I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.
– Oscar Wilde
I found this book while browsing the shelves of Chapters. It seemed interesting enough, as I find both psychology and philosophy to be fascinating subjects, both of which I’d ideally like to study in more depth in the future. I thought this book might combine the two areas of study in interesting ways, and I was prepared to learn and enjoy it.
Not so much on that one. This book seemed to be aimed at people who knew less than I did about both subjects, and I didn’t appreciate that in the least. The sections were colour-coded and the illustrations were clearly meant to be childish. Combined with the attempt to talk about psychology and philosophy in layman’s terms and what I felt to be some rather incorrect conclusions based on given data.
The book was disappointing to me at best. While I recognise that the style might appeal to some people, as someone who has actually attempted to learn something about psychology, it did nothing for me. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it at all.
My next review will likely be a general review of the Oedipus plays by Sophocles, since I’ve finally finished reading all of them.
I’m not afraid of death. It’s the stake one puts up in order to play the game of life.
– Jean Giraudoux
I started reading Poirot because my boyfriend at the time really enjoyed the books, and I trusted (okay, still trust) his taste. I found that we had a collection of 5 Poirot novels in one leather bound book sitting on a bookshelf in the house, so I started there. In that book was Thirteen at Dinner, Murder on the Orient Express, The ABC Murders, Cards on the Table, and Death on the Nile. In addition, I picked up a copy of Curtain, which is the story of Poirot’s last case.
These books deserve all the renown they have. Well written, intriguing, and just plain fun adventures, I spent much of my March Break reading these.
However, I can’t say I like Poirot as a person. He’s kind of a self-centered douche. I could laugh at him, but he’s not someone I’d ever want to meet. Captain Hastings, on the other hand, is a wonderful character whom I would love to meet. Loyal and kind, he had all the traits that Poirot lacked. Which is why they lasted so long together – complementing each other perfectly.
My favourite of the 6 I read was probably Murder on the Orient Express, for the fantastic ending. A very close second is Cards on the Table for the character of Ariadne Oliver, who seemed a wonderful meta-commentary on Christie’s life as a crime novelist. All of the other books had elements I enjoyed, as well as elements that were a little less than satisfactory to me, but one must expect that from all books. In all honesty, I likely won’t purchase any more of the books, opting to borrow them from the library. They aren’t books I’m terribly likely to reread.
The next book I’m reading is This Book Has Feelings by doctors Neil Scott and Sandi Mann.
In time of test, family is best.
– Burmese Proverb
So I lied. I ended up getting Gunpowder Empire by Harry Turtledove from the library. It’s the first book in the Crosstime Traffic series. I’d only read one of Turtledove’s books before (A World of Difference if you care at all). My ex-boyfriend really liked his stuff, which is why I know who he is in the first place.
When I read A World of Difference, I found myself in love with the plot, though the style of writing didn’t really work for me. It seemed like he told rather than showed. But, overall, I enjoyed the book, and would definitely read it again.
Crosstime Traffic is a series with an interesting premise: humanity has discovered a way to travel between “alternates”, where history passed differently. It’s a series aimed at teens, something that is occasionally evident in the themes and writing style.
Even so, there are some parts that are remarkable mature for what is meant to be a book for youth. The descriptions of violence, blood, and gore had me recoiling a bit, trying to blink away the images painted in my head.
I found that my complaints about this book were much the same as my complaints about A World of Difference: the writing style isn’t that great, or isn’t what I consider great at any rate. I once again loved the story he told though, and I’ll likely pick up more Crosstime Traffic books in the future, though I’ll stick to the library, as it wasn’t something I’d spend money on.
My next post will likely be a collective review of a few different Poirot books, as I went on an Agatha Christie kick a little while back and keep forgetting to do a review for that.
But Shakespear’s Magick could not copy’d be,
Within that Circle none durst walk but he.
– John Dryden
So. This book wasn’t a total loss. I mean, I only spent 25 cents on it, since I picked it up at a book store that was going out of business. And it did provide me with some temporary entertainment, I suppose.
Twisted Tales is essentially a humorous retelling of six of Shakespeare’s plays in the form of prose, as well as providing some information on his life. Of those six plays that were summarised, I have read three, and am familiar with the plot of one other. This meant that I picked up on plot points that were missing from the summaries.
To be fair, I’m rather partial to Shakespeare, so perhaps I’m not the target demographic for this book. Even so, I found that there were maybe 2 chuckle-worthy jokes in the book, and the summaries were iffy at best.
