Here is a list of what I read during 2011. I was terrible at writing up my thoughts this year, but I've linked to the books I did review. There are some comments on my favorites and disappointments of the year at the end of the list. Enjoy!
January
1. The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett
2. Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
3. Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2) by Patricia Briggs
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
February
5. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I) by Stephen King
6. The Cereal Murders (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
7. The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II) by Stephen King
8. The Last Suppers (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
9. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
March
10. The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower III) by Stephen King
11. Sequins, Secrets, and Silver Linings by Sophia Bennett
12. The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton
13. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
April
14. Queen of the Night by J.A. Jance
15. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
16. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
17. A Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
18. The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
19. Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
20. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
21. Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, Book 3) by Patricia Briggs
22. Rumors by Anna Godbersen
23. 13 Curses by Michelle Harrison
May
24. Envy by Anna Godbersen
25. The Concubine's Tattoo by Laura Joh Rowland
26. Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Book 4) by Patricia Briggs
27. Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) by Patricia Briggs
28. Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Gunn
29. Splendor by Anna Godbersen
30. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Book 1) by Carrie Vaughn
31. Kitty Goes to Washington (Book 2) by Carrie Vaughn
June
32. Kitty Takes a Holiday (Book 3) by Carrie Vaughn
33. Kitty and the Silver Bullet (Book 4) by Carrie Vaughn
34. From Barcelona, With Love by Elizabeth Adler
35. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments, Book 1) by Cassandra Clare
36. City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments, Book 2) by Cassandra Clare
37. City of Glass (Mortal Instruments, Book 3) by Cassandra Clare
38. Beach Music by Pat Conroy
July
39. The City of Ember (Ember, Book 1) by Jeanne DuPrau
40. The People of Sparks (Ember, Book 2) by Jeanne DuPrau
41. Darkfever (Fever Series #1) by Karen Marie Moning
42. The Prophet of Yonwood (Ember, Book 3) by Jeanne DuPrau
43. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
44. The Beach House by Jane Green
45. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
46. The Diamond of Darkhold (Ember, Book 4) by Jeanne DuPrau
47. Blameless by Gail Carriger
48. The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton
August
49. The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
50. Witch by Barbara Michaels
51. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
52. Bloodfever (Fever Series #2) by Karen Marie Moning
53. Faefever (Fever Series #3) by Karen Marie Moning
54. Dreamfever (Fever Series #4) by Karen Marie Moning
55. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
56. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
57. City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments, Book 4) by Cassandra Clare
58. Killer Pancake (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
September
59. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
60. Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV) by Stephen King
61. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
October
62. Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans
63. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
64. The Dark City (Relic Master #1) by Catherine Fisher
65. The Lost Heiress (Relic Master #2) by Catherine Fisher
66. The Hidden Coronet (Relic Master #3) by Catherine Fisher
67. "The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in The Body Snatchers and Other Classic Ghost Stories
68. "Alone Among Others" in The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee
69. The Victorian Chaise Longue by Marghanita Laski
70. Endless Night by Agatha Christie
November
71. Shadowfever (The Fever Series #5) by Karen Marie Moning
72. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
73. Snake Dreams (Charlie Moon Mysteries) by James D. Doss
74. The Widow's Revenge (Charlie Moon Mysteries) by James D. Doss
75. A Dead Man's Tale (Charlie Moon Mysteries) by James D. Doss
December
76. hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
77. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
78. The Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin
79. The Main Corpse (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
80. The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
81. The Margrave (Relic Masters #4) by Catherine Fisher
82. Touch by Alexi Zentner
Favorite books of 2011:
The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett
This book follows The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. It's a delightful and mannered fantasy (Regency fantasy?) with a bit of gothic thrown in. Wonderful images continue to haunt me long after reading this. Mr. Beckett also managed to make my heart ache for one of his characters. A third installment comes out in March 2012 titled The Master at Heathcrest Hall.
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
I liked this book on so many levels. The writing is gorgeous. The story is epic and moving. GGK pulls from historical folklores and creates a world that is at once recognizable and other. This is a novel about memory and loss of identity. It just about tore me apart emotionally (in a good way) and I came away from it so stunned that I wasn't able to write a review! The swirling emotions after reading this book and my awe at GGK's writing pretty much left me speechless. I did take notes while I read this, so I may still be able to write up my thoughts at some time in the future. This book bears repeated readings and I will be reading it again.
A Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
Fantasy by Diana Wynne Jones will always make my favorites list!
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Extremely well written YA (young adult) novel with a fantastic and balanced blend of fantasy, adventure, and romance.
The Victorian Chaise Longue by Marghanita Laski
Psychological horror at its finest. Contrasts the lives of women in Victorian times to modern (1950s) in a rather startling and effective way. Those interested in Women's Studies will want to read this one.
Touch by Alexi Zentner
I'm actually not quite done with this book, but the majority will be completed by midnight tonight so I've included it. I already know that it is one of my favorites! This is a debut novel that is just beautifully written. It makes a wonderful winter read (lots of snow and coldness and memories). It is a story about family stories, and the way in which the author weaves magical elements - golden caribou, malevolent wood spirits - throughout the "real" is seamless. Also captures the rugged wilderness of northern British Columbia. A gorgeous read and one I will probably read again.
Most disappointed by:
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
A YA series that many bloggers loved, but it didn't live up to the hype for me. I found it to be a bit too derivative. Combine this with way more teen angst than I'm looking for, this series just isn't for me. On the other hand, teens will love it for the most part.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
A Clarissa Read-a-long
One of my 2012 reading goals is to read Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. Clarissa is an 18th century epistolary novel that is composed of 537 letters and is about 1500 pages long. I've wanted to read it for a very long time, but just couldn't seem to commit until I read a lovely tribute to this book written by o on her blog Delaisse.
Here is a Plot synopsis (from Amazon.com):
Pressured by her unscrupulous family to marry a wealthy man she detests, the young Clarissa Harlowe is tricked into fleeing with the witty and debonair Robert Lovelace and places herself under his protection. Lovelace, however, proves himself to be an untrustworthy rake whose vague promises of marriage are accompanied by unwelcome and increasingly brutal sexual advances. And yet, Clarissa finds his charm alluring, her scrupulous sense of virtue tinged with unconfessed desire. Told through a complex series of interweaving letters, "Clarissa" is a richly ambiguous study of a fatally attracted couple and a work of astonishing power and immediacy. A huge success when it first appeared in 1747, and translated into French and German, it remains one of the greatest of all European novels.
I will be reading Clarissa with JoAnn at Lakeside Musing (see her post). The plan is to read the letters close to the corresponding dates of January 10th through December 18th. As you can see, this is a year long reading project. I've downloaded the Penguin Classics edition to my ereader. JoAnn will be reading the same edition in print.
I know there are a few other people out there who have already expressed an interest in reading along with me and JoAnn. There is also a separate read-a-long with Allie of A Literary Odyssey and Jillian from A Room of One's Own. I believe they are reading during April.
JoAnn and I will probably be posting reading updates once a month and will be chatting on Twitter. I will add a Mr. Linky in my monthly Clarissa posts. Please feel free to leave a link to your own Clarissa posts during the read-a-long; even if you are reading it for another read-a-long or reading it solo.
Would you like to join us? Just leave a comment on this post or with JoAnn.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Reading Goals and Challenges 2012
I don't have terribly lofty reading goals for 2012 (since I fail if they are too many or too complex), but I do have a few and thought I'd share them with you. 'Tis the season for goals you know.
Mt. TBR
Goal #1 - Read lots of books I already own
There will not be a book buying ban, but I will be trying to read as many books that I already own as possible. This could actually keep me busy for about a decade since I have so many. It is really quite embarrassing when I look at the number of books I own and haven't read. See that picture above? Those are just some of the books that need read. They are also occupying my breakfast nook. Have I mentioned this as a problem before? Why, yes! Yes, I have! Maybe I won't have to repeat myself next year? Ah, well, I can at least try.
BTW, I don't impose book buying bans on myself because they work to opposing effect with me. I will just feel an inordinate NEED to buy more books if I do that. A book buying ban is negative, but a "read what you own" tactic is positive. I know I'm not the only one who plays mind games with themselves. Right?? *smile*
Merely Mystery Reading Challenge
Goal #2 - Join a limited number of reading challenges
Yeah. I don't do well with reading challenges. I join and then read the books but never write any blog posts. That rather defeats the social nature of reading challenges, yes? I will be joining a few anyway. All I can say is, "I will try to actually participate." Here are the ones I know I will join:
Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012 - hosted by Literary Feline at Musings of a Bookish Kitty
I have tons of unread mysteries. My problem will not be finding enough mysteries on Mt. TBR, but rather choosing which ones to read.
Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge (Spring 2012)
R.I.P. Reading Challenge (Fall 2012) - Both of these challenges are hosted by Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings
These challenges have not been announced yet, but I'm hoping! I just can't imagine not participating in these two challenges. I should be able to draw from Mt. TBR for titles to fulfill both of these challenges. I already have plenty of fantasy/folklore/fairy tales for OUT as well as lots of "spooky reads" for R.I.P.
Japanese Literature Challenge - hosted by Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza
This wonderful challenge generally takes place June through January. I haven't heard if there will be one this coming year or not, but I hope so!
Clarissa Read-a-long
Goal #3 - Clarissa Read-a-long
I've been meaning to read this 18th century epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson for decades. I mentioned this as a personal reading goal on Twitter (and previously here on the blog), and found that others are also interested. As of now, I will be reading Clarissa as a read-a-long with JoAnn at Lakeside Musing beginning January 10th. A few others have also expressed interest over at her blog. The plan is to read the letters on or around their corresponding dates of January 10th through December 18th. It's not a firm schedule, but we are leaning toward monthly progress posts as well as chatting on Twitter. Do you want to join us?
As of now, these are my goals. The biggest one is to try and read down Mt. TBR. The reading challenges can all be accomplished by reading from Goal #1 and the Clarissa read-a-long is based on a personal reading goal but should be more fun with company!
Goal #1 - Read lots of books I already own
There will not be a book buying ban, but I will be trying to read as many books that I already own as possible. This could actually keep me busy for about a decade since I have so many. It is really quite embarrassing when I look at the number of books I own and haven't read. See that picture above? Those are just some of the books that need read. They are also occupying my breakfast nook. Have I mentioned this as a problem before? Why, yes! Yes, I have! Maybe I won't have to repeat myself next year? Ah, well, I can at least try.
BTW, I don't impose book buying bans on myself because they work to opposing effect with me. I will just feel an inordinate NEED to buy more books if I do that. A book buying ban is negative, but a "read what you own" tactic is positive. I know I'm not the only one who plays mind games with themselves. Right?? *smile*
Goal #2 - Join a limited number of reading challenges
Yeah. I don't do well with reading challenges. I join and then read the books but never write any blog posts. That rather defeats the social nature of reading challenges, yes? I will be joining a few anyway. All I can say is, "I will try to actually participate." Here are the ones I know I will join:
Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012 - hosted by Literary Feline at Musings of a Bookish Kitty
I have tons of unread mysteries. My problem will not be finding enough mysteries on Mt. TBR, but rather choosing which ones to read.
Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge (Spring 2012)
R.I.P. Reading Challenge (Fall 2012) - Both of these challenges are hosted by Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings
These challenges have not been announced yet, but I'm hoping! I just can't imagine not participating in these two challenges. I should be able to draw from Mt. TBR for titles to fulfill both of these challenges. I already have plenty of fantasy/folklore/fairy tales for OUT as well as lots of "spooky reads" for R.I.P.
Japanese Literature Challenge - hosted by Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza
This wonderful challenge generally takes place June through January. I haven't heard if there will be one this coming year or not, but I hope so!
Goal #3 - Clarissa Read-a-long
I've been meaning to read this 18th century epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson for decades. I mentioned this as a personal reading goal on Twitter (and previously here on the blog), and found that others are also interested. As of now, I will be reading Clarissa as a read-a-long with JoAnn at Lakeside Musing beginning January 10th. A few others have also expressed interest over at her blog. The plan is to read the letters on or around their corresponding dates of January 10th through December 18th. It's not a firm schedule, but we are leaning toward monthly progress posts as well as chatting on Twitter. Do you want to join us?
As of now, these are my goals. The biggest one is to try and read down Mt. TBR. The reading challenges can all be accomplished by reading from Goal #1 and the Clarissa read-a-long is based on a personal reading goal but should be more fun with company!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Sound Travels: Sean Quigley's Little Drummer Boy
What I'm listening to now ...
This young man is from Manitoba. His joy is so apparent and infectious.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Christmas Themed Reading List 2011
Last year I put out a Christmas themed reading list that a number of you enjoyed, so I thought I'd put together another list this year. This year's Christmas themed reading list focuses on short story collections. Feel free to leave your favorite Christmas reads in the comments section!
