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1Anandora
Hi! I'm Anandora, and here is where I'll list the 75 books I read in 2010.
I used to read allllll the time, but recently... I just haven't had any time! It's so sad. It's really a tragedy. So, thanks for the challenge, drneutron. I PLAN TO READ 75 BOOKS AND RECORD THEM ALL.
Sorry for the caps there. I got a little carried away in defeating time.
I am at a bit of a disadvantage, since I'm starting February 11th, whereas most of the others started at the beginning of the year. No worries, though. I can catch up.
Happy reading, everyone!
Those little ticker thingies are catchy.
Book 1: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Book 2: Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells
Book 3: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Book 4: A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Book 5: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Book 6: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Book 7: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Book 8: Next Summer by Hailey Abbott
P.S. (postscript) I'm sorry that about half of the authors are refusing to Touchstone. Grr.
I used to read allllll the time, but recently... I just haven't had any time! It's so sad. It's really a tragedy. So, thanks for the challenge, drneutron. I PLAN TO READ 75 BOOKS AND RECORD THEM ALL.
Sorry for the caps there. I got a little carried away in defeating time.
I am at a bit of a disadvantage, since I'm starting February 11th, whereas most of the others started at the beginning of the year. No worries, though. I can catch up.
Happy reading, everyone!
Those little ticker thingies are catchy.
Book 1: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Book 2: Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells
Book 3: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Book 4: A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Book 5: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Book 6: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Book 7: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Book 8: Next Summer by Hailey Abbott
P.S. (postscript) I'm sorry that about half of the authors are refusing to Touchstone. Grr.
2Chatterbox
Welcome to the madness! But it's BOOK madness, which is a very good kind of insanity, indeed...
And no worries, it's not a race. Just a way to log and share what it is we're reading. Odds are, your TBR mountain will grow by more than 75 books due to other peoples' suggestions over the course of this challenge...
And no worries, it's not a race. Just a way to log and share what it is we're reading. Odds are, your TBR mountain will grow by more than 75 books due to other peoples' suggestions over the course of this challenge...
3alcottacre
Welcome to the group!
4Anandora
Oh my gosh, everyone is so NICE here! I just started less than 15 minutes ago and I've already been welcomed by two people. It's great to know that I'm part of such a warm and supportive community!
5alcottacre
If you would like to meet more of the crazies here, head on over to the 'introductions' thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/79114
6sibylline
I say welcome also! I see you are in blizzardland too! Hope you get some reading time - I can tell you have power.... since you've been posting!
8Anandora
Ah, thank you for welcoming me, fellow readers stuck in "blizzardland" (great description!). I don't know about you, but my street HAS STILL NOT BEEN PLOWED. I don't mean the petty 10 inches that came on Tuesday, I mean the 30 inches from last Friday along with the 10 inches on Tuesday have still not been plowed! It's absolutely crazy. And the schools had an early release last Friday, and we've had no school all of this week. That has never happened before.
AND IT WILL SNOW AGAIN ON MONDAY.
On the bright side, though, being 100% snowed in gives you plenty of time to read! I've just completed my first book!
AND IT WILL SNOW AGAIN ON MONDAY.
On the bright side, though, being 100% snowed in gives you plenty of time to read! I've just completed my first book!
9alcottacre
I think a lot of people in the group are finding that being snowed in is good for their reading time!
10Anandora
Book 1
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
ISBN: 978-1-59514-171-2
I'm not very good at reviewing books, but I'll try my best here.
Also, if you're avoiding spoilers, I suggest that you stop reading here.
