tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17666376156536053062024-02-19T18:30:22.458-07:00Classics and BeyondAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-16059349610034793582015-03-25T11:32:00.000-06:002015-03-25T11:32:25.063-06:00Some news. Hello again!<br />
<br />
So. I haven't posted here in nearly four months, as you may have noticed.<br />
<br />
Part of the reason for that, of course, is that I had a baby. <a href="http://emilythecluelessmom.blogspot.com/2015/03/introducing-my-baby.html" target="_blank">She's completely darling and perfect and wonderful.</a><br />
<br />
But if I'm being honest, she's a very easy baby, so I've actually had more time than I bargained for to read and write. I've been doing quite a bit of reading for fun--a lot more than I did when I was in school.<br />
<br />
In the beginning of the year, I was super geared up for <a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/12/reading-plans-for-2015.html#more" target="_blank">all the books I was planning to read</a>. I read a bunch of books from last year that I had been hearing about. I even drafted a couple of blog posts about those books.<br />
<br />
But my reading took a pretty quick turn. Part of it was that I realized that I was probably listening to the wrong sources for my book recommendations. (I need to listen to people who are as sensitive to sexual content as I am.)<br />
<br />
Probably more important, though, is that now that I don't have school to teach me things, I started itching to throw myself into more practical pursuits than just reading novels all day. I've been reading a lot about homeschooling and personal finance, and while I'm becoming wildly interested in learning about these topics, I'm not really all that interested in writing about the books I'm reading. And I'm betting you don't really want to read what I would write about them, anyway.<br />
<br />
But the biggest reason I haven't blogged here recently is that Classics and Beyond just doesn't really fit into my life right now. When I was studying literature in school, blogging about books made every bit of sense. My life was focused on books already, and blogging gave me a great opportunity to get creative in my passion.<br />
<br />
I still care about books and literature, but it's not much of a focus in my life right now. It's not just that I don't "feel like" blogging. It's that Classics and Beyond doesn't feel right for me anymore.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to delete the blog or anything. In a few months, I might want to come back to it. Who knows? But I decided to stop expecting to come back, and I thought I should let you know.<br />
<br />
<i>However. </i>There is good news! (At least, <i>I </i>think it's good news...) I'm still writing! I've actually created a new blog for my mom adventures, <a href="http://emilythecluelessmom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Clueless Mom</a>. Check 'er out!<br />
<br />
Also, if you're still interested in seeing what I'm reading, you can <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/797950-emily" target="_blank">follow me on Goodreads</a>. I keep a good record of what I read there and I rate everything I read, and I might post a review every once in a while as well.<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for reading Classics and Beyond. The last couple years have been really fun and I've really enjoyed being part of the bookish community with you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-30848221651810200682014-12-07T10:58:00.001-07:002014-12-07T10:58:21.403-07:00Reading Plans for 2015Well, the year is winding down, and I'm starting to think about next year's reading, as many of you are.<br>
<br>
The past couple years, at the end of the year I've usually said things like, "Well, I can't guarantee how much reading I'll get done next year, since I'll be in school..." I've always <i>wanted </i>to participate in all the many awesome challenges I see, but I try to keep it to a minimum, since I know most of my reading will be for school.<br>
<br>
Well, this next year is going to be totally different. I'd like to say that I can finally read anything and everything I want, but that's not entirely true either, since, well, I'll have a baby.<br>
<br>
<i>I now interrupt this program for a mini life update: I am now extremely pregnant and the baby could arrive at any time. While I'm waiting, I'm writing a bunch of extremely boring papers for school (well, they're mostly not that boring, but I'm tired of them so they're boring to me). I only have one week left of school--hallelujah--and then I'll be a college graduate and a mom! </i><br>
<i></i><br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/12/reading-plans-for-2015.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-36336734899152372292014-11-20T18:29:00.002-07:002014-11-20T18:29:37.286-07:00The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights by Joan DidionOh, Joan Didion. I just love you.<br>
<br>
Is there really more I can say?<br>
<br>
Okay, okay. I'll say more. But only because you really twisted my arm.<br>
<br>