Christmas Stories (Everyman's Library)
About the book: Christmas stories by great writers of the past two centuries. Dickens, Tolstoy, Checkhov, Cather, Nabokov, Cheever, and Munro are some of the luminaries. There is a little something for everyone in this collection of Christmas stories. From bits of fantasy, to heartbreaking tales of woe, to the comedic. What they have in common is Christmas spirit.
The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories (Alberto Manguel)
About the book: Stories by writers from across the globe, some well known (like John Cheever and Alice Munro) and others seldom or never before translated into English, such as "A Risk for Father Christmas" by Siegfried Lenz and "The Night Before Christmas" by Theodore Odrach. I haven't read this collection yet, but I have heard that there is not much Christmas cheer found here.
A Rumpole Christmas: Stories by John Mortimer
About the book: If you don't know him as an author, you might be familiar with the British TV adaptation of Mortimer's beloved and memorable Rumpole character called Rumpole of the Bailey.
In this collection of short stories, Rumpole finds himself involved in five holiday mysteries. He encounters a suspicious Father Christmas, endures a health spa, visits a church, entertains children, and defends a suspected terrorist.
All of the stories in A Rumpole Christmas have previously appeared in magazines; this is the first time they have been collected in book format. Sadly, Mortimer passed away in January 2009 and this collection is likely to be the last of "new" Rumpole stories ... so enjoy this holiday treat.
Murder for Christmas: 26 Tales of Seasonal Malice
About the book: Do you like a little murder and mayhem with your Christmas? Murder for Christmas features famous sleuths like Nero Wolfe, Lord Peter Wimsey, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Albert Campion, Father Brown and Bombay's inspector Ganesh Ghote. Stories of cheating, lying, kidnapping, and killing written by such authors as Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Charles Dickens and Woody Allen -- all delivered in the Christmas spirit, of course! The introduction by Thomas Godfrey is delightful.
Christmas Stars: Fantastic Tales of Yuletide Wonder
Maybe you like your Christmas stories with an other-worldly twist. This Science Fiction/Fantasy collection includes some (now) classic stories like Arthur C. Clarke's "The Star" (a must read), "Miracle" by Connie Willis (see entry below), and "A Proper Santa Claus" by Anne McCaffrey (who sadly passed away November 21, 2011). Visions of the future of Christmas that perhaps redefine the word "miracle."
A Yuletide Universe: Sixteen Fantastical Tales
About the book: From fantasy to science fiction to horror, contributors to this Christmas anthology include well-known writers such as L. Frank Baum, Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, Harlan Ellison, Clive Barker, Connie Willis, Anne McCaffrey and others. The tales are broken into four major categories: Santa Shorts, Santa Substitutes, Variations on Holiday Theme, and Classic Tales of Christmas Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Whimsy.
And one of my all time favorites (yes, it was also on last year's list):
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis
About the Book: "Connie Willis loves Christmas. 'I even like the parts most people hate--shopping in crowded malls and reading Christmas newsletters and seeing relatives and standing in baggage check-in lines at the airport. Okay, I lied. Nobody likes standing in baggage check-in lines,' she writes. Willis knows it's hard to write good Christmas stories: the subject matter is limited, the writer has to balance between sentiment and skepticism, and too many fall into the Victorian habit of killing off saintly children and poor people. Here she presents eight marvelous Christmas tales, two of which appear for the first time.
The stories range from 'The Pony,' about a psychotherapist who doesn't believe that Christmas gifts can answer our deepest longings, and 'Inn,' in which a choir member rehearsing for the Christmas pageant becomes part of the original Christmas story, to 'Newsletter,' where an invasion of parasitic creatures causes unusually good behavior in their hosts, and 'Epiphany,' a story of three unlikely Magi following signs through a North American winter toward the returned Jesus Christ. 'Miracle' is a comic romance echoing Willis' favorite Yuletide movie, Miracle on 34th Street, and 'Catspaw' is an homage to the traditional Christmas murder mystery with a sly, science-fictional twist. The collection also includes 'In Coppelius' Toyshop,' in which a bad guy is trapped in Toyland, and 'Adaptation,' a Dickensian story about what it means to keep Christmas in your heart.
