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1littlebones
Hello, Club Read 2011! My name is Jenn. I'm 22 years old and from eastern Canada. I'm working my way through the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, but at my own leisurely pace.
Since I recently acquired a Kindle, I'll be reading much more.
You can see what I read in 2010 and how I rated them here. Feel free to talk about those in this thread, too, if you want. Suggestions are always welcome.
Please note that I'm not a librarian, nor am I an English major, nor have I been reading dozens of books yearly for several years. I'm only somebody who enjoys reading. So my 'reviews' are simply my thoughts, and they're not meant to be academically stunning or stupendously well-written. However, if you enjoy them, that's wonderful! And if you disagree, that's wonderful too, and please say so. Thoughtful discussion is always a good thing.
Since I recently acquired a Kindle, I'll be reading much more.
You can see what I read in 2010 and how I rated them here. Feel free to talk about those in this thread, too, if you want. Suggestions are always welcome.
Please note that I'm not a librarian, nor am I an English major, nor have I been reading dozens of books yearly for several years. I'm only somebody who enjoys reading. So my 'reviews' are simply my thoughts, and they're not meant to be academically stunning or stupendously well-written. However, if you enjoy them, that's wonderful! And if you disagree, that's wonderful too, and please say so. Thoughtful discussion is always a good thing.
2littlebones
READ IN 2011:
January
01-01: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
01-02: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
01-04: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
01-08: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
01-26: Cosmos by Carl Sagan
The numbers at the beginning - for example, 01-08 - represent the month and day the book was finished. It's sort of an index. You can find it in the thread by searching for that number. :)
January
01-01: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
01-02: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
01-04: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
01-08: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
01-26: Cosmos by Carl Sagan
The numbers at the beginning - for example, 01-08 - represent the month and day the book was finished. It's sort of an index. You can find it in the thread by searching for that number. :)
3GCPLreader
Hi Little. I'm planning on reading Infinite Jest too, so I'll keep a look out for your thoughts. -- Jenny :o)
4janemarieprice
Good to have you. Infinite Jest seems to be everywhere these days. Might have to break down and look for a copy.
5littlebones
01-01
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay is the third in the Hunger Games series. It follows seventeen-year-old victor of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, as her actions cause her country to become more and more politically unstable.
At first I was disappointed that I hadn't finished this series before the end of 2010. It seemed a little unfortunate that the first book I finished in the New Year was a young adult novel. Except when I found myself actually lying awake in bed wondering what was going to happen next, I realized that I had a damn good book on my hands.
The writing style of YA novels always feels blunt and heavy-handed to me, with the "moral of the story" being pretty straightforward. The same is true for Collins' series of books. I doubt this would bother me were I a member of the novel's target audience. Despite this, though, the books are exciting, and will cause you to be deeply invested in the lives of a handful of fictional teenagers. Katniss Everdeen, despite being the heroine of the stories, is no Mary Sue, but is instead refreshingly flawed and mutable.
Although there is a "love triangle" sub-plot, it remains exactly that: a subplot. This doesn't stop some fans from engaging in Twilight-esque "Team Peeta vs. Team Gale" debates, but the story thankfully focuses on the war at hand rather than taking the easy, publicity-seeking way out.
Good "light" reading, even if the subject matter isn't at all light. Collins has created a universe she obviously loves dearly. I only wish this series had come out six years earlier.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay is the third in the Hunger Games series. It follows seventeen-year-old victor of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, as her actions cause her country to become more and more politically unstable.
At first I was disappointed that I hadn't finished this series before the end of 2010. It seemed a little unfortunate that the first book I finished in the New Year was a young adult novel. Except when I found myself actually lying awake in bed wondering what was going to happen next, I realized that I had a damn good book on my hands.
The writing style of YA novels always feels blunt and heavy-handed to me, with the "moral of the story" being pretty straightforward. The same is true for Collins' series of books. I doubt this would bother me were I a member of the novel's target audience. Despite this, though, the books are exciting, and will cause you to be deeply invested in the lives of a handful of fictional teenagers. Katniss Everdeen, despite being the heroine of the stories, is no Mary Sue, but is instead refreshingly flawed and mutable.
Although there is a "love triangle" sub-plot, it remains exactly that: a subplot. This doesn't stop some fans from engaging in Twilight-esque "Team Peeta vs. Team Gale" debates, but the story thankfully focuses on the war at hand rather than taking the easy, publicity-seeking way out.
Good "light" reading, even if the subject matter isn't at all light. Collins has created a universe she obviously loves dearly. I only wish this series had come out six years earlier.
