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1ALK982
Here's to a new year and 75 books!
1. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin: Though the novel starts out with the protagonist beginning an affair with her best friend's fiance, I didn't hate her for it. Rachel is the perpetual underdog character, who has come in second-best to Darcy her whole life. Suddenly, there's something magical appearing in her life, and she goes for it! To be honest, I read this because I want to see the movie (thank you, Netflix), but it was definitely worth it and a good way to ease into the New Year!
1. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin: Though the novel starts out with the protagonist beginning an affair with her best friend's fiance, I didn't hate her for it. Rachel is the perpetual underdog character, who has come in second-best to Darcy her whole life. Suddenly, there's something magical appearing in her life, and she goes for it! To be honest, I read this because I want to see the movie (thank you, Netflix), but it was definitely worth it and a good way to ease into the New Year!
3alcottacre
Glad to see you back with us again, Alexandra!
4ALK982
Thank you both! My goal (resolution?) is to read and write more regularly this school year-- I think that I'll be happier for it!
5sandykaypax
Hi Alexandra! I loved Something Borrowed. I've read all of Emily Giffin's books. I really liked the film version, too. Very well cast, especially Ginnifer Goodwin as Rachel and Kate Hudson as Darcy.
The sequel is very good, too--Something Blue.
Sandy K
The sequel is very good, too--Something Blue.
Sandy K
6dk_phoenix
*waves* I actually hated Something Borrowed enough to never read another of Giffin's books again... hah... but to each their own! Glad you started off the year with something you liked, though! :D
7ALK982
#5: That's good to know-- I've heard mixed reviews of the movie, so I'm glad to see a positive one! I'm a fan of Ginnifer Goodwin, and I think that she'll be good in that role. At some point, I'll read the sequel, too-- the first two chapters were at the end of the edition of Something Borrowed that I read, and I'm interested to hear Darcy's perspective on things!
#6: Hello, Faith! I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it-- I can certainly understand how the premise (and the character's decision making/skewed moral compass) could be somewhat abrasive. Do you feel that way about the chick lit genre in general, or are there other authors that you prefer?
#6: Hello, Faith! I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it-- I can certainly understand how the premise (and the character's decision making/skewed moral compass) could be somewhat abrasive. Do you feel that way about the chick lit genre in general, or are there other authors that you prefer?
8ALK982
2. As You Wish by Jackson Pearce: Having read and enjoyed Sisters Red a while ago, I thought I'd give another of Pearce's YA novels a try. She writes alternative versions of fairy tales/mythological themes, but while Sisters Red was a rawer version of "Red Riding Hood" (with werewolves, bien sur), this was a high school-ized version of genie folklore. The protagonist (who has felt "invisible" since her ex-boyfriend/best friend broke up with her by coming out of the closet. Her deep desire to belong summons a jinn, with whom she starts to fall in love. I was looking for more of a resolution than I think I got from this one; the ending was, in my opinion, rather unsatisfying (though I am kind of glad that Pearce closed the wishing-the-jinn-to-be-human loophole). Not bad, but I probably won't ever reread it.
9ALK982
As I wrote that last blurb, I realized that my vague statement at the end was rather insufficient as a rating. With that in mind, I came up with the following scale, on which I'll evaluate all future books (I'm going with 10 points instead of 5; I like to split hairs, and I will probably frequently venture into decimal places, as well).
9-10: I loved this book, and I want to own a copy so that it will be available to me at all times. (If I already own one, I may buy a second, just in case something happens to the first.)
7-8: This book was good, I may reread it at some point (or go see the movie), and I'd recommend it to anyone with a mild interest in that author/genre/subject matter. It is not one that I need to own, but if I already own it, I won't give it away.
5-6: This book wasn't bad, but I will probably only read it the one time, and I don't need a copy on my shelf. I'll only recommend it to someone seriously interested in the author/genre/subject matter.
