That's quite a long title for a blog post.
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes - 369 pgs
35) A book you started but never finished
No, I didn't put this book down because I wasn't enjoying it. I actually had to return it to the library before I moved out of the state. To be fair, I didn't get very far, only four or five chapters, but I was certainly captivated by the writing style and happy to pick it back up.
If you haven't heard about Me Before You, it's about a young lady named Lou who hasn't done too much with her life besides work at the same cafe job for years and now has to find new employment since the cafe is boing bought out. She lands a job caring for a quadriplegic named Will. Lou has no experience with medical field anything and is rightfully shocked to receive an offer of employment right off the bat. She finds out it's more like, she lands a job from Will's mother to care for him emotionally. To make him happy again. It's a big job, easier said than done.
This book is a romance. Flat out, I wouldn't label it any other way. It's obviously not your typical romance story (although, I'm not exactly sure what that would be) but it will cut you to the core and really make you think about what you would do for the person you love even if it hurts you.
It's a down to earth story with realistic characters who make you want to hug them (or slap them) and it's easy to put yourself in Lou's shoes as she gets to know Will. It's not a frolic through the flowers and at times it's heartbreaking, but it's worth it.
Moyes released a sequel this year that I'm very interested in picking up. If you like a story that will make you laugh, cry, and open your eyes to the world, pick up Me Before You.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford - 290 pgs
21) A book with antonyms in the title
Ha. It's not War and Peace.
This is a good book. Not great, but it's good.
It can get tedious and long winded, but it's a good book.
That being said, I didn't really enjoy it that much. It took me a long time to get into this short book. I'm not saying stuff didn't happen, it's just that the SAME stuff kept happening and I found it to be a bit more bitter than sweet. (Yeah, I went there)
This book switches back and forth between the 1980s and the 1940s, telling the story of Henry and how he met a girl named Keiko when they were very young as well as the events that separated them for 40 years. It's a Romeo and Juliet story of sorts set during the second world war. Henry is Chinese and Keiko is Japanese. But really, they're both American.
It's truly sad to see what happened here in the states during WWII. We like to point to the atrocities that happened in Europe, and while I'm not suggesting the USA was near as horrific as Germany, it's easy to forget that our hands weren't exactly squeaky clean either.
This was a good book. I can't think of a reason I couldn't fully invest in the story other than it felt repetitive and I don't think I got enough time to bond with some of the characters in the 1940s and that left me a bit apathetic to the 12 year old puppy love.
The Heart of Betrayal - Mary E. Pearson - 470 pgs
49) Readers Choice
It was not my intention to read this book this year. When I read the first book in the series earlier this year I said it would be on the bottom of my 50 book to-read list. It was more opportunity than desire that led me to picking it up, but as I read these two previous books above, I began to feel something I hadn't in a long time. I needed a cheesy fantasy. Nothing life changing or hard to comprehend, nothing with a deeper meaning or a important moral, just a light reading book that could hold the attention of a teen with ADHD (which, I suppose, is how I felt). The book came to my library and I just snatched it up. I already knew the characters, I already had the base story down, so this is essentially exactly what I was looking for.
It isn't a deep book. It's very predictable YA fantasy. The stakes are life and death (yet I still feel this book could have been 200 pages shorter and been better for it). The love interest is as interesting as a lamp post (and could have completely been taken out of the book without changing the story). It's not going to make you have deep thoughts of any sort. But. If this is the kind of thing that floats your boat, it was pretty good. I liked it more than the first one, the story is building (VERY slowly) to mean something.
I know I change my mind a lot. I also know that my reading tastes have changed a sizable amount in the last year alone. Thank you for bearing with me even though in this blog alone I have contradicted myself no less than three times. This book might have once been everything I loved in a book. So if you're in Jr. High or High School or any age and you like fantasy/action YA novels, this series might just be for you.
Read on,
Jamie
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
The Hobbit, A Pleasure to Burn, & The Chamber of Secrets
The Hobbit (There and Back Again) - J.R.R. Tolkien - 366 Pages
34) A banned book
I don't know why I had never read The Hobbit before.
