Reading the Classics

Several years ago, I set a goal for myself to work my way through “the classics,” a bunch of books I should read, for one reason or another.

Last year, I read 5 and abandoned 1. Here’s what I thought of them.

1. Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (abandoned)– This book is supposed to be a love story with beautiful writing. But it’s SO BORING. Nothing happens, as is the way with many classics. I didn’t intend to put it down; I was going to keep attempting to get through it, but I could never bring myself to start reading again. I might try again later. Sometimes I like books better in different moods.
2. Animal Farm, by George Orwell– I have no idea why this took me so long to read. It’s a short book, but also educational, entertaining, and a bit frightening. It perfectly illustrates how power corrupts.
3. Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier– Again, why did this take me so long to get to? It’s a classic gothic horror story but with one amazing twist at the end. I love that the narrator remains largely unnamed. I liked this one enough that I’ll probably reread it at some point.
4. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens– I expected this to be dry and difficult to read, but it was great. It was a surprisingly easy read, with interesting characters. References to this book are everywhere, now that I know what they’re talking about. It’s helpful to know who Fagin, the Artful Dodger, and Nancy are.
5. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding– Okay, technically I did read this in high school, but that was a long time ago, and I didn’t remember much about it. I wanted a refresher, so I read it. I liked it and can see why it’s a classic, but I didn’t love it. Definitely worth reading, and I’m glad I re-read it, but it wasn’t enjoyable.
6. His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass)- These get better as the series goes on. I know some people have a problem with his stance on religion, but I was reading them as books, not as educational texts, so it doesn’t make much difference to me. They were highly entertaining, and I loved the last one.

In the upcoming year, I plan to read 5 more. My tentative list is as follows, but I’m always open to suggestions.

1. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller– I’ve wanted to read this for years. All I know about it is that the catch-22 has something to do with being crazy/ sane and flying combat planes, and that it’s supposed to be funny.
2. The Stand, by Stephen King– This is supposed to be the post-apocalyptic horror story that set the standard. I’m sure I’ll love it, but it’s so long that it’s a bit daunting to start. Still, I write horror and I love post-apocalyptic stuff so I really need to read it.
3. Dune, by Frank Herbert– Another classic of the genre, but really long. This one has been on my list for awhile.
4. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut– This is another book I know very little about, but it’s been on my list for awhile. Interestingly, some friends were talking about it recently, and that solidified it; it has to go on the list.
5. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald– I’m a bit tentative with this one. I didn’t like Tender is the Night, but just because I didn’t like one of his books doesn’t mean I won’t like any. Gatsby is his most recognizable title, so maybe there’s a reason for it? I have no qualms about abandoning it if I hate it.
6. Alternate- Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy– It sounds like a fascinating book, and I’ve never read any Tolstoy. I’m guessing I’ll either love it or hate it.

What do you think of my lists? What do you think of the ones I read in 2017? My 2018 list isn’t set in stone (no reading list ever is), so what do you think of my picks?

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10 Books to Read if You’re the Grinch

Are you tired of Christmas season starting the day after Halloween? Are you tired of talking about presents and gift lists and that creepy Elf on the Shelf thing? Do you just need an escape from tinsel and sappy music?

Have no fear! I’m here to help with an eclectic list of books to allow escape from the holidays. They range from murder and mayhem to family and love (but not the holiday season!). All of them have happy endings though, so read without fear of being bummed out.

1. The In Death books, by JD Robb They’re all fantastic murder mysteries featuring Eve Dallas, her love interest Roarke, and assorted characters that grow and change over the series. Some of them actually do take place over the holidays, but if you haven’t read them before, start at the beginning with Naked in Death. It doesn’t have any holiday mentions whatsoever. There’s romance in every book, but unlike most romance novels, with 40+ books in the series, we get to see what happens after “happily ever after.”
2. Graveminder, by Melissa Marr When Rebekkah’s adopted grandmother dies, she finds out that she’s the one who now has to carry out a peculiar arrangement with death, performing a ritual at every grave to make sure the dead stay dead.
3. There Will Be Lies, by Nick Lake Shelby has lived her whole life protected by her overprotective mother. But when she’s hit by a car and goes to the hospital, she starts to learn secrets about herself and her family. Meanwhile, she starts being transported to the Dreaming, where Coyote asks her to save the world.
4. Ready, Player One, by Ernest Cline Most of my friends who are hardcore gamers or like hard sci-fi had multiple issues with this book, so be warned. I thought it was just a fun, fast read with lots of 80s nostalgia. It’s coming out as a movie next year, so now’s a good time to read it.
5. 600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster An autistic man who’s life is rigid and structured has a run-in with the new neighbor and her son. He starts to realize there’s more to life than routine.
6. Made You Up, by Francesca Zappia I absolutely loved this book, though it’s not without problems. It’s YA, and the main character is struggling with schizophrenia. *It’s not an accurate portrayal of schizophrenia.* But if you overlook that, the book is a lot of fun.
7. Pollyanna, by Eleanor H. Porter This is my go-to pick me up book. Whenever I need a refresher course on optimism, I read this.
8. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, by Bryn Greenwood I pretty recommend this on every list for any reason. But it fills all the promises I made, so you should read it. Everyone should read it.
9. Almost Interesting, by David Spade I’ve never been a huge David Spade fan, but this was funny. He talks about his days in SNL, which was interesting. I listened to the audiobook, which I think made it more enjoyable.
10. Wild, by Cheryl Strayed This fantastic memoir is the reason I now want to someday walk at least part of the Pacific Crest Trail. Cheryl is struggling in her life after a divorce and the death of her mother, so hikes 1,000 miles with little preparation, and learns a lot about herself in the process.