6littlebones
01-02
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is a woefully short collection of modern fables. It's a departure from Sedaris' usual fare, but it is still unmistakeably his.
I was lucky enough to be able to see Sedaris himself read some of these short stories when he stopped by my city on tour. He explained that some characters were based on people he knew, while others were simply "those people" - for example, the mouse in The Mouse and The Snake is every person who has ever declared that their dogs are their children. Also, if I remember correctly, the Motherless Bear is meant to represent himself, and the Vigilant Rabbit is a nasty airport security guard.
As in classic fables, there's always a 'moral to the story', although it's never explicitly stated. Don't blame the victim; there is always somebody worse off than yourself; don't sacrifice your integrity, and so on.
My only complaint about this collection is its length. I was done before I knew it, and didn't quite satisfy my need for a Sedaris fix.
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is a woefully short collection of modern fables. It's a departure from Sedaris' usual fare, but it is still unmistakeably his.
I was lucky enough to be able to see Sedaris himself read some of these short stories when he stopped by my city on tour. He explained that some characters were based on people he knew, while others were simply "those people" - for example, the mouse in The Mouse and The Snake is every person who has ever declared that their dogs are their children. Also, if I remember correctly, the Motherless Bear is meant to represent himself, and the Vigilant Rabbit is a nasty airport security guard.
As in classic fables, there's always a 'moral to the story', although it's never explicitly stated. Don't blame the victim; there is always somebody worse off than yourself; don't sacrifice your integrity, and so on.
My only complaint about this collection is its length. I was done before I knew it, and didn't quite satisfy my need for a Sedaris fix.
7bonniebooks
I really like David Sedaris, but wasn't as fond of his previous one, so will probably just borrow this from the library--unless I can buy a cheap used copy. He does make me laugh (no book has made me laugh more out loud than Naked), and does everyone else read his stories with his voice in your head? Makes them that much better.
8littlebones
I do, mostly when I read the same stories I've actually listened to him read before. I really liked When You Are Engulfed In Flames (especially when he explained the book's title), but it's definitely not his strongest. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is shorter but more cohesive, somehow.
It's definitely worth at least finding used!
It's definitely worth at least finding used!
9littlebones
01-04
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
I dislike reading books after I've watched the movie, because I find it hard to provide an objective viewpoint on the book alone. As far as Breakfast at Tiffany's goes, I found Holly's character more pitiable and more realistic in the novel. Rather than thinking of her as just the first iteration of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, she actually comes off as fragile, and fake and yet genuine at the same time (a point made by at least two of the characters within the book. "She's a phony, but she's a real phony.") She's a certain kind of American girl that Capote captures quite well.
The ending I found to be more satisfying and more realistic. I'm not a fan of happy endings, myself. While the film wrapped everything up neat and clean, the book was so bittersweet, and tugged at some of my own personal heartstrings, that I found myself choking up as I read the final line. (What's the policy on spoilers in threads, by the way? Anybody know?)
A quick read, and a worthwhile one, especially for those who like character-driven novels. But it's on the '1001 Books' list, so don't take my word for it.
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
I dislike reading books after I've watched the movie, because I find it hard to provide an objective viewpoint on the book alone. As far as Breakfast at Tiffany's goes, I found Holly's character more pitiable and more realistic in the novel. Rather than thinking of her as just the first iteration of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, she actually comes off as fragile, and fake and yet genuine at the same time (a point made by at least two of the characters within the book. "She's a phony, but she's a real phony.") She's a certain kind of American girl that Capote captures quite well.
The ending I found to be more satisfying and more realistic. I'm not a fan of happy endings, myself. While the film wrapped everything up neat and clean, the book was so bittersweet, and tugged at some of my own personal heartstrings, that I found myself choking up as I read the final line. (What's the policy on spoilers in threads, by the way? Anybody know?)
A quick read, and a worthwhile one, especially for those who like character-driven novels. But it's on the '1001 Books' list, so don't take my word for it.
10littlebones
01-08
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Another book on the 1001 list which absolutely deserves its spot. For those who don't know (though in a group of such well-read folks, I doubt there's anybody who doesn't know), Things Fall Apart tells the story of a warlike, yet mostly peaceful, African village named Umuofia, before and after British missionaries invade. It tells the story primarily through the eyes of Okwonko, a proud warrior of the village.
What first struck me about the book was how carefully it was written, with such simple and beautiful language. I've always been fond of the use of clever similes, and Things Fall Apart is rife with them. In this way I was reminded of Memoirs of a Geisha, which uses the same technique to more vividly describe the culture in which the story is based.