3-4: This book wasn't great, and I wouldn't recommend it. I might even warn against it.
1-2: I am upset about the time that I wasted reading this book, and if I finished it, it was only because I was required to do so by some outside force.
Under this rating system, I'll give Something Blue a 6.8 and As You Wish a 5.4.
9-10: I loved this book, and I want to own a copy so that it will be available to me at all times. (If I already own one, I may buy a second, just in case something happens to the first.)
7-8: This book was good, I may reread it at some point (or go see the movie), and I'd recommend it to anyone with a mild interest in that author/genre/subject matter. It is not one that I need to own, but if I already own it, I won't give it away.
5-6: This book wasn't bad, but I will probably only read it the one time, and I don't need a copy on my shelf. I'll only recommend it to someone seriously interested in the author/genre/subject matter.
3-4: This book wasn't great, and I wouldn't recommend it. I might even warn against it.
1-2: I am upset about the time that I wasted reading this book, and if I finished it, it was only because I was required to do so by some outside force.
Under this rating system, I'll give Something Blue a 6.8 and As You Wish a 5.4.
10alcottacre
I like your rating system. I just do not think the 5 star set up here on LT is flexible enough and I wish we could change it.
11sandykaypax
Yes, I always end up using half stars, and a 10 point scale makes sense.
Sandy K
Sandy K
12ALK982
#10 and 11: Thank you! I'm glad that you approve! As far as the LT scale goes, I'm happy to round to a star count (ten translates easily into five, after all), but for my own purposes, I like to know more exactly. It bothers me to no end when I have to DECIDE between three or four or five stars, especially when I feel the need to give five stars to something that perhaps wasn't truly perfect.
13ALK982
3. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan: This novel was written in a very unconventional style, shaping the story of a relationship (between the narrator and "you") around an alphabetical listing of words. With each word would be a statement or a section of the couple's story, each relevant to the word being described. It would consider the implications of the word on the relationship and vise versa, and the chronology was not totally linear-- if jumped around in time and in the relationship, rather like a memory being told. I quite liked it, and I'll happily recommend it with a 7.8.
14bymerechance
Hi! I went to your profile for some other reason - to see if we shared a book, or something? - and found a link to here. For some reason I didn't realize you'd set up a thread.
Catching myself up with you: I felt the same way about Something Borrowed (but because I hated Darcy so much, I didn't like Something Blue much). I like your rating system. I was already intrigued by The Lover's Dictionary, so I'll probably pick it up sometime. Thanks for the recommendation!
(P.S. I haven't started Pride and Prejudice yet. I can't remember if there's a copy somewhere around the house or if I need to get it at the library. I will keep you apprised.)
Catching myself up with you: I felt the same way about Something Borrowed (but because I hated Darcy so much, I didn't like Something Blue much). I like your rating system. I was already intrigued by The Lover's Dictionary, so I'll probably pick it up sometime. Thanks for the recommendation!
(P.S. I haven't started Pride and Prejudice yet. I can't remember if there's a copy somewhere around the house or if I need to get it at the library. I will keep you apprised.)
15dk_phoenix
>7 ALK982:: Oh, no, I love chick lit! Kristin Higgins, Sophie Kinsella, Caprice Crane, and Kristin Billerbeck are some of my favorites. :)
16ALK982
4. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling: Kaling, a comedian, actress, writer, and director for the Office, provides her hilarious and well-phrased worldview in this book of essays that explain her take on family, friends, growing up, work, and comedy. She is very relatable, and her self-aware brand of humor is easy to laugh along with. She is inspiring, both for her witty way of dealing with (and now processing and analyzing) what the world has thrown at her (and what she has thrown back) and for her success. I would certainly reread her and recommend her with an 8.
17ALK982
#15: Okay, that's good to know! I'll check some of them out, and I'll see how I like them in comparison with Emily Giffin.