It's one of my best friends favorite books and I remember seeing the first movie at midnight with her. I've heard many a complaint about how this short book became three long movies, but I'm not not going to get into that, because-
I also don't know why people are so scared of fantasy novels.
I very clearly remember as a seven year old telling my Grandmother about how I was reading Harry Potter and her first reaction was "Isn't that about witchcraft and the devil?!" (She loves Harry Potter now that she knows what it's actually about). If parents actually READ this book (which is meant for kids) they would see that it isn't teaching your children to worship satan. They may even realize what Tolkien was actually trying to teach kids. Things like, you may be small and people may not think you're capable of much, but you can do hard even impossible things and succeed. Or, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
There are so many important lessons in this story, and it's a good read no matter your age. I think this would be a great book to read out loud to children, with the right amount of action and thoughtfulness, dialogue and description, this little story is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy even a little and I'm quite sad I didn't get to read it when I was a kid. Maybe it was banned from my elementary school...
The idea of banned books has always intrigued me, which inevitably led me to my next read.
A Pleasure to Burn - Ray Bradbury - 400 Pages
44) A book of short stories
*raises hand* I admit I've never read Fahrenheit 451. I've never even really known exactly what it's about, I'd always gotten it confused with 1984. It wasn't until I was looking for a short story book that I really found out. It's about book burning books and censorship. A Pleasure to Burn caught my eye on Goodreads because I read Dandelion Wine (also by Bradbury) in school and LOVED it. I just love Bradbury's writing style, and the premise intrigued me (and the cover is as awesome as the title) so I picked it up the very next day at the library.
This particular book of short stories was published in 2010, but some of the stories date back to before Fahrenheit 451 as early forms of and ideas for the book. So each story is thematically connected to the world of Fahrenheit 451 where censorship and burning run wild in the future world.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The first story was a bit confusing, but by the second I was zoned in. The writing is really what did it for me as well as the subject being close to my heart. I want to share just a couple of the many bookmarks I made in this book.
"I had seen thousands careen into my library starved and leave well-fed. I had watched lost people find themselves. I had known realists to dream and dreamers to come awake in this marble sanctuary where silence was a marker in each book. Then, better focused, their ideas rehung upon their frames, their flesh made easy on their bones, men might walk forth into the blast-furnace of reality, noon, mob-traffic, improbable senescence, inescapable death." (Bright Phoenix, pg 81)
"Garrett," said Stendahl. "Do you know why I've done this to you? Because you burned Mr. Poe's books without really reading them. You took other people's advice that they needed burning. Otherwise you'd have realized what I was going to do to you when we came down here a moment ago. Ignorance is fatal, Mr. Garrett." (Carnival of Madness, pg 128 (This was my favorite story))
"They were never together. There was always something between, a radio, a televisor, a car, a plane, a game, nervous exhaustion, or, simply, a little pheno-barbitol. They didn't know each other; they knew things, inventions. They had both applauded science while it had built a beautiful glass structure, a glittering miracle of contraptions about them, and, too late, they had found it to be a glass wall." (The Fireman, pg 270)
"The little man wants you and me to be like him. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot out of the weapon. Un-breach men's minds. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?" (The Fireman, pg 287)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling - 352 Pages
42) Your old favorite book
After reading it again, I think it may STILL be my favorite book.
I haven't read Chamber of Secrets in years. Every time I re-read a Harry Potter book it was always Deathly Hallows or Prisoner of Azkaban. I forgot how much I truly loved Chamber of Secrets. Despite being short, Rowling really packs in the action in this book. The climax in the chamber is one of the best and the humor throughout is on point. I couldn't be happier with my choice to re-read Chamber as my old favorite. (PS if you haven't read these books, get out and read them now.)
Read on,
Jamie
34) A banned book
I don't know why I had never read The Hobbit before.
