Behold, the thing that reads a lot

New blog!

2010-10-23T15:13:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted regularly on this blog for well over a year. I am done with book blogging, but feel free to follow me on my new blog, mycalling.weebly.com

This site is dedicated to my journey as a journalist. I have pages for my published writing and I have a blog to document the process.

If you know someone or are a journalism blogger, let me know! The most valuable part of book blogging for me was finding the community.

I will still regularly check up on this blog to see comments and to finish up the We Didn't Start the Fire Challenge that I started.

BTT: Illustrations

2010-03-11T14:28:00.005-05:00

"How do you feel about illustrations in your books? Graphs? Photos? Sketches?"

I'm all for illustrations and graphs and such in certain cirumstances. In some types of books, they are really innapropriate and unnecessary.

Illustrations are good when:
-They help break up endless texbook reading

-They fit with the quirkiness and informality of the book. I have several unconventional devotional books that have little doodles in the margins and have words circled and such. this is perfect!
-You wouldn't be able to understand the book without the illustration or graph.

Illustrations are bad when:
-You are so engrossed in the story that it takes your attention away from it.
-The chart is placed in the middle of s sentence so you don't know whether to read the rest of the page then read the chart or read right there.
-They ask questions about the book or recap what was already said. Just ask the question in the text of the book! I don't need a little box.

Review: The Red Tent

2010-03-08T16:38:00.002-05:00

By Anita Diamant
321 pages

Plot in a nutshell: The retelling of the story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah in the Bible.

Review in a nutshell: I couldn’t put the book down, but wanted to because it seemed like the author was trying to challenge everything I believe about the Bible. Maybe I’m just paranoid.

This book was great, but so great that I am scared to pick up another book for fear that the new book won’t be very good.

The Red Tent tells the story of Jacob’s family through the eyes of Dinah, the only daughter mentioned in the Bible that is born of Jacob. Dinah’s story is told in Genesis 34. Dinah’s story is one of the longer stories in the Bible about a woman. It was interesting to read this fictionalized account.

The book starts out before Dinah is even born. Dinah tells of how Jacob married four sisters. The reader can tell from the start that the major theme of the novel is sex and childbearing. This book is really sexual. It’s almost like Judy Blume’s Forever, only with Bible characters.

Because the book starts with a detailed ancestry, it is hard to keep track of all the characters. There are so many servants and wives and friends and cousins that it is impossible to remember them all. The important characters show up pretty much constantly, though. But most of the names are hard because they are foreign sounding.

Like The Jewel of Medina, I think Diamant was trying to make some scandalous statement about the Bible by writing The Red Tent. The book suggests even though Jacob worshipped God, that there was a lot of other pagan things going on at the same time in his family.

I felt like I was reading something dirty and bad when I read this. I don’t want to be naïve enough to say that the Bible is perfect and nothing bad happened in it. I know it isn’t true, but to suggest that everyone was horny all the time is really uncomfortable for me in so many ways.

In the end, Joseph is portrayed in a pretty negative light as well. Joseph is one of the people I really admire in the Bible and that was probably the biggest problem I had.

Other than those issues, Diamant has a writing style that makes it impossible to put the book down. You know a lot of what is going to happen in the book, but you still want to read on further.

This is one of those books to read if you are in a reading slump and just need something you don’t want to stop reading. For me, I love and hate it at the same time.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2010-02-28T12:43:00.003-05:00

Wooo! I finished a book! On top of working and school and having a crazy life, I finished a book that wasn't required!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was the perfect thing to get me back in the reading game. It is a short and quick read.

I know this book has been reviewed countless times, which is one of the reasons I picked it up from the library. I have read so much holocaust lit, but this book was very different!

It never really mentioned the terrors of the concentration camps, but we all know. This was a type of irony that I have never seen before and really enjoyed. I loved how different this book was and how it crammed so much in a short period of time!

I started reading the Red Tent as well. This one will take me much longer, but I'm already finding myself falling into my old habit of telling myself one more chapter and that turns in to three or four and I don't get to sleep until late!

I've gotten into the practice of not going back to my room at all during my hour and a half long lunch break between classes. I spend the time in the library. I rented out a cubicle of my own in the periodicals section where I will read USA today, do a little bit of homework and read books. I love my lunchtime routine.

I am once again in awe of the library here. I discovered a whole section of the library I hadn't really seen before. It is so cozy and a great place to hid and study, read the newspaper, or read books! I'm spending so much time in the library. I guess this isn't a bad thing because only good things can happen in a library. I checked out five books this week :)

In other news, I wrote my first real piece for the school newspaper. It got on the front page! If you want to read my article on how my school has responded to the earthquake in Haiti, it is here: http://media.www.messiahsb.com/media/storage/paper1242/news/2010/02/11/News/Messiah.College.Responds.To.The.Haiti.Disaster-3865968.shtml

My semester is really rough. I am taking one less class than I did last semester but I'm doing twice as much work and getting lower grades. It doesn't help that I'm taking a science class with a whole bunch of bio/pre-med majors! Other than my tough classes, I'm loving this semester. This is the first weekend in 8 weeks that I haven't had crazy fun plans with friends all weekend. It was nice to relax.

The not wrap-up post

2009-12-31T18:01:00.002-05:00

I've decided I'm not going to do a 2009 wrap-up post. This year was an amazing year for me in everything except reading. Even my three week Christmas vacation did not bring as much reading as I thought. In order to keep from being filled with sadness and regret, I'm just going to go on and pretend the book blogging world is not resetting their challenges and how many books they've read for a new year. The first half of my reading year was fantastic.

I started this blog in the first place to challenge myself to read different kinds of books, read as much as I can, and write reviews so I can look back and remember what I read more easily. I've done all of these things. Just because I am disappointed that I didn't get as much reading done as crazy people like Eva has, I shouldn't get hard on myself.

Instead of telling how many books I've read this year, let's focus on the positives. Here are my favorite reads of this year.

A Prayer For Owen Meany (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/12/review-prayer-for-owen-meany.html) One of the best books I've ever read. I had to read it for a class this semester. I'll never forget this book!

The Jewel of Medina (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/05/review-jewel-of-medina.html) I'm really resisting adding this to my rereading list! I suggested that my mom buy it on her Kindle which she got for Christmas.

The Road (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/04/review-road-by-cormac-mccarthy.html) Reading my review on this book again makes ME want to read it again! Oh boy...

Do Hard Things I didn't write an actual review on this, but this book has popped up many times in my everyday conversation and a handful of blog posts.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/01/tree-grows-in-brooklyn-by-betty-smith.html) I actually started rereading this but didn't have the time. I'll probably pick it back up to finish rereading it during J-term.

We Didn't Start the Fire Challenge 2010: Post your reviews here!

2009-12-30T10:28:00.002-05:00

Post a link to any reviews you write for this challenge or and posts related to the challenge (booklists, etc). I will put a link to this post in the sidebar of my blog so it will be handy through the rest of the year.

This challenge is open to anyone at any time, as long as you make a commitment and stick to it! 2010 hasn't evenn started so there is still time to join if you haven't already. Read more about it in my original post http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/12/we-didnt-start-fire-challenge-2010.html

Revolutions by Justin Calderone: Thoughts

2009-12-22T14:36:00.002-05:00

(From bn.com)

Revolutions is a book of contemporary poetry about beginnings and endings, the realization that there cannot be day without night. The poems in Revolutions are not written in traditional poetry format; they are closer to song lyrics than standar poetry, and the way the words are used and spelled are vital to the context of the poem. Written in diary form, Revolutions is about small things in life that affect us the most and the memories that we carry forever. It is a contemporary poetry book of hopes, dreams, prayers, love, loss and wishes. Revolutions is written right now about yesterday and today. And tomorrow.

Revolutions by Justin Calderone is a diary of poems. Calderone writes a poem whenever the mood strikes for two years, which turns into this book of poetry.

Revolutions is the purest poetry I have seen. Calderone does not title his poems. In his introduction, he states “These poems are what you think they are.” Usually when we read poetry, we feel this pressure to find the deeper meaning to every little thing in the poem, which sometimes takes away some things you shouldn’t. This is why I don’t have a big appreciation for poetry. Some poetry is better off being analyzed, but a lot of it just needs to be read and soaked in. Calderone invited us all to soak in his very conversational style of poetry.

Unlike many poets, Calderone does not edit his poems much. He says he can’t go back and edit days later because he is a different person than when he first read the poem. You are reading it just as it comes out of his mind.

This book of poetry is perfect for someone who wants to enjoy poetry but doesn’t exactly want to pick up Shakespeare’s sonnets or some Emily Dickinson. The poems read like song lyrics and move along quickly. Every so often, a line will pop out that is extremely clever or deep, just like what would happen if you were listening to music.

One of my favorite stanzas appears near the beginning of the book, on page 5.

If I tell you that I’m going

Then you know I’m already gone

If I tell you that I’m singing

Then I’m already in the song

If I tell you that I love you

Then my love is twice as strong

This is what poetry should be. It should be easy to enjoy, not pressure the reader, and leave the reader wanting more. I just finished a class this semester where 2/3 of it was poetry. Even though I was on poetry overload and I didn’t want to read another poem for a couple years, Revolutions found its way into my life.

Winter-you’re one old man-who moves faster than me-See-I stop for the cold-But you’re too old

(p26)

The book ends with a bang. The last poem is the only poem with a title. It is also more personal than the rest of the poems in the book. Calderone is more specific to what the past two years were like for him.

These years have killed me

These years have thrilled me

I touched Heaven

And burned in Hell

I cried myself to sleep

In that soul crying way

Every night

Just to hear someone say

That they love me too.

(p77)

Anthem by Ayn Rand: Thoughts

2009-12-21T10:48:00.002-05:00

Don’t judge a book by its author. That’s what I learned from reading Ayn Rand’s Anthem. I read The Fountainhead earlier this year and did not enjoy it at all. My friend Becky loves The Fountainhead so much she inspired me to give Ayn Rand another shot, so I picked up Anthem.

Anthem is like The Giver by Lois Lowry and 1984 by George Orwell made a really good book baby. The good parts of each book are combined in Anthem to form what I think is the best politically paranoid book I have read. (Politically paranoid is what I call books like Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Animal Farm, etc)

Anthem takes place in a world where people are assigned their occupations, reproduction is highly controlled, and the word “I” is unheard of. People are numbers and basically robots. Anthem is told through the eyes of a street sweeper who violates all the rules of his society and hides in a tunnel to write and conduct experiments. He meets a peasant girl who he calls the Golden One. Together, the violate everything their society values, the communal life.

My big thing against The Fountainhead was that it took hundreds of pages to say what could have been said in about 200. Anthem solves this problem. There is a powerful deeper message with a page-turning story all within about 120 pages. When life is crazy, we sometime have to rely on short novels to satisfy our cravings. Anthem is a wonderful choice. It crams so much into its small length. Love, Danger, Philosophy, and more.

The Sunday Salon: Where I get back in the groove!

2009-12-20T13:35:00.003-05:00

I've finished two books since I went on break on Wednesday! This is the most pleasure reading I have done since before I started working at camp in June!

I started with a reread of a book I know I like and would finish so I would get back in the groove of reading. Reading textbooks is different from reading novels. You can skim textbooks, but not novels, so I want to reset my ways of reading by readng As I Have Loved You by Nikki Arana again. I read it for the first time around this time last year and loved it. It spoke to me again in a whole new way. Two of the major issues in the book I am dealing with right now and it really made me think about how I am dealing with those things in my life. Read my quick thoughts on it here: http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2008/12/as-i-have-loved-you-by-nikki-arana.html (The author even commented on the post! It made me so excited at the time!)

I started and finished Anthem by Ayn Rand yesterday. I read The Fountainhead earlier this year and didn't really like it. It was one of those books that took hundreds of pages to say what it could have said just fine in half the length. Anthem was refreshing. It was like the good parts of 1984 and The Giver combined together. I really enjoyed it, but you'll have to wait to see how much I enjoyed it until I write a seperate post on it!

I am doing most of my reading in a new spot. It is perfect! We moved to a new house in September, so I really haven't spent too much time in it because I go to school three hours away. My new spot is by huge windows where I can see all the snow we got yesterday, has a good windowsil to lay down my books and a cup of tea, and the most comfy ikea chair ever!

I'm in the middle of two other books and I am about to start a third, probably even more after I pick up more books from the library. The library in this new town is TINY, so I am fully relying on interlibrary loan!

Christmas reading plan!

2009-12-15T12:01:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow at 6:00pm I will be done with finals. Today is my last written finals, but tomorrow I go home! My big plans include going to a camp party and READING! YES!!

I just went crazy and interlibrary loaned a whole bunch of books. I had an orderly list of books I wanted to read over my three week break, but I expanded some. Here's what is in my pile for my break!

