RebeccaAnn's 1010 Challenge

I was always so envious of those who started the 999 challenge in time to actually complete it that I promised myself I would to the 1010 in 2010, so here I am!

I'll be aiming for ten books in every category but I don't really think I'll make it (most years, I top off around 70 or 80 books). But I don't think the numbers really matter that much. I'm here to have fun and hopefully, I also learn to be a little bit more self-conscious about what I'm reading :)

1. Literary Theory

With a recent change in planned degrees (I've decided to go into English rather than Music), I thought it appropriate to study on my own some of literature's most prominent theorists and philosophers. This is an ambitious category for me as some theory books can take months to finish while actually understanding the material. But still, I think any reading in this area will do me good.

1. Authorship: From Plato to Postmodern ed by Sean Burke
2. The Death and Resurrection of the Author? ed by William Irwin
3. Mouse or Rat? Translation as Negotiation by Umberto Eco
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Possibilities:

The Parallax View by Slavoj Žižek
Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism by Fredric Jameson
Simulcra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard
The System of Objects by Jean Baudrillard

2. American History

I was shown up during the summer by a six year old who knew more about American history that I did. I am an American, and I'm also one of those people who like knowing a little bit about the history of things I'm involved in. Therefore, it makes sense I should know about America. I'm also going to start the US Presidents Challenge and this category will help me double up a little in challenges ;-)

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Possibilities:

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America by Daniel K. Richter
A History of the American People by Paul M. Johnson
Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution Through British Eyes by Christopher Hibbert
His Excellency: George Washinton by Joseph J. Ellis

3. Foreign authors/Olympic Challenge

Rarely do I read books by authors not located in the US or the UK. It's time to branch out and explore new countries. I'll be attempting the Olympic Challenge, where you read one book by one author from each country participating in the 2012 London Olympics (and there are a lot. But I do have until 2012 to complete this challenge too ;-)

1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - Russia (5 stars)
2. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz - Dominican Republic (3 stars)
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Possibilities:

Doktor Glas by Hjalmer Söderberg (Sweden)
Gregorious by Bengt Ohlsson (Sweden)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)
Broken April by Ismail Kadere (Albania)
Chowringhee by Sankar (India)
Heliopolis by James Scudamore (Brazil)
Jerusalém by Goncalo M. Tavares
The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah (Ghana)

4. Dystopian Literature

I think there's a lot to learn from dystopian literature. It's a different way to look at the present. It allows us to see the worse case scenario if certain possibilities play out. Plus, I love science fiction :)

1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (2 stars)
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Possibilities:

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

5. Postmodern Literature

After taking a class in postmodernism, I'm completely fascinated. This is my chance to continue my studies in my own time.

1. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman (4 stars)
2. The Locked Room by Paul Auster (4 stars)
3. If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino (5 stars)
4. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (5 stars)
5.After Dark by Haruki Murakami (4 stars)
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Possibilities:

Underworld by Don DeLillo
Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon (or any book by Pychon really)
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Laura Warholic: or The Sexual Intellectual by Alexander Theroux

6. Collections of Short Stories

I love short stories. I find that, done right, they can be so much more poignant than a novel. They tell a story with such force and brevity that it leaves the reader breathless.

1. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman (5 stars)
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The Collected Short Stories of William Faulkner by William Faulkner
The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway
The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald: A New Collection by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

7. Big Classics

Self explanatory, I think. I want to read some more of the greats. I have always loved the classics but there's many yet to read. Hopefully, I'll make a bit of a dent this year. My goal is to read ten of those notorious doorstoppers/wristbreakers :)

1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - 1,462 pages (5 stars)
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Possibilities:

Anything by Charles Dickens
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

8. Polar Nonfiction

Originally, this category was for books by Charles Dickens. However, after getting so many wonderful suggestions by other 1010 participants for nonfiction books on polar exploration, I had to change a category. This seemed like the obvious choice (since Dickens can also fall under the Classics heading).

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Possibilities:

Alone by William Byrd
True North by Bruce Henderson
The Arctic Grail by Pierre Berton
Endurance by Caroline Alexander
Resolute by Martin W. Sandler

9. Youth Fiction

Being an English major as a senior in college, I have to read a lot. Most of it is really hard stuff that sometimes hurts my brain. I've been setting up my reading for next year and I have a feeling that, if I get my way, most of January is going to be taken up by YA lit. It's fun to read and I don't have to pause twice per sentence to look up a Big Word. Plus, their quick to read so I feel really smart when I start and finish a book in the same day :P

1. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (5 stars)
2. Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce (3 stars)
3. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (4 stars)
4. Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce (5 stars)
5. The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce (3 stars)
6. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander (4 stars)
7. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (3.5 stars)
8. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (5 stars)
9. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (3.5 stars)
10. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (4 stars)

The Book Thief by markuszusak::Markus Zusak
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Bartimaeous Trilogy by Jonathan Shroud
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
...lots of series here. I'll reach my ten in no time ;-)

10. Genre Fiction

Because everyone needs to take a break and dip into some good fantasy or sci fi :)

1. The Funhouse by Dean Koontz - Horror/Thriller (3 stars)
2. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris - Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance (3 stars)
3. The Passage by Justin Cronin - Horror (not rated)
4. Firestarter by Stephen King - Horror/Thriller (4 stars)
5. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - Steampunk (4.5 stars)
6. The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman - Fantasy/Horror (5 stars)
7. The Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman - Fantasy/Horror (4 stars)
8. Horns by Joe Hill - Horror (3.5 stars)
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Possibilities:

Ringworld by Larry Niven
Dune by Frank Herbert
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

11. The Other Stuff

My overall goal this year is 125 books. Since the 1010 challenge only takes care of 100 of those books, this will be for the other twenty five :)

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (5 stars)
2. The Awakening by Kate Chopin (3 stars)
3. Another Country by James Baldwin (3 stars)
4. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (4 stars)
5. The PowerBook by Jeanette Winterson (4 stars)
6. Passing by Nella Larsen (3 stars)
7. New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler (4 stars)
8. Winning by Losing by Jillian Michaels (3 stars)
9. Emma by Jane Austen (5 stars)
10. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (4 stars)
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>3 RebeccaAnn: Hey, welcome to the 1010 AND US Presidents challenges! I started the latter a few months ago and am reading it chronologically, and it's one of my categories for this challenge (I'm up to John Quincy Adams). His Excellency: George Washington was a good intro and an eye-opener to what Washington was, and wasn't, great at.

I also have Facing East from Indian Country on my list and will be interested to hear what you think.

>13 auntmarge64:: *waves hello* I also noticed you were a member of the North and South Poles group. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one interested in the Arctic and Antarctic around here. It seems like a weird thing to be interested in, but I find them fascinating. I was debating making one of my groups about the Arctic, but decided not to at the last moment.

Facing East from Indian Country is probably going to be one of the first books I read in 2010, so I'll let you know what I think :)

>14 RebeccaAnn: I have neighbors who just left on a cruise around South America, and I asked if they would be stopping over at Antarctica, because how can you get that close and not? Apparently there are helicopter outings from the ship at a cost of (depending on which neighbor you ask) $1500 or $5000 per person extra. They declined, but I think I'd get a mortgage to do it if necessary!

Douglas Mawson is one of my heroes of Antarctic exploration. Have you read about him? He was on an early Shackleton expedition, then declined an invitation to join the most infamous one to mount one of his own, which had an even more dramatic (to me) conclusion. (Check this out: http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Douglas%20Mawson.... Briefly, he ended up stranded by himself on the ice for a month, after the last of his companions died 100 miles from camp. I've read a couple of books about the trip and have a biography of Mawson on my list for this year, and there is a 2-volume version of his own journals of the expedition, including photos and maps, printed in 1915, for which I'd practically give my eye-teeth. A decent copy would run about $1000. :(

Welcome! You have some interesting categories here.

Have you read Alone by Adm. Richard Byrd? I don't read much non-fiction but it was so beautifully written it just sucked me in. And since I won't ever get to Antartica, it was my chance to live vicariously.

For your Classics category... we're doing a group read of The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas in Feb or Mar if you'd like to join in.

Have you read The Children of Men by P. D. James? It was my favorite Dystopian read this year. For my challenge I'm reading We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Have you ever read it?

I'll be checking in to see how you're doing.

True North is a book I really enjoyed about the quest to reach the North Pole first. I thought it gave insight into why someone would want to do that.

>15 auntmarge64:: I think I'd get a mortgage to do it if necessary!

I hear you! I haven't read much of anything dealing with the Antarctic (most of my reading has been about the quest to find the Northwest Passage, in particular the Franklin expedition) this year I plan on delving into other expeditions to the North and I'll start exploring more of the Antarctic. It'll go into my "Other Stuff" category :)

I don't know if it's just the computer I'm on at the moment, but your link didn't work :( I'm curious to see what it is so I'd definitely love to see it if we can figure out why it isn't working.

>16 VictoriaPL:: I haven't read any of those books except The Three Musketeers (which is my favorite book of all time and I would love to join the group read! I will also definitely be looking into Alone. It looks fantastic!

I've seen the movie Children of Men but have never read the book. The movie was fairly interesting which usually means a good was behind it ;-) We also looks very interesting so I have added both to the "Possibilities" section so I don't forget about them.

>17 RidgewayGirl:: I will definitely be looking into that book too! At this rate, I might have to change one of my categories to polar nonfiction. In fact, I think I might just go and do that now. All these books look so interesting I know I'm going to be reading them :)

>18 RebeccaAnn: Hmmm. I don't know why the link didn't work. Here it is again in case it cut and pasted wrong: http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Douglas%20Mawson..... I think it might have been the punctuation I used.

Edited: OK, that seems to be working now.

I read quite a good novel of one of the Antarctic explorers which I see is now available for the Kindle at Amazon. If you don't have a Kindle, you can download a reader for your PC if you're interested. The book is Brenda Clough's Revise the World. My review is the second one shown.

I have Franklin's book my TBR list (picked it up for $1 at a garage sale this summer). I see from from my science reading that the Northwest Passage is becoming available at last, although not because of human ingenuity (well, OK, maybe human ingenuity is responsible, in that it caused the climate change that opened the Passage up, etc., etc.....). It's what I usually think of in terms of Antarctic explorers: all those dead people, and only a 100 years later it's so simple.

