17 posts tagged “50 books in 2008”
Wow. This was an amazingly brilliant book. I read it in a day, and will be discussing it at my new book club that I've joined, but for now, a few thoughts.
Dalia Sofer tells the story of an Iranian Jew in 1981, as the revolutionary guard has seized power of Iran, and people are being thrown into prison for "crimes" they may or may not be guilty of. Isaac Amin is accused of spying for Israel, taken from his family without any warning.
The Septembers of Shiraz alternates between family members, revealing to us Isaac's fate, his wife Farnaz's quest to find him and cope with his disappearance, his daughter Shirin's own rebellion, and his son Parviz's separation from the family during the ordeal, as a student in New York.
Though the topics included within our heavy, Sofer's decision to focus chapter by chapter on differening family members keeps the story moving, and so I think the book reads easier than if it only focused on Isaac.
Faith, meaning, beauty, family, love, fear, death, governments, revolutions... all are discussed, but not all are preached. It is a beautiful novel and I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend it.
A more detailed post might emerge after my book club discussion.
Dalia Sofer tells the story of an Iranian Jew in 1981, as the revolutionary guard has seized power of Iran, and people are being thrown into prison for "crimes" they may or may not be guilty of. Isaac Amin is accused of spying for Israel, taken from his family without any warning.
The Septembers of Shiraz alternates between family members, revealing to us Isaac's fate, his wife Farnaz's quest to find him and cope with his disappearance, his daughter Shirin's own rebellion, and his son Parviz's separation from the family during the ordeal, as a student in New York.
Though the topics included within our heavy, Sofer's decision to focus chapter by chapter on differening family members keeps the story moving, and so I think the book reads easier than if it only focused on Isaac.
Faith, meaning, beauty, family, love, fear, death, governments, revolutions... all are discussed, but not all are preached. It is a beautiful novel and I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend it.
A more detailed post might emerge after my book club discussion.
As it turns out, with one day left in June, I am one book ahead of schedule. Yes, it was Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by comedian Chelsea Handler that has placed me over the halfway mark, with one half of the year now gone.
Self-depreciating humor marks this second book by Handler. I've never read My Horizontal Life and I'm not sure if I can stomach that much of Handler's brash humor quite yet. But she is funny, not at all politically correct, and since I was looking for a book to read that wasn't going to require much thought, Vodka worked perfectly.
There were points where I couldn't stop laughing, and had to put the book down. I think humor hits best when you can relate to the situations detailed, and Handler's story regarding going to a "birthday" party for a "friend" was beyond hilarious. This "friend" was the sort of person who could talk for hours about nothing, really, and I know the type. But for each person involved in this party, with all their quirks and actions, Handler nearly had me in tears. Seriously. I'm not going to give anything away. Pick up the book at your local bookstore, read the chapter entitled "Re-Gift" and then tell me you didn't laugh.
I won't believe you.
Self-depreciating humor marks this second book by Handler. I've never read My Horizontal Life and I'm not sure if I can stomach that much of Handler's brash humor quite yet. But she is funny, not at all politically correct, and since I was looking for a book to read that wasn't going to require much thought, Vodka worked perfectly.
There were points where I couldn't stop laughing, and had to put the book down. I think humor hits best when you can relate to the situations detailed, and Handler's story regarding going to a "birthday" party for a "friend" was beyond hilarious. This "friend" was the sort of person who could talk for hours about nothing, really, and I know the type. But for each person involved in this party, with all their quirks and actions, Handler nearly had me in tears. Seriously. I'm not going to give anything away. Pick up the book at your local bookstore, read the chapter entitled "Re-Gift" and then tell me you didn't laugh.
I won't believe you.
I'm not going to lie. I read Once Upon a Time in the North partially because it was short. I wanted to make sure that as June ended I was halfway through my goal. This is the first time I've accomplished such a feet.
But Philip Pullman's mini-book is also (hopefully) a prelude to his promised and long-awaited "Book of Dust", a tome that will include more details from the trilogy His Dark Materials.
Once Upon a Time in the North is a prequel to Pullman's trilogy, giving a glimpse into the life of a young Lee Scoresby and how he came to be acquainted with Iorek Byrnison. I love these glimpses, like the one Pullman previously gave us in Lyra's Oxford, a sequel.
But then again, I'm in love with His Dark Materials, the antithesis to C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and I plan on rereading the trilogy now that I've actually read the Chronicles. Two separate stories, with commentary on theology not so subtly hid in the background.
But Philip Pullman's mini-book is also (hopefully) a prelude to his promised and long-awaited "Book of Dust", a tome that will include more details from the trilogy His Dark Materials.