The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare
Revolutions by Justin Calderone
The Lovely Bones
Anthem by Ayn rand
The Testament by John Grisham
The Pact by Jodi Picouly
Juniper Tree Burning by Goldberry Long
Special Topics in calamity Physics
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Unhooked by Laura Stepp
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (reread if I have time)

Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany

2009-12-07T19:42:00.002-05:00

I don't even know how to describe it! This book was fantastic and refreshing and challenging and I just want to tell everyone I meet about it. There is so much depth to this novel that if you read it over and over again you would still feel you could juice more literary goodness out of it, yet you would still feel like you are good friends with the characters. This is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time.

All the synopses on the book fail to capture even the slightest bit about this novel. In general, this is a coming of age novel told from Owen's best friend John's point of view. John writes after all the events of the novel have happened and he is a cynical middle aged man. John says Owen is the reason he believes in God, but does not have a solid relationship with his religious beliefs. His religious actions are actually quite contradictory. Owen is a short little guy with a terrifying voice and is crazy smart. Owen is willing to do anything for John, including stay back a grade so he can be in the same grade as John.

It amazed me how much symbolism and motifs there are. It is a diamond mine of themes and motifs and things to think deeply about. That is the main reason why I love this book. Most novels I have read make you struggle to read between the lines, but A Prayer For Owen Meany makes it easy because all the little symbols and things are extremely important to the story. John Irving doesn't want us to miss out on any of the important little details.

This book reminded me of The Catcher and the Rye and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. All the good things from The Catcher in the Rye were put into this, and the quirkiness of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn were put into this book.

I really don't know what else to say without spoiling the whole thing, and I think I've raved quite enough! Go read this. Right now.

We Didn't Start the Fire Challenge 2010

2009-12-01T16:50:00.001-05:00

I am hosting a new challenge this year! This is my first time hosting a challenge, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you see any problems or want to make suggestions!

The “We Didn’t Start the Fire” challenge runs from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010.

Do you know Billy Joel’s song “We Didn’t Start the Fire?” The song has plenty of historical and pop culture references, which offer us book junkies plenty of opportunities for reading material! I like 80s music, especially this song, but I don’t know anything about some of the things in the song. The goal of this challenge is for you to learn about some of the many topics mentioned in the song.

I want this challenge to be flexible for you, so all I want you to do is pick a level of commitment and stick to it! You don’t need to list your books beforehand or write a certain amount of reviews. Overlaps with other challenges are absolutely fine!

This site has the lyrics to the song as well as a video with pictures of what each thing in the song is as well as a link to a site for each topic for more detail.

http://www.teacheroz.com/fire.htm

Here are the levels:

FICTION

Bronze Fiction: Read 5 books specifically mentioned in the song or a book by an author specifically mentioned. Or, read a work of fiction about something else mentioned in the song.

Silver Fiction: Read 8 books within the same criteria mentioned above.

Gold Fiction: Read 10 books within the same criteria mentioned above.

NONFICTION

Bronze Nonfiction: Read 5 nonfiction books about any topic in the song.

Silver Nonfiction: Read 8 nonfiction books about any topic in the song.

Gold Nonfiction: Read 10 nonfiction books about any topic in the song.

COMBO

Bronze Combo: Read any combination of 5 fiction or nonfiction books related to the song.

Silver Combo: Read any combination of 8 fiction or nonfiction books related to the song.

Gold Combo: Read any combination of 10 fiction or nonfiction books related to the song.

I will put up another post for you to link to your reviews in January.

Feel free to use the graphic at the beginning of the post! Good luck and have a blast!

I need a plan!

2009-12-01T12:08:00.002-05:00

I haven't read any books for fun. I need a plan so I'll actually read!

So, instead of paying attention in my first year seminar class, a class I shouldn't have to take, I brainstormed. Here's what I came up with:

Read one book per month. This must be a very high-quality book that isn't some obscure title. Books I have read in the past that would fit into this category would be books like East of Eden, The Poisonwood Bible, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Memoirs of a Geisha, and more recently- A Prayer For Owen Meany.

I want to read a book that is worth my time. I want this book to have depth and really great characters or have a really fast plot like My Sister's Keeper or The Kitchen god's Wife.

So this is where all of you come in. Can you suggest any really great books for me to read? I will look up every book that is suggested and find out things about it so see if it is something I may want to read. I am so excited for this! I just fished John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany for my English class. I wasn't expecting anything from this book, but it was amazing!! Definitely, I should think about reviewing it on here! Wow...it was really really really good!

So, know of any books with lots of depth, motifs and great themes? Know of any with a page-turning plot? I'll be checking to see if I have any comments on this post probably a little too frequently!

Two birds, one stone.

2009-10-30T10:21:00.002-04:00

I don't even know how to introduce this because this makes me so happy!

I found a way to not hate exercising.

And to find time to read.

Oh, yeah baby!

I have to exercise a certain amount of minutes every week for my wellness class. I hate exercising. A lot.

This week I switched from doing my time on the elipticals to a bike. The time seemed to go much faster on the bike because it was less torturous.

Then yesterday, I took a book with me. My 20 minutes of cardio went by sooo fast that I didn't even have time to think about how miserable I was. I don't even think I needed endorphins because I was so happy I got time to read!

I did 4 1/2 miles on a bike and read 30 some pages of The Poisonwood Bible. This is multitasking at its finest!

I have enough minutes for this week, but since I don't have any huge Friday night plans, I may have to go work out and read some more!

See? Books are also fat-burning and good for your health! This is why literature matters!

Dana Goia

2009-10-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

I had a really cool opportunity Wednesday night to attend a lecture by poet Dana Gioia on why literature matters. I really didn't want to go because it if required for a class for English majors that I have to take even though I'm not an English major. However, this lecture was pretty interesting and entertaining at times. I didn't take notes on the lecture, so my thoughts will be a bit scrambled, but I had to share them with you!

Gioia's main point on why literature matters is because it influences your own life. Your life is a story you are writing every day. Literature can be a part of that story. At the end of the Lecture, Gioia answered questions from the audience. One asked what books especially influenced him at certain points of his life. This hit me right on, because I have a handful of books I will always treasure because of the role they played in my own story.

Another question he asked was how he thinks people should interpret poetry. Can the reader get something different out of the poem than the poet intended them to? Gioia says absolutely! He compared poetry to a room. You can get in the room by the front door, a window, the back door...whatever. When you enter the room, it is only partially furnished. You have to furnish the rest yourself.

It was interesting to hear the background story behind a poem before he even read it aloud. Although some people in my class thought that took something away from the poem, I really liked it. I also liked how Gioia read some serious poems but also some hilarious ones, "Alley Cat Love Song" in particular. Here's the first part:

Come into the garden, Fred,

For the neighborhood tabby is gone.

Come into the garden, Fred.

I have nothing but my flea collar on,

And the scent of catnip has gone to my head.

I'll wait by the screen door till dawn.

WAIT! It's today?!

2009-10-24T09:45:00.001-04:00

oops.

Off to work out, shower, get hair cut, run errands, do homework, pack, and head up to camp instead.

I can't believe I forgot about the read-a-thon!

Review: Before You Hit the Wall by Danny Lehmann

2009-10-22T19:24:00.003-04:00

Yes! I finished a book! I normally don't review my devotional readings, but this one is exceptional because it is the first book I finished since June and because I really liked it

This book offers practical advice on how to shape up spiritually, advice that you could actually apply to your own life. Lots of books go on and on, telling the readers why they need to get more serious in their relationship with God, but few offer good advice on how to do so. Lots of books just say, "read your Bible. Pray." but Danny Lehmann tells us the most beneficial ways to read your Bible and pray, among other things. Lehmann is able to offer such good advice because he has done what he is telling his readers to do in his own life. Lehmann practices what he preaches. The techniques in the book work, because he has applied them to his own life. He speaks from experience.

Here are some bits of his advice:

-Read the Bible, but also spend certain times studying it within its context. There are times for both. When in an in-depth study, still find ways to apply what you are learning to your life. Answer the question "What does this passage mean to me?"(In my own reading, I have decided to write a little blurb about how what I read affected me in my journal instead of just writing down what I read.)

-Fill up chunks of free time like exercising, random time on the computer, or cleaning by listening to sermons you downloaded for free on itunes.

-Memorize scripture that means something to you by repeating it over and over in your head and spending an intentional few minutes every day specifically for scripture memorization.

The Sunday Salon: Where I try not to get discouraged

2009-10-18T16:02:00.002-04:00

This week, I read five chapters of a devotional book.

This is five times more reading for pleasure than I've done for the past four or five months but that doesn't mean I am happy with it. I'm thinking I need to commit to an hour or uninterrupted reading two or three hours a week. I think I can manage that. At that rate I should be able to read one average sized novel each week. On Wednesday night I am going home, but I won't get much opportunities to read. It will be hard to read during the read-a-thon because every day at school is a read-a-thon! Still, I'm going to try to make good progress on one book this weekend. Maybe, if I am ambitious, I will finish this poetry book I've been working on since June and promised a review to the author, who I personally know. Come to think of it, that sounds like a pretty reasonable goal!

Climbing on my soapbox...

2009-10-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

(from phrases.org.uk)"soap was delivered to stores years ago in sturdy wooden crates, which were recycled for many purposes (e.g., the Soap Box Derby, where children once made racing cars by attaching wheels to the basic box. Nowadays of course, their parents fund fiberglass molds for body parts, etc.) But one of the best uses for a soap box was as a portable "stage" for an orator to stand on, to rise above a crowd and make speeches. It was democracy at its most basic: get on your soap box, and harangue the assembled listeners."

Ok, enough education.

For some reason lately, I've been really into fighting for a more positive female body image. I click on news stories involving models and celebrities more now so I can look to see if they say something about it.

Of course, we've got Oprah talking about it, Dove has this campaign for it, but it has never truly caught on. Yes, we may have more important things to worry about but this problem is so simple, anyone can have a part in solving it. You don't need to have a whole bunch of money or political power or friends.

Sometimes you just need a pack of post-its and a pen.
This is one thing I am kind of obsessed with right now. Operationbeautiful.com has totally changed how I spend my free time. Instead of just sitting around, I write encouraging post-its to hang up on bathroom mirrors across campus. I can't wait until fall break when I will be able to hang more notes up in places other than my school!

Booking Through Thursday: Weeding

2009-10-15T12:03:00.002-04:00

"We’re moving in a couple weeks (the first time since I was 9 years old), and I’ve been going through my library of 3000+ books, choosing the books that I could bear to part with and NOT have to pack to move. Which made me wonder…

When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?

Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)

And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?"

****

Technically, I've moved three times since June. I moved to camp in June and I had to pack up everything because my family was planning on moving at the time. When I got back from camp, I had to unpack and repack some things again for college. Then, a few weeks ago, my family actually moved. I keep on forgetting my address. I had my camp address memorized pretty well and then my college address, but I can't seem to remember my new home address and phone number!

I never really weed through my book collection. I don't have all that many. When I notice I have a book that I never read or never will read, I get rid of it. When I notice the children's books I saved for sentimental value are no longer so sentimental to me, I get rid of those too. In that case, those go to my little sister.

My big dilemma was which books I should bring with me to college. Most of my friends didn't bring any with them. I chose to bring classics and books that have the most chance of being required reading for a class as well as my favorite books that I'd like to reread again.

Library Loot October 14-20 2009

2009-10-14T11:13:00.002-04:00

Yes, I actually do have some library loot! It is oh-so dangerous having a library with over 250,000 books in it within walking distance of where I live. I don't believe in love at first sight, but the first time I laid eyes on the library here, I fell in love (remember this post? http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/01/have-you-ever-been-lost-in-library.html).

Now you know why. I give campus tours to prospective students and I love taking them into the library. In the past few days, I've had the opportunity to show two prospective students the library for the first time.

So, even though I don't have much time to read, I have two projects that I'm working on that require us to use a number of print sources. I'm quickly realizing how great this library is. Even on some really obscure subjects, there are several books on the topic! They even have several shelves of journalism related books. I'm in heaven. I don't normally read nonfiction for fun, but I may have to start!

So here's my loot. Most are for school projects but they are still fun ones!

I'm doing one speech on gender roles in children's toys and another speech on media bias, so that's what the first four books are for. The books for my media speech are really interesting, but they make me so mad that the media is so corrupt today.

What I've been up to since June!

2009-10-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

The covered bridge on campus.
I graduated from high school. I look like big bird, hence the position my arms are in.

This is the only picture I have of someone doing dishes at camp. We were always doing dishes. And singing while doing dishes.

...and dancing...

...to Christmas music...

The girls I lived and worked with all summer. Miss them so much!

Where the girls lived. The guys who worked at camp lived in a house down the road in the camp. I'd trade my dorm room in for the Roudybush (the name of our cottage) any day!

