December Book List & 2012 Wrap Up

First, the December list.

The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (ibook)
Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis (borrowed from Nadine)
The Hobbit by Tolkien (borrowed from Dan)
This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel (library + YA)
One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (Kindle app)
The Woman Who Died Alot  by Jasper Fforde (Kindle app)
Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov (second hand)
The Proving Trail by Louis L'Amour (Kindle app)

Recommended: I can't say enough about Wheat Belly! I was spouting off wheat-related trivia all month thanks to that book! And I am even more determined to start - and finish - 2013 with no wheat in this here belly. It was a real eye-opener, and I recommend it for anyone who is at all concerned with what you are putting in to your body. Even if you are not a dieter, celiac, or have a wheat allergy or sensitivity.

I am now officially in love with Louis L'Amour. I really enjoy "westerns" of any kind (Annie Proulx and Cormac McCarthy come to mind), so I sort of can't believe I hadn't read any Louis L'Amour before this one, which I completely picked at random from the large list on Amazon. I know BFF has a bunch, and the regular library does as well, so I think 2013 is going to be filled with these. He writes plainly, and beautifully, and his stories are exciting and full of adventure! I'm not really sure what else to say...I just love them.

I am also now a huge fan of Isaac Asimov. I picked up a bunch of books at my last Value Village shopping spree (with Nicole.....man that was a long time ago!) and while I have only finished one so far, I am looking forward to reading the rest this year and picking up more. If you are at all a fan of science and science fiction, I highly recommend these. He was a clever guy, and could merge scientific fact with fantasy and futuristic concepts very well. Some parts were a little boring, or felt a little too forced, but overall the story was great. And so campy and kitschy!

Meh: I love Jasper Fforde, and his Thursday Next series.....but.....these last two books were kind of boring. And the word play and the side jokes and all of that got old fast. What was new and quirky in the first couple of books, is overdone and feels forced in these last ones. Still good, but if you're going to pick up a Jasper Fforde I recommend The Eyre Affair and Shades of Grey. Not the dirty book. Geeze.

And now, the wrap up.

I cannot believe that I read 71 books this year! HA! In your face "52 Books Challenge". I know I have lots of favourites throughout the year, but I am most excited about all the new authors and series that I discovered! Terry Pratchett, Louis L'Amour, Douglas Adams, Stephen Leacock...hmmm, now that I am reading that list I realize that these were all discoveries thanks to BFF. Dude! HA!

I think I will do up a separate post for next year's goal and aspirations, or resolutions, or whatever you want to call it. It works really well for me to keep up and keep accountable. And to keep track of all these books!

Does anyone want to play along with me? I was thinking of doing some sort of book club in the new year, but I didn't really get any response to that request. So how about just listing the books you are reading on your blog? Or giving me some recommendations based on what's in your library. And if no one joins me on this new adventure, that's okay....you will still get to read about mine here!

later loves

November Book List

A week (or so) late, but who's counting!

Moonbeams from the Larger Lunacy by Stephen Leacock (borrowed from Dan)
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson (second hand)
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (iBook)
Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (iBook)

I have the distinct feeling that I am missing a book. That I read another one in there that I neglected to write down....hmmm.... Don't ask me what it could be, or why that might happen. I only have about 3-5 books on the go at any given time. How could I possibly neglect taking note of the completion of one of them?

Sarcasm sign deployed.

Recommended
Terry Pratchett is my newest favourite writer! I am jumping around his Discworld books right now. "Jumping around" because stupid iBooks doesn't have a bunch of the first 10, and then the rest aren't listed by date of actual release, but by date of iBooks release. Which is a pain in the arse if you want to try and read them in some semblance of "order". I have sort of given up on them for the time being and bought the first in the Ursula K. LeGuin Earthsea trilogy...more on that later! I just can't get enough of wizards apparently.