Thirteen Reasons Why detailed the reasons that Hannah Baker committed suicide-specifically, the thirteen people that influenced her to take her own life. An interesting premise, Hannah Baker has recorded thirteen tapes about these people, and the tapes are being sent to every person on the list so that they can discover that they played a part in Hannah's death. Immediately, the book hooked me in, since I wondered why the protagonist Clay Jensen would be on Hannah's list. Since the author had already built up my trust in Clay, I doubted that he could have done anything to hurt Hannah; it was quite obvious that he had loved her. Additionally, as the book progressed and Hannah described what each person had done to hurt her, I found myself waiting for the big reason that could not be tackled- the situation without any visible escape that made her feel hopeless. However, I was left severely disappointed by the author's treatment of these two points. First, Hannah admitted that Clay was the only person on the list that did not really influence her to commit suicide; he was just there because he was essential "to tell Hannah's story" (pg. 200). By destroying the premise of the tapes, Asher manipulated the story to leave the protagonist as perfect as possible, and that seemed unrealistic and confusing to me. Secondly, Hannah never reached a hopeless and desperate situation throughout the book. It seemed to me that the author himself had never truly dealt with suicidal thoughts, since Hannah just seemed to complain about situations that were truly lesser than she made them out to be. I believe that Hannah was not dynamic enough as a character to truly convince the audience that she was depressed enough to commit suicide- her constant complaints merely seemed like attempts at getting attention. Yet, despite these negative impressions I got from several of the author's devices, I did believe that Asher tackled an extremely hard subject to write about very well, and he came up with a brilliant premise. Since Thirteen Reasons Why is Asher's first book, I believe that, with a little practice and refinement of his writing style, Asher might just turn out to be a great writer.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
ISBN: 978-1-59514-171-2
I'm not very good at reviewing books, but I'll try my best here.
Also, if you're avoiding spoilers, I suggest that you stop reading here.
Thirteen Reasons Why detailed the reasons that Hannah Baker committed suicide-specifically, the thirteen people that influenced her to take her own life. An interesting premise, Hannah Baker has recorded thirteen tapes about these people, and the tapes are being sent to every person on the list so that they can discover that they played a part in Hannah's death. Immediately, the book hooked me in, since I wondered why the protagonist Clay Jensen would be on Hannah's list. Since the author had already built up my trust in Clay, I doubted that he could have done anything to hurt Hannah; it was quite obvious that he had loved her. Additionally, as the book progressed and Hannah described what each person had done to hurt her, I found myself waiting for the big reason that could not be tackled- the situation without any visible escape that made her feel hopeless. However, I was left severely disappointed by the author's treatment of these two points. First, Hannah admitted that Clay was the only person on the list that did not really influence her to commit suicide; he was just there because he was essential "to tell Hannah's story" (pg. 200). By destroying the premise of the tapes, Asher manipulated the story to leave the protagonist as perfect as possible, and that seemed unrealistic and confusing to me. Secondly, Hannah never reached a hopeless and desperate situation throughout the book. It seemed to me that the author himself had never truly dealt with suicidal thoughts, since Hannah just seemed to complain about situations that were truly lesser than she made them out to be. I believe that Hannah was not dynamic enough as a character to truly convince the audience that she was depressed enough to commit suicide- her constant complaints merely seemed like attempts at getting attention. Yet, despite these negative impressions I got from several of the author's devices, I did believe that Asher tackled an extremely hard subject to write about very well, and he came up with a brilliant premise. Since Thirteen Reasons Why is Asher's first book, I believe that, with a little practice and refinement of his writing style, Asher might just turn out to be a great writer.
11Anandora
I just discovered LibraryThing's 200-book limit for free accounts. D: This is so disappointing!
12alcottacre
#11: It is disappointing, but I will tell you frankly, the $25 I spent for a lifetime membership is the best $25 I ever spent!
13drneutron
Yeah, as much time as I spend on LT, it was well worth it for me. I'd have paid that much just for the library cataloging aspects!
14alcottacre
#13: The library cataloging aspect was the reason I joined in the first place. I had been trying for literally years to get my books catalogued. When I found LT, I knew I had a tool I could use to get it done - and I did not have to worry about my computer crashing and losing my files!
15dk_phoenix
I joined for cataloguing as well! And I figured that it would be an excellent record if anything ever happened to my books... it's something to show an insurance company! And for $25, I thought it was quite an incredible deal. Now that I'm involved in these talk groups as well, I'm even more astonished at the low price of a lifetime membership.
16Whisper1
I enjoy LT so much that I'm considering paying $25 each year as a thank you to the wonderful team who keep this going.
Welcome! You will find friendly, kind, sensitive book addicts on this 75 challenge thread.