Also, a few dystopian novels which might interest you:
Genesis (no touchstone available) by Bernard Beckett (cataloged as a YA novel, probably)
The Day of the Triffids and The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller

Your challenge looks very interesting! That Solomon biography of Beethoven is pretty good, as I recall. Do you happen to know of any good books about Clara and Robert Schumann?

Also, if you're looking for more books to add to the "Big Classics" category, I would definitely recommend Middlemarch by George Eliot!

>19 auntmarge64:: I've only heard of The Chrysalids. I'll have to check the others out :) (more books for me!) Thanks so much for all your wonderful suggestions!

>20 christina_reads:: I'm sorry, but no, I don't know any good books on Robert and Clara Schumann. I have some music classes today so if there's time, I can ask some of my music teachers. Hopefully, they're more well-read than I am ;-)

I just purchased a copy of Middlemarch too so that's perfect! I had totally forgot about it so thanks for reminding me!

We'll have to compare our Classics.
For foreign Authors try Carlos Ruiz Zafon The Shadow of the Wind is really good!He's from Spain.
Good Luck and Good Reading!

You've got some good picks in your list as well, I'm all rather jelous. Hopefully I'll get a chance to read some of them! I'm planning on trying Neil Gaiman this year, I've got one of his books from our discard table at work and am planning on reading the Sandman graphic novels. I'll have to star your thread so I can come back and visit :)

>23 cataluna:: I'm thinking of reading the Sandman graphic novels for part of the extra 25. I have yet to hear a bad thing about them and on a whole, I tend to enjoy most graphic novels (I'm reading Maus I & II right now - both are very good and highly recommended). You'll have to tell me what you think once you read them :)

Looking at your Horror-tagged books, I think you'll be fine with Sandman. One tricky thing about it is that the very first volume contains a couple incredibly gruesome bits, which has turned off many people who would actually enjoy the rest of the series.

If you can find the oversized Absolute editions through your local library, it does add something to the experience.

I'm going to see Gaiman on Monday. He's doing a reading and signing of The Graveyard Book. Took me two hours of calling to get tickets.

Seeing your mentions of music here made me think of Lament as a YA fantasy book you might be interested in. I haven't read it myself, but I've heard good things about the author and plan to get to it eventually.

Hi, Rebecca

I see that you have so many interesting books and categories. A group of us are going to be reading The Three Musketeers in February/March, maybe you can join us. Some others are going to be reading The Scarlet Pimpernel around Bastille Day, I think, and that would fit into your classics category.

I wish you luck on that one, I had it last year and it was my hardest category to find a book I liked.

>28 cyderry:: I'm thinking that will be my hardest category to fill as well, mostly because I tend to get a little antsy when I'm reading a book for more than a week or two. I get bored with the same story and want to move on.

I would love to join the group read for The Three Musketeers. It's one of my favorite books of all time and I was planning on rereading it this year anyways. I don't know when Bastille Day is, though (here's my ignorance of history showing through :P ) but I would love to join that one as well!

Bastille day is July 14th but that's for the Scarlet Pimpernel.

>30 cyderry:: It's already on my calendar! I'm excited to read it!

1. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (1/10)

Wild Magic is the first book in Tamora Pierce's Immortals Quartet and I must say, it sets the bar high. Here we meet Daine, a young orphan with a dark past who is taken in by Onua, the horse keeper for the Queen's Riders. Though Daine does not possess the Gift, it is quickly apparent to Onua and the warrior-mage Numair that she has more Wild Magic than either one of them has seen in a single person before. This gift manifests is self most clearly in her ability to speak to animals and it comes in handy when the beastly Immortals, previously sealed into the Divine Realms, break out and begin preying on humans. With her Wild Magic, Daine is an asset to Tortall, but will her and her magic be enough to save them all?

Based on only the first of four books, I like this series even more than the Song of the Lioness Quartet. Perhaps I'm just a bit jealous of her magic, though :) Being a lover of animals, actually speaking with them is something I can only dream of. I think it's great to include this in youth fiction. It shows a younger audience that an animal, though it may not think like a human, does indeed feel things and for me, a vegan, it resonated strongly with my own morals.

I love the relationships between characters and the emotions in this book as well. There was just the right amount of character angst, heartfelt pain, fear, silliness, and joy. I laughed out loud more times than I remember and I got teary-eyed at the end. I love being touched by books like this and I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

5 stars!

2. Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (2/10)

Daine has been called to Dunlath Valley by her old wolf pack, the Long Lake Wolves. The humans are tearing apart the trees and poisoning the water. Wildlife all around the valley is dying and Brokefang, the alpha of the pack, wants help reclaiming his home. When Daine and Numair arrive, though, they find out the people of Dunlath are mining something. Though they can't figure out what, they know it must be important. And when they find the charred remains of a squadron of Queen's Riders as well as Stormwings, they know there's something more than meets the eye.

After following such a fantastic book like Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker had a lot to live up to and unfortunately, it didn't quite make it. Of all the Tamora Pierce books I've read to date, this was the weakest. There wasn't much character involvement because really, Daine was the only human character through the most part. Numair rarely showed up and Alanna only appeared briefly after the final battle. I loved all the animals that showed up but for some reason, I just didn't love them as much as Dain's human friends. A good majority of the book also seemed to be Daine discovering and growing into her powers. While I understand the importance of this, it felt like chapter after chapter was devoted to Daine entering the mind of yet another animal and transforming her own body more and more. It got old.

Lastly, the final battle was quite a letdown. There was so much build-up through the book as to what horrible things Tristan and his mages were doing, and there was such a struggle to get to the room where his weapon was being kept, and it only took a couple of hits from the hilt of her knife to destroy it. Boring.

I hope I haven't dissuaded anyone from reading Tamora Pierce. Her books are thoroughly enjoyable and while I don't remember exactly what happens in the rest of the books, I remember loving them and I'm almost certain this is just a dry spell. It happens to every good author so please, read on!

3 stars!

I think everyone has been spreading so much Tamora Pierce love lately that you don't have to worry about one review doing any harm!

Might have to check her out - thanks for the great reviews.

Whew! I was worried that suddenly people wouldn't want to read her. Glad to hear people are still interested :)

3. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (3/10)

It seemed like a good idea to take a bit of break from Tamora Pierce and read The Book of Three for the group read coming up in a few days.

Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper for Hen-Wen, the oracular pig, dreams of adventure. He wants to make swords and be a hero. Unfortunately for him, it looks like he'll get his chance. With the Horned King coming to Caer Dallben and King Arawn gathering his evil forces for what can only be assumed to be very nasty things to come, Taran and the legendary prince Gwydion are the only two in a position to warn the people of Prydain of the powers they will soon be facing.

The Book of Three was a quick and fun read. I really enjoyed the characters. Taran was fun, Fflewddur was a hoot, and Eilonwy is a girl after my own heart. The interaction between Taran and Eilonwy was great and Fflewddur with his popping harp strings had me laughing out loud several times. I have a feeling this wasn't meant to be taken too seriously.

The only thing I really have to complain about is that so much happened in the book, there wasn't time to properly give depth to everything. All the events just flew by. I think the bit where Taran is captured and held in the Spiral Castle was supposed to be a bit scary, but it wasn't. There wasn't time to build up the right spooky, tense atmosphere.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book and I look forward to the next volume!

4 stars!

4. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
1010 Category: Postmodern Literature (1/10)

This is the second half of Vladek Spiegelman's terrifying tale of his ordeal in Auschwitz and his own liberation. Like the first volume, this is raw, gritty, and horrible. No Holocaust tale is happy, and this is not an exception. Vladek isn't a very likable character. Even his own son doesn't really want to be around him and now, with the discovery of what happened to him in the concentration camp, the reader learns why he is the way he is. His miserly habits are a large part of why he survived. They became so ingrained into him that now, years after the Holocaust, he cannot stop being a stingy as possible. It really shows how the Holocaust affected people even after it was over, right down to the relationship between father and son.

This is a quick, but powerful, read. It's not pleasant, and the last words of the entire book broke my heart, but I still highly recommend it to everyone.

4 stars!

5. Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (4/10)

Daine, along with Numair, Alanna, Duke Gareth, and many other important officials, sail to Carthak as part of a peace delegation. There she meets Kaddar, the charming nephew of the infamous Emperor Mage, Ozorne, who is responsible for the all the chaos brewing in Tortall. However, the longer Daine stays in Carthak, the more she realizes Ozorne doesn't want peace. He wants destruction. And he won't let anyone stand in his way.

If you want to read this book, I'd recommend starting it on a day when you have lots of time and nothing to do. I could not put this down. I tried, several times, but somehow, the book just wouldn't leave my hand. It had a good beginning, and intriguing middle, and a fast-paced, high-energy, page-turning ending. It was an incredible adventure. After the previous book in this series, Wolf-Speaker, turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, I was very pleased to see it was just a temporary dry spell that ended quickly. The ending of Emperor Mage more than made up for the lackluster ending of Wolf-Speaker. It was breathtaking and so emotional. I finished this book and immediately, I wanted to go right back to the beginning and read it again.

I cannot wait to read the last book of this quartet. I'm excited to see how all the events (and one particular mortal to immortal transformation) turn out in the end. I loved Kaddar and his willingness to take a step back and really think about whether everything he has been brought up thinking as normal (such as human slavery) is really right and moral. I hope he plays a part in book four because I would love to see how his character develops. All in all, a perfect book!

5 stars!

Hello. I did a dystopian category for the challenge last year so will be interested in what you think. I would also recommend Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro which would fit this category.

>40 sanddancer:: Really? I read The Remains of the Day and loved it so I'm very happy to hear that one of his other books will fit into my categories. Thanks!

6. The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (5/10)

It's time for the final battle. Ozorne's back and he wants revenge. Daine and Numair are sucked into the Divine Realm at the worst possible time: right before Ozorne's forces strike Tortall. Will Daine and Numair be able to make it back in time to help King Jonathan drive off Ozorne and his Stormwing legion or will all of Tortall be destroyed in the upcoming battle?

As for being the "final battle" of this quartet, The Realms of the Gods was a bit of a letdown. The book, like the other three, follows Daine and in this final volume, Daine spends about four-fifths of the book trying to get back to the mortal realm. That means four-fifths of the book is her and Numair walking. They come across a trap every now and then and you get little insights into the battle that's occurring in Tortall while they're trapped, but it's still a lot of walking. Not exactly what I expected to find in what should be the most powerful and intense book of the series. The final fight between Daine and Ozorne was exciting, but it took a lot of work to get there.

