Whatcha Readin', Books?: A Teacher/Learner's Blog

Life Itself- Roger Ebert

2012-02-10T10:04:00.000-05:00

Published: 2011
Pages: 436
ISBN: 9780446584975
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

Started: Dec. 25, 2011
Finished: Dec. 30, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found: Xmas 2011 gift
Why Read: I enjoy Ebert's movie reviews and more often than not agree with his opinions, and was interested in learning how he became one of the most revered movie critics worldwide.

Summary: A reflection of childhood, his start in journalism, interests in reading, travel, memorable interviews and encounters, and his influence by and on the movies.

Review:

Roger Ebert has an inside view of the film industry unlike any other. He isn't a filmmaker, an actor, or a studio executive, yet he is just as respected, opinionated, and central to the world of movies as those who run the cogs of the machine called Hollywood. Ebert isn't pounding the pavement but is the one who brings it all together: he watches the finished product, scrutinizes what worked and what didn't, and makes a conclusion that millions of moviegoing public recognize as the inside scoop on the best answer to the inevitable question: "Is there anything good playing at the movies?"

Ebert has a refreshingly honest tone in his memoir, writing as if he has nothing left to prove or hide, which he readily admits when the book comes to the time when Ebert underwent treatment for thyroid and salivary gland cancer. He starts as all good stories do from the beginning, recounting his start in journalism, encounters with both the famous, including an interview with Lee Marvin and a road trip with Robert Mitchum, but most memorably with the not-so-famous, his stay at the Eyrie Mansion, and his friendship and working relationship with Ebert's complete and utter opposite Gene Siskel.

His transition from Catholic childhood in the chapter "How I Believe in God" fascinated me most and, similarly to myself, a thankfulness for its simplest moral values of honest, kindness, and humility, but not its theology. His bibliophiliac chapter "Books Do Furnish a Room" would make a great book on its own.

The movies don't play as much of a part in this memoir as you would think, but they crop up occasionally. This book is less about the movies and Ebert as a movie critic, and more wholistic in scope with Ebert's experiences as a journalist and a traveler.

Rank: (B)- Very Good, Recommend

December & January Wrap-Up

2012-02-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

So...it's been a crazy couple of months, but hopefully February will start the ball rolling for a smooth 2012. If the past month is any indication of what the year will bring...yikes!

So...I neglected to post a wrap-up for the month of December, but maybe this will make my microscopic reading progress in January look better if I put them beside last month :D

So...*okay, that's enough of that*

DECEMBER
Read: (4)
Bag of Bones- Stephen King (A+)
The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved (B)
Life Itself- Roger Ebert
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume

Reviews: (6; see 2 above)
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas (A+)
The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway (A)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers (A)
It- Stephen King (A)

JANUARY
Read: (3)
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
11/22/63- Stephen King

Reviews: (1)
Emma- Jane Austen

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-01-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Ouch, two weeks later and I've just finished one book: 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I've had no motivation to write any reviews, either. Is this a slump? Well, at least I'm still reading something. It's a reviews slump :)

Read This Week:
11/22/63- Stephen King
Wow, this was a terrific read! It was full of unexpected threads and he works the time travel yarn (get it? Threads? Yarn? Ha ha) so well, it makes me want to not only re-read The Time Traveler's Wife but find more books in this subgenre. Any suggestions?

Collecting dust on the nightstand but still hanging in there:
U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews Coming Soon (I promise):
Life Itself- Roger Ebert
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
11/22/63- Stephen King

Next to Read:
I'm finally going to get to The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. With the release of the movie The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I'd like to finish the book
series off.

Have a great week of reading :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-01-16T14:04:00.000-05:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Quick check-in post today...

Read This Week: (1)
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
Sweet, breezy read. Review coming soon.

Reviews This Week:
None...I'm behind again (by 4).

Currently Reading: (3)
11/22/63- Stephen King--I love time travel stories and this one is getting good :)

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Next to Read:Probably something shorter after the 800+ pages of 11/22/63 ;)

Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-01-09T10:31:00.001-05:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Yay, I finished my first book of 2012! It feels great to kick the new year off with a good one.

Read This Week: (1)
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte (A)
I really enjoyed this one. It felt like Jane Austen meets Rebecca. Review coming soon!

Reviews This Week: (1)
Emma- Jane Austen (B)
Currently Reading: (3)
Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
Before delving into Stephen King's latest, I'm dipping into the new Queen of talk's book.

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Next to Read:
11/22/63- Stephen King
I'm hoping it lives up to the hype...

Have a great week everyone :)

Emma- Jane Austen

2012-01-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1815 (mine is the Penguin Classics hardcover edition pictured here)
Pages: 474
ISBN: 9780141192475
Genre: Classics

Started: Dec. 14, 2011
Finished: Dec. 24, 2011 (11 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: I love Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice, so when I spotted this copy (on sale to boot!), I snatched it up.

Summary: A young lady successful (for the most part) at matchmaking struggles to settle conflicts interfering with her own love life.

Review:

Jane Austen is definitely master of the genre comedy of manners. She is able to weave together complex social dramas with tongue permanently implanted in cheek. Formalities and niceties aside, there are glimpses of social situations that are just as sticky to be caught in now as they were then.

Unlike Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice, I wasn't taken with any particular character in Emma but the story is fun and lively. I found Emma very self-involved, and not very reliable or sympathetic, whereas the turmoils of Elinor & Marianne Dashwood and Elizabeth Bennet were at the heart of the other two novels. Oh, Knightley...I wish there had been more of him! He was a sweet, decent character, and I liked him better than Edward Ferrars (not as stuffy) but not quite as much as Mr. Darcy or Col. Brandon. There is always a secondary character that provides comic relief from the tense romantic plot, and in Emma, it's the bubbly, constantly talkative Miss Bates, who is just hilarious, especially how she describes everything she notices as they walk from the front door to the dining room of the Woodhouse estate, including warning the person just behind her that there is a step down from the floor!

The best moments of Emma are where mistakes are either made or fixed surrounding a person's demeanor, and the humour comes from the extremities between what was once thought and what is actually true. Judgment, especially about a person's physical appearance, behaviour, or past, is a recurring theme in Austen's novels, and it is especially important in Emma.

Not the best of Jane Austen, but an enjoyable romp. Dive in and enjoy :)

Some memorable quotations:

"What did she say? Just what she ought of course. A lady always does."

"And with all her advantages, natural and domestic, she was now in great danger of suffering from intellectual solitude."

"Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken."

Rank: (B)- Good, Recommend

Xmas Book Gifts & Monday Check-In

2012-01-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I'm baaaack! Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was lovely, as usual. I have an additional week off work, so I get to continue the relaxation and get some reading in. December was a slow working month for me as the weather kept everyone healthy and no one needed a substitute teacher...Left me with lots of Xmas planning time :D

I had to go back and edit my 2011 wrap-up post as I completed 3 more books before ringing in 2012. Reviews coming soon for:

Emma- Jane Austen
Life Itself: A Memoir- Roger Ebert
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume

I'm currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, which I'm applying to two reading challenges. This was a "book of the year" for a few bloggers last year, so here's hoping I take to it just as well :)

Judging by the posts I've read, Santa left some great books under your tree. Wouldn't you know it...he did at my house, too :)

11/22/63- Stephen King
Highly anticipated! This is getting mostly good reviews. I love time travel stories :) I'm hoping to get to this next.

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume
A YA classic I wish I'd read back then but am so glad I did now. A beautiful little book for girls about growing up.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou
Another classic I'm finally getting around to. Isn't it a gorgeous cover?

Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
I didn't know how slim this book is! A classic I haven't gotten around to yet and my first Steinbeck.

Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
Her show is so lively and never fails to cheer me up on a bad day. Sounds fun :)

Life Itself: A Memoir- Roger Ebert
I read this in just a few days. Some fascinating stories. Review coming soon.

...And I previously posted about some early bookish Xmas gifts.

I also got some DVDs: Glengarry Glen Ross, Matchstick Men, and was very surprised to get a rare (at least inexpensively) copy of a terrific movie, Charade, lots of iTunes, a couple of I Spy books for my closetful of children's books (now I just need a classroom to put them in!), Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm, Uniball pens, hand cream, chocolate, and a calendar with bulldogs (awww, they're so cute). And I got a plaque made from this picture in the Entertainment Weekly reunions issue from one of my favourite movies:

I got it done at Staples. It was very affordable and it turned out so well, especially considering the crease in the middle. It's barely visible on the plaque (that's not it pictured) and looks even better than the original.

Happy New Year! And have a great reading week :)

Year-End Wrap Up Post: Best Of Lists, Challenges & Holiday Break

2011-12-23T15:21:00.006-05:00

Please excuse the extra-long post but this is an exciting time of year and there's a lot to be shared about this first year (and a half) of book blogging! I sure hope everyone else's year was as good for reading as mine was. In a word: Wow! In just 1 1/2 years of book blogging, the number of books I read (compared to last year, from what I can remember) has increased more than three-fold, and the quality of books read has been incredible, thanks to recommendations from book bloggers and from sucking it up and digging into some classics I would not likely have thought to try.

STATISTICS

Books Read: 56 (40 fiction, 16 nonfiction)
*For a complete list of books read in 2011, see Books Read by Year.
Pages Read: 21 097
Average Page Count: 366 (probably skewed due to the two 1000+ page whoppers in the list)
Shortest Book: The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway (93 pages)
Longest Book: The Stand- Stephen King (1141 pages)

*Note: These are only for books that were reviewed in 2011:
A+ Books: 11
A Books: 26 (Very lucky)
B Books: 9
C Books: 4
D Books: 0 (Whew!)
DNFs: 4

Most Read Authors: Stephen King (8), J.K. Rowling (7), John Irving (2)
Series Read: Harry Potter (7), 1 each of Kinsey Millhone, Dark Tower, Hitchhikers, Chronicles of Narnia
New (to me) Authors: Ian McEwan, Alexandre Dumas, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams, Khaled Hosseini, David Sedaris, Jeffrey Eugenides, Elie Wiesel, Ernest Hemingway, Daphne du Maurier, Bill Bryson, Frank McCourt, Michael Chabon

BEST OF THE YEAR

Most Surprising (in a good way)
Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
Going in, I thought this book would have aged terribly. It definitely hasn't. An amazing book.

Most Suspenseful
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger!

Funniest
The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams
Caution: Having a drink while reading this book risks having it spurt out your nose :D

Scariest
Various stories from Night Shift and Full Dark, No Stars, both by Stephen King
In short: rats, dead bodies coming to life, finding out your husband is a killer, slimy spiders, killer military toys, walking a 5-inch ledge on a skyscraper's top floor, quit smoking at the expense of your sanity, and mowing the lawn (yup, even that one's scary).

Brainiest
A Short Guide to Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson
The science class everyone should have been in.

Loveliest
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen
This story has stayed with me since I read it. Beautiful, romantic, funny, what's not to love?

Nostalgic
Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
I saw the Disney movie countless times as a kid but never read the book. It was a sweet and
funny read.

FAVOURITES

*Note: It was impossible to narrow each category down to a single choice. Forgive the cop-out :)

Favourite Characters: Col. Brandon (Sense & Sensibility), Noirtier de Villefort (The Count of Monte Cristo), Prof. Snape (Harry Potter series, especially in The Deathly Hallows), Mick Kelly (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter), Hassan (The Kite Runner), Dill (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Favourite Villains: Zaphrod Beeblebrox (Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy), Annie Wilkes (Misery), Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix), Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray), Mrs. Danvers (Rebecca)

Favourite Series: Harry Potter, of course! I had a fantastic time reading the whole series (the last 4 books for the first time).

Favourite Quotations:
"For you, a thousand times over" - Hassan, The Kite Runner
"To your sister I wish all imaginable happiness; to Willoughby that he may endeavour to deserve her" - Col. Brandon, Sense and Sensibility
"Curiouser and curiouser" - Alice, Alice in Wonderland
"Come back to me" - Celia, Atonement
"'Forty-two,'" said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm." - The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy

TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR

*Note: These may include books written before (often long before) 2011.

10) Bag of Bones- Stephen King
9) The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams
8) Night- Elie Wiesel
7) The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini
6) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas- John Boyne
5) To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee (this was a re-read but I can't exclude it from the list)
4) Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
3) The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
2) Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen
...*drumroll please*...
1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling

LESSONS LEARNED

Always pack a towel--it will become very useful (The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy)
Don't trust a cat with green eyes (Pet Sematary)
Teach recipes in English class (Teacher Man)
A dead dog and a tuba will fit snugly but perfectly in the trunk of a car (Wonder Boys)
*Note: I sure hope I never have to apply this lesson in my life.
Trust the memory of an elephant (Water For Elephants)
Watch your step lest you tumble down a rabbit hole...then again, go ahead (Alice in Wonderland)

CHALLENGES WRAP-UP

*Special thanks to the hosts: Sarah, Beth, Katy, Book Vixen & Carolyn :)

This is my first time participating in challenges and I managed to finish all 5 I signed up for. I found by taking it easy with the number I signed up for (and believe me, it was hard to resist signing up for many, many more!), I could manage them and not feel like every book I read had to apply to one of them. That right mix of flexibility and structure was just what I needed.

I read 26 books for 4 challenges with specific categories, and of course, all books counted towards the Outdo Yourself challenge. For a complete list of books read for these challenges, visit my Challenges Checklist.

Back to the Classics
Wow, this was a very successful challenge! After a couple of false starts on original book choices, I settled in and was not disappointed by any on this list. I've already signed up for the encore challenge in 2012.
Favourite Book: How do you choose between the A+s in this list?!

What's in a Name 4
A unique challenge that made me think outside the box to fit the title to the category. I've already signed up for What's in a Name 5.
Favourite Book: A tough choice but I'd have to go with Fahrenheit 451. It was very ahead
of its time and is important for everyone to read about the scary potential of losing the power and impact of the written word.

1st in a Series (level: Series Lover, 6 books)
This got me to read the entire Harry Potter series and get a jumpstart on The Chronicles of Narnia. How could I lose?
Favourite Book: Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone, an infectious start to a wonderful
series.

Stephen King (level: 6 books, plus 2 more)
Being a huge SK fan since I was a teenager, this was impossible to resist. I read mostly older books of his with just one new one (I'll get to 11/22/63 next year).
Favourite Book: Definitely Bag of Bones. It was unlike any other Stephen King book I've read, surprised me in so many ways and not since The Mist have I read an SK book that stays with me long after reading it.

Outdo Yourself (level: I'm on Fire, 16+ more books)
I actually read 36 more books than last year! My numbers from last year aren't exact, but from memory, I counted 17 books, and this year I read 53. Yowzah! :D

I'm looking forward to seeing how you all did this year and your reading plans for 2012. Have a wonderful holiday, enjoy yourself, and keep safe and warm, if you get any snow...remember snow? It's that white fluff that usually falls sometime in December. Yeah, I'm starting to forget what it looks like, too, and I live in Canada :D

I will be taking a break from book blogging to relax and enjoy the holidays from now until January 9th. I may pop on occasionally but won't be doing reviews or memes until then. I'll return with a book loot post should Santa leave any books under the tree ;)

All the best for a happy holiday and New Year!

The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved

2011-12-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2009
Pages: 332
ISBN: 9781553657965
Genre: Nonfiction, TV history/criticism

Started: Dec. 9, 2011
Finished: Dec. 13, 2011 (4 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: I'm a Simpsons aficionado and love the cultural history books on the show.

Summary: A compilation of interviews and author commentary on the development of The Simpsons and its behind-the-scenes dramas.

Review:

John Ortved obviously has a passion for The Simpsons and for clarifying misguided lore of its ludicrous media coverage, both before and during the advent of the Internet. Ortved provides an "oral" history of sorts by cleverly editing quotations from prior magazine, TV and radio bits with the three wise men of the show's creation: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon, and snippets from his own interviews, mostly with staff readers likely won't recognize by name, let alone place in the show's history, and very few heavyweights. With that impression, you should know that this book is definitely not for casual viewers or readers.

Some chapters were worthwhile and would have been even better if they had been expanded to supercede the more gossipy, less focussed chapters with he said/she said speculations that start becoming redundant. The chapters most worthwhile were on the writers, the guest voices, and the process of writing funny gags and clever or touching stories with the right dash of cultural reference and satirical irony.