So, if you have the opportunity to read this book, don’t. You’d be much better off devoting your time to the immortal Bard himself.
I’m not entirely sure which of the six books I’m reading will be finished next, but it will likely be either Oedipus the King by Sophocles or Armageddon the Musical by Robert Rankin.
“When adults say, ‘Teenagers think they are invincible’ with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don’t know how right they are.”
– John Green
Oh my god this book. So good.
I got this from Amazon a little while back, having heard good things about it. All of those good things were deserved.
The book chronicles a year in the life of Charlie, a high school freshman. The story is told through a series of letters to an unknown person that Charlie considers respectable. He makes new friends, falls in love, and comes to terms with a complicated past.
I felt like I had a lot in common with this book. In elementary, I was the quiet kid in the corner, hiding behind a book. It wasn’t until high school that I really felt at home in the midst of a group of people. It also wasn’t until high school that I felt strongly about a guy (who ended up saying no when I asked him out, if you’re wondering). So a lot of the emotions Charlie goes through in the course of this novel were familiar to me. Not all of them, as my past has tended towards the non-traumatic, but a good number of them.
Ultimately, this story is about accepting the past and growing up, as well as learning to take some things into your own hands. It’s a lesson all of us need to learn.
I loved this book for its ability to deal frankly with drugs, sexuality, love, and high school. Definitely something I’d recommend to other teenagers, and I’m sure plenty of adults would love it as well. It’s certainly earned a place on my list of favourite books.
Next up is Richard Armour’s Twisted Tales from Shakespeare.
Fair warning: This is essentially a love letter to one of my favourite people.
Over a year ago, I discovered a blog called Mark Reads Twilight. Since I kind of hate the series, but at the time was weirdly obsessed with reading reviews of it, I dove in. And fell in love.
Mark looked at the books from a perspective that was uniquely his, forcing his readers to do the same. He would write beautiful posts about themes and how the book (or the chapter in particular) exemplified what was wrong with the world, or he would talk about his past in connection with the books, or he would swear in capslock and keysmash, or he would write a parody of the chapter. Regardless of his method for that review, he always seemed insightful and witty, but also the kind of person one can’t help but imagine complexly.
When he finished with Twilight, he moved on to Harry Potter. Then the Hunger Games, then Infinite Jest and The Book Thief. Through the course of the books, the readers saw his highs and his lows, and to a certain extent, watched him heal past wounds. (This is normally something I’d feel presumptuous saying, but he’s said it himself, so I think it’s okay.)
I’ve followed him since those dark days, long ago, when he read the Twilight series. He was an inspiration to me – an adult that not only loved books, but took the time to read and analyze them. I loved him then, and love him even more now, though obviously in a wholly platonic way. Age gap and the whole sexuality thing would cause some problems otherwise.
Mark inspired me to start writing my own reviews, to translate my love of literature into my writing, and to force myself to seriously look at what I was reading. Though I still kind of fail at it, the point is for me to try. And I’m doing it with the knowledge that there might be an audience, so I have to at least attempt to make it good.
I’m off topic now. Point is: Mark is awesome, read his reviews here.
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
— Edgar Allan Poe
This past summer, after having seen the Scott Pilgrim movie, I decided to pick up the graphic novels. Yes, I did things a little backwards, but that happens sometimes. While I was hanging around the graphic novel section at my local Chapters, there was a young man nearby as well – probably about 19, so a bit older than me. He decided to strike up a conversation with me about Scott Pilgrim, and I mentioned the fact that I’d always had the desire to get into the comic/ graphic novel world, but never had because I had no idea where to start. He suggested the Sandman books. While I didn’t buy it right then, I did keep it in mind when I went back to the store after Christmas, gift cards in hand. I only purchased the first one, though I do have plans to get the rest soon enough, and I’ll be sure to review those as well.
I’m very grateful for the recommendation, as I enjoyed this immensely. This volume deals with Dream getting trapped by the power-hungry Burgess, and he’s stuck there for decades, while the rest of the world suffers in their sleep for the lack of his rule. Meanwhile, his tools are stolen and scattered. When he finally escapes his prison, he must go and collect them.
While the art style took some time to get used to (for me, at any rate), I now feel that it works very well for the story.
I’m afraid I don’t have any deep thematic analysis for this. I’m sure there were plenty of thought-provoking themes, I just didn’t look for them. I read this strictly for fun.
I’ve decided to stop doing the number-out-of-ten thing, as it never quite captures how I really feel about the book.