Meh
I was really looking forward to Snow Falling on Cedars. But it took forever to really get into the story. And then once I finally got interested, and invested in the characters, and thought it was going to come to this awesome climactic ending, it just sort of ended. Hmmm. Whatever. Not a re-read, but a very beautiful look at small town relations between Americans & Japanese Americans after the War. I mean, it was a very beautifully written book, but kind of boring too. Know what I mean?!

And what does December hold for me, you might ask? Well, you probably won't, but I'll tell you anyway! I've got 3-5 books on the go right now that I hope to finish up before the year is up. I'm thinking I might just make my "20 Must Be Borrowed/Second Hand" goal! Whoppity do da day.

Also, I have to read The Hobbit before I go see the movie, which is coming out on the 14th! EEK! I'm not much of a movie-goer, but this one is on the "must see" list. I just love wizards. And short guys with hairy feet? Don't go there......!

later loves

October Book List

October was an amazing month for starting to read a lot of books, and actually finishing a lot of the ones I started in September as well!

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter (iBook)
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (iBook)
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (iBook)

I love BFF...for exposing me to all these new authors and books and series and whatever else that I would never have attempted on my own. I love a good recommendation! Terry Pratchett is an amazing author, with an awesome ability to create a witty, clever, outlandish world, and not make it feel too trying or impossible to manage and understand. And lose yourself in.

Persuasion is still one of the best books I have ever read. I think the Baron Elliot is hilarious. I find the sisters ridiculous and endearing. I love the Crofts, and the Musgroves, and the thoughts on Bath, and consequences, and allegiance, and family ties. I love all of it. I love Captain Wentworth's letter, and I love Anne Elliot's thoughtfulness, and timidity, and growth. And I love how even though things look the worst, love and understanding is the winner in the the end! And the movies ain't half bad either! Hello Handsome Wentworth!!!!

I thought I read more books this month. I guess it is still a matter of starting a bunch, but not quite finishing them off. I am still in the middle of Discworld #3 and Snow Falling on Cedars. And to all the non-fiction books I picked up last month, and then never looked at again.....I apologize. Sort of.

Until next month......

later loves

September Book List

HA! Look what I forgot to do! Oops...good thing September was a month full of re-reads, so I won't have to go into much detail here...right?!

Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (Kindle, re-read)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (second hand)
No Great Mischief by Alistair McLeod (second hand)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (Kindle, re-read)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Kindle, re-read)
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Kindle, re-read)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collings (Kindle, re-read)

Recommended: All of my re-reads, of course. If I loved them enough the first time to read them again, well, rest assured they are pretty good. The Hunger Games Trilogy is a nice, easy read if you are in the mood. Same goes for Divergent. Both are "young adult" so they are a bit below my normal reading fare, but I still enjoy losing myself in their simple stories and somewhat aggravating characters! Teenagers!

The Newbies: I have been wanting to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy for some time now, so when my eye caught the title sitting in the Value Village racks I knew it was time. I consider Mr. McCarthy a powerhouse of a writer, and I really enjoy his view of the world (and how he describes that view). Coupled with the fact that I knew this was a post-apocalyptic tome, I was hoping for the best; and I wasn't disappointed. This novel was touching and terrible. A father & son struggle to make their way across a dead and dying landscape, with no food and little hope. The other people that have survived whatever apocalyptic event has happened - which (in McCarthy style) he never actually describes - are terrifying bands of people who would as soon eat you as help you. Yeah...it's that kind of book.

It is NOT for the faint of heart. The boy is young, and this is the only world he has ever known. But there are so many touching moments between the boy and his father - more McCarthy style, as they are never given names - and the book ends on a bitter-sweet note, with hope on the burning air.

Alistair McLeod is a Canadian (born in North Battleford of all places!) and so he writes about Canada. No Great Mischief was slow at points, but also very beautiful and moving. Two brothers are connected by tragedy, despite being very far apart in age. And they come to rely upon each other's presence in their lives as they age, seemingly more than they ever anticipated.  The descriptions of Cape Breton, and the shared stories & history of the family made the book very special.