Now I'm at school and working in Catering on campus. I write for the newspaper (of course!) and do a whole bunch of random other things. I'm always busy. This week for instance, I had to designate certain days where I wouldn't schedule anything so I could actually get some homework done! I have a feeling I'll have to start doing that to do some pleasure reading done! I'm excited though. Two out of my three favorite books are required reading in some of my classes this semester. I'm reading Hamlet now for my English class and we're going to be reading The Poisonwood Bible soon for my first year seminar class...that is if my prof doesn't redo the whole calendar again.

Read-a-thon!

2009-10-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

What a way to start reading again with a read-a-thon coming up soon!

The good news is that I'm going to be at home for fall break during the read-a-thon, but I'll only be able to read for about 7 hours. I'm heading up to the camp I worked at this summer for their fall party for the staff. I'm so excited to see everyone there! What a great combination, read-a-thon and seeing my camp friends!

I'm going to try something new, something dangerous, something blasphemous is you're one of those people who starts planning their read-a-thon list right after the previous read-a-thon ended. I'm not going to make a booklist. I'm not even going to research books to read. I'm going to read whatever I feel like reading and whatever we have laying around the house. If I think of a good book to read, I'll get it from the library but I am not making a huge pile like I did last time!

I'm going with the flow!

Wait, what? We thought a sea monster had gobbled her up!

2009-10-12T10:04:00.003-04:00

Au contraire, I'm still alive. After a odd and confusing circle of events, I decided I'm going to try my hardest to start reading and blogging again. I haven't read anything for pleasure in many months because of my summer job at camp and now because I'm in college, taking 17 credits and am involved in too much for my own good!

I'll post on what I've been up to in a little while, but since I am back, I have to change some things to make this blog something worth coming back to. I have so much going on already and a lot of it is stuff I have to do. I don't want reading and blogging to feel like another homework assignment, which is the LAST thing I need! Instead of trying to read as many books as I can, I'm going to read more for the fun of it rather than the competition of it. I'll reread books if I feel like it. I won't spend hours planning what books I'm going to order from the library. I'm going to go with the flow.

I'm going to savor the experience of reading. If I get a free moment here, it is truly a gift. I won't try to rush through books. If I want to underline and dogear pages I'll do that because it means I'm making the most out of my reading experience.

If I want to read a classic and not even stop to think about what the "Deeper meaning" of it is, that's fine! I'll be overanalyzing enough literature in my English class for my own good already!

I'll treat books like a good piece of dark chocolate. Slowly eat it as a rare treat and enjoy the experience, not out of duty but out of enjoyment.

(pssssst....thanks Eva)

oh Mr. Kidder...

2009-09-14T12:27:00.003-04:00

So, since you last saw me, I've read one book.

Count 'em.

ONE.

This one book I read keeps coming back to haunt me. All freshmen at Messiah College have to read the same book. The book changes every year. Last year, it was A Thousand Splendid Suns (lucky!). This year we all had to endure Tracy Kidder's account of Paul Farmer in Haiti in Mountains Beyond Mountains.

Since this year is Messiah's centennial, they are making everything into a big deal. Tracy Kidder is on campus right now. I have to go to this thing tonight where we will have to sit through another two hours of Kidder boredom. Then, we get to go to the Union, eat free food, and have him sign our books.

I want him to sign my book, just because. My teacher for the class where we had to read the book says that he will talk to you about what you thought of the book. I don't want to tell this man I hated his book. I really don't have a good reason other than it was dull. I'll sound like a whiny little freshman, telling this man I couldn't find anything to appreciate about a book he probably spent years working on.

All in all, Mountains Beyond Mountains would make a better newspaper article than a book, as my roommate would say. I couldn't agree more.

Any suggestions on what I should do when I meet Tracy Kidder tonight?

Long time no see!

2009-06-14T11:44:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! It is kind of depressing that I have read only two pages from any book other the Bible for two weeks. This week was my camp orientation and I got a real taste of how little time I will have for things other than camp!

Camp is great so far though!

I figured out how to update my friends and family on facebook by twitter on my phone. There might be a sudden increase of updates from me since this will be the easiest way to let everyone know what is going on in my life when I am away. If you don't want a whole bunch of things about my camp life, I will not feel hurt if you stop following :)

I have one big and exciting post planned for this summer. I will be reading and reviewing a book written by a teacher at my high school!

Summer Reading

2009-06-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, all! Even though I won't be reading and blogging full-force this summer, here is what I will be up to! I have some books I have to read for school and some that have been sitting around my house not being read because the library books I constantly have on hand look too appealing. I will be taking these books with me to my summer job at Whitehall Camp & Conference Center.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand: If the Fountainhead wasn't enough for me already...I am entering another Ayn Rand scholarship. I don't know If I will actually finish this one. It is 300 pages longer than the Fountainhead!

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder: This is the common reading for all the First Year Seminar classes at Messiah College, which all freshmen have to take first semester. I'm not particularly looking forward to this book, but it is shorter than most books I have had to read in the summer for school assignments!

The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare: I picked up a no fear shakespeare edition of this for $2.50 secondhand. I've been wanting to read it for a while.

The Lovely Bones: Poor, lonely, neglected book...

Month of May

2009-06-01T13:49:00.002-04:00

May:

Books read: 11
High School's Not Forever
3 Willows
The Black Pearl
Macbeth
The Jewel of Medina
Wintergirls
My Sister's Keeper
Sold
Patiently Alice
Daring Chloe
How to Win at College

Pages read: 2868

Books so far this year: 53
Pages so far this year: 15509

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

2009-05-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

I wish this were a review of another Hitchhiker's book, because that would mean nothing is changing.

I knew once I left for college, I would blog a lot less, but I thought I would have a whole summer to read a bunch!

I will be leaving June 7 for a place where I won't be able to access a computer very often. I will be a worker in the kitchen at Whitehall Camp. I will return home August 14 and then go to college August 27.

There are so many loose ends to tie up and this blog is one of them. I will get to read some over the summer, but not a lot and nothing worth reviewing.

You're probably thinking "June 7? That's still a few weeks away!" I'm a senior in high school. I have finals, graduation banquets and parties, friends and family to say goodbye to...plus you guys!

I'll miss you all. Thank you for all the comments you have left me and all the support in this 7ish months I have been blogging. It has been a blast. I'm not saying I'm completely quitting, but I am at least for the summer.

Sunday Salon Senioritis (woo! alliteration!)

2009-05-17T15:05:00.002-04:00

I haven't read in over twenty four hours.

I haven't felt like doing ANYTHING for weeks now. I didn't think this would spread to reading and blogging, but it has.

The only thing I want to do is go on facebook, sleep, and time travel into the future.

So please forgive me. I want to read, I just haven't convinced myself that I should quite yet.

Miscellaneous Book Babble

2009-05-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. Right now, reading seems pointless. Seven out of the past ten books I've read were above average, most of them really good books! I don't want to pick up another book because I don't want to be disappointed!

2. One book was so good, I read it while walking in gym class yesterday. My head got hit really hard by a basketball. Serves me right?

3. I got a paper back I wrote on I Capture the Castle two days ago. The guy who plagiarized every word got a better grade than I did. I didn't think my English teacher could get any more clueless!

4. Have you read the guest review of My Sister's Keeper yet? (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/05/guest-review-my-sisters-keeper-by-jodi.html)

5. My dad got an alumni publication from the college I'm going to. They will be celebrating their centennial my first year! In the magazine, various Messiah College personalities chose a book to define each of Messiah College's ten decades. Like I really needed more proof that this is the place where I belong! Here are the selections:
1909-1919: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
1920-1929: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
1930-1939: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
1940-1949: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
1950-1959: Reforming Fundamentalism by George Mason
1960-1969: The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard
1970-1979: The Purple Decades by Tom Wolfe
1980-1989: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
1990-1999: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2000-2009: The Philadelphia Chickens by Sabdra Boynton

Booking Through Thursday: Gluttony

2009-05-14T13:52:00.002-04:00

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

I don't buy books very often, so I'm applying this post to my Library habits.

My mom freaks out when anyone wastes food, so her attitude towards wastefulness has shaped me, too. We don't waste things that she buys from the store. If leftovers are not eaten, behold the wrath of mom.

There is a different rule for food if we go to a buffet or a salad bar. Mom tells us we can get our plate of food and if we don't like it, get another plate. We can waste all we want at a buffet.

I think of bookstores as the grocery store. Don't waste what you buy. The only books I buy are the ones I know I like already, or dirt cheap. The library is where you can take all you want and return what you don't want.

I've come home from the library with huge stacks the past couple of trips. I feel like a complete dork with a stack of ten books. I feel fat. (You know, when people see a skinny girl stuffing her face, they give her looks like she's fat.) I have to remind myself of mom's buffet rule. Library books can't go to waste, so you can take all you want. There is no such thing as gluttony at a library, unless you take out more than the limit and try to find ways to be able to take out more.

I definitely think people are gluttonous at the bookstore. Why do you need to own all these books? Unless you are the type that finds a couple dozen really good books and keeps on rereading those over and over again (like my dad), why do you need to buy the books? You don't need to own them unless you have to keep taking them off your shelf. Otherwise, read it, review it, and return it to the library! The trees will thank you :P

GUEST REVIEW: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, reviewed by Jenny

2009-05-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

(Inspired by Eva and her mom read-a-thoning together, I've been wanting my family to join in on a little bit of reading fun. My mom, Jenny, is reviewing My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult here on my blog. She definitely will offer you a different review from the ones I post. It is nice to have a change of pace every once in a while!)

(From bn.com) Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate — a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister — and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

Without first knowing it would contain everything I like in a book under onecover – medical, mystery, legal/ethical dilemma, I found myself drawn to MySister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult who I have never read before.

On the one hand the way the book is written (in multiple points of view) really draws you in. At the same time it jumps around so much that it circumventsthe entire telling of the most important discussion of the book (Kate and Annatalking about Anna’s donating a kidney to Kate).

I mistakenly read the book so I could figure out if Kate gets her kidneyinstead of reading it as a mystery trying to solve why Anna files the lawsuitfor medical emancipation other than “so you know how it feels to not have anycontrol over your body?” as stated on page 387.

The book is about two sisters, Kate and Anna, who are closely linked by medicalcircumstances. I too was close to my sister although for very differentreasons. I am 10 months and 3 days older than my sister. So strong was ourbond that my mother dressed us alike until we were about 10 years old and weshared a bedroom till I was about 15 years old. It is this reason I “get”how hard it is to form one’s own identity.

Sisters, Kate and Anna are so close in fact Anna says on page 92, “ Kate andI are like Siamese twins; you just can’t see the spot where we’reconnected.” During the court proceedings, the defendant’s expert witness,a psychologist states on page 387, “there are several studies that indicatechildren who serve as donors have higher self-esteem, and feel more importantwithin the family structure. They consider themselves superheroes, becausethey can do the one thing no one else can.”

During the course of the book I never stop questioning Anna’s mother’s(Sara) love for her. Can you love equally and still favor one child? Idon’t believe so especially since the “love” Sara has for Kate seemssolely based on keeping her family intact. So their mother’s choices forthem are fear based instead out of love. Although any mother may desire thisit also seem selfish to me.

Sadder even still is that Sara has managed to convince Anna she’s made thesechoices out of love. If that were so, wouldn’t her parents have discussedthe situation with both girls? Her parents major failing is they don’t askeither girl’s feelings.

So here’s the part where my motherly advice comes to play. All parents messup – if only in our children’s eyes. No matter how good our intentions,WE WILL MESS UP!!! Our best chance in nuturing our children’s love is togive them what they most desire - equality. Children can forgive our mistakesif they felt loved. (Love is the only thing that covers a multitude ofmistakes.) Love cannot blossom if there is a preference shown for one childover another.

Even though it’s a long shot, it is possible to figure out if Anna wins thelawsuit; however, you won’t be able to figure out how it ends!!! The endingmay be the worst ending I’ve ever read. So bad, in fact, I threatened totear out the last couple chapters and instead write the answer to does Kate getthe kidney? before passing it onto my daughter. Even though I am a parent I did not relate or empathize with Sara. Herdecisions wind up being disastrous because someone dies without ever havingfelt accepted, which is the worse than the books actual ending.

WARNING: If you’re one of those who read the last couple of pages of a bookto decide if you want to read a book, DON’T!!!! or you will miss out onreading a overall very satisfying book. . . regardless of the ending.

