2008 Reads

[kingshearte]

1. Fall on Your Knees - Ann Marie MacDonald - Considerably better than I expected. A really well-written, surprisingly un-sensational and un-skeezy account of incest.
2. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving - Didn't really get into it until close to the end, but there's quite a lot to think about in it.
3. The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman - A pretty crazy

Comments

[jane_murder]

I am jealous of how much you read this year.
I absolutely LOVE reading, and every chance I get, I do...it's just those chances don't come around often enough.

We are literary soul mates, lol...there are a TON of books on this list that I've read and have the same opinion as you, or that I've wanted to read and you've convinced me to do it (or NOT do it, lol)

the hunchback of notre dame-I like Les Miserables, but it was hard for me to get through, and I don't know if I want to commit to Hunchback if it's not as good.

the only big difference I saw was Anna Karenina is one of my favoritest books, but I definately get what you're saying...a little less drama, and a little too much social/political/economic commentary that kind of...dried it out in parts?

Oh and since we're talking about russian authors I do have to ask you if you've read Crime and Punishment?

[kingshearte]

You should totally visit my reading journal, too. I go into much more detail about why I feel the ways I do as stated above.

Hunchback I would say is actually a better read then Les Mis was, and much shorter, so it's actually not as much of a commitment. Just intensely depressing. Not as depressing as A Fine Balance, though, which thus far holds the record of the most depressing thing I've ever read. Also worth reading, if you haven't, but oh my sweet jeebus was it depressing.

And Anna Karenina I just found that there was so much other stuff going on that, instead of actually seeing the progression of the relationship, it felt more like we just peeked in on them periodically, and thus jumped from point to point in the relationship without understanding how we got there. I just think the ending would have meant more one way or the other if we'd understood the actual state of Anna and Vronsky's relationship better.

I have not read Crime and Punishment, but it is on the list, so I'll get to it eventually.

[kingshearte]

Oh yeah, and you seriously have to read The Gargoyle.