Conan O'Brien provides hilarious anecdotes of his time (post-Saturday Night Live, pre-late night talk shows) as a Simpsons writer--he is responsible, along with writer George Meyer, for the funniest episodes in the show's history, and Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane graciously acknowledges the Simpsons' influence on his show's success. Ortved also breaks mythological barriers surrounding stories of Groening being the sole creator and mastermind behind the show--his legendary Midas touch is not without the influence of producers Brooks and Simon, both of whom had prior success jumpstarting Taxi and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Conflicts over money and shareholder rights leave you feeling like not all is well in Springfield when everyone's hands dive into the money pit for their fair share of the show's success and the bottom tier of animators, colourists, and other contributors receive less adequate compensation than network executives.

Ortved references my favourite book on The Simpsons, Chris Turner's exhaustive but fantastic Planet Simpsons, which is more in-depth on the show's significance in pop culture, seasonal trends, individual episodes, quotations, and even gag descriptions, most of the above being fan favourites, and characters ranging from the recognizable Simpsons clan to the more anonymous Comic Book Guy, Bumblebee Man and Squeaky-Voiced Teen. However, long-time fans of The Simpsons will probably be as powerless to resist this book as Homer is to a sprinkle-covered donut.

Rank: (B)- Good, Maybe Read It

It- Stephen King

2011-12-23T10:34:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1980
Pages: 1090
ISBN: 9780451169518
Genre: Horror

Started: Nov. 13, 2011
Finished: Nov. 30, 2011 (18 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: Was recommended from several book bloggers

Summary: A group of 7 childhood friends come together again as adults in their haunted hometown of Derry, Maine to ward off a shapeshifting demon who has terrorized and killed over generations and was thought to have been vanguished but has returned after remaining silent for 25 years.

Review:

I was surprised to find that this novel is nearly as long as Stephen King's most massive undertakings, The Stand and Under the Dome yet in relatively the same number of pages, he weaves a story more focused on the gang of seven and less varied than the other massive doorstop novels with casts of characters bigger than a Kennedy family reunion.

Without the undertones of supernatural phenomena, It reads like a serial killer novel, but definitely not a typical one. The seven childhood friends all grow up to have successful jobs but each have a troubling personal problem that has lingered with them for most of their lives, from stuttering to psychosomatic disorder, to sexual abuse, and in a terrifying cycle, all are bound to relive the hauntings of their childhood at the hands of an otherworldly creature they thought they had vanquished.

Stan and Mike were my favourite characters: both awkward, shy, introverted outsiders to the gang of seven, yet vital to the story's progression, and the only two of the gang to have the strongest memories of their childhood encounters with It.

The ending comes off like a fairy tale (a bit dopey but it made me smile) and you come away thinking that things are bound to cycle back around again. It is a worthwhile read with an exciting and layered story. At least one character should remind you of someone you know from childhood--King has a penchant for writing diverse child characters so accurately. It didn't wow me as much as my follow-up read, Bag of Bones, but was a solid investment.

Rank: (A)- Very Enjoyable, Highly Recommend

Bag of Bones- Stephen King

2011-12-21T18:59:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1998 (original version; I read the 10th anniversary edition)
Pages: 548
ISBN: 9781439106211
Genre: Mystery/Horror

Started: Dec. 1, 2011
Finished: Dec. 9, 2011 (9 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: It's no secret that I love Stephen King books. This one was recommended by Two Bibliomaniacs. Thanks :)

Summary: A writer whose wife died suddenly 4 years ago returns to their summer retreat, Sara Laughs, where he encounters supernatural phenomena coinciding with the custodial struggle of a young mother with a precocious 3-year-old against the wealthy psychotic father of her dead husband.

Review:

If Daphne du Maurier and Ray Bradbury had a child who wrote a book, would your first guess to his/her identity be Stephen King? Me neither.

King enters vaguely familiar territory without veering too far from his background in horror fiction with the shocking backstory that is slowly unveiled as writer Mike Noonan (in a thinly disguised likeness of the author) tries to resolve a three-fold mystery: the bizarre nature of his wife's sudden, tragic death; the cause and source of eerie ghost-like behaviour in the house: a bell that rings on its own, refrigerator letter magnets that spell cryptic messages, thumping that responds to yes/no questions, and deathly screams he recognizes as those of his wife's, and the crotchety multi-millionnaire along with his skeletal crone of a constant companion seeking to ruin his widowed daughter-in-law through any means necessary to fight custody of his 3-year-old granddaughter who quickly forms a significant bond with Mike. Whew...

It takes time for the ball to get rolling and even then the writing is so absorbing that you don't tire of it at all, but in no time, it all comes barreling down the hill. Like a typically clever mystery, your suspicions are many, but your accuracies are few. When du Maurier rests and Bradbury reigns over King's brilliant duality of style, the mystery once a tough coconut to crack gets to the centre core and the result is certainly sweet...and a tad bitter.

No Stephen King fan should ignore this book and any dissuaders of his should take notice: I've never been more confident in reviewing a Stephen king book (and I've reviewed 16 of them), and neither should you in reading it.

Rank: (A+)- One of His Best, Must-Read

Top 10 Tuesday- Holiday Book Wish List

2011-12-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

A weekly meme hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish.

I haven't participated in this meme in some time but this week's topic is irresistible :)

1) 11/22/63- Stephen King
His latest is getting lots of great reviews. Time travel, alternative history...juicy.

2) Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen DeGeneres
If it's anything like Ellen's show, this should be a cozy barrel of laughs :)

3) Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume
A children's classic I've never read. I've got to see what all the fuss is about.

4) Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
I've never read anything by John Steinbeck and I'm determined to get a move on.

5) Karlology- Karl Pilkington
I love The Ricky Gervais Show and Karl's naive, all-too-serious quips are priceless.

6) Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen
Sad fact: I have a copy of this book already (and it's a good, pocket-sized edition) but I have cover envy. I love the Penguin classics hardcover edition. And I have the same type of edition of Emma, Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and a similar one of Pride & Prejudice. And it's preeeetttyyy...

7) Last Night in Twisted River- John Irving
I've read 3 Irving books and can't get enough. It's been some time since I've read something of his and have had all good things about his latest.

8) Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland- Gerald Clarke
This biography is supposedly being adapted into a biopic with Anne Hathaway. I love the TV-movie with Judy Davis and Garland's life with all its ups and downs was fascinating.

9) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou
A classic I've been meaning to read for some time.

10) Contact- Carl Sagan
I need more science fiction (or maybe it should be called science almost-fact, given the accuracies of so many classic books in this genre). The movie was quite underrated, probably because of silly controversy over the subject matter.

Hope Santa is good to you. If you've been naughty, you'll get the most boring, long-winded, stream-of-consciousness book with unrelatable characters, no discernible plot, no quotation marks to indicate dialogue, and will be full of typos. Or Twilight. Whichever is worse :) (No offense to visitors who like Twilight--it was the easiest title to poke fun at).

Some Favourite Holiday Movies

2011-12-19T18:34:00.000-05:00

Die Hard

You might be scratching your head over this one, but it is set during Xmas and while it's the most unconventional holiday movie on my watch list, it's a great way to start the season off with a bang. Yipee-kay-yay...

Edward Scissorhands
While not primarily an Xmas movie, the scene of carving the ice angel is the most beautiful holiday image that comes to mind.

Babe
A sweet holiday-ish movie about an unusual bond that makes you feel very warm in the harsh winter season.

The Family Stone
A more recent addition to my holiday movie viewings. A touching and hilarious family ensemble movie with the tanglings of holiday preparations, feuds and personality clashes. Fun!

Meet Me in St. Louis
The source of the beautiful song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Its pastel colours, musical numbers, and the wicked charm of Margaret O'Brien are irresistible.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Ageless, timeless, Dr. Seussiness :)

It's a Wonderful Life
What other movie helps you appreciate the little things in life? Harry's toast near the end always gets me reaching for the tissues.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
This has been part of an Xmas Eve tradition for the last 15 years or so in my family. Hilarity is guaranteed to ensue :D

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-12-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

This will be my last Monday meme check-in until after the holidays. I'll get a year-end post up on Friday. Can you believe...less than a week until Xmas?

Read This Week: (1)
The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved
A decent critical history of my favourite TV series. Review coming soon.

Currently Reading: (3)
Emma- Jane Austen
I'm about halfway through. It's a fun romp, though I still love Sense & Sensibility best and liked Pride & Prejudice better.

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week: (3)
I got caught up a bit on backlog reviews:
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas (A+)
The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway (A)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers (A)

Two more coming this week: It and Bag of Bones, both by Stephen King.

Next to Read:
This depends on when I finish Emma. If I finish it after Jan. 1, I can start a challenge book and I think I'll begin with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. If I happen to finish it before Jan. 1, I'll probably try reading a chunk from my U2 and Bill Clinton books. Yikes, they're collecting dust! It's not that I don't enjoy them, but sometimes I just need a break from nonfiction and find escape in a novel.

Have a great reading week :)

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers

2011-12-16T10:41:00.001-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1940
Pages: 359
ISBN: 9780618526413
Genre: Modern Classics

Started: Oct. 29, 2011
Finished: Nov. 13, 2011 (16 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: Set in the small-town American South during the Depression, a lonely deaf-mute man named John Singer stays at a boarding house where his encounters with a whip-smart tomboy, a sickly black physician and his estranged children, a widowed restaurant owner and a drunken intellect lead to unforeseen changes influenced by his penchant for listening.

Review:

Like Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, childhood and coming-of-age in the Depression-era American South is fently rendered in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter through 12-year-old Mick Kelly, an awkward, lanky young girl who you simply ache for as she seeks the Keatsian truth and beauty of the world while stuck in a poor, small town with troubles of its own.

If Mick is the mind of this novel, John Singer is the heart. A lonely deaf mute separated from his only friend by circumstance, he becomes the go-to listener of the town, unintentionally and even sometimes regretfully as his own problems are never brought to bear (not that anyone offers the same comfort he provides in return) as no one seems to know how to listen to him or, sadly, even tries to.

I saw the movie before reading the book and although it was touching, very well acted by Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke, the book has layers of character development, both painful and wonderful, not seen in the movie. On the other hand, the relationship between Mick and John Singer is given a strength and depth in the movie that fails to launch in the book. Their friendship via her love of music and her determination for him to experience it in his own way is a determining factor in the movie's development but is mostly left undescribed and imagined in the book.

I would recommend the movie as a companion to the book. I'm not sure how I would have taken the movie if I had read the book first but I'm glad I came away from both feeling fulfilled by its story and its harsh, emotional edge.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway

2011-12-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1952
Pages: 93
ISBN: 0684830493
Genre: Modern Classics

Started: Oct. 28, 2011
Finished: Oct. 28, 2011 (>1 day)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: On my TBR list
Read For: Back to the Classics challenge (8/8)

Summary: A poor, frail fisherman in the Cuban Gulf seeks one last big catch in a solo expedition without his young companion.

Review:

Apparently this book, even at a slim 93 pages (in my Scribner Classics hardcover edition with gorgeous illustrations) has bored many readers to tears and turned them off other Ernest Hemingway books, because it's...get this...about a fish. Well, yes, it is, but you don't really believe that even a heavyweight like Hemingway could draw much depth from just a fish, do you?

I read it in one sitting, which is unusual for me, but was part of a rare literary experience--that a book I didn't expect to like because of so many others' misgivings turned out to be a bright although tiny gem of a book.

Hemingway contrasts age, infirmity, and desire through the unusual friendship between the old fisherman and the young boy--one having the wisdom of life experience, the other with the energy, fearlessness, and youthful exuberance to rekindle feelings of optimism and love in his old friend. And the fish is not merely a fish, but represents the essence of the fisherman's passion. But this is the obvious connection that is as clear as a fairy tale moral. What is tougher to grasp is why the fisherman insists on striving for the seemingly impossible: catching a super-sized fish without his young friend.

**Minor spoiler**
Why doesn't he simply let the fish go? My impression is that he can only do what he has always loved and risk everything to accomplish this feat, or he would die miserably, wondering what could have been. It's not an easy concept for anyone to understand but if you can at least sympathize with his plight for strength to succeed in what every caper movie I've seen would call "one last score" before retiring for good.

As much as many others have struggled to stay patient with this story and not feel bogged down by the irony of its heft for such a slim volume of work, complaints about the book seem hyperbolized to me. For someone who has never fished and has no interest or skill in it, the story spoke to me through its treatment of powerful, familiar themes and metaphors of life and death that are simple, straightforward, but not as obvious as they seem on the surface. Hemingway stays away from the repetition and monotony that makes some literary fiction seem to scream "This is the point! Get it?" on every page. The beauty of the story is in its subtlety that reads like a fable. I encourage you to set aside what you've heard about it and read it for yourself.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas

2011-12-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1844
Pages: 396
ISBN: 9780140373530
Genre: Classics

Started: Oct. 23, 2011
Finished: Oct. 28, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: Years after being wrongfully imprisoned, Edmond Dantes seeks the truth behind his arrest, justice served to those who wronged him, riches for the friends who stood by him, and to reunite with his beloved Mercedes.

Review:

Quite simply, I loved this book. Though introduced in my favourite movie, The Shawshank Redemption, as being "about a prison break," it was about so much more with beautifully interwoven themes of revenge, the longevity of love and friendship, loyalty, and the fact that there is no statute of limitations on seeking justice. The characters were richly developed and all played a significant part in the story. Unexpected changes came with nearly every chapter after the initial conflict begins. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger, owing to the fact that the book was originally printed in serial form, the earliest form of the suspense thriller, but is much smarter than the average book in this more contemporary genre.

Along with the books of Jane Austen, this is the perfect introduction to classic literature for young adults. I pictured myself reading and teaching this book to middle or high school students, and just maybe one of them might say, "Oh, this is what they're trying to say? Why can't Shakespeare and all those other old writers write it that way?"

If you're reluctant to read classics or if you love them, you can't do much better than this. It's a ride without brakes.

Please note: I didn't realize this was an abridged edition until I started the book, and as much as I loved it, I'm wondering if anyone knows what was edited or changed? It did seem like some language was modernized and I've read that the page conut is pared down, but I sure hope the original story wasn't mangled in the process! Otherwise, what edition would you recommend?

P.S. I'm envious of this Barnes & Noble cover. Aren't their leather-bound books gorgeous?

Rank: (A+)- Amazing, Must Read!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-12-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Our neighbourhood's hydro is being shut down for a few hours, so I have to get this up quickly :D Can you believe, less than 2 weeks until Xmas? I've nearly finished my shopping. Next up: baking. And I'm playing the newest Legend of Zelda game, Skyward Swod, on the Wii--incredible animation with lots of fun bits from older games. Ah, nostalgia :D

Read This Week: (1)
Bag of Bones- Stephen King--Wow, this was a change of pace for SK and I really enjoyed it! A mini-series with Pierce Brosnan aired last night on A&E (Part 2 is on tonight) but I didn't really get into it.

Currently Reading: (3)
The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved--Almost finished. It's interesting...most of the time. It's not for everyone and certainly not casual reading, but it was worthwhile for me.

These two are on the back burner for now:
U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews:
I'm behind by 5 now. Writing reviews seemed like a chore but by putting them off so long, I get back in the mood to write them. I'll fire some off this week. Titles to look for:
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas (A+)
The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway (A)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers (A)
It- Stephen King (A)
Bag of Bones- Stephen King (A+)

Next to Read:
Emma by Jane Austen. I'm in an Austen mood for the pre-holidays :)

Have a great week of reading :)

November Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

2011-12-01T10:50:00.001-05:00

*It's beginning to look a lot like...you know*

Read This Month: (2)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers
It- Stephen King (just finished it last night...almost 1100 pages, whew!)

Currently Reading: (3)
Bag of Bones- Stephen King--starting this today; I must be on a King fix!
U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)--set aside for now; will return to it
My Life- Bill Clinton--will eventually return to

Reviews This Month: (2)
An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton (A)
The Stand- Stephen King (A)

Other Bookish Things:
I made plans for these 2012 challenges:
Mixing It Up
What's in a Name 5
New Authors
Outdo Yourself
Back to the Classics

Year-to-Date: (51) (actually 53, but some reviews are backlogged...again)

The Stand- Stephen King

2011-11-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1978 (the complete & uncut edition which I read was published in 1990)
Pages: 1141
ISBN: 9780451169532
Genre: Horror/Fantasy/Science Fiction

Start Date:  Oct. 6, 2011
Finished Date:  Oct. 19, 2011 (14 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: For the SK Challenge but also because it's one of SK's most beloved books and I'd never (*gasp*) read it!
Read For: Stephen King Challenge (6/6)

Summary: After an apocalyptic virus wipes out most of the world's population, a scattering of survivors, including a quiet Texan, a pregnant college student, a nerdy teenager, a one-hit singer, and a deaf-mute,  who all have dreams involving an evil Dark Man and a prophetic woman, form a progressive group to rebuild some form of society and order.