Do not have a concern that you joined in February. I joined the 75 challenge group in May of 2008 and was warmly embraced and knew that if I didn't complete the challenge, no one was going to kick me out of the group!
I'm not very good at reviewing books, but I'll try my best here.
There is no pressure to review books. It helps us to know your reading likes and dislikes when you tell us a bit about what you did or didn't like about the book, but truly, no one expects you to write "reviews."
Your comments are great! I have this book on my shelf and now I'm prompted to read it. My reading tastes since joining this group now include YA (young adult) books, a genre I previously had not discovered.
Be prepared to add books to your piles, to enjoy lively, witty conversations about books, about people, about animals, about our jobs, about our mates...and about our indecent obsession with reading.
Welcome! You will find friendly, kind, sensitive book addicts on this 75 challenge thread.
Do not have a concern that you joined in February. I joined the 75 challenge group in May of 2008 and was warmly embraced and knew that if I didn't complete the challenge, no one was going to kick me out of the group!
I'm not very good at reviewing books, but I'll try my best here.
There is no pressure to review books. It helps us to know your reading likes and dislikes when you tell us a bit about what you did or didn't like about the book, but truly, no one expects you to write "reviews."
Your comments are great! I have this book on my shelf and now I'm prompted to read it. My reading tastes since joining this group now include YA (young adult) books, a genre I previously had not discovered.
Be prepared to add books to your piles, to enjoy lively, witty conversations about books, about people, about animals, about our jobs, about our mates...and about our indecent obsession with reading.
17Anandora
#12-16: You've all convinced me! I definitely need to pay the $25 (such an incredible deal!). I just have to find some way to convince my parents how awesome this site is. Everything is so neat, organized... definitely a great website.
I joined for the cataloguing too, but I'm finding that these forums are really helpful in motivating me to read those 75 books! :) THANK YOU all. I just read a couple more books, and will talk about it soon, but I have to write a commentary right now on "Bereft" by Robert Frost. Will review Ya-Ya's In Bloom and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies soon.
#16: Your comment especially motivated me! Thank you! You speak very eloquently. I'm glad that you've discovered YA novels! As a young adult, I tend to read A LOT of those. Many are written simply, but there are some treasures that you'll find if you dig deep enough.
Be prepared to add books to your piles, to enjoy lively, witty conversations about books, about people, about animals, about our jobs, about our mates...and about our indecent obsession with reading.
I love this so much- thank you! I really love to be a part of this.
I joined for the cataloguing too, but I'm finding that these forums are really helpful in motivating me to read those 75 books! :) THANK YOU all. I just read a couple more books, and will talk about it soon, but I have to write a commentary right now on "Bereft" by Robert Frost. Will review Ya-Ya's In Bloom and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies soon.
#16: Your comment especially motivated me! Thank you! You speak very eloquently. I'm glad that you've discovered YA novels! As a young adult, I tend to read A LOT of those. Many are written simply, but there are some treasures that you'll find if you dig deep enough.
Be prepared to add books to your piles, to enjoy lively, witty conversations about books, about people, about animals, about our jobs, about our mates...and about our indecent obsession with reading.
I love this so much- thank you! I really love to be a part of this.
18alcottacre
Good luck with persuading your parents! I hope you can cajole them into letting you join permanently, although if they balk at the $25 there is no reason why you cannot continue to take advantage of the groups LT has to offer, right?
19drneutron
Heh, here's an idea - show your parents a really trashy social networking site, then when they balk at letting you join, show 'em LT and ask which they'd prefer...
OK, it's not a *great* idea, but it could work. 8^}
OK, it's not a *great* idea, but it could work. 8^}
20Anandora
#18: Very true. Yay for the freeness of forums!
#19: Hmm... any suggestions? I've never been to a trashy social networking site.
But I think I have a pretty big chance of convincing them this week. My mom is not here (she's on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, which seems very odd and mid-life-crisisy to me-- she so confuses me) and my dad, who is also a book lover, is much more relenting and understanding about these kind of things. Also, I've been talking nonstop about this site for the past couple of weeks, so hopefully he'll understand?
