Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Rating: 5+
Wow. I had always been told that Jane Eyre is boring. Well the people who said that are boring if they don't like stories with romance, mystery, intrigue, action, philosophy, and suspense! That's right, Jane Eyre has all those things! I was completely blown away by how quickly I got sucked into this book. I can see how some might think it is boring in the beginning, although I completely disagree. And near-end it takes a turn that leaves the reader hanging with regard to other characters, but don't worry! it all comes full circle in the glorious end.
Jane has become my favorite literary heroine. Usually the women in literature annoy me. But Jane is sensible, she is charming, she has wit, but she has romantic inclinations as well. She reminds me of myself. I appreciate that she isn't silly and doesn't willfully misinterpret the actions of other characters. She is what ever literary heroine should strive to be.
Wow. I had always been told that Jane Eyre is boring. Well the people who said that are boring if they don't like stories with romance, mystery, intrigue, action, philosophy, and suspense! That's right, Jane Eyre has all those things! I was completely blown away by how quickly I got sucked into this book. I can see how some might think it is boring in the beginning, although I completely disagree. And near-end it takes a turn that leaves the reader hanging with regard to other characters, but don't worry! it all comes full circle in the glorious end.
Jane has become my favorite literary heroine. Usually the women in literature annoy me. But Jane is sensible, she is charming, she has wit, but she has romantic inclinations as well. She reminds me of myself. I appreciate that she isn't silly and doesn't willfully misinterpret the actions of other characters. She is what ever literary heroine should strive to be.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Rating: 3.5
Another children's book where I saw the movie before reading the book. There were some changes that I was surprised by, biggest being Winnie's age. In the movie she is a teenager and in the book she is only ten years old. She escapes from her uptight family into the forest next to her house, where she meets the Tuck family. The Tucks have a secret that Winnie finds out about: they cannot die. She spends time with them and discusses the facts of life with them, debating whether or not she should join them in eternal life of the non-religious kind.
The book didn't strike my fancy. The story is well-written by Babbitt, but it just seemed kind of dull to me. I think I was expecting more action and intrigue instead of the straight-forward way in which the story and all the implications of not being able to die are told. I think this would be a good book to use with students in order to discuss death, because it brings up the good point that death is a natural part of life.
Another children's book where I saw the movie before reading the book. There were some changes that I was surprised by, biggest being Winnie's age. In the movie she is a teenager and in the book she is only ten years old. She escapes from her uptight family into the forest next to her house, where she meets the Tuck family. The Tucks have a secret that Winnie finds out about: they cannot die. She spends time with them and discusses the facts of life with them, debating whether or not she should join them in eternal life of the non-religious kind.
The book didn't strike my fancy. The story is well-written by Babbitt, but it just seemed kind of dull to me. I think I was expecting more action and intrigue instead of the straight-forward way in which the story and all the implications of not being able to die are told. I think this would be a good book to use with students in order to discuss death, because it brings up the good point that death is a natural part of life.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 5
I read The Kite Runner by the same author last year and, even though I loved it, I was not too excited to read this novel. I was always put off by the displays in Borders with signs reading "If you loved this (big obnoxious arrow pointing to The Kite Runner) then try this (obnoxious arrow pointing in the other direction to Suns). For some reason, I was expecting something akin to the bad sequel of a beloved movie made only for the profit margin (Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?).
Thankfully, A Thousand Splendid Suns far exceeded my expectations. The true beauty of this novel is the tortured soul of Afghanistan that serves as the backdrop to the lives of Laila and Mariam, two women from vastly different backgrounds who are brought together and become friends. Their story is captivating, but the story that moved me is the history of the country that Hosseini weaves throughout. I was heartbroken by the story of a population that has to deal with war as if it were cancer, continually infecting new areas of the country. The title refers to a poem about the beauty of Afghanistan, and I think Hosseini succeeded in making this a story about that.
I read The Kite Runner by the same author last year and, even though I loved it, I was not too excited to read this novel. I was always put off by the displays in Borders with signs reading "If you loved this (big obnoxious arrow pointing to The Kite Runner) then try this (obnoxious arrow pointing in the other direction to Suns). For some reason, I was expecting something akin to the bad sequel of a beloved movie made only for the profit margin (Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?).