Review:

Finally...I read the book deemed to be Stephen King's magnum opus. Like his similarly plotted but more contemporary Under the Dome, it's a massive, complex undertaking but the 1100+ pages fly by in waves, and I finished it in no time.
Stephen King fans will recognize a number of motifs: dreams, premonitions, hidden motives, shadows eclipsing seemingly decent people with the mask of an evil presence. Oh and there's cultural references, too, with song lyrics cropping up in an epitaph for each of the book's three parts. I dig King's taste in rock and roll music :)

The plot is impossible to explain without spoilers, so instead I'll make a short list of thoughts.  I will try to be discrete with spoilers but please note the *SPOILER ALERT*:

Nick was by far my favourite character. I love unlikely heroes and how they deal with being thrust into a role they didn't foresee or even want. His friendship with Tom brought out his best qualities as a sympathetic person. I thought his death was a bit cheap and written off too quickly, but his ethereal presence later on in Tom's mind made up for it.
I wasn't that taken with Larry, though many readers like him. He didn't have very much going for him in the way of a personality. His relationship with Rita dragged on and it could have been better if it was Nadine he met from the start (which I read was how the movie showed it).
The twist near the end with the Trashcan Man was fantastic! His role in the book puzzled me for some time, but never failed to fascinate and then it becomes clear.
Nadine and Julie were just creepy. They almost made Randall Flagg sympathetic.
I liked the idea that not all survivors had good intentions (how boring would it have been otherwise?).
A lingering question remains with me...What is the condition of other countries post-virus? There are speculations about Europe, China and India (if I recall correctly) and there is a suggestion that Canada is in better shape than the U.S. (I think someone wanted to head that way), but the rest of the world's status is unknown.

I haven't seen the 1994 TV miniseries with Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Ray Walston, Rob Lowe, and Laura San Giacomo. Supposedly, there is also a movie remake in the works to be directed by Ben Affleck.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

More Challenges...Up to 5 Now

2011-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

I'm signing up for three more challenges. 2012 is looking better & better :) Click on the challenge name for the sign-up page.

The Mixing It Up Challenge is being hosted by Ellie @ Musings of a Bookshop Girl.

I love the variety of genres being offered up! It's great to tiptoe out of your comfort zone every now & then. I'm going to be quite audacious & aim to complete all 16 categories! This will also contribute 12 (!) new authors to the New Authors challenge (see below). My intended reads are:

Classics: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (cross-over with Back to the Classics challenge)
Biography: A Lotus Grows in the Mud by Goldie Hawn
Cookery, Food & Wine: Shameless Explotations in Pursuit of the Common Good by Paul Newman & A.E. Hotchner--to clarify, this book is about Newman's Own salad dressing :)
History: Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy
Modern Fiction: The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium series, #2) by Stieg Larsson
Graphic Novels/Manga: Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Crime/Mystery: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (cross-over with Back to the Classics challenge)
Horror: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Romance: Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence (cross-over with Back to the Classics challenge)
Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
Travel: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (cross-over with Back to the Classics challenge)
Poetry: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Journalism/Humour: Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
Science/Natural History: On the Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin (cross-over with What's in a Name 5 challenge)
Children/YA: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (cross-over with What's in a Name 5 challenge)
Social Sciences/Philosophy: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

What's in a Name 5 Challenge hosted by Beth @ Beth Fish Reads.

Yay! I'm glad to be participating in this unique challenge again this year. There are 6 categories to complete. Here are my intended book choices (the connection to the category is underlined):

Topographical Feature: A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens
Something in the Sky: Cloud Atlas- David Mitchell
Creepy Crawly: On the Origin of the Species- Charles Darwin (cross-over with Mixing It Up challenge)
Type of House: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium series, #3)- Stieg Larsson (cross-over with Mixing It Up)
Something Carried in a Pocket, Purse or Backpack: Treasure Island- Robert Louis Stevenson (cross-over with Mixing It Up challenge)
Something on the Calendar: 11/22/63- Stephen King

The New Authors Challenge is being hosted @ Literary Escapism.

These can be authors new just to you, not new as in debuting their first novel this year. With the books I'm planning to read for my other challenges, I will encounter 18 new authors (so far):

Willa Cather, Charlotte Bronte, George Bernard Shaw, Arthur Conan Doyle, D.H. Lawrence, Jonathan Swift, Bernhard Schlink, E. Annie Proulx, Goldie Hawn, Paul Newman (with A.E. Hotchner--OI counted this as one), John F. Kennedy, Neil Gaiman, Ellen DeGeneres, Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens (I know, I know...), and David Mitchell.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-11-14T10:34:00.001-05:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I skipped last week's meme post as nothing had changed. I had more progress over the weekend, finishing the book I've been on for about two weeks, and acquired some early bookish Xmas goodies :)

On Friday, the final Harry Potter movie was released on DVD/BluRay and all 8 movies were packaged in a box set. There were only 2 box sets (!) left on the shelf at Future Shop and one is now mine :) I've now seen all 8 movies and they were fantastic (didn't doubt it from the start). If I had to choose, I think Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix were the strongest movies. I loved how the film tweaked Lupin and Snape's role in PoA and Imelda Staunton was the perfect Dolores Umbridge. Oooh...she was nasty :D Unfortunately, this set doesn't have many bonus features but no big deal.

I also (finally) found a copy of It by Stephen King, which I'm starting today. All I know is it involves a freakish clown :D And I picked up book #3 of the Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (still need to read book #2), and The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler as I appear to have misplaced my original copy.

And lastly, I got two DVDs:

Sense & Sensibility
Emma Thompson's adaptation of Jane Austen's novel was bright and refreshing, making the relationships between characters stronger than I felt the novel lead on.

What's Up Doc?
A hilarious modernized (for the time) screwball comedy.

P.S. I forgot to mention that I also snagged a 10th anniversary edition copy of Bag of Bones by Stephen King. The cover is different than this one.

Read This Week: (1)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers
This was a heartbreaking but beautiful book. It reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird with its depiction of coming of age in the South during the Depression. Review coming soon.

Currently Reading: (3)
It- Stephen King
I'm going to start this today. I've been meaning to read this for a long time!

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week: (1)
An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton

Next to Read:
My options are wide open :)

Bookish Fun

2011-11-08T11:50:00.001-05:00

I found these two Q&As while blog hopping today and had to participate.

Jillian @ Random Ramblings posted this Character Tag. Here's my take on it:

1. Which character would you throw out the window?
Willoughby from Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. Arrgghh...he was annoying!

2. Which character would be your best friend?
Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. She's always been my favourite character.

3. If you could make a character come to life, who would it be?
So many options! I would probably choose prot from K-PAX by Gene Brewer. He could potentially solve a lot of the world's problems.

4. What traits do you look for in a character?
In a hero, obviously bravery, tenacity, but also a feeling of self-doubt and uncertainty that adds to the story's conflict. In a villain, assuredness, confidence, and a wicked sense of humour.

5. What would you change in your favorite character?
I think in order to truly love a character, you accept him/her as is, so I wouldn't change a thing :)

6. Favorite male/female character?
Tough one! When push comes to shove, I would say Anne Shirley and Col. Brandon (from Sense & Sensibility).

7. What two characters from different books would you put together?

Hmmm....this one is stumping me.

8. Favorite book couple?

Anne & Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables; Henry & Claire from The Time Traveler's Wife

9. Cutest character?
I love the conversations between Scout, Jem & Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It definitely brings out nostalgic feelings :)

Dizzy @ DizzyC's Little Book Blog posted about a 30-day book talk. I'm taking a shortcut as I won't have time to participate in the long term but here's what I came up with for the topics:

The best book you read last year
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I was lucky enough to read several "A+" books last year.

A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
The Firm by John Grisham. Probably about 5 times :)

Your favorite series
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.

Favorite book of your favorite series
#7- The Deathly Hallows. It makes everything come together so clearly.

A book that makes you happy
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. *Ahhh* :)

A book that makes you sad
The Green Mile by Stephen King. Despite being sad, it's one of my all-time favourite books.

Most underrated book
K-PAX by Gene Brewer. Not enough people have read it. Amazing!

Most overrated book
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Sorry, not for me.

A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
I was skeptical about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and put it off for way too long. This was snorting milk out the nose funny :D

Favorite classic book
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Very few books are this perfect.

A book you hated
I've written about this enough times but Jonathan Franzen doesn't cut it for me. Freedom and The Corrections. Ugh...

A book you used to love but don’t anymore
I'm not sure about this one as I haven't re-read old favourites in a while. If I had to guess, I think The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger would probably be lukewarm on a second read.

Your favorite writer
In terms of the number of books I've read and liked by him, probably Stephen King.

Favorite book of your favorite writer
The Green Mile with Different Seasons a very close second.

Favorite male character
Col. Brandon from Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. He's gentlemanly, thoughtful, generous, and unwavering in spite of other people's feelings about him.

Favorite female character
Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. She`s spunky, romantic, passionate, and literary.

Favorite quote(s) from your favorite book(s)
One of my favourites (I may be paraphrasing) is "'What is the purpose of books,' thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?'" from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

A book that disappointed you
I was really hoping to like Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut but I couldn't get into it.

Favorite book turned into a movie
It was actually a short story but my favourite movie, The Shawshank Redemption, was in Different Seasons by Stephen King.

Favorite romance book
I only like literary romances like by Jane Austen. I'm not much for Danielle Steel or novels categorized as romances in bookstores. With that being said, I would go with Sense & Sensibility.

Favorite book from your childhood
I gobbled up every single Babysitters Club book ever printed :D

Favorite book you own
I own a copy of all my favourites.

A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Too many! I'm planning to (finally) read Jane Eyre for next year's Back to the Classics challenge.

A book that you wish more people would’ve read
I don't think enough people read books. Period. Read anything!

A character who you can relate to the most
I definitely related to Hermione Granger in Harry Potter with her booksmarts and being very studious :)

A book that changed your opinion about something
I can't say for sure that this has happened to me. I think reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury made me realize just how important it is to protect and cherish the written word.

The most surprising plot twist or ending
Without spoiling anything, I loved how Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finished up, especially with Snape :)

Favorite title(s)
I have a top 25 favourite books list.

A book everyone hated but you liked
I don't think everyone necessarily hated it, but I actually liked The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, while most people seemed to find it boring.

Your favorite book of all time
Has to be Anne of Green Gables :)

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton

2011-11-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1991 (3rd edition)
Pages: 324
ISBN: 0140170960
Genre: Literary Reference

Started: Sept. 29, 2011
Finished: Oct. 6, 2011 (8 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: I knew that James Lipton had written this book but I thought it was a novel. When I found the book and skimmed through it, it turned out to be a unique piece of literary reference!

Summary: The history of venery, a linguistic term referring to collective nouns, is rendered in this handy reference book that traces the origins of centuries-old terms and reflects on more contemporary, unofficial examples.

Review:

First things first: James Lipton is great at writing introductions. I've read two of his books and they both have intriguing prologues that open up a Pandora's box of fascination with academic integrity and a string of analogies that make clear the intent and heart of the project he undertakes. An Exaltation of Larks appears on the surface to be a dictionary but it's a very satisfying experience to read chronologically.

Lipton uses sophisticated vocabulary and his trademark dry wit in publishing nearly exhaustive research supplemented by resources hundreds of years old in a glorified reference book that traces the linguistic history of collective terms from the most common (e.g. a pride of lions) to the lesser known (e.g. a rascal of boys) to the creative puns thought up by academic contemporaries (e.g. under the category of academe: a dilation of pupils!).

The book is a handy reference for teachers and makes for a good icebreaker. The gorgeous illustrations, designed by Lipton's wife Kedakai, are included on nearly every page and provide further insight into the origins of the terms. This is one unique book.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Back to the Classics for 2012!

2011-11-04T10:53:00.000-04:00

I'm officially signing up today. You can too @ Sarah Reads Too Much and get all the details there. Thanks to Sarah for hosting again :)

As for my reading selections, I'm very excited about my choices for the upcoming year. This may change, but for now, this is what I intend to read:

19th Century Classic:
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte

20th Century Classic:
My Antonia- Willa Cather

Classic Re-Read:
Pride & Prejudice- Jane Austen

Classic Play:
Pygmalion- George Bernard Shaw

Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction:
The Hound of the Baskervilles- Arthur Conan Doyle

Classic Romance:
Lady Chatterley's Lover- D.H. Lawrence

Classic in Translation:
The Reader- Bernhard Schlink (Swiss)

Classic Award Winner:
The Shipping News- E. Annie Proulx (Pulitzer Prize)

Classic in a Country I'll Never See:
Gulliver's Travels- Jonathan Swift (Liliput)

October Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

2011-10-31T13:07:00.000-04:00

Read This Month: (5)
Teacher Man- Frank McCourt
(reviews coming soon for these)
An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton
The Stand- Stephen King
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway

...and 4 DNFS!

Other Reviews This Month: (4)
Night- Elie Wiesel (A+)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen (A) (I also saw the movie--fantastic!)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot (B)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King (A)

Year-to-Date: (49)

P.S. I forgot to list the reviews I did in September, so that's been edited on the September wrap-up post :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-10-31T12:30:00.001-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Happy Hallowe'en!

I had an annoying nose & throat cold all this week, so it was the perfect time for reading. Luckily I'm well in time for handing out candy at the door tonight and will be watching Nightmare Before Christmas as I do every year on this day (*What's this? What's this?*) and I taped Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1978 version) I've wanted to see for a long time. The 1950s original is still really good and I'd watch Donald Sutherland read the phone book, so there you have it :)

Read This Week: (3)
Reviews coming soon for these two:
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas--Awesome! Highly recommend.
The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway--Read in one sitting.

and 1 DNF:

We Need to Talk About Kevin- Lionel Shriver
I got through about 60 pages. I understand that this was a critical masterpiece to some people but it was way too depressing for me to continue with it. I knew it wouldn't be a book I could "like" given the subject matter (yet I liked The Handmaid's Tale, Atonement, The Stand, and other books with very sad, even downright miserable circumstances). The perspective of the novel was not what I expected (not necessarily a bad thing), and I found the vocabulary was impressive, the style interesting, but it was the protagonist, Eva, that made me want to chuck the book across the room. I've never read about such a dark, depressing character and it actually made me nauseous. No thanks...

Currently Reading: (3)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers--Off to a good start. I saw the movie a few years ago and thought Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke were amazing.

U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews Written This Week:
Teacher Man- Frank McCourt (A)

Next to Read:
I haven't planned what to read next. My options are wide open :)

Other Blog News:
Thinking About Challenges...
I could use your input on writing a wrap-up post.

Have a great reading week :)

Thinking About Challenges...

2011-10-30T17:11:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, 2012 reading challenges are a-coming :) So far, it looks like two challenges I participated in this year are coming back in the new year:

The Book Vixen is once again hosting the Outdo Yourself challenge, which is a no-brainer to join as I'm constantly trying to read more. I read so much more this year with starting up my book blog than I ever have and I'm gearing up for even more in 2012. My initial goal will be Out of Breath (6-10 more books), considering my year-end total will probably be in the 50s or 60s.

Sarah @ Sarah Reads Too Much will soon be announcing details for an encore of Back to the Classics. Yay! I really loved that challenge. It definitely got me off my behind and in gear to read older books I've always wanted to absorb but don't have the incentive to get to. Can't wait for the new categories!

So that's two challenges I'm signing up for. I think I will stick to a small, manageable number of challenges so I'm not restricted to a book list and have room for my spontaneous side. Maybe two or three more...

As for my 2011 challenges....*drumroll please*...ALL DONE! Yay! I still have a few reviews to write but having read The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway for the last Back to the Classics category in just one sitting, I'm officially finished. Of course, my total for the Outdo Yourself challenge will continue until December 31st at midnight ;)

I'm planning a wrap-up post to conclude and celebrate the end of my 2011 challenges. This is where I need your help. As some of you may already know, this is the first year I've participated in reading challenges (seeing as the blog itself is just 14 months old) and I'm not too sure what this post should be like.

Do you have any ideas or topics of interest that might be good for a challenge wrap-up post?

Also, is it customary to post it near the end of the year or can it go up any time?

Please post ideas in the comments. I look forward to hearing your thoughts :) I'd also love to hear about any 2012 reading challenges you think I'd like to participate in.

Thanks!