#19: Hmm... any suggestions? I've never been to a trashy social networking site.
But I think I have a pretty big chance of convincing them this week. My mom is not here (she's on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, which seems very odd and mid-life-crisisy to me-- she so confuses me) and my dad, who is also a book lover, is much more relenting and understanding about these kind of things. Also, I've been talking nonstop about this site for the past couple of weeks, so hopefully he'll understand?
21Anandora
Now for the promised reviews!
Book 2
Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells, read by Judith Ivey
ISBN for book: 978-0-06-019534-2
ISBN for audiobook: 0060761636
I don't usually read this kind of book. It is chick lit at the greatest. Also, it's a sequel to a series that I haven't read before, and series tend to usually be best at the beginning and then slowly get worse and worse. But, as it is a mother-daughter book, my mom insisted I read it because she believes that it will "strengthen our relationship". She handed me the book to read, while she listened to the audiobook in her car. In this deal, I must have been the one who drew the short straw- the book was dull, lifeless, and really didn't capture my attention. The transistions between the stories were not well done at all (especially the transitions between the stories in first and third person- it was so confusing!). I finished the book, even though I really didn't want to. I found very few examples of a distinct character's voice coming into play, and so the characters had seemed one-sided and boring. But then, after I had finished the book-book, my parents announced that we were driving down to the beach for the weekend (even though it's freezing!), and so, to pass the time in the car, we would be listening to the audiobook of Ya-Ya's in Bloom. I was blown away by the audiobook! The lifeless characters really seemed to alive in a relatable way the audiobook version. I really was amazed at the depth I found in the audiobook- it really was a complete transformation. Even my dad, who hates chick lit, found himself enjoying the vignettes in the audiobook. I'm not saying that the audiobook was phenomenal- it just was transformed into a somewhat good read with characters that actually made sense rather than a horrible book I was dying to get away from. So, kudos to Judith Ivey for her amazing reading. I must say, however, the book did get weirder and weirder (and therefore less relatable) as it went on.
Apparently Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood was actually a good book-book in this series. Maybe I'll read that?
Book 2
Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells, read by Judith Ivey
ISBN for book: 978-0-06-019534-2
ISBN for audiobook: 0060761636
I don't usually read this kind of book. It is chick lit at the greatest. Also, it's a sequel to a series that I haven't read before, and series tend to usually be best at the beginning and then slowly get worse and worse. But, as it is a mother-daughter book, my mom insisted I read it because she believes that it will "strengthen our relationship". She handed me the book to read, while she listened to the audiobook in her car. In this deal, I must have been the one who drew the short straw- the book was dull, lifeless, and really didn't capture my attention. The transistions between the stories were not well done at all (especially the transitions between the stories in first and third person- it was so confusing!). I finished the book, even though I really didn't want to. I found very few examples of a distinct character's voice coming into play, and so the characters had seemed one-sided and boring. But then, after I had finished the book-book, my parents announced that we were driving down to the beach for the weekend (even though it's freezing!), and so, to pass the time in the car, we would be listening to the audiobook of Ya-Ya's in Bloom. I was blown away by the audiobook! The lifeless characters really seemed to alive in a relatable way the audiobook version. I really was amazed at the depth I found in the audiobook- it really was a complete transformation. Even my dad, who hates chick lit, found himself enjoying the vignettes in the audiobook. I'm not saying that the audiobook was phenomenal- it just was transformed into a somewhat good read with characters that actually made sense rather than a horrible book I was dying to get away from. So, kudos to Judith Ivey for her amazing reading. I must say, however, the book did get weirder and weirder (and therefore less relatable) as it went on.
Apparently Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood was actually a good book-book in this series. Maybe I'll read that?