I also didn't believe the romance between Daine and Numair. Age difference aside, there weren't any hints in the previous books (minus I think one statement where Numair called her pretty when she put on a dress) that their student-teacher relationship would progress further. For me, it felt kind of like she realized she hadn't paired Daine up with anyone and since she was trapped all alone with Numair, the two might as well be a couple.

The Immortals Quartet was a bumpy ride. It started off strong, got weak, got strong, ended weak. I must say that I prefer the Song of the Lioness Quartet. The quality of the books was much more stable, the romance more believable, and the ending was insanely good. The Immortals, while strong as a whole, just didn't hold up to that quality of writing. Still, it's a good read and I do recommend it.

3 stars!

41 - yes, in the first couple of chapters you might not realise it is a dystopian novel as it starts like someone looking back on their school days but it becomes an alternative version of our society.

7. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
1010 Category: Foreign Authors (1/10)

I think this is the best book I’ve read since joining LT. Stylistically, it’s amazing. I’ve never read an author with such a mastery of the English language. Thematically, it’s haunting and disturbing, yet also tragic. No character is likeable, yet you feel and cry and bleed for them all. Is it disturbing? Yes. All cases of sexual abuse are. However, through all the sadness and despair, their runs a beautiful thread of what might actually be love.

I don’t think I need to reiterate the story. It’s extremely well-known. The characters, however, are positively unbelievable. The narrator, a man obsessed with the seductive charms of prepubescent females, Humbert Humbert, is a man I fully expected to loathe. And yet, despite his awful and despicable actions, I found myself pitying him more than anything. He’s delusional and very unreliable as far as narrators go. He twists the story he’s telling until not even the reader can discern what’s really going on, and he does it masterfully. On his rendition of his first time with little Dolores, he manipulates the words so well, it seems like it was all Lolita’s fault. You have to constantly remind yourself that her mother was recently killed and she has no one else to turn to. Threatened by Humbert with reform school, she’s not in a position to resist him. When reform school no longer scares her, he bribes her for sexual favors. When he masterfully manipulates Lolita, he manipulates the reader as well.

And yet, despite this, he feels remorse. He calls himself a monster more than once. At the end, he hears a group of children playing and mourns for Lolita’s lost childhood. When Lolita is stolen from him by another child predator who wants her in his child pornography video, Humbert loses it. He drinks and becomes paranoid, going from motel to motel in a wild goose chase, thinking he sees clues in the names of former patrons. I think he loved Lolita, but he was so obsessive, manipulating, controlling, and self-absorbed and she was too young that it broke both of them.

And the language! I’ve never seen anyone able to command the Enlgish language like this. It’s beautiful. I admit I had to look several words up in the dictionary every time I read this book. After reading this, I wonder if there is a word out there Nabokov didn’t know. If the subject material is too squicky for you, I would still recommend reading this just for the language.

This is a book to be savored slowly. Read it in 15-20 page increments to fully take in the language and it’s beauty. Reflect over what you’ve read to really digest the characters and the emotions. It took me about two months to get through this book, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

5 stars!

for years Lolita has gone on and off of my wishlist. Thanks to that review, it is definitely back on.

I'm looking forward to reading Lolita this year, even more so now! What a beautiful review.

The mixed feelings of repulsion, manipulation and sympathy you get when reading Lolita are not easy to describe, but you put it beautifully in that review! Bravo!

VERY cool seeing Doktor Glas on your list, surely one of the finest novels in the Swedish language. How did it get on your list? Will be looking forward to your dystopian reads and am full of awe for your ambitious classic nosebreakers category!

For your post modernism category, I heartily recommend Hospital by Toby Litt - every hospital soap you ever saw but on some very very twisted medication indeed...

Nice review of Lolita! Have you read other works by Nabokov? I read Pale Fire and loved it, but I haven't read anything else.

>47 GingerbreadMan:: I found out about Doktor Glas while browsing the Swedish authors for the Reading Globally group. Sometimes I follow the group and sometimes I don't, but it's a great way to find authors from different countries. I actually found Gregorious first, which is the the same story told from a different perspective (I think) and, while looking into that book, I found out Doktor Glas was actually the original. So, of course, I bought both :P Both books are at the top of my TBR pile right now, so hopefully I'll get to them soon! I'm trying to read a couple of hundred pages of The Count of Monte Cristo in between books so I can started on that nosebreaker category ;-)

Thanks for the recommendation of Hospital. Onto the TBR pile it goes!

>48 wrmjr66:: I have not read anything else by Nabokov yet. He is definitely one of those authors that I want to explore more of though. Thanks for the rec of Pale Fire. A friend also recommended Speak, Memory so I think those will be the next two Nabokov's I read!

Pale Fire is the only Nabokov that I've read too, and I just read it last summer. Really enjoyed it. It incorporated several techniques (that can't quite be the right word) that I really enjoy.

I picked up Lolita at the most recent Friends of the Library used book sale, so that will be next.

8. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
1010 Category: Big Classics
1,462 pages

I don't even know where to start on this review. The book was huge in weight and scope that I don't think any puny little review could possibly do it justice. But I'll do my best.

I doubt I need to do a summary. Monte Cristo is famous as the ultimate novel of revenge, and rightly so. The reader is given a front row seat to the transformation of a kind, generous spirit into one who wants only vengeance on those who have done him wrong. We see Edmund Dantes wrongfully imprisoned for fourteen years. We see his betrothed stolen from him and we are witness to the horrible, painful death of his father. We see those who hurt him rise to power and fortune while he rots in a cell and attempts to starve himself to escape his pain. The beginning is chilling and sad.

And then it drags. It drags for a fairly hefty portion of the book. We are introduced to new characters and shown enough of them to get a feel for their personality. We see the vast wealth of the new Count of Monte Cristo (of whom the reader but not the characters of the book know the real identity). And boy is he wealthy. The immensity of it all is pounded into our heads until we are sick of it. The many and frequent descriptions of his exotic Oriental property, food, and slaves also starts to get old after awhile. We all know he's plotting something, especially when he begins to get close to those responsible for his imprisonment, but we don't know what. There's a lot of set up that leaves the reader wondering "Well, when he is going to get on with ruining their lives?"

And then, approximately two thirds of the way through the book, he "gets on" with it and the books becomes a page turner you cannot put down. It devours your life and leaves you with an aching wrist from holding up this nose breaker of a book but still wanting more.

What I most enjoyed was Dantes's transformation. He's a lovely, generous character in the beginning but when he returns as the count, he is despicable. Believing to be acting as God's emissary, he excuses his actions through religion. He's cold and ruthless, ruining his enemy's honor, destroying their fortunes, and driving away their families before doing away with them. Even knowing what he's been through, at times it was hard to sympathize with Dantes. But at the same time, it was even harder to sympathize with his enemies. Most of the time, I pitied the innocent family members of Dantes's enemies. They were the ones unjustly punished.

Eventually, Dantes has a paradigm shift after one of his schemes leads to the death of an innocent boy and he realizes how his need for vengeance has been controling him. It's a tear-inducing moment when he forgives Danglars, the chief instigator of his own ruin, and allows himself to love and be loved again.

This book is beautiful. Yes, it's long and at times even tedious. The characters are not always likeable and sometimes, you hate them all. I would recommend having other books on hand to break this one up when you start to feel a bit overloaded. But it's all more than worth it in the end. Upon finishing this book, I immediately went back and reread favorite moments. This will be a book I keep by my bedside so that the tragic, yet always hopeful, life of Edmund Dantes is never far from reach.

5 stars!

Another great review! I can honestly say I've never been tempted in the slightest to read Dumas. Until now!

>52 GingerbreadMan:: You really should! The Three Musketeers is my favorite book of all time and Dumas is now definitely on the list of favorite authors! The Three Musketeers is only 700ish pages, so maybe that would be a better one to start with. It does have four sequels of equal length though, so maybe not :P

A great review, RebeccaAnn. It's one of my favourite stories though to my shame I've never read the book. I've seen a few adaptations of the work (my favourite being the anime Gankutsuou) and read Stephen Fry's modern update, The Stars' Tennis Balls. I guess the size has always put me off actually reading it and I doubt I'll get to it this year either. Ah well! There's always next year.

>51 RebeccaAnn: We read The Count of Monte Cristo back when I was in the 10th grade. Fortunately our teacher made a potentially long book come alive for us. I've gone back and re-read it in my adulthood and have recently been thinking about re-reading it again. I just have so many things in my to be read pile that I haven't taken the time to do so.

>54 AHS-Wolfy:: Gankutsuou is available instantly on Netflix and I was actually plannning on starting it tonight after work. I'll probably have to suffer through Enlish dubbing since it's instant and it doesn't offer you a choice, so hopefully the studio did a good job!

>55 thornton37814:: I know how you feel. With such a huge TBR pile at home, I always feel slightly guilty when I reread a book :P

>51 RebeccaAnn: I have The Count of Monte Cristo on my TBR for this challenge, and luckily it's on my Kindle, so I don't to deal with the weight.

But what I really want to know is: who's your fave Count on screen? Mine has always been Richard Chamberlain. I mean, who could ever look better in those costumes?

Thanks so much for this review, RebeccaAnn! I read The Count of Monte Cristo while I was still too young to understand it, and I've always meant to reread it someday...maybe I can fit it in this year!

>57 auntmarge64:: Sadly, I've only seen the 2002 version with Jim Caviezel as the Edmund (I'm actually watching it right now :P )

I can't seem to find the Richard Chamberlain version. I looked it up on Netflix (both the movie and the actor) and it's not appearing. What year was it in?

>58 christina_reads:: It's actually a very quick read in the beginning and in the end (it was a two week read for me). Only the middle section is sometimes a slog to get through because it's a lot of discussion of philosophy and the count showing off his wealth. It's not bad, it just gets a little old after awhile. I would love to hear your thoughts on it if you get around to reading it!

9. The Funhouse by Dean Koontz
1010 Category: Genre Fiction (1/10)

Ellen once had a baby. It was deformed. It was a freak. So she killed it and ran away. Now, the father of it is back, and he wants revenge. He's going to hurt Ellen the way she hurt him, through her two innocent children, Amy and Joey.

This book was okay. It had its scary moments, but they were few and far between. I wasn't particularly fond of Koontz's use of Ellen's religious mania. I'm not terribly religious myself, but it ranks up there with amnesia as one of my least favorite plot devices.