Teacher Man- Frank McCourt

2011-10-28T11:58:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2005
Pages: 258
ISBN: 9780743243780
Genre: Memoir

Started: Sept. 28, 2011
Finished: Oct. 5, 2011 (8 days)

Where Found: Xmas 2010 gift
Why Read: Being a teacher, I'm always on the lookout for books about teaching & until I came across this book (not previously knowing that Frank McCourt had been a teacher), I thought it would be interesting to read about his experiences.

Summary: A memoir by the author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, the third in a trilogy, recalls his 30-year career teaching English and creative writing in New York vocational, technical, and trade-focused high schools.

Review:

When I was in teacher's college, a principal who mentored our group of teachers-to-be gave us a packet of information that included a stationary template titled "Teaching is Aardvark" with a poor aadvark grasping a pointer and its students standing on their heads. Yup, I've had days like that and so did Frank "Teacher Man" McCourt.

What was the most refreshing about this book is that his experiences aren't preachy, sugar-coated or self-satisfied vignettes. They don't even represent "coming full circle" as memoirs tend to show. McCourt understood how students on a path to technical vocations loathed bookish subjects such as English and how he had to ignore stubborn curricular directives from adminstration in order to strike a light under his students and keep them interested.

McCourt has numerous teaching stories, from taking his class to the park for a picnic of multicultural foods to spice up their vocabulary, accompanying the reading of cookbook recipes with musical instruments, and my personal favourite: eating a sandwich thrown on the floor much to the dismay of the students and swishing the wrapper into the wastebasket.

Thinking outside the box is not only a popular method of teaching in order to reach the kids, but McCourt simply accepts it as the only way to teach. He is not one to mince words with administration and has a modest outlook on his career. To "Teacher Man" he was only a listener and a silent partner. To the few students who told him so, whether in class or years later, he created highly unusual, unconventional experiences for them (and him) to not only write about but to remember that the best stories are lived experiences.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-10-24T14:18:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I skipped a post last Monday as my progress was identical to the previous week. This past week: progress!

Read This Week: (1)
The Stand- Stephen King (A)--review coming soon
...and 3 DNFs! Here's why that happened.

Currently Reading: (3)
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas--off to an awesome start; definitely influenced The Shawshank Redemption, my favourite movie :)

U2 by U2- Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen Jr. (a.k.a. U2)--fun!

My Life- Bill Clinton--I won't "DNF" this...probably won't finish until into 2012 :)

Reviews This Week: (2)
A 2-in-1 post for Born Standing Up by Steve Martin & Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

I'm just behind by 3 now :)

Next to Read:
I'll probably finish off the Back to the Classics challenge (my last one!) with my replacement 20th century pick, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Wish me luck :)

Other Bookish News:
I went with a friend of mine to see The Ides of March with George Clooney & Ryan Gosling (also a great supporting cast of Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Evan Rachel Wood). It was quite good, full of political scandal and intrigue. I recommend it...and having two smokin' hot leading men doesn't hurt, either ;)

After the movie, we stopped off at the Indigo bookstore and I couldn't leave without snapping up at least 1 book. I chose We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (who, until news of the movie version came about, I thought was a man....oops!). I also got the super fun musical Singin' in the Rain on DVD for just $10 (for me) and an early Xmas gift for my dad.

Have a great reading week!

I Give...Uncle!

2011-10-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

I've had three (count 'em, three) DNFs this week. After finishing the marathon that was Stephen King's The Stand (very good by the way--review coming soon), I started returning to the partially read books piling up on my nightstand.

After some thought, I realized that to go from committing to over 1000 pages over the last two weeks, I don't have much time to waste with books that I can't get into or finish. So...here are the details on my 3 DNFs:

The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
I got through 250 pages (about half the book). It's very padded with subplots that were cut from the movie version for a reason--they plod along and don't get very far in so many pages. This is one example of the movie trumping the book. The humour was sharper, the characters more sympathetic, and the plot more focused.

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey
I got through about 50 pages. This is one of my favourite movies (the original version with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw) and was sad to let this one go. The writing was cliched, the characters even more so, and (I admit this occurs in the movie, too) a number of racist slurs that make me cringe. A small amount in the movie adds tension and gives the villains even more reason to hate them, but in the book, it was way too much.

On the Road- Jack Kerouac (for the Back to the Classics challenge)
This one immediately felt wrong. I only read about 30 pages and nothing really happened. The writing was either composed of very clipped sentences (the kind I tend to see in children's writing) with lots of "the"s, "and"s, and other single-syllable words that got on my nerves very quickly, or the polar opposite occured: there were sentences that used commas or semi-colons to make a run-on sentence into a single paragraph. It just wasn't for me.

I'm now replacing The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway for my 20th century selection in the Back to the Classics challenge. Wish me luck!

P.S. I'm now reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and it's been a fantastic start! Also, for a nonfiction break, U2 by U2 is an interesting historical look at the band from their start in Dublin to sold-out arenas worldwide.

"We Are Two Wild & Craaazy Guys!" (Steve Martin & David Sedaris)

2011-10-19T10:25:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Born Standing Up- Steve Martin

Published: 2007
Pages: 207
ISBN: 9781847391483
Genre: Memoir

Started: Aug. 22, 2011
Finished: Aug. 27, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: A memoir of the creative process in writing and performing stand-up comedy with the trademark sardonic wit of Steve Martin, who went on to star on SNL and in comedy classics The Jerk, L.A. Story, Roxanne, and Father of the Bride.

Review:

I remember first encountering Steve Martin in a lesser-known movie of his called A Simple Twist of Fate and I especially remember a scene where he had to describe to a social worker why he would make a good father to an orphaned girl he has been a guardian to. He has a knack for delivering the funniest lines with a deadly serious facial expression that never fails to get a laugh. And his banjo-playing is pretty good, too :)

Martin recounts his beginnings in stand-up comedy with sharp recall and a reflective humbleness that is particularly refreshing for a memoir, bereft of ego in a genre in which is nearly impossible to avoid it. He has a fascinating educational background in philosophy and had early starts in performing magic tricks, vaudeville, and writing jokes, all given a respectful place in starting and contributing to his career as a comedian.

One of my favourite stories is how Martin often performed in venues with audiences so small that he used to take them outside and improvise bits on a walking tour! Then when his audiences grew into auditorium sizes, it was a part of the show that he missed the most.

This is a book impossible not to enjoy.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris

Published: 2000
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9780316777728
Genre: Humour

Started: Sept. 8, 2011
Finished: about Sept. 14, 2011 (about 7 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: There were so many positive reviews from book bloggers, I had to give it a try.

Summary: A series of vignettes surrounding themes of family, growing up, mistakes, and learning.

Review:

Where have I been all this time that I haven't read or even heard of David Sedaris?! Once I started book blogging, his name was cropping up on nearly every blog I followed and it was Melissa @ Avid Reader's Musings who suggested Me Talk Pretty One Day was the best book of his to start with. She was absolutely right--I was taken with it immediately and it was a laugh-riot to the end.

I had to keep reminding myself that Sedaris is from North Carolina and not Britain, because his humour reminds me of the self-deprecation of comics like John Cleese and Dudley Moore...and I just couldn't fit him with a Southern accent. Then again, I haven't heard the audiobook version (that would probably clue me in right away).

These stories were my favourites and are guaranteed side-splitters:
Big Boy--at a party, he goes to use the bathroom and tries to fix a clogging toilet
Me Talk Pretty One Day--learning French from a sadistic teacher
Picka Pocketoni--he and his boyfriend are mistaken for pickpockets by tourists in Paris
...and any story about his parents, wickedly funny sister, and their dogs.

His humour may take adjusting for readers new to his books and can sometimes tease the borderline between acceptable and going too far, but if you take it all in stride--that is, if you realize that his humour is not hateful but just written with a poison pen--it's a wildly funny ride.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Friday Blog Hop

2011-10-14T09:32:00.001-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books.

I haven't participated in the hop for a while, but this topic is getting me in the mood for Hallowe'en!

What is your favorite spooky book (i.e. mystery/suspense, thriller, ghost story, etc.)?

*OoOoOoh*...did you hear that?! My favourite scary book is Carrie by Stephen King. There is no other book I know that scared me more than the scene where Carrie leaves the prom to walk home. I was reading it on a bus ride home. Yikes! Luckily it was daytime or I'd ever be able to walk home :D

A close runner-up: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. After all, what could be scarier than a world without books?

In book news, I've been eyeballs deep into The Stand and have reached the halfway mark already! It's quite a trip and should knock off a large chunk of it this weekend with rainy weather in the forecast. And I still have a few reviews to write...I haven't forgotten, just savouring my words until I get it just right. *Yes, that will do* (to quote a classic Mr. Burns' line of excuse-mongering).

Have a great weekend everyone :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-10-10T09:53:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadian book bloggers & visitors!

I played catch-up this week and posted 4 backlog reviews with 4 more left to come.

Read This Week: (2)
Teacher Man- Frank McCourt--I am always pleased to find an author I haven't read before but have heard so much about and end up enjoying. This was a terrific read! Review coming soon.

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton--Witty, fascinating look at collective nouns (or venery) from the well-known (pride of lions, murder of crows) to the clever (wince of dentists, a mutter of mothers-in-law). Review coming soon

Currently Reading: (4)
(Well, not really. One at the moment & 3 sitting idle)

The Stand- Stephen King--I'm hooked! After reading Under the Dome, I can see a similar style with a truckload of characters and criss-crossing of plotlines. Loving it!

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week: (4)
Night- Elie Wiesel (A+)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen (A)--have added to My Top 25 Favourite Books (#24)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot (B)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King (A)

Pet Sematary- Stephen King

2011-10-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1983
Pages: 562
ISBN: 9780743412278
Genre: Horror

Started: Aug. 28, 2011
Finished: Sept. 2, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list; a Stephen King classic I hadn't devoured yet
Read For: Stephen King challenge (5/6)

Summary: Dr. Creed and his family move into an old relic with an ancient burial ground that has eerie powers soon perpetuating a series of morbid events that get even more tragic as they close in on the Creeds and their old neighbour with unsettling past experiences.

Review:

This turned out to be better than I expected. Judging from the book's premise, I figured King had dug up his roots in horror writing with an homage of sorts to the B-movies and magazine serials of his youth with cornball storylines and unspeakable (due to fits of giggling) dialogue. Yup, he did. But it's still the intriguing pageturner that you wouldn't expect any less of from King.

The buildup is a tricky plot device in this novel: some people will be irritated by it; others (myself included) see the purpose in laying the plot out one brick at a time for nearly half the novel to give greater depth to the climax because from there on out, it's impossible to stop reading. The distance between instigating action and climax is rather lengthy, but boy does it hit you once it comes.

I've always been a big fan of King's supporting characters, often the most fascinating and/or horrifying people that steal the main characters' thunder (some of my favourites are Mrs. White in Carrie, Eduard Delacroix in The Green Mile, Mrs. Carmody in The Mist). In this book, it's Jud Crandall, who is a much more layered character than Louis Creed, with his age offering a plentitude of experiences that carry the weight of the novel. Granted, Louis is also likeable and ends up taking on his share of weighty experiences, but when it comes to the hero of the story, Jud is it.

I was surprised to find that I like this book as much as I do. King fans will recognize a different sense of the macabre than say Carrie or The Shining. I came away with the feeling that King created a quality story from a B-movie idea and infused the characters with likeability to the point that the only villain that exists is an invisible threat and, as horror stories tend to prove, a terror that we can't sense is the scariest of them all.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot

2011-10-08T14:24:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2010
Pages: 313
ISBN: 9780470433638
Genre: Biography

Started: Sept. 2, 2011
Finished: Sept. 7, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: I love his music and the classic tunes by Simon & Garfunkel. This was a fortuitous find!

Summary: A tributary biography of singer/musician Paul Simon and his impressive catalogue of hit songs, from his start as half of the duos Tom & Jerry and the legendary Simon and Garfunkel, and his solo career to date.

Review:

Paul Simon is the subject of Marc Eliot's fan-pleasing biography: the "Jerry" to Art Garfunkel's "Tom" in the 1950s teenybopper pop genre, later forming the duo Simon and Garfunkel that recorded 5 original albums in just six years, contributed to one of the most beloved movie soundtracks ever (The Graduate), and boasts a catalogue that rivals the Beatles. After their magnum opus, Bridge Over Troubled Water, they went their separate ways, Simon releasing his 10th solo album this past year with groundbreaking tunes that introduced world beats into mainstream American pop music and Garfunkel dabbling in movies with supporting roles in Catch-22 and Carnal Knowledge and also releasing his 10th solo album in 2007.

The chronology of Simon's life is presented in a hefty, often breathless timeline with only small bursts of in-depth author commentary, which perhaps would have been more welcome than squeezing a copious amount of subject matter into a limited 300 pages. Points that matter most to readers--the recording of major albums, the inspiration and meaning of hit songs, details of his personal life--represent the meat of the biography and Eliot's strongest writing. The result is satisfying but what seems missing is a bigger picture: Simon (with and without Garfunkel)'s place in the history of American pop music. I also kept wondering what Eliot's interest was in his subject, which is rendered in a touching afterword but not threaded throughout the book. While a biographer should (and Eliot does) spotlight his subject and not himself, the connections between author and subject are somewhat removed until the end.

I recently watched the documentary The Harmony Game that explores the recording and events leading to and following the release of Bridge Over Troubled Water not long after finishing the biography and it was a fantastic companion, providing interesting insights into the album's composition, the making of an effective yet sadly controversial TV special, and a balance of both funny and touching anecdotes about the final compilation of one of the most iconic duos in American music.

As I state in my summary of the book, Eliot's biography is tributary in style and not very critical, though that doesn't mean that the author ignores or sugarcoats any bitter moments in Simon's life but definitely holds true as a fan and keeps an optimistic, if not readily enthusiastic, front, especially after Simon and Garfunkel go their separate ways. It's a pleasant read for fans of Simon and is an effective lesson in music history for the iPod generation who has yet to discover his magic.

Rank: (B)- Very Good, Recommend

Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen

2011-10-05T15:42:00.001-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1811
Pages: 336 (excluding appendices)
ISBN: 9781593080495
Genre: Classic

Started: Sept. 14, 2011
Finished: Sept. 27, 2011 (14 days)

Where Found: Book Depot (I have the edition pictured here, but I really love the Penguin Classic hardcover edition I've linked to at Amazon--they've been on sale at Chapters lately and it would match my edition of Emma and close enough to Pride & Prejudice. *Thus ends the rant*)

Why Read: I enjoyed P&P and was in the mood for a proper civilized romance novel.

Summary: In the English countryside, sisters Elinor and Marianne struggle to solidify their relationships with the men they love...but first they must understand who it is they actually do love.

Review:

This book surprised me in so many ways. For starters, it's the most suspenseful romance story of its time or even among contemporary books not of the thriller genre. Just when things are looking clear-cut, a new twist occurs, turning the whole story around several times before reaching a pleasant, though tidy conclusion.

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are sweet, lovable characters that you want every happiness for, except neither truly knows what will make them happy, or rather who will make them happiest. Col. Brandon is by far the most likable character--loyal, sincere, and genteel, regardless of misguided rumours surrounding his personal life. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are a hoot to read about, being such complete opposites you wonder what the mutual attraction is. Unfortunately the two main male love interests, Edward and Willoughby, are not so enjoyable--I found Edward to be just plain uninteresting, (though I thought his reaction to Elinor's question near the end was one of the best reactions and lines of dialogue in the novel) and Willoughby, you will learn soon enough, is far from sympathetic and comes across as an immature rat.

Austen's humour and criticism of social dynamics is much more explicit in Sense & Sensibility, whereas Pride & Prejudice makes us read between the lines to find subtle hints of the same nature. The styles are similar and even the storyline is familiar, if a bit more risque with a small but more complex set of characters. You may disagree, but I actually found myself more taken with Sense & Sensibility than Pride & Prejudice. Some day, I would love to re-read P&P, especially now that I'm more familiar with Austen's style.

What stops the novel shy of an A+ for me is the slim details of the ending. I'm not aware of the history behind the novel's publication, but it ended so abruptly it was as if Austen was under pressure to submit it or was under a page count restriction. I definitely could have done without Willoughby's exasperating speech near the end and seen more of the Dashwood sisters' romantic couplings which are held in suspense for a great majority of the novel, only to come together within the last ten or so pages!