Once Upon a Time in the North is a prequel to Pullman's trilogy, giving a glimpse into the life of a young Lee Scoresby and how he came to be acquainted with Iorek Byrnison. I love these glimpses, like the one Pullman previously gave us in Lyra's Oxford, a sequel.
But then again, I'm in love with His Dark Materials, the antithesis to C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and I plan on rereading the trilogy now that I've actually read the Chronicles. Two separate stories, with commentary on theology not so subtly hid in the background.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond is the second Newberry winner on my reading list that I seemed to have missed during my childhood. I loved it. I was particularly pleased with the ending. Elizabeth George Speare wrote a terrific story that gave a glimpse into American history as well.
However, this book has led to two events recently that should be noted.
The second event is more humorous in nature. While pleasantly tipsy at a margarita party the other night, a friend showed up at the apartment we were all drinking at, but after the door was opened, he did not enter right away. Instead a moth flew in.
Seeing as how I was pleasantly tipsy I took that moment to note that perhaps my friend had turned himself into the moth, and declared him to be a moth witch. I was laughing too hard to enunciate correctly, so no one really understood my point, but I still found it funny.
The first event though was one that kept me up at night. I was thinking about how much the country had evolved in a short period of time, and how, 200 years before we were just a bunch of refugees, trying to make it in a harsh environment, without the conveniences that many of these settlers had grown used to back home. Now? We're the superpower that is the United States.
My train of thought took me to a future apocalypse involving nuclear war and the destruction of the world. I didn't sleep that night.
How many children's stories can really do that? Five stars!
However, this book has led to two events recently that should be noted.
The second event is more humorous in nature. While pleasantly tipsy at a margarita party the other night, a friend showed up at the apartment we were all drinking at, but after the door was opened, he did not enter right away. Instead a moth flew in.
Seeing as how I was pleasantly tipsy I took that moment to note that perhaps my friend had turned himself into the moth, and declared him to be a moth witch. I was laughing too hard to enunciate correctly, so no one really understood my point, but I still found it funny.
The first event though was one that kept me up at night. I was thinking about how much the country had evolved in a short period of time, and how, 200 years before we were just a bunch of refugees, trying to make it in a harsh environment, without the conveniences that many of these settlers had grown used to back home. Now? We're the superpower that is the United States.
My train of thought took me to a future apocalypse involving nuclear war and the destruction of the world. I didn't sleep that night.
How many children's stories can really do that? Five stars!
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz was a "Buyer's Pick" at the bookstore where I work, which meant it was advertised in the store every hour on the hour for about a month. Because of this, a coworker read it, and then recommended it to me.
"It's quirky," he told me. "You're quirky. You'll like it and probably relate to it."
So I read the book and it was indeed quirky. I liked it. I read the book and then recommended it to my mom. She and my dad both read it and enjoyed it.
So when it came time to get my mom a birthday present this year, I got her the next novel in the series, Curse of the Spellmans. One of the benefits of living in the same city as my parents for the first time in four years is that I now have access to their library of books. So I borrowed my mom's gift from her after she had read it, and Lisa Lutz didn't disappoint.
The Spellmans are a family of private investigators. The main character is Izzy, who views men as potential ex-boyfriends. She's a fan of Get Smart and a former teenage hellion. She manages to land herself in jail quite frequently in this latest novel.
Then there's David, Izzy's far more responsible older brother, the only Spellman who has chosen not to work for the family firm.
Rae is the youngest of the children, known for her negotiating skills. The Spellman parents have their own quirks, most notably for their "disappearances" in this latest novel.
The family takes on different cases, but in their spare time they are notorious for spying on each other.
This dysfunctional family provides for a quick and easy funny read.
"It's quirky," he told me. "You're quirky. You'll like it and probably relate to it."
So I read the book and it was indeed quirky. I liked it. I read the book and then recommended it to my mom. She and my dad both read it and enjoyed it.
So when it came time to get my mom a birthday present this year, I got her the next novel in the series, Curse of the Spellmans. One of the benefits of living in the same city as my parents for the first time in four years is that I now have access to their library of books. So I borrowed my mom's gift from her after she had read it, and Lisa Lutz didn't disappoint.
The Spellmans are a family of private investigators. The main character is Izzy, who views men as potential ex-boyfriends. She's a fan of Get Smart and a former teenage hellion. She manages to land herself in jail quite frequently in this latest novel.
Then there's David, Izzy's far more responsible older brother, the only Spellman who has chosen not to work for the family firm.
Rae is the youngest of the children, known for her negotiating skills. The Spellman parents have their own quirks, most notably for their "disappearances" in this latest novel.