All in all, the book was what I needed at the time: an easy, quick read when I wanted a break from the tome that is The Count of Monte Cristo. But to be honest, unless you're a die-hard fan Dean Koontz or the horror genre, I don't recommend this book.

3 stars.

@56, The artwork for Gankutsuou is a bit different than the norm and takes a while to get used but it's worth sticking with until you do.

>59 RebeccaAnn:
Huh, you're right, Chamberlain's version it's not on Netflix. He also starred in Three Musketeers (which is there) and Man in the Iron Mask, which isn't either. Check these out:
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/387/count.jpg
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072824/

>61 AHS-Wolfy:: I'm just about to sit down and watch the first episode. I will let you know what I think!

>62 auntmarge64:: I ILLed it so hopefully there's a library out there somewhere that has this movie. Otherwise, I don't think I'll be able to watch it :(

10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (1/25)

I read this once about ten years ago. I remember thinking it was alright but that Twain wasn't an author I was ever really going to explore on my own.

My, how the times have changed. This book was amazing. It was absolutely hilarious (I couldn't stop laughing at the end when the whole scheme was revealed to Aunt Sally) and yet it had just the right amount of the brutality and cruelty of the time showing through. The atmosphere created was perfect.

This is a very character driven story. Plot-wise, it kind of mirrors life (Twain was a realist) in that it doesn't really go anywhere. Events happen and the characters develop because of it, but there's not really an "ultimate event" at the end. Well, there's sort of one but it was completely pointless in the end. I loved Huck's development from spouting off what he was taught to making his own decisions.

I loved this book so much that I bought seven or eight other books by Mark Twain before I even finished this one and I cannot wait for them to get here!

5 stars!

>64 RebeccaAnn: I read Huck Finn in high school English. I remember my teacher telling us then that we ought to re-read it every 10 years to see how much we've grown as readers. I took his advice and got a lot more out of it on subsequent reads. It gets funnier every time!

If you haven't read it yet, try Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. It's my favorite Twain book.

>54 AHS-Wolfy: I loved Gankutsuou, I thought it was so clever. And the voice actor who portrayed the Count... his opening voice overs are fantastic.

The trouble I had with The Count of Monte Cristo was keeping track of all his aliases. The lengths he goes to to conduct his revenge is truly astounding. Wikipedia has a chart and even with that it's confusing. One of my favorite parts is with Maximillian and Valentine and that little 'murder mystery'. The most recent movie has corrupted me because I do want Edmund to end up with Mercedes and now I'm always unhappy at the end of the novel. Has anyone seen the miniseries with Gerard Depardieu as the Count?

@66, I really should make an effort to watch them dubbed occasionally. I first saw the series as fansubs but now own the dvd's. I've only ever watched them in Japanese with the subtitles on. That's just how I prefer to watch my anime.

>65 cbl_tn:: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is one of the eight books I bought! Glad to hear it's a good one :)

>66 VictoriaPL:: I'm really enjoying Gankutsuou. The art is a little weird. I don't even know how to describe it, but what they did for clothing is very odd, how it seems as if there's a background behind the clothing so when a character walks, the design changes with them. It seems more evident in the anime than in the book that the count was really manipulating Albert in the beginning (although, by the time Albert was introduced in the book, I had forgotten the bit where Caderousse had told the Abbe Busoni - aka the count - that Mercedes and Fernand had a son named Albert). I find the manipulation very creepy and yes, the opening voiceover sends chills done my back every time :)

>67 AHS-Wolfy:: Dubbed, the series actually isn't too bad. I'm like you and like to watch my anime subtitled. The Japanese voice actors just seem to get the right emotion better than anyone here. I'm seriously considering buying this series and when I do, I'll probably go through it again just to watch it with the Japanese voice acting!

11. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
1010 Category: none

Edna, an obedient housewife, wants more from life. She's not really the housewife, motherly type. She's not fond of her children. She wants to be free to go after her own desires and it is this which, in the end, claims her life.

The book, as a story, is okay. It's kind of slow and doesn't really go anywhere. I might not have finished it if it hadn't been read for a class. But I don't regret the time I spent reading it either.

As a piece of feminist literature, however, this book is amazing. It shows the birth of the "new woman" and the struggle women had paving a way for their own independence. I think most disturbing is the fact that, despite everything Edna does to create her own life where she can fulfill her own desires, it all amounts to nothing. She's trapped in a male dominated society. In the end, rather than give up her own desires, she commits suicide. The more I read of this book, the more I'm glad I'm born now when it's no longer expected of me to be docile and produce babies.

All in all, it's not bad. I don't think I'll be reading it again any time soon though. If you enjoy feminist literature, I would recommend this book. If you're looking more for a good story, this might not be the best book for you.

3 stars.

12. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (6/10)

Taran and company decide it's time to relieve Arawn of the cauldron that allows him to make the Cauldron-Born. Of course, things don't go as planned. The cauldron isn't where it's supposed to be, the groups get separated, and there's this snooty little prince who just will not let Taran be. Will they manage to divest Arawn of his cauldron or will they be made into Cauldron-Born themselves?

I definitely enjoyed this book more than it's predecessor. I feel Alexander has settled into his characters. They didn't feel forced like they did in The Book of Three. I especially like Taran's development. He was still immature at the beginning of the book but he grew immensely throughout the course of the story and it was very well done. His growth felt natural.

I must say that I was extremely happy when he gave up Adaon's brooch. Upon receiving it, I was angry. I felt like Alexander was cheating in the maturation process of Taran but in the end, I think it worked out for the best. I liked that, with the brooch, his friends finally got to see his potential but he still has to get himself there. It's not just given to him.

If Alexander continues in this manner, I think this series will be absolutely fantastic. I'm very excited to read the next book!

4 stars!

I loved that whole series. And then the Disney movie version was one of my first experiences with seeing the film after reading the book and it was incredibly upsetting how much they changed. I hadn't know that was allowed and was just shocked.

Great reviews, RebeccaAnn. I can waste too much time here (. . . it's so much more fun than working on that essay that's due in two days).

Guh. I hear you. I working on two right now (LT is great motivation for procrastination :P ). The amount of threads I'm behind on is getting only slightly ridiculous...

So what class did you read the Awakening for, anyway? What program are you in? I'm just finishing my BA (English major, Humanities extended minor) this spring.

I'm working on my BA for English and, even though I graduate in the fall, I've managed to avoid the survey class American Lit II (about 1850s to present). So, I'm taking it now and that was what Huck Finn from earlier and The Awakening were read for. I really liked Huck Finn (gave it 5 stars) and I like the class. I just didn't really care for The Awakening.

Looks like we'll be graduating at the same time!

13. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
1010 Category: Foreign Authors - Dominican Republic (2/10)

Disclaimer: While technically, the author was raised in New Jersey from the age of six, he was born in the Dominican Republic and the novel is about the Dominican Republic, so I feel justified putting this book in with my foreign authors category.

On to the review:

I find it hard to review this book. I liked it. It wasn't bad. I think it was interesting in terms of identifying oneself with one's appearance. It was interesting reading a book whose narrator was so involved with science fiction. I felt a little fangirlish trying to pick out all the references. The narration was fun and sarcastic and made me laugh. I thought the personalized footnotes - what seem to be an attempt to tell the point of view of the victims of the Trujillo regime - interesting, informing, and helpful. The story wouldn't have worked without the footnotes and the footnotes would have been boring without the story.

Despite these wonderful qualities to the book, I find it easily forgettable. Only hours after finishing, I couldn't remember why I'd liked it. I think, for me, there just wasn't enough character. It was all told from some point in the future by a character who wasn't present during the events, and that's what it felt like. A story. It didn't feel alive and I just didn't care about the characters until the very end when, finally, Oscar started becoming a strong character driven by something he desired. Of course, then he was killed and that was that.

Bottom line: do I regret time spent reading this? No. Do I regret buying it? Kind of, but it was for a class so that wasn't really an option. Will I read it again in the future? Probably not.

3 stars.

For anyone interested, I changed my first category from Music to Literary Theory. I was originally going to attend grad school for music performance but recently changed my mind and decided to go in for English which an emphasis on literature (hopefully postmodern literature). Therefore, I thought it more important to study the theory behind what I'll actually be studying. Just in case anyone wanted to know...

Where are you going to grad school? It's interesting that the few people you listed in your lit theory section are people we were reading when I was in grad school back in the 1990s. I actually studied with Fred Jameson as an undergrad!

>78 wrmjr66:: "I actually studied with Fred Jameson as an undergrad!"

I'm confused. The postmodern theorist Fredric Jameson attended college way back in the 50s (his dissertation was published in 1961, I think). Or was he your teacher? That would have been ^#$%#$% awesome to have studied under him!

I'm pretty poor so I'll be attending The University of South Dakota, which is where I'm at now. It's affordable and considering I have roughly another ten years or so of schooling, I need cheap now (I'll be getting two masters and a doctorate degree before I'm finished). If I can get accepted into the graduate assistantship or teaching assistant ship program, my tuition will be reduced to about $3000 a year plus I'll be making either $500 or $1000 a month, respectively. I think I missed the deadline for the TA though :(

I'm in love with postmodernism. It's probably the most difficult lit or theory I've ever had to read, but I just can't seem to get enough of it. It's odd because though I've always loved books, I've never found an area where I feel almost obsessed with knowing as much as possible. I'm really hoping that when I attend grad school for a master's in english, emphasis on literature, they'll let me specialize in postmodern lit and theory. *crosses fingers*

I found The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao annoyingly average too. Much for the same reasons you did: the vague narrator and the bad orchestration. I was left with a distinct feeling it could easily have been a much better book.

>79 RebeccaAnn: Yes, Jameson was my teacher at Duke. I took a grad level lit. theory class at Duke that had a variety of instructors presenting seminars on other theorists (Frank Lentricchia on Derrida, Stanley Fish on...well, himself, etc.). Jameson did a seminar on the Frankfurt School, and I wrote a paper under his direction on Adorno. if you haven't already, you should check out Adorno as he was also quite interested in music. I'm pretty sure that having a letter of recommendation from Jameson did more to get me into grad school than anything else. So that is my brush with lit theory greatness :-)

Good luck with all your studies. I haven't read much literary theory since I left academia in the late 90s, but maybe I'll see something from your list that strikes my fancy.

