Book #25 & #26

A Dance with Dragons

George R.R. Martin

The Disenchantments

Nina LaCour

I read 26 books in 2013. Not one hundred, but not a terrible number. The next post will be labeled #1. Onwards and upwards, ya?

Book #24

Vampires in the Lemon Grove

Karen Russell

This book was a birthday present from my brother. He's 11 years older than me, and has had a profound impact on my love for reading. He read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" to me when I was about 7, and through the years we've read "A Series of Unfortunate Events" together. He bought me the whole set, and he inscribed the last and final book in the series, aptly titled "The End", with a really nice message for little Ayelet. We're still reading together, and talking and sharing books. It's nice. Now that I am older, our reading relationship has become reciprocal, with me now contributing by lending him some of my books and suggesting some good ones that Ive read. Recently, he's been borrowing the "Game of Thrones" books, and we have had some really great discussions about those. He just finished the third, and its hard for me to hold all the spoilers in. Basically, he's an awesome older brother.

Karen Russell is a pretty big deal, from what I hear. "Swamplandia!", her other book, is critically acclaimed, and so is "Vampires in the Lemon Grove".

Well, I dont know why. The stories are good, but very creepy and I was almost scared to read them at night. "Proving Up", about a family working to secure land under the Homestead Act, is a predictable horror story that despite its predictability managed to scare me. "Reeling for the Empire" made me nauseous, with excellent story telling and interesting characters, but a mind-bending main theme. The last story was the best and the worst. "The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis" made me really think about the actions of the narrator, and kept me turning the pages at a far more rapid rate than the other stories, but again, the overall content was sad and hard to read.

I dont think I sound very coherent. Its a hard book to discuss and break down, because there are a bunch of stories with no major link. I guess my overall thought is that it is still making me think, and thats the true sign of a successful book. I dont know if I would recommend it to my friends, because I dont think they would enjoy it, but I definitely want my brother to read it and tell me what he thinks.

It says: "Its ben great sharing these books with you over the years. If weve learned anything from them, its to read everything, stay close to your siblings and keep a disguise handy" I told you he's the best.

Book #23

Persuasion

Jane Austin

It was excellent. I completely loved it. If I did not feel so committed to "Pride and Prejudice", this would be my favorite Austen novel. Loved it even more than this one. 

I now only have two more Austen books to go, "Emma" and "Mansfield Park", which I started and is frightfully boring. Let's see how long it takes to get through it.

23 books in a year is not too shabby. 

My 3 New Books

Super excited for all three of these. As I mentioned here, these are not the types of books that I usually walk out of a bookstore with, but I've gained a new appreciation for things that take me out of my comfort zone. I am going to start with Joseph Campbell's book first. After the last book I read, I am ready for something sort of dry and boring, yet interesting and about something I am intensely interested in.

Readership of five, have you read any of these?

Book #22

The Way of Kings

Brandon Sanderson

This was a very long book. At a hefty 1200 pages, this epic fantasy was super slow until the very last 200 pages. This was one of the five book club books for the summer and I am just glad to be done with it. I don't own a kindle or a nook, and carrying this thing around was hard. 

I didn't love it. Sanderson created an entire new world here, which is a remarkable feat, and in no way am I undermining the creativity and dedication that had to go into that. But there was just so much new information being thrown at you, it was hard to enjoy it. It got super good half-way in, and I didn't mind the weight of the book anymore and it was the only thing I was reading. So the question is, why am I left saying that I didn't love it? "The Way of Kings" is rumored to be one of ten books, a giant series, taking the place of Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time", which Sanderson ended upon Jordan's death. Because of the story arc planned for "Kings", Sanderson left questions unanswered and dropped huge bombs at the very end that left me super excited but super annoyed. To sum up my feelings; I don't want to wade through another mediocre thousand page book for the really awesome part of the story.

Anyways, in celebration of my finishing "Kings", I bought three new books today! Three books that are not my usual genre or style, but this blog has made me really reconsider my usual reading pattern, and my tastes. Although I will not read 100 books in a year, I will have gained a new appreciation for all sorts of books, which in my opinion is an awesome lesson.

Housekeeping- #20 and #21

Freakonomics

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

The Stockholm Octavo

Karen Engelmann

Book #19

The History of Love

Nicole Krauss

A) This book is a piece of art. Really.