The family takes on different cases, but in their spare time they are notorious for spying on each other.
This dysfunctional family provides for a quick and easy funny read.
Having a little over a month to go before Breaking Dawn releases, I decided to kill some of that time by reading Stephenie Meyer's first "adult" novel, The Host. Meyer has shrugged off the teen and adult fiction labels, preferring to state that there are good stories and bad stories, no matter what age group they are aimed at.
It took me a while to get into this book. I read the first few chapters, grew bored, and finally picked it up again when myfanwy65 convinced me that it would be a worthy read. She was right. After the sixth chapter my attention was hooked, and I stayed up all night reading it.
The plot centers around an alien invasion of earth, where "souls" possess human bodies, and take over the planet. The humans remain in body, but their own identities vanish, leaving the souls free reign. They are a peaceful sort, and the book provides an interesting social commentary within the tale itself.
But not all humans are willing to vanish. Once the aliens are discovered, a small group forms a resistance. They are few and far between, as the souls do their best to overtake them. The remaining humans are forced into hiding, and every day is a battle for survival.
Melanie Stryder was part of the resistance, but she is captured, and a soul named Wanderer is implanted within her. But Melanie fights off this invasion, which is a very rare happening. The book details the struggle between Wanderer's attempts to gain control of Melanie, and Melanie's refusal to simply fade away.
I won't give more details, because I wouldn't want to spoil the book. But it's a great read. And despite it's "adult fiction" label, it's safe for teenagers to read.
Meyer has mentioned that she might write a sequel, and I would love one. She left the story open for one.
It took me a while to get into this book. I read the first few chapters, grew bored, and finally picked it up again when myfanwy65 convinced me that it would be a worthy read. She was right. After the sixth chapter my attention was hooked, and I stayed up all night reading it.
The plot centers around an alien invasion of earth, where "souls" possess human bodies, and take over the planet. The humans remain in body, but their own identities vanish, leaving the souls free reign. They are a peaceful sort, and the book provides an interesting social commentary within the tale itself.
But not all humans are willing to vanish. Once the aliens are discovered, a small group forms a resistance. They are few and far between, as the souls do their best to overtake them. The remaining humans are forced into hiding, and every day is a battle for survival.
Melanie Stryder was part of the resistance, but she is captured, and a soul named Wanderer is implanted within her. But Melanie fights off this invasion, which is a very rare happening. The book details the struggle between Wanderer's attempts to gain control of Melanie, and Melanie's refusal to simply fade away.
I won't give more details, because I wouldn't want to spoil the book. But it's a great read. And despite it's "adult fiction" label, it's safe for teenagers to read.
Meyer has mentioned that she might write a sequel, and I would love one. She left the story open for one.
I had, on several occasions, attempted to read C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and failed. I would start with The Magician's Nephew, and then I would get no further. This time was different. Several reasons factored into my success:
- I'd read Lewis' Space Trilogy. This prepared me for the way Lewis weaves a story over multiple books.
- I'd read Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials last year, the antithesis to the Chronicles.
- A friend of mine kept badgering me to read the series, telling me I would love it.
- I saw the movie version of Prince Caspian and had to know how the books ended.
- I approached the series with the idea of reading them for pleasure, rather than as a religious allegory.
That being said, the ending is the best ever of all series I have read. Well done, C. S. Lewis. Well done.
I told my mom that I want to walk the Appalachian Trail. She told me I was crazy. Then she told me to read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. I'm guessing that Bryson's depiction of his journey with his friend Katz would dissuade me from wanting to partake in such of an adventure.
Instead, it left me longing for the time when I'll be able to walk this 2000+ mile trail myself.
The book is funny. Really funny. I love Bill Bryson's writing style and I've been enjoying it on audio as well, because him reading aloud his account of the trip is even funnier. However, I will admit that the history lessons and commentary on the plants got old after a while. I'm a romantic when it comes to nature, not a scientist.
Also, once the initial stage of their trip was over and they split up to rejoin civilization, the pace of the book seemed to slow down.
But overall, this was a great read, and I enjoyed it immensely. And I still want to walk the Appalachian Trail.
Instead, it left me longing for the time when I'll be able to walk this 2000+ mile trail myself.
The book is funny. Really funny. I love Bill Bryson's writing style and I've been enjoying it on audio as well, because him reading aloud his account of the trip is even funnier. However, I will admit that the history lessons and commentary on the plants got old after a while. I'm a romantic when it comes to nature, not a scientist.
Also, once the initial stage of their trip was over and they split up to rejoin civilization, the pace of the book seemed to slow down.