I'm grouping these two memoirs together because they're similar in style and content and I read them at almost the same time, so I don't have much different to say about each one. <i>The Year of Magical Thinking </i>is a memoir about her husband's death, and her subsequent attempt to understand that experience. <i>Blue Nights </i>is about her daughter's death, which occurred not long after her husband's.<br>
<br>
I did find <i>Blue Nights </i>a little more chaotic--in a good way. It seems like Didion really let herself go in that one and just explored everything she wanted to explore--not just her daughter's death, but her own experience aging, her experience with the success of <i>The Year of Magical Thinking</i>, and just her life--without apology.<br>
<br>
Joan Didion has mastered the ability to write incredibly deeply without being dense. She doesn't ask us to come too far from what we know, or to stretch our minds too much. She doesn't lose us by trying to be poetic. Yet she follows her subject matter into real depth, and her writing style is magnificent. Her books have a place in the classroom, but they also make good rainy-day reading. She just tells it like it is without trying to explain it or make up for it. She's brave enough to ask questions she doesn't know the answers to. And I couldn't help but see myself in her--despite the fact that she's much older than me and has had many more years of much more difficult experience.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-year-of-magical-thinking-and-blue.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-36764028325313933532014-11-14T08:32:00.001-07:002014-11-14T08:32:57.614-07:00Is it our duty to finish books? Have you seen <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/11/stop-making-excuses-and-finish-that-book/381795/2/" target="_blank">the article going around these days</a> about how it's so important to finish books? What do you think of it?<br>
<br>
I had mixed feelings about it. Obviously <a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/counting-books.html" target="_blank">I don't finish every book I start</a>. As an English major, that's nigh unto impossible (although I don't think that's the situation the author was talking about). I do see what the author's saying, though. It can be really valuable to finish books, for all the reasons she's talking about.<br>
<br>
But I think it's a bad idea, at least for me, to lock myself into a finish-every-single-book rule, for a few reasons:<br>
<br>
1. One of the reasons the writer of the article gives for finishing books is that we ought to show respect for the author. Yes, there are some authors who deserve respect even if I don't get their writing (that's why I pushed my way through <i><a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-sound-and-fury-by-william-faulkner.html" target="_blank">The Sound and the Fury</a></i>). If you're reading an author who's widely respected as an important/classic author, then it's a good idea not to discount their work.<br>
<br>
But I don't think every author deserves equal respect. The authors of trashy romance novels don't deserve as much respect as, say, Shakespeare. And the divide isn't always <i>that </i>obvious. Sometimes I might have heard good things about an author only to find that they consider some things appropriate that I don't. Or that they just aren't at the level of writing as people said they were. And if I discover that I actually <i>don't </i>respect them as a writer, I think it's better for me to put the book down than to keep resenting the author.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/11/is-it-our-duty-to-finish-books.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-23759515172955941462014-10-31T14:27:00.001-06:002014-10-31T14:27:45.416-06:00Giant by Edna FerberAfter reading the first chapter or two of <i>Giant</i>, I was sure I wouldn't like the rest of it. I couldn't tell exactly what was going on, there were too many characters and I didn't know which ones were important, and I was bored. I didn't think it would, or could, get any better.<br>
<br>
But then--miracle of miracles--it <i>did. </i>The first couple chapters, it turned out, were more of a "flash forward," and almost the entire rest of of the book was a flashback, and I got to see the characters (the ones that mattered) start out young. It was terrific.<br>
<br>
As a basic synopsis, <i>Giant </i>is a story set roughly in the 1920s/'30s (it does move through at least 20 years) about a Virginian woman, Leslie, who marries a Texan, Jordan "Bick" Benedict. Bick, who owns more than two million acres of land called the Reata ranch, is one of the Texas giants, and Leslie has to learn to deal with the unfamiliar Texas customs. More than just the customs, Leslie also has to deal with the questionable ways her own husband treats the Mexican workers on his land.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/giant-by-edna-ferber.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-6458728862141400862014-10-29T09:58:00.001-06:002014-10-29T09:58:07.847-06:00This Boy's Life by Tobias WolffThis is a book about a troubled teenage boy with a broken, dysfunctional family.<br />
