, wherever you keep books.
4.) Use these books to tell us about yourself – where and when you got them, who got them for you, what the book says about you, etc. etc…..
5.) Have fun! Be imaginative. Doesn’t matter if you’ve read them or not – be creative. It might not seem easy to start off with, and the links might be a little tenuous, but I think this is a fun way to do this sort of meme.
6.) Feel free to cheat a bit, if you need to…

I only “cheated” by including an entire set if I picked a book within a trilogy or series. I think the books really reflect our bookshelves.

1. Old English and Its Closest Relatives: A Survey of the Earliest Germanic Languages, by Orrin W. Robinson

I love Old English. I love the sound, the look, and the grammar of the language. I’ve tried, half-heartedly, to teach myself Old English with this book. It is a well-worn copy now. I have a journal that I write down all the selections in, and then translate. I actually haven’t gotten all the way to Old English, but have learned a bit about the other languages that developed around the time of Old English.

2. The Writer’s Idea Workshop: How to Make Your Good Ideas Great, by Jack Heffron

I think I got this with a handful of other books from Writer’s Digest Book Club, before I realized how much more I was paying by going through the book club. I like referring to this now and then for inspiration, but by and large I’ve given up fiction writing for the time being. I still won’t give up my mini-library of writing books.

3. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester

This is one of JRob’s books that I have always intended to read, but never made time for. He swears it’s a great book, and I’m inclined to believe him. Hopefully, this meme will put The Professor and  the Madman back on my radar.

4. Mutiny on the Bounty, by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall

We picked up this book at a bag sale at Locust Grove Historic Home in Louisville. Awesome historic landmark, with an even more awesome book sale once or twice a year. I grabbed a bagful of beat up classics with the intention of reading them. Unfortunately, the library is always full of good books, and I never get around to the ones on my shelf. I think I am going to take a library break for the month of February.

5. Stones from the River, by Ursula Hegi

I read this book shortly after high school. It was given to me as a graduate gift from an English teacher I had briefly. My last two years in high school were a real struggle as I dealt with multiple hospital stays and the beginning of a life-long illness that left me unable to attend school regularly. I spent most of my time at home, but attended a few classes a day when I could. I also graded papers for this particular English teacher, and she was privy to a lot of my pain. She helped, and thinking of her, and this gift, make me tear up even today. Sadly, I have lost contact with her.

6. H.P. Lovecraft Omnibus 2: Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, by H.P. Lovecraft

This is another of JRob’s books. He loves H.P. Lovecraft. I don’t know if I’m as devoted to any one author as JRob is. I don’t read through an entire author’s works. Even Neil Gaiman, who is easily my favorite author, has a few books out I haven’t read yet.

7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling

I hated the Harry Potter phenomenon when it first appeared. My nephew had all the books, so I started reading the first in the series one night while at my brother’s house. I was hooked. I bought the first four in a set, was gifted the fifth when it came out, and then waited anxiously for books six and seven. JRob didn’t think much of reading Harry Potter at first, until I told him the books were different than the movies. Now he’s read each book at least three times. He really got into thinking about what might happen next, and tearing apart the plot lines. I liked to discuss, but I have too much to read to have re-read the series so often.

8. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkein

I have yet to read these books! This is a series reading to-do this year. Again, because I own them, I get into the mindset that I have all the time in the world to read them – only to keep putting them off. I can’t wait to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, because it has influenced so much and because JRob speaks so highly of them.

9. The Forbidden Games Trilogy, by L.J. Smith

(The link is actually to a pre-release of the whole series in a single volume.)

The Forbidden Games trilogy was a huge favorite of mine back in middle school. My best friend owned the books, but since we were always together, that was never a problem. I was highly addicted to this series. I was also a huge L.J. Smith fan back when she was hugely unfashionable to read. I didn’t care, and I’m so happy to see her books re-released (even if it is because she wrote vampire books before they became fashionable). You would not believe the ecstasy I felt in realizing this favorite trilogy will be re-released to hordes of hungry Twilight fans. Yay!

10. Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I bought this and put off reading it for awhile. I really wanted to read and like Garcia Marquez. I’m not sure why I started with this instead of 100 Years of Solitude, but I’m glad that I did. Once I got around to reading this (about two years ago), I fell in love. I’ve yet to read another Garcia Marquez, but only because my reading list is so massive and random.

