Book It 2006/2007 - #16 to #29
This is turning out to be nothing more than a personal goal now... -_-; Because no one will be able to read these to get a good idea of whether they should bother to check them out, or not.
I've also changed the tag from 2006, to 2006/2007 because there were books that were carried over during the winter break. Anyway.
[Book Sixteen]
Book Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Speculative Fiction
# of pages: 320
Summary: The main character, Offred, is a handmaid. In this new society, fertile women become nothing more than carrier of babies for older couple of rich and higher status. They have no identity, only belonging to the men who own them. I wish I would say more but the book is too complicated for me to sum up properly. Read here.
Thoughts: Throughout the book, we are slowly revealed Offred's world. It's similar to Oryx and Crake-- [bits of spoiler concerning O&C now] we're in the present, but the past is slowly unfolded, revealing things that lead up to the present. Reasons aren't really told, about how the current society is created, unlike in O&C. Of course, the main characters are standing in two different positions-- Offred is only a by stander, where as Snowman was Crake's best friend. Because Offred is not Moira, her passivity and acceptance of things annoys me as a reader. Even though I understand where she's coming from, her personality doesn't let her stand above the rest. Even from the beginning, we learn that Offred (who's real name we never learn) and Luke got together because they were having an affair!
All in all, a fairly "OK" book. It doesn't grab my attention as well as O&C did, nor was it entertaining, but it grabs your attention enough as a dystopia.
*****
[Book Seventeen]
Book Title: The Lives of Christopher Chant
Author: DWJ
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 320
Summary: Really, everything you'll need to know can all be found on Amazon's web page here. So why bother. :P
Thoughts: I was recommended this title by kuali so I checked it out. The only other Chrestomanci books I've read prior to this one was Witch Weekly (which I thought was "meh" at best), and Conrad's Fate (which I liked much more). I have only read a few of her books so I can't come up with a good comparison, but this was as equally enjoyable as Conrad's Fate. Millie seemed like a spoiled little rich girl until you learn about her role.
*****
[Book Eighteen]
Book Title: The Eyre Affair
Author: Jasper Fforde
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 384
Summary: Check out Amazon please, thanks.
Thoughts: Entertaining take on the whole "alternate universe" view. The book is very well written, and there appears to be a lot of research done here and there-- except a lot of the references are lost on me. I was never a huge reader with classic books, and what would have been interesting cross-overs with characters of a variety of novels, were but introductions to new characters. Wonderful use of footnotes. (Although I think the best use of footnotes ever done is for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.)
*****
[Book Nineteen]
Book Title: Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: Er, I'm not quite sure. Fiction? I've seen it tagged as Classic as well.
# of pages: 336
Summary: Humbert Humbert, a middle age European man, falls in love with a 12 year old, and promptly engages in all sorts of planning to capture her for himself.
Thoughts: Because there were all sorts of mixed review about this book, I decided to check it out for myself. I can honestly say that most of it went over my head. I had to read spark notes to figure out why people thought of this book as positive as they did. There was too many details for me, personally. His comments constantly brought me back to the present, which I had assumed, was in a courtroom in front of a jury. Dolores, or Lolita as he called her, was sort of a pitiable character. He really made her out to be a seductress, which would be completely opposite of what any normal person would think, given the situation. In addition, Humbert was given very human qualities, fears, and reaction (in general, when things were associated with Lo). Overall, too complicated for my tiny brain to handle. But I can see how well planned each event was, that lead up to the conclusion of this detective story.
*****
[Book Twenty]
Book Title: Lost in a Good Book
Author: Jasper Fforde
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 371
Summary: Amazon
Thoughts: Book two in the Thursday Next series. Just as good as the first one, nothing more to say really... if you liked the first one, there's really no need to tell you to read the second one. It just naturally... occurs.