<br />
So of course, from the beginning I was destined not to like it. I didn't <i>hate </i>it. I thought the writing was pretty good. But frankly, I have never understood teenage boys who get into trouble and don't care about anyone but themselves. I would have liked it if this book had helped me understand that sort of person, but it only made me more confused. Wolff tells us, "This is what I did, just because I felt like it," and I was constantly thinking, "But <i>why</i>? Why did you do it? And why does it matter? And why should I care what you did when you were a teenage boy?"<br />
<br />
The way I felt about <i>This Boy's Life </i>reminded me of my experience with <i>Catcher in the Rye</i>. They're not really all <i>that </i>similar, but they're both about teenage boys who can't even begin to understand themselves or other people, so they act out in self-destructive ways. It seems that people who had similar experiences as teenagers are absolutely in love with <i>Catcher in the Rye</i>. "Oh, it's just so <i>real</i>," they'll say. Well, maybe. But I think really good stories are told in such a way that anyone, even those who haven't had the same experiences, can relate to them and understand them. Especially memoirs--a huge reason for the existence of memoir is that people who can't relate to the memoirist's experience can live in the author's story as they read.<br />
<br />
I didn't have that experience as I read <i>This Boy's Life</i>, and for that reason the book felt distant to me. It was somewhat interesting, and it was readable, but I didn't particularly enjoy it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-37376213140574798932014-10-24T11:46:00.000-06:002014-10-24T11:46:02.287-06:00Pollyanna by Eleanor PorterI'm surprised that I liked this book. Normally I have trouble with children's books because I find them too simplistic or didactic, and this book was definitely both of those. Maybe I'm getting kinder towards children's literature now that I'm going to have a child of my own. (I hope so.)<br>
<br>
If you haven't read <i>Pollyanna </i>but have heard someone called "a Pollyanna," then the story is probably much like you would expect. A little girl named Pollyanna, recently orphaned, goes to live with her aunt Polly, a strict, strait-laced woman constantly preaching about duty. The optimistic child runs about town chattering incessantly and teaching everyone she meets (mostly adults--there aren't too many children in the story) about the "Glad Game," the rules of which are simply to find something to be "glad" about in everything. The characters are transformed and everyone learns how to be happy. Until, of course, Pollyanna runs into a hardship that even she can't find anything to be glad about.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/pollyanna-by-eleanor-porter.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-47007248097752724132014-10-18T21:40:00.003-06:002014-10-18T21:40:46.610-06:00Counting books. I started counting my books even before I started blogging. I counted them in my journal--I'd make a list in the back of all the books I'd read that year.<br>
<br>
After I created Classics and Beyond, I started using <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/797950-emily" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> to track the books I read. (I had a Goodreads account before, but I didn't use it regularly.) I loved this easy way to see what I'd read, and just as importantly, how many books I'd read in a year.<br>
<br>
At first, I was a little surprised at how low my numbers were, but as I looked over my books, I found that I usually read a few long and/or difficult books each year; the majority of my reading wasn't just breezy novels. Of course, being in school, I'm often assigned to read long and difficult books in a short space of time.<br>
<br>
Up until now, I would only count a book in my year's reading if I finished every last page of it. But I've become dissatisfied with that. Of course, I'm not going to count DNFs if I only made it through the first 30 pages. But I often get pretty far in these books before I have to give up. I have a ton of reading to do, and although I really want to finish every book I'm assigned, sometimes I just don't have the time, especially nowadays. So far this semester, I've already put aside <i>How Green Was My Valley </i>after about 200 pages, and I'm suspecting the same is going to happen to <i>Angela's Ashes</i>, even though I only have about 100 pages to go.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/counting-books.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-191931605394601782014-10-13T17:53:00.001-06:002014-10-13T17:53:11.664-06:00Fierce Attachments by Vivian GornickA guy in my class said he didn't like this book because Gornick tried <i>too </i>hard to explain her experience, that there was too much meditation interspersed with the stories from her life.<br>
<br>
Well, I guess I need a lot of explanation, because Gornick's meditation on her experience was my favorite part.<br>
<br>