I just finished a new sci-fi book I bought to read at the gym.....and then proceeded to read at every possible opportunity 'cause it was so damn good! I bought another book by the same author to read at the gym, but I am thinking I will make it through in record time again, and at the expense of all the other books on the go right now as well! I am blaming this latest one on BFF (again...), but really I should be thanking him. So many of the great books I read this year were at his recommendation (or his mentioning them randomly in a conversation....).

For my original "review" of Divergent and Year of the Flood and the final two books of The Hunger Games Trilogy, see this post. I review The Hunger Games in June of last year here.

later loves

Book Club Anyone?

Well, I have officially finished my 52 Books this year! Way early too, so I am kind of excited, even though the last couple of books I read barely count. And I was thinking that it might be fun to add another challenge to my list for next year.

And I was kind of wondering if anyone else would be up for the challenge...NOT the 52 Books Challenge! Oh my no. I was thinking of something more along the lines of a Book Club.

Anyone interested? We could have meetings once every couple of months or so. And by "meetings" I mean, wine, snacks, laughs and we might fit some book-talk in there somewhere too!

Classics. Contemporary. Everyone has the opportunity to choose one book.

I must admit...I have always always always wanted to join a book club. I guess starting one of my very own counts too! I really just want to chat with other people about the books I read, and maybe find some new favourites as well.

Please email me if you would like in. We wouldn't start until the new year, so there is plenty of time for decisions, etc. That being said, if you wanted to create your own #____ Books in 2013 goal, I would be so excited to follow your progress!

Also, there is no way I am quitting here! I still have a little pile of "to-reads" sitting in the upstairs hallway. Who wants to place bets on guess what my final total of the year will be?!

later loves

August Book List

Oh man...I love reading! If I could read professionally, for a living, I would be in heaven! Yiptee hoorah, and jazz hands, and fist pumps and all that.

Dave Cooks The Turkey by Stuart McLean (borrowed from Dan)
Payback: The Shadow Side of Wealth by Margaret Atwood
Drive by Sallis (library)
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Kindle, re-read)
Ablutions: Notes for a Novel by Patrick deWitt
Toys by James Patterson (borrowed from my Dad)
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown (borrowed from my Dad)

Recommended
Dave Cooks The Turkey was so hilarious! And a lovely quick read. Stuart McLean is a great story teller.

Oryx & Crake is still amazing. I read it (out of order in its "trilogy") last year and opened it back up this month to read at the gym. More dystopic stuff, but this one is very pessimistic and science-y! And man-o-man...does Margaret Atwood ever make you believe that her future is completely and totally possible! She is a genius my friends. I'm currently re-reading pt.2 at the gym.

I read TWO Atwood titles this month...heavy. Payback is non-fiction, and packed full of delicious debt-related goodies! I don't think I've ever read any non-fiction from her before, but I was very impressed! If you've never read her stuff before, I highly recommend it. She is funny & witty. She writes about heavy topics with the average joe in mind, so you learn something, but you don't light your brain on fire! This title is about how debt is part of the human condition, the history of debt and repayment in our culture, and how these themes are part of our psyche (and why and how). So wonderful! Thanks BFF for the recommendation!

Not Recommended
There was a couple of meh/terrible books in the midst this month. I guess they can't all be gems. Both Drive and Ablutions are NOT on my recommended list. They were both only okay, and not really my style. I might permanently lend Ablutions out, if anyone is interested. I really enjoyed The Sisters Brothers by the same author. Ablutions was his first novel, I think. If you hadn't read the part about it being "notes for a novel," the writing style and pace would seem really (really) odd. I kept waiting for something else to happen, or for them to explain it better (or at all really). BFF also recommended this one...I guess you can't win them all!

Toys and Digital Fortress were both awful. Just awful. Not my style AT ALL and I figured out the "plot twist" right away in both of them. And the writing was bad. And there seemed to be a lot of veiled sexism in both! I wonder if either author knows any real women.