The next book on my list is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
– George Burns
I found this book while wandering around Chapters with some gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. It was on a whim that I picked it up to read the back, especially considering my burning hatred of biology as a class. I ended up buying it, as I thought it would be a light read to distract me from my day to day life. In that, it succeeded.
The story follows Mira Serafino, an exceptional daughter, wife, mother, and schoolteacher who does her best to be perfect. She sees everything crash down around her when her husband Parker admits that he’s become attached to another woman, and Mira’s daughter Thea refuses to talk to her. Mira drives away, northbound, until her car breaks down in Seattle. She finds herself a job at the Cafe at the Center of the Universe, and stays there, trying to figure out what comes next.
Ultimately, this is a book about family. It’s about the complicated relationships that form when you’re related by blood and memories. To a large degree, the book is about finding a new kind of family in the most unexpected of places.
A lot of this book is about expectations. We force our expectations on one another, and become upset when no one else meets our standards. For whatever twisted reason, we expect that everyone can be perfect – the perfect husband, the perfect wife, the perfect daughter. But the truth is that no one’s perfect. We just have to accept one another’s imperfections, and try to imagine one another complexly. (Yep, Nerdfighter here.) There are a few characters in the novel that come to accept this.
I think the ambiguous mostly-happy ending was the perfect way to go for this novel. There’s nothing guaranteed about the future, and the book manages to capture that. The reader has no idea how Mira’s life ultimately wound up, but she learns to love the person she is, and that’s the best happy ending anyone can hope for.
8/10
My next review will be for Preludes & Nocturnes, which is the first volume of Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman. Until then!
“Summer bachelors like summer breezes, are never as cool as they pretend to be.”
— Nora Ephron
I picked this book because I came across a quote from it while wandering the internet:
Everyone can reach back to one summer and lay a finger to it, finding that exact point when everything changed.
Now, this appealed to me. It was the end of a summer where I finally fell for a guy who fell for me back. He became my first kiss. It was also the summer I realized that dating my best guy friend wouldn’t be so terrible. He’s my current boyfriend. Yes, those were two different boys. It got a little complicated, I’ll admit. I won’t go into it now.
In any case, that summer felt like the one from the quote. It felt like the summer when everything changed. Not a huge change, more like a small shift that made everything look a little different, a little brighter.
So I bought a copy of the book for myself, and it sat on my pile for a little while, until now. It finally made it to the top of my pile, and I dove straight in.
That Summer isn’t a long book, coming in at slightly less than 200 pages. It feels like a lot happens within its covers, though. There is a lot of growth for Haven, our protagonist, both physically and emotionally. It’s the summer where everyone else seems to abandon her, and the one person who seems to understand her, comes to hurt her. It’s a book about growing up, and I really appreciate that, being a teen myself.
The book is definitely meant for teens, and isn’t really the type of thing I could picture adults reading. Overall, it’s a good book, and I’d recommend it to anyone in the teen demographic.
7/10
Next on that pile of mine is Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe by Jennie Shortridge.
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
— George Harrison
I’ve always wanted to travel. Mostly to Europe, though anywhere would be nice. I don’t get to do a lot of travelling because of my parents’ jobs and my schooling, but I enjoy what we manage to fit in. While I wait for the time when I can travel on my own, I use books to sate the adventurous side of me.
This is one of those books.
Our protagonist for this book is Ginny (and I do confess I would picture Ginny Weasley in the role, from time to time). She received 13 letters from her runaway aunt, and was instructed to open them one at a time, only after completing the task set out in the last letter. Thanks to these letters, our New Jersey hero takes off for Europe, where she’ll find plenty of adventure, and maybe some romance too.
I enjoyed this book a lot, though I had my issues with the pacing – which is probably how it’s meant to be, considering the plot. As something of a romantic as well as a wannabe traveller, this was definitely suited to my tastes. It provided me with that feeling that any good travel/ adventure book should – somehow managing to both slake my thirst for adventure, and make me want it more. It’s one of those books that makes me want to live, and I appreciate that.
While I’m sure there are plenty of adults who would enjoy this book, I do think it’s better suited to teens. That self-conscious awkwardness that Ginny has going on seems like something you’re supposed to grow out of, not a life-long trait. I could be wrong. It’s not as if I’ve grown up yet.
Overall a good book, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested, and a few travel tips along the way. (Tip: don’t pack squeaky sneakers.)
8/10
The next book on my pile is Sarah Dessen’s That Summer.
A Clever Literary Reference 