I’m sad to say that there are two Oprah’s book club books on this list. I try not to read those, because I detest Oprah and most of what she puts into the world (sorry to any fans). I can say that the books I’ve read from her list (Stones from the River and Love in the Time of Cholera) were not chosen because they were on her list. Stones was a gift, and Cholera was because I really wanted to read Garcia Marquez.

Of the 21 books mentioned in this list, I’ve read 14. That’s about right for the books in the house, too. Making this list has challenged me to take at least one month out of this year to just read books at home. February will be the first month. I’ll get my holds at the library and finish what library books I have at home, then move to my own bookshelves.

What percentage of the books on your bookshelves have you read?

twyls

Today I’m participating in WWW Wednesdays, by MizB at Should Be Reading.

W1: What am I currently reading?

My cousin recently recommended the Lowlands of Scotland series, by Liz Curtis Higgs. She loaned me the second book, Fair is the Rose. I finally got around to ordering the first book from the library, and that’s what I’m reading now:

Thorn in My Heart

Thorn in My Heart, by Liz Curtis Higgs

So far, a good enough book. I’m not enjoying it as much as I did Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers.

W2: What did you recently finish reading?

American Lightning, by Howard Blum, which I read for a book club. It was decent. I had a few little nitpicks at it, but nothing big. I liked the story a lot.

W3: What do you think you’ll read next?

Of all the library books I have waiting for me, Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow looks most interesting. Of course, there is a huge stack of library books staring me down, so I might not actually pick this when the time comes.

Avalon High, by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot writes my all-time favorite young adult series, the Mediator series. I’ve been interested in checking out some of her other fiction. I’m finding it hit-or-miss. While I don’t mind the Princess Diaries books, Jinx fell really flat for me. I’ve got the first 1-800-Where-R-You book on hold at the library. Meanwhile, Emily (the children’s librarian at the Eline branch of the Louisville Free Public Library) recommended Avalon High as something I might enjoy. This before she even knew how much I love the Mediator series.

Avalon High is about Ellie, who is named after Elaine, the Lady of Shalott and a key player in the Camelot legend. Most of her life this meant only that her parents were slightly odd medieval professors. Since moving with her parents across country and attending Avalon High, though, it seems something more coincidental might be behind Ellie’s name. Coincidental and perhaps even mythical.

Ellie meets Will, Jennifer, and Lance – the royalty of Avalon High. Will’s life is a mess, but he is an all-around good guy despite his problems at home. Jennifer and Will have been the “it” couple for years. Lance is Will’s best friend and wing man, and will do just about anything to guard his friend. Where does Ellie fit in, especially when all the walls begin to crumble? And why does their teacher, Mr. Morton, seem convinced that something very sinister is happening?

Avalon High was an easy read. I read it in about 1.5 to 2.5 hours reading time. (Your results may vary, of course.)  I loved the characters and became emotionally attached to all except the villainous Marco. The plot and pacing seemed forced to me, though. I feel almost as if Ms. Cabot was excited about this story and really wanted to get it out, to the point of rushing things.

I would give this three stars. It was a fun read, but I doubt I’ll re-read the book.

twyls

I know it’s already December 3rd, and I’m just now posting for November. The good news is, I (twyls), finally have my own computer. It was an early Christmas gift. This should make it easier for me to keep up with things like blogging.

I’m not going to do a huge November Round-Up. I’m just going to list what I read, what I’d rate it, and maybe a note or two.

Great With Child: Reflections on Faith, Fullness, and Becoming a Mother, by Debra Reinstra – 3 stars – Though Mrs. Reinstra’s attitude sometimes annoyed me, overall this was an OK book. Nothing much, just average.

The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian, by Sherman Alexie – 4 stars – I liked this book a lot while I read it. I don’t know why everyone said it was so funny, because it just seemed sad to me. Though I did enjoy it, I’ve already forgotten most of the plot.

A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams – 4 stars – This was a great play. I also watched the old movie with Marlon Brando. Both were moving. I’m glad I read the play before watching the movie, because the Netflix DVD skipped. I didn’t miss as much of the plot as I would have otherwise.

Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir, by Jennette Fulda – 3 stars – This book was funny, but not something I will read again.

Your Heart Belongs to Me, by Dean Koontz – 3 stars – Another average book. Better than I thought it would be, because I don’t remember liking Koontz, but not spectacular.

Outliers: the Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell – 5 stars – What a great book. Both JRob and I read this, and while we had different reactions, we both enjoyed it.