But overall, this was a great read, and I enjoyed it immensely. And I still want to walk the Appalachian Trail.
So, it may seem cheap, but some of my fifty books this year will include Newberry winners I never read. They are generally short books, and always kids books, so reading them generally takes no time at all.
But they are still books, and good enough to win the Newberry Medal, usually with good reason.
Somehow, I'd never had to read Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins in school, and that seems a shame to me now. The book tells the story of a girl named Karana, who is left behind when all of her people leave their island home and sail off in search of a new life.
For years, she learns to cope with her surroundings and to survive, and the book chronicles her story. It's a good read.
Then comes the author's note at the end, and that is what blew me away. The book is loosely based on a real woman who was found living alone on an island. Though little was known about the woman, O'Dell creates a story for her and weaves together fact and fiction into an amazing novel.
But they are still books, and good enough to win the Newberry Medal, usually with good reason.
Somehow, I'd never had to read Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins in school, and that seems a shame to me now. The book tells the story of a girl named Karana, who is left behind when all of her people leave their island home and sail off in search of a new life.
For years, she learns to cope with her surroundings and to survive, and the book chronicles her story. It's a good read.
Then comes the author's note at the end, and that is what blew me away. The book is loosely based on a real woman who was found living alone on an island. Though little was known about the woman, O'Dell creates a story for her and weaves together fact and fiction into an amazing novel.
Working in a bookstore, I'm constantly asked for book recommendations, but I am also frequently the recipient of book recommendations. Customers come in and tell me, "You HAVE to read this book! It's amazing!"
No series has been recommended to me more in the last year than Stephenie Meyer's vampire novels: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. Yet I was hesitant to read them. One, books involving vampires had no appeal to me. Two, anything described as an "epic love story" has no appeal to me. However, I finally caved and picked up Twilight one day as I was going on lunch.
The novel quickly drew me in and my thirty-minute break flew by too quickly, forcing me to wait three more hours before I could continue reading. Over the course of four days I read all three books, and then lamented that I'll have to wait until August for the final installment of the series, Breaking Dawn, to arrive.
Yes, there are vampires. But I never once minded. There are werewolves too. I didn't mind that either. The books, sometimes referred to as what to read now that the Harry Potter series is complete, are fantastic, easy reads.
The novels center around a teenage girl, Bella, and a family of vampires, the Cullens, who have (mostly) curbed their taste for human blood, in order to live freely (mostly) among humans. However one of those vampires takes a liking to Bella, and the books tell their story.
However, there is soon to be another young man in Bella's life, neatly completing a love triangle (and I hate love triangles) that keeps the books interesting. I don't even mind the plot device, provided it ends well. And I have to wait another two months before I know if it will end well. I hope it ends well.
Two months!
I plan on reading Meyer's first adult novel (the Twilight books are considered teen fiction), The Host, as soon as I finish the Chronicles of Narnia, to pass the time.
As a side note, if I can finish the Narnia books before the end of May, I'll be on track with my goal to read fifty books this year for the first time since the year started. Exciting!
No series has been recommended to me more in the last year than Stephenie Meyer's vampire novels: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. Yet I was hesitant to read them. One, books involving vampires had no appeal to me. Two, anything described as an "epic love story" has no appeal to me. However, I finally caved and picked up Twilight one day as I was going on lunch.
The novel quickly drew me in and my thirty-minute break flew by too quickly, forcing me to wait three more hours before I could continue reading. Over the course of four days I read all three books, and then lamented that I'll have to wait until August for the final installment of the series, Breaking Dawn, to arrive.
Yes, there are vampires. But I never once minded. There are werewolves too. I didn't mind that either. The books, sometimes referred to as what to read now that the Harry Potter series is complete, are fantastic, easy reads.
The novels center around a teenage girl, Bella, and a family of vampires, the Cullens, who have (mostly) curbed their taste for human blood, in order to live freely (mostly) among humans. However one of those vampires takes a liking to Bella, and the books tell their story.
However, there is soon to be another young man in Bella's life, neatly completing a love triangle (and I hate love triangles) that keeps the books interesting. I don't even mind the plot device, provided it ends well. And I have to wait another two months before I know if it will end well. I hope it ends well.
Two months!
I plan on reading Meyer's first adult novel (the Twilight books are considered teen fiction), The Host, as soon as I finish the Chronicles of Narnia, to pass the time.
As a side note, if I can finish the Narnia books before the end of May, I'll be on track with my goal to read fifty books this year for the first time since the year started. Exciting!
My Groups
-
political Updated: 35 minutes ago
-
Election 2008 Updated: 35 minutes ago
-
50 in 365 Updated: Yesterday
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