B) I loved it. I think it is one of my favorite books. 

C) It took my breath away. 

I google to find a picture of the cover of the books that I post about. This usually leads me to a whole bunch of other things and blogs, some interesting and some not. When I googled "The HIstory of Love", pictures of quotes from the book came up. There is one famous one, that is all over the internet that I'll post here, but really, the whole book is one beautiful quote. 

I forgot to mention, this is a book club book. We chose 5 books for the course of the summer, and this is the first that I have finished. The others are pretty lengthy, and Im about to go travelling abroad for a month. I don't think there will be much time for reading. When do you find time to read, readership of five?

Book #18

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J.K. Rowling

So I finished the series, for the bajillionth time. Gosh. I love Harry Potter......so so so so so so so so much. Like I want to just pick up Sorcerer's Stone and start all over again.

In celebration of my finishing, I'm sharing this awesome picture. It makes me smile.

18 books. I guess thats a lot? 

Book #17

The Tipping Point

Malcolm Gladwell

I had to read this for my Marketing class but it turned out to be so good that I read it in my free time. Its all about human nature and why we act the way we do, and it totally changed the way I look at the world. That may be an overstatement, but not entirely. Read it and you'll see what I am saying. 

One of my favorite lines from the book comes at the very end:

"What must underlie successful epidemics, in the end, is a bedrock belief that change is possible, that people can radcially transform their behaviors or beliefs in the face of the right kind of impetus."

Life is about change. If we dont change, we can never grow. And if change is for the bad, as sometimes it is, you still need it so that you can overcome and achieve. To quote Ghandi, and my high school year book quote, "be the change you wish to see in the world." The world needs changing, and we need to change it. You have to believe you can.

I didn't mean for that too be a nice little pep talk, but there you have it! Have a great weekend, readership of five! More books soon hopefully! More random posts are also a possibility! Stay tuned...

Book #16

The Moon and More

Sarah Dessen

First book of the summer! In the post about  "The Truth About Forever" I mentioned that Dessen was coming out with a new novel, and that I would read it. Well I kept my word, and did even better. I did not have the chance to read it on the beach, considering how wacky and temperamental the weather in the city is... I did, however, have the chance to buy the book at an awesome used bookstore in Provincetown, Cape Cod, and read it while on my road trip! Mentioned here, the trip was great!

 

In regards to the book, I liked it. It's by far not my favorite, but like all Sarah Dessen novels, it was an enjoyable read. The main character is Emaline, a graduating senior and resident of the beautiful fictional town of Colby. The book is about her summer before college, and the change that comes with getting older and growing up. It also is about her love life, with her boyfriend of three years Luke on one hand, and her summer fling Theo on the other. I particularly enjoy the family dynamics in a Dessen book, and "The Moon and More" is no exception. Emaline's family is hilarious and reading about her grandmother and her Rollo eating habits made me laugh.

 

In regards to the trip, it was so fun! The whole trip was amazing, from start to finish. We stayed in Hyannis, which is the unofficial beginning of the Cape, and drove all the way to Provincetown, which is on the tip. The weather wasn't the best, but we didn't let that stop us. We barbecued, visited a lighthouse and went thrifting. The experience was unforgettable, and an awesome way to kick off my first summer as a college student.

 

I'm gonna share some pictures from the trip, readership of five! I hope this makes the blog a little more personal and lively. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

 

Marconi Beach, aka Macaroni Beach :)

 

I think this is the Sagamore Bridge

 

The lighthouse! How picturesque is that?

The wet and stormy view from the top of the lighthouse

Provincetown

Yay Cape Cod!

 



Book #15

Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen

Loved it. Perfect romance. I dont know why it isn't one of her more popular books. My mom read it after me, on my recommendation, and did not enjoy it as much. She said it was predictable and slow, I said it was witty and clever. Go ahead and read it, and let me know!

I read this in May, and am only posting it now.... Which means I did it! I am averaging three books a month. I know I wont reach one hundred, but I want to see how many I can do.

85 to go!

p.s. did really well on finals, even though I was busy reading books :)

Book #14

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore

Robin Sloan

This was a book club book and it was really phenomenal. I loved loved loved all the characters, and the story itself was fast paced and interesting. And when I say love three times, I mean that I sincerely want to meet every single one of the people mentioned in this book, whether they were good or not. They were all awesome and cool. The book primarily takes place in California, but it switches to New York for a little bit, and I love a good New York shout out.