The Secret School, by Avi – 3 stars – This was a very cute book for younger readers. Maybe if I had a child in the right age group, I’d have been more enthusiastic about it.

Changeling, by Delia Sherman – 4 stars – This was a cute book about a mortal changeling living in “New York Between”, where the fairies live. I liked it a lot.

The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen, by Delia Sherman – 3 stars – I didn’t like this book as well as the first in the series, Changeling. It was a little more tiring to get through. Maybe I needed more time between the two?

Poison Study, by Maria V. Snyder – 4 stars – I devoured this book. I loved it! After reading the rest of the trilogy, though, I was disappointed. I would give this alone 5 stars, but I won’t ever add it to my library, so it can’t have five stars.

Sellevision, by Augusten Burroughs – 4 stars – This book was so wrong, so right, and so funny. I laughed most of the way through, and shared scenes with family members a bit too much.

Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell – 3 stars – I was disappointed with this book. I think the writing was solid enough, but Julie annoyed me.

One Bad Apple, by Sheila Connolly – 3 stars – This was a cute little mystery (an “Orchard Mystery”, apparently). I enjoyed it, though it wasn’t anything really special.

Magic Study, by Maria V. Snyder – 3 stars – The second book in the Poison Study trilogy. I looked forward to this book with such enthusiasm that I shouldn’t be surprised I was a little bit let down.

Fire Study, by Maria V. Snyder – 3 stars, but barely – If I hadn’t have loved Poison Study, I wouldn’t have slogged through this. Since this book in particular kept me from giving Poison Study five stars, Poison Study kept me from giving this two stars.

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins – 5 stars  – I loved this sequel to Hunger Games. It got off to a slightly slow start for me, but by a third of the way through, I was loving it. Just great. I may review this soon. It’s not due back until the 16th, so I may even re-read it.

That’s it for today. Look forward to seeing me around more often.

twyls

This is the final post in my Round Up for October. So far I have reviewed thirteen books. I have three more books to review here. I doubt November will have quite the volume that October had, but I’m reading some really interesting books this month, so I’m excited about that.

My final three books in October:

200 Best Home Businesses, by Katina Jones

From Amazon.com:

Tired of your humdrum workday routine? Looking for a new an exciting career path that allows you to be your own boss and make your own rules? The 200 Best Home Businesses is the book for you.

This completed revised and update 2nd edition profiles 200 of the best and most profitable businesses that you can run from your home Inside, you’ll find jobs for your every interest, from Computer Programmer to Personal Chef. Each business profile provides you with all of the information you need to choose the business that’s right for you:

On to the next three books:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares

From Amazon.com:

They were just a soft, ordinary pair of thrift-shop jeans until the four girls took turns trying them on–four girls, that is, who are close friends, about to be parted for the summer, with very different sizes and builds, not to mention backgrounds and personalities. Yet the pants settle on each girl’s hips perfectly, making her look sexy and long-legged and feel confident as a teenager can feel. “These are magical Pants!” they realize, and so they make a pact to share them equally, to mail them back and forth over the summer from wherever they are. Beautiful, distant Lena is going to Greece to be with her grandparents; strong, athletic Bridget is off to soccer camp in Baja, California; hot-tempered Carmen plans to have her divorced father all to herself in South Carolina; and Tibby the rebel will be left at home to slave for minimum wage at Wallman’s. Over the summer the Pants come to represent the support of the sisterhood, but they also lead each girl into bruising and ultimately healing confrontations with love and courage, dying and forgiveness. Lena finds her identity in Greece and the courage not to reject love; Bridget gets in over her head with an older camp coach; Carmen finds her father ensconced with a new fiancée and family; and Tibby unwillingly takes on a filmmaking apprentice who is dying of leukemia. Each girl’s story is distinct and engrossing, told in a brightly contemporary style. Like the Pants, the reader bounces back and forth among the four unfolding adventures, and the melange is spiced with letters and witty quotes. Ann Brashares has here created four captivating characters and seamlessly interwoven their stories for a young adult novel that is fresh and absorbing.

My Opinion:

I have to admit that the premise and set-up of this book didn’t catch me. I thought it was going to be a boring book, with flat characters. To be fair, I thought the same thing of Harry Potter going in (sometime shortly after the fourth book). I have a thing about huge hits, I guess.

I was pleasantly surprised by this Sisterhood book. I even cried towards the end. Once I got to know the characters, it was pretty much smooth sailing. I can’t even pick a favorite of the girls.