22Anandora
Book 3
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
ISBN: 978-1594743344
As a teenager, this book appealed to me just because of its title. Zombies are very popular subjects now (don't ask me why!), but I also love Jane Austen. At the very beginning, I found that Grahame-Smith seemed somewhat confused in his writing style. He didn't seem to want to speak in regular, conversational English, but he didn't seem to want (know how?) to speak in Austen's English. It was a bit confusing at that point; however, the beginning was quite entertaining. Reading the beloved plot of a timeless classic with brains-searching zombies is a unique experience. But, as the book droned on, the novelty of the plot began to be less and less exciting. Yes, there are zombies everywhere. Yes, Elizabeth Bennett is a wondeful assassin yet has quite a charming personality. But... is there any other hook to this book? I found none. I found the twist of Charlotte's condition (I won't reveal it- spoilers!) to be a very inventive addition to the novel on Grahame-Smith's part, since this had not been the case in the original novel. Otherwise, the characters seemed to be confusing (such as Elizabeth's double-sided personality, as both a ruthless assassin and a kind sister and friend) and the plot lost its original appeal. I would recommend reading this book if you are dying of curiosity as I was, since it'll satisfy that nagging, or if you're really really trying to figure out pop culture, but I wouldn't otherwise recommend it. Oh, and there are ninjas. I forgot that part.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
ISBN: 978-1594743344
As a teenager, this book appealed to me just because of its title. Zombies are very popular subjects now (don't ask me why!), but I also love Jane Austen. At the very beginning, I found that Grahame-Smith seemed somewhat confused in his writing style. He didn't seem to want to speak in regular, conversational English, but he didn't seem to want (know how?) to speak in Austen's English. It was a bit confusing at that point; however, the beginning was quite entertaining. Reading the beloved plot of a timeless classic with brains-searching zombies is a unique experience. But, as the book droned on, the novelty of the plot began to be less and less exciting. Yes, there are zombies everywhere. Yes, Elizabeth Bennett is a wondeful assassin yet has quite a charming personality. But... is there any other hook to this book? I found none. I found the twist of Charlotte's condition (I won't reveal it- spoilers!) to be a very inventive addition to the novel on Grahame-Smith's part, since this had not been the case in the original novel. Otherwise, the characters seemed to be confusing (such as Elizabeth's double-sided personality, as both a ruthless assassin and a kind sister and friend) and the plot lost its original appeal. I would recommend reading this book if you are dying of curiosity as I was, since it'll satisfy that nagging, or if you're really really trying to figure out pop culture, but I wouldn't otherwise recommend it. Oh, and there are ninjas. I forgot that part.
23Anandora
On a random side note... I've tried experimenting, but I can't figure it out. How do you make text appear as bold/italics/strikethroughs?
25souloftherose
Hi Anandora. Welcome to LibraryThing
I hope you can convince your parents into letting you join !
TadAD wrote a helpful thread about how to do clever things with your posts here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/80911
Changing the look of the font is in post 6 of that thread.
I enjoyed your reviews! I've considered Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but thought it would be fun for the first few pages and then get tiresome. I think there's also Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters in the same vein!
ETA: Whoops! I think I hit submit just after Anita did..
I hope you can convince your parents into letting you join !
TadAD wrote a helpful thread about how to do clever things with your posts here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/80911
Changing the look of the font is in post 6 of that thread.
I enjoyed your reviews! I've considered Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but thought it would be fun for the first few pages and then get tiresome. I think there's also Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters in the same vein!
ETA: Whoops! I think I hit submit just after Anita did..
26Anandora
Currently at school, and my creative writing teacher has graciously allowed us to access the internet for the last ten minutes of class. Of course, I come here! :)
I've been reading a lot lately, especially due to the fact that my laptop is broken! Hence, I haven't been on in a while. I left an open water bottle next to my computer (stupid, stupid me!!), and when I came home I found Petra (my laptop) sitting in a puddle of water. I suppose one of my cats must have knocked the bottle over, but I don't want to wrongly accuse them. Anyway, Petra wouldn't turn on and she's now at the Apple store getting repaired. I have to pay, though, and as a jobless sixteen year old I've now lost basically all of my life savings (which wasn't too much anyways).
So, until the Apple store returns Petra, my posts on here might be a little less frequent that I would like. I've updated the list of books I've read to the best of my memory now. I might remember a few more sometime, though.
I'll write again soon, hopefully with good news regarding Petra.
Happy reading!