It's one of my best friends favorite books and I remember seeing the first movie at midnight with her. I've heard many a complaint about how this short book became three long movies, but I'm not not going to get into that, because-
I also don't know why people are so scared of fantasy novels.
I very clearly remember as a seven year old telling my Grandmother about how I was reading Harry Potter and her first reaction was "Isn't that about witchcraft and the devil?!" (She loves Harry Potter now that she knows what it's actually about). If parents actually READ this book (which is meant for kids) they would see that it isn't teaching your children to worship satan. They may even realize what Tolkien was actually trying to teach kids. Things like, you may be small and people may not think you're capable of much, but you can do hard even impossible things and succeed. Or, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
There are so many important lessons in this story, and it's a good read no matter your age. I think this would be a great book to read out loud to children, with the right amount of action and thoughtfulness, dialogue and description, this little story is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy even a little and I'm quite sad I didn't get to read it when I was a kid. Maybe it was banned from my elementary school...
The idea of banned books has always intrigued me, which inevitably led me to my next read.
A Pleasure to Burn - Ray Bradbury - 400 Pages
44) A book of short stories
*raises hand* I admit I've never read Fahrenheit 451. I've never even really known exactly what it's about, I'd always gotten it confused with 1984. It wasn't until I was looking for a short story book that I really found out. It's about book burning books and censorship. A Pleasure to Burn caught my eye on Goodreads because I read Dandelion Wine (also by Bradbury) in school and LOVED it. I just love Bradbury's writing style, and the premise intrigued me (and the cover is as awesome as the title) so I picked it up the very next day at the library.
This particular book of short stories was published in 2010, but some of the stories date back to before Fahrenheit 451 as early forms of and ideas for the book. So each story is thematically connected to the world of Fahrenheit 451 where censorship and burning run wild in the future world.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The first story was a bit confusing, but by the second I was zoned in. The writing is really what did it for me as well as the subject being close to my heart. I want to share just a couple of the many bookmarks I made in this book.
"I had seen thousands careen into my library starved and leave well-fed. I had watched lost people find themselves. I had known realists to dream and dreamers to come awake in this marble sanctuary where silence was a marker in each book. Then, better focused, their ideas rehung upon their frames, their flesh made easy on their bones, men might walk forth into the blast-furnace of reality, noon, mob-traffic, improbable senescence, inescapable death." (Bright Phoenix, pg 81)
"Garrett," said Stendahl. "Do you know why I've done this to you? Because you burned Mr. Poe's books without really reading them. You took other people's advice that they needed burning. Otherwise you'd have realized what I was going to do to you when we came down here a moment ago. Ignorance is fatal, Mr. Garrett." (Carnival of Madness, pg 128 (This was my favorite story))
"They were never together. There was always something between, a radio, a televisor, a car, a plane, a game, nervous exhaustion, or, simply, a little pheno-barbitol. They didn't know each other; they knew things, inventions. They had both applauded science while it had built a beautiful glass structure, a glittering miracle of contraptions about them, and, too late, they had found it to be a glass wall." (The Fireman, pg 270)
"The little man wants you and me to be like him. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot out of the weapon. Un-breach men's minds. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?" (The Fireman, pg 287)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling - 352 Pages
42) Your old favorite book
After reading it again, I think it may STILL be my favorite book.
I haven't read Chamber of Secrets in years. Every time I re-read a Harry Potter book it was always Deathly Hallows or Prisoner of Azkaban. I forgot how much I truly loved Chamber of Secrets. Despite being short, Rowling really packs in the action in this book. The climax in the chamber is one of the best and the humor throughout is on point. I couldn't be happier with my choice to re-read Chamber as my old favorite. (PS if you haven't read these books, get out and read them now.)
Read on,
Jamie
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Briar Rose, Sense and Sensibility, & Austenland
Part 2 of the Midsummer Book Blog Binge.
Because I read these books in midsummer and forgot to blog them.