In the beginning, the book was simply enjoyable. I admit I was a little thrown by the treatment of women, but I acknowledge that in order to be historically accurate such things needed to be touched upon. Also, it's not like North America was super keen on treating women as equals at the time either, but I digress. My point is that in the beginning, the book simply seems like a collection of stories about the village, centering around Okwonko's wives and children, but also describing the lives of other villagers. If Achebe's plan was to make you feel safe, and like these villagers were your own friends and neighbours, he succeeded. It made the descent of the missionaries that much more brutal.
The last half of the book, though I won't go into details, are both horrifying and conflicting for myself as an atheist. Personally, I believe both groups - The Christians, and the religion of the village - to be incorrect, and I can't cheer on either side. However, the arrogance with which the missionaries eradicate a culture - not just a belief, but a peaceful and relatively happy, functional way of life - disgusts me. And I do think that Achebe perhaps was making that statement, rather than exclusively a religious one.
The ending shocked and infuriated me. Never before have I wanted to yell at a fictional character so much.
It's important to read this book, I think, and I'm glad I did.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Another book on the 1001 list which absolutely deserves its spot. For those who don't know (though in a group of such well-read folks, I doubt there's anybody who doesn't know), Things Fall Apart tells the story of a warlike, yet mostly peaceful, African village named Umuofia, before and after British missionaries invade. It tells the story primarily through the eyes of Okwonko, a proud warrior of the village.
What first struck me about the book was how carefully it was written, with such simple and beautiful language. I've always been fond of the use of clever similes, and Things Fall Apart is rife with them. In this way I was reminded of Memoirs of a Geisha, which uses the same technique to more vividly describe the culture in which the story is based.
In the beginning, the book was simply enjoyable. I admit I was a little thrown by the treatment of women, but I acknowledge that in order to be historically accurate such things needed to be touched upon. Also, it's not like North America was super keen on treating women as equals at the time either, but I digress. My point is that in the beginning, the book simply seems like a collection of stories about the village, centering around Okwonko's wives and children, but also describing the lives of other villagers. If Achebe's plan was to make you feel safe, and like these villagers were your own friends and neighbours, he succeeded. It made the descent of the missionaries that much more brutal.
The last half of the book, though I won't go into details, are both horrifying and conflicting for myself as an atheist. Personally, I believe both groups - The Christians, and the religion of the village - to be incorrect, and I can't cheer on either side. However, the arrogance with which the missionaries eradicate a culture - not just a belief, but a peaceful and relatively happy, functional way of life - disgusts me. And I do think that Achebe perhaps was making that statement, rather than exclusively a religious one.
The ending shocked and infuriated me. Never before have I wanted to yell at a fictional character so much.
It's important to read this book, I think, and I'm glad I did.
11theaelizabet
Hi Jenn. I agree with you about Breakfast at Tiffany's. The movie version really doesn't have anything to do with the book, and I've know those who have based their dislike of Capote on their dislike of that film.
12littlebones
Hi Thea,
That's just silly! How could you dislike an author based on a film based on a book they wrote? I hope these people weren't actual readers. Everybody knows the books are almost always better than their movies.
And yes, the movie absolutely follows the same events as the book, but while the movie takes them at face value, the book allows for subtext. The subtext is always more interesting.
Re: Earlier comments on Infinite Jest... I'll be reading this as soon as they release a version for the Kindle that is available in Canada.
That's just silly! How could you dislike an author based on a film based on a book they wrote? I hope these people weren't actual readers. Everybody knows the books are almost always better than their movies.
And yes, the movie absolutely follows the same events as the book, but while the movie takes them at face value, the book allows for subtext. The subtext is always more interesting.
Re: Earlier comments on Infinite Jest... I'll be reading this as soon as they release a version for the Kindle that is available in Canada.
13janemarieprice
9 - I know what you mean regarding books and movies. If I see the movie first I have a hard time finding my own voice for the characters or letting the story form my judgements. You already have a set idea about them. Very frustrating.
10 - I loved this as well and that's a great review!
10 - I loved this as well and that's a great review!
14littlebones
Phew, so, I'm still only a little over halfway through Carl Sagan's Cosmos right now. Not only did classes start up again, but I read non-fiction so much slower than fiction. Sagan's eloquent and beautiful prose really moves it along, though. I feel like I'm reading the greatest stories ever told. And, in a way, I am!
I'll be back with a review in 2012, possibly (haha).
I'll be back with a review in 2012, possibly (haha).
15littlebones
01-26
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Everybody needs to read this book. Any words I could put down could not do it justice. Cosmos is a crash course in humanity, from our very beginnings in the centers of stars, until our potential bright future; or, as Sagan fears may happen, our extinction caused by our own hands.