As usual, I want to write more but I have no time. I am done with finals, but am going on a mini-road trip tomorrow with a friend to Cape Cod. I just loaded the new "Vampire Weekend" and "The National" albums to my ipod, and have three books packed with me. Ill let you know how it goes!

1/86

Book #13

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

J.K. Rowling

I dont think it is possible for me to fangirl properly about Harry Potter. My love for the series is too great for words. I practically forgot what happened in "Half-Blood Prince", which I think is possibly the funniest and saddest at the same time. In summation, all I can really do is quote two lines from the book that practically made me cry:

Chapter 25- The Seer Overheard

"I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore," said Harry.

Chapter 26- The Cave

"I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."


Sob. Now on to the last one.

I dont think I mentioned it, but I have been saving the fifth Game of Thrones book, "A Dance with Dragons", till I finish the HP series. I'm a big fan of GoT, and they're the perfect summer books. For those who have read GoT, you may be puzzled as to why, and how, I have prolonged my reading of the latest book. Well, its been very hard, and Ive been dying to read it, but George R.R. Martin takes years to write his books, so I need to savor everyone. I made a deal with myself that I wouldn't read it until I completed the Harry Potter series. It's taken longer than expected, but one more book and "Dance with Dragons", here I come. The question is, dear readership of FIVE, do I reread all the GoT series, or just pick up with the newest one? Thoughts?

Book #12

The Truth About Forever

Sarah Dessen

It's finals time, and clearly I should not be reading anything that is not related to my classes. But I am. I know 100 books are probably not going to happen, so I've lowered my standards to smaller numbers. I want to have read 15 books by the end of May, which averages 3 books a month. 3 more to go on a small scale, 88 on a larger one.

Anyways, a quick little paragraph. I love Sarah Dessen and her chick-lit genre. I'm not a big tv watcher, so reading her books is my escape. They dont require that much brain power, and are super enjoyable and easy reads. An added bonus are the butterflies that usually pop up in your stomach while reading them. Her characters are well developed, and her couples are cute and sweet. "The Truth About Forever" is a reread for me. It's not my favorite Dessen novel, but it is up there. Macy and Wes are cute and relatable as a pair, and I can totally understand Macy's relationship with her mother. It's fun, it's quick, and it makes me feel like it's almost summer. 

I read somewhere that Dessen is coming out with a new book soon, which is pretty darn exciting. Be sure to look out for it appearing on the list later on this year. Probably around August, when I can go to the beach, sit on the sand, look at the waves and read. Dessen's novels usually connect to Colby, a quaint beach town somewhere on the coast. Maybe by reading her new novel on the hot, polluted city beach I'll feel more like a relaxed Colby inhabitant. Who knows. It's worth a shot. 

3/88 to go.

Book #11

Wild

Cheryl Strayed

So I told you guys I would be reading this after I finished "A Walk in the Woods" and I lived up to that claim. This is my second non-fiction book this year, the second hiking book this year and the eleventh book in general. 

Just to compare this and "A Walk in the Woods" for a second: "Wild" is about a young woman, "Walk" is about a middle-aged man. "Wild" is about the PCT, the Pacific Crest Trail, on the West Coast (duh) and "Walk" is about the AT, the Appalachian Trail, on the East Coast. "Wild" reads like a memoir, "Walk" as a funny info book.

I don't know why, but I am so drawn to hiking. And by hiking, I mean the hiking that happens in "Wild" and "Walk"; trail hiking, long distance hiking, staying out in the woods for weeks on end. The kind of hiking that would leave me with pictures that looked like this:

But really, I know hiking like Cheryl Strayed did in "Wild" is a living hell. I know it because she told me so, in a charming, lively, funny way. She goes to hike the trail to find herself, and she does, along with a bunch of rattle snakes, deer, elk, bears, blisters, missing toe nails, intense heat and huge piles of snow. It's a really great book, and as hard as she makes hiking the PCT sound, she also makes it sound wild and alluring. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough and try to hike a little bit. Maybe.

But for now, hiking is in my future just as much as finishing 100 books in a year is. 

11 down, 89 to go. Books, not miles.

Book #10

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

J.K. Rowling

I lied. I am not going to go crazy fangirl on my readership of four for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I'll do it for Half Blood Prince, which I already started and forgot how much I love.