Briar Rose - Jane Yolen - 241 pages
31) Author you've never read before
Yolen has an impressive resume that ranges from children's picture books to adult novels with awards all over the place. It's not impossible that I'd never read her books, but it was a little surprising. She's a Goodreads author so I browsed her profile and get the sense that she is a darling lady. I could've sworn Jane Yolen is an alias for one of my favorite college professors. Anyway. Yolen was recommended to me so when I found out she wrote a historical fiction WWII book called Briar Rose I immediately went to the library and picked it up.
Thing you know: I love WWII Historical Fiction
Thing you may not know: I LOVE Sleeping Beauty
The book is about a young lady who goes on a trip to find out more about her grandmother's life who's last words to her are "I am Briar Rose". It's about the holocaust and it's not exactly cheery, but it'll break your heart and then put it back together a little bit stronger than before. It's a young adult book, but there are very heavy themes (as you would expect from a book about the holocaust) not recommended to early teens.
I love the idea of this book, but I think the way the story unfolded could have been better. I expected our protagonist to go on a journey that slowly unfolded her grandmother's secrets, but it was more like I was reading two different books. One about a girl on a personal journey and another about a man suffering during the holocaust. The story of Sleeping Beauty is cleverly wound into this woman's life and that is what ultimately kept me intrigued. Sadly, that information is saved for the last part of the book instead of a growing theme throughout. Great idea. Okay execution. Good book.
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen Marvel Adaptions - 128 Pages
30) A graphic novel
Nobody said what kind of graphic novel.
I used to read a little manga, the right to left authentic stuff. I just couldn't make myself choose one. I looked at manga, I looked at comic books, I looked at all sorts. I must have been standing in the graphic novel section of the library for half an hour. THEN. I saw Sense and Sensibility, grabbed it, and checked out. I made it my mission a year ago to read as many versions of Sense and Sensibility as I could find, all of them just fell short of the perfection of Austen's original. So when I saw the graphic novel, I had high hopes because it was the original story but found myself apprehensive. How do you make a comic book out of such a dialogue heavy book? Marvel did a great job of balancing the dialogue we needed and the lovely illustration. It was a fun read, and another version of SaS to add to my list.
Austenland - Shannon Hale - 202 Pages
7) A funny book
This book tho.
I saw the movie first, that's what put it into my mind that the book would be funny. It's funnier, because it's more realistic. The film is similar is style to Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, which are two of my favorites, so you can imagine the humor.
It's about a young woman named Jane who's OBSESSED with the idea of Mr. Darcy. Her romantic relationships have been failures and she turns to Austen's novels (and the movie adaptions) to make up for her sad love life. But when Jane takes a trip to Austenland, an immersive regency era themed experience in England she begins to wonder if Mr. Darcy is what she actually wants.
The book is very similar to the movie in plot. I laughed out loud many times, and as cheesy as it could feel at times, it also hit very honest chords with me. (I mean, I just professed my love for Sense and Sensibility...)
This read is a good time, it may not change your life, but it's worth the time. If you liked the movie, I think you should read the book as well. If you've read the book, see the movie, it's some of the most perfect casting I've ever seen.
Read on,
Jamie
Because I read these books in midsummer and forgot to blog them.
Briar Rose - Jane Yolen - 241 pages
31) Author you've never read before
Yolen has an impressive resume that ranges from children's picture books to adult novels with awards all over the place. It's not impossible that I'd never read her books, but it was a little surprising. She's a Goodreads author so I browsed her profile and get the sense that she is a darling lady. I could've sworn Jane Yolen is an alias for one of my favorite college professors. Anyway. Yolen was recommended to me so when I found out she wrote a historical fiction WWII book called Briar Rose I immediately went to the library and picked it up.
Thing you know: I love WWII Historical Fiction
Thing you may not know: I LOVE Sleeping Beauty
The book is about a young lady who goes on a trip to find out more about her grandmother's life who's last words to her are "I am Briar Rose". It's about the holocaust and it's not exactly cheery, but it'll break your heart and then put it back together a little bit stronger than before. It's a young adult book, but there are very heavy themes (as you would expect from a book about the holocaust) not recommended to early teens.