Thankfully, A Thousand Splendid Suns far exceeded my expectations. The true beauty of this novel is the tortured soul of Afghanistan that serves as the backdrop to the lives of Laila and Mariam, two women from vastly different backgrounds who are brought together and become friends. Their story is captivating, but the story that moved me is the history of the country that Hosseini weaves throughout. I was heartbroken by the story of a population that has to deal with war as if it were cancer, continually infecting new areas of the country. The title refers to a poem about the beauty of Afghanistan, and I think Hosseini succeeded in making this a story about that.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Rating: 4.5
Paterson writes with ease. The story is conveyed with little frills. The novel is not used to show off the author's command of figurative language. Such a welcome relief after reading The Shack!
I saw the movie on a plane a few years ago. I cried and tried not to be embarrassed at the fact that I was crying at a kids movie on a plane surrounded by people that I don't know. Anyway, the book was not what I expected after seeing the movie. I expected it to be a lot more of a fantasy book than it was. Instead, the focus was more on Jess and Leslie's friendship than the actual place of Terabithia. I loved the change. Jess is such a relatable character--he has fears, ambitions, and annoying siblings. There is a lot of poetry in some of Paterson's descriptions, but she doesn't overuse the language. The development of friendship between Jess and Leslie is always at the forefront. Even though I wasn't shocked by the ending, I still teared up a bit. The mark of a good book is one that can make me cry even though I know what is coming. I definitely hope to have this in my classroom.
Paterson writes with ease. The story is conveyed with little frills. The novel is not used to show off the author's command of figurative language. Such a welcome relief after reading The Shack!
I saw the movie on a plane a few years ago. I cried and tried not to be embarrassed at the fact that I was crying at a kids movie on a plane surrounded by people that I don't know. Anyway, the book was not what I expected after seeing the movie. I expected it to be a lot more of a fantasy book than it was. Instead, the focus was more on Jess and Leslie's friendship than the actual place of Terabithia. I loved the change. Jess is such a relatable character--he has fears, ambitions, and annoying siblings. There is a lot of poetry in some of Paterson's descriptions, but she doesn't overuse the language. The development of friendship between Jess and Leslie is always at the forefront. Even though I wasn't shocked by the ending, I still teared up a bit. The mark of a good book is one that can make me cry even though I know what is coming. I definitely hope to have this in my classroom.
The Shack by William P. Young
Rating: 2
Considering I took a week-long break in the middle of this book and read two other books in that time period, things don't bode well for Young and The Shack.
My big beef with this book is the writing style. The story is okay and the theological concepts that Young is attempting to explain are put forth in a unique way, but the way he gets through the story and through explaining all those concepts is ridiculous. After I had read the first chapter, it was clear to me that A.) writing is not Young's day job, and B.) he had an agenda in writing this story. B would have been less transparent if A did a better job of covering it up. Instead, Young probably took Creative Writing 101 and used every concept that he learned on every single page because, after all, that's good writing, right? (write? haha). Absolutely no. Every action is a metaphor or a simile, every description is a hyperbolye, every utterance is "chuckled" or "snorted" or "spat" or "whispered" or "sang." It gets to be too much.
I think this is a good story. What I don't like is how the story takes a backburner to Young's ideas. It serves as the means to his end, not an end in itself. In the story, the main character's daughter is kidnapped and brutally murdered. Mack, the father, slides into a depression lasting for a few years, until he receives a note from God to meet with him at the shack--the place where Mack's daughter was murdered. He goes to the shack and meets with the Trinity and discusses with them every theological question that has plagued mankind since The Fall. Therefore, the story becomes the platform for Young to answer questions like "why is there suffering in the world?" "why do bad things happen to good people?" "if God truly loves people, why does he send them to Hell?" "how does the Trinity work?" etc. Of course, Young gives good answers to these questions, I'm not arguing with that. What I dislike is that every chapter seems to be a response to one of those questions. Young answers them by Mack posing them in the beginning of the chapter, and then the rest of the chapter is one long dialogue of God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit (personified in a large black woman, a Jewish carpenter, and a flighty Asian woman ... lets not get into the cultural stereotypes that are grossly exaggerated in order to appeal to a diverse audience) answering the questions. If Young wanted to write a theological textbook, he should have done so.