Are you all-in for the holidays, or already over it?

Book Challenges 2018

I acquired a lot of books in the last year and read still more from the library. Part of the reason for this was that I did the Popsugar challenge for 2017, and probably due to poor planning on my part, I had to get a lot of the books in order to complete the challenge.

I read and planned as I went along, which is why, of the 52 books on the list, I have 6 left to read with less than a month left in 2017. (Yikes! But I’m pretty sure I can do it… wish me luck.)

I like some things about book challenges, and dislike other things. But I’m going to participate in two challenges for 2018: the Popsugar challenge and the While I Was Reading challenge.

This time around, I’m going to give myself an extra layer of challenge (that I think will actually make it easier). I’m going to plan all the books to read ahead of time, and I’m going to try to read books I already own. There are some categories for which that won’t be possible. (Nordic noir, anyone?)

Here’s my list of books and categories. If you see any blank categories, feel free to suggest books.

Wish me luck; I think it’s going to be a great way to cull my shelves. Hopefully I’ll find some books to donate and some I love and want to keep.

Are you doing any book challenges for 2018?

Remembering What I Read

One of the people in one of my book clubs commented that she usually doesn’t remember many details from what she reads. It surprised me, because I assumed that everyone was like me and remembered details from the stories. I remember names, places, plots, etc. if I like the book. If I don’t like it, I don’t remember it as well.

Getting perspectives on how other people read is always interesting for me. To me, part of the fun of reading is going back and thinking over parts I loved, thinking about the characters as if they were real people I met for coffee, and maybe flipping through to find sections I loved.

It’s not unusual for me to think about a book, and read an “abridged” version of it, skimming and flipping through to only revisit my favorite parts.

For people who don’t remember details, it seems to be more about the experience of reading. They enjoy going on that journey, and whether they remember every bit of it is irrelevant. They had fun, and that’s all that matters.

For me, it’s not like that. If I can’t remember details from a book I liked, it will frustrate me, and I’ll have to go back and reread. I’ve actually done that when I know someone else is reading a book I like. I’ll reread the book in hopes that we can have a detailed and interesting discussion about it.

Do you remember details of books (or movies) you liked, or do you just remember generalities?

My Reading Habits

This was a fun little quiz I found online.

READING HABITS

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?  Not really. I’ll read anywhere I can see the page. That includes while sitting, standing, walking, playing with the dogs, cooking, eating, etc.

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?  Anything that’s at hand. Receipts, fortunes from fortune cookies, post-its, random papers. I do have bookmarks though. I just mostly misplace them. Or leave them in the book when I’m done.

3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter?  If I love the book, stopping anywhere is hard, but I can make myself do it at the end of a chapter. If I’m not as into it, I can stop anywhere.

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?  Um, yes. Reading is life.

5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?  Sort of. If I’m really into the book, I hear nothing that’s going on around me. I’m not usually watching the TV though; that’s my husband.

6. One book at a time or several at once?  It depends. If I’m not that into the book, I might start another one at the same time. But if I’m really into it, I have trouble even putting it down.

7. Reading at home or everywhere? One time, a coworker told everyone she saw me reading while I was crossing the street. In fairness, it wasn’t like a busy street or anything.

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?  Silently. Shhh!

9. Do you read ahead or skip pages?  No! Who even does that? (I might look ahead to see where the chapter ends, but I’m not reading it.)

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?  Break it! Wear marks = love.

11. Do you write in your books?  Yes! I write, highlight. I don’t worry about smudges or marks. Again, imperfections are signs of affection in my book. (See what I did there?)

BONUS QUESTIONS

1. When do you find yourself reading? Morning, afternoon, evening, when you get a chance or all the time?  Reading is life.

2. What is your best setting to read in?  A setting where no one is attempting to talk to me. Getting arrested because I murdered the person who wouldn’t stop talking to me would really slow down my reading.

3. What do you do first – Read or Watch?  In general, I prefer to read first. But I’ve been introduced to some really great books by watching a show or movie and seeing that there’s a book.

4. What form do you prefer? Audiobook, eBook, or phsyical book?  I prefer a physical book, but I’ll go for an eBook if I need a quick fix. Or if I’m on vacation and don’t want to carry 8,000 pounds of books with me. I just started reading audiobooks, and they’re pretty cool. I can read while doing chores or driving.

5. Do you have a unique habit when you read?  Is getting covered in cats unique?

6. Do book series have to match?  I really prefer it, but I’m not going to stress if they don’t.

 

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