Last year I made it to my 52 books in December. I'm thinking I'll get there next month, if I keep up this pace. I'll have to revise my goal for next year. Or add more challenges within it, or something. I still have to read THIRTEEN borrowed/second-hand books, which I might not make. I thought that one would be easier, but it turns out that it's not! Whoops!

Okay September. This is the month of reading ONLY borrowed & second-hand books. You can do it...

later loves

p.s. In terms of more challenges for next year's list, I've already thought of something that you can join me in! Keep your eyes on the blog!

p.p.s I need to work on my digital collages....I think an investment in some sort of "real" photo-editing software is in my future. I am so reluctant to do that!!!

July Book List

I read a whole whack of books while on holiday. Well, four I think, or maybe five. Which is loads considering I was gone for only 10 days. But there was lots of (Russel) driving moments, and when I wasn't sleeping in the car, or watching the scenery, or getting a snack for boys, I was reading!

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (iBook)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth (borrowed from Dan)
World War Z by Max Brooks (Kindle app for iPad)
The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture by Terry O'Reilly & Mike Tennant
The Witch of Hebron: A World Made by Hand Novel by James Howard Kunstler
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

I finally (finally) finished the Hitchhiker trilogy. My brain is officially, sufficiently addled. The convoluted quirkiness got tiring by the end of the third book, and after that I was just trying to make it through. The ending was terrible.

Recommended: ALL of them (except the Hitchiker one). And here's why...

#1. War of the Worlds is just awesome. I can see why people freaked out when that radio program came out! And if you haven't read it yet, what is wrong with you!?

#2. Abe Lincoln was fascinating! Lots of history mixed in with fake-history. Seth has a pretty fantastic ability of weaving the two stories together to make you actually believe that it is possible, and vampires did indeed fight in the civil war.

#3. World War Z was hard for me to get into. I usually don't like books that are written like a diary, journal, or interview. Plus, I had to do a lot of remembering, which I have a really hard time with! But once I got into the swing of things, it turned out quite nicely. It's kind of dystopic + zombies, so really right up my alley!

#4. If you like non-fiction and have an interest in marketing, branding, consumer culture, and/or CBC Radio, Age of Persuasion is for you! I learned so much, and have been spewing facts and anecdotes left, right, and centre since finishing.


#5. I read A World Made by Hand last year and really enjoyed it. The Witch of Hebron is set in the same town, with the same characters. It's a great story, and it presents a very faithful look into a grim, possible future for the human race. But it is also full of hope and strength, showing how a community really can pull together in the worst of times and work as one.


I need to get more books on the iPad. I find that reading while I work out makes the half hour cardio go by much quicker, and I get a lot more books read. HA! Double trouble!

I laugh when I look back at my reading lists and see the themes developing. They need a "dystopic-zombie-fantasy-literature" section at the book store...would make it much easier for me. Also, this month I learned that book-shopping with another person is super fun. Well, maybe it helps that he and I look through the same sections and he can help me remember the name of that author I was thinking of...yep.

Also, this was a long post. But good! Right!?!?

later loves

June Book List

Can I just say that June disappeared in to the ether like nobody's business!? What the deuce!? I was celebrating Mother's Day, then all of a sudden it was Russ' birthday, with Father's Day creeping up on it. And then the last day of school hit my ass like a tonne of bricks. And now it's the end of the month, and I am on my way out west to revel in the beach and the rain forest and the sushi that is British Columbia.

Behind the Beyond by Stephen Leacock (borrowed from Dan)
Deadline (Newsflesh Book #2) by Mira Grant (iBook)
Blackout (Newsflesh Book #3) by Mira Grant (iBook)
Life, The Universe & Everything by Douglas Adams
The Time Machine by HG Wells (iBook)
So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish by Douglas Adams
War of the Worlds by HG Wells (iBook)

Everything was awesome! And I recommend it all! I'm going to do up a nice, full review of the Newsflesh Trilogy, and the Hitchhiker's "trilogy" (once I finish it).