Three stars. I’ll probably read some more of the series, but I’m not interested in owning the books.

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith

From Amazon.com:

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain wants to become a writer. Trouble is, she’s the daughter of a once-famous author with a severe case of writer’s block. Her family–beautiful sister Rose, brooding father James, ethereal stepmother Topaz–is barely scraping by in a crumbling English castle they leased when times were good. Now there’s very little furniture, hardly any food, and just a few pages of notebook paper left to write on. Bravely making the best of things, Cassandra gets hold of a journal and begins her literary apprenticeship by refusing to face the facts. She writes, “I have just remarked to Rose that our situation is really rather romantic, two girls in this strange and lonely house. She replied that she saw nothing romantic about being shut up in a crumbling ruin surrounded by a sea of mud.” Rose longs for suitors and new tea dresses while Cassandra scorns romance: “I know all about the facts of life. And I don’t think much of them.” But romantic isolation comes to an end both for the family and for Cassandra’s heart when the wealthy, adventurous Cotton family takes over the nearby estate. Cassandra is a witty, pensive, observant heroine, just the right voice for chronicling the perilous cusp of adulthood. Some people have compared I Capture the Castle to the novels of Jane Austen, and it’s just as well-plotted and witty. But the Mortmains are more bohemian–as much like the Addams Family as like any of Austen’s characters. Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmations, wrote this novel in 1948. And though the story is set in the 1930s, it still feels fresh, and well deserves its reputation as a modern classic.

My Opinion:

This came highly recommended to me. I see why, since the characters and their exploits are unforgettable. I have a hard time rating this over three stars, though, because it just didn’t resonate with me on some levels. While the characters are memorable, I didn’t click with them the way I would have liked to. I couldn’t understand their motivations or desires.

The book was well-written and carried my interest throughout. The characters were charming and life-like. I think in this case the rating I give the book is on a very personal level. If I were to rate it just based on the quality of the book, I would give it four stars.

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

From Amazon.com:

Playing on every teen’s passionate desire to look as good as everybody else, Scott Westerfeld  projects a future world in which a compulsory operation at sixteen wipes out physical differences and makes everyone pretty by conforming to an ideal standard of beauty. The “New Pretties” are then free to play and party, while the younger “Uglies” look on enviously and spend the time before their own transformations in plotting mischievous tricks against their elders. Tally Youngblood is one of the most daring of the Uglies, and her imaginative tricks have gotten her in trouble with the menacing department of Special Circumstances. She has yearned to be pretty, but since her best friend Shay ran away to the rumored rebel settlement of recalcitrant Uglies called The Smoke, Tally has been troubled. The authorities give her an impossible choice: either she follows Shay’s cryptic directions to The Smoke with the purpose of betraying the rebels, or she will never be allowed to become pretty. Hoping to rescue Shay, Tally sets off on the dangerous journey as a spy. But after finally reaching The Smoke she has a change of heart when her new lover David reveals to her the sinister secret behind becoming pretty. The fast-moving story is enlivened by many action sequences in the style of videogames, using intriguing inventions like hoverboards that use the rider’s skateboard skills to skim through the air, and bungee jackets that make wild downward plunges survivable — and fun. Behind all the commotion is the disturbing vision of our own society — the Rusties — visible only in rusting ruins after a virus destroyed all petroleum. Teens will be entranced, and the cliffhanger ending will leave them gasping for the sequel.

My Opinion:

This was a re-read of one of my favorite books. I own the original trilogy, though I haven’t yet read Extras. What a great series it is, too. Though the entire story is well-worth reading, Uglies will always have a special spot on my bookcase – and in my heart.

I love everything about this book, from the main character, Tally, to the secondary characters, to the high-speed action. Every time I read Uglies or one of the sequels I pick up on something new. This time around I fell in love with one of the secondary characters, Croy. I never noticed the role he played, usually because I was watching Tally’s movements too closely.

A definite five star book.

twyls

I’ve got three more round-up posts for October coming at you – parts 3 through 5. Look for one a day for the next few days.

I left off my round-up (after part one and part two) on the fifteenth of October, a full six books into the month. This month turned out to be a large one for me, partly thanks to the Read-a-thon on the 24th and 25th. I read four books that day. (They will be the subject of this post.)

I also read six other books. Look for the YA stuff tomorrow, and some miscellaneous books two days from now.