I really forgot how much I love all of these books.

I SAID I WOULD'NT FANGIRL.

10 down, 90 to go.

Book #9

Ready Player One

Ernest Cline

It's late, and I'm tired, and I didn't really love this book.

Maybe I'll write some more about it some day, maybe not.

Good night. And good luck.

I need it.

Inspiration

Sometime the internet sends you a sign.

Keep reading. 

Book #8

A Walk in the Woods
Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

Bill Bryson

Readership of FOUR, how are you!? Welcome, fourth reader. I hope you like books, cause that's all that goes on in this neck of the woods.

Speaking of woods (how smooth was that..), "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson was so great! Honestly, I don't read a lot of nonfiction. I don't know if it is obvious from the books that I have read already, but I am more of a fantasy, fictioney type of girl. I can't remember the last time that I read nonfiction did before I picked this up. I always wanted to read nonfiction, but just never had the motivation to do it. But now that I am attempting miserably at reading one hundred books in a year, I decided that I should try. "A Walk in the Woods" was on my reading list for a while, so I went for it, and totally loved it.

Nonfiction is different from fiction in many ways. For one, it's not made up. That's a pretty big one. But what I really liked about this book and its nonfictioness is that not only did it tell a story, but it told a history. Now, this may not be a trait in all nonfiction, so correct me if I am wrong. But Bryson incorporated so much history and interesting facts and vignettes and bios on fascinating people in his story about hiking the Appalachian Trail that the book was almost two books smashed into one. It is a book about a hilarious British, middle-aged man and his friend attempting to hike a 2,100 mile trail. But it is also a book about America, forests and woods, nature, weather, history and moose. I loved it. Bryson is a funny story teller, and a great historian, and his book is a very worthwhile read.

I will issue a warning: In a weird way, it kind of makes you want to pack a knapsack and start hiking. It also makes you want to save the wildlife that is being destroyed. It also makes you want to buy a moose as a pet. Just warning you.

So that's eight. Look out for "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed making an appearance sometime in the near future. "Wild" was one of the best books of 2012, according to numerous literary people that will go unnamed because I can not name them. All I know is that everyone loved it, and its about the Pacific Crest Trail, another great American trail. I thought it would be a good hiking buddy for "A Walk in the Woods." (see what I did there?) (these puns just keep hiking.) (I'll stop.)

Book #6 & #7

Dealing with Dragons

Patricia C. Wrede

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

J.K. Rowling
(obviously)

Readership of three! Hello! I'm not in Starbucks for once. I'm somewhere even better: a library. Specifically my school's library. I love this library so much. There's something so academic about it, with its large text books that don't really fit on the shelves and reading tables with the overhead personal lights. I usually sit in a certain room at a certain table but for today's post I mixed it up. I'm on the second floor in the main reading room. It's a change of pace.

I don't know how I let myself get behind on my posts, but I did. My life in general is pretty hectic and sitting down to write these reviews are like a breath of fresh air for me. I guess I haven't had time to breathe lately. Because I'm behind, I'm going to limit myself on this post to one paragraph for both books.

I read "Dealing with Dragons" as my going to sleep book. It's what I kept on my nightstand and what I read a chapter of before turning in for the night. I found it while I was cleaning and had loved it as a kid so I wanted to reread it. It was just as I remembered: short, fun, fantasy and fast. It's part of a whole series that I kind of want to read the rest of, but we'll see. To be honest, I dont own those, so it would require more effort. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is also a reread from my childhood. I'm rereading the entire series after studying a year abroad, and I'm taking my sweet, sweet time with it and loving every second. The fourth is particularly good, and has always been one of my favorites. I think Rowling really gets into her stride at this point and it's awesome to pick up on the hints that she drops throughout the book. Anyways, these two were throwbacks from my "youth." I'm putting youth in quotation marks because I'm still really young and feel weird saying it but I couldn't think of another way to say it. Adolescence? 

Anyway, two more down, two more reviews to come as soon as I feel like breathing again.

(This paragraph does not count, because it's in parenthesis. I LOVE HARRY POTTER AND IT IS A TOTAL INJUSTICE THAT THAT IS ALL I WROTE ABOUT GOBLET OF FIRE. I'll fangirl more about HP and J.K. when I finish Order of the Phoenix.... It'll give me something to look forward to!)