Those who want only SF stories may find this collection lacking, but anyone who enjoys complex tales with true Christmas spirit will treasure it." -Amazon.com review by Nona Vero
Christmas Stories (Everyman's Library)About the book: Christmas stories by great writers of the past two centuries. Dickens, Tolstoy, Checkhov, Cather, Nabokov, Cheever, and Munro are some of the luminaries. There is a little something for everyone in this collection of Christmas stories. From bits of fantasy, to heartbreaking tales of woe, to the comedic. What they have in common is Christmas spirit.
The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories (Alberto Manguel)
About the book: Stories by writers from across the globe, some well known (like John Cheever and Alice Munro) and others seldom or never before translated into English, such as "A Risk for Father Christmas" by Siegfried Lenz and "The Night Before Christmas" by Theodore Odrach. I haven't read this collection yet, but I have heard that there is not much Christmas cheer found here.
A Rumpole Christmas: Stories by John MortimerAbout the book: If you don't know him as an author, you might be familiar with the British TV adaptation of Mortimer's beloved and memorable Rumpole character called Rumpole of the Bailey.
In this collection of short stories, Rumpole finds himself involved in five holiday mysteries. He encounters a suspicious Father Christmas, endures a health spa, visits a church, entertains children, and defends a suspected terrorist.
All of the stories in A Rumpole Christmas have previously appeared in magazines; this is the first time they have been collected in book format. Sadly, Mortimer passed away in January 2009 and this collection is likely to be the last of "new" Rumpole stories ... so enjoy this holiday treat.
Murder for Christmas: 26 Tales of Seasonal MaliceAbout the book: Do you like a little murder and mayhem with your Christmas? Murder for Christmas features famous sleuths like Nero Wolfe, Lord Peter Wimsey, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Albert Campion, Father Brown and Bombay's inspector Ganesh Ghote. Stories of cheating, lying, kidnapping, and killing written by such authors as Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Charles Dickens and Woody Allen -- all delivered in the Christmas spirit, of course! The introduction by Thomas Godfrey is delightful.
Christmas Stars: Fantastic Tales of Yuletide Wonder
Maybe you like your Christmas stories with an other-worldly twist. This Science Fiction/Fantasy collection includes some (now) classic stories like Arthur C. Clarke's "The Star" (a must read), "Miracle" by Connie Willis (see entry below), and "A Proper Santa Claus" by Anne McCaffrey (who sadly passed away November 21, 2011). Visions of the future of Christmas that perhaps redefine the word "miracle."
A Yuletide Universe: Sixteen Fantastical TalesAbout the book: From fantasy to science fiction to horror, contributors to this Christmas anthology include well-known writers such as L. Frank Baum, Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, Harlan Ellison, Clive Barker, Connie Willis, Anne McCaffrey and others. The tales are broken into four major categories: Santa Shorts, Santa Substitutes, Variations on Holiday Theme, and Classic Tales of Christmas Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Whimsy.
And one of my all time favorites (yes, it was also on last year's list):
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie WillisAbout the Book: "Connie Willis loves Christmas. 'I even like the parts most people hate--shopping in crowded malls and reading Christmas newsletters and seeing relatives and standing in baggage check-in lines at the airport. Okay, I lied. Nobody likes standing in baggage check-in lines,' she writes. Willis knows it's hard to write good Christmas stories: the subject matter is limited, the writer has to balance between sentiment and skepticism, and too many fall into the Victorian habit of killing off saintly children and poor people. Here she presents eight marvelous Christmas tales, two of which appear for the first time.
The stories range from 'The Pony,' about a psychotherapist who doesn't believe that Christmas gifts can answer our deepest longings, and 'Inn,' in which a choir member rehearsing for the Christmas pageant becomes part of the original Christmas story, to 'Newsletter,' where an invasion of parasitic creatures causes unusually good behavior in their hosts, and 'Epiphany,' a story of three unlikely Magi following signs through a North American winter toward the returned Jesus Christ. 'Miracle' is a comic romance echoing Willis' favorite Yuletide movie, Miracle on 34th Street, and 'Catspaw' is an homage to the traditional Christmas murder mystery with a sly, science-fictional twist. The collection also includes 'In Coppelius' Toyshop,' in which a bad guy is trapped in Toyland, and 'Adaptation,' a Dickensian story about what it means to keep Christmas in your heart.