I love the idea of this book, but I think the way the story unfolded could have been better. I expected our protagonist to go on a journey that slowly unfolded her grandmother's secrets, but it was more like I was reading two different books. One about a girl on a personal journey and another about a man suffering during the holocaust. The story of Sleeping Beauty is cleverly wound into this woman's life and that is what ultimately kept me intrigued. Sadly, that information is saved for the last part of the book instead of a growing theme throughout. Great idea. Okay execution. Good book.
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen Marvel Adaptions - 128 Pages
30) A graphic novel
Nobody said what kind of graphic novel.
I used to read a little manga, the right to left authentic stuff. I just couldn't make myself choose one. I looked at manga, I looked at comic books, I looked at all sorts. I must have been standing in the graphic novel section of the library for half an hour. THEN. I saw Sense and Sensibility, grabbed it, and checked out. I made it my mission a year ago to read as many versions of Sense and Sensibility as I could find, all of them just fell short of the perfection of Austen's original. So when I saw the graphic novel, I had high hopes because it was the original story but found myself apprehensive. How do you make a comic book out of such a dialogue heavy book? Marvel did a great job of balancing the dialogue we needed and the lovely illustration. It was a fun read, and another version of SaS to add to my list.
Austenland - Shannon Hale - 202 Pages
7) A funny book
This book tho.
I saw the movie first, that's what put it into my mind that the book would be funny. It's funnier, because it's more realistic. The film is similar is style to Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, which are two of my favorites, so you can imagine the humor.
It's about a young woman named Jane who's OBSESSED with the idea of Mr. Darcy. Her romantic relationships have been failures and she turns to Austen's novels (and the movie adaptions) to make up for her sad love life. But when Jane takes a trip to Austenland, an immersive regency era themed experience in England she begins to wonder if Mr. Darcy is what she actually wants.
The book is very similar to the movie in plot. I laughed out loud many times, and as cheesy as it could feel at times, it also hit very honest chords with me. (I mean, I just professed my love for Sense and Sensibility...)
This read is a good time, it may not change your life, but it's worth the time. If you liked the movie, I think you should read the book as well. If you've read the book, see the movie, it's some of the most perfect casting I've ever seen.
Read on,
Jamie
Hero of Ages, Stardust, & King Charles III
Hey.
How's it going?
How was summer?
Good, good...
Yeah, I forgot to keep up with the blogging.
And the reading to be honest.
I went from one book ahead of schedule to two behind. Whoops.
BUT.
Now I have six books to blog!
So here is part one of two in the Midsummer Book Blog Binge.
(I know, fancy name, right?)
Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson - 572 Pages
48) Reader's Choice
Book three in the Mistborn series absolutely had to be read but didn't fit any of the specific categories so it's my first reader's choice. I'm glad I read it. I like to finish stories. It's not at all what I expected though, and that's not a bad thing. I like how I couldn't predict what was going to happen next in this series, it made it more intriguing to me. I picked up the first book on a friend recommendation, so if not for him I'd have never read these books since the premise sounded to cheesy to me. I think the first book was the best (that surprised me), but they are all high in character development and action and Sanderson has my respect. I may just pick up the rest of his books.
Stardust - Neil Gaiman - 250 Pages
3) A book that became a movie
Stardust was an enchanting book. It's about a young man named Tristan who vows to bring back a fallen star to the girl he "loves". To his surprise, once he crosses the wall into the magic lands everything is different. Even a fallen star is changed from a rock into a woman. The short book is a whimsical adventure full of magic and danger, witches and princes, love and revenge. It's enough to hold even the lightest of readers' attention.
The movie, released in 2007, is very similar. Certain scenes are straight out of the book while a few were added to make the movie more dramatic. All in all, I think I may like the movie better. Don't get me wrong, I really loved this book. The reason the movie is so great is because it stays true to the whimsical feeling of the book while building up to a greater climax and making the characters more endearing. I'd recommend this book to those who loved the movie, and I'd recommend the movie to everyone.