For your American History category, I highly recommend John Adams and Washington's Crossing. Both were top reads for me in the years I red them. The first book is kind of long, but it read fast, and I thought the second book was better than 1776.

>82 cmbohn:: Thank you so much for the suggestions! There's so much literature on American history that it's nice to get some direction :)

14. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
1010 Category: Genre Fiction - Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance (2/10)

A fairly standard Sookie Stackhouse mystery. Sookie finally finds out why she seems to draw so much supernatural attention and a dark secret about Bill is revealed. Sookie again gets herself involved in vampire politics and she now has a new man.

The book wasn't great, but it wasn't awful. I read these books to get a break from more serious literature and they serve that purpose well. I will continue to read this series because they're great mind candy and I'm looking forward to the next book.

3 stars.

15. Another Country by James Baldwin
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (3/25)

This novel was stunningly beautiful in its prose and depiction of its characters. They were tangible. I could relate to each and every one as they searched for their own personal identity. Baldwin attacked America with this book, showing the gritty, raw truth about racism and people's views towards those who don't "fit in".

That said, this was also a hard book to read because it just would not end. I believe that a good book has to know when to end and I don't think Baldwin quite nailed it in this book. It just went on and on and on. I don't think it would have been so bad if there had been a serious plot, but this more of a "slice of life" novel. It depicts a time period in these characters' lives which has a plot and a climax, but not in the traditional sense. The book doesn't resolve cleanly. Neither does life. Things are left unfinished. However, there is so much searching for one's identity in this book that I kept feeling as if I had read events more than once and that gets a bit old after awhile.

I do recommend this book because I think it's a fantastic book to read at least once in your life. I was touched and horrified and sad and happy throughout it. It touched all my emotions. However, I don't think I'll be rereading it anytime soon.

3 stars.

16. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (4/25)

A fantastic graphic novel of the author as a young girl coming to terms with her own sexual identity and that of her father's. Told in simple, yet perfect, prose, I found the story and the art to be compelling and beautiful. This is definitely a book to reread.

I loved the blatant honesty of Bechdel's narration. She doesn't hide her father's faults, nor her own. She lays everything down on the table and lets the reader maker his or her own decision. None of the characters are perfect. They're all human. The family is dysfunctional, but they all love and support each other.

My favorite moment of the entire book is when Alison runs across a picture of her father in his college years, wearing a women's swimsuit. She says he doesn't look awkward or silly, like one wearing it as a prank would, but rather he looks elegant. You can just feel the narrator finally seeing the truth about her father and, in the picture, he looks happy and finally at peace with himself. It's a beautiful moment that I kept finding myself drawn back to.

I recommend this book. It's a quick read, but I hope it honestly touches your heart like it did mine.

4 stars!

@86 Sounds lovely!

#86 sounds good, I've placed a hold so I can read it for my 1010 as well! You might enjoy Token by Alisa Kwitney. It's another father-daughter coming of age graphic novel. I don't normally like reading them when they're not in colour, but I really enjoyed both the words and illustrations, I just wanted to keep reading until I finished it.

>88 cataluna:: Fun Home isn't in color either, but it definitely holds your attention until the very end. I hope you enjoy it!

@86 I stumbled on it at Pocket Shop today. It's just out in Swedish translation!

I just read Stitches: A Memoir by David Small last night and was struck by a lot of similarities to Fun Home. It's a boy instead, of course, and he focuses more on sticking with his as-a-child perspective rather than looking back. But he's also a children's book illustrator by trade, so that's a good fit for him. Excellent thoughtful stuff. And also black and white.

17. The Locked Room by Paul Auster
1010 Category: Postmodern Literature (2/10)

I didn't realize when I was reading this that Auster's NYT would be so interconnected. Almost, you might say, as if it were one book instead of three. I'm not going to review this because I feel as if I missed out on a lot, reading it so much later the first two volumes. However, I do plan to reread this book sometime during the year as just one book. Hopefully I will get more out of it that way *crosses fingers*

I did really like it anyways, even if I didn't get it all, and rated it 4 stars!

>90 GingerbreadMan:: Wow! I don't read Swedish, but I always think it's interesting when I come across a book I've read that's been translated :)

>91 kristenn:: Added to the wishlist! Thanks for the rec!

18. If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino
1010 Category: Postmodern Fiction (3/10)

This is not an ordinary book. In fact, it might not even be correct to call it a book. Properly, it's many books but then again, it's not really any books. None of them end. None of them even progress past the first chapter.

The novel starts of with you, the reader, opening Italo Calvino's new novel, If on a winter's night a traveler. It's an espionage thriller and you're hooked. However, at a moment of suspense, you realize there's something wrong with your book. It just repeats the first chapter over and over again. Frustrated, you go to the bookstore to exchange your defect copy for a correct one. Once you have your new book in hand, you happily open it, only to realize the book is not the one you were reading before. But this one's interesting too, so you decide to keep reading. At another moment of suspense, the book ends. The pages, in a printing error, are blank throughout the rest of the book.

Wash, rinse, and repeat. Everytime the book you are reading gets interesting, for some reason you cannot continue it.

If on a winter's night a traveler delves into the reading process, the different types of readers, the writing process and the different types of authors. It questions what a story actually is, what reading really is. It addresses society's reliance on technology. It asks the reader what true creativity and imagination is. In a time when everything has been done before, isn't it impossible to truly be original? It has everything from the Arabian Nights to thrillers to Japanese erotica to a romance with the Other Reader.

Calvino doesn't let you just fall into the story. You're constantly kept on your toes. When will the next first chapter end? From the opening line, which reads "You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino's new novel, If on a winter's night a traveler," Calvino doesn't let you absorb yourself in the story, becoming one with it. He keeps you at a distance. You, as the reader, are yanked from one setting to another, from one unlikely circumstance to an even crazier one. You go from searching for the original book in order to finish your story to becoming involved in an international conspiracy involved author plagiarism.

This book is not safe. It's not ordinary. But it's fantastic, and I highly recommend it.

5 stars!

GREAT review - again! Been meaning to re-read If on a winter's night a traveller for many years, but have always hesitated. Probably because I remember it as demanding a fair bit of concentration. But you've definetly convinced me. It'll be on my list for the inevitable 11-11 challenge, if not sooner.

What an excellent review! I am now desperate to read If On a Winter's Night a Traveler immediately!

It's going on my TBR list too! Great review.

Great review! I loved that book when I read it a few years ago. You captured it very well.

Thanks to everyone for the compliments! Reviewing books I loved is always hard for me. I can't for ages about books I didn't like, but it's almost impossible to even start the review for a really good book. I'm glad I did it justice :)

And I hope that anyone who hasn't read it but wants to enjoys it just as much as I did!

Great book, great review.

Great review of a wonderful book. Thumbs up!

19. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (7/10)

With so much hype, and a new movie, surrounding this book, I figured I'd better check it out. See what all the fuss is about and decide whether it was worth forking over ten bucks to see the movie.

My opinion: I liked the book. It was fun, engaging, and moved quickly. There was lots of action and numerous funny one-liners, which is always a plus for me. I thought the idea of bringing back the Greek gods was an interesting concept.

However, this is still fairly standard fantasy material. Nobody hero finds out he's part of a prophecy and must go off to save the world, starting with rescuing two magical artifacts. There's the loyal, if someone clumsy, sidekick who's there for comic relief most of the time but every once and a while does something really brave. There's the token strong female character who can do everything except face spiders. The quest was solved and peace restored only for the hero to realize that there is actually a bigger bad guy that was controlling who we originally thought was the big bad guy.

I give the book props for good writing. The characters, though cliche, were humorous and overall I liked the book. I take points away for total lack of originality. This is just standard hero-goes-on-quest-to-save-world material in a different setting. Will I continue reading the series? Yes. It was good enough to go on. Will I go see the movie in theaters? Nope. I don't think this was a good enough book to waste money over.

3 stars.

I enjoyed the book too but I will wait for it to come on DVD unless my husband takes me to the movie (don't worry - won't happen - he hasn't taken me to a movie since 1977!)

Since 1977!?!?! Kick the man's butt into gear and tell him he needs to take you out to a movie at least once a year!

Men these days... :P

Nah. A lot of them are great. :)

We don't usually like the same kind of movies, so we agree not to waste money going when one of us won't like it. He treats me great and lets me buy all the books I want and pays for my Netflix subscription so I'll gladly settle for that. I actually prefer to watch movies at home anyway and when I want to see a movie at the theater, my girlfriends go with me and my hubbie pays. It's a good deal.

20. The PowerBook by Jeanette Winterson
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (5/25)

I'm at a bit of a loss at how to describe this book. It's most definitely not conventional. It's confusing but at the same time, strangely clear. It's without a doubt one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. It's a love story that ends in both a heartbreaking and yet a hopeful manner. It shows the power of stories. It evokes so many different emotions. It's about ambiguous identity and erasing the binary opposition between males and females.

Honestly, the first scene is very...strange. But I hope is doesn't deter anyone from reading this book. I really enjoyed this book and it's going on to my list of memorable reads. It's one of those books that just begs to be reread over and over. I wish I could write a better review for this book but I'm tired so this will have to do for now. I hope I've encouraged someone to try this book out though :)

4 stars!

21. Passing by Nella Larsen
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (6/25)

I read this about a month ago and I read it fast so I could use it in a paper. It was a good book, but the ending was a little sudden and felt a little out of character. I'm not going to write a full review because I read the book so long ago, but I will give it a solid 3 stars :)

22. The Passage by Justin Cronin
1010 Category: Genre Fiction 3/10

This was an ER book and I tried really hard to finish it. But by page 150, I still wasn't hooked. I didn't really care about the characters and the plot was just boring me. I found myself picking the book up just to put it down again. Normally, I would forge ahead for an ER book even though I believe it's perfectly fine to not finish it. One of a book's job is to hook you and draw you in. But I could have handled another 200 pages of a book I wasn't enjoying. But this book was 766 pages long! To have to sit down and read another 600 pages of a book I really didn't like was just too much for me so I'm very sorry but I'm calling it quits now.

From what I've gathered, the book appears to be a zombie book. That doesn't bother me. I read Stephen King (think 'Salem's Lot) and I enjoyed World War Z. I'm a fan of movies like Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil, and 28 Days Later. But this one didn't catch me. The plot moved sooooo slow and the nuns irritated me. Part of it is just the fact that religious themes in literature in general are just a deal breaker for me. I'm not religious and it's not something I care to read about. Even the mention of God usually annoys me, though as long as it's not a big plot point, I can usually ignore it (and I apologize to all Christians/believers of any religion. I mean no disrespect. This is just my personal view on the subject). But the nuns weren't even very nun-like and all in all (they were surprisingly materialistic), it just wasn't working for me.