Those who want only SF stories may find this collection lacking, but anyone who enjoys complex tales with true Christmas spirit will treasure it." -Amazon.com review by Nona Vero
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
What am I reading?
Hi all! I've been such a bad book blogger lately. I think the last post was back in October (OCTOBER! I KNOW!) and it was about music, not books. So, I thought I would cross post something that I wrote for the blog at work. I oversee a blog feature called "What are you reading?" whereby I edit posts written by faculty and staff at my university in which they discuss what they are currently reading. Since I was the one featured this week, I thought I would share. I can't believe how many books I'm concurrently reading right now!
I read. Incessantly. I'm also an eclectic reader who is just as likely to be reading the latest mystery/crime novel by James D. Doss as I am to be reading theology or pop science (is pop science actually a term?). This month is a bit unusual since I've got more than the usual amount of reads going at the same time. I tend to read no more than two books at a time and those books are usually quite different from each other. I'm currently delving in and out of five different books as well as reading articles out of various professional journals. So, if I seem a bit "scattered" this month, you'll know why. Here is the current reading line up:
Clarissa: or, The History of a Young Lady by Samuel Richardson
You might ask, "Why are you reading a 9 volume epistolary novel, published in 1748, written with rather archaic sentence structure and punctuation?" I have a number of reasons for delving into one of the longest novels of the English language. For one, I need to exercise my 18th century literature reading muscle. It is a bit of a challenge to read (no speed reading here), but I like this kind of challenge. I have an undergraduate degree in English and absolutely love reading literature from all literary periods and then having wonderfully intense conversations about that reading. This is one of those works that I've never read and "feel the gap." Not only do I want to exercise my mind a bit, but the storyline intrigues me -- Clarissa is a tragic heroine thwarted by her family in her quest for virtue. This is a long term reading project for me that I just began. I'm reading at least two letters a day. Anyone want to join me in this long term read?
The Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin
Ah. Another love of mine ... 19th century Russian literature. Alexander Pushkin is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the father of modern Russian literature. This particular work is a bit unusual since it is written in prose. As Adam Thirwell says in the Foreword to this book, "A discerning Russian reader [circa 1831] who wants prose reads in French." Russian literature of this period with literary "cred" was written in verse. Pushkin's own famous work, Eugene Onegin, is a novel in verse. One of the queries of the time was an investigation into the conditions of fiction writing. Pushkin intuited that most writers are limited in the kind of stories they can tell. In writing The Tales of Belkin, Pushkin was able to experiment and show that a storyteller does not have to be limited by style. The tales here are exploratory vignettes about "Byronic heroes, lovelorn heroines and supernatural events played out against Gothic backdrops" (from book flap). I'm about halfway through this slim volume and will be writing a review for the publisher, Hesperus Classics, after I finish reading.
The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson
Did someone say Vikings? It's a saga! It's an epic adventure! It's historical fiction! This New York Review Books Classic was published in 1954 and translated from the Swedish. As Michael Chabon says in the Introduction, "The Long Ships is big, bloody, and far-ranging, concerned with war and treasure and the grand deeds of men and kings; [it is also] intimate and domestic, centered firmly around the seasons and pursuits of village and farm, around weddings and births, around the hearths of women who see only too keenly through the grand pretensions of men and bloody kings." This book is said to have something for everyone. I'll just say it is really good.
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
Sometimes I get into these discussions with people. Theological discussions for the most part, but since I'm far from being a knowledgeable theologian, I'll just say they are more discussions of "life, the universe, and everything." Wright's book was suggested to me after one of these discussions, and then I agreed to co-read it with a different person based on a completely separate discussion from the first (are you still following me?). Anyway, the subtitle of the book should explain both my conversations and (loosely) the content of the book: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. I'm not sure who wrote the wonderful blurb on the book flap, but "Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death." There is a lot to prompt discussion here.
Web-Based Instruction: A Guide for Libraries, Third Edition by Susan Sharpless Smith
OK. This is the part where you can go to sleep if you are not a librarian or interested in web-based instruction. This book discusses new tools and trends for web-based instruction. As you can tell by the subtitle (those subtitles are really handy, aren't they?) it targets the needs of those designing and delivering library instruction, but I think it is something that can be helpful to anyone delivering instruction via the Web. From the back cover:
College & Research Libraries / College & Research Libraries News
What can I say? These are professional journals with fascinating articles about things like the economics of open access, tying academic library goals to institutional mission, and collaboration in the cloud. If you want to know more, just ask me.