The two HG Wells titles were amazing! I was genuinely spooked while reading War of the Worlds. And his insight into the future, as shown in The Time Machine was spot on. Great, timeless, classic short stories.

Have you ever just wanted to sit in the quiet of the day, and read? I had a bunch of those moments this month. Bunches and bunches. It was nice for my brain and my sanity, but not so nice for my to-do list! Ouch!

Also, I find reading at the gym really makes my workout fly right by. Whether this is a good or bad thing, I am still on the fence.

We leave on our big road trip today, which means more reading on the road...umm...yeah. Russ likes to drive, and I like to read and watch the scenery pass me by. And I have many quiet days on the beach "planned" so I hope to make quite a dent in my "to-read" list in July.

And can I also just say that I miss you...and can I borrow Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter for the next two weeks (or so)? Pretty please?

later loves

p.s.

"Go West, young man, go West. There is health in the country, and room away from our crowds of idlers and imbeciles."

"That," I said, "is very frank advice, but it is medicine easier given than taken. It is a wide country, but I do not know just where to go."

May Book List

I took it (very) easy this month with books. I am slowly (very slowly) making it through The Crossing, but I keep having to return it to the library!

Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich by Stephen Leacock (borrowed from Dan)
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (iBook, re-read)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Blindness by Jose Saramago (library)
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams


Recommended: Still love American Gods. Still recommend it, and anything else by Neil Gaiman.


I really enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy of five Hitchhiker books. Good, light, sci-fi. I might just find me the movie to watch...it gets bonus points for starring Martin Freeman (on a side note, I finished the latest series of Sherlock, and love love loved it!)


Meh: This latest Stephen Leacock got old quick. I get it. You think rich people are ludricrous. Thanks for the update. Now can we move on to some other jokes?


I was so ready to love Blindness. The premise is excellent, the presentation unique. But I just couldn't get into it. I think something (a lot of things) were lost in translation. Time felt out of joint, but not on purpose. The characters seemed really fake sometimes. And I totally didn't pick up on the similarities to 1984 and other dystopian works. I just didn't get it. I can tell that this is a wonderful book, but not for me.




At the beginning of the month I went and spent a bunch of money at Chapters. There is a theme to all the stuff I bought, which will not be immediately apparent to anyone else. So maybe this is a private joke...anyhoo...I am looking forward to some non-fiction next month (Margaret Atwood's Payback & No Logo by Naomi Klein), as well as finishing off the Hitchhiker series and starting in on the Arthur C. Clarke's series of Space Odyssey books.


later loves

April Book List

Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock (ibook)
Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford (library)
The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway (library)
Feed (Newsflesh Book #1) by Mira Grant (iBook)


Recommended: Stephen Leacock is still number one in my books (he he), and I just can't get enough of his short stories, and his unique style of humor. I have a few more to read, so I can drag this out for a couple more months at least. Until my own personal librarian gets antsy and starts asking for them back! HA!

I have started using my Good Reads account for good (instead of evil!?) and am taking advantage of all the lists and "if you liked that, then you might like this" available. The Gone Away World came from one of those. It got off to a great start, then got stuck in what I thought was a ridiculously long flashback, which then turned out to be just the explanation of the "Go Away War" that I was looking for! And the twisty surprise was awesome...the author sure has some "golden cajones" for taking it in that direction. And did I mention there were ninjas!?!? Awesome!!

Feed is a zombie book, in a world of the future where Bloggers are hailed as heroes. Can y'all see why I picked this one? And it was awesome, so I am totally going to pick up Book #2 in the Newsflesh Trilogy as soon as I finish some of these other titles sitting around my house, making me feel guilty!


Fail: Apparently I don't like historical fiction/romance. And I'm okay with that.

I slowed down a bit this month. I think keeping up the breakneck pace was more than I bargained for...it was unsustainable and un-fun! So I put down The Crossing for a couple of weeks in favour of something more simpler and easier (on my brain). And I was a much happier Lisa for it!

Also, I have discovered that if I am reading while running (at the gym), my workout goes by much faster! So I have plans to finally figure out this e-book lending service the library advertised.