*****
[Book Twenty-Two] (*note: book 21 was written in a separate, earlier, entry)
Book Title: Cirque du Freak
Author: Darren Shan
Genre: Horror
# of pages: 247
Summary: Amazon
Thoughts: Personally, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. Maybe because I'm not very interested in vampires and horror stories-- sci fi and horror can either work or not, for me. Unfortunately, this didn't work on me. I had to force myself to finish reading this book, if only to add a book #22 to the list. (>_<;;
*****
[Book Twenty-Three]
Book Title: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Author: Susanna Clarke
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 1024
Summary: Amazon; in this case I'm directing to Amazon because the comments are also quite helpful if you're worried about not being able to go through a book the size of a brick.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book a lot. It was extremely well written, and you can tell the author did a lot of research before hand. It's been called the adult-version-of-Harry-Potter, but I don't see it that way. Especially since Harry Potter has turned into a book for general audience anyway. If I was to compare the two though, Harry Potter is lot more "fantasy" than JS&MN is. The second is more about research and history. I originally had a lot of though on this book when I first finished it (sometime in Dec I think?), but I can't remember them anymore. I just wish the film would come out soon, I'm dying to see someones interpretation on it.
Random links I did come across (more for personal reference though), when I finished reading the book.
* Emerald City
* The Hindu
* FT.com
* Tea Leaves
* Crooked Timber Seminar
* JS&MN in 50 book challenge
* Swapping Tales Random but! amusing comments on the format of the book itself, and not so much the story. :D
Copied/pasted from above link:
"At any rate," interrupts Prasad, "We were thinking that it was nice to have a book with footnotes and an appendix with a mathematical proof --"
"Yeah," I say uncertainly. "Though sometimes -- in other books -- that footnote thing is a real problem."
"How is that?" Prasad asks before Joe can stop him.
"Well," I say. "for example, I found it difficult to know what to do with footnotes in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I mean, do you read all the text and go back to the footnotes later, or do you break the stream of narrative to read them?"
"We liked that book," says Prasad. "Though it isn't heavy with narrative drive."
"It's just heavy," says John. "She coulda used an editor."
"And then, if you do the latter," I go on, "what do you do with the bookmark?"
"Bookmark?" Jay asks.
"At least one of the footnotes was four pages long," I say. "If you leave a page midway through to follow a footnote that's four pages long, where do you put the bookmark if you decide to go to sleep in the middle of reading the footnote?"
They obviously had not considered this problem, because their little faces are filled with something that looks a lot like awe. As they sit trying worry their way through my little nugget of wisdom, I watch one of the squirrels return to playing in the trees. Three-quarters of his tail are missing, perhaps chomped by some stray coyote. We call him Nub-butt.
"Actually," Prasad finally says. "We're more interested in the study of magic presented as serious study, like history or science."
"Although we would like to have seen more magical interaction with the animal kingdom," Jeb adds.
Other links:
- Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: 21 Great Reads for the 21st Century
- 3 volume box set (Hur. This is probably what I'd like to own, if I ever want to save up.)
*****
[Book Twenty-Four]
Book Title: Educating Alice
Author: Alice Steinbach
Genre: Bibliography
# of pages: 304
Summary: Each chapter is a story about a place she visited. The author has traveled to many different cities, and tried many different things.
Thoughts: What I like about her is the way she tries to step outside of the whole "tourist feel" of traveling. Rather than go with tour groups and learn what any tourist should know or visit, she takes trips around back alleys and visits ordinary homes. She tries to see the "true" side of each city she stays in, and not only eat up the tourist package she's fed. An entertaining book if you're bored.
*****
[Book Twenty-Five]
Book Title: The Deserter: Murder at Gettysburg
Author: Jane Langton
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 256
Summary: Amazon; false characters in a story based on a true historical event.
Thoughts: I don't really have much to say about this book... but wars are bad, and I still don't understand why people should be forced into fighting. If the soldier lacks a fighting spirit, the job will only be half done (if started at all). Being a soldier is a profession, but it didn't sound like it then; rather it was more like a job forced on you when your country called it. Sadly, it seems like that kind of thing is still going on around the world... (Sorry, this isn't much though on the book itself. I'm very anti-war so that's probably why I got off-track.) Interesting read, even if I have never read any of the other books in the series.