Review: The Jewel of Medina

2009-05-11T12:49:00.003-04:00

I'm doing this review dewey-Style, with portions of her book review questionnaire

Title and author of book: The Jewel of Medina by Sherry Jones

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Adult Historical Fiction

What led you to pick up this book? I'm not sure. I think I saw it on the librarything early reviewer list

Plot summary: A'isha is pledged to be married to the prophet Muhhamad at a very young age. She marries him but can't live with him until she becomes a woman. When she finally lives with Muhammad, she finds that she is treated more like Muhammad's daughter than his wife. A'isha is not the typical woman of her time. She goes from being Muhammad's child bride to his warrior bride. A'isha learns what real love is and struggles to find her place among Muhammad's many wives.

What did you like most about the book? I've read many books that retell the story of women in the Bible, but this book was interesting because even though a lot of the treatment of the women is the same, it is a different religion and different customs.

What did you like least? Muhammad was protrayed very negatively. If I practiced Islam, I'd be outraged. Muhammad is the prophet of Islam, basically the Jesus of Islam. I wouldn't want a book portraying Jesus this negatively.

What did you think of the writing style? It was confusing at times because the author liked to show off her knowledge of Arabic terms.

What did you think of the main character?What is the central character’s biggest problem? A'isha struggles to control herself and find her place in Muhammad's life. I liked how she was a rebel, but wanted to wring her neck every time she acted without thinking, which always messed up her relationship with Muhammad for a while.

What strengths does she have that help her cope? She relies on other people. Muhammad's first wife is often there to console A'isha, and sometimes she goes to her father. Although A'isha is very independent, she knows when to ask others for help too.

Any other particularly interesting characters? Safwan, the man A'isha thought she would marry, is pretty interesting. Although he adds a soap opera like aspect to the story, it is not unwelcome.

What did you think of the ending? I thought the book could have ended earlier. There is a bittersweet ending that is unnecessary. If the book ended only a few chapters earlier, It would have had a fantastic ending.

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? I do recommend this book, especially for those who like Biblical fiction (like The Red Tent). I'd give this book a B

Review: 3 Willows

2009-05-05T13:45:00.003-04:00

Did anyone else not know there was something more to Ann Brashares other than The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?

Well, there is. Brashares has writte two other books besides the major four: The Last Summer and 3 Willows. 3 Willows as just published this year.

The subtitle of 3 Willows is "The Sisterhood continues." I thought that maybe this was a book telling what happens to the sisterhood when they are all grown up, but it is not. 3 Willows still takes place in Bethesda, where Carmen, Lena, Tibby and Bridget live, but this book focuses around another circle of much younger girls.

Jo, Polly, and Ama are best friends. They are growing apart. The summer after eigth grade, they go on their seperate adventures. They do not have a shared pair of pants, but 3 Willows is similar to the Traveling Pants books with the themes it covers.

3 Willows isn't totally Pants free. The Sisterhood are celebrities among the characters in 3 Willows. Effie, Lena's sister, plays a big part in Jo's story. Polly babysits Tibby's siblings.

I woudn't let a preteen read the Traveling Pants books, but this is a great book for 11-13 year olds. They'll be itching to read Brashares's other books after reading 3 Willows!

Grade: B

Review: My Little Red Book

2009-05-04T20:07:00.000-04:00

In our society where PG-13 TV is on at all hours for kids to watch and we are so open about PG-13 matters, why aren't women as open about their special monthly gift? This collection of short essays(very short, I'm talking one or two pages) confronts this issue. The stories of first periods range from teenagers today, teenagers from the 60s, and grandmothers. There are stories from women and girls living in many different cultures.

This is a light read, but fascinating. The topics introduced in this book would be a very interesting thesis for someone studying sociology.

Periods are pretty much a forbidden topic. Why? I even found myself shielding the book when I read it in school. I didn't want the guy sitting next to me in English class asking what I was reading! This demonstrates exactly why the eightteen year old editor put together this book.

I think I'm becoming a feminist more and more every day...

Grade: A

I Got Published!

2009-05-01T11:49:00.002-04:00

I took part in the Gene Kelly Critics program in my city. This lets students from the schools whose musicals are entered in the Kelly awards review two other school's musicals and have them published on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's website. You can read my reviews of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "42nd Street"" at these places:

http://post-gazette.com/pg/09120/966738-327.stm

http://post-gazette.com/pg/09120/966735-327.stm

Review: Fahrenheit 451

2009-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

by Ray Bradbury

(from bn.com) Nowadays firemen start fires. Fireman Guy Montag loves to rush to a fire and watch books burn up. Then he met a seventeen-year old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid, and a professor who told him of a future where people could think. And Guy Montag knew what he had to do....

The concept of this book seems like to would make a really great story. But like many books I have read that makes a political statement (1984 and The Fountainhead for example), I found that Fahrenheit 451 was lacking in several ways.

The characters in the book lacked specific character traits. I felt as the characters simply existed on the page. I can't describe the characters to you because there was nothing to describe.

Just like 1984 and The Fountainhead, the main character Guy, seemed to be highly exalted. Bradbury portrayed Guy as a man with faults, but the fact that he sacrificed his secure life for books made up for his faults several times over.

Fahrenheit 451 is a small book with little substance. We all know censorship is bad. Okay. I get it. Other than that, you can skip this one.

Grade: D

Month of April

2009-04-30T15:34:00.002-04:00

Month: April
Books Read: 13
*Pages Read: 3976
Titles of Books Read:
The Fountainhead - Library Challenge
Sixteen - Library Challenge
Julie of the Wolves - Library Challenge
The Road - My Year of Reading Dangerously, Library Challenge, 1% Well read
Eclipse - My Year of Reading Dangerously
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Library Challenge
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - Library, My Year of Reading Dangerously
Does This Book Make Me Look Fat? - Library Challenge
Uncensored (reread)
I Capture the Castle - Library Challenge
Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives Colume #1 - Library Challenge, My Year of Reading Dangerously
Fahrenheit 451 - Library Challenge, 1% Well-Read
My Little Red Book - Library Challenge

Favorite Books Read: The Road, I Capture the Castle, Eclipse
Least Favorite Books Read: Fahrenheit 451
Blog Posts: 36

This Year so far
Books read: 42
Pages read: 12,641
Blog Posts: 116

*This number is calculated by adding the total number of pages in books read, as well as how many pages of a book read but later abandoned

I had a really good reading month! I read lots of good books and picked away at more challenges. I read the most books this month than any other month since I started seriously reading!

Review: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

2009-04-30T13:45:00.002-04:00

by Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmatians

Cassandra Mortmain lives with her brother, sister, father and stepmother in a Castle. Her family is the opposite of royalty. He father, a failing writer, does not provide for his family. In her journals, Cassandra writes about her ordinary and average life until one day, he life becomes much more exciting.

The wealthy extended family of the landlord unexpectedly comes by for a visit. Suddenly, the Cottons and the Mortmains are friends. Cassandra's sister Rose gets engaged to one of the brothers, and Cassandra's life drastically changes.

I haven't read Pride and Prejudice, but I think it would be like I Capture the Castle. This book was published in the 1940s, so the tone is different from Victorian writers, but I Capture the Castle uses some of the themes common in the works of the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen.

If you stray away from Victorian era books like I do, I Capture the Castle is the perfect book to ease you into it. The writing isn't stuff and hard to understand. You will actually want to turn another page. Cassandra's narration is fresh and inoocent. She is excited and her excitement is passed on to the reader.

Grade: B+

Components of a Truly Horrible Book

2009-04-29T16:39:00.002-04:00

I did 6 Components of a Truly Great Book a few weeks ago (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/04/6-components-of-truly-great-book.html), so now it is time for an opposite post.

1. Reading is a chore. You make yourself read a certain amount of pages to get it done and/or hate every page you read.
2. It fails to catch your attention.
3. The thought of finishing the book makes you nauseous.
4. You tell everyone how horrible the book you are reading is.
5. The book ruins your mood.
6. The language is so hard to understand that you have a dictionary by your side and dread having to pick up the dictionary again.
7. You have to use sparknotes in order to understand the basic plot.
8. There are spelling or factual errors.
9. A nine year old could write a better book.

These things are stong indicators that I need to stop reading a book. I guess I need to take my own advice and stop reading a certain book!

What makes you stop reading a book?

Comments

2009-04-26T20:01:00.001-04:00

There was a problem with comments (so that's why I haven't had to approve any!) this week. Thanks to Trish for letting me know about it! The problem is fixed now. I was so lonely!

Library Loot

2009-04-24T12:37:00.004-04:00

I got tired of my ginormous stack of books I got a few weeks ago and returned all the books I hadn't read yet. They just didn't seem exciting any more. Now these ones sure do. I'm tempted to apandon the two books I'm reading right now but I have to exhibit some self-control sometimes!

I finally got to the top of the waitlist for this one, which also means that if I can't read it or don't like it, I'll feel horribly guilty.

This was on my TBR list and it was on the new books shelf at the library. Yay!

I have to read this for an essay contest. It is a survival guide to high school. I should be writing his book, not reading it. This book won't help me. The last month of high school doesn't require a survival guide, just a lot of procrastination!

I heard about this book but never was really interested. This was an impulse grab.

What kind of English teacher assigns a Shakespeare play a few weeks before graduation?

My first graphic novel. I can't get enough of the Twilight series so I decided to give this a try. It is short so I may actually get to read a Graphic novel.

BTT: Symbolism

2009-04-23T12:29:00.003-04:00

My husband is not an avid reader, and he used to get very frustrated in college when teachers would insist discussing symbolism in a literary work when there didn’t seem to him to be any. He felt that writers often just wrote the story for the story’s sake and other people read symbolism into it.
It does seem like modern fiction just “tells the story” without much symbolism. Is symbolism an older literary device, like excessive description, that is not used much any more? Do you think there was as much symbolism as English teachers seemed to think? What are some examples of symbolism from your reading?

Symbolism is a hot topic in my English class. Most of the kids think symbolism does not exist and we shouldn't study it. I think the total opposite. Many of the books we read in English would totally stink if it weren't for the things you get out of them when you read between the lines.

I think symbolism is only important with highly skilled writers. John Steinbeck and Edith Wharton and Shakespeare mak symbolism amazing. But, you can read their books without having to worry about symbolism. Symbolism is like chocolate syrup on ice cream-it just makes a good thing better.

I think the reason why there isn't much symbolism nowdays is because the quality of literature is declining. As I said before, only the really good writers used symbolism effectively. I've seen several subpar attempts of symbolism in modern literature, but the symbolism in the classics is amazing.

English teachers didn't make up the concept of symbolism. Even one of the oldest books, the Bible, uses symbolism to an extent. Literature would be really flat and boring without symbols. Seeing the symbols in books and finding them yourself without the help of a teacher or sparknotes is one of the most satifying things about reading.

I remember when English classes first started teaching symbolism-in 10th grade for me. I thought it was totally crazy how the color blue said so much. I still do. Thinking that if a character is wearing a blue dress means she has certain character traits is too much. However, thinking blood is a reoccurring symbol for guilt in Macbeth is legit. Symbolism can be taken too far, which is why I think a lot of people have an aversion to it.

I'm stuggling with symbolism and reading between the lines being taken too far right now. I have to write a paper on how I Capture the Castle is influenced by the time period in which it was written and the author's life. The book has a few minor parallels but not enough to write a seven page paper out of. It is ridiculous to assume that every author wants their books to be overanaylized I'm sure I Capture the Castle was not meant to be a reading between the lines book. Others, like The Fountainhead, need to be analyzed to get everything you can out of it!

I honestly tried to avoid it....

2009-04-21T14:08:00.001-04:00

I’ve never been part of the “in” crowd. Now that I’m totally in the whole Twilight thing, I’m thinking I’m in!

I picked up the first book last year. I gave in to what everyone was talking about. I conformed. Then, I told myself I would use the book on my senior project (I did. For two paragraphs) for cut down on the guilt factor. I mean, Twilight isn’t real books! I’m better than that. I’ve read great books before. Twilight…eh…whatever.

I couldn’t put it down. I ordered the next book from the library and waited. And waited. And waited. I couldn’t put New Moon down either.

As much as the topic of the books creeped me out at first, I’m loving them.

Now comes Eclipse. Instead of waiting for it to come from the library, I borrowed it from my uncle’s girlfriend who would definitely get to me quicker.

And guess what? I finished that HUGE book in 2 ½ days!

Now, waiting a few weeks until she can bring me the next one isn’t enough. I found a friend that could possibly give me the last book tomorrow.

I broke my rule of not watching movies based on books. I watched the movie. It wasn’t amazing but it was okay. I’d watch it again. I’m actually thinking about watching it again very soon even though I just finished watching…

I’m sorry. I don’t want to be obsessed with Twilight. I honestly tried not to.

I’m punishing myself by actually reading the assigned reading for English that I planned not to read. Here I come Macbeth. That’ll teach me not to read more scary vampire books…..right?

Read-a-Thon: My last hour

2009-04-18T19:55:00.003-04:00

This Hour:

Pages read-20

Minutes read-?