I didn't really like Amy either. I can't say she was a Mary Sue, but she seemed headed in that direction (she's six and super wise because she's had a hard life, she can talk to animals, and there's something about her that will save the world according to the dust jacket). I had no desire to keep reading about her or really any of the characters.

I think this book might have been good. I think it had the makings of a good book but it just didn't draw me in and make me feel like I had entered another world. It didn't make me feel special. In fact, it was putting me off of reading altogether so I'm closing the book and calling in good. Mr. Cronin, I'm very sorry.

Since I didn't finish this book, I'm not going to rate it. Who knows, perhaps starting on page 151 the book became a masterpiece...

ETA: I talked to another reader on LT who convinced me to keep giving this book a try. I will continue (hopefully) to read it but I don't suspect I'll finish it any time soon.

23. New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess by Lou Schuler
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (7/25)

Ok, crappy title aside (look like a goddess...seriously?), I really liked this book. It had tons of great information in it about why you might not lose or why you may even gain weight while strength training (though you'll probably lose inches) and I liked that it's finally a program not based on low weights and high repetitions (women are strong too!). There were a few things I was skeptical about, though. He stressed a lot of protein shakes (one after every single workout) and I'm not sure about that. I hear a lot of different things about how much protein you need so I'm just experimenting to see how my body feels with x amount of protein. I thought the workouts looked good, though. I haven't tried them because I'm currently on a program with a trainer but I'm thinking of purchasing the book so I can try them afterwards.

I like most of the recipes included. They're yummy, low calorie, and high in protein so I've been eating them for breakfast which is when I like to have a lot of protein because lunch for me isn't until about 1:30. His oatmeal pancakes keep you full forever>.

So in short, there were things I liked and things I didn't like. It's a health book and with so many out there on the market telling you a million different things, I think it's advantageous to read them but to think for yourself as well. I would recommend this book mostly for the six month program and the recipes. The information is good, but the workouts and the food would make it worth the cost.

4 stars!

24. Firestarter by Stephen King
1010 Category: Genre Fiction (4/10)

When Andy was in college, he participated in an experiment in which he allowed himself to be place under the influence of a hallucinatory drug: Lot Six. What he wasn't told was those drugs would influence his being on the cellular and chromosomal level, giving him powers. Powers that others want to both use and study. What he also didn't know is that his daughter, Charlie, would also inherit his powers, but in the form of pyrokinesis. Now they're on the run from the Shop, a government organization out to get Charlie and harness her fire starting ability.

I liked this book. I don't think it was King's best and it certainly won't be going on to any of my lists of favorites or top reads of the year, but it passed the time and made my heart race at the more suspenseful parts so I'm satisfied. I thought the book got just a tiny bit redundant after awhile (wait, you mean they're still running? Again? Shock!) but some parts of the book were just brilliant. I thought the scene in which you see the experiment through Andy's eyes was just chilling. That was, far and above, the best part of the book for me. I thought their capture was good part of the book as well, but it didn't hold up to the experiment scene at all.

I recommend this book if you're already a fan of Stephen King (or the thriller genre - I wouldn't call this horror because it's not really scary) but otherwise, you probably won't be missing much by not reading this one. King has so many better books out. Read those instead.

3 stars.

24. Firestarter by Stephen King
1010 Category: Genre Fiction (4/10)

When Andy was in college, he participated in an experiment in which he allowed himself to be place under the influence of a hallucinatory drug: Lot Six. What he wasn't told was those drugs would influence his being on the cellular and chromosomal level, giving him powers. Powers that others want to both use and study. What he also didn't know is that his daughter, Charlie, would also inherit his powers, but in the form of pyrokinesis. Now they're on the run from the Shop, a government organization out to get Charlie and harness her fire starting ability.

I liked this book. I don't think it was King's best and it certainly won't be going on to any of my lists of favorites or top reads of the year, but it passed the time and made my heart race at the more suspenseful parts so I'm satisfied. I thought the book got just a tiny bit redundant after awhile (wait, you mean they're still running? Again? Shock!) but some parts of the book were just brilliant. I thought the scene in which you see the experiment through Andy's eyes was just chilling. That was, far and above, the best part of the book for me. I thought their capture was good part of the book as well, but it didn't hold up to the experiment scene at all.

I recommend this book if you're already a fan of Stephen King (or the thriller genre - I wouldn't call this horror because it's not really scary) but otherwise, you probably won't be missing much by not reading this one. King has so many better books out. Read those instead.

3 stars.

I loved The Firestarter when I was 19 (around the time it came out). My idea of brilliance at the time. I especially loved the ending. I think I'll skip a reread and just keep that happy memory.

What is a Mary Jane? I've heard the term, but I've never heard a description.

>113 RidgewayGirl:: It's a Mary Sue, actually, and it's that one female character who is perfect and has all the guys drooling over her. I think it actually originated in something related to Star Trek and it appears all over in fanfiction. Some girl (usually - a male is called a Gary Stu) shows up, enthralls all the male characters with her charm, wit and perfect appearance, she is perfect in every way, is skilled in just about everything, and usually ends up saving the world. I'm trying to think of a good example off the top of my head but it's just not happening. Bella from Twilight is close, though. All the guys want her, she's hot, she's "special" (the whole being the first vampire to not like blood thing). Consequently, she's also really annoying. To me, anyways.

If anyone else has a better example, please share!

@111-112 I had my King fling in my early teens, and read Firestarter then. I remember virtually nothing but the lab scene - so that must have been powerful.

Now I'm going to lie awake tonight trying to think of an example of a Mary Sue...

25. Winning By Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life by Jillian Michaels
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (8/25)

I love The Biggest Loser. It's one of those shows I watch religiously, so I decided to try one of the trainer's first book. Michaels does a good job of addressing the different issues of weight loss (your mentality, your nutrition, and your exercise regime). I really did like the section about making sure your mentally prepared for what's ahead and that you know your worth it. There was a nice description of a lot of exercises in the back of the book which detailed how to do each one and what muscle groups are worked. But that's about it. The rest of the book is the same stuff you find in every exercise book. I wouldn't say this book is worth buying. It's not a bad read. It had useful information but nothing you couldn't find by searching the Internet for free.

3 stars.

I'm just skimming over your thread now, and I'm curious -- can you explain a bit about why you classed Maus II as "postmodern literature"? I suspect my literary theory is lacking (as in, is non-existent).

>117 pammab:: I classify it as postmodern because (and this is more why I was told it was pomo - I started Maus I and II last year when I was first introduced to pomo and didn't understand much about it although now, after months of studying pomo on my own, I do agree with this statement) it's a blending of high and low culture. It takes the Holocaust, something traditionally represented in high culture via "serious" novels and movies and portrays it through a comic book/graphic novel, a low culture form of entertainment. I don't have any of my theory books with me (I'm slacking off at work right now) but I believe this blending of high and low is a theory developed by Fredric Jameson. I could be mistaken though...

25. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
1010 Category: Collections of Short Stories (1/10)

I loved this book! My relationship with Gaiman to this point hasn't been the best. Having only read Stardust and Coraline (and not loving either), I was tentative to dive into an entire collection of his short stories. But I'm glad I did. Smoke and Mirrors allowed me to see a wide variety of Gaiman's styles and while there were stories in here I didn't really care for too much, they were the exception, not the rule. Most of the stories were absolutely brilliant!

My favorites were "Troll Bridge", "Murder Mysteries" and "Snow, Glass, Apples". "Troll Bridge" is about a boy who accidentally wanders upon a troll and for the remainder of the story, he must continually try to keep his life from being eaten. This was the saddest story in the entire collection. I read it multiple times before I'd even finished the book. "Murder Mysteries" is an interesting take on the biblical creation story. It paints Lucifer in a gentler light (actually, he comes across as the true victim of the story). It's one of the longer stories in the book but it's worth it. "Snow, Glass, Apples" is another look on the faerie tale of Snow White, this time portraying Snow White as the evil one and the evil stepmother as the protagonist. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at the original tale in quite the same way...

I highly, highly recommend this collection. It doesn't take a big commitment to read. The stories are quick and they fly by. You're done before you know it. But each story leaves its own mark that I don't think will be forgotten for quite awhile.

5 stars!

I'm glad you enjoyed Smoke and Mirrors. I liked it quite a bit myself, certainly more than his newest collection Fragile Things. Were you thinking of dipping into that one?

@118
Ah hah! Your explanation of Maus as postmodern fits. I grok it now. Maybe I'll do some reading into Frederic Jameson now.... Thanks for the help! :)

@119 :: Thanks for the review of Smoke and Mirrors -- I've been meaning to check out more Gaiman ever since reading Neverwhere!

>120 VictoriaPL:: Even Gaiman admits he doesn't like Fragile Things as much as Smoke and Mirrors. I had the PS edition of Smoke and Mirrors in which Gaiman said he thought Fragile Things was just thrown together too quickly and it just didn't work like he had originally wanted it too. I still want to read it though...

>121 pammab:: Enjoy Jameson! He's one of those literary guys that just requires all of your attention to even begin to understand what he's saying. A dictionary helps too :P

>122 christina_reads:: I've been meaning to get around to reading Neverwhere sometime soon. I've starting ILLing the Sandman series so I think I'll wait until after I've finished those graphic novels before I start any of his other novels. Lord knows I'm reading enough books as it is :)

I've never been tempted by Fragile Things but I guess I should add Smoke and Mirrors to my wishlist now. Nice review RebeccaAnn.

27. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
1010 Category: Postmodern Literature (4/10)

I'm going to put a disclaimer right at the top of this review: I don't think I comprehended half of what was in this book. Everything from here on out is based on what I know (or what I think I know).

This book was amazing. What begins as a silly mystery to find a pet cat evolves into a tale of love, devotion, betrayal, hurt, comfort, life, death, desperation, hope, good and evil. It took me a good five months to work my way completely through this book because at so many points, I would have to stop and reread a section again. Normally, this would piss me off but for Murakimi, I didn't mind. I loved going back and making new connections or witnessing new themes. With the introduction of each new character, a new layer of mystery shrouds the story but at the same time, a veil is lifted and answers are discovered.