*****
[Book Twenty-Six]
Book Title: The Big Over Easy
Author: Jasper Fforde
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 416
Summary: Amazon; Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Detectives Jack Spratt and Mary Mary solves the case; was it suicide or murder?
Thoughts: I think this is even better than his Thursday Next series, if possibly because I know my nursery rhymes. Well written with a number of cross-overs. I can't possibly do justice in saying how entertaining and witty the book is, so just read it and find out.
*****
[Book Twenty-Seven]
Book Title: The Devil Wears Prada
Author: Laura
Genre: Fiction
# of pages:
Summary: Is there anyone out there who doesn't know this title? Or the plot? Because there's always... Amazon. :D
Thoughts: Entertaining and funny but painful at the same time.
[MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD]
.
.
.
Between the novel and the movie, I think the novel was much more detailed in getting ideas and feelings across, but the ending was more brutal. After everything fell apart, bits and pieces were being gathered at the end, and good things happened, but I guess I spoiled myself by watching the film first. It's not a bad ending, but it sort of trailed off a bit, for me. I hope my first job will be nothing like it. (O_O) Because that's just scary.
*****
[Book Twenty-Eight]
Book Title: Densha Otoko
Author: Hitori Nakano
Genre: ?? I don't know... non-fiction?
# of pages: 416
Summary: This page tells it a lot better than I ever could.
Thoughts: Interesting to see the original transcript of the chat that spawned a drama, a movie, a novel, and a comic book series. I think, only if you have seen the drama, would you enjoy this. Otherwise, it's just boring. I mean, all you're really doing, is reading a transcript...
*****
[Book Twenty-Nine]
Book Title: Missing Pieces
Author: Joy Fielding
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 477
Summary: Amazon, watch out for spoilers.
Thoughts: Terrible. I can't read these kind of novels-- the kind of novel that seem to be written for older women who have nothing better to do than to sit at home and read them-- and I don't recommend it for anyone. Don't read it! Unless you want to. Then I have nothing more to say. (=_=;
I've also changed the tag from 2006, to 2006/2007 because there were books that were carried over during the winter break. Anyway.
[Book Sixteen]
Book Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Speculative Fiction
# of pages: 320
Summary: The main character, Offred, is a handmaid. In this new society, fertile women become nothing more than carrier of babies for older couple of rich and higher status. They have no identity, only belonging to the men who own them. I wish I would say more but the book is too complicated for me to sum up properly. Read here.
Thoughts: Throughout the book, we are slowly revealed Offred's world. It's similar to Oryx and Crake-- [bits of spoiler concerning O&C now] we're in the present, but the past is slowly unfolded, revealing things that lead up to the present. Reasons aren't really told, about how the current society is created, unlike in O&C. Of course, the main characters are standing in two different positions-- Offred is only a by stander, where as Snowman was Crake's best friend. Because Offred is not Moira, her passivity and acceptance of things annoys me as a reader. Even though I understand where she's coming from, her personality doesn't let her stand above the rest. Even from the beginning, we learn that Offred (who's real name we never learn) and Luke got together because they were having an affair!
All in all, a fairly "OK" book. It doesn't grab my attention as well as O&C did, nor was it entertaining, but it grabs your attention enough as a dystopia.
*****
[Book Seventeen]
Book Title: The Lives of Christopher Chant
Author: DWJ
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 320
Summary: Really, everything you'll need to know can all be found on Amazon's web page here. So why bother. :P
Thoughts: I was recommended this title by kuali so I checked it out. The only other Chrestomanci books I've read prior to this one was Witch Weekly (which I thought was "meh" at best), and Conrad's Fate (which I liked much more). I have only read a few of her books so I can't come up with a good comparison, but this was as equally enjoyable as Conrad's Fate. Millie seemed like a spoiled little rich girl until you learn about her role.
*****
[Book Eighteen]
Book Title: The Eyre Affair
Author: Jasper Fforde
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 384
Summary: Check out Amazon please, thanks.