Books read from & pages from each-
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: 20

Cheerleading comments left-0

Mini-challenge participation-Bookcrossing mini-challenge

Books completed-Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Food eaten- 2 more deviled eggs, cheeseburger, french onion sunchips

Reading locations-kitchen table

I think this is my last hour of this. I've finished my 3 books and don't want to start a third. It's a bit earlier than I had planned. I don't feel like stopping reading, but it just seems good to end this on a good note rather than a bad one like I did this time. I had TONS of fun today. It went by way too fast!

I've read a total of 608 pages and read for 408 minutes (6.8 hours).

Read-a-Thon Hour 11

2009-04-18T19:00:00.002-04:00

I've read 588 pages so far. Never mind that 200ish of those pages are in the picture book like thing I'm reading...

I also finished Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?

This Hour:

Pages read-76

Minutes read-43

Books read from & pages from each-
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot: 46
Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 30

Cheerleading comments left-0

Mini-challenge participation-see below

Books completed-Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?

Food eaten- a deviled egg

Reading locations-the deck

This hour's new mini-challenge tells us to write a letter to the protagonist of the book you're reading. Considering I just finished an essay collection and I'm in the middle of a picture book documentary type thing, I have to rewind the clock a bit. I'll be writing to Cassie from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

Dear Cassie,

You remind me a lot of another little girl I know. Well, I don't actually know her. I really became quite friendly with her when I read To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. You remind me of a little girl named Scout. I think that if the two of you grew up in different circumstances, you'd be best friends.

Scout is impulsive and passionate. She knows what she believes in, just like you. She loves her father. She has an older brother. She is confused about the society she lives in, just like you are.

She wonders why people of another race are treated unfairly. She wonders why people who are even the same race are regarded below people. Just like you.

One thing that would have kept the two of you from being friends would be something totally out of your control. Scout is white. Never mind that you come from two different books!

Read-A-Thon Hour 10

2009-04-18T17:57:00.002-04:00

This Hour:

Pages read-82

Minutes read-41

Books read from & pages from each-
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot: 52
Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 30

Cheerleading comments left-o

Mini-challenge participation-0

Books completed-0

Food eaten-more animal crackers

Reading locations-The deck and my bedroom

I'm almost done with two books! Maybe by Hour 12 post will say I've finished both :D

Read-a-Thon Hour 9

2009-04-18T17:12:00.002-04:00

This Hour:

Pages read- 44

Minutes read- 28

Books read from & pages from each-
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot: 12
Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 32

Cheerleading comments left-3

Mini-challenge participation-o

It is amazing...I should be tired of reading but I'm not. Even better is that I can read outside now!
Books completed-0

Food eaten-0

Reading locations-bedroom

You-Tube Video Chain Mini-Challenge Winner

2009-04-18T16:21:00.002-04:00

The winner of the $10 Amazon gift card is ferrywoman from http://ferrywoman.livejournal.com/. Congrats! Please email your address to wordlily at gmail

Cheerleading

2009-04-18T16:14:00.000-04:00

I stink at cheerleading. It was fun at the beginning but now...yeah. I'm taking a cheering break if you haven't noticed! I'm supposed to be having fun and nobody likes a grumpy cheerleader!

Read-a-Thon Hour 8

2009-04-18T15:59:00.002-04:00

This Hour:

Pages read-84

Minutes read-52

Books read from & pages from each-
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot: 38
Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 26
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: 20

Cheerleading comments left-0

Mini-challenge participation- see below

Books completed-Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Food eaten-nothing

Reading locations-I finally decided to brave the horrible smoky smell and read outside. I was out there for about 40 minutes before it became unbearable. Then I went inside.

Mini-Challenge:
What is the name of your local library? What city is it located in? William E. Anderson Library of Penn Hills in Penn Hills PA, near Pittsburgh
How often do you go to the library? If you're a regular, do the staff know you? I go there maybe twice a week. I've been going to the library forever. A few weeks ago one lady told me how neat it is that she knew me from when I went to the childrens' section!
Do you browse while you're there or just pick up items you have placed on reserve? I usually just pick up books. I've been trying more recently to browse some too.
What is your favorite thing about your local library? I love how it is new. It smells new. The layout is great.

My little sister decded she wanted to join in a little bit of read-a-thon fun. She joined me reading a Lemony Snicket book outside. She read 48 pages. Here is what Alyssa has to say (exactly how she wrote it. She's nine.)

A part of it was too predictable. I am reading a series of unfortanet events by Lemony Snicket. I am on the 7th book of like 13. The on I am reading now is called the Vile Village. The Village is called UFD. It is about three children who's parents died in a fire and left a fortune. The first gardian they went to was Count Olaf. Who really wants the fortune! He has a tatoo of an eye on his ankle and a unibrow.
TO BE CONTINUED

Read-a-Thon hour 7

2009-04-18T14:52:00.002-04:00

This is my hourly reading log for the readathon. If you are looking for the YouTube video chain mini challenge, it is here: http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/04/youtube-video-chain-mini-challenge.html

This Hour:

Pages read- 71

Minutes read- 37

Books read from & pages from each-
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: 48
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot: 23

Cheerleading comments left- 0

Mini-challenge participation- I took a little walk with my sister. I grabbed her hand and ran out in the street. She totally didn't expect it :P My camera suddenly decided to die so We just walked around near our house. As mentioned many times before, the weather is wonderful! I love how the trees have flowers on them! Even a few little kids were in their yard wearing swimsuits!

Books completed-0

Food eaten- animal Crackers

Reading locations-bed. the neighbor is still burning stuff.

Read-a-Thon Hour 6

2009-04-18T13:56:00.002-04:00

This is my hourly reading log for the readathon. If you are looking for the YouTube video chain mini challenge, it is here: http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/04/youtube-video-chain-mini-challenge.html

This Hour:

Pages read-62

Minutes read-39

Books read from & pages from each-
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: 28
Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 14
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot: 20

Cheerleading comments left-3

Mini-challenge participation-none

Books completed-0

Food eaten-tuna salad on a whole wheat pita, sour cream and onion pringles, lemonade

Reading locations-chair in my bedroom. Of course the neighbord decide to burn something really stinky so I can't enjoy the weather...-grumbles-

My page totals will increase a lot because I'm reading something like an adult picture book. Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot is a photographers' chronicle of the war in Iraq. It seems like I am never going to finish a book though!

This day is going by really fast. I can't believe it is 2 o'clock already!

Read-a-Thon Hour 5

2009-04-18T12:46:00.001-04:00

Read-a-Thon Hour 4

2009-04-18T12:01:00.004-04:00

Minutes read- 60

Books read from & pages from each-

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: 43

Does This Book Make me Look Fat?: 17

Cheerleading comments left-0

Mini-challenge participation-see below

Books completed-0

Food eaten-nothing

Reading locations- deck and chair in bedroom

This mini-challenge is to take a picture of the book in your readathon pile with the coolest cover and then depict the summary blurb in any way you want and take a picture of it. The book I chose is Black Beauty, which I guess is a collecters' edition of it. It has a velour cover and it gorgeous! Sorry it is sideways. I can't rotate pictures the way I am doing them for the readathon.

And here is my summary. Basically I did how the animals talk.

YouTube Video Chain Mini-Challenge

2009-04-18T11:56:00.001-04:00

This mini challenge will run from noon to three pm Eastern (9am to noon Pacific).

After four hours of read-a-thoning. (Has read-a-thon ever been used as verb before?), you are probably ready for a little break. You may be a little grumpy, especially if you live in a time zone where the read-a-thon starts in the early morning.

The object of this little game is to create a chain of funny Youtube videos. At the end of this post, I will leave a link to one of my favorite funny Youtube videos. The first person who wants to participate will watch the video. Then they will comment with a link to their favorite funny video in a comment. The next person will watch the most recent Youtube video posted and so on.

If there is heavy traffic and someone posts a video while you are still watching, do not fret. Just go on. Post your youtube video. This isn’t supposed to be complicated.

(In simpler terms if you still do not understand, just watch the video posted in the most recent comment. Then, post a link to your favorite funny youtube video)

Hopefully in several hours we will have a bunch of the funniest videos posted here. In the remaining hours of the read-a-thon, you can refer back to this post if you want another distraction.

You may participate several times if you like. I will put your name in a hat for each time you do it and then whatever the prize is, I'll draw names.

Guidelines for choosing your video:
-Keep it PG
-Stay away from videos whose main theme is to criticize or promote certain political or religious groups. This is supposed to be fun, not offensive.
-Don’t post a video over ten minutes long. This is a read-a-thon, not a you-tube-a-thon
-Yes, they must be FUNNY. Don’t leave a link to a video of your kid taking his first steps unless he does something like barf all over you in the process.

I am allowing comments to be posted without me approving them for this mini-challenge. Therefore, you are on the honor system for this time. If you see something fishy posted, please use the contact form in my sidebar to tell me! (yes, I am paranoid!)

First Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3kjKXHlHYc

UPDATE: The prize is a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Read-a-Thon Hour 3

2009-04-18T10:51:00.002-04:00

This Hour:

Pages read-24

Minutes read-23

Books read from & pages from each-
Roll of Tunder, hear My cry: 24

Cheerleading comments left- 10

Mini-challenge participation-n/a

Books completed-0

Food eaten- Honey wheat bagel and coffee

Reading locations-kitchen table and the chair in my room

I've decided that the next hour will be a full reading hour. I've been Cheerleading and blogging for the first part of the hour then reading, but I'm not getting much done of either by doing this. I will only read during Hour 4 but will only do blogging things during hour 5. This will be appropriate because Hour 5 is when my mini-challenge begins. During hour 4, I may do the current mini-challenge too...

I'm enjoying Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In seventh grade, I went through a Mildred Taylor phase. I read something of hers for school and everything I wrote for two months after resembled the style that she writes. I never read this book. I wanted to read more Newberry Books, so this one satisfies a lot of things I've been shooting for! I'm about halfway done.

The weather is GORGEOUS but it is still a bit chilly for me. I am always cold! Most of the windows in the house are open.

Read-a-Thon Hour 2

2009-04-18T10:00:00.002-04:00

I got these slippers for Easter and am wearing them now. They're killer bunnies from Monty Python and the Holy Grail!

This Hour:

Pages read- 39

Minutes read- 36

Books read from & pages from each-

Roll of Tunder, Hear My Cry: 31

Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 9

Cheerleading comments left- 8

Mini-challenge participation- n/a

Books completed-o

Food eaten-nothing

Reading locations- Deck (it was too cold), couch (then the video games and bickering started), bed.

Read-a-Thon Hour 1

2009-04-18T08:56:00.003-04:00

I woke up an hour earlier than I usually do on Saturdays to start reading at 8am. I started reading right away. Actually, I just got out of bed. reading in bed is the best. I'm in a good mood because I've been so excited for this AND the weather is gorgeous. I'm seeing a lot ouf outdoor reading in my future!

Here's this hour's mini-challenge:

Where are you reading from today? My house in a suburb of Pittsbugh
3 facts about me: (Ugh...questions like this...)

1. I have a huge stack of books this time around. I'm not making the same mistakes I made last year!

2. I'm reading, cheerleading and hosting a mini-challenge this time around!

3. I have three options for caffeinated beverages today, even though I'm not staying up all night :P
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? eleven
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I want to finish three books and make my way through the whole list of people that signed up for the readathon once by leaving a cheerleading comment on each.
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time? Change your reading position! last time I read in the same chair for almost 8 hours. It was horrible. Once I switched to the couch, everything was ok again. A simple change of scenery can help you want to read again.

This Hour:

Pages read- 69

Minutes read- 49

Books read from & pages from each-

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: 54

Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 15

Cheerleading comments left- 0

Mini-challenge participation- the questionnaire above

Books completed- 0

Food eaten-homeade banana muffin and a glass of water

Reading locations- my bed

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Movie and Books

2009-04-17T15:13:00.002-04:00

I broke my own rule of not watching movies based on books. I actually planned on this one, though.

I watched the first movie before I read the books, and I recently read the whole series. Today I watched the second movie. I really wish I hadn't.

I came up with TWENTY TWO major differences between the second movie and the fourth book, which is what the second movie is supposed to be based off of. I told myself that the second movie wouldn't be really horrible unless they tried to mesh all the books together or completely forgot about all the stuff that happened between the two movies. I found a comination of these two factors happened.

If you're picky about spoilers, don't read the next part.

Here's my list of the differences. There is probably more, too.

1. Carmen is not present at the pants meeting at the beginning of the book. She is at her acting thingy. But, in the book she is there.

2. Contrary to what the movie leads us to believe, Lena has had plenty of experience drawing nude figures.

3. Leo is not a model in the book as he is in the movie.

4. Lena and Leo never model for each other in the movie. This is a major thing in the book.

5. Tibby's dorm room is supposed to be really really tiny in the book.

6. Ian does not convince Carmen to audition for the play in the book. Some lady (I forget her name) does.

7. In the book, Bridget does not fall into the room thing at he archaeological dig.

8. Leo lives with his mother in the book.

9. Leo asks what Lena's parents think of her in art school. She says they want what is best for her. In the book, her parents hate it.