I read. Incessantly. I'm also an eclectic reader who is just as likely to be reading the latest mystery/crime novel by James D. Doss as I am to be reading theology or pop science (is pop science actually a term?). This month is a bit unusual since I've got more than the usual amount of reads going at the same time. I tend to read no more than two books at a time and those books are usually quite different from each other. I'm currently delving in and out of five different books as well as reading articles out of various professional journals. So, if I seem a bit "scattered" this month, you'll know why. Here is the current reading line up:
Clarissa: or, The History of a Young Lady by Samuel RichardsonYou might ask, "Why are you reading a 9 volume epistolary novel, published in 1748, written with rather archaic sentence structure and punctuation?" I have a number of reasons for delving into one of the longest novels of the English language. For one, I need to exercise my 18th century literature reading muscle. It is a bit of a challenge to read (no speed reading here), but I like this kind of challenge. I have an undergraduate degree in English and absolutely love reading literature from all literary periods and then having wonderfully intense conversations about that reading. This is one of those works that I've never read and "feel the gap." Not only do I want to exercise my mind a bit, but the storyline intrigues me -- Clarissa is a tragic heroine thwarted by her family in her quest for virtue. This is a long term reading project for me that I just began. I'm reading at least two letters a day. Anyone want to join me in this long term read?
The Tales of Belkin by Alexander PushkinAh. Another love of mine ... 19th century Russian literature. Alexander Pushkin is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the father of modern Russian literature. This particular work is a bit unusual since it is written in prose. As Adam Thirwell says in the Foreword to this book, "A discerning Russian reader [circa 1831] who wants prose reads in French." Russian literature of this period with literary "cred" was written in verse. Pushkin's own famous work, Eugene Onegin, is a novel in verse. One of the queries of the time was an investigation into the conditions of fiction writing. Pushkin intuited that most writers are limited in the kind of stories they can tell. In writing The Tales of Belkin, Pushkin was able to experiment and show that a storyteller does not have to be limited by style. The tales here are exploratory vignettes about "Byronic heroes, lovelorn heroines and supernatural events played out against Gothic backdrops" (from book flap). I'm about halfway through this slim volume and will be writing a review for the publisher, Hesperus Classics, after I finish reading.
The Long Ships by Frans G. BengtssonDid someone say Vikings? It's a saga! It's an epic adventure! It's historical fiction! This New York Review Books Classic was published in 1954 and translated from the Swedish. As Michael Chabon says in the Introduction, "The Long Ships is big, bloody, and far-ranging, concerned with war and treasure and the grand deeds of men and kings; [it is also] intimate and domestic, centered firmly around the seasons and pursuits of village and farm, around weddings and births, around the hearths of women who see only too keenly through the grand pretensions of men and bloody kings." This book is said to have something for everyone. I'll just say it is really good.
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. WrightSometimes I get into these discussions with people. Theological discussions for the most part, but since I'm far from being a knowledgeable theologian, I'll just say they are more discussions of "life, the universe, and everything." Wright's book was suggested to me after one of these discussions, and then I agreed to co-read it with a different person based on a completely separate discussion from the first (are you still following me?). Anyway, the subtitle of the book should explain both my conversations and (loosely) the content of the book: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. I'm not sure who wrote the wonderful blurb on the book flap, but "Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death." There is a lot to prompt discussion here.
Web-Based Instruction: A Guide for Libraries, Third Edition by Susan Sharpless SmithOK. This is the part where you can go to sleep if you are not a librarian or interested in web-based instruction. This book discusses new tools and trends for web-based instruction. As you can tell by the subtitle (those subtitles are really handy, aren't they?) it targets the needs of those designing and delivering library instruction, but I think it is something that can be helpful to anyone delivering instruction via the Web. From the back cover:
- Builds Web instruction advice on a foundation of the latest research in how learning takes place
- Translates technical Web-speak into plain English, so even non-experts can make effective use of the Web in their teaching
- Includes an accompanying Web gallery, providing examples of screen shots and links to exemplary programs
- Shows instructors best practices for incorporating the Web into teaching
College & Research Libraries / College & Research Libraries NewsWhat can I say? These are professional journals with fascinating articles about things like the economics of open access, tying academic library goals to institutional mission, and collaboration in the cloud. If you want to know more, just ask me.
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