18ALK982
I'm so far behind this year (both with reading and, subsequently, the reporting of my reading) that I'm only now starting to catch up to myself again and finish some of the things that have been languishing on my shelves for months. Reaching back into the winter...
5. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer: This is a lovely, funny, occasionally poignant little non-smutty romance by the queen of the period romance genre, Georgette Heyer. It's one of my favorites of hers, and my rereadings of it require that I give it at least an 8. Perhaps an 8.5. If my library didn't have a copy, I might go out to buy one.
6. Matched by Ally Condie: For YA dystopia fiction, it's not bad. Set in a world in which the government has control over everything, including one's mate, a girl receives conflicting information that keeps her from settling down like the rest of her friends and family. I was moved by the protagonist's plight, but I was rather annoyed when I reached the end and discovered that the story will continue in another book. I don't necessarily feel compelled to go out of my way to find the next one in the saga. 6.
7. City of Ships by Mary Hoffman: I've thoroughly enjoyed the Stravaganza series, and though it had been awhile since I'd read any, so I was a bit rusty on the characters, this one was no exception. A new young woman from London, with troubles in her own life, magically travels to a new city in the other-worldly Talia and helps the Stravagante there. Good, but start at the beginning of the series. 7.
8. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
9. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
10. Stitches by David Small
11. Assorted Victorian, Romantic, and Modern poetry (from The Norton Anthology of English Literature and Literature: A Portable Anthology)
12. Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
13. Trifles by Susan Glaspell
14. A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
15. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
16. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
8-16 were all read (reread, in most cases) for my classes this winter and spring, and they (and the mountains of student papers that accompanied them) were the reason for my not having done more pleasure reading thus far this year. I didn't add in a number for the grading reading, but part of me feels that I should. I'd be happy to discuss any or all of the above or provide a list of the poetry!
17. Lost Voices by Sarah Porter: In need of something to rest my mind one day, I wandered into the YA section of the library and found this one. Orphan Luce is abandoned, brutally, by her last remaining family member, and as she dies, she becomes a mermaid with a powerful siren voice that has the power to turn human minds against themselves and sink ships. As her voice and power grows, she enters into the deadly politics of the mermaids. While I really liked the premise, I honestly think I would have enjoyed it more had the mermaids not acted quite so much like catty teenage girls (the fact that they are all teenage girls is beside the point). In addition, though Luce does have a little internal conflict over her new role in life, she kills a lot of people, and the novel handles it quite lightly. I'm not going to rush to find the next ones in the series. 5.
18. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris: This installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series was quieter than the previous one, which was fine with me-- beyond the fairy war that left Sookie and Bill very injured and several others dead, she's dealing with issues closer to home, including attacks on Merlotte's, a homicidal shifter, and very tense vampire politics. 6.5, start at the beginning of the series.
19. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore: This, the latest from the writer of Graceling and Fire was just as good as the first two, and it deals with a character from Graceling growing up and coming into her role as queen while trying to deal with the (very) messy aftermath of her psychopathic, mind-controlling father's kingship. Excellent for its complex explorations of acceptance of power, monstrousness, evil legacies, and relationships, both friendly and otherwise. 9, read the other two first.
20. Rosie Little's Cautionary Tales for Girls by Danielle Wood: Rosie Little, a modern girl who, with a lively cast of compatriots, is dealing with life and love and heartbreak, does so while weaving in elements of fairy tales and otherworldly stories from Adam and Eve to Little Red Riding Hood and Bluebeard. It's done in short-story format, with each section examining a different subject. Very well done, both because of the subject matter and the narrative tone. 8.
21. The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman: I'm on vacation now, so I read this delicious novel in a day. Set in the heat of the dot-com boom and bust of 1999-2002, this novel follows two sisters and the people close to them as they deal with business, academia, love, trust, religion, and family. Packed with allusions (and having many scenes take place in an antiquarian bookshop), this will be lovely for any bibliophile. The plot is rich, the characters are compelling, and the food descriptions are mouthwatering. All good things-- I'm going to buy a copy for myself! 9.
5. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer: This is a lovely, funny, occasionally poignant little non-smutty romance by the queen of the period romance genre, Georgette Heyer. It's one of my favorites of hers, and my rereadings of it require that I give it at least an 8. Perhaps an 8.5. If my library didn't have a copy, I might go out to buy one.
6. Matched by Ally Condie: For YA dystopia fiction, it's not bad. Set in a world in which the government has control over everything, including one's mate, a girl receives conflicting information that keeps her from settling down like the rest of her friends and family. I was moved by the protagonist's plight, but I was rather annoyed when I reached the end and discovered that the story will continue in another book. I don't necessarily feel compelled to go out of my way to find the next one in the saga. 6.
7. City of Ships by Mary Hoffman: I've thoroughly enjoyed the Stravaganza series, and though it had been awhile since I'd read any, so I was a bit rusty on the characters, this one was no exception. A new young woman from London, with troubles in her own life, magically travels to a new city in the other-worldly Talia and helps the Stravagante there. Good, but start at the beginning of the series. 7.
8. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
9. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
10. Stitches by David Small
11. Assorted Victorian, Romantic, and Modern poetry (from The Norton Anthology of English Literature and Literature: A Portable Anthology)
12. Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
13. Trifles by Susan Glaspell
14. A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
15. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
16. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
8-16 were all read (reread, in most cases) for my classes this winter and spring, and they (and the mountains of student papers that accompanied them) were the reason for my not having done more pleasure reading thus far this year. I didn't add in a number for the grading reading, but part of me feels that I should. I'd be happy to discuss any or all of the above or provide a list of the poetry!
17. Lost Voices by Sarah Porter: In need of something to rest my mind one day, I wandered into the YA section of the library and found this one. Orphan Luce is abandoned, brutally, by her last remaining family member, and as she dies, she becomes a mermaid with a powerful siren voice that has the power to turn human minds against themselves and sink ships. As her voice and power grows, she enters into the deadly politics of the mermaids. While I really liked the premise, I honestly think I would have enjoyed it more had the mermaids not acted quite so much like catty teenage girls (the fact that they are all teenage girls is beside the point). In addition, though Luce does have a little internal conflict over her new role in life, she kills a lot of people, and the novel handles it quite lightly. I'm not going to rush to find the next ones in the series. 5.
18. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris: This installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series was quieter than the previous one, which was fine with me-- beyond the fairy war that left Sookie and Bill very injured and several others dead, she's dealing with issues closer to home, including attacks on Merlotte's, a homicidal shifter, and very tense vampire politics. 6.5, start at the beginning of the series.
19. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore: This, the latest from the writer of Graceling and Fire was just as good as the first two, and it deals with a character from Graceling growing up and coming into her role as queen while trying to deal with the (very) messy aftermath of her psychopathic, mind-controlling father's kingship. Excellent for its complex explorations of acceptance of power, monstrousness, evil legacies, and relationships, both friendly and otherwise. 9, read the other two first.
20. Rosie Little's Cautionary Tales for Girls by Danielle Wood: Rosie Little, a modern girl who, with a lively cast of compatriots, is dealing with life and love and heartbreak, does so while weaving in elements of fairy tales and otherworldly stories from Adam and Eve to Little Red Riding Hood and Bluebeard. It's done in short-story format, with each section examining a different subject. Very well done, both because of the subject matter and the narrative tone. 8.
21. The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman: I'm on vacation now, so I read this delicious novel in a day. Set in the heat of the dot-com boom and bust of 1999-2002, this novel follows two sisters and the people close to them as they deal with business, academia, love, trust, religion, and family. Packed with allusions (and having many scenes take place in an antiquarian bookshop), this will be lovely for any bibliophile. The plot is rich, the characters are compelling, and the food descriptions are mouthwatering. All good things-- I'm going to buy a copy for myself! 9.