10. Bridget does not leave Turkey early to visit Greta in Alabama in the book!!! In fact, Turkey and Alabama are covered in two different books!

11. Bridget does not tell Great right away that she is her granddaughter in the book. She works for her for a while. Greta knows Bridget is her granddaughter but lets her go that way for a while.

12. In the movie, Greta asks Bridget is she has "a fella." Bridget says no, but in the book she is very involved with Eric.

13. Bridget has a twin brother who is never mentioned in either of the movies.

14. In the book, Bridget is very upset about how her brother and father don't really try to have a life. She tries to fix it in the book. This never happens in the movie.

15. Julia never tries to sabotage Carmen in the movie by "helping" her with her lines. Instead, she tries to go out with Ian to hurt Carmen in the movie.

16. Carmen goes with Ian to find her stepdad while her mother is in labor in the book. In the movie, she stays in dress rehearsal.

17. Tibby is supposed to be very emotionally involved in Carmen's mom's labor in the book. There is very little of this in the movie.

18. Bridget falls for a married man in Turkey in the book. Not in the movie...

19. Everyone goes to Greece together in the book. In the movie, Lena goes first and the rest of the girls go to surprise her.

20. The girls don't try to get Lena and Kostos together again in the book.

21. Lena is VERY serious (you know what I mean...) with Leo in the book, but not in the movie!

22. Bridget is also very serious with Eric in the book in the same way.

These are not all just excusable differences. I know for movies, some changes must be made, but these changes were horrendous. The movie rushed through everything, lacked emotion in general, and basically just was a waste of time.

This is really frustrating. You don't mess with plot like that. Do the movie people think their version is better than the original version? How do they let this movie have the same name as the books? It is VERY loosely based off the books.

So much happened off of camera as well. if you hadn't read the books, you would be very confused the whole time.

Save yourself the aggravation. Don't watch this movie unless you have very good anger management skills.

Read-A-Thon Checklist

2009-04-16T14:18:00.003-04:00

I stole Debi's idea of a readathon checklist.

1. Clean bedroom to make my readathon experience seem like I'm reading in a bedroom, not a junkyard.

2. Assemble readathon stack that is too large.

3. Order more books from the library to add to the already huge stack but tell yourself more variety is a good thing.

4. Study for Psychology test on Monday so I won't have to read more after the readathon...eh...let's skip that one.

5. Make a template for posting.

6. Write mini-challenge post.

7. Make all the phone calls and do all the homework that will be nagging me me during the readathon if I don't do them...

8. Make it so I don’t have to approve comments (for the mini challenge)

9. Tell sister and brother not to gobble all the muffins so I can have one for breakfast

10. Set alarm for a few minutes before 8 AM

11. Begin reading a readathon book so I will finish a book early on and feel accomplished

12. Borrow movies from a friend to watch the next day because I won’t feel like reading

13. Check weather forecast to see if it will be nice enough to read outside (it will)

14. Pick up the two extra library books I ordered

15. Make tuna salad and gingerbread coffee

16. Cross fingers hoping that the neighbors won't burn stuff outside so I will be able to read outside in the nice weather without smelling smoke all day. (Sheesh...we live in the suburbs of Pittsbugh, not in the middle of West Virginia)

6 Components of a Truly Great Book

2009-04-15T12:24:00.003-04:00

1. I have to be able to know that if I reread the book again, it will speak to me as if I read it for the first time. The book has to have multiple ways of interpreting it. Two of my absolute favorites-East of Eden and The Poisonwood Bible-have this quality as what I like most about them!

2. You don't want to "get it over with." Too many books are ruined by rushing through them. I am particularly guilty of this. I need to reread 1984, Franny and Zooey, and Atonement. I think those three have potential of being among my favorites. I didn't give them a chance. I just wanted to read them to be able to say I read them. A book can't be your favorite if you try to rush through. You want to savor each page.

3. You to want to reread it.

4. I don't want to put the book down. I don't have to force myself to sit down and read it. One of the biggest ways I know if I don't like a book is if I have to make myself read it. This may seem the same as #2, but it is not.

5. A good book will take priority over other books you are reading at the same time. You'll only read that book, devouring it, staying up too late in order to finish one more chapter...

6. It leaves a lasting impression on you. You remember details about the book, not just the general ideas.

With these thoughts in mind, here's my list of "favorite" books as it was before I started reflecting on what makes a good book. In parenthesis are what components each book satisfies.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1, 3, 6)
Hamlet (1, 3, 6)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1, 3, 6)
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1, 3, 6)
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (2, 3, 4, 5)
East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2, 3, 4, 5)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1, 2, 3)

Which means of the eight favorites I have, East of Eden is really the only truly great book on the list.

Do I set impossibly high standards or what? Is this why I haven't been reading any fantastic books lately?

What do you consider a good book to be?

Drumroll please...

2009-04-14T19:28:00.003-04:00

Was the title exciting enough? I hope so, because I have a few exciting things to say...

I had a whole bunch of tidbits I needed to post that weren't worthy of a post for each of them. So, here's a nice little list for you.

1. I changed my picture. I wanted something more appropriate for both of my blogs, not just my bookish one. This time you can see my whole face!

2. I'm toying with the idea of taking an internet break for a little while, maybe a week, after the readathon. Since I'll still have my phone I will update on twitter but that is all.

3. Speaking of my other blog, it is very lonely. http://isthereintellectinside.blogspot.com/

4. I have 12 books out from the library. I am done with a few of them, but I just ordered five more...

5. I spent about three hours with a couple breaks in between reading Eclipse. I never read that much in one day! I guess I'm subconsciously preparing for Saturday!

6. Maybe this one should have gone first, but my college decision is made! I'm going to Messiah College, which is about 10 minutes away from Harrisburg PA, the capitol. If you remember, Messiah is where the library is that I got lost in. There's 400,000 volumes or something like that. I assure you the library wasn't the deciding factor though!

Review: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2009-04-13T09:01:00.001-04:00

(from the dust jacket) A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes thet are wearing, a cart of scavenges food-and each other.

If it weren't for the helpful blurb above the summary on the dust jacket of this book, I wouldn't know what it is about "Thie searing, postapocalyptic novel destines to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpeice." This book is so unlike anything I've ever read, even other postapocalyptic novels.

The writing is so simple and raw. There are no quotation marks. There are no exclamation points. The characters are not named. There are no chapters. Paragraphs are short and have large spaces between them. It is as if every little thing the characters go through is a supreme effort. I love it when how the book is formatted fits the plot of the novel.

There are no hugely suspenseful scenes. There are no polic chases or wild animals on the loose. There are no races against the clock. Despite the absence of many components that are suspenseful, The Road is a book I couldn't put down.

A lot of the time, the best books are those that are difficult to read. We see the young boy lose a part of his childlike innocence each page. He witnesses horrors most adults never see. He sees death time and time again. "I'm scared" is a very common phrase in his vocabulary.

There are really only two happy scenes in the book. The happiness is dampened by the sheer horror of the surrounding events.

I have no idea why I like this book. It is horrible.

For it being wonderfully paradoxical, I give it an A.

Read-a-Thon!!!!!

2009-04-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

I am VERY excited for the read-a-thon! If you haven't signed up or are debating it, sign up! It's a no pressure way to get some reading done and meet a whole bunch of people. I participated in the read-a-thon for the first time last time. It was my first Dewey event.

I made a lot of mistakes last time and I was just a reader. I didn't give myself enough variety and I only read shorter classics. It wasn't too much fun.

This year I have a giant stack of books. If I get tired of reading, I can always go do my cheerleading duties. I impulsively decided to sign up as a cheerleader too.

And if that wasn't enough, I'm hosting a mini challenge!

I've never stayed up all night before. I've tried. Just like last time, I'll go to bed at 9 or 10. That's probably the only thing I did right last time :)

Here's the books I have on hand. I might read a few of them this week, but this is basically all the choices I will have.

All of the Calvin and Hobbes comic books (I really needed them last time but my dad couldn't find his colelction. It is found now!)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
I Capture the Castle
Suite Francaise
Words Without Borders
Does this Book Make Me Look Fat?
The View From Saturday
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Black Beauty
Eclipse
Anne of Green Gables

Plus any short stories I can read on the internet.

Even though this time I have lighter reading, my goal is still to finish three books. After all, I have do cheerlead and host a mini-challenge this time too.

Have I mentioned how really excited I am.

Really.

-stereotypical teenage girl squeal-

Sunday Salon: The I Can't Think of a Witty Title Post

2009-04-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

I'm enjoying having waaay too many books on hand that I need to read. I have twelve out of the library right now and another I borrowed from someone. I've finished two of those books and abandoned one.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I honestly don't know why I got this one. I want to save everything I have to for the review, but this book is the best I've read in a while. I've wanted to read a really good book and yes, this is it. I'll save the in depth gushing for later. But in the meantime, GET THIS BOOK. Even if it is something you don't normally read, get it. I don't like to read dark-ish things like this but am enjoying it immensely. I miss having the feeling of not wanting to put a book down!

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
There is such a long story behind why I'm reading this, but in a short form: I started reading this for pleasure but it turned into being for school too. I stopped a few weeks ago and then picked this up again to find out I didn't remember anything I read. I read it all over again and it was still as if I had read it the first time. This book is so fresh. I don't think it was because I had wiped it from my memory, because things came back to me. I still read the first section and it was just as great, if not better, than when I read it the first time.

I'm not looking forward to writing the paper on it because I have to apply it to a historical perspective and see if the book has any parallels with the author's life. It doesn't have much relevance to either of these topics...

Sixteen: Stories about that sweet and bitter birthday edited by Megan McCafferty

I wanted to get some more short stories read for the 100 Shots of Short challenge. This was a nice change from the classic short stories I've been reading. I have noticed in the past few months that YA books usually focus more around plot than internal struggles. This short story collection focused more around internal struggles. Overall, the short stories present a realistic representation of how sixteen year olds think. (I should know. I was sixteen last year) The stories were a nice blend of adult writing and concepts with teenage circumstances and attitudes. And now appropriate is that? Sixteen is when you are in between being an adult and a kid!

Digg!

2009-04-11T10:02:00.002-04:00

Remember Dig-Dug? I played it on the computer but some people may remember playing it on some old fashioned game system.

This isn't the kind of digging I'm speaking of.

I decided to start using Digg. You may have seen it on other websites. It allows you to "Digg This."

You will have the option to "Digg" any of my posts.

So get "diggin'"

Library Loot

2009-04-09T17:12:00.000-04:00

I got a ton this week!

Words Without Borders: The World Through the Eyes of Writers-A Collection of short stories published for the first time in English

Sixteen: Stories About That sweet and Bitter Birthday

Does This Book Make Me look Fat?: Stories about loving-and loathing-your body-See a theme here? I've decided to get a move on with the 100 Shots of Short Challenge!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer-This one sounds cool. I hope it is not disappointing.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George-I realized how few Newberry Award winners I've read, so I picked up several that I never got a chance to read.

The View From Saturday by E.L. Koningsburg-Another Newberry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor-Another Newberry. I'm extied for this because I discrovered Mildred Taylor in seventh grade but soon forgot about her. I even went through a phase where I wrote short stories in the style she writes.

Steinbeck Novels and Stories 1932-1937-My library does not have a plain old copy of Tortilla Flat, so I had to get this.

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky-Learned about this while on my browsing only visit to Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago!

The Road by Cormac McCarthy-For My Year of Reading Dangerously. It's an Oprah Book Club book. Enough said.

Booking Through Thursday: Multiple Books

2009-04-09T16:19:00.002-04:00

Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to:
1. Are you currently reading more than one book?
2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?
3. Is this normal for you?
4. Where do you keep your current reads?

I always read more than one book. Three is normal for me. One book can't keep my attention long enough. Lots of people ask me how I keep the stories straight. I really don't know how I do that. I never read anything that is really similar, like I won't read two thrillers or romance novels at once.

Right now I am reading two books and debating whether to start a thirs. Often, I will start a book that is so good that I totally forget the other two. When I come back to the other books I forget what is going on.

Another problem I encounter is sometimes I finish two books very close to each other. I have to begin two books at the same time to keep up my pace. That's also a time where it confuses me. Often though, I will read one book more than the other and my reading cycle evens itself out again.

If I read one book at a time, I wouldn't read that much. I rarely read more than two chapters of the same book in one sitting. It would take me much longer to complete one book. The way I read is I have my stack of books next to me and read back and forth between them all for an hour or so.