To summarize, this is a memoir about Gornick's relationship with her mother. Gornick explores her childhood experience in a poor Jewish family in New York, and how this experience made her the adult she is: both rebellious toward her mother and exactly like her mother.<br>
<br>
Vivian Gornick doesn't seem like the kind of person I would like to meet, but she's a fantastic writer. She does a wonderful job of portraying her mother both as a victim of circumstance and culture, a woman who tried her best, and as a cold, judgmental, controlling mother who should have tried harder (<i>and, </i>actually, as a strong and independent woman who rose above her circumstances). She also portrays herself as a person who is victimized, but has made her own choices, both good and bad. I think this was possibly the most fair way Gornick could have told her story.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/fierce-attachments-by-vivian-gornick.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-65069103606488037102014-10-07T11:19:00.001-06:002014-10-07T11:19:31.738-06:00Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell<i>Hi, guys. So here I am, doing what I said I would do--totally failing at updating the blog during my busy school semester (my last one!). I'm not going to promise that I'll be any better over the next few months when I'll be graduating and having a baby, but I will try when I can, since I've been reading so many books. The reviews will probably be rather belated, like this one, and might not be very good or very long, but I want to try to stay a part of this great book-blog community! </i><br>
<br>
I knew without a doubt I would love this book. And I wasn't disappointed.<br>
<br>
Ever since reading <i><a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/10/north-and-south-by-elizabeth-gaskell.html" target="_blank">North and South</a></i>, I've been dying to read more Gaskell. And I'd heard wonderful things about <i>Wives and Daughters</i>, so that was my next pick.<br>
<br>
Of course, then life happened and other books got in the way and I didn't actually end up reading it until nearly two years after reading <i>N&S. </i>But even with all the expectations that built up in those two years, <i>Wives and Daughters </i>still gave me all the wonderful, good-book feelings I knew it would.<br>
<br>
With this sort of book, it's hard to know exactly <i>what </i>to say. I could talk about the issues it deals with in 19th-century English society--the class problems, the gender issues, the rise of naturalism, etc.--but that would make the book seem more like a relic of purely historical interest than a real classic. I could wax poetic about the timeless themes of love, loss, marriage, sisterhood, friendship, family, duty, right and wrong, and plenty of others--but that's all been done before, by people who are much more poetic than I am.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/wives-and-daughters-by-elizabeth-gaskell.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-40506187866685766992014-09-07T13:53:00.000-06:002014-09-07T13:53:17.230-06:00The Reader by Bernhard SchlinkThis is going to be one of the most difficult reviews I've had to write in quite a while. I had a lot of mixed feelings about <i>The Reader. </i>A summary, as spoiler-free as possible:<br>
<br>
<i>In postwar Germany, a sick teenage boy is rescued by an older stranger named Hanna. As he gets to know Hanna better, Michael becomes Hanna's lover. After some time, Hanna disappears without a trace...until Michael sees her again, several years later, in a courtroom being accused of committing horrifying crimes as a Nazi guard. </i><br>
<i><br></i>
The first half of the book, about Michael and Hanna's love affair, was not my cup of tea. Frankly, I don't really find it interesting to read about a messed-up thirty-something woman indulging a horny fifteen-year-old boy's sexual impulses. I think part of the purpose of this part of the book was to make me care about the characters, particularly Hanna--or, at the very least, to be curious about them--but it only repulsed me. I didn't <i>want </i>to learn more about the characters. The only reason I pushed on was that my mom gave me this book, so I knew there had to be more to it than first met the eye.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-reader-by-bernhard-schlink.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-45811963865402043582014-08-29T13:17:00.000-06:002014-08-29T13:17:44.701-06:00Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest WilliamsI was sure I was going to like this book. First of all, it came highly recommended from sources I trusted. Plus, the way the memoir was set up seemed to be fail-proof: the author juxtaposes her narrative of the rising of Utah's Great Salt Lake and the effect it has on the birds in the Bird Refuge alongside the narrative of her mother's slow death from cancer. Brilliant. Even more, it's by a Utah author, so I really had no <i>choice </i>but to like it.<br>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
