The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (e-book)
David Starr, Space Ranger by Isaac Asimov (second-hand/Value Village)
Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids by Isaac Asimov (second-hand/Value Village)
It seems like so long ago that I finished The Picture of Dorian Gray, but it still leaves me unsettled to think about it. I can't tell if Mr. Wilde is a sexist, misogynist jerk, or a complete genius. Either way, I hate him and it was a great book! I can definitely see how I am reading it out of its time, and that a lot of the social commentary and nuances are probably lost on me.
Isaac Asimov is a science fiction master, but I can only take a little bit at a time. So I'm taking a wee break before I plunge in to the remainder of my Asimov bookshelf!
I took out Milton's Paradise Lost in April, but there was NO WAY I was finishing that in the library's allotted three week time period! So I let it go overdue for TWO MORE WEEKS (yipes) and barely read it during that time (oh geeze...) and then just took it back because the guilt was driving me crazy. Perhaps I will try again...eventually! Otherwise, I've got some borrowed non-fiction books on deck for May and I might even raid (again) BFF's bookshelf for some lighter faire!
And that was April in my little book world. I'm officially at 19 books and counting, which means I am ahead of the game!....by one book.....hmmm.
What's on your current reading list?
later loves
Showing posts with label Book-Learning 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book-Learning 2013. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Monday, April 01, 2013
March Book List
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
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
Thursday, January 31, 2013
January Book List
The Tall Stranger by Louis L'Amour (library)
The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew #1) by Carolyn Keene (library)
The Mystery at the Ski Jump (Nancy Drew #29) by Carolyn Keene (library)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick (Kindle app)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (re-read)
The Mysterious Mannequin (Nancy Drew #47) by Carolyn Keene (library)
Recommended // Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I absolutely love the movie Blade Runner, and while this book isn't Blade-Runner, it's close enough that it makes me pretty darn excited! Phillip Dick has a way with imagery, and words, and concepts that even the hokiest of subjects seems beautiful in his hand. And also, I love androids! So win-win all around.
Essentially, you've got an alternate future where humans have pretty much completely ravaged the planet and those who could afford to - and who weren't "physically damaged" - moved up to Mars, where there was a workforce of androids waiting to help them with their every need and want. Well, some of those androids don't enjoy being beasts of burden, so they escape back to earth. Enter the bounty hunters, trained to track and discover androids living illegally among them, and then "dispatch" them. Problem is the android-making company has a new model in the field that looks and acts so much like a human, that the previous fool-proof testing methods may not be able to reliably sort human from android. Drama! Tension!!
Also, it's considered a higher duty to own an animal, when so many were made extinct or super rare. So much so, that there are electronic animals available for the people who can't afford a real one, to help fool their neighbours! And there are mood machines, and strange television programs, and abandoned buildings, and "kibble". It's quite a fabulous world. If you like sci-fi, dystopia, and tales of morality, you should read this book.
Flashback // All those Nancy Drew books! HA! I used to love love love reading about the red-headed sleuth from Riverdale's many adventures. Now I am enjoying them purely for the nostalgia they invoke, and the totally random weirdness that was the 1960s: linen pantsuits, chaperoned excursions to Turkey, and live-in housekeepers.
I started a bunch of BIG books this month that I had little to no hope of actually finishing before the month was done. So expect some more interesting reviews in February!
later loves
The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew #1) by Carolyn Keene (library)
The Mystery at the Ski Jump (Nancy Drew #29) by Carolyn Keene (library)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick (Kindle app)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (re-read)
The Mysterious Mannequin (Nancy Drew #47) by Carolyn Keene (library)
Recommended // Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I absolutely love the movie Blade Runner, and while this book isn't Blade-Runner, it's close enough that it makes me pretty darn excited! Phillip Dick has a way with imagery, and words, and concepts that even the hokiest of subjects seems beautiful in his hand. And also, I love androids! So win-win all around.
Essentially, you've got an alternate future where humans have pretty much completely ravaged the planet and those who could afford to - and who weren't "physically damaged" - moved up to Mars, where there was a workforce of androids waiting to help them with their every need and want. Well, some of those androids don't enjoy being beasts of burden, so they escape back to earth. Enter the bounty hunters, trained to track and discover androids living illegally among them, and then "dispatch" them. Problem is the android-making company has a new model in the field that looks and acts so much like a human, that the previous fool-proof testing methods may not be able to reliably sort human from android. Drama! Tension!!
Also, it's considered a higher duty to own an animal, when so many were made extinct or super rare. So much so, that there are electronic animals available for the people who can't afford a real one, to help fool their neighbours! And there are mood machines, and strange television programs, and abandoned buildings, and "kibble". It's quite a fabulous world. If you like sci-fi, dystopia, and tales of morality, you should read this book.
Flashback // All those Nancy Drew books! HA! I used to love love love reading about the red-headed sleuth from Riverdale's many adventures. Now I am enjoying them purely for the nostalgia they invoke, and the totally random weirdness that was the 1960s: linen pantsuits, chaperoned excursions to Turkey, and live-in housekeepers.
I started a bunch of BIG books this month that I had little to no hope of actually finishing before the month was done. So expect some more interesting reviews in February!
later loves
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Book-Learning 2013
Even though I completely conquered by goal last year - by 20 books, mind you - I thought I would keep to the same number again this year. I hate goals with lots of added pressure, so I'm keeping it simple. And if I manage to beat my goal again, well, awesome! I have changed some of my "guidelines" from last year's list based on how those went for me.
My Guidelines:
#1. At least 15 books must be from the library.
#2. At least 15 books must be either borrowed from other readers, or purchased second-hand.
#3. At least 3 must be non-fiction.
#4. E-books, re-reads & graphic novels count towards the total. Comic books and magazines don't.
I'm not sure how I am going to document my ongoing list, but I still like how I did it last year. One post a month, with a page dedicated to the full list (accessible through the "menu" at the top of the blog).
I may or may not do reviews, because I am actually terrible at writing reviews and writing about books. It reminds me too much of high school and University, and my mind goes completely blank when I have to describe a writing style or how the author uses metaphor as a social commentary on the state of current pop culture, blah blah blah! Who wants to read that?!
If anyone wants to join me in creating a "read more" goal this year, I would be happy to chat with you about it! Heck, I would be happy to talk books with any other human, at this point.
I was lucky enough last year to borrow a bunch of books from BFF, a couple from Dad, and even one from Nadine! I really enjoy recommendations, and as long as you don't mind dog eared pages and creases in the spine I would love to borrow some books from you! That being said, I would love to lend out any of my books as well. If any on my list catches your eye, please let me know and I'll send it your way. (One of my other goals this year is to reach out through the blog more, and get more reader-participation, but that's another post.....)
later loves
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