Emma Thompson adapted the novel into an Oscar-winning screenplay for the 1995 film adaptation, also starring as Elinor with Kate Winslet as Marianne, Alan Rickman as Col. Brandon, Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars, and Greg Wise as Willoughby. I haven't seen it yet but it looks fantastic :)

Update: I have seen the movie now and absolutely loved it. The script is loyal to the book but Emma Thompson's own touches and the purposeful, gentle direction of Ang Lee makes it a wonderful viewing experience.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Night- Elie Wiesel

2011-10-03T11:36:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1958 (translated: 2006)
Pages: 120
ISBN: 139780374500016
Genre: Memoir

Start Date: Aug. 16, 2011
Finished Date: Aug. 21, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list

Read For: Back to the Classics Challenge (7/8)

Summary: A Holocaust survivor gives a detailed account of the escalating horror he endured as a teenager shifting through several concentration camps during WWII.

Review:

I began reading Night immediately after finishing the historical fiction novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a bold move that I was afraid would be depressing, but turned out to be one of the most important reading experiences I've ever had.

For such a gargantuan scope as the Holocaust, Wiesel has been quoted as a minimalist writer. But that is not the right word to use. He writes as much as needs to be said. His account is a slim volume without a single embellishment or unnecessary thread--every word suggests a cautious but deliberate style that gives readers room to pause and reflect in thought if not discussion.

Wiesel guides with a firm hand, sequencing his time in concentration camps with (at first) a subtle escalation from the beginnings of encampment at Sighet with the barbed wire and wearing a star of David, rising intensely as he transfers to Auschwitz, the crematoriums ever closer and the starvation, enforced labour, beatings, and deaths magnified, until he is sent to Buchenwald where on the evening of April 11, 1945, the prisoners are liberated.

I found it interesting that both Night and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas were written from the first-person perspectives of children. It sheds fresh light on a period of time that no matter how many renderings are printed cannot be exhausted, otherwise its memorial is forgotten.

Count this amongst the most important books you should read in your lifetime.

Rank: (A+)- Necessary Reading

September Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

2011-10-03T10:18:00.001-04:00

Yikes, that was a fast month! You can still see my August wrap-up post on my blog's main page :D I'll make this a quick post and get caught up on those reviews.

Read This Month: (4)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen

Reviews This Month: (3)
American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne
Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
Year-to-Date: (44)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-10-03T10:13:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I'm alive! It's been a busy couple of work weeks but I read the superb Sense & Sensibility which makes me want to read Pride & Prejudice again just to discover what I missed! The nighstand book pile is a bit tall now (see my cramped-looking Goodreads widget). I blame fluctuating reading moods :)

Read This & Last Week: (1)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen--loved it! I can't wait to get to the review...oh yeah, and all those backlogged ones, too ;)

Reviews:
Behind again...

Currently Reading: (5)
Aaacckkk!

Teacher Man- Frank McCourt--funny, bitterly true hurrah for teachers in tough situations

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton--whip-smart history of collective nouns (e.g. a pride of lions)

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey--love the movie (the original one) and dipped into this; not sure about it yet. There's a number of racial slurs that make me wince.

The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith--not sure when/if I'll ever finish this

My Life- Bill Clinton--I'm taking this very slow...can you tell?! :)

Next to Read:
I think I'm set for the rest of this week and maybe next week. I'll put my nose to the grindstone and start The Stand by Stephen King next. Maybe I'll finish it by New Year's :D

Have a great reading week!

Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll

2011-09-21T11:20:00.001-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1865
Pages: 129
ISBN: 9780007350827
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy

Started: Aug. 25, 2011
Finished: Aug. 28, 2011 (4 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: Intrigued by a white rabbit with a pocketwatch, a precocious young girl named Alice stumbles down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of riddles, rhymes, and oddball creatures.

Review:

How have I never read this before?! I loved the Disney movie as a child and the fairly recent Tim Burton version was entertaining (albeit taking liberties with the plot to make Alice an unlikely action heroine), and let's just pretend the 1933 movie with Cary Grant (!), Gary Cooper (!!) and its cheesy visual effects never happened. Despite this, I had never delved into the Lewis Carroll story. I think most of the language would go over child readers' heads, like the gags on Sesame Street (my current favourite: Grover's Old Spice spoof "Smell Like a Monster") that send adults a wink while their kids are watching with them, but is enjoyable for all audiences regardless.

Not since reading Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest has a story exploded with sharp satire, hilarious antics, and the dizzying feeling of not being entirely certain of its world but loving the adventure for its own sake. The story has boundless energy with Alice encountering a new character in every small chapter, remaining clueless as to her place in Wonderland but being charmed and pleasantly befuddled by it.

This can (and should) be read in one sitting and preferrably aloud as its language is too smart and funny not to be shared. As the famous line from the first page goes, "What is the use of a book without pictures or conversations?" And by the way...exactly how is a raven like a writing desk?

Rank: (A+)- Timeless Classic, Highly Recommend

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-09-19T09:42:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week: (1)
Me Talk Pretty Some Day- David Sedaris--LOL! LOL! LOL!

Currently Reading: (3)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen--very sweet :)
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:
Behind again, sorry :(

Next to Read:
I don't want to plan too far ahead but The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is peering out at me.

Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-09-12T09:36:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week: (1)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot--an enjoyable biography of one of my favourite musicians; review coming soon

Currently Reading: (3)
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris--should finish it off today or tomorrow; brutally funny!
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews:
None this week.

Next to Read:
I need to get back into The First Wives Club and hopefully finish it before moving on. I'll just wait and see what jumps out at me from my shelf :)

Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-09-05T10:13:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week: (1)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King (A)--review coming soon

Currently Reading: (3)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot--I love his and S&G's music, so when I spotted this at the Book Depot, I was thrilled! It's a smooth read so far, as breezy as the music.

The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith--I've stalled on this one and hope to get back to it after I finish the PS biography above.

My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews Written This Week: (2)
American on Purpose- Craig Fergson (B)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne (A+)

Other Posts This Week:
August Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date
2-in-1 Challenge Wrap-Up (1st in a Series and What's in a Name 4 challenges)

Have a great reading week :)

2-in-1 Challenge Wrap-Up Post

2011-09-03T16:15:00.000-04:00

Hosted by Katy @ A Few More Pages

I met my goal: 6/6 books (Series Lover)

Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter series) (re-read) (A+)
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia series) (A)
Rabbit, Run by John Updike (Rabbit series) (C)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's series) (A)
The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Dark Tower series) (overlaps with Stephen King challenge) (C)
A is For Alibi by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone series) (re-read) (A)

Favourite book of this challenge: Harry Potter!

Hosted by Beth @ What's in a Name 4

I met my goal: 6/6 books

Book With a Number: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (A+)

Book With Jewelry or a Gem: The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (B)

Book With a Size: A Short Guide to Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (A)

Book With Travel or Movement: This Time Together by Carol Burnett (B)

Book With Evil: A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving (A)

Book With a Life Stage: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (A+)

Favourite book from this challenge: Very close; either Fahrenheit 451 or The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne

2011-09-03T15:35:00.001-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2009 (note: this title is also sometimes published with the spelling "pajamas")
Pages: 216
ISBN: 9780061719547
Genre: Historical Fiction

Started: Aug. 12, 2011
Finished: Aug. 15, 2011 (4 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list

Read For: What's in a Name 4 challenge (6/6)

Summary: A young boy whose father is a Nazi soldier supervising Auschwitz during WWII secretly befriends a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp's fence.

Review:

A quick disclaimer: I am not here to contest the novel's historical accuracy or to defend any interests in or against the novel. I am simply reviewing the novel as a piece of literature. Any feelings represented here are my own and not meant to offend any party.

First of all, I must commend John Boyne for venturing into a territory that represents the darkest, most regrettable time in the history of our planet. Any writer who writes about the Holocaust is braving not only an emotionally draining experience but potentially sensitive reactions from readers, especially in Boyne's case, as he is writing in the genre of historical fiction, taking a true event and creating fiction within it. There are controversies surrounding the circumstances Boyne presents in the novel, such as the ages of children kept in the concentration camps, the use of electric fences that would considerably hinder Bruno and Shmuel's relationship, Bruno's startling lack of knowledge and common sense (even for a 9-year-old), and the wrenching ending that shocks and surprises you even if you have a slight idea of what will occur.

As a teacher, I am perfectly willing to accept Bruno's naivete as part of his character--there are indeed children that age (and even that of his 12-year-old sister, Gretel) who are less than knowledgeable about current events. Case in point: A 9-year-old student of mine asked why we were at war in Vietnam...during the current Iraq war. And he was very sure of himself. Children can certainly mix up facts and mishear names or are so adamant of their correctness that they refuse to accept any alternative. I feel that Bruno's continued use of Fury and Out-With in place of the actual names is not because of this, but to drive home the point that children have their own notions of reality and that they will recall their own ideas more prevalently than the real ones. Or you can simply accept a willing suspension of disbelief.

There is a lot of insight gained from this slim novel that only accounts from Holocaust survivors, such as Elie Wiesel, can surpass with the harsh truth of their experience. By taking the point of view of a child, especially one as naive as Bruno, Boyne creates the story's angle from that of an outsider, even one as close to the front lines as Bruno. This may sound pretentious but I felt that Bruno was metaphorically representing those who did not experience the Holocaust firsthand--we are on the other side of the fence, looking in and are not entirely sure what it was like. But of course, we are also adults and children's perspectives can be a harsh hue of black & white (though sometimes they can be surprisingly insightful).

From a literary standpoint, Boyne created an equally fascinating set of characters--ones that read well, are sympathetic, and insightful, and those that are terrifying, belligerent, and overbearing. His style is deliberately sparse, keeping the story as simple as a morality tale, then blind-siding us with a powerful ending that puts the entire story into perspective.

I also want to point out that I read this book in partnership with Night by Elie Wiesel, which I will be reviewing soon. Reading them one after the other seems harrowing but was incredible and could not be a better match in terms of impactful novels about the Holocaust.

Rank: (A+)- Amazing, Must-Read

August Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

2011-09-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

Summer, summer...where did you go?! As much as the summer is great for relaxing and catching up on things (like sleep!), the fall season brings about a feeling of refreshment for me--a new school year and an exhilarating push to read even more!

I'm happy to report that I've officially finished the What's in a Name 4 challenge and have surpassed my goal for the Outdo Yourself challenge. I'm also just 1 book away from finishing the Back to the Classics (On the Road by Jack Kerouac) and Stephen King (The Stand--I'll probably need most of the winter holidays for this one!) challenges with just under 4 months left. Hooray! I've enjoyed participating in these challenges and it's motivated me to read books that I've passed up for too long. Thanks again to all the hosts for your hard work :)

Now for my August stats...

Read This Month: (5)
Not too shabby :)

American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson (B)--just reviewed today
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne (A+)--review coming soon
Night- Elie Wiesel (A+)--review coming soon
Born Standing Up- Steve Martin (A)--review coming soon
Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll (A+)--review coming soon

Reviews This Month: (5)
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde (A)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (#5)- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (#6)- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (#7)- J.K. Rowling (A+)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King (C)

I caught up on my backlog of reviews from July. Now I'm behind by 5 books, all of August. It's the same old story: more reading, less reviewing or more reviewing, less reading. I think most of us would agree that reading trumps all :)

Year-to-Date: (40)
I'm setting a goal for myself: 50 by December 31st at 11:59 p.m. I think I can handle that :D

American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson

2011-09-03T11:28:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2009
Pages: 268
ISBN: 9780061719547
Genre: Autobiography

Started: Aug. 4, 2011
Finished: Aug. 12, 2011 (9 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: I happened to spot a copy at the Book Depot and being a big fan of his talk show, I thought it would be great to learn about him and I knew it would be hilarious :)

Summary: The host of The Late Late Show and former costar on The Drew Carey Show recounts his upbringing in Scotland, drumming for various punk rock bands, battling heavy drug and alcohol addiction, and his writing, producing, and acting efforts in the U.K. and U.S.

Review:

There are so many generic talk shows on TV now that it can be frustrating to find the quintessential host who can at least come close to filling the shoes of classic late night icons Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, and Jack Paar. While Leno and Letterman have certainly held on to a wide viewership for decades now, it seems that both have since "jumped the shark" and are losing that refreshing quality they (albeit in competition) brought to TV. It's quite the opposite when I watch Craig Ferguson on The Late, Late Show. It's as if the proverbial wheel hasn't been reinvented, but is kept rustproof with his down-to-earth, genuine approach that makes the talk show less awkward and more laidback. Talk may be staged or rehearsed, topics known ahead of taping, but Ferguson's knack for adlibbing at just the right moment makes for good, old-school Carsonesque talk and not the flaky showmanship that comes with most daytime or late night talk shows churned out by the dozens.

Going into this book, I had very little background knowledge on him and was surprised at nearly every chapter by his experiences growing up in Scotland (my hands-down favourite story being a certain washroom-related incident on a bus), drumming for a number of punk rock bands, and the gradual incline of drug and alcohol dependence that crashes around the time his comedy career is just heating up. A word of advice from Ferguson: you know you've gone too far when you hallucinate about being chased by killer ducks.

Every stage of his memoir comes with purpose, humour, surprise and shock, invariably leading to the reader wondering, "How does all this lead to him becoming a talk show host?" This unlikely result blooms from a very dark, but often very funny place that Ferguson grew out of and often cannot believe himself. There is very little written that does not have its place in the writer's future. If anything, Ferguson could have indulged us a little more about his comedic beginnings, as writing is a bit sparse about The Drew Carey Show and the initial years of his talk show. But I understand why: there is a humble quality about him that explains why his duties as a talk show host charm audiences and lead many to speculate that Craig Ferguson is this generation's Johnny Carson. He takes in guests like at a dinner party. It may be his house but the guests make the party a good one and the host graciously blends into the background.

Read this even if you don't know who Craig Ferguson is. You may just like him.

Rank: (B)- Great Read, Recommend

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-08-29T09:23:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I've been reading more & reviewing less...yet again. Plus I'm working on a family history project with a reunion coming up in a couple of weeks and school will be starting up again before I blink. I'm hoping to catch up on reviews for American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, Night by Elie Wiesel, and my recent finish from this week, Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. I might need to pair these reviews up--two Holocaust-themed books and two by comedians. All very good reads, not a disappointment among them.

Here are my week's stats:

Read This Week: (2)
Isn't it funny how we sometimes dip into a book just for kicks and it grabs hold of you? This happened to me twice this week...

Born Standing Up- Steve Martin--A jack-of-all-trades in Hollywood, Steve Martin is a sharp writer, his voice as clear (and deliciously sarcastic) in print as it is on the screen

Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll--Charming, delightful story, impossible not to love

Currently Reading: (2)
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith-- I'm about halfway through. It's not bad but feels padded. Definitely needed some trimming. I like the movie better.

My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:
None :( Time to play catch-up this week!

Next to Read:
I watched the movie Dreamcatcher (based on a Stephen King novel) this week (my reaction: so-so, pretty cheesy CGI), but it's getting me back in the mood for a King novel--maybe Pet Sematary. I keep putting off The Stand until I can devote lots of time to it.
Have a great reading week :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-08-22T09:04:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

More reading, less reviewing this past week. I have 3 reviews pending, two being Holocaust-set books read just this week, both amazing. I was afraid that reading about the Holocaust would be incredibly depressing but I surprised myself with how eye-opening both books were.

Read This Week: (2)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne--incredible! Review coming soon
Night- Elie Wiesel--finished just last night; review also coming soon

Currently Reading: (2)
The First Wives Club- Olivia Goldsmith--I started this to lighten the Holocaust-themed reads this week. It's been quite funny but I feel that much of the plot is padded (500+ pages!). I love the movie so I hope this turns out to be a good one.

My Life- Bill Clinton--don't ask...this is the longest I've taken to read a book. I haven't picked it up in quite a while. It is a good book (don't judge it but the time I've been taking to read it) but it's not meant to be read all at once.

Reviews This Week:
None :(

Next to Read:
I have no idea. Ahh...it feels great to have freedom of choice ahead! Maybe one of the classics I picked up on my recent book haul. Can anyone recommend one from that list?

Have a great reading week :)

Book Depot Haul!

2011-08-20T11:47:00.002-04:00

Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking: Teacher/Learner, didn't you just go there & get a big box of books in the spring? Sure did. See my March posting, Major Book Shopping Haul. But you see, I had every intention of limiting (ha!) my purchases to children's books this time in preparation for potential job placement in just a couple of weeks. I have a growing collection of kid lit and I wanted to get more kindergarten-primary level books.

If I do say so myself, I was a very good bibliophile book shopper and the majority of my purchases were children's books (no really, they were!). However...I couldn't just ignore the huge adult general section, now could I? Especially when it was full of gems: a great number of classics and even some contemporary (i.e. last year!) fiction available at a great discount.

