Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (non-fiction, library)
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (re-read, e-book)
No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies by Naomi Klein (non-fiction)
Kidnapped in the Yukon by Lucy Burton Woodward (second-hand/Nicole)
Opus 100 by Isaac Asimov (non-fiction, second-hand/Value Village)
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (library)
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (re-read, e-book)
Beowulf (library)
Recommended // All! Well, maybe not Kidnapped in the Yukon. Sorry hun. Did you want it back?
GOAL SUCCESS // I can't believe I finished my three non-fiction books for the year this month! And they were all really good! I am always impressed with Isaac Asimov's writing style, and self-deprecating humour, and Opus 100 was full of great things. Essentially, he looks back at his writing until that point - one hundred books in total - and gives you little insights into how a lot of them came into being, mistakes that were made, etc. A lot of it is a fun look into the publishing business - as it existed back then - and how much he enjoyed writing! I didn't realize that most of the books he has written are non-fiction. I've got a whole bookshelf of sci-fi titles that I really want to tackle now. I have a whole post started that's dedicated to Quiet...I just have to figure out what I want to say!
Surprised Me // The Little Prince was amazing. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful, and moving it was, despite being a book written for children. I thought I would include some of my favourite passages here today.
"The fact is, I don't want my book to be taken lightly. Telling these memories is so painful for me. It's already been six years since my friend went away, taking his sheep with him. If I try to describe him here, it's so I won't forget him. It's sad to forget a friend. Not everyone has had a friend. And I might become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but numbers."
......
"The only things you learn are the things you tame," said the fox. "People haven't time to learn anything. They buy things ready-made in stores. But since there are no stores where you can buy friends, people no longer have friends. If you want a friend, tame me!"
......
"Good-bye," said the fox. "Here is my secret. It's quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
So Lame...I Just Gave Up // Jared Diamond's Guns Germs & Steel. Holy doodle, talk about boring. And I usually love this kind of stuff! He's looking back through the entirety of human history (and pre-history) and attempting to completely explain why development occurred where it did, and why people from some areas of the globe seemed to dominate history so much more than others. What factors lead to this, and blah blah blah. I just couldn't get in to it, so it went back to the library. I moved on to John Milton's Paradise Lost and am much happier for it!
And that is another month in books...
later loves
Bahaha. No. I most definitely do not want it back. You can keep it or send it back to VV.
ReplyDeleteOh if you like the concept of Guns Germs & Steel but hated the book, maybe give Collapse a try? It's by the same author, but he's looking at societies that have failed and extrapolating why. It's a briefer read and a ton more interesting!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that I hated this book, because I really enjoyed The Third Chimpanzee, which was a fairly heavy Jared Diamond book. Also, Guns Germs & Steel is pretty much my entire University major summed up in one book....so...hmmm. I've got Collapse on my library list, so I'm going to look into it soon. Once I've got over the failure of this one, that is.
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