King Charles III - Mike Bartlett - 120 Pages
33) A play
Boy, oh boy. This play is sheer genius. I got to see this play during it's opening run in London. I can still feel the chills I got when the stage went dark and Lordes Royals played in the theatre.
Think about a Shakespeare history play. Now think about what it would be like if Shakespeare wrote a history play about the FUTRUE. Yeah. Mind blown.
Mike Bartlett wrote a history play about King Charles III. As in, the current Prince Charles, son of the Queen. The whole family is there. William and Kate with George, Harry, a certain Ghost. Not only that, oh no. Bartlett wrote it in iambic pentameter.
It deals with the death of the Queen and the subsequent rising of the Prince to the King. When the newly appointed King Charles refuses to sign a bill into law it raises the question, what power does the monarchy hold now-a-days? Does the monarchy mean anything? Should those not elected to power be able to rule over those who were elected?
Bartlett really makes you think. Even if you are a citizen of different country with no thoughts or opinions about such things. You're about to have opinions.
Part 2 coming soon!
Read on,
Jamie
How's it going?
How was summer?
Good, good...
Yeah, I forgot to keep up with the blogging.
And the reading to be honest.
I went from one book ahead of schedule to two behind. Whoops.
BUT.
Now I have six books to blog!
So here is part one of two in the Midsummer Book Blog Binge.
(I know, fancy name, right?)
Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson - 572 Pages
48) Reader's Choice
Book three in the Mistborn series absolutely had to be read but didn't fit any of the specific categories so it's my first reader's choice. I'm glad I read it. I like to finish stories. It's not at all what I expected though, and that's not a bad thing. I like how I couldn't predict what was going to happen next in this series, it made it more intriguing to me. I picked up the first book on a friend recommendation, so if not for him I'd have never read these books since the premise sounded to cheesy to me. I think the first book was the best (that surprised me), but they are all high in character development and action and Sanderson has my respect. I may just pick up the rest of his books.
Stardust - Neil Gaiman - 250 Pages
3) A book that became a movie
Stardust was an enchanting book. It's about a young man named Tristan who vows to bring back a fallen star to the girl he "loves". To his surprise, once he crosses the wall into the magic lands everything is different. Even a fallen star is changed from a rock into a woman. The short book is a whimsical adventure full of magic and danger, witches and princes, love and revenge. It's enough to hold even the lightest of readers' attention.
The movie, released in 2007, is very similar. Certain scenes are straight out of the book while a few were added to make the movie more dramatic. All in all, I think I may like the movie better. Don't get me wrong, I really loved this book. The reason the movie is so great is because it stays true to the whimsical feeling of the book while building up to a greater climax and making the characters more endearing. I'd recommend this book to those who loved the movie, and I'd recommend the movie to everyone.
King Charles III - Mike Bartlett - 120 Pages
33) A play
Boy, oh boy. This play is sheer genius. I got to see this play during it's opening run in London. I can still feel the chills I got when the stage went dark and Lordes Royals played in the theatre.
Think about a Shakespeare history play. Now think about what it would be like if Shakespeare wrote a history play about the FUTRUE. Yeah. Mind blown.
Mike Bartlett wrote a history play about King Charles III. As in, the current Prince Charles, son of the Queen. The whole family is there. William and Kate with George, Harry, a certain Ghost. Not only that, oh no. Bartlett wrote it in iambic pentameter.
It deals with the death of the Queen and the subsequent rising of the Prince to the King. When the newly appointed King Charles refuses to sign a bill into law it raises the question, what power does the monarchy hold now-a-days? Does the monarchy mean anything? Should those not elected to power be able to rule over those who were elected?
Bartlett really makes you think. Even if you are a citizen of different country with no thoughts or opinions about such things. You're about to have opinions.
Part 2 coming soon!
Read on,
Jamie
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