...Except that I didn't. I hate to say that. I really do. This is possibly the biggest reading disappointment I've ever had because I just <i>really wanted to like it. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br></i></div>
<div>
In the first half, Williams failed to make me care about the birds. The parts about her mother were the most interesting, but they were only snippets in the longer, much more technical narrative about the birds. I felt more like I was reading a newspaper article than a personal memoir. Williams made it clear how much <i>she </i>cared about the birds, but she didn't express this in a way I could understand. The birds were her job, and she left out no solitary technical detail. It was hard to keep my eyes from glazing over. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
But I thought, it'll get better. It has to. Everyone loves this book; it simply must get better. Well, unfortunately, it was actually downhill from there. In the second half of the book, I started to realize just how distant I felt from Terry Tempest Williams. Like her photograph on the back of the book--a black and white picture of a young woman on a boat, clasping her hands as her luxurious hair billows in the wind, looking toward the camera with a mystical half-smile that says, <i>Oh, I didn't see you there</i>--Williams paints herself as a mysterious, wise woman. Frankly, I didn't like this portrayal at all; I thought it was inappropriate for a memoir. Memoirs are a place to connect with your reader, to say, <i>Look, I have these problems just like you, and I'm going to lay them out in front of you so we all can acknowledge that we're not alone</i>. At least, those are the kinds of memoirs <i>I </i>like to read. Williams, instead, seemed condescending, as though she knew something the rest of us don't about nature and life and the universe. It didn't help that she started calling everything she did--driving, vacuuming, whatever--a "meditation." <i>Oh, please.</i> I progressed to the eye-rolling stage. </div>
<div>
</div><a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/refuge-unnatural-history-of-family-and.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-23863462973007590642014-08-28T13:12:00.001-06:002014-08-28T13:12:10.195-06:00Bout of Books 11: Belated Wrap-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg"></a></div>
<br>
Well. I pretty much failed at the last 3 days of the readathon. I did do some reading, but I didn't post every day like I planned and then even my reading kind of fell by the wayside at the end. I finished some of my goals, but not all....<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/bout-of-books-11-belated-wrap-up.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-10391163163720351052014-08-21T10:07:00.002-06:002014-08-22T11:49:54.758-06:00Bout of Books: Day 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg"></a></div>
<br>
<b>Books read today: </b>The Da Vinci Code<br>
<b>All books finished: </b>Marie Antoinette, The Da Vinci Code<br>
<br>
Okay, I didn't do a challenge yesterday because I got sucked down the rabbit hole of <i>The Da Vinci Code. </i>But today I'm going to START the day with a challenge!<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/bout-of-books-day-4.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-24606900319440428732014-08-21T09:38:00.000-06:002014-08-21T09:38:08.623-06:00Bout of Books: Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Books read today: </b>The Da Vinci Code<br />
<b>All books finished: </b>Marie Antoinette<br />
<br />
Well, I failed in doing a challenge today, mainly because I got pretty wrapped up in <i>The Da Vinci Code</i>. (Don't worry, I wasn't surprised. I figured when I started it that it would be unputdownable.) I was planning on finishing it yesterday, and I definitely could have, but finally I decided not to. It was kind of depressing me. But I think I only have about 60 pages left, so I should be able to finish it tomorrow without a problem.<br />
<br />
I do have a lot of plans for tomorrow, though, so I may not be able to get much reading done. We'll see!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-13754716728905827912014-08-20T11:21:00.003-06:002014-08-20T11:21:56.728-06:00Bout of Books: Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM83vYrT0QyhowwtEDeFcLfTiOKWa0QHWldBMfpMM29h6NsAwR37VViZzIPup0i4BlsuY0dmvNMJwqBwAAGSNAtqaCTAVPp3S6M3LDqKuOn4D66uJAIDoBw_haSpJG0jy4v-5EicOk0GXG/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Books read today: </b>The Da Vinci Code, Marie Antoinette<br />
<b>Books finished: </b>Marie Antoinette<br />
<br />
<b>12:45 pm: </b>I've been busy making a pie this morning, but I have gotten some time to read <i>The Da Vinci Code</i>. It's starting to take over my reading, I admit, but I would like to finish <i>Marie Antoinette </i>today, so I'd better get on that.<br />
<br />
