28. How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward (2.5)
29. Time Was Soft There by Justin Mercer (5)
30. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (3.5)
31. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (3)
32. One Day by David Nicholls (5)
(Currently on week 26)
6.30.2010
6.11.2010
I'm officially the worst blogger of all time. I'm so lost on my book count, but I'll try to see if I can get this right. Dates are a blur, tally is what I'm focusing on.
Ready?
16. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (3.5) A story about a refuge from Nigeria who befriends an English woman whose husband recently committed suicide. The relationship between the two women is so delicate and fragile; it wholeheartedly infects her husbands soul and is the reason for his suicide. The beginning and middle of this book was outstanding; the ending, of course, is what absolutely ruined it for me. It was so far fetched compared to the honest brutality of the first 3/4 of the book.
17. The Song is You by Arthur Phillips (4.5) The thing that made this book so outstanding was that throughout its entirety, the reader has no idea whether or not the main male character is a romantic, intelligent and sensitive man that they should love and root for or a creepy, infatuated stalker who makes up the entire plot in his head. The main female character is the bad ass lead singer of a just discovered rock band. Together, their strange relationship makes for some incredible train reading.
18. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (4.5) So subtle and touching, this book really makes you root for Eilis, a young Irish immigrant who embarks on an unplanned move to America in the 1950's. She has no family, an entry level job as a cashier in a department store, and a boy that falls in love with her and changes her life.
19. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (4.5) Following in the footsteps of Nine Stories and Dubliners, The Imperfectionists has easily become one of my favorite collections of short stories. Each chapter is told through the perspective of a member of an English speaking newspaper staff set in Rome. It is hilarious, and haunting, and incredibly memorable.
20. The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell (4.5) This book honestly surprised me; i I had no idea that I would love it as much as I did. The chapters switch off and tell the story of two very different people living in two very different times, but who are so innately connected it almost seems impossible. I learned so much about London/Soho in the 1950's and the bohemian art movement and felt so connected to these amazingly three dimensional characters.
21. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (3) Some nice fluff that was actually pretty enjoyable. The story is about a young girl who leaves her home in Indiana to attend a prep school in Massachusetts. Unlike most of the rest of the rich kids at her school, she is there on scholarship, and thus a complete outsider. What I appreciated so much about this book was that the main character wasn't extraordinary; nothing outstanding happens to her. She doesn't have magic powers, she doesn't overcome the odds and become the most popular girl in school, she doesn't somehow win tons of money and claim vengeance on all the girls who were mean to her. She's simply a girl who is trying to fit in, which makes it a raw, real coming of age story that I found myself appreciating and relating to in a very honest way.
22. Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan (4) I got this book on super sale at Toad Hall in Bearskin Neck for $3.99. It was an amazing fusion of reality and fantasy, it really reminded me of Shrek but with humans as the main characters. There is magic, mystery, love, and evil, and it was a great read.
23. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (4) So intense and kind of difficult to read, The Road is about a father and son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. McCarthy never reveals to the reader exactly what happens and how the world comes to be covered in ash and full of cannibals, but the intense relationship between the unnamed father and son affects the reader on so many levels. Although there isn't a lot of dialogue, the actions of these characters say far, far more than their words ever could.
24. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (4) Having not seen this movie, I was excited to read this book. I absolutely fell in love with Griet, and was enraptured by her relationship with the artist Johannes Vermeer. While I know that this book is a complete work of fiction, I really loved the fact that it was completely plausible, and for all we know, it is the exact events that lead to one of the most recognized paintings of all time.
25. Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (3.5) One of Sedaris' earliest books, I thought that Barrel Fever was absolutely hilarious. I read some reviews saying that people didn't like this book as much as his later ones, but I love seeing how an author begins their career. Once you see where they start, it's easier to understand what they become. I loved that each short story was told by a different narrator, and it was impossible to tell if it was a female or male until you get entirely through the story. Sedaris is so versatile, so honest, and such a disturbing asshole (and I love him).
26. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (5) The final book in Larsson's Millenium trilogy, I've been waiting for months for this to be released. I absolutely loved this book, and hate that the story of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander is over. I am so glad that I got to meet these two characters and be a part of their world. Lisbeth is one of the strongest female characters I can think of, and Blomkvist is far too dreamy for his own good.
27. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella (4) One of Kinsella's stand alone books (outside of the shopaholic series), she tells the story of Lexi Smart, a woman who has an car accident and wakes up to realize that she has amnesia and doesn't remember the last three years of her life. She last remembers having a crappy entry level job, being stood up by her latest crappy boyfriend, and being unhappy with her appearance and when she wakes up she's taken over her bosses' position, is married to a millionaire, and is having an affair. It is hilarious, surprising, and I absolutely loved hanging out with Lexi for a day.
Currently we're on week 24 of the year, so I'm three books ahead of schedule. I really do wish that I wasn't outrageously lazy and kept better track of the books I've been reading, what week I read them, and what I liked and disliked about them, but I suppose it could be worse.
James, Terry and I went to North Conway a couple of weekends ago to stay with my Aunt and Uncle, and while we were there we went to Jackson, NH for the annual duck races. They were having a book sale at their community center with tons of books donated by the local libraries. They were doing a special about 15 minutes after we got there: $1 per shopping bags of books. I got 14 books for $1. Seriously unbelievable.
Summer hours have started at work so I have today off which is greatly appreciated. Terry and I woke up and watched some Ahh! Real Monsters and Laguna Beach season 1 on the Wii Netflicks, then we went downtown and the most delicious lunch at Sugar Mags (I had a cup of corn chowder and a fruit salad topped with curry chicken salad and it was the dreamiest lunch ever. Definitely the first two courses I would want for my last meal on earth). Now I'm hanging out with Lukah watching this insane documentary on the National Scrabble Tournament in 2002. I thought I loved Scrabble, but these people are legit bat shit.