And that's April people!
later loves


P.S. Happy Birthday Dan!

The More You Know

Have you ever read a terrible book, but couldn't put it down for some reason? I am reading one of those right now, and I usually never have this problem! I have no qualms with stopping mid-book if I hate it. I mean really hate it. Or if I can't get in to the story. Or if it's bugging me. Would it surprise you to know that I never finished The Kite Runner? I didn't even make it very far. I got to a part that made me very uncomfortable, and I just closed the book and called it done. My MIL benefited from my disgust!

So, the book in question is called The Gifts of War. It's historical fiction/romance, taking place during the first World War. The facts are great, and I am learning things about the war that I never knew. Things beyond the dates and places and names of generals. The guy who wrote it is a historian (obviously), but not really a writer (unfortunately).

The protagonist is a cad. There, I said it. He meets a German soldier at the front during the Christmas truce of 1914, who gives him a message to pass on to the girl he left behind when he left his job in England. So Hal goes back home and promptly seduces Wilhelm's girl, who is still holding out hope that he will come home to her. All the while, Hal is presented as a man in love, who would do anything for his new girl and her family. He is a noble veteran doing all he can for his country, for the "war effort" and he really does feel guilty about failing to live up to his promise, blah blah blah. He is a jerk. Like 'Navin Johnson' from the movie The Jerk.

And the other characters feel really fake and superficial and fake. I just can't wrap my head around it.

As for the story, it's pretty good. Hal gets a job with military intelligence and investigates lots of nefarious deeds. A lot of that seems like a far stretch, but it's still pretty cool to think about what was going on behind the scenes during the "Great War". It's the characters that suck the life out of things.

But I can't stop reading it. When asked why, I say: "because then it wouldn't count towards my total for the year". Lame, huh!? I have found a handful of good quotes to keep around...I tend to judge a book by the number of pages I earmark. So far in this one I have read 347 pages, and only marked six, and one was because it was just so bad and unbelievable.

"The trouble with falling for someone when they haven't fallen for you (as yet, anyway) is that you read their behavior like an archaeologist reads the remains of a site that hasn't been inhabited for hundreds or thousands of years, trying to construct a scenario based on very thin and often ambiguous evidence."

"My sisters are...there are good and less good things about sisters, beastly things sometimes."

"She was pretty, bustling, busy, always moving, restless, like these new automobile things when they've been cranked into action - you know, the way they rattle, shake, throb with energy and power. Our mother had an engine inside her"

"When you are winning, or on the winning side, or in some favored position, success or winning is never as good a feeling as losing or being unsuccessful is horrible. Have you ever noticed that? People who lose feel that loss far more than winners relish winning."

"These feelings just creep up on you. you relax with someone, talk to them...and you don't think anything is happening. Then you pretend nothing is happening. Then, before you know it, you want something to happen. Then it happens. Then, before you can feel guilty, you feel so good, so alive, so joyful, that you are glad it has happened and you are trapped."

As a comparison, in All The Pretty Horses I earmarked every fifth page...and that book was really long!!

Ultimately, and perhaps the moral of the story as-it-were, is that this experience really makes me happy I have a library card and haven't had to pay anything beyond my $12 fee for any of these terrible books yet! Heaven forbid I should incur late fees. Oy vey.

I think I am going to stick to books with zombies, and aliens, and alternate futures. And Canadian humour from the early part of the last century...umm...

later loves

March Book List

My Remarkable Uncle by Stephen Leacock (borrowed from Dan)
An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin (library)
All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (library)
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (library)
Secrets From The Vinyl Cafe by Stuart Mclean (library)

Recommended: I quite enjoyed Steve Martin's An Object of Beauty, and am going to look for some of his other titles. Here's the Good Reads synopsis:
          "Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights--and, at times, the dark lows--of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today."
I thought it was quite clever how he wove real life events through the story (9-11, the market collapse). The story itself was familiar and blase, but all the art talk was interesting.