I've been reading a lot lately, especially due to the fact that my laptop is broken! Hence, I haven't been on in a while. I left an open water bottle next to my computer (stupid, stupid me!!), and when I came home I found Petra (my laptop) sitting in a puddle of water. I suppose one of my cats must have knocked the bottle over, but I don't want to wrongly accuse them. Anyway, Petra wouldn't turn on and she's now at the Apple store getting repaired. I have to pay, though, and as a jobless sixteen year old I've now lost basically all of my life savings (which wasn't too much anyways).
So, until the Apple store returns Petra, my posts on here might be a little less frequent that I would like. I've updated the list of books I've read to the best of my memory now. I might remember a few more sometime, though.
I'll write again soon, hopefully with good news regarding Petra.
Happy reading!
27alcottacre
Good luck with getting the laptop repaired!
28Anandora
Hi!!!
I'm writing you this from Petra!
Thanks alcottacre for the sentiment, I'm sure it led to me getting her back now!!! :)
Sorry for all of the exclamation points. Yes, I know that I'd be banished from the world of writing if I did that in a book, but I just can't contain my excitement right now. See how much better that sentence would have sounded if there was an exclamation point on there?
Anyway, I now have Petra back MUCH sooner than I expected so I can log my books a little faster and write all of the reviews I haven't done yet. Wow, I'm really behind on my reading-- I'd better snap to it! Just finished Interpreter of Maladies though, so I'll review that soon. I have to give a presentation on Lahiri's writing style in it, so if you don't mind I might base my review on that.
We're just beginning The Great Gatsby in English class. Oh, yes, I'm sure you all remember working on that in high school. We (sadly!) finished our poetry unit, which was really really good and introduced me to many poets I was unaware of before. (I'll list them if you want!) I'm a bit apprehensive about taking on Gatsby because... well, it's Gatsby! :S
So, now to the reviews!
I'm writing you this from Petra!
Thanks alcottacre for the sentiment, I'm sure it led to me getting her back now!!! :)
Sorry for all of the exclamation points. Yes, I know that I'd be banished from the world of writing if I did that in a book, but I just can't contain my excitement right now. See how much better that sentence would have sounded if there was an exclamation point on there?
Anyway, I now have Petra back MUCH sooner than I expected so I can log my books a little faster and write all of the reviews I haven't done yet. Wow, I'm really behind on my reading-- I'd better snap to it! Just finished Interpreter of Maladies though, so I'll review that soon. I have to give a presentation on Lahiri's writing style in it, so if you don't mind I might base my review on that.
We're just beginning The Great Gatsby in English class. Oh, yes, I'm sure you all remember working on that in high school. We (sadly!) finished our poetry unit, which was really really good and introduced me to many poets I was unaware of before. (I'll list them if you want!) I'm a bit apprehensive about taking on Gatsby because... well, it's Gatsby! :S
So, now to the reviews!
29alcottacre
Great news about Petra!
30Anandora
Book 4
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
ISBN: 9780743253970
Probably Knowles' most famous novel, A Separate Peace was the pick for our mother-daughter book club this month. I ended up being the only daughter to finish the book (the others don't read quite as much as I do, and they were largely critical of the "boring" plotline that "didn't move forward"), but the mothers and I relished in the wonderful, evocative writing style present in this book. I must say, I absolutely loved the way in which I came to understand each and every one of the characters; whether he was a villain or a perfectly normal person. I found this plotline to be quite similar to that of Lord of the Flies, as a secluded young male population turns to chaos in hard situations, yet the structure and voice present in A Separate Peace draw me in so much more that in Lord of the Flies. I was able to relate to and even pity Gene in some situations in this novel, an emotion that suprised even me. My connection to the protagonists and my comprehension of the surrounding events overrode the slow plotline for me, since I was able to relish the writing while it lasted. Of course, I know that many people have read this book in school, and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much in that setting. I'm still looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
ISBN: 9780743253970
Probably Knowles' most famous novel, A Separate Peace was the pick for our mother-daughter book club this month. I ended up being the only daughter to finish the book (the others don't read quite as much as I do, and they were largely critical of the "boring" plotline that "didn't move forward"), but the mothers and I relished in the wonderful, evocative writing style present in this book. I must say, I absolutely loved the way in which I came to understand each and every one of the characters; whether he was a villain or a perfectly normal person. I found this plotline to be quite similar to that of Lord of the Flies, as a secluded young male population turns to chaos in hard situations, yet the structure and voice present in A Separate Peace draw me in so much more that in Lord of the Flies. I was able to relate to and even pity Gene in some situations in this novel, an emotion that suprised even me. My connection to the protagonists and my comprehension of the surrounding events overrode the slow plotline for me, since I was able to relish the writing while it lasted. Of course, I know that many people have read this book in school, and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much in that setting. I'm still looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
31alcottacre
#30: I really need to get that one read. I was supposed to do it last year but never got to it. Thanks for the reminder!