The Wikipedia page on Young says that he wrote the book because his wife wanted him "to put down in one place his perspectives on God." If you read The Shack, that's what you get ... and not much else.
Considering I took a week-long break in the middle of this book and read two other books in that time period, things don't bode well for Young and The Shack.
My big beef with this book is the writing style. The story is okay and the theological concepts that Young is attempting to explain are put forth in a unique way, but the way he gets through the story and through explaining all those concepts is ridiculous. After I had read the first chapter, it was clear to me that A.) writing is not Young's day job, and B.) he had an agenda in writing this story. B would have been less transparent if A did a better job of covering it up. Instead, Young probably took Creative Writing 101 and used every concept that he learned on every single page because, after all, that's good writing, right? (write? haha). Absolutely no. Every action is a metaphor or a simile, every description is a hyperbolye, every utterance is "chuckled" or "snorted" or "spat" or "whispered" or "sang." It gets to be too much.
I think this is a good story. What I don't like is how the story takes a backburner to Young's ideas. It serves as the means to his end, not an end in itself. In the story, the main character's daughter is kidnapped and brutally murdered. Mack, the father, slides into a depression lasting for a few years, until he receives a note from God to meet with him at the shack--the place where Mack's daughter was murdered. He goes to the shack and meets with the Trinity and discusses with them every theological question that has plagued mankind since The Fall. Therefore, the story becomes the platform for Young to answer questions like "why is there suffering in the world?" "why do bad things happen to good people?" "if God truly loves people, why does he send them to Hell?" "how does the Trinity work?" etc. Of course, Young gives good answers to these questions, I'm not arguing with that. What I dislike is that every chapter seems to be a response to one of those questions. Young answers them by Mack posing them in the beginning of the chapter, and then the rest of the chapter is one long dialogue of God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit (personified in a large black woman, a Jewish carpenter, and a flighty Asian woman ... lets not get into the cultural stereotypes that are grossly exaggerated in order to appeal to a diverse audience) answering the questions. If Young wanted to write a theological textbook, he should have done so.
The Wikipedia page on Young says that he wrote the book because his wife wanted him "to put down in one place his perspectives on God." If you read The Shack, that's what you get ... and not much else.
The Target by Catherine Coulter
Rating: 3
This is another book that I read while on hiatus from The Shack. It is also another book that I read in high school a few years ago before I started developing my own library tastes.
What I like about this book is that it is a nice summer read--it has suspense, action, crime, the mafia, and a good-guy male main character. What I don't like about this book is the stereotypical characters (the drug addict rockstar, the noble judge, the fiery protective redhead mother, the crime lord, the trophy wife with a secret past, the sweet innocent child, etc.) and the cliche plot. That being said, if you just take the book for what it is and accept all those things, it is pretty entertaining. Coulter is no master storyteller but she doesn't attempt to be, either. I would recommend this book for vacation reading.
This is another book that I read while on hiatus from The Shack. It is also another book that I read in high school a few years ago before I started developing my own library tastes.
What I like about this book is that it is a nice summer read--it has suspense, action, crime, the mafia, and a good-guy male main character. What I don't like about this book is the stereotypical characters (the drug addict rockstar, the noble judge, the fiery protective redhead mother, the crime lord, the trophy wife with a secret past, the sweet innocent child, etc.) and the cliche plot. That being said, if you just take the book for what it is and accept all those things, it is pretty entertaining. Coulter is no master storyteller but she doesn't attempt to be, either. I would recommend this book for vacation reading.
Out of the Night by Penny Jordan
Rating: 3
Since I'm done with school, all of my reading is leisure reading now :)
I should probably start off by saying that, yes, this is a Harlequin romance novel. I'm only a little ashamed to admit that. But, I was taking a break from reading The Shack (coming soon) and I found this on my bookshelf. I actually had read it a couple of years ago, probably in high school, before I started my own book collection and was scavenging the corners of my house for something to read.
This is a really easy book to read, and most of it is the lustful musings of main character Emily who is smitten with Matt, the man she had a one night stand with when they were caught in a snowstorm together and now magically he is working with her uncle and living in the same house as her. Annoyingness of the lustful musings of a flighty female main character aside, what I think is interesting about this is how accurate of a portrait it portrays of the female mind. Emily is completely hung up on Matt and analyzes all of his words and actions and misinterprets them about 99% of the time. Like I said, accurate.