I am officially in love with Stephen Leacock! Subtly funny, cheeky, pleasant, with a little social commentary thrown in. I made lots of notes in Dan's book and sent it back with pages falling out! It was well-loved in the short time I had it. Now I have moved on to another, and hope to enjoy it as much!

Cormac McCarthy is apparently hit-or-miss with me. I really didn't enjoy the last McCarthy title I read back in November, but this one was kind of amazing! I borrowed it along with two other titles that make up The Border Trilogy. But I couldn't finish all many-hundred pages in the three weeks I was allotted, so I made lots of notes in my copy and returned it a couple of days late (oops!), and then immediately put a hold on it, so I could get it back eventually! Here is the synopsis (because apparently I suck at writing these):
   
        This "is the tale of John Grady Cole, who at sixteen finds himself at the end of a long line of Texas ranchers, cut off from the only life he has ever imagined for himself.  With two companions, he sets off for Mexico on a sometimes idyllic, sometimes comic journey to a place where dreams are paid for in blood."


But it is also so much more than just that. McCarthy writes in a very plain, dry style, but his simple and straightforward way of phrasing things makes me think more about the world, and life and death and the breadth of a person's soul than any other writer. He is quite amazing, but he never uses quotation marks, rarely uses commas, and some of his sentences last a whole page. Be prepared.

Fail
The Imperfectionists kept jumping between the past and the present, and tried to tie a bunch of supposedly related and connected stories together about a bunch of selfish journalists and I just couldn't get in to it. And then it ended. Oh well.

Library Notes:
I borrowed a lot from the library again this month, but I was less crazy about it than I have been, although I did discover how easy it is to put books on hold through the website...I feel a disaster coming on!! I forgot about due dates left, right and centre, and ended up owing loads of moola on three items...money that could have paid for those items new! Oops! I did make a library card owner out of a friend of mine, so I think I should receive a commission or something. At least strike my late fees from the record.

later loves

February Book List

Can I just say that the library was my best friend this month? I went there often. Scratch that, regularly and even when I still had books at home, I borrowed a couple more! Those "Hits to Go" are the devil! You have to finish it in one week! ONE WEEK! Inheritance is, like, a thousand fricken pages!! But I did it...my personal life suffered that week, boy howdy!

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (library)
Hybrids by Whitley Strieber (library)
The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis (library)
Devastation by Gloria Skruzynski (library)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (library)
Stephen Leacock by Margaret McMillan (library)
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (library)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (YA + library)
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Recommended: I have been reading 1Q84 since the beginning of January. It is a hefty book, and so effing weird. The whole time I was thinking: "what the hell is going on...and am I ever going to find out what the hell is going on...this better be the best damn surprise ending I have ever read because I have no idea where this book is headed". Seriously. And the end? It was weird, to say the least. I'm going to go ahead and compare it with the Lost (tv) series and its final episode.

The Sisters Brothers was another amazing book. I noticed it on a bunch of "must-read 2011" lists, and when I saw it on the Hits To Go shelf at the library, I grabbed it right up. A "western", for lack of a better term, with some science and gun fights and drinking at saloons and all that good stuff. A really neat story, with a great narrative voice.

The Night Circus was another book that I noticed on a lot of "must-read 2011" lists. Such a beautiful book about love and magic and sacrifice. Erin Morgenstern created such beautiful images for her readers. Full of magic, both literally and figuratively, this is one of those books that ignites the imagination. I was so impressed by this book and I would definitely recommend this to anyone (and everyone) who enjoys a great story!

I also loved:
 The Graveyard Book - anything by Neil Gaiman is super fine in my mind
 Inheritance - finally the end of the series! Still reminds me (eerily) of LOTR, and
 Stephen Leacock - I grabbed this biography because of a book my new friend was reading when we were
    in Mexico. Mr Leacock is considered by some to mark the beginnings of Canadian-humor. He was a
    very smart man, and had a lot to say about politics, economics, and life in Canada and abroad. I can't
    wait to read some of his fiction now.