32Anandora
Book 5
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
ISBN: 978-0374349462
Immediately, this book stood out to me on the shelf because I recognized Zevin from her earlier novel Elsewhere, one of the best books I've ever read. Assuming that this book would be good as well, I bought it even though I was unsure of its plot (I suggest researching a book a little more when on a tight budget). I would say that I'm a little disappointed with this book, even though it wasn't truly horrible. The title suggests a very teen-centerd novel, but I really didn't feel much of a connection with the protagonist even though I'm a teenager as well. Although Zevin's writing style and level of vocabulary are much more advanced than Stephanie Meyer's and the plotline is more advanced books, this book seemed a little Twilight-esque. The protagonist had multiple guys vying for her attention and felt totally confused about what to do. School drama plagued her life. She lives with her dad (her mom is off remarried) and they have a mutual understanding, solid relationship. I don't think that these elements were purposefully added into the story to allude to Twilight or to appeal to that demographic of readers, but I think it added an unitentional cliche-ness to the otherwise different story. I don't feel totally negative about this novel, though. I wasn't so disgusted by it that I had to stop reading it. As indicated by the title, the plotline attempts to take on an interesting subject, and the treatment of this was well handled. I just wish I would have been able to relate more to the protagonist- but overall, a good young adult novel.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
ISBN: 978-0374349462
Immediately, this book stood out to me on the shelf because I recognized Zevin from her earlier novel Elsewhere, one of the best books I've ever read. Assuming that this book would be good as well, I bought it even though I was unsure of its plot (I suggest researching a book a little more when on a tight budget). I would say that I'm a little disappointed with this book, even though it wasn't truly horrible. The title suggests a very teen-centerd novel, but I really didn't feel much of a connection with the protagonist even though I'm a teenager as well. Although Zevin's writing style and level of vocabulary are much more advanced than Stephanie Meyer's and the plotline is more advanced books, this book seemed a little Twilight-esque. The protagonist had multiple guys vying for her attention and felt totally confused about what to do. School drama plagued her life. She lives with her dad (her mom is off remarried) and they have a mutual understanding, solid relationship. I don't think that these elements were purposefully added into the story to allude to Twilight or to appeal to that demographic of readers, but I think it added an unitentional cliche-ness to the otherwise different story. I don't feel totally negative about this novel, though. I wasn't so disgusted by it that I had to stop reading it. As indicated by the title, the plotline attempts to take on an interesting subject, and the treatment of this was well handled. I just wish I would have been able to relate more to the protagonist- but overall, a good young adult novel.
33alcottacre
#32: I read Elsewhere and enjoyed it, so I will look for that one too. Thanks for the recommendation!
34Anandora
#27, 29, 31, 33: alcottacre, your support is absolutely amazing and it really helps to inspire me during crunch time. You're so attentive and nice and... I can't put it into words! How much time do you spend per day replying to everyone's posts? It is well appreciated.
35alcottacre
#34: How much time do you spend per day replying to everyone's posts?
I really do not know. I just think if someone is nice enough to tell me about books, I ought to be nice enough to respond. Just common courtesy, although I must say, sometimes I just go through the posts and if I have nothing to say, I don't.
I really do not know. I just think if someone is nice enough to tell me about books, I ought to be nice enough to respond. Just common courtesy, although I must say, sometimes I just go through the posts and if I have nothing to say, I don't.