<b>Later: </b>I finished <i>Marie Antoinette</i>! I spent the rest of my time on <i>DVC</i>, which has become rather too exciting to put down. Still not a particularly amazing reading day, but pretty good! I'm planning on doing a challenge tomorrow.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-15917285841229870632014-08-18T11:03:00.002-06:002014-08-19T12:45:26.993-06:00Bout of Books: Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9QFcqgdOPcxcGNWPZP1Qhk-yISvjAjay0mLYWnds7EOBhvX3XDM9bdCjh5QixM-wCmUVfrAjeOEYTSVoZGQC8vvmozEs63Pm7lImfPSZS0qcO1z_YZlt5684ZYAcXWy6lfbJxO-u3YX_/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9QFcqgdOPcxcGNWPZP1Qhk-yISvjAjay0mLYWnds7EOBhvX3XDM9bdCjh5QixM-wCmUVfrAjeOEYTSVoZGQC8vvmozEs63Pm7lImfPSZS0qcO1z_YZlt5684ZYAcXWy6lfbJxO-u3YX_/s1600/bout-of-books-11.jpg"></a></div>
<br>
<b>Books read today: </b>The Da Vinci Code<br>
<b>All books finished: </b>None yet<br>
<br>
I'm usually really bad at doing challenges in readathons. But I want to this time! So I'm doing the Scavenger Hunt challenge hosted by <a href="http://thebookmonsters.com/bout-books-scavenger-hunt/" target="_blank">The Book Monsters</a>. I found all the books for this challenge on my own shelves.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/bout-of-books-day-1.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-5625859351758491772014-08-18T10:39:00.004-06:002014-08-18T10:39:47.900-06:00Bout of Books 11: GoalsWhoa! Okay! I almost forgot that Bout of Books starts today! But that's okay...I was needing some reading motivation today!<br>
<br>
Right now I'm in the middle of several books that I'm feeling sort of apathetic toward. That's not really a recipe for reading success. So, for this readathon, I want to focus on finishing these books and getting excited about them again. And maybe starting some fun new books!<br>
<br>
Here's my little currently-reading pile:<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou3pC0PHXSaCOh-V6InyX5b8xzTC1lSo5Zj90kszd-MmXsdjzFFfczX5G_JXQOO99ZQ_VhjCPlR90xnTHjyL8kJhLN-pdtN6aXEUdoXfvz0eIErsQAsQUVonvhUjrs2h65ESTuwewfTHU/s1600/P8180397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou3pC0PHXSaCOh-V6InyX5b8xzTC1lSo5Zj90kszd-MmXsdjzFFfczX5G_JXQOO99ZQ_VhjCPlR90xnTHjyL8kJhLN-pdtN6aXEUdoXfvz0eIErsQAsQUVonvhUjrs2h65ESTuwewfTHU/s1600/P8180397.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></div>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/bout-of-books-11-goals.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-10080234671088034772014-08-14T13:27:00.001-06:002014-08-14T13:27:28.606-06:00August Classics Club Meme: AdaptationsThe question of the month:<br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #999999;">What are your thought on adaptations of classics? Say mini-series or movies? Or maybe modern approaches? Are there any good ones? Is it better to read the book first? Or maybe just compare the book and the adaptation? </span></i></blockquote>
This is a good question. *rubs hands together* Personally, I love adaptations of classics, no matter their form. And I really like modern approaches, too; I think they prove the timelessness of the stories.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZPWt8GzOFiIjaipLUeJJ05PKXM74GzisgLZWNr5HhCJFAoAdJZGJUhW56_Gffeqgz25kV3LfVkAs-OnGMynCWruQRsQfGLpU73A0aUTpXj7JRiYwUCNT39phwVOgNp6TnfpVSgcwsW9A/s1600/classicsclub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZPWt8GzOFiIjaipLUeJJ05PKXM74GzisgLZWNr5HhCJFAoAdJZGJUhW56_Gffeqgz25kV3LfVkAs-OnGMynCWruQRsQfGLpU73A0aUTpXj7JRiYwUCNT39phwVOgNp6TnfpVSgcwsW9A/s1600/classicsclub.jpg"></a></div>
Is it better to read the book first? In general I would say that it is, for me anyway, because I like to get a good idea of the characters are they were originally written before I see them played on a screen. With the book, you can really let your imagination run wild, no matter how detailed the character description, but once you've seen an adaptation, that particular interpretation of the character will always color the way you read the book. So I think reading the book first, then watching the adaptation provides the most "genuine" experience of the story. But I've been guilty of seeing the movie before I've read the book, and in some cases I think it's a good thing--if I simply can't bring myself to start reading the book, or I have a premonition that it will be horribly boring, then watching an adaptation can get me more excited to read it. Once I know the storyline, it's easier to get through the book; I'm excited to get to the good parts.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/august-classics-club-meme-adaptations.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-69583007337543585822014-08-12T11:49:00.001-06:002014-08-12T11:49:41.626-06:00A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas<i>A Three Dog Life</i> is absolutely one of the most appropriately written memoirs about tragedy I've ever read.<br>
<br>
Not that I'm an expert on memoirs about tragedy. Far from it. But I know well enough that they are generally unbearably sad, that they make me think fearfully about all the horrible possibilities, and that they're often not uplifting. I don't want to be willfully ignorant, but I also don't want to be unnecessarily depressed. I don't want to avoid the mere mention of tragedy, but I don't want it to consume my thoughts when it hasn't even happened to me (yet).<br>
<br>