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I have joined Goodreads and have been busy updating my "read" list and adding to my "must-read" list. You can find me under FormerlyLisaS...if you choose!

Also, if I keep going at this pace I'm going to reach my 52 books in no time! I am finding that this one post per month doesn't allow me to really review the books as much as I would like. I might do multiple posts within a month, to really give you the nitty gritty on those books I really lurved.

How many books are on your "to-read" list for the year?

January Book List

And so it begins! My first month towards my "52 Book for the Year" goal has gone as well as expected. I got some books for Christmas that I was happy to dig in to, and I have been looking forward to doing some thrifting for some others!

Also...I got a library card this month!! Finally!

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
A Games of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Irma Voth by Miriam Toews (library)
The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks (library + YA)
In and Down by Brett Alexander Savory (library)

 

Recommended: I am well aware of the hype surrounding the Game of Thrones series, both on TV and in book form. I may have bought into this when selecting the first book to include on my Christmas list. But it was worth it. A great book, but lots of strange names to remember...which I kind of suck at! And some gross twin brother and sister action...yucky yuck yuck! I think I am going to try and find the rest of the series at the library.

The Gargoyle was pretty good! And by a Canadian author I think. It was a story about love stories. And if you can get through all the porno talk at the beginning (the lead is a former porn star...again with the yucky), it's worth it in the end.

I also really enjoyed In and Down. What a page turner. It's like, a metaphor in book form. And very spooky too.


Fail: My first library book with my new card was Irma Voth. I got it because I loved Miriam Toews' previous books. And also it was with the "Hits to Go" books, which usually means it's popular. I didn't like it. It was too...fast. She didn't use any quotation marks when people were speaking, so there were no natural pauses in the narrative. So I could just read and read and read without being forced to pause until the next chapter came. So I found it really hard to get "caught up" in the emotions that she was trying to convey and then I just found it annoying. It was supposed to be about loss and forgiveness, but I didn't see it. I'm glad it was just a library book.


I also started reading a novel that I borrowed purely because the main character and her friends are all scrapbookers. And man-oh-man, was it terrible. Like, really bad. I made it to page 90, I struggled to make it there, and then I just couldn't go on. Some of the scrapbooking references were sort-of funny (remember the Clikit?), but the plain language was unbearable, and the romantic undertones were so forced and unromantic. And the name of the book. Get ready to reel in your gag reflex. It's called Prints Charming. Yep. You read that right. I am obviously not counting that one towards my total!



I have also started "borrowing" magazines from work. We get loads and loads of subscriptions, and after awhile they start to pile up in all the operatories, and the lunch room, and then they get tossed. So I save them from the recycle and bring them home with me! My favourites are Macleans and Scientific American. Remember, they don't count towards my total, but I thought I would mention them here.

2012 Goal #2

Read 52 Books!

I accomplished this last year and it felt so good, so I thought I would add it to the list again. This post from early 2011 details some of my guidelines for this goal. I was basing all of this on another blogger's own goal for herself. Thanks to my own personal success on this, I have decided to tailor-make my own rules for myself this year. Feel free to play along, or to make your own reading challenge!

Lisa's 52 Books in 2012 Guidelines

1. Read at your own pace. There is no minimum per month.

2. At least 15 books should be borrowed from the library.

3. At least 20 books should be purchased second-hand, or borrowed from other readers.

4. Re-reads count. E-books count, because they are still books...duh!

5. Graphic novels count towards the total, but comic books and magazines don't.

I will be documenting all the books I read each month in a similar fashion to how I did it last year. I will also document all the comic books and magazines I read, just for fun as they won't count towards my final total. I think a goal of "reading more" should include all forms of reading. I have read some Scientific American articles that are full of more information than some novels!!

I hope some of you join me in adding "read more" to your list of goals for the year. It really was rewarding to look back through my list of books last year and see all that I had accomplished. Reading is important to me, and I would love to be able to inspire others to bring more reading in to their lives!