Thoughts: Entertaining take on the whole "alternate universe" view. The book is very well written, and there appears to be a lot of research done here and there-- except a lot of the references are lost on me. I was never a huge reader with classic books, and what would have been interesting cross-overs with characters of a variety of novels, were but introductions to new characters. Wonderful use of footnotes. (Although I think the best use of footnotes ever done is for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.)
*****
[Book Nineteen]
Book Title: Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: Er, I'm not quite sure. Fiction? I've seen it tagged as Classic as well.
# of pages: 336
Summary: Humbert Humbert, a middle age European man, falls in love with a 12 year old, and promptly engages in all sorts of planning to capture her for himself.
Thoughts: Because there were all sorts of mixed review about this book, I decided to check it out for myself. I can honestly say that most of it went over my head. I had to read spark notes to figure out why people thought of this book as positive as they did. There was too many details for me, personally. His comments constantly brought me back to the present, which I had assumed, was in a courtroom in front of a jury. Dolores, or Lolita as he called her, was sort of a pitiable character. He really made her out to be a seductress, which would be completely opposite of what any normal person would think, given the situation. In addition, Humbert was given very human qualities, fears, and reaction (in general, when things were associated with Lo). Overall, too complicated for my tiny brain to handle. But I can see how well planned each event was, that lead up to the conclusion of this detective story.
*****
[Book Twenty]
Book Title: Lost in a Good Book
Author: Jasper Fforde
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 371
Summary: Amazon
Thoughts: Book two in the Thursday Next series. Just as good as the first one, nothing more to say really... if you liked the first one, there's really no need to tell you to read the second one. It just naturally... occurs.
*****
[Book Twenty-Two] (*note: book 21 was written in a separate, earlier, entry)
Book Title: Cirque du Freak
Author: Darren Shan
Genre: Horror
# of pages: 247
Summary: Amazon
Thoughts: Personally, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. Maybe because I'm not very interested in vampires and horror stories-- sci fi and horror can either work or not, for me. Unfortunately, this didn't work on me. I had to force myself to finish reading this book, if only to add a book #22 to the list. (>_<;;
*****
[Book Twenty-Three]
Book Title: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Author: Susanna Clarke
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 1024
Summary: Amazon; in this case I'm directing to Amazon because the comments are also quite helpful if you're worried about not being able to go through a book the size of a brick.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book a lot. It was extremely well written, and you can tell the author did a lot of research before hand. It's been called the adult-version-of-Harry-Potter, but I don't see it that way. Especially since Harry Potter has turned into a book for general audience anyway. If I was to compare the two though, Harry Potter is lot more "fantasy" than JS&MN is. The second is more about research and history. I originally had a lot of though on this book when I first finished it (sometime in Dec I think?), but I can't remember them anymore. I just wish the film would come out soon, I'm dying to see someones interpretation on it.
Random links I did come across (more for personal reference though), when I finished reading the book.
* Emerald City
* The Hindu
* FT.com
* Tea Leaves
* Crooked Timber Seminar
* JS&MN in 50 book challenge
* Swapping Tales Random but! amusing comments on the format of the book itself, and not so much the story. :D
Copied/pasted from above link:
"At any rate," interrupts Prasad, "We were thinking that it was nice to have a book with footnotes and an appendix with a mathematical proof --"
"Yeah," I say uncertainly. "Though sometimes -- in other books -- that footnote thing is a real problem."
"How is that?" Prasad asks before Joe can stop him.
"Well," I say. "for example, I found it difficult to know what to do with footnotes in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I mean, do you read all the text and go back to the footnotes later, or do you break the stream of narrative to read them?"
"We liked that book," says Prasad. "Though it isn't heavy with narrative drive."
"It's just heavy," says John. "She coulda used an editor."
"And then, if you do the latter," I go on, "what do you do with the bookmark?"
"Bookmark?" Jay asks.