So, a few books for myself became....drumroll....30. That's not too bad, right? Right? *cricket chirping* Well, my bill might say otherwise. There goes my tax credit refund. But all for a good cause.

Now that I've justified that to death, here's my haul:

The Bonfire of the Vanities- Tom Wolfe--My last stab at Wolfe's work. I didn't particularly like My Name is Charlotte Simmons and I'm not too keen on trying The Kool-Aid Acid Test, so here goes nothing.

The Lacuna- Barbara Kingsolver--Great find! I couldn't believe it was available. I absolutely loved The Poisonwood Bible, so this will be my follow-up read.

Born Standing Up- Steve Martin--Came in a cute pocket paperback edition. I love this "wild and crazy" guy :D I also got An Object of Beauty and his children's book, Late For School, which came with a CD of his banjo-accompanied song. Hilarious!

Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris--This was reviewed so much, I had to give it a try. My first foray into Sedaris's humour.

The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway--Hopefully not too overwhelming a classic.

The Odyssey- Homer--See comment for above title :)

All's Well That Ends Well- William Shakespeare--I haven't read Shakespeare since university and the comedies were always a favourite of mine.

Treasure Island- Robert Louis Stevenson--I've only seen the Muppet movie version :D

The Last of the Mohicans- James Fenimore Cooper

Pygmalion and Three Other Plays- George Bernard Shaw

An Object of Beauty- Steve Martin

The Taking of Pelham 123- John Godey--So fortuitous that I should find this as its one of my favourite movies and I thought the novel was likely long out of print. Yay!

The Bell Jar- Sylvia Plath

The Other Boleyn Girl- Phillipa Gregory--This author was recommended for my blogoversary. I saw many Phillipa Gregory books, but this one is most familiar to me, making it an obvious starting point.

Moby Dick- Herman Melville--Hilarious edition cover--see its entry in my Goodreads list :D

The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas--This has gone right to the front of my TBR shelf. I really need to read this!

Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis- Ed Sikov--A doctored picture of Joan Crawford with her eyes bugged out & crossed made me laugh out loud :D

Send Yourself Roses- Kathleen Turner

The Hour I First Believed- Wally Lamb

The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera

Celebrity Detox- Rosie O'Donnell

True Compass- Edward Kennedy--Another surprising find. I know very little about this Kennedy brother, yet he was so influential to American politics. It should be an eye-opener.

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton--This is all about turns of phrase, especially in describing groups (e.g. a murder of crows, a pride of lions). Learning about our language is fascinating to me.

Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot--Wasn't looking for this but I love Simon's (and Garfunkel, too) music and it's a very recent publication.

In Her Shoes- Jennifer Weiner--I read a library copy a while ago and liked it. Maybe I'll re-read it.

Columbine- Dave Cullen--I accidentally picked up the enlarged text edition. Oh well...the pages will fly by faster :D

The Shipping News- Annie Proulx

Running With Scissors- Augusten Burroughs

I Know This Much is True- Wally Lamb

The Road Not Taken- Robert Frost--My dad introduced me to Frost's poetry from the time I could read and the title poem is my favourite. I couldn't resist this book :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-08-15T08:20:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Yay, I caught up on my backlog of reviews!

Read This Week: (1)
American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson--review coming soon--very funny & enjoyable read

Currently Reading: (2)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas- John Boyne
My Life- Bill Clinton

Reviews This Week:
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King

Also...
My top 10 of the Harry Potter series post
Celebrating my 1st blogoversary

Have a great reading week :)

The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King

2011-08-13T10:47:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1982 (2003- revised & expanded edition)
Pages: 300
ISBN: 9780451210845
Genre: Series, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Start Date: July 10, 2011
Finished Date: Aug. 4, 2011 (26 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list; I also devour anything by Stephen King

Read For: Stephen King challenge (4/6), 1st in a Series challenge (6/6)

Summary: In the dystopian world of Gilead, a wandering rebel, Roland, seeks the mysterious Man in Black in the vast desert terrain reflects on his prior and present encounters that alter their memories and fates.

Review:

I don't believe it. I never thought I would meet a Stephen King book that didn't quite meet my expectations. As exciting as it is for a favourite author to dip a toe into a different kind of genre, the western-dystopian subgenre was just too uneven a match for the master of horror fiction for this fan.

While I commend King's attempt (the dystopian angle of the story was actually intriguing and the prose, as usual, was interesting and cutting edge), but the western is better suited for the helmsman he cites as inspiration in the introduction--Sergio Leone. Or maybe Louis L'Amour (though I've never read his work, but he is the only novelist in the western genre I can think of at the moment). The genre is difficult to write and keep reader interest alive. There is much lingering tension, self-reflection, and travails both on the mind from one's past and on the horizon in one's future. It won't leap off the page and keep them turning without a masterful hand.

As much as I've heard that King's later books in the Dark Tower series are better than the earlier installments, this one failed to keep my attention, and plodded along to the end, leaving me perfectly willing to forego continuing on with the series to find out Roland's fate. I honestly did not find him all that interesting a character. Oh well...you win some, you lose some. I'm still a huge Stephen King fan nonetheless and will continue to read anything else he writes. Just not this.

Rank: (C)- Just Okay

My Top 10 of the Harry Potter Series

2011-08-12T10:10:00.000-04:00

I cannot possibly list my choices in order by favourite (that's way too hard!), so in random order, my top tens for each book are (and beware spoilers!):

#1- The Philosopher's Stone:
1) The budding friendship between Harry, Ron & Hermione
2) Owl Post addressed to "the Cupboard Under the Stairs" & everywhere else Harry specifically lived.
2) The Sorting Hat
3) Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavour Beans
4) The lifesize wizard chess board
5) The Invisibility Cloak
6) Peeves :D
7) McGonagal recruiting Harry as Gryffindor's Quidditch team Seeker
8) Hagrid & his delightful Cockney accent
9) Shopping in Diagon Alley
10) The Weasley family

#2- The Chamber of Secrets:
1) Harry's escape in the flying car
2) The Deathday Party :D
3) Neville Longbottom & his grandmother's Howlers
4) Dobby :D
5) The Burrow
6) Fawkes
7) The rescue of Ginny Weasley
8) Harry & Ron disguised as Crabbe & Goyle
9) The anagram of I Am Lord Voldemort
10) Moaning Myrtle & Gilderoy Lockhart...just kidding, I couldn't stand either :D

#3- The Prisoner of Azkaban:
1) Time-travelling
2) A tie between Snape floating unconscious and Aunt Marge's flying trip :D
3) Harry informing Uncle Vernon & Aunt Petunia that his godfather is a criminal :D
4) The anonymous Firebolt gift
5) Professor Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Art lessons
6) Patronuses
7) Breaking Sirius out of Azkaban
8) Ron's first use of the telephone :D
9) The Marauder's Map
10) The Quidditch Cup match

#4- The Goblet of Fire:
1) The Prefect bathtub
2) Quidditch World Cup
3) Hagrid's crush on Madame Maxime
4) The Pensieve
5) Fred & George's career goal of opening a joke shop
6) Hogsmeade
7) SPEW
8) The Marauder's Map
9) Mad-Eye Moody
10) The international schools of witches & wizards

#5- The Order of the Phoenix:
1) Luna Lovegood and her crazy hats :D
2) Neville saving Harry
3) Dumbledore's Army
4) Fred & George's escape
5) Flying memos at the Ministry of Magic
6) McGonagal implying that Umbridge is incompetent :D
7) Sirius Black
8) The Advance Guard, especially Tonks :D
9) Grawp
10) Dumbledore & his fatherly wisdom

#6- The Half-Blood Prince:
1) Professor Slughorn
2) The Prime Minister's meeting with Cornelius Fudge
3) Dumbledore's visit to Privet Drive
4) Fleur's nickname, Phlegm :D
5) The Half-Blood Prince's textbook
6) Felix Felicis
7) Harry saving Ron from the poisoned mead
8) Roonil Wazlib, especially when Snape says it :D
9) Dumbledore's funeral
10) The phoenix's cry

#7- The Deathly Hallows:
1) Professor Snape--I actually liked him despite his treatment of Harry in all the books, but no one can hate him in this book
2) Draco Malfoy--a surprising turn of events for him!
3) Gringotts
4) The Silver Doe
5) Ron saving Harry from the icy water--"Are you mental?" :D
6) The Lovegood's house
7) Aberforth & the Hog's Head secret passage
8) Battle of Hogwarts--sad but honourable scene
9) Harry and Dumbledore at King's Cross
10) The epilogue--so lovely to see how Harry, Ron, Hermione & Ginny grow up :)

What are some of your favourite HP characters and moments? Please share in the comments!

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows (HP series, #7)- J.K. Rowling

2011-08-12T10:08:00.001-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2007
Pages: 607
ISBN: 9781408810293
Genre: Series, YA/fantasy

Start Date: July 29, 2011
Finished Date: Aug. 2 2011 (5 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: In what would have been Harry's 7th and final year at Hogwarts, he and his friends hide from Voldemort and his Death Eaters while attemping to solve the mystery of the Horcruxes that will bring an end to the destructive mayhem of the Dark Lord.

Review:

How do you say goodbye to a series as beloved as this one? I would think that the most effective way is to write the last book as an incentive to go back and re-read the entire series again. If I didn't have a big TBR shelf and a huge TBR list waiting for me, I wouldn't hesitate to do just that.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are at their most mature state, their minds and talents honed to an adult level, and with an understanding that it is ultimately up to them to restore peace to Hogwarts. The lead-up to this point is admittedly but purposefully slow as they hide out from Death Eaters and skeptical Hogwarts friends, but once they uncover the first Horcrux, it's a nonstop ride to the end.

The battle at Hogwarts has a few sad moments but is well-written and a great testament to the students' and teachers' will to fight for their school and livelihood. The scene between Harry and Snape is the most touching, memorable moment in the book and one of my favourites in the series. Many revelations, changes, and, unfotunately, fatal sacrifices ensue until the very end. The epilogue is a real treat as we find out the fates and futures of major characters, which cannot fail to bring a smile to your face.

I have to re-read this series sometime to see hints of later books I missed in the earlier ones as so many characters and events are re-examined in a different vein, owing to the brilliant imagination of J.K. Rowling.

So, how do I account for the series? When it boils down to it, ordering the books from my most to least favourite, here is my list:

1) Philosopher's Stone (#1)--for me, nothing can top the very first step into this world
2) Deathly Hallows (#7)--a beautiful way to say goodbye
3) Prisoner of Azkaban (#3)--the most exciting, twisted plot
4) Order of the Phoenix (#5)--lots of important back story and a killer villain (Umbridge)
5) Goblet of Fire (#4)--entertaining new cast of characters and a milestone in the series plot
6) Half-Blood Prince (#6)--interesting backstory and tragic stepping stone to the conclusion
7) Chamber of Secrets (#2)--enjoyable romp

Also, as promised, I am posting my top 10 list for each Harry Potter book immediately after this review posts. Enjoy!

Rank: (A+)- A fitting conclusion to a magical adventure

Happy 1-Year Blogoversary!

2011-08-10T15:33:00.000-04:00

I'm posting this a day early...I'm too excited to hold back :D

Wow! It was one year ago, August 11, 2010, that I was strolling through the Internet, minding my own business, when suddenly...wham! I entered the world of book blogging and haven't looked back. Well, maybe I peeked :D

Thank you to all my book blogging friends, followers, and new visitors for your kind comments and support in keeping this blog going for the last year. You are all fabulous :)

In celebration of this prestigious event (please leave the ballgowns & tuxes at home :), I hope you will honour me by sharing one book or author in the comments below that you would like to recommend to me. I'm always on the look-out for fascinating new material and if you know the kind of books that I like to read & review on this blog (I'm very eclectic), then I hope you'll let me in on the literary secret I've been missing out on :)

Thanks again & here's to another terrific year of book blogging!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (HP series, #6)- J.K. Rowling

2011-08-10T15:14:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2005
Pages: 607
ISBN: 9780747598466
Genre: Series, YA/fantasy

Start Date: July 24, 2011
Finished Date: July 29, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: In his 6th year at Hogwarts, Harry makes a false impression on the new Potions teacher by using an edited textbook formerly belonging to the mysterious "Half Blood Prince" while Dumbledore confides in Harry secrets of Voldemort's past.

Review:

Like The Order of the Phoenix, much is revealed in The Half-Blood Prince that ties together many loose ends and brings forth new perspectives on prior characters. What seems to be missing from HBP that OotP has going for it is subplot. HBP does not renew Prof. Umbridge, who was the central villain and creator of conflicts in the previous book, leaving a lot to be desired in the 6th installment of the series. The Potions textbook's former owner (and title character) was too predictable and only the revelations of Voldemort's past through the eye of Dumbledore's Pensieve made the book worthwhile.

Not to say that the book doesn't have its rightful place in the series. Like The Chamber of Secrets, which for me and many other HP readers feel is the weakest link in the 7-book series chain, The Half-Blood Prince has several important pieces that further the development of the big picture story. Also, the ending of HBP is one of the most powerful in the entire series.

It is difficult to weigh the individual importance of each book in this series, and undoubtedly all seven books are must-reads in order to appreciate the wealth of the entire story. Let's just say that OotP wowed me more than HBP, and HBP is very close to The Goblet of Fire in my order of favourites, but just barely pales in comparison.

So, I am placing Half-Blood Prince in 5th place just before Chamber of Secrets in my list of favourite HP books. Even though a critical phase of the series takes place in this book and lots of sacrifice ensues, the lead-up to this scene & other subplots were not as effective for me as GoF were.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (HP series- #5)- J.K. Rowling

2011-08-09T16:15:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2003
Pages: 766
ISBN: 9780747591269
Genre: Series, YA/fantasy

Start Date: July 15, 2011
Finished Date: July 24, 2011

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: In his 5th year at Hogwarts, everyone is on edge after the events of the Triwizard Tournament while Harry suspects that Voldemort is exerting even more control over him, Dumbledore appears to be ignoring him, and the new DADA teacher is wreaking havoc over the school inch by inch.

Review:

It seems that many readers find this book, the largest in the series, to have little to show for it by its end with the last two books revving up the story. I was surprised then to find that by the end of OotP to find it much more eye-opening than I expected.

For starters, the tension left over from the tragedy at the Triwizard Tournament leaves many distrusting Harry and he feels very alone, despite continued support from Ron and Hermione. This tension is incredibly influential on the book's mood, sending Hogwarts into a cataclysm after the new DADA teacher, Dolores Umbridge, begins exerting a poisonous influence on the school, starting with Harry. The challenges and changes that Harry faces in this book are reaching a boiling point as he feels lost without Dumbledore's direct support and that his parents were perhaps not everything he expected them to be.

Mind you, Quidditch is once again absent from the book (also from Goblet of Fire, though the Quidditch World Cup more than made up for the loss), replaced with the OWLs, and battling is kept to a minimum, but evil lurks in the despicable Umbridge, whose syrupy demeanor was pitch perfect by Imelda Staunton in the movie version. The history and influence of the Order sets the template for the next two books and we are introduced to the funky Advance Guard, including the sassy Tonks :)

All in all, I would place Order of the Phoenix as my 3rd favourite after Philosopher's Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban, very close to Goblet of Fire which takes 4th place in my favourites now due to the sheer amount of revelations in OotP.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde

2011-08-09T10:37:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1891
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9780007351053
Genre: Classics

Start Date: July 6, 2011
Finished: July 10, 2011 (5 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: On my TBR list; I also loved Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest

Read For: Back to the Classics Challenge (6/8)

Summary: In a high society London town, a young, narcissistic man obsessed with youth and influenced by his peers becomes enamoured with materialism, beauty, and desire as his painted portrait ages and he remains young in appearance and demeanor.

Review:

First of all, how smokin' is that cover?! Dorian Gray has a Johnny Depp look going on :D

Having read The Importance of Being Earnest for a 19th century lit course several years ago and absolutely loving it, I have been sadly ignoring Oscar Wilde since then. The reason probably is based on the fact that Wilde only wrote one novel (this one) and the rest of his writing career is made up of short stories and plays. *Sigh* Not to knock those genres (there is always a time & place for them) but it's sad that a naturalized writer like Wilde only wrote a single novel and so many other writers had the fortune of churning out several classics in a single career. Perhaps this is also part of the reason why The Picture of Dorian Gray is so well-regarded.
The story is a moralistic fairy tale for adults set in stuffy, social-butterfly laden England where Henry, a pleasant but often dryly cynical royal, and his compadre, Basil, a painter whose personality is not as charming as his art, encounter the latest man to sit for a portrait: Dorian Gray. Everyone is immediately drawn to his youthful naivety, his wandering nature, his little-boy-lost lack of purpose, and most strikingly, his handsomeness. Brewing inside Dorian is a deep resentment of a future in which his looks will fade and he will have very little left to show for himself. Hence, the moral dilemma of the story begins as Dorian loses control of his emotional faculties while retaining his youthful looks and a dangerous psychopathic mentality.