The perspective I've gained from reading this is invaluable. The explanations are clear and concise. Physics is made to seem like poetry, and I was often surprised at how simple and elegant much of the hard science ended up being.
I really feel as though I can't write an appropriate review without just sounding like I'm gushing. And, I admit, I'm a Sagan fangirl, but there's no bias here. I would hope any human being could read Cosmos and glean something from it.
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Everybody needs to read this book. Any words I could put down could not do it justice. Cosmos is a crash course in humanity, from our very beginnings in the centers of stars, until our potential bright future; or, as Sagan fears may happen, our extinction caused by our own hands.
The perspective I've gained from reading this is invaluable. The explanations are clear and concise. Physics is made to seem like poetry, and I was often surprised at how simple and elegant much of the hard science ended up being.
I really feel as though I can't write an appropriate review without just sounding like I'm gushing. And, I admit, I'm a Sagan fangirl, but there's no bias here. I would hope any human being could read Cosmos and glean something from it.
16bragan
A hearty "amen" to your comments on Cosmos! There is little doubt in my mind that if I hadn't read that book at an impressionable age, I would not be where I am today. (And I mean that very literally. I'm typing this while sitting here at work in a major astronomical facility, and I never would have ended up working here if I hadn't decided in the 7th grade that I wanted to be Carl Sagan when I grew up. I didn't quite manage to get that far, but still.) It's wonderful, immensely inspiring stuff. I re-watched the TV show not all that long ago, too, and was surprised by how well it holds up, even after all this time.
17littlebones
You have no idea how envious I am. I suppose it's never too late to switch if I decide to go into some sort of science someday. If only I had read Cosmos at 12 instead of 22. :)
It really should be required reading at a very young age. If only required reading didn't make people determined to dislike books (most of the time).
It really should be required reading at a very young age. If only required reading didn't make people determined to dislike books (most of the time).
18bragan
Mind you, I turned out not to have the chops to make it as an astrophysicist, and it has occasionally occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't have listened to Sagan but studied computer science instead. Still, I did get control of a bunch of radio telescopes as a consolation prize, and that is pretty darned cool.
And don't even get me started on required reading that seems designed to make people hate books forever.
And don't even get me started on required reading that seems designed to make people hate books forever.
19littlebones
02-04
Disgrace by JM. Coetzee
"Like a stain the story is spreading across the district. Not her story to spread but theirs: they are its owners. How they put her in her place, how they showed her what a woman was for."
When asked to recommend to me a new novel to be crushed by, a friend recommended this book. I love novels that don't stray from difficult topics, and this one manages to face rape, racial tension, and the fear of death and irrelevance with more grace than the title would lead you to believe.
Disgrace first introduces us to David Lurie, an communications professor teaching in South Africa, who would rather be teaching Romantic poetry. He's an aging wannabe Lord Byron, a womanizer who is no longer attractive to the women he pursues. His undesired attention is soon directed towards one of his students, and the resulting fiasco leads to his leaving the city to live on his daughter's small farm/dog kennel in the country. The peacefulness of her country home is violated by intruders, and the effects of this invasion are viewed entirely through David Lurie's narrow viewpoint.
Without spoiling too much of the book, I feel the need to mention that I was struck by David's complete inability to compare his actions to those of the intruders, as well as the contrast between his student's and his daughter's reactions to what happened to each of them.
I could write pages, but I like to keep these things short and sweet. Pick Disgrace up if you want to read a confrontational and powerful novel.
Disgrace by JM. Coetzee
"Like a stain the story is spreading across the district. Not her story to spread but theirs: they are its owners. How they put her in her place, how they showed her what a woman was for."
When asked to recommend to me a new novel to be crushed by, a friend recommended this book. I love novels that don't stray from difficult topics, and this one manages to face rape, racial tension, and the fear of death and irrelevance with more grace than the title would lead you to believe.
Disgrace first introduces us to David Lurie, an communications professor teaching in South Africa, who would rather be teaching Romantic poetry. He's an aging wannabe Lord Byron, a womanizer who is no longer attractive to the women he pursues. His undesired attention is soon directed towards one of his students, and the resulting fiasco leads to his leaving the city to live on his daughter's small farm/dog kennel in the country. The peacefulness of her country home is violated by intruders, and the effects of this invasion are viewed entirely through David Lurie's narrow viewpoint.
Without spoiling too much of the book, I feel the need to mention that I was struck by David's complete inability to compare his actions to those of the intruders, as well as the contrast between his student's and his daughter's reactions to what happened to each of them.
I could write pages, but I like to keep these things short and sweet. Pick Disgrace up if you want to read a confrontational and powerful novel.