I usually keep the books I'm currently reading in my bed. That's where I normally read. I found out I can't read while eating or sitting upright unless it is at a school desk. I must have my legs and shoulders at about the same height. That's kind of odd I think!

Sweet or Bitter Sixteen?

2009-04-05T11:11:00.003-04:00

I had already thought about writing a post like this because I'm reading a short story collection about sixteenth birthdays. I thought it would be fun to share my sixteenth birthday story before I review the book.

And then The mini-challenge for Dewey's Books is announced and it fits what I wanted to do perfectly!

So here we go, the saga of my sixteenth birthday, almost two years ago. I feel so old.

Every year for birthdays we have family over to have cake and all that. We rarely have parties with friends. I had a party when I turned 6 and another when I turned 14. My fourteenth was a disaster. Long story short, two people came.

I hoped my sixteenth would be better.

My parents agreed to let me have a party where we dock our boat. We would have a bonfire and my dad would drive my friends around on our Sea Doo (waverunner, jet ski...whatever you call it). I invited thirty people. I figured I'd get a good turn out despite all the other birthday parties and graduation parties that week.

My aunt and uncle decided to drive four hours to come to my party. That was a good sign. If they were coming, everyone would!

Five of my friends came. Six RSVPed. Four of them I had met only two months earlier. We obviously made too much nacho cheese.

It was a disappointment at the time. Here I was with four girls that were asking me which guy to prank call (I didn't know any of them) and I didn't have much in common with (yet), as well as a girl from school with blue hair.

The four girls were from my new youth group that I had come to six months before. I met them in a supermarket in Hersey Pennsylvania and the friendship was solidified when I started throwing circus peanuts (don't ask).

It made me realize who my real friends are. Those four girls are now the best friends I have right now. Even though I'm 3-4 years older than them! Even though I didn't get a car or an amazing present for my sweet sixteen, I got something better. I just didn't know it at the time. I got best friends for my birthday.

Censorship isn't always a bad thing!

2009-04-02T16:00:00.002-04:00

Censorship is generally considered a bad thing, but I learned something today that made me think otherwise.

Several girls in my sisters' fourth grade class are reading Twilight.

First of all, how did they get their hands on a TEEN book? Twilight is definitely PG-13. Bella wants to go farther with Edward than he is able to handle. Plus, the scary vampire-ness of the whole thing is too much for the average nine year old girl.

My library has the suggested grade level on all of their childrens' books. This is interpreted as a matter of reading ability, not maturity. For instance, Jacob Have I Loved is marked as an appropriate book for a third grader. Although the instance is a short one, the book speaks of when the narrator got her first period.

Third grade.

I remember my grandmother bringing a bag of old books for me one day when I was my sister's age. Among them was Are You there God? It's Me, Margaret. Grandma commented on how that would be a very good book for me to read.

My mom took it away. I'm glad she did. I read it later when I was thirteen.

If any parents are reading this, I'm urging you to become the uncool parent on this one. No matter what "reading level" the book is considered, you need to consider the maturity level of the book. It is great that kids are reading, but books could potentially be just as harmful to the brains of kids as TV has!

(As for me, I'm hoping that the size of the Twilight books will intimidate the fourth graders!)

Booking Through Thursday: Library Week

2009-04-02T12:09:00.003-04:00

I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

I go to the library at least 5 times a month. I usually go to pick up books that I ordered and to return them, but I have recently attempted to get to know my library a little better. Instead of just ordering books to be sent to my library, I try to browse once a month.

In the summer when I was little we used to spend hours in the library. My brother got free chess lessons. They had super fast internet. They had books...now I spend less time in the library. Just like picking up groceries, I pick up books. I've recently rediscovered my library. We have a new huge, modern library and I'm neglecting it! I spent 3 hours there one afternoon. It was great! I prefer a mix in libraries. Our old library was tiny and messy, but cozy. It was old and noisy since everyone was confined in a small space. The layout of our new library lets you chose whether you want noise or coziness.

The lady checking out my books for me yesterday commented on how she remembers when I was in the childrens' library. She's seen me change from reading only The Baby Sitters' Club to what I'm reading now. I don't live in a small town, but our library gives you the sense that you are. I have a history at the library and people know me there. I can't go anywhere else in my town and have that.

Isn't that what a library should be? Forget the layout or the selection of books. The mission statement of my library is to be a community center. My large suburb has a small town within itself, the library.

Double Post: Dewey's Books "Try Something New" mini challenge with Wordlily

2009-04-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve always been a reader, but when perusing through the list of books that have won the Newberry Honor Medal, I was surprised at how few of them I’ve read.

For this month’s Dewey’s Books Mini Challenge, everyone was paired up with a partner to read something new. Although kid’s books aren’t new to me (after all, I’m still technically a child…only a few more months until the label of adult is slapped on me), many of the titles on the list I’ve never heard of.

Wordlily (http://wordlily.wordpress.com/) and I decided to read a book of the Newberry list because Dewey was attempting to read all of them. Then, we each exchanged lists of our favorites. I was to chose a book off of the list she sent me and vice versa. She chose Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson, Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs, and King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. I chose Jacob Have I loved because it sounded like the most interesting plot. For her, I chose Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, and Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.

My Review:

What shocked me in Jacob Have I Loved was how it was more of literature than a child’s story. Kids want to read about kittens and puppies and horses and firemen. Kids want to read about other kids like them, like Amber Brown or Junie B. Jones. It is not surprising that all of the books I read off of the Newberry list I read for school because of this fact. I think Jacob Have I Loved was particularly guilty of not being very relatable to children.

If I were a fifth grader, I would have hated the book. There wasn’t much action. The protagonist lives on an island village where they depend on crabs and oysters to make a living. The high school has two teachers. You have to ride the ferry to go grocery shopping. One thing is relatable, though, the struggle between Louise and her twin sister Caroline. Many times, their relationship is compared to Jacob and Esau’s relationship in the Bible. Caroline is the precious, sickly, talented child that wins the affections of everyone around her, and Louise is left to herself. Caroline gets to go to boarding school and Louise stays on the island.

What many would write off as childish jealousy goes deeper than that. Louise is greatly affected by her parents’ treatment of Caroline. While Caroline is off making a life for herself, Louise chooses to stay on the island and help her father. Louise makes herself think they are making her stay so she can make herself feel miserable.

The writing has a simplicity that makes it known that the book was written for children. Often, writers like Ernest Hemingway and Ayn Rand are said to have a simple but beautiful writing style. I fail to see it in the great American authors, but you can definitely notice the beauty of the simplistic language. It seems that the writing is a bit cold and grey, as you would imagine the setting of the island to be.

Usually I am disappointed of the endings of books. I find many of them subpar. They usually don’t offer enough closure and sometimes they offer too much. The ending of Jacob Have I Loved is touching, offers plenty of closure, and makes you wonder what happens next. But then your eyes fall on the back cover.

WordLily's Review:

Bud, Not Buddy won the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award in 2000.

In 1936, during the Great Depression, 10-year-old Bud Caldwell lives in the orphanage in Flint, Michigan that has been his home since the death of his mother, when he was 6. He doesn't exactly enjoy life at the orphanage, but it beats the abusive foster home alternatives he's given. Presented with the opportunity, Bud decides to go in search of his father. His only clue? A couple of fliers he found in his mom's dresser. So he sets off for Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I really enjoyed this book. It fits with my recent infatuation with Depression literature, as well (http://wordlily.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/wg-historical-eras).

There are lots of reasons to love this book. Bud's speech is endearing. What he's been through is heart-rending. His interspersed Rules and Things to Have a Funner Life and Make a Better Liar of Yourself are funny and usually too true to life. It's a very quick read. Oh, and the kid likes hanging out in libraries! :D Curtis modeled characters in Bud, Not Buddy on his grandfathers.

I can't think of a good reason why anyone would not read this book.

I'm quite interested to read Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. His Elijah of Buxtonwas named a Newbery Honor book in 2008.

Month of March

2009-03-31T14:38:00.002-04:00

Month: March
Books Read: 9
*Pages Read: 2297 (Plus most of The Fountainhead, about 600 pages)
Titles of Books Read:
Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson (Library Challenge)
Titanic Warning by Casey Sabella (Year of Reading Dangerously)
Now and Zen by Linda Gerber (Library Challenge)
Forever by Judy Blume
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Dewey)
Dating Jesus by Susan Campbell (Library Challenge)
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson (Library Challenge)
Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares (Library Challenge)
Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares (Library Challenge)
Favorite Books Read: Jacob Have I Loved, Girls in Pants, Forever in Blue
Least Favorite Books Read: Wuthering Heights
Blog Posts: 31

This Year so far
Books read: 29
Pages read: 8665
Blog Posts: 80

*This number is calculated by adding the total number of pages in books read, as well as how many pages of a book read but later abandoned

Even though I was focused on school reading this month, my pages read hasn't suffered too much. Plus, I've read about the same number of books as I have the past two months. Yay me!

Dating Jesus by Susan Campbell

2009-03-30T20:36:00.000-04:00

Susan Campbell discusses her Fundamentalist Christian upbringing in this memoir. She doubts the faith that she grew up in and questions it openly. Why can't women be clergy? What would happen if we sung songs with a piano? Are Fundamentalists the only ones that go to heaven?

Very educating on Fundamentalism and Christianity in general, Cambell offers a satisfying mix of fact and personal anecdotes, which is a difficult thing to find in a memoir.

I've grown up in the church. Now my faith is more of my personal choice than my parents'. Lots of people think that parents brainwash their kids into religion, but that's not me. I've always wondered why people have such negative feelings about Christianity. I know there are two main reasons from what I have seen. People either think that religion is oppressive and is just a whole bunch of stupid rules to get to a place in the sky that we have no proof exists or they think Christians are hypocrites and they don't want to have anything to do with them.

I know my denomonation isn't all rules. From most denomonations, we are very slack on rules. Fundamentalism is seems to be the complete opposite. I think the people that think religion is just rules are only looking at Fundamentalists. Jesus wasn't concerned with following every rule to the letter. He even criticized those who did! He thought there were more important things to worry about than the nitpicky rules. This book broke my heart because the rules are what turned Cambell away from her church. Although she still has good feeling in general for religion, she still isn't very passionate about it. Churches should be more to people than just rules.
Grade: B+

Books Reviewed

2009-03-30T17:58:00.002-04:00

Review type thing: Wuthering Heights

2009-03-30T17:27:00.003-04:00

I couldn't finish it. The last ten chapters were "sparknoted."

Yes, the book was that horrible.

I'm already not a big fan of Victorian-era writing. Even when I was little and was obsessed with American Girl Dolls, Samantha (the Victorian one) was my least favorite. Wuthering Heights increased my hatred for all things Victorian. You think Chick-Lit is petty and stupid? Just read a Bronte or an Austen...

It's a story of hatred disguised as love. It's a story that's supposed to have all these wonderful themes to read in between the lines about in AP English...

I know this isn't a real review. This is just me urging you to please skip this one. You'll thank me.

(I recently read a much better hate review on Wuthering Heights but can't manage to find it. If you've reviewd it, leave a comment with a link!)

Sunday Salon: The watching-the-groundhog-outside-my-window Post

2009-03-29T16:48:00.003-04:00

I almost forgot to so a Sunday Salon post because I was too busy (you guessed it) reading!

No, I'm not done with The Fountainhead yet, but I'm pretty close. I'm dreading finishing it because that means I have to write an essay on it, but I just want to have it out of my mind!

Today I read the last half of the third Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book in one sitting (or laying. I was in my bed). I'm about to start the fourth. I don't want the series to end!

Right now, I'm also reading When Christ Comes by Max Lucado. I read about it on a non-bookish friend's blog and I was hooked! Heaven and the second coming of Christ is such a big mystery and this book is answering a lot of my questions.

I'm back in the cycle of ordering and picking books up from the library more rapidly than I'm reading them! Even though I've been caught up in school reading this month, I might still finish 10 books like I have the past two months, although they won't be as "literature-y" as they have been in past months.

Why reading is the best hobby out there

2009-03-27T12:07:00.002-04:00

-Reading is free if you only get books from the library.
-Reading isn't a competition to be the best like sports are.
-Reading doesn't require expensive equipment like cars or scrapbooking do.
-Reading is very easily portable.
-Books come in many formats to suit whatever situation.
-There are so many books out there that anyone can find their niche.
-Reading doesn't take a certain talent or skill.
-You can't get injured reading. Paper cuts don't count.
-There are always second chances in reading. If you lose a sporting event, you have to wait another whole year!
-You don't get your clothes all messy with grease or mud when you read.
-Reading doesn't make noise that annoys those living with you.
-You don't have to go to practices for the hobby of reading unless you are in elementary school.