Murakami's prose is brilliant as well. He somehow manages to stay oddly distant from his characters yet also incredibly intimate. For example, the reader only knows May Kasahara through Toru. They interact a lot in the beginning of the book and then we are privy to her letters near the end. Even though we don't know much about her, a sense of loneliness and a strong desire for friendship just radiates off of her and I felt like I connected with more than any other character in the book. I don't know much about her, but I finished the book considering her a friend.

I don't know what really happened in the book. Murakami twists reality and makes everything a dream. Through Toru we experience fantastic and horrifying things that may or may not have happened. Some things made sense, like Kumiko's adultery. Other things, like psychic prostitution, did not. I can't tell if the book is magical realism or if we're also experiencing Toru's imagination along with the actual events of the story. All I know is I loved this book and I have every intention of making this one a regular reread and devouring as much Murakami as I can get my hands on.

5 stars!

>124 AHS-Wolfy:: I hope you enjoy it!

@125 Great review! This was my first Murakami too, and definitetly left me wanting more. One of the things I really liked about this book what that it left you with a very satisfying mix of answers and questions. There's much left to think about, and I agree this book probably stands many rereads. But the mysteries and question marks never make you feel shut out or stupid either, like a lot of enigmatic fiction tends to do. A rare quality!

I seem to have reached the jackpot of amazing books recently!

28. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (8/10)

I don't even know how to begin describing this book. A basic summary: a small boy (Nobody Owens) is raised in a graveyard by the local dead community after his family is brutally murdered. I expected to like the book. I've liked everything I've read by Gaiman (some more than others). I didn't, however, expect to love it. I didn't expect to be on the edge of my seat with anticipation when Nobody was captured by the ghouls. I didn't expect to simultaneously laugh in delight and feel extremely jealous when the living and the dead danced the Macabray together and I wasn't able to join in. And I most definitely didn't expect to bawl like crazy during the last chapter. But I did. I'm not going to say much more than that because I don't think anything I wrote could do this book justice. I loved it. It resonated with me and touched me on an emotional level and I count it amongst the few perfect books I've read in my lifetime.

Highly, highly recommended.

5 stars!

Wow. The Graveyard Book is in my TBR pile, but I wasn't in a hurry to get to it (so many books, so little time ... ), but I think I'll have to bump it up now.

>129 Nickelini:: I really hope you enjoy it! The Graveyard Book definitely made it on to my list of memorable reads for 2010 :)

I knew my streak of good books was just too good to be true :(

29. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1010 Category: Dystopian Literature (1/10)

My God, what a bore! I've been trying to get through this book for a couple months now and I'm finally calling it quits. From the amount of good reviews this book has gotten, it appears I'm in the minority when I say I think watching paint dry might be more entertaining. I was listening to this on audiobook and every time I put it on, I found myself wanting to take it off five minutes later. I can see why this book attained "classic" status. It had some interesting takes on where consumerism and genetic modification are heading but the book was just missing...something. I'm not exactly sure what that something even was. Sympathetic characters? A viable plot? A protagonist? A world I could dive into and just get lost in? I feel as if these books achieved these points, but only to the halfway point. I see the hints of all these points which for me are absolute necessities for a good book but it just didn't actually have them. I didn't like the world. John annoyed me. So did everyone else. The plot was too slow. The whole thing was just one big mess of a book.

So in short, I guess I understand why this book is considered good but for me, it just didn't make the cut. And I found out from a friend how it ends. Very anti-climatic. I have no desire whatsoever to finish this book so I'm declaring it abandoned.

2 stars.

@131 I don't think your that alone. I read this one ages but I do remember the disalogue just felt dated and stilted. Not much emotion around to make it that engaging either, just an exercise in 'What if'.

@131 :: I enjoyed the book, but I definitely think I would have enjoyed it much less if someone had spoiled the ending for me! Sorry you didn't like it!

>132 clfisha:: I agree. I could see how it would have been amazing when it was published but now? Not so much...

>133 christina_reads:: My friend didn't spoil the ending until I told her I didn't think I was going to finish the book. She also didn't like it so she had no problem giving the "finale" away :P

30. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
1010 Category: Genre Fiction - Steampunk (5/10)

I found this book to be very entertaining. It had everything I look for in a book. Fantastic but believable characters? Check. A genius plot that's grand in scope? Check. Bad guys that give you the creeps? Check. A supremely original idea? Check check check!!!

Mieville's world is extraordinary. New Crobuzan, with it's twisted alleys, frightening underground, and multitude of different species is enough to set anyone's imagination awhirl. His descriptions are vivid, visceral, and poetic. My favorite one occurred when Mieville describes soldiers sliding down a rope from airship. His words are "Dark figures slid expertly, at breakneck speed, the length of the cords. They came in a constant quick drip. They looked like glutinous clots dribbling down the entrails of the disembowelled airships." Perhaps it's just me, but I found I couldn't get enough of this kind of prose. I actually marked this page on my read through and kept going back to it. The image was just so vivid in my mind. I loved it!

The story itself was beyond original. What seems like a silly premise (an experiment to discover what a mysterious caterpillar that only eats a hallucinogenic drug will eventually turn into) becomes a crazy plot suitable to a horror novel. And within Mieville's world, it's all believable. Not many authors could pull that one off.

His characters were all very real too. At times I loved them and at times I hated them. They were brave but they were cowards. They were loyal and yet the betrayed too. They acted how I believe ordinary people placed in extreme circumstances would act.

Unfortunately, I can't call this a perfect book. The ending left something to be desired in my opinion (the climax was not climatic and I wanted to know more about Yagharek and what will happen to him - hopefully he will appear in later books). And as much as I usually don't like them, this is I book I think could have really benefited from a map. Mieville's imagination is way beyond me and I kept forgetting what each place was and where was within the city.

My last complaint lies in the science of crisis and the magic of thaumaturgy. There was a little bit too much uncomprehendible detail on the first and not nearly enough on the second. I didn't understand anything dealing with crisis but I remained curious about what exactly thaumaturgy was. Hopefully this will also be addressed in the subsequent books.

I don't really feel my review does this book justice so I would just recommend going out and reading it yourself.

4.5 stars!

ETA: It's just been pointed out to me that there was, in fact, a map at the very beginning. I was just too silly to see it...

31. The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
1010 Category: Genre Fiction - Fantasy/Horror (6/10)

I can tell I'm going to like this series. I loved this book!

The stories were wonderful. I don't know what I was expecting from this. I've read some Gaiman before and I had him categorized in my mind as a kind of a fantasy and horror-lite author. Some of his works are creepy but I read a lot of horror and Gaiman doesn't scare me. Or at least, he didn't. Preludes and Nocturnes is a whole different ballgame. The story "24 Hours" scared the piss out of me. That is far and above one of the creepiest stories I've ever read in my life.

All the stories were different, but there was the underlying theme of horror and loneliness within each. "Sleep of the Just" set the mood perfectly for the rest of the book. "Imperfect Hosts" had a very twisted sort of humor. "A Hope in Hell", with Dream's trip to Hell to reclaim his helmet, was one of my favorites. I loved Dream's "duel" with the demon. "The Sound of Her Wings" was pure perfection and served as the perfect wrap-up to the book. It's a bit ironic that it was Death who lightened the mood at the very end. The interaction between Death and her little brother Dream was hilarious!

The artwork was amazing as well. I don't think this book would have been half as good without the artists and the colorists. Normally when I'm reading a graphic novel, I have a bad habit of skimming the pictures and focusing more on the words. Not so in this book. Words and pictures alike were studied intensely.

This was excellent and a true work of genius. I cannot wait to dig in to the next volume.

5 stars!

32. The Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman
1010 Category: Genre Fiction - Fantasy/Horror (7/10)

Still good, but it didn't quite reach the level of genius as the first volume.

The underlying story of this graphic novel is a girl name Rose is the vortex of her era. If she remains alive, the world will be destroyed. It is the only time Dream can take a human life and he intends to do it. Subsequent stories include a couple that has been pregnant for years, an abused boy locked in the cellar, and a convention for serial killers who like to "collect".

My favorite stories, "Tales in the Sand" and "Men of Good Fortune", were actually the two that had the least to do with the main plot of the book. Rather, they offered a glimpse into the past of Dream. They showed Dream's desire for companionship and the loneliness he must suffer. I was touched emotionally by those stories more than any other. The other stories were good but they focused more on Rose and, in comparison to Dream, Rose's life is so ordinary that I couldn't help but be more drawn to Dream's mysteriousness.

While this volume doesn't meet the standards set by the first in the series, it's still terrific and it still held me in thrall all the way through. Highly recommended.

4 stars!

Hey, ticking off some of my favourites here! If Perdido street station was your first Miéville, you're in for NUMEROUS treats! And the way the Sandman series comes together in the end...

33. Horns by Joe Hill
1010 Category: Genre Fiction - Horror (8/10)

I'll admit right off the bat that Joe Hill isn't my favorite horror author. I read Heart Shaped Box and thought that was a pretty good book. I haven't read 20th Century Ghosts yet so I can't comment on that. What I can say, though, is that his newest novel fell far short of the bar set by his first.

The premise is interesting. Hill managed to successfully make the devil a sympathetic character. But while I sympathized, I never really found myself caring too much. I thought the characters were kind of standard. A guy gets the quirky, beautiful girl and another guy is jealous for years until he eventually kills her and frames her boyfriend. There were a few twists near the end I didn't expect but all in all, nothing surprised me too much. I had called the killer somewhere around page 15.

The book wasn't scary, either. I read it at two o'clock in the morning with all the lights off except my booklight and wasn't worried a bit about what might be lurking just outside my bubble of light. I don't know if it was intended to be scary, but I certainly hope not. There were parts that were a bit disturbing (the descriptions of the killer torturing his dying mother, for example) but I felt like Hill was more trying to gross out the reader than scare them.

I would count this as a "potato chip" book. It's not really that great, and it's probably not that great for you, but it's not too hard to keep reading until the end. It's fairly mindless entertainment. I finished it in two days. I do feel like reading some more serious literature now that I'm done with this one though in hopes of regaining some lost brain cells.

Recommended for die hard fans of horror. If that's not you, you could probably skip this book.

3.5 stars.

34. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (9/10)

A good second installment on a decent young adult fantasy series. I listed to this on audiobook and it did a good job of making meaningless tasks just fly by. I will warn those who want this in audiobook: the narrator does fine when voicing Percy or Annabeth, but everyone else is just annoying. Luke, Grover, and Tyson especially grated on my nerves.