Abigail Thomas does a beautiful job of gently guiding readers to an understanding of her own tragic experience. At the time of the memoir's writing, Thomas's husband had recently been in a car accident that had caused major brain injuries. He's so unlike himself that he can't even live with her anymore; Thomas has no choice but to put him in a care facility. He has frequent personality changes, often turning against his wife and being suspicious of her. Visiting him is an emotional roller coaster.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-three-dog-life-by-abigail-thomas.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-15365169109155468492014-08-11T09:17:00.002-06:002014-08-11T09:17:41.562-06:00Classics Club Spin Results! I got lucky! The spin number was number 17--smack dab in the middle of my "please pick one of these" category! So I'll be reading <i>Aurora Leigh </i>by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I've been wanting to pick this one up for quite a while, so I'm excited to get started!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-53589958579496535252014-08-08T14:03:00.000-06:002014-08-08T14:03:35.967-06:00When Did I Get Like This? by Amy WilsonThis is a laugh-out-loud memoir about motherhood and family life. Amy Wilson talks about pregnancy, childbirth, and raising small children with an honest voice. I liked that she was able to be funny without being cynical or forgetting the joys of motherhood--something that's not often achieved when writers talk about parenthood. The book is probably aimed mostly at moms, but even though I don't have kids, I still thought it was relatable and hilarious.<br />
<br />
Wow, this is a short review, since I've pretty much just said everything I wanted to say. I needed a really fun memoir, and that's exactly what I got with this book.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-33499904767466760922014-08-05T11:51:00.000-06:002014-08-05T11:51:22.014-06:00Classics Club Spin #7! Originally, I decided to skip the Spin yet again. I have a lot of books I'm in the middle of, and school starts in a month...it just didn't seem like a good time to add a random classic to my pile of books. But once I saw everyone else's lists, I just couldn't help it. I'm going to do the Spin! Even if I don't manage to finish on time, it'll still be fun to try. But I'm going to keep the books on this list relatively short--I don't want to put any pressure on myself to read <i>War and Peace </i>in the next two months.<br>
<br>
<b>Please don't pick one of these: </b><br>
1. <i>The Odyssey </i>- Homer<br>
2. <i>The Pilgrim's Progress </i>- John Bunyan<br>
3. <i>Heart of Darkness </i>- Joseph Conrad<br>
4. <i>The Bell Jar </i>- Sylvia Plath<br>
5. <i>Slaughterhouse-Five </i>- Kurt Vonnegut<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/08/classics-club-spin-7.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-61461084581018645192014-08-02T08:38:00.001-06:002014-08-02T08:38:32.151-06:00Very big, non-bookish newsI've been holding back this news for a while, this being a book blog and all and not really about my personal life. But this is big news...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm pregnant! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Come December, I will have an adorable baby girl! I'm excited beyond belief. This is going to be my first baby and I can hardly wait. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think it's time to start compiling baby's library. What are your favorites--for small children, older children, little girls, etc.? </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766637615653605306.post-14078285703869023292014-07-30T10:52:00.000-06:002014-07-30T10:52:28.658-06:00Devotion by Dani ShapiroThis book, a memoir about finding faith and hope in a tragic world, absolutely exceeded my expectations. It profoundly moved me, leading me to ask questions about the strength of my own faith, what faith does for me, and the nature of God.<br>
<br>
One thing I often worry about before reading memoirs like these is that I'll come across harsh criticism of organized religion. I'm a Mormon, and my church (officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) seems, to most people, very strict and all-encompassing. (And I love it that way.) A lot of writers about faith these days seem to scoff at the idea of strict obedience and are determined to find their own way, picking out bits and pieces of different religions according to what makes sense to them. Shapiro, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family, actually has a lot of respect for this kind of religion with a lot of rites, symbols, and rules. Although she's become mostly assimilated, she still tries to incorporate Judaism into her life, and I loved that. I was fascinated to read about Shapiro's relationship with Judaism and her determination to keep it in her family, even though she had mostly abandoned the beliefs about God that she had been taught growing up.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://classicsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/07/devotion-by-dani-shapiro.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14777243283548102053noreply@blogger.com5