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony, by Eoin Colfer

From Amazon.com:

Demons are beginning to materialize without warning on Earth.  If humans were to capture one, all fairies would be exposed. In order to protect themselves, the fairies must decipher complicated equations to determine where the next demon will appear.  Not even the brilliant Foaly can make heads or tails of the formulas – but he knows someone who can: Artemis Fowl.

When a very confused demon imp appears in a Sicilian theater, Artemis is there to meet him.  But he is not alone.  Someone else has unlocked the secrets of the fairy world.and she is only twelve years old. Now, in a race against time, a newly-reformed Artemis Fowl will have to dip into his bag of dirty tricks if he is to save his fairy friends from his latest nemesis, not to mention a power hungry demon warlord who is poised to invade our dimension with his savage army.

My Opinion:

Like all the Artemis Fowl books, this one had me giggling throughout. I care deeply for these characters already – Artemis and Holly, of course, as well as Mulch, Foaly and the rest of the cast. Butler has a special place in my heart. I loved this new adventure, and the new character is produced, No. 1, is a good addition to the “cast”. Five stars.

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox, by Eion Colfer

From Amazon.com:

Artemis’s mother has contracted a deadly disease–and the only cure lies in the brain fluid of  African lemurs. Unfortunately, Artemis himself was responsible for making the lemurs extinct five years ago. Now he must enlist the aid of his fairy friends to travel back in time and save the lemur. Not only that, but he must face his deadliest foe yet: his younger self.

My Opinion:

I liked this book. I thought it was a great ride. I did get a little confused with the ending, but it quickly came together for me. (JRob did not like this book as much as some of the other Artemis Fowl books.)

I see on Amazon that there is another Artemis Fowl book coming out in July of 2010 called Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex. I’m looking forward to it.

The Time Paradox was a little hard to follow at times. I loved seeing Artemis struggle against Young Artemis. I was confused about why Minerva wasn’t in this book. Also, the relationship between Holly and Artemis seemed forced a few times.

All in all, a five star book.

The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

I don’t think this classic needs an introduction. I hadn’t yet read the book that inspired the movie. I think the book is more of a fairy-tale than the movie. It leans heavily on trials, the repetition of the number three, and other fairy-tale elements. I love the movie, and while the book is different, I love it, too.

I’m glad I bought this book, because I plan to read it to any children I have. I also want to re-read it regularly.

Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and Doesn’t, by Stephen Prothero

From StephenProthero.com:

Do you get tongue-tied when asked to name the Twelve Apostles? Do you think Adam’s wife was Joan of Arc? If so, join the crowd. The United States is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of religious illiterates. Many Protestants can’t name the four Gospels, many Catholics can’t name the seven sacraments, and many Jews can’t name the first five books of the Bible. And yet politicians and pundits continue to root public policy arguments in religious rhetoric whose meanings are missed, or misinterpreted, by the vast majority of American citizens. This is in my view a major problem in contemporary civic life. “Religious Literacy,” which will be published by HarperSanFrancisco on March 1, 2007, explores this problem, pinpointing key moments in U.S. history that spawned our current epidemic of religious illiteracy and offering practical solutions to remedy this problem, including mandatory religion courses in the public schools. The book also includes a Dictionary of Religious Literacy with key terms, beliefs, characters, and stories that every American needs to know in order to make sense of religiously inflected debates: from abortion and gay marriage to Islamic terrorism and the war in Iraq.

My Opinion:

This book was well thought out and very useful for me. I’ve always been fascinated by religions.  As a Christian looking at the broken world, I see a total lack of knowledge among Americans in most religions, including Christianity. I think Prothero has a good start on how to fix this situation, advocating a class on world religions and a class on the Bible as literature in every student’s career.

I very much liked the last chapter, which was a dictionary of religious terms. It had entries like “Quran” and “Baptist” as well as “secular humanism” and “Moses”. I loved it.

Four stars.

twyls

So October is over! The month went fast. I barely survived the Read-a-Thon, and burned out on the computer for a few days. I don’t know how many hours I finished within the 24-hour Read-a-thon, but it wasn’t as many as I had hoped for. Am I the only newbie who went in hoping to read at least 23 hours? C’mon, I can’t be the only one who at least thought about it. Can I?

I finished four books during Dewey’s Read-a-thon:

Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony

Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox

Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – and Doesn’t

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Look for reviews of these, plus the other books I finished in the last half of October – coming soon!

twyls