Honestly, there's just not much to comment on. They went on a quest to save Grover. Everyone lived. End of story. I felt this one lacked a little bit in the humor department, but it was still ok. I plan to keep listening to the rest of the series so this book didn't turn me off or anything. There was a nice twist at the end that I'm interested in seeing resolved in future installments, but that's about it. I hope to start the next book soon.

3.5 stars.

I hate it when narrators of audio books overdo voices (I remember with a shudder one of Sweden's more well-known actors turning an Irving novel into a one man freakshow including - but not stopping at - "funny" chinese accents).

The only thing worse is a bad book read by the author in awe and reverence over his/her own text.

136> "24 Hours" kept me from trying more Sandman for about 15 years. I recently went back and read it all because my husband was reading them for the first time but I skipped over that one. It's not like I'd forgotten even the details.

I apologize in advance for the long review. There’s just so much to say!

35. Emma by Jane Austen
The Other Stuff: 9/25

This novel has kind of a bad rep amongst Austen fans. Though I haven't seen any statistics, I would hazard a guess that this book and Mansfield Park are probably tied for least favorite Austen book ever. I don't agree with these statements. I love Emma!

Emma Woodhouse is a big fish in a small pond. She's good at everything she tries, she's beautiful, she's charming, she's very smart as well as very rich. She fancies herself the source of many marriages. She wants for nothing. She desires no man, preferring to take care of her father rather than search for a husband for herself. This sets her apart from all of Austen's other heroines (whose sole purpose of their respective book seems to be securing an advantageous marriage both in fortune and in love). Though she’s usually polite, Emma is a snob. Her natural privileges in life lead her to believe she can set up and arrange her friends like chess pieces in her game of matchmaking and it’s this sense of superiority that is the root of so much misfortune in this book. In that sense, Emma could be considered to be both the protagonist and the antagonist of her own novel.

I love this novel for several reasons. I feel of all Austen’s heroines, Emma is the most flawed. She hurts people many times over throughout the book, albeit unintentionally. Her matchmaking attempts hurt Miss Smith, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Churchill, and Miss Fairfax. Her snobbery and gossipy nature leads her to potentially ruin Miss Fairfax’s reputation and to insult Miss Bates in a very hurtful manner. But the thing is, no matter how much Emma screws up, she never means to hurt anyone. All her intentions are good. It’s her methods and her inability to really consider anyone’s feelings but her own that make her so unlikable. I felt like Emma was playing tug of war with my heartstrings all the way through. Half the time I loved her and found her spunky nature irresistible and the other half of the time I wanted to slap her silly.

It’s because of her flaws, though, that I think the ending of this book is so poignant. After she insults Miss Bates, Emma has to really consider her nature and how she really isn’t as good a person as she had originally thought. Speaking from experience, that is a hell of a bitter pill to swallow and I think the fact that Emma can overcome that makes her so much more admirable. She hit rock bottom in the eyes of those she loves and she managed to come out of the other side a stronger person with much better morals. That takes a lot of bravery and that’s the primary reason I love this book.

This book also has some of the best characters in Austen canon (in my opinion). Mr. Woodhouse cracks me up every time he says something. Mrs. Elton, as well, I find simply hilarious. She’s the woman who thinks she so much better than every one else that you want to be around her just to see how she’ll embarrass herself next. And Miss Bates is probably one of the most annoying yet sympathetic characters ever. I feel for her and her lack of luck as far as her fortune goes, but her ability to ramble on and on made me groan every time she opened her mouth.

And the layers that are present in this story! Every time I read it, I find new things to admire. Austen truly was at her literary best when she wrote this. It’s amazing to sit there and reread a scene, trying to see it from the eyes of every character present. Every single time I do this, I see another meaning to the words. There are hidden meanings and double meanings to everything. I don’t know how Austen did it, but the fact that she did makes this quite possibly one of my favorite books to reread.

It’s true that as far as action goes, not much happens. They wander around Highbury a lot and that’s about it. It’s primarily driven by dialogue so I understand why a lot of people don’t like it. But this is still one of my favorite books of all time. I love everything about this book, especially the mischievous, playful, beautiful Emma Woodhouse.

5 stars!

Great review of Emma! It's my favorite of Austen's novels for many of the reasons you've given.

>144 cbl_tn:: Thank you! It's great to find another Emma fan.

Emma was my favorite Austen novel when I was in early high school -- I've forgotten exactly why, but your review makes me want to go back and reread! Back to the list. =D

I love Emma! Strictly speaking, it's not my favorite Austen novel (that has to be Pride and Prejudice!), but I think it is the best crafted. There are so many parallel characters and situations in the novel -- and so many love triangles! Then there's Miss Bates, whose long speeches are quite tedious but who is a heck of a lot more observant than Emma herself! I really enjoyed your review, and it's definitely making me want to pick up the novel again!

>147 christina_reads:: I agree that it is the most crafted and it's a very close runner up to my favorite Austen which, like you, is also Pride and Prejudice. P&P is just perfect in every sense of the word, but Emma's a heck of a lot of fun to read too!

P.S. Congrats on the hot review! :)

>149 christina_reads:: Thanks!

Hi RebeccaAnn,

I've just come back from holidays and saw your message. I'm still planning on reading the Sandman series, lots of people have recommended them to me and I've enjoyed the other Gaiman that I've read so far. I'll get through my Mt. TBR one day!!

I'm still reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I started this earlier on in the year, and while it's been ages, I'm really enjoying it - perhaps I should've picked a smaller one of his to start with :)

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was the first Murakami I read and I think it took me somewhere around six months to finish it so I wouldn't worry too much about speed ;-)

I plan on reading After Dark sometime later this year, probably over the winter holidays. There's just too much going on during the school year - my own studies, teaching a class, administration work, volunteer work - that my "for fun" reading just doesn't happen. Ah well, gotta get that education in!!!

I finished The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan. There should be a review coming up in the next day or two.

36. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
1010 Category: Youth Fiction (10/10) - YAY!!!

Although this book seems to be regarded as the weakest book in the series, I thought it was quite a bit better than its predecessor, The Sea of Monsters. I thought the build-up and suspense was much better. I liked the relationship between Thalia and Percy, short-lived as it was. I especially loved the actual scene involving the titan's curse. I thought that was very well written. I think I might even call this book my favorite of the series so far. It caused me to finally break down and buy nice boxed set of the entire series.

I still wouldn't say these are the best youth fiction books around, but they're decent. Being a college graduate student, these "silly" books are all that keeps me sane sometimes so I'm going to continue reading the series. Having already read a couple chapters of the fourth book, I can say that one looks like it's going to be excellent!

4 stars!

Congrats on finishing a category! I hope you like The Battle of the Labyrinth -- it's definitely my favorite book in the series, although I still haven't read the last one yet!

It'll probably be the only category I finish. School has taken over my life and I don't think I'll even make fifty books this year, let alone the 125 I had planned in the beginning. There will likely be categories I don't even start. Oh well, such is life. As long as you enjoy what you're reading, it doesn't really matter how much you're reading :P

I just reread the whole series while I was sick this month, and it's still just so dang good! Just what I needed.

37. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (10/10)

At this point in the series, I would have to say this is my favorite book. I thought it a had a ton of action, just like the first three, but I also thought it hit an emotional level that so far, hasn't been seen. I love love love Rachel Dare as well. In the audiobooks, she is voiced excellently. I loved the addition of mortals who can see through the mist. And I also very much enjoyed the jealousy/tension between Annabeth and Rachel (as well as the romantic development that occurred because of it).

My favorite scene was with Calypso. I thought those were beautiful chapters and would have loved them to be longer but, considering the intended audience, maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea (I know even at twenty four my attention span isn't the greatest).

I'm excited to start the fifth and final book!

4 stars!

38. After Dark by Haruki Murakami
1010 Category: Postmodern Fiction (5/10)

Another delightful novel by Haruki Murakami! This book covers roughly a span of six "real life" hours but you feel like you experience so much more. It examines the lives of several different characters as they interweave with one another. Some I found very interesting (the interaction at the end between Mari and Eri) and some I didn't understand at all (Eri and the no-face man). All in all, I wouldn't say this measured up to the standards previously experienced in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle but then again, with only a fraction of the number pages at its disposal, After Dark is still a very good read. I would recommend this to anyone interested in postmodernism, Japanese fiction, or magical realism.

4 stars!

After Dark was the only Murakami I enjoyed, possibly because it was the first of his that I read. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

39. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
1010 Category: The Other Stuff (11/25)

Moderate spoilers ahead

Finally finished with the series!!! I'll admit the last book kept me on my toes. Despite it being fairly predictable and not having any real plot (the final book reads like this: battle battle battle battle what-you-though-was-a-break-but-is-really-another-battle battle battle battle bad-guy-dies demigods-get-claimed-by-parents KISS!!! happy-ending oh-there's-another-prophecy-Riordan-must-be-writing-a-sequel-series), tons of deus ex machinas, the main character becoming freakin' INVINCIBLE, and the shoddy, corny romance, it was a relatively fun book (I had a hard time putting it down). I read this to take a break from the "serious" stuff I read for classes, so it served its purpose. I kind of regret buying the series as it's not really reread quality, but meh. It's a keeper for if I ever have kids :)

4 stars!

@161 That review made me laugh, especially your summary of the "plot". Thanks!

Glad you found it entertaining! I do so love to make people laugh :D

Some literary theory books I've read recently. Reviews are very short because I doubt anyone else would ever want to read these.

40. Authorship: From Plato to Postmodern ed by Sean Burke
1010 Category: Literary Theory (1/10)
41. The Death and Resurrection of the Author? ed by William Irwin
1010 Category: Literary Theory (2/10)

Good anthologies of essays if you're at all interested in the idea of authorship as it pertains to literature.

42. Mouse or Rat? Translation as Negotiation by Umberto Eco
1010 Category: Literary Theory (3/10)

Eco argues that when translation is involved, the translator is also an author.

Those actually *are* topics I'm interested in... but I've found digests of literary theory (like the review you wrote of Eco) to be much more readable and enjoyable. I've given up on reading theory in my free time. It just ain't fun, even if the ideas are.

>165 pammab:: Lol! I completely agree. I love the ideas of theory, but reading it can be a pain in the a$$.