Booking Through Thursday

2009-03-26T12:46:00.002-04:00

The opposite of last week’s question: “What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”

A lot of people have negative reactions to Shakespeare, especially my classmates. I find that while many of my classmated moan and groan when the teacher mentions anything involving the man with the large forehead, I don't mind.

Shakespeare is great in moderation. I definitely wouldn't want to take a whole course on it! The best way to study Shakespeare is to experience it in many different formats.

Here's my preferred method:
1. Read a summary of the scene or act you will be reading next. Sparknotes is usually my choice. This lets you understand what you are reading.
2. Read the section in its Elizabethan gibber gabber. Focus on trying to gain an overall understanding of what you read, rather than searching for symbolism and stuff.
3. Watch the movie while following along in the book AND/OR read the "No Fear Shakespeare" Version. This time, try to look for sumbols and themes that may be discussed on a test if you are reading it for school.

I've read four Shakespeare plays and really liked two of them: Hamlet and Romeo and Julliet. I really didn't like Julius Caesar and Othello was okay.

I think the people that don't like Shakespeare didn't give it a fair chance and decided to rush through it. You need to take your time and make sure you have an understanding of what you are reading!

Library Loot: March 25-April 2 2009

2009-03-25T11:50:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've checked out books from the library. Yay! I've missed my library loot! I'm going to have some light reading for a while to take a break from The Fountainhead and Wuthering Heights.

The Christ Comes by Max Lucado

3:13 : The Numbers of Hope by Max Lucado

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Forever in Blue: The Fouth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brahsares

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

2009 Spring Reading Thing

2009-03-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Katrina at Calapidder Days (http://callapidderdays.com/2009/03/spring-reading-thing-2009-lets-read.html) is hosting the 2009 Spring Reading Thing where readers list the books they plan to read between march 20 and June 20.

Here's my list. I left plenty of wiggle room. I know that random books will come up that I absolutely HAVE to read!

Holes
The Lovely Bones
The Secret Life of Bees
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3 and 4
The Last Pope

Sixteen
When Christ Comes by
A Clockwork Orange
The Bell Jar
Native Son
The Fountainhead
3:16 The Numbers of Hope
The Grapes of Wrath
Brave New World
I Capture the Castle
Marley and Me
The Shack
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
The Road
Black Beauty
My Little Red Book

Forever...

2009-03-24T12:03:00.002-04:00

(From bn.com) Awkward, sweet, passionate, innocent, secretive . . . Do you remember your first time? Katherine and Michael won't ever forget theirs. They were seniors in high school. Totally crazy for each other, they thought they had found the one. It was first love, and it was perfect: long talks on the phone, ski trips, and double dates when they simply couldn't wait to be alone. But was Katherine and Michael's relationship the love of a lifetime, or merely the beginning of a lifetime of love?

This book begged me to read it. I first read about it in Everything I Needed to Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, and then my trig buddy Natalie read it...and reread it. I borrowed it from her.

This book has been around since my mother was my age. That is embarrassing to think about. This book is just so open, honest, and frank about sex. It's uncomfortable for a squeamish person like me to read. I totally understand why it caused so much controversy when it was published. Even now, if I had a daughter, I wouldn't want her to read it.

Forever...makes a sad attempt to portray the emotional side of sex. Katherine does mention it several times, but a majority of the novel is focused on the physical. The only thing that Michael and Katherine's relationship focuses around is the physical. They have one, maybe two heart to heart moments in the whole book. The rest is just body to body.

If what Michael and Katherine experienced was love, no thank you!

Aside from my personal opinion, it is still a good book. Judy Blume is one of the forefathers (foremother?) of the YA genre. I admire how she wasn't afraid to write about anything, and I know many girls have benefitted from her fearlessness. Judy Blume says things that teenagers wouldn't listen to if they heard it from their parents.

Grade: B

Book Lovin'

2009-03-22T15:16:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since I've read a really good book. The last thing I read that I wanted to hug because it was so good was Hamlet, and before that was Memoirs of a Geisha, both in November.

I need to read something fantastic in the month of April. It's been 5ish months since I've fallen in love with a book.

So, I need your help.

Comment and tell me what your favorite books have been. If you list several, pick just one absolute favorite if you can! I will chose one book to read and review next month.

The Sunday Salon: Lists!

2009-03-22T12:05:00.002-04:00

Since I've seen the light at the end of the tunnel of assigned reading, I've started making lists of what books I want to get from the library next. Since I need to order books for the next month and enough to keep me busy during the read a thon, my list is much longer than usual!

Relentless by Simon Kernick
The Cat Who Went to Paris by Peter Gethers
Holes
The Lovely Bones
The Secret Life of Bees
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3 and 4
The Last Pope by David Osborn
Sixteen by Megan McCafferty
When Christ Comes by Max Lucado
A Clockwork Orange
The Bell Jar
Native Son

Along with these, I hope to get my hands on the last two Twilight books (good books for the read a thon!). I also have some books on my shelf that would be suitable for the read a thon. I made the hugs mistake of only getting classics to read last time so I will not make that mistake again!

It's like Christmas all over again!

New!

2009-03-20T13:09:00.001-04:00

I've been thinging about doing this for a while. This is my new blog. It is not about books. Nothing will change about this blog because of my new blog. Behold, The Thing That Reads A Lot is still my primary concern!

http://isthereintellectinside.blogspot.com/

Please do not feel obligated to visit or follow. The purpose of this new blog mainly for people I know, but you all are welcome to read as well! I realize many will not agree with many of my posts since they will mostly be religion and politics. I just wanted to throw it out there!

Booking through Thursday

2009-03-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

How about, “What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”

Hands down The Lord of the Flies.

I had to read it in 10th grade and my teacher had us take quizzes every few chapters that were graded by another student. Then, you'd say your score so she could record it in her gradebook.

I kept on failing these quizzes. After a while she asked,

"You really don't like this book, do you Sarah?"

"Nope."

I still read the whole thing. I can't say A Tale of Two Cities or The Scarlet Letter were bad because I stopped reading them!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

2009-03-18T09:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day, not only with the weather outside, but with my assigned reading.

I am over haldway done with The Fountainhead. If you want to get real technical, I'm 4/7 of the way done.

AND I'm about 2/3 of the way done with Wuthering Heights!

I'm going to start planning what I'm going to read when this is all over. To motivate myself, you know?

Hallelujah I saw the light!!!

Not Just About the Leprechauns Today!

2009-03-17T12:46:00.002-04:00

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Ok. I admit. I used a leprechaun as an excuse to wish myself a happy birthday...a happy half blog birthday that is!

I started this blog six months ago.

I definietly didn't expect what it has become! Instead of a simple way to document the books I read so I don't totally forget, it had turned into my piec eof a community I didn't even know existed. Instead of just reviews, it is a Booking Through Thurdsay, Sunday Salon, Blog Improvement Project, Library Loot blog, not to mention the challenges I am in!

Thank you to the 9 people who have decided to follow my blog! You make this all worth it.

Quote a Day #7

2009-03-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

"I write this while sitting in the kitchen sink."

-I Capture the Castle

Quote A Day #6

2009-03-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

"In the end we are all just searching for truth, that of which is greater than ourselves."

-Angels and Demons

Cookie Cutter Literature

2009-03-12T07:46:00.000-04:00

It's a debate I've had every year in English.

Is there only one story?

Are all books based off of one concept? Even though the setting and plot and characters change, is there only one base story?

I know Chick-Lit gets a lot of criticism for being very cookie-cutter, but a lot of extremely literary people think all books have a bit of Chick-Lit syndrome.

I'd like to know your thoughts. I need more ammo for the next time if comes up in a discussion ;)

Stop the madness!

2009-03-11T15:38:00.003-04:00

I can't stand to even think about books any more. I have yet another reading assignment! This means that I will be reading 3-4 books at once. I know my limits and this is surpassing it.

I have one book for pleasure to read, but it may turn into my book for this new paper I was just assigned. Either way, I'm miserable in reading land.

So if I am not posting, you know why. I'd have to think about books to post.

And now...by the girl who dared to read Chick-Lit analytically...is YA analysis!

2009-03-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

Just as I did when I read all of those Chick-Lit books back in January, I decided that I would do the same for another genre. I plan to post a bimonthly post on an analytical aspect of books of some sort. This month’s post is in Young Adult novels.

I read Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson, Deenie by Judy Blume, Now and Zen by Linda Gerber, Torn to Pieces by Margot McDonnell, and First Daughter.

I found that most of the books followed the same general story line. Some big event happened in a normal teenager’s life that altered how they viewed the world. There aren’t too many YA books that deal with strictly the thoughts and everyday lives of teenagers. There has to be some action to keep them reading the book.

In every book, each protagonist had a great realization towards the end of the novel about their behavior or the circumstances they were put in.

I think YA books don’t strive to entertain as much as they strive to provide a source of understanding for teenagers. Often, the teenage years are characterized by turmoil in many forms. Each of the teenagers in the books experienced some big event. In Prom, it was Prom and the struggle to succeed in school and have a social life and deal with family issues. Deenie struggled with scoliosis and being accepted by her peers. Now and Zen discussed the difficulty in being who you actually are instead of acting like someone else, as did First Daughter.

Torn to Pieces was the most complicated of the books I read. It was very similar to a Lois Lowry book or The Face on the Milk Carton. I felt my heart beating so quickly throughout the few hours it took me to read this book. So much happened in the two hundred pages of the book I couldn’t handle it, and it made me wonder how the main character would have handled it! Of all the books I read, this one is the must-read!

A very common thread in all the books was that all of the protagonists were the normal kids. None of them were star students or athletes or super popular. Although this was inaccurate for real life, it is nice to have something in the world that doesn’t focus on the superstars. It isn’t the superstars who rely on a book to get them through a tough time, it is the “normal” kids. How appropriate is it that the characters are ones that they can relate to!

Of course, a lot of teenagers read these books just for entertainment, and that is fine. It is actually great! They are reading!

Quote A Day #5

2009-03-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

"Don't try to make life a mathematice problem with yourself in the center and everything coming out equal. When you are good, bad things can still happen. And if you are bad, you can still be lucky."

-The Poisonwood Bible

Best of Blogs

2009-03-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

In the past couple of months, there have been a lot of new readers to this blog. Not a lot of people were with me since the beginning almost six months ago, so I am going to highlight what I think are some of my best posts, the cream of the crop!

Reading Chick-Lit Analytically (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-did-she-say-about-chick-lit.html): for my senior project, I viewed Chick-Lit with a feminist perspective. For this post, I talked about my findings of reading the genre (which is often written off as mindless fluff) analytically.

Scheisshaus Luck by Pierre Berg (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2008/10/schiesshaus-luck-by-pierre-berg.html): This is one of my favorite reviews. I really don’t know why, maybe it is one of the first really good reviews I wrote?

A Teenager’s Battle On Low Expectations (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/02/this-was-unexpected.html): This post was inspired by a book. Rather than reviewing the book, I offered my views on this topic. One of my strongest views is that if entitlement and expectations changed, the world would be a better place. The book and this post tackles that!

Kindle? (http://bookwormsarah.blogspot.com/2009/01/to-kindle-or-not-to-kindle.html): The ongoing debate on the kindle or whether screens or pages are better!

READER FAVORITES:

What is your favorite(s) post you have read? I’ll add it here under the reader favorites heading!

Quote A Day #4

2009-03-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

"You can boast about anything if it's all you have. Maybe the less you have, the more you are required to boast."

-East of Eden

Quote A Day #3

2009-03-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

"Science tells me God must exist. My mind tells me I will never understand God. And my heart tells me I am not meant to."

-Angels and Demons

Sunday Salon: I took the weekend off!

2009-03-08T18:19:00.003-04:00

Since reading isn't too much fun right now because I'm reading The Fountainhead and Wuthering Heights and about to start Jane Eyre, I took this weekend off. I'm a little behind on my school reading, but I devoted this weekend to some light reading.

I finished three books, all of which are quick reads. Now I've read so much this weekend that reading anything right now makes me nauseaus! Still, life has to go on. I start catching up on The Fountainhead tomorrow. I'm really not looking forward to it...

Since I'm not going to prom, I'm living it through books. Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson made me happy that I'm not going to prom because this prom experience was a nightmare. A few weeks before prom, a teacher steals all of the money and it goes downhill from there. I thought out prom on a crowded boat was going to be horrible. It will be, but this one definitely was worse! The high school in the book reminded me a lot of my own as well!

This was one of the freebies I got from my church library. The concept of the book was interesting, using the Titanic disaster as a metaphor of today's church. The book was kind of boring though. No wonder only one person signed it out.

Ok, I'll admit it. The SASS series is my guilty pleasure. How bad can it get? All of these books follow the same storyline. Girl goes to foreign country to get away from situation at home and wastes most of her time in the country until she has a great realization a week before she goes back home. She apologizes to everyone, kisses the boy that she was ignoring, and wins some award.

But I love them!