Since I'm done with school, all of my reading is leisure reading now :)
I should probably start off by saying that, yes, this is a Harlequin romance novel. I'm only a little ashamed to admit that. But, I was taking a break from reading The Shack (coming soon) and I found this on my bookshelf. I actually had read it a couple of years ago, probably in high school, before I started my own book collection and was scavenging the corners of my house for something to read.
This is a really easy book to read, and most of it is the lustful musings of main character Emily who is smitten with Matt, the man she had a one night stand with when they were caught in a snowstorm together and now magically he is working with her uncle and living in the same house as her. Annoyingness of the lustful musings of a flighty female main character aside, what I think is interesting about this is how accurate of a portrait it portrays of the female mind. Emily is completely hung up on Matt and analyzes all of his words and actions and misinterprets them about 99% of the time. Like I said, accurate.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Holes by Louis Sachar
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 5
I thought this was a great book! It was fun to read and also a quick read. I saw the movie years ago when it first came out, but never got around to reading the book until now (not my usual order of doing things, but I was young and impulsive) so I knew how it would all turn out. However, I thought it was still exciting to watch the plot unfold and to make all the connections between Stanley's great great grandfather and the life of Stanley at Camp Green Lake. A book where the reader discovers all sorts of connections like that is my favorite kind of book. I especially loved how all the connections weren't explicitly stated. For example, when Zero tells Stanley that his real name is Hector Zeroni, Sachar doesn't go into long detail about how Zeroni is the same name as Madame Zeroni from all those years ago with Stanley's great great grandfather.
From what I have experienced, younger students love this book and I can understand why. There is a memorable cast of characters, a semi-mystery, danger, and it is just a fun read.
Rating: 5
I thought this was a great book! It was fun to read and also a quick read. I saw the movie years ago when it first came out, but never got around to reading the book until now (not my usual order of doing things, but I was young and impulsive) so I knew how it would all turn out. However, I thought it was still exciting to watch the plot unfold and to make all the connections between Stanley's great great grandfather and the life of Stanley at Camp Green Lake. A book where the reader discovers all sorts of connections like that is my favorite kind of book. I especially loved how all the connections weren't explicitly stated. For example, when Zero tells Stanley that his real name is Hector Zeroni, Sachar doesn't go into long detail about how Zeroni is the same name as Madame Zeroni from all those years ago with Stanley's great great grandfather.
From what I have experienced, younger students love this book and I can understand why. There is a memorable cast of characters, a semi-mystery, danger, and it is just a fun read.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
First Meetings in the Enderverse by Orson Scott Card
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4
This is really a book of four short stories, including the original Ender's Game short story/novella. These stories are prequel-esque to the events happening in the rest of the Enderverse. The stories give a little more background into what was happening on Earth during the first alien invasion, referenced in Ender's Game, particularly the political turmoil. There is one story about Ender's father when he was a boy, one about how his father and mother met, and one about Ender after the end of the Bugger Wars and the emergence of Jane. And of course the original Ender's Game short story.
I like that these stories give more background and for any fan of the Enderverse I think they are good to read, but I wouldn't call it necessary. Actually, the big beef that I have with this book (and the books in the Shadow series) is that Ender is made out to be a victim of manipulation of circumstance, rather than a truly exceptional person. I guess maybe that is what the whole point of the series is--particularly Battle School and how the teachers manipulate the students into becoming war thinkers--but I just can't get away from the loyalty to and hero-worship of Ender and I hate to read anything that makes him seem like anything less.
Rating: 4
This is really a book of four short stories, including the original Ender's Game short story/novella. These stories are prequel-esque to the events happening in the rest of the Enderverse. The stories give a little more background into what was happening on Earth during the first alien invasion, referenced in Ender's Game, particularly the political turmoil. There is one story about Ender's father when he was a boy, one about how his father and mother met, and one about Ender after the end of the Bugger Wars and the emergence of Jane. And of course the original Ender's Game short story.