Wilde's writing, like in Earnest, has a rich vocabulary, witty style, and a dry, satirical slant on British society, but remains remarkably accessible amongst 19th century classics, keeping a modern sensibility that appeals equally to 21st century readers. While sometimes meandering, especially in a multi-page description of Dorian's acquired wealth of jewels and tapestries, The Picture of Dorian Gray is addictive, enjoyable, and by far one of the best classics I've read in recent years.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

July Monthly Wrap-Up, YTD & Monday Meme Catch-Up

2011-08-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

Once again, my apologizes for being absent this week. Here's how it is: August, how I both loathe & adore you--one month closer to the end of summer vacation, yet one month closer to an exciting new school year, a clean slate of teaching...and the possibility of a full-time classroom job *crossing fingers*

My July course is over (whew!) and I've had flexible time to read some great books, including finishing up the Harry Potter series (that was an awesome ride!), so I'm now getting caught up on my reviews. I'm behind 5 books...eek!

I also saw the first 5 HP movies. I started with seeing the first 2 on ABC then I couldn't wait and rented the next 3 on demand. They were so fun--I especially liked how the second movie seemed better than the book. And (*spoiler alert*) I loved the part in Prisoner of Azkaban where Snape protects Harry, Ron & Hermione, which made me sympathize with him even more. And how terrificly evil was Imelda Staunton as Prof. Umbridge in Order of the Phoenix? My on-demand channel didn't have Half-Blood Prince (grrr...) so I have to wait & see if it comes on soon, then the 2-part Deathly Hallows movies.

So, back to books, here's what I read in July:

Books Read This Month: (6)
The Giver- Lois Lowry (B)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling (A)
...and reviews coming soon for:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling (A+)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King (C)

I'll post my top 10 HP list as promised once I get the last three reviews up!

Other Reviews This Month: (1)
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

Books Read So Far in 2011: (35)--which means that I surpassed my Outdo Yourself challenge mark!

Seeing as I missed Monday's meme, here's an up-to-date post:

Read This Week: (2)
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling (A+)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King (C)--ahhh, thank goodness I finished this! I was getting worried. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with this one :(

Currently Reading: (2)
As much as I should pick up a challenge book, a few appear to be downers, so I needed to cleanse my reading palate with something light & fun before dipping into them.

American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson- I love his show! His sense of humour is brilliant compared with other talk show hosts and is more genuine, not so phoney-baloney like other talk show hosts. Very funny memoir so far...not that I expect it to get worse! :P

My Life- Bill Clinton--how does that Aerosmith song go? "Same old story, same old song & dance"

Other Reviews Written This Week:
None, I'm behind by 5 books :(

Next to Read:
I'm going to try The Boy With the Striped Pyjamas next, then probably Night. I had forgotten that I chose two books about the Holocaust. I'm prepared for a sobfest.

Upcoming Event!
It's also 5 days until my one-year blogoversary. I'm sorry I can't finagle a giveaway but I will ask you all to share a book title with a special purpose in the comments. Stay tuned for a post...

Cheers!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-07-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Books Read This Week: (1)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling--loved it! Will post review soon.

Reviews This Week: (2)
Caught up on 2/3 reviews on books finished from the last couple of weeks:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling
The Giver- Lois Lowry

Currently Reading: (3)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- J.K. Rowling--I just can't get enough :D
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King--I'm a bit stuck on this due to HP mania. A different kind of King book. I'm not entirely sure about it...
My Life- Bill Clinton--still!

Next to Read:
Probably Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and then I'll finally get around to another challenge book.

Have a great reading week :)

The Giver- Lois Lowry

2011-07-24T12:14:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1993
Pages: 179
ISBN: 9780440237686
Genre: YA/Sci-Fi/Dystopian

Start Date: July 4, 2011
Finished Date: July 6, 2011 (3 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list

Read For: Back to the Classics Challenge (5/8)

Summary: In a desensitized, painless world, a boy turning the milestone age of 12 is reluctantly chosen as his the next Receiver, a job that involves absorbing prior memories of the society from the historian known as the Giver.

Review:

I have to admit that my expectations for this book were very high as I had heard lots of amazing things about The Giver and it still ranks among the best of classic children's literature. I was not much of a sci-fi/fantasy reader as a child, though I ate up lots of Monica Hughes' sci-fi books. I was more into The Babysitters Club, Gordon Korman, and Paula Danzinger. That being said, I found the book to be well-written but just not as exciting as I had hoped. Not to say it's overhyped; it just fell a tad short of my expectations.

The story's content is borderline disturbing for young readers, and I think its message is really deep, maybe too much for its readability level (it is set at a late Grade 5 reading level). I think intermediate students (Grade 7 and 8) would be a more appropriate audience, given its content. The style and dialogue of the novel is deliberately banal, which can get nerve-wracking after a while that you just want to scream. I did not relate as much to Jonas as I did to Lily. I loved her mild precocity and how it winks at the reader, almost to say, "See? There is hope for life in this Stepford Wives world." The prose is often beautiful, bringing to mind how a red rose stands out in a grey fog, and is what I liked most about the story: good enough for me to like it, just not enough for me to love it.

*Small spoiler*
The ending is quite inconclusive and that also irked me. It may suggest hopefulness for Jonas and Gabriel, but the open-endedness was too obvious a path for a sci-fi novel. It would have been more interesting to make a conclusion about their outcome, rather than leaving it up to the reader. Too many novels have that inconclusiveness that I start to wonder if endings are getting harder for writers to conjure up because so many have been recycled to the point of being cliched.

Rank: (B)- Good, Recommend

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter series, #4)- J.K. Rowling

2011-07-22T11:30:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2000
Pages: 637
ISBN: 1551923378
Genre: Series, YA/fantasy

Start Date: June 25, 2011
Finished Date: July 4, 2011 (10 days)

Where Found: Part of a birthday gift from several years ago
Why Read: I've been meaning to read this for ages & finally got around to it!

Summary: In his 4th year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter is suspiciously nominated into the dangerous Triwizard Tournament while battling dreams of Voldemort's return to power.

Review:

The Goblet of Fire is the first whopper of the series, clocking in at 637 pages! It also seems that with the violent undertones of the previous book, The Prisoner of Azkaban, the three Hogwarts heroes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer children but gradually transforming into the true spirit of their house, Gryffindor. The whizz-bang chapters at the Quidditch World Cup get the story moving, and make up for the lack of Quidditch at Hogwarts due to the mysterious Triwizard Tournament. This event reminded me of the obstacles in the chamber of the first book, The Philosopher's Stone, only much more dangerous. The gasp-worthy ending to this book makes your hair stand on end and I immediately had to get my hands on the Order of the Phoenix to see how things transpired after the tragedy.

The introduction of wizard characters from other countries was a clever analogy of the United Nations and opens the story to countless possibilities for extended adventures if J.K. Rowling considers expanding on the series. Some new characters (Mad-Eye Moody) were great additions to the cast; others (Rita Skeeter, Viktor Krum) I could have done without, and even more (Madame Maxime, Cornelius Fudge) seem to be just getting warmed up.

So, here is how I would rank my favourite books of the series so far:

1) Philosopher's Stone (#1)--I still love how the series starts off with all its magic

2) Prisoner of Azkaban (#3)--Terrific plot and innovative new tricks & secrets

3) Goblet of Fire (#4)--Not as complex or well-executed as PoA, the Triwizard Tournament makes up for it

4) Chamber of Secrets (#2)--A weaker mystery & less intrigue, but still very enjoyable

Onward ho, to the Order of the Phoenix!

P.S. When I finish the series, I'm going to post a top 10 list of my favourite things from each book. Spoilers will ensue but at this point, I think I'm safe to do so :)

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-07-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Ack, I'm behind on reviews this week! Woe is me :( I've been completely engrossed in Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, so that should get me thinking about the Goblet of Fire review, right? Um, sure. Yeah, that makes me feel better :D

I will get in gear this week. My course is slowing down a bit early this week, then it will pick up again next week, so this might be an off & on rest of the month. August will be more blog-active.

Read This Week:
None finished :(

Currently Reading:
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling--loving it!
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King--stalling a bit on it, am about 3/4 through
My Life- Bill Clinton--I actually squeezed in a couple of chapters this week, and am about halfway through (maybe a bit more)

Reviews This Week:
Okay, okay...that heading is just rubbing it in now :D

Next to Read:
If Order of the Phoenix ends on a climax like Goblet of Fire did, I'll probably move along to Half-Blood Prince; otherwise, maybe I'll hold off & try to get to a challenge book. Something short, so my Monday numbers are higher than 0 :D

Have a great reading week :) And I will catch up on your posts, too.

I'm Catching Up With the Rest of the World, Harry Potter Style!

2011-07-14T17:05:00.000-04:00

I went to Chapters today & purchased the last 3 Harry Potter books. Hooray, I'm that much closer to not living under a rock :D

I also got the beautiful Penguin Classic edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence on sale.

All in all, a sweet day :) ...And sorry for the lack of reviews. I'm behind 3 books already & almost finished a 4th. My teaching course this month has been hectic and I need to collect my thoughts on these books before I review them. That is, if I can remember what they are about (LOL) :D

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-07-11T10:30:00.001-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Sorry if this posted twice!

I got through two shorter books this week, taking a breather after the adventure that was Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. I'm probably going to hit the bookstore & get the last 3 books this week, because I'm fed up with being behind the entire world on how it all ends :D

Read This Week: (2)
The Giver- Lois Lowry
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde

Reviews This Week:
None :( I'm really behind! I have HP: GoF to write, plus the two read this week.

Currently Reading:
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower #1)- Stephen King--I'm hoping this is an awesome start to the series!
My Life- Bill Clinton

Have a great reading week :)

Things I Love About the Harry Potter Series

2011-07-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

To celebrate finishing Goblet of Fire just this morning, I thought I would share just 20 quick things I love about the Harry Potter series...

1) How it makes you feel like a kid again
2) How imaginative & unlike any other book they are
3) Remembering how to pronounce Hermione (her-my-oh-knee) :D
4) The entire red-headed family of Weasleys
5) The naughty prankster twins Fred & George Weasley
6) Feeling like not everything about Snape is all it seems to be
7) Hogsmeade
8) 'Ow 'Agrid talks like this, eh? :D
9) Transfiguration
10) Every Flavored Beans, including earwax :P
11) The beautiful phoenix, Fawkes
12) The knowing twinkle in Dumbledore's eye
13) Neville Longbottom's forgetfulness
14) Cutey-patooty Ginny Weasley :D
15) Addressing Harry's mail as "in the Cupboard"
16) Quidditch!
17) The Riddikulus spell
18) Time travel
19) The Fat Lady's silly passwords
20) Flying on Buckbeak

Keep the list going! Add your favourite things about the HP series to the comments :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-07-04T12:07:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

I waited to post my Monday meme later today so I could finish Goblet of Fire this morning...and I did it! It was so good, I can't wait to write the review :)

Read This Week: (1)
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling--review coming soon

Other Books Reviewed This Week: (1)
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee--finished last week (click title for review)

Currently Reading
The Giver- Lois Lowry- for Back to the Classics challenge--I'm going to start this today. I didn't get around to dipping into it as HP&GoF had my full, undivided attention :D

My Life- Bill Clinton--I'm hoping to get through a good chunk of this over the summer

Next to Read
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde--I haven't read Wilde since The Importance of Being Earnest a few years ago & I really loved it, so here's hoping PoDG has the same effect.

Have a great reading week :)

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

2011-07-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1960
Pages: 376
ISBN: 0446310786
Genre: Modern Classics

Start Date: June 18, 2011
Finished Date: June 25, 2011 (7 days)

Where Found: Campus bookstore--just to have a copy on hand
Why Read: I initially read this in high school, then decided to re-read it for a challenge.

Read For: Back to the Classics Challenge (4/8)

Summary: A coming-of-age story set in the Depression-era American South revolves around two precocious children of a lawyer defending a black man against the charge of raping a white woman and a number of eccentric neighbours, including a hermetic scrounger nicknamed "Boo" Radley.

Review:

I have never read a book again so many years in between my first reading of it. I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in my Grade 11 English class. I remember struggling with the first half of the book, wondering when the story would come around to the trial, which was the key focus of the book's summary. There was not much said about how the first half masterfully sets the stage for the second half. Also, there was no patience in my 16-year-old self. Fast-forward about a decade later and here I am reading the book again, wanting the first half to never end! Maybe it was because childhood was still raw in my teenage memory and now it's reduced to nostalgia, which is the framework for the first half of TKAM but is far from sugar-coated.

Scout, Jem, and Dill are complex, fascinating children that are more challenging to comprehend than the adult characters. Harper Lee not only understands children's motives, feelings, and interpretations of adult situations, often hilariously rendered, but she makes a distinct period of history in which these children grow up a purposeful part of their development. A multi-faceted turning point in American history represents their growth, as well as the nation's.

It was a delight to read this book again and feel much more appreciative of Lee's representation of children, now read through my adult & teacher lens rather than teenager & student one. It was amazing how much of the first half came back in the second and played an important part but for a new purpose in light of the trial. The shift in how characters are understood changes considerably from an assumed nature to a more complicated one.

It has been a long while since I saw the movie adaptation with Gregory Peck, which I first saw in that high school class. It was a highly respectful interpretation of the book, very loyal to the original novel. I thought Peck was a perfect Atticus Finch with his sharp foresight, deep patience, and calm, peaceful presence.

The bottom line is that every human being needs to experience this book. I think it is wise to introduce it when learning about civil rights history in school, but should be read as an adult as well to remind yourself of childhood wonders, frustrations, and understandings.

Here is the short TKAM review from my Harking Back series of posts about books read in school. It's interesting to note that I also read Inherit the Wind, a terrific play about the Scopes trial that ties in to themes of TKAM, making it a great companion read.

Rank: (A+)- One of the greatest books ever written

June Monthly Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

2011-06-29T14:52:00.000-04:00

Here's to June and the jumpstart to a summer of reading!

Books Read This Month: (4)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling (A) (for fun)
A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson (A) (for What's in a Name 4 Challenge)
Film Flam- Larry McMurtry (C) (for fun)
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee (A+) (for Back to the Classics Challenge)--review coming soon

Other Books Reviewed This Month: (2)
Night Shift- Stephen King (for Stephen King Challenge) (A)--finished in May

Currently Reading: (2)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling (for fun)
My Life- Bill Clinton (for fun)

Books Read So Far in 2011: (29)
*DNFs don't count in this total

How was your reading in the month of June?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-06-27T16:11:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Summer is here at last! I'm starting a month-long course, and while I'll try to keep up with reviews & memes, my workload may start to interfere. It doesn't look too demanding (*I hope*) but consider this a heads-up and my excuse for any subsequent slacking off :D

Read This Week: (2)
Film Flam- Larry McMurtry (C) (click title for review)
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee--review coming soon--it's definitely an A+!

Currently Reading: (2)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling--finished the Qudditch World Cup chapter last night--exciting!
My Life- Bill Clinton--no progress on this one in months :( *sigh* I hope to finish this before I'm old & gray

Next to Read:
The Giver- Lois Lowry--I've heard it's incredible. I might try to dip into this one as I read HP: GofF as it's rather long & I have this & other challenge books to catch up on, especially for Back to the Classics.

Have a great reading week :)

Four Things

2011-06-26T11:06:00.000-04:00

...to jumpstart my brain this morning. I spotted this over @ Dizzy C's blog. These random little exercises are too fun to resist :)

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1) Little league softball umpire (one summer)--over-involved, argumentative parents drove me nuts :P

2) Campus library processing assistant (three years)--this involved creating & applying labels to all new library materials (which means I got to preview everything that came in first!), finagling security strips in the spines (arrgh...), packing & shelving new materials, and other odds & ends in cataloguing. This job kept me sane and on a routine for 3/4 years of my university schooling.

3) K-8 substitute teacher (three years)--my current job until I can get my own classroom *crossing fingers*

Four places I have lived:
Only one & that's Ontario, Canada for about a 1/4 century :D In fact, I've been in the same house, too.