Ready?
16. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (3.5) A story about a refuge from Nigeria who befriends an English woman whose husband recently committed suicide. The relationship between the two women is so delicate and fragile; it wholeheartedly infects her husbands soul and is the reason for his suicide. The beginning and middle of this book was outstanding; the ending, of course, is what absolutely ruined it for me. It was so far fetched compared to the honest brutality of the first 3/4 of the book.
17. The Song is You by Arthur Phillips (4.5) The thing that made this book so outstanding was that throughout its entirety, the reader has no idea whether or not the main male character is a romantic, intelligent and sensitive man that they should love and root for or a creepy, infatuated stalker who makes up the entire plot in his head. The main female character is the bad ass lead singer of a just discovered rock band. Together, their strange relationship makes for some incredible train reading.
18. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (4.5) So subtle and touching, this book really makes you root for Eilis, a young Irish immigrant who embarks on an unplanned move to America in the 1950's. She has no family, an entry level job as a cashier in a department store, and a boy that falls in love with her and changes her life.
19. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (4.5) Following in the footsteps of Nine Stories and Dubliners, The Imperfectionists has easily become one of my favorite collections of short stories. Each chapter is told through the perspective of a member of an English speaking newspaper staff set in Rome. It is hilarious, and haunting, and incredibly memorable.
20. The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell (4.5) This book honestly surprised me; i I had no idea that I would love it as much as I did. The chapters switch off and tell the story of two very different people living in two very different times, but who are so innately connected it almost seems impossible. I learned so much about London/Soho in the 1950's and the bohemian art movement and felt so connected to these amazingly three dimensional characters.
21. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (3) Some nice fluff that was actually pretty enjoyable. The story is about a young girl who leaves her home in Indiana to attend a prep school in Massachusetts. Unlike most of the rest of the rich kids at her school, she is there on scholarship, and thus a complete outsider. What I appreciated so much about this book was that the main character wasn't extraordinary; nothing outstanding happens to her. She doesn't have magic powers, she doesn't overcome the odds and become the most popular girl in school, she doesn't somehow win tons of money and claim vengeance on all the girls who were mean to her. She's simply a girl who is trying to fit in, which makes it a raw, real coming of age story that I found myself appreciating and relating to in a very honest way.
22. Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan (4) I got this book on super sale at Toad Hall in Bearskin Neck for $3.99. It was an amazing fusion of reality and fantasy, it really reminded me of Shrek but with humans as the main characters. There is magic, mystery, love, and evil, and it was a great read.
23. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (4) So intense and kind of difficult to read, The Road is about a father and son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. McCarthy never reveals to the reader exactly what happens and how the world comes to be covered in ash and full of cannibals, but the intense relationship between the unnamed father and son affects the reader on so many levels. Although there isn't a lot of dialogue, the actions of these characters say far, far more than their words ever could.
24. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (4) Having not seen this movie, I was excited to read this book. I absolutely fell in love with Griet, and was enraptured by her relationship with the artist Johannes Vermeer. While I know that this book is a complete work of fiction, I really loved the fact that it was completely plausible, and for all we know, it is the exact events that lead to one of the most recognized paintings of all time.
25. Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (3.5) One of Sedaris' earliest books, I thought that Barrel Fever was absolutely hilarious. I read some reviews saying that people didn't like this book as much as his later ones, but I love seeing how an author begins their career. Once you see where they start, it's easier to understand what they become. I loved that each short story was told by a different narrator, and it was impossible to tell if it was a female or male until you get entirely through the story. Sedaris is so versatile, so honest, and such a disturbing asshole (and I love him).
26. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (5) The final book in Larsson's Millenium trilogy, I've been waiting for months for this to be released. I absolutely loved this book, and hate that the story of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander is over. I am so glad that I got to meet these two characters and be a part of their world. Lisbeth is one of the strongest female characters I can think of, and Blomkvist is far too dreamy for his own good.
27. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella (4) One of Kinsella's stand alone books (outside of the shopaholic series), she tells the story of Lexi Smart, a woman who has an car accident and wakes up to realize that she has amnesia and doesn't remember the last three years of her life. She last remembers having a crappy entry level job, being stood up by her latest crappy boyfriend, and being unhappy with her appearance and when she wakes up she's taken over her bosses' position, is married to a millionaire, and is having an affair. It is hilarious, surprising, and I absolutely loved hanging out with Lexi for a day.
Currently we're on week 24 of the year, so I'm three books ahead of schedule. I really do wish that I wasn't outrageously lazy and kept better track of the books I've been reading, what week I read them, and what I liked and disliked about them, but I suppose it could be worse.
James, Terry and I went to North Conway a couple of weekends ago to stay with my Aunt and Uncle, and while we were there we went to Jackson, NH for the annual duck races. They were having a book sale at their community center with tons of books donated by the local libraries. They were doing a special about 15 minutes after we got there: $1 per shopping bags of books. I got 14 books for $1. Seriously unbelievable.
Summer hours have started at work so I have today off which is greatly appreciated. Terry and I woke up and watched some Ahh! Real Monsters and Laguna Beach season 1 on the Wii Netflicks, then we went downtown and the most delicious lunch at Sugar Mags (I had a cup of corn chowder and a fruit salad topped with curry chicken salad and it was the dreamiest lunch ever. Definitely the first two courses I would want for my last meal on earth). Now I'm hanging out with Lukah watching this insane documentary on the National Scrabble Tournament in 2002. I thought I loved Scrabble, but these people are legit bat shit.
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