I like that these stories give more background and for any fan of the Enderverse I think they are good to read, but I wouldn't call it necessary. Actually, the big beef that I have with this book (and the books in the Shadow series) is that Ender is made out to be a victim of manipulation of circumstance, rather than a truly exceptional person. I guess maybe that is what the whole point of the series is--particularly Battle School and how the teachers manipulate the students into becoming war thinkers--but I just can't get away from the loyalty to and hero-worship of Ender and I hate to read anything that makes him seem like anything less.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4
The final book in the Shadow series! Again, as is the case with much of the Shadow series, I feel that this books read like a huge game of Risk. However, I think that this one focuses on the tactical/strategy approach to war rather than the actual action of war, as in some of the other books, Shadow Puppets in particular.
Card once again demonstrates great writing ability. I particularly enjoy how Peter has evolved throughout the entire series and I can't help but grow to love him. I would compare him to Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl, ruthlessly Machiavellian but also tenderhearted; hate him at first but then grow to love him. I have liked Bean better in the three novels following Ender's Shadow, but again in this novel I am not too interested in him. I much prefer Peter's story to Bean's.
One great thing about this book is that we get a glimpse into the start of genetic modification that is present in Children of the Mind.
Rating: 4
The final book in the Shadow series! Again, as is the case with much of the Shadow series, I feel that this books read like a huge game of Risk. However, I think that this one focuses on the tactical/strategy approach to war rather than the actual action of war, as in some of the other books, Shadow Puppets in particular.
Card once again demonstrates great writing ability. I particularly enjoy how Peter has evolved throughout the entire series and I can't help but grow to love him. I would compare him to Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl, ruthlessly Machiavellian but also tenderhearted; hate him at first but then grow to love him. I have liked Bean better in the three novels following Ender's Shadow, but again in this novel I am not too interested in him. I much prefer Peter's story to Bean's.
One great thing about this book is that we get a glimpse into the start of genetic modification that is present in Children of the Mind.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4
J.K. Rowling writes with her usual witty and charming style in this book of wizarding fairy tales--so, true stories in the wizarding world. Some of the stories are funny, some are serious. At the end of each story are Dumbledore's notes, which are interesting to read but I can't remember being especially blown away by them. Like most Harry Potter fans, I enjoy the hidden nuggets that Rowling leaves in her writing which act as clues to bigger mysteries. There are a few present in these stories, but I suspect that they would have more clout if the series wasn't already finished.
The most rewarding story is probably "The Tale of the Three Brothers" which first appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is a fun story to revisit, but it makes me want to read the entire series again.
Rating: 4
J.K. Rowling writes with her usual witty and charming style in this book of wizarding fairy tales--so, true stories in the wizarding world. Some of the stories are funny, some are serious. At the end of each story are Dumbledore's notes, which are interesting to read but I can't remember being especially blown away by them. Like most Harry Potter fans, I enjoy the hidden nuggets that Rowling leaves in her writing which act as clues to bigger mysteries. There are a few present in these stories, but I suspect that they would have more clout if the series wasn't already finished.
The most rewarding story is probably "The Tale of the Three Brothers" which first appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is a fun story to revisit, but it makes me want to read the entire series again.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 3
I'm not going to lie, I was a bit bored by this. The story centers around a couple in the sixties (or maybe seventies ... I don't remember) on the first night of their honeymoon and goes between the man and the woman's perspective, as well as giving backstory on their lives. McEwan' writing is, as always, flawless. His ability to be compelling with words is probably what kept me reading for the entire novel.
The novel focuses more on the intricacies of two people from very different backgrounds interacting together than plot, so maybe that is why I found it boring. Based on the two other McEwan books that I have read, though, this seems to be his style. He likes to explore character development and let that be the exciting feature of the book. For some reason that technique seemed to fall flat in this book.
Rating: 3
I'm not going to lie, I was a bit bored by this. The story centers around a couple in the sixties (or maybe seventies ... I don't remember) on the first night of their honeymoon and goes between the man and the woman's perspective, as well as giving backstory on their lives. McEwan' writing is, as always, flawless. His ability to be compelling with words is probably what kept me reading for the entire novel.
The novel focuses more on the intricacies of two people from very different backgrounds interacting together than plot, so maybe that is why I found it boring. Based on the two other McEwan books that I have read, though, this seems to be his style. He likes to explore character development and let that be the exciting feature of the book. For some reason that technique seemed to fall flat in this book.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
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