Four books I would recommend:
Hoo boy...if I can only name 4:

1) To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee--I just finished re-reading it & it's a definite must-read
2) Harry Potter series- J.K. Rowling--adventurous and nostalgic
3) Different Seasons- Stephen King--breathtaking and not as gory as most of his books
4) Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury--for everyone who loves books

Four Places I have been:
I'm afraid I'm pretty dull when it comes to travelling and have only been within Ontario. I'm definitely gearing up for future escapades & would love to visit all of Europe, Hawaii, Australia, China...

Four of my favourite foods:
Gino's chicken wings, my mom's homemade lasagna, scalloped potatoes, quesadillas

Four of my favourite drinks:
Tim Hortons double-double, Diet Pepsi, freshly-made ice cold orange juice, martini :D

Four places I would rather be right now:
My pool, my deck, a beach, basically anywhere where the weather isn't muggy like it is today.

Four things that are special in my life:
My family, things that make me happy like reading, my job that I love, and of course, blogging!

Four bloggers I hope will do this meme:
Anyone who wants to take part! Leave your link in the comments section below.

Film Flam- Larry McMurtry

2011-06-25T13:22:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1987
Pages: 224
ISBN: 0743216245
Genre: Nonfiction, Film

Start Date: June 17, 2011
Finished Date: June 20, 2011 (4 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: On my TBR list

Summary: A series of essays about the vacuous yet insatiable draw of Hollywood.

Review:

Larry McMurtry has an ironic presence in Hollywood. Like Nicolas Cage's Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation., McMurtry is on the outskirts of the chaotic, egomaniacal machinery of the fimmaking mecca of America, second biggest in the world to Bollywood. Many of McMurtry's essays in the cheeky Film Flam are as dry as a good martini and often bitter as a citrus fruit. It's no guess that McMurtry thinks himself too good a writer to work for the movies (and except for his partnership with directors like Peter Bogdanovich and James L. Brooks, he's correct) writing in a sad sack genre like screenwriting where description is sparse and unwarranted.

The quality of essays in Film Flam is stark, unsentimental but not quite transparent enough to bring out the veins of writing. Sometimes it comes to fruition in enjoyable works such as "The Telephone Booth Screenwriter," which accounts for his predilection to communicating with a film director over the phone after mailing the script to him. He offers interesting commentary on the sharpness of TV writing (an obvious nod to Brooks) over most screenwriting work and is downright charming with his final essay on taking a walk in California with Diane Keaton and her grandmother that speaks directly to Keaton's quirky personality that makes Annie Hall come across like a documentary.

Where McMurtry lost me is in the oddball essay that awkwardly compares All the President's Men (Woodward & Bernstein's uncovering of Watergate) to Seven Beauties (a Holocaust survival story). Maybe I was just sore that he skewered APM (one of my favourite movies) but a lack of connection between the films made his argument for Seven Beauties being the superior film slippery at best. Another odd entry in this anthology was about the "graceless" comedy of Woody Allen (definitely true) and his distaste for the appeal of Keith Carradine and Lily Tomlin in Robert Altman's Nashville. Again, the connection was dead.

Unless you are a fan of McMurtry's or a movie afficienado, I wouldn't bother with this book as only a small handful of the essays are worth reading and none are particularly memorable. Maybe you can pursue the best ones online and read them separately. Still, I wouldn't write off McMurtry as a writer altogether. Nonfiction can come across much differently from a writer than fiction. I haven't yet read any of his novels but I fully intend to. His style seems more fitting to a narrative. Can anyone recommend any good McMurtry books? I have Terms of Endearment and The Evening Star on my shelf, and I've heard that Lonesome Dove is remarkable.

Rank: (C)- Okay, Maybe Read It

Friday Blog Hop!

2011-06-24T19:53:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books.

This week's question is:

When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?

This is a fascinating, terrific question! I definitely knew from the time I could read at about 3 that it was something special that I connected to instantly. As a teacher, I reminisce even more about how easy it was for me to read while many children struggle to string words and their meaning together. I can't remember learning how to read but that I always could. It was never a question of cannot but always of can (to paraphrase Yoda).

As for when my passion for reading was understood, it was probably when I was earning my degree in English. Reading sometimes up to 12 books per year per course was challenging and invigorating. I remember bumping into a neighbour while in line for coffee who was earning his business degree and he was flabbergasted at the number of novels I was reading for my courses. He basically said he wouldn't be able to handle that at all. I shrugged and replied that it wasn't ever like work for me (the reading part; the writing of essays sure was!) but was a joy. The day I graduated with that degree was the day I fully realized my passion for reading. And now I have the privilege of spreading that passion to children in an age where reading is not the forefront of one's hobbies or even vaguely general interest.

On another note, I'm very much enjoying my re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird and will probably finish it tonight. It's amazing how much I missed from my first read of it in high school and how much my perspectives have changed, as well as about 10 years of added life experience. I can't wait to review this!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-06-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Read This Week: (1)--click title for review
A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson

Currently Reading: (2)
Film Flam- Larry McMurtry--almost finished!
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee--quite a breathtaking book & I'm just getting warmed up

Next to Read
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling--just try to stop me :D
I'm hoping to zip through some of the smaller reads for challenges as well, like Night by Elie Wiesel.

Have a great reading week!

A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson

2011-06-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2003
Pages: 544
ISBN: 0385660049
Genre: Nonfiction, Science

Start Date: May 31, 2011
Finished Date: June 17, 2011 (18 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On my TBR list; also, I was curious about Bill Bryson's brand of nonfiction

Read For: What's in a Name 4 Challenge (5/6)

Summary: The origins of the Earth through the lenses of various fields of science are explained in layman's terms, laced with ironic humour and an enthusiasm for discovery.

Review:

Now this is a science book like no other. Textbooks from science class were never this interesting. Bryson's thesis is simple: to explore and explain the origins of the Earth through various scientific fields of research and translate them for those of us who didn't go beyond mandatory high school science class. These fields include astronomy, meteorology, geology, biochemistry, physics, mathematics, volcanology, seismology, cellular biology, paleontology, and anthropology, not to mention sprinklings of natural history and psychology.

The result is like exploring an unfamiliar cave with a flashlight whose bulb gets brighter as you go through it. At first, the jargon was a bit...jarring (he he), even with Bryson's often hilarious use of analogies that could give this book the subtitle Science For Dummies (guilty as charged, says moi). Once past the initial chapter on astronomy, which is interesting but sometimes difficult to manoeuvre, you become used to Bryson's style and even start to like his eccentric intellectual humour.

Facts are given a back story, which in turn often has a back story, with a focus on biographical information of its discoverer and his or her eccentric lifestyle, struggles for public understanding & acceptance of findings, and oftentimes, an impoverished means. Theories are not completely diluted just to appease the reader and make us feel smart enough to understand them, but are compared to recognizable things and often analogized by scientists for pleasure, much like the hilarious meanderings of characters on TV's The Big Bang Theory.

By Part III, I was hooked and all the factoids became less random (i.e. fodder for Uncle John's Bathroom Reader) and served more of a purpose for passionate learning about the formation, gestation, and constant fluctuation of planet Earth. Home sweet home. It would be terrific if this book was required reading in a course for humanities undergrads needing a science credit. Otherwise, it certainly fills many gaps in the average person's science education. I highly recommend reading it.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Friday Hop

2011-06-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books.

This week's question is:

How many books are currently in your To-Be-Read (TBR) Pile?

You might be surprised to know that I don't have as many books on my TBR shelf as most book bloggers do, mainly due to lack of funds and lack of space.

First, on my nightstand are TBRs I'm about to start or will start soon and my current reads are housed there as well. I have 2 there now: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which I'm dying to start, and To Kill a Mockingbird, my re-read for the Back to the Classics challenge that I'm stalling on starting for some reason. I have two shelves, one with 22 TBRs and another with 26, then I have a box of 43 TBRs in my closet.

Doing the math, that comes to 93 TBR books in my possession. I also have a TBR list (these are not yet acquired) of about 870 books.

I've been hearing some bloggers quote 1000+ books in their house! Egads :D

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-06-13T18:12:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

Sorry, no change from last week :( I should finish off A Short History of Nearly Everything by next Monday, then I'll be starting my re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Have a great reading week!

Friday Blog Hop!

2011-06-10T11:07:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books.

For this week only, the hop is being hosted by Lori @ Lori's Reading Corner.

This week's question is:

Who is the one author that you are dying to meet?

Just one?!? :( This ought to be a Top 10 Tuesday topic (or maybe it already has been one?). If I had to choose just one, I would love to meet Stephen King, probably because I've read so many of his books and he seems very down-to-earth from the forwards he writes in some editions of his books. It would be great to talk shop with him :)

This is too fun a topic to just stop here...so here's a top 10 list:

1) Stephen King
2) Audrey Niffenegger
3) J.K. Rowling
4) Margaret Atwood
5) John Irving
6) Anna Quindlen
7) Jane Hamilton
8) Barbara Kingsolver
9) Khaled Hosseini
10) Mark Haddon

Have a great weekend :)

Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling

2011-06-07T10:31:00.000-04:00

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1999
Pages: 317
ISBN: 1551924781
Genre: Series (Harry Potter, book #3)

Start Date: May 30, 2011
Finished Date: June 6, 2011 (7 days)

Where Found: Birthday gift (the first 4 books)
Why Read: Re-reading for fun & to finish off the series

Summary: In his 3rd year at Hogwarts, Harry is threatened by the escaped convict Sirius Black, a former follower of Voldemort, while discovering more secrets about his parents' past.

Review:

I had forgotten how much darker this book is than the first two in the Harry Potter series. Murder, capital punishment...but then there's a flying griffin, a secret passage to a candy store, mysterious happenings with Hermione, and a nail-biting Quidditch championship to lighten the load.

From the beginning, I could remember why this book was not my favourite of the three. It does take some time to get the plot rolling, then at about the time where *spoiler* (highlight here: the Fat Lady portrait gets slashed), the story breezes on to a fantastic finish, more than making up for what seemed to me to be a bit of a sluggish start. Then again, everything prior to the spoiler incident above was intentional and comes into play later on. So maybe it was just me & my impatience :)

What I loved most about book #3, and forgive the cliche, is the thickening of the plot. There is much more risk and even greater reward. The chapter covering the Quidditch match was written with great excitement and was exhilarating to read. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are getting a little more mature with age, a little less trusting (at least immediately) of new faces at Hogwarts given their past encounters, and even more secrets of the school & Harry's parents come to light.

So far, 3 down, 4 to go with the series. I haven't read The Goblet of Fire before, so I can't wait to dive into it as many bloggers count it among their favourites of the series. I would count Prisoner of Azkaban as my 2nd favourite so far. It was better than The Chamber of Secrets but still doesn't have the same effect for me as The Philosopher's Stone.

Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-06-06T15:58:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey.

This would have been a post identical to last week; however I finished Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban this morning. Yay! Now I can focus on my Bill Bryson challenge book.

Read This Week: (1)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling (HP series, book #3)--review coming soon

Currently Reading: (2)

A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson

My Life- Bill Clinton

Next to Read:

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

Other Reviews:

Night Shift- Stephen King

Have a great reading week :)

Friday Hop!

2011-06-03T10:23:00.000-04:00

A weekly meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books.

This week's topic is:

Share your favorite post from the last month and tell us why it’s close to your heart!

I haven't participated in the hop for quite some time but I must be in a hoppin' good mood :D It's hard to choose a favourite post, but I will choose my review of Night Shift by Stephen King, because I loved the opportunity to write small reviews of the short stories. It was actually harder to write than a review of a single novel but I enjoyed it equally.

Have a wonderful weekend! The weather here has been awesome & let's hope it stays this way for a while...or all summer will do :)

TBR Alphabet

2011-06-02T18:30:00.001-04:00

I spotted this exercise over @ Sarcastic Female Literary Circle. I won't be turning this into a challenge (I mean, other than what it already is!), but I'll try to come up with an author for each letter (the first letter of their last name) and at least 1 title for each. Here goes...

Atwood, Margaret- Oryx & Crake, Year of the Flood, Blind Assassin...
Blume, Judy- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Summer Sisters
Capote, Truman- Breakfast at Tiffany's, In Cold Blood
Dickens, Charles- A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Pickwick Papers
Eliot, George- Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner
Faulkner, William- The Sound and the Fury
Gould, Stephen Jay- The Stones of Marrakech
Hemingway, Ernest- The Old Man & the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises
Ishiguro, Kazuo- Never Let Me Go
James, Henry- The Bostonians, The Portrait of a Lady, The Turn of the Screw, Wings of the Dove
King, Stephen- It, Cujo, Bag of Bones, Christine, 'Salem's Lot...
Lawrence, D.H.- Lady Chatterley's Lover, Sons & Lovers, Women in Love
McMurtry, Larry- Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment, The Last Picture Show
Nin, Anais- Henry & June
Ondaatje, Michael- Anil's Ghost, The English Patient
Pynchon, Thomas- Gravity's Rainbow
Qunidlen, Anna- Blessings, Black & Blue, Every Last One...
Rushdie, Salman- Midnight's Children, The Satanic Verses
Steinbeck, John- East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice & Men
Tolkien, J.R.R.- The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings series
Updike, John- The Witches of Eastwick
Verne, Jules- 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Wells, H.G.- The Invisible Man, Island of Dr. Moreau, The Time Machine, War of the Worlds
X??
Y??--the closest one I have is Yann Martel- Life of Pi
Zusak, Markus- The Book Thief

Lil' Book Survey

2011-06-02T17:17:00.000-04:00

I found this over @ Sarah Says. I like these quick book surveys. Here goes...

Book next to your bed right now: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, My Life by Bill Clinton, a poetry anthology by John Lithgow, and a book published by AFI about movies (can't remember the title).

Favorite series: Harry Potter...I know, I'm a cop-out :D

Favorite book: ONE?!? Under pressure, I'd probably say Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Or The Green Mile by Stephen King. Or...

The one book you would have with you if stranded on a desert island: Probably the Harry Potter series for entertainment value (hopefully they come all in one book!), or The Firm by John Grisham, because I could re-read that book for infinity, it's so interesting.

Book/series you would take with you on a long flight: An epic-length book I've never read, maybe Gone With the Wind.

Worst book you were made to read in school: I really didn't care for Animal Farm or Macbeth, both read in 11th grade and both taught by a student teacher I couldn't stand. I probably didn't like the books because of the teacher, so maybe I should give them another chance.

Book that everyone should be made to read in school: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (borrowing from Sarah here--brilliant choice), The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein...

Book that everyone should read, period: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, K-PAX by Gene Brewer, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Favorite character: Not to be too repetitive, but Anne Shirley is hands-down my favourite literary character.

Best villian: Nobody quite lives up to Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. Some come very close: Voldemort in Harry Potter, Annie Wilkes in Misery by Stephen King, Pinky in Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, August in Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen, Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey...

Favorite invented world: Technically, all fictional settings are invented worlds, but I think the idea is to name a fantasy world. I would say Hogwarts in Harry Potter is a definite stand-out, but also Susie's version of heaven in The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold comes to mind.

Most beautifully written book: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Atonement by Ian McEwan...

Funniest book: Oh boy...Earth by Jon Stewart & the staff at The Daily Show was hilarious. Also very funny: Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda, This Time Together by Carol Burnett, Last Words by George Carlin, Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, Marley & Me by John Grogan (also sad in parts but mostly chockful of hilarious antics).

Whatcha Readin', Books?: A Teacher/Learner's Blog

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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Xmas Book Gifts & Monday Check-In

Year-End Wrap Up Post: Best Of Lists, Challenges & Holiday Break

The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved

It- Stephen King

Bag of Bones- Stephen King

Top 10 Tuesday- Holiday Book Wish List

Some Favourite Holiday Movies

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway

The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas

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November Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

The Stand- Stephen King

More Challenges...Up to 5 Now

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Back to the Classics for 2012!

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Thinking About Challenges...

Teacher Man- Frank McCourt

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I Give...Uncle!

"We Are Two Wild & Craaazy Guys!" (Steve Martin & David Sedaris)

Friday Blog Hop

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Pet Sematary- Stephen King

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Night- Elie Wiesel

September Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

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2-in-1 Challenge Wrap-Up Post

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August Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Book Depot Haul!

Top 10 Tuesday--Favourite Books Read in School

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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My Top 10 of the Harry Potter Series

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Four Things

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Friday Blog Hop!

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Friday Hop

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?