"At least one of the footnotes was four pages long," I say. "If you leave a page midway through to follow a footnote that's four pages long, where do you put the bookmark if you decide to go to sleep in the middle of reading the footnote?"
They obviously had not considered this problem, because their little faces are filled with something that looks a lot like awe. As they sit trying worry their way through my little nugget of wisdom, I watch one of the squirrels return to playing in the trees. Three-quarters of his tail are missing, perhaps chomped by some stray coyote. We call him Nub-butt.
"Actually," Prasad finally says. "We're more interested in the study of magic presented as serious study, like history or science."
"Although we would like to have seen more magical interaction with the animal kingdom," Jeb adds.
Other links:
- Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: 21 Great Reads for the 21st Century
- 3 volume box set (Hur. This is probably what I'd like to own, if I ever want to save up.)
*****
[Book Twenty-Four]
Book Title: Educating Alice
Author: Alice Steinbach
Genre: Bibliography
# of pages: 304
Summary: Each chapter is a story about a place she visited. The author has traveled to many different cities, and tried many different things.
Thoughts: What I like about her is the way she tries to step outside of the whole "tourist feel" of traveling. Rather than go with tour groups and learn what any tourist should know or visit, she takes trips around back alleys and visits ordinary homes. She tries to see the "true" side of each city she stays in, and not only eat up the tourist package she's fed. An entertaining book if you're bored.
*****
[Book Twenty-Five]
Book Title: The Deserter: Murder at Gettysburg
Author: Jane Langton
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 256
Summary: Amazon; false characters in a story based on a true historical event.
Thoughts: I don't really have much to say about this book... but wars are bad, and I still don't understand why people should be forced into fighting. If the soldier lacks a fighting spirit, the job will only be half done (if started at all). Being a soldier is a profession, but it didn't sound like it then; rather it was more like a job forced on you when your country called it. Sadly, it seems like that kind of thing is still going on around the world... (Sorry, this isn't much though on the book itself. I'm very anti-war so that's probably why I got off-track.) Interesting read, even if I have never read any of the other books in the series.
*****
[Book Twenty-Six]
Book Title: The Big Over Easy
Author: Jasper Fforde
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 416
Summary: Amazon; Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Detectives Jack Spratt and Mary Mary solves the case; was it suicide or murder?
Thoughts: I think this is even better than his Thursday Next series, if possibly because I know my nursery rhymes. Well written with a number of cross-overs. I can't possibly do justice in saying how entertaining and witty the book is, so just read it and find out.
*****
[Book Twenty-Seven]
Book Title: The Devil Wears Prada
Author: Laura
Genre: Fiction
# of pages:
Summary: Is there anyone out there who doesn't know this title? Or the plot? Because there's always... Amazon. :D
Thoughts: Entertaining and funny but painful at the same time.
[MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD]
.
.
.
Between the novel and the movie, I think the novel was much more detailed in getting ideas and feelings across, but the ending was more brutal. After everything fell apart, bits and pieces were being gathered at the end, and good things happened, but I guess I spoiled myself by watching the film first. It's not a bad ending, but it sort of trailed off a bit, for me. I hope my first job will be nothing like it. (O_O) Because that's just scary.
*****
[Book Twenty-Eight]
Book Title: Densha Otoko
Author: Hitori Nakano
Genre: ?? I don't know... non-fiction?
# of pages: 416
Summary: This page tells it a lot better than I ever could.
Thoughts: Interesting to see the original transcript of the chat that spawned a drama, a movie, a novel, and a comic book series. I think, only if you have seen the drama, would you enjoy this. Otherwise, it's just boring. I mean, all you're really doing, is reading a transcript...
*****
[Book Twenty-Nine]
Book Title: Missing Pieces
Author: Joy Fielding
Genre: Fiction
# of pages: 477
Summary: Amazon, watch out for spoilers.
Thoughts: Terrible. I can't read these kind of novels-- the kind of novel that seem to be written for older women who have nothing better to do than to sit at home and read them-- and I don't recommend it for anyone. Don't read it! Unless you want to. Then I have nothing more to say. (=_=;