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One reader's thoughts as she steps from book to book.
Books I've Finished
- "A Christmas Memory"
- by Truman Capote 12/8/12
- "Child's Christmas in Wales"
- by Dylan Thomas 12/7/12
- "One Christmas"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- "The Thanksgiving Visitor"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- Inside Mrs. B's Classroom
- by Leslie Baldacci 11/28/12
- The Bee Eater
- by Richard Whitmire 11/15/12
- There Are No Shortcuts
- by Rafe Esquith 10/28/12
- I'd Like to Apologize to
- Every Teacher I Ever Had
- by Tony Danza 10/21/12
- Corked
- by Kathryn Borel 10/15/12
- Year of Learning Dangerously
- by Quinn Cummings 9/30/12
- A Hologram for the King
- by Dave Eggers 8/23/12
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- by Harper Lee 7/18/12
About Me
- Christine
- I often have a few books with bookmarks in them at once. I enjoy classics more than contemporary works of fiction, often read historical fiction, and love to get glimpses into other people's lives by reading memoirs and biographies.
10 comments:
Finished up The Robber Bride, which, funnily enough, I liked a whole lot better this time through. The first time I read it I got fed up with all three women and ended up rooting for the villain. On this go, however, I got more into it and identified better with the characters. No idea why. But I still ended up cheering for the "bad girl."
Finished up Billy Budd by Herman Melville. Anticlimatic, I'd say. Tragic, of course, but still; it's hard to feel anything when the characters are cast as symbols rather than, y'know, people.
What really grabbed me recently? Historical nonfiction (I know, Christine; take a few deep breaths and climb back in your chair). Had to read about the Spanish Golden Age for Theater History and found out there were a whole bunch of parallels with the Italian Renaissance. Who knew? The only thing that grilled my egg was that the book didn't really explain why the development of theater in those two countries was so similar. But it was interesting nonetheless.
Just buzzed through "Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain" by Dilbert's Scott Adams. Ah, if he could have taken his own advice. This is one INsecure dude. Some advice- do NOT spend your entire book harping on the themes "I am SO smart", "I can get a woman", "People are stupid" and "If I have an idea, it MUST be brilliant:. I seem to be on a run of bad to horrible books.
Am just starting "Schulz and Peanuts" , mostly on the positive review from Bill "Calvin & Hobbes" Watterson in the Wall Street Journal. If Watterson's gonna stick his head out of his cave long enough to recommend something, I'm certainly going to give it a shot. It's a little out of my comfort zone, so wish me luck.
Finished "Bookseller of Kabul" and loved it till the end. Started "Frannie and Zooey" at the dental office, and I am just at the beginning where she is falling apart in the bathroom. There is one passage that I need to reread where she is rhuminating (sp?) over how our lives play out and how no matter who or what we think we are it is somehow by accordance to a pattern that has been set up. I'll have to reread it so that I get the gist of it right...
finished Hunting and Gathering - really liked it. some welcome, almost breath-catching surprises, sadness, sweetness, humor, and many real-life triumphs. would definitely recommend it. getting ready to start God-shaped Hole.
The only thing besides school work I am reading (which is Shakespearian sonnets, Merchant of Venice, Yeats poems and other Astrophil and Stella by Sir Philip Sidney) I have just started "Gonzo The Life of Hunter S. Thompson" and found it pretty interesting.
Reading The Aeneid for school and hating it. I love all the stories in all these Great Ancient Works, but if I have to read anything else written in epic poem form I'm going to explode.
Still working on Great Expectations for the English class I'm interpreting--I love it. I'm bribing myself with it: one book of The Aeneid for one chapter of Great Expectations. So far, I've read way more Great Expectations than Aeneid. Not sure it's working out the way I planned.
Let me know what you think of Shultz and Peanuts, Don. Anything Bill Watterson says is good must be, right? DRD
So Billy Budd didn't knock you out, huh, Erin? Cool history reading, though. When is your Taming of the Shrew? (Erin is Katherine in her college production, folks!)
Sophia, I love the train station bit that opens the story called Franny. Salinger kills me, "The boys who had been keeping themselves warm began to come out to meet the train, most of them giving the impression of having at least three lighted cigarettes in each hand." And, even though it might put me over the word limit for allowable quotes by Salinger (he's been known to fight anyone who uses stretches of his material on the Internet) I give you, "She threw her arms around him and kissed him. It was a station-platform kiss--spontaneous enough to begin with, but rather inhibited in the follow-through, and with somewhat of a forehead-bumping aspect."
Sophia, I'm rereading Nine Stories, and if that isn't enough to throw me into an obligatory reread of Franny and Zooey, your reading of it should seal the deal. Let me know what you think of those self-absorbed Glass siblings. I love them, warts and all.
Oh you kids, I will now also have to pick up and reread "Nine Stories".
And Allie (or allie), check out Hunter's own "Proud Highway". Very interesting look at his early years. And report on "Gonzo" for me please. I'm afraid seeing that git Jann Wenner as the author scared me off. (Although I do love how Amazon grants Johnny Depp with an author credit. HA!)
Christine:
I concur on the history being cooler than the fiction at this point. Next up is Neoclassical French theater.
"Shrew" ran from Oct. 25-27, with open dress rehearsals on the 22 and 23. Have heard nothing but gushing reviews from all who attended and am pleased to report that we killed out there. Most fun show I've ever done, without question.
Still reading "The Historian" The history and imagery of the countries visited and the cultures encountered are interesting and are keeping me reading the book. It is definitely NOT an action book - I'm 3/4 way through its 600+ pages and only three people have been bitten. And Monica - non of interesting content you mentioned is usually in vampire books - you know what I'm talking about.
I truly hope this story has a great ending or I'll be out for blood.
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