It was really great to honor Dewey with this challenge. I went with the option of reading 5 books that Dewey reviewed on her blog. As a bonus to the five, I had also planned on reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog, the book she was reading at the time of her death. I still may do that before the end of the year, but for now I consider this challenge complete. If anyone needs to see some more titles that were eligible, I have a list of some others in my original post about the challenge.
The books I read:
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing vol.1 by M.T. Anderson
I’m not going to finish this challenge, so sadly, it’s a DNF. I went with the option of 3 mega-chunksters of 750+ pages, and there is NO WAY I can do that by November 15. The ones I really wanted to read were:
Drood by Dan Simmons
Middlemarch by George Eliot
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Every year I want to read Middlemarch and War and Peace but never get to them. Maybe 2010 will be the year…
Snowflower and the Secret Fan tied (along with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak) for my top book of 2007, so I was very anxious to read the latest book by Lisa See. It did not disappoint. In fact, I am now fairly certain I will want to read most, if not all, of Lisa See’s works. Though I didn’t feel it was as good as Snowflower, I still thought it was excellent and will definitely be reading the sequel.
The novel takes place mostly in the 1940′s and 50′s, and I just love the sense of history in See’s novels. It was so fascinating to learn about the Chinese immigration process and the discrimination they endured, the dynamic of Chinatown, and the workings of the new Hollywood. Not to mention the intense relationship between Pearl and May, two sisters who are thrust into a completely new life with only each other as a reminder of the old. I also appreciate the female perspective on all their difficult situations.
Though I thought the ending of Shanghai Girls was a bit abrupt until I realized a sequel was in the works, I thoroughly enjoyed this story of sisters and the almost unbreakable bond they share. Reading a second novel by See made me even more interested in reading her non-fiction historical account, On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese American Family. I’m not a huge non-fiction fan, so that says a lot. I was surprised how much I enjoyed another Chinese family account when I read Wild Swans by Jung Chang, so I know it’s fairly certain I will like On Gold Mountain as well. Plus, it was heavily wishlisted on both PBS and Bookmooch, and that’s always a good sign.
Highly recommended.
2009, 336 pp.
[Disclosure: I received an ARC of this title from the publisher.]
I really, really was into the first half or so of Breaking Dawn, but did not like the second half at all. I read the first half or so immediately after Eclipse andabsolutely couldn’t put the book down until the end of the birth scene. I thought it was really intense and I was totally engrossed. Then, afterwards… what a let down. For starters, I actually was a little disappointed that she had to ‘cross over.’ I understand the reasons why, but it was so much more interesting to me before she did. And the way they told Charlie was totally hokey. I didn’t think that part was written well at all. Jacob’s new love interest seemed a little bizarre, but it did keep everyone in the same family so I guess I can live with it. And the vampire showdown? It went out with a whimper instead of a bang, didn’t it?
Oh, well, now it’s over, and I can feel great that once again this 40-ish woman is up on a small portion of pop culture. It’s difficult keeping up with the youngsters, but the Twilight series (at least most of it) made it a little more fun to do so. Now I’m just looking forward to the release of the movies!
2008, 754 pp
[Disclosure: This book was not received from the publisher. It's hard to admit, but I actually purchased a copy.]
I don’t know why I’m so interested in dystopian literature, but I am. Interested may be too mild a word. I am fascinated by books with dystopian themes and at least like most of the books I read in this genre.
I listened to House of the Scorpion on audio CD with my two teenage sons. Wow, what an incredible book! I didn’t love it as much as I loved The Giver by Lois Lowry, but it was still really powerful. There are so many issues to discuss in this book. My sons were anxious to talk about everything the book presented as well. Words cannot describe the satisfaction I get from listening to or reading the same books at the same time as my kids. I feel it’s even more important, not less, as they move into their middle teens. I highly recommend it.
It’s really difficult to describe the plot of this without giving too much away. I didn’t know much about the book when I picked it out for us to listen to — just that it was dystopian lit, so I’m hesitant to spill the beans on this one because I loved discovering it ‘fresh’ so to speak. Suffice it to say it’s an excellent YA dystopian book, and I will definitely be looking into more of Nancy Farmer’s work.
2002, 380 pp.
[Disclosure: I checked out this audio CD from my local library]
I read Eclipse pretty much straight through in one sitting the day after finishing New Moon. These books are addicting, if nothing else. I liked these two books the best of the four, and I couldn’t read fast enough. Since so many have already read the book, this post will contain spoilers.
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Eclipse was a fun one, what with the Edward/Jacob rivalry heating up even more. I especially enjoyed the tent scenes. Teenage love and angst at its best. I thought it was a little weird, though, that Bella wanted to be with Edward forever but resisted marrying him. What’s the difference when it comes down to it? I also really felt for Jacob in this one. I’m not really ‘Team Jacob,’ though, but in some ways I’m not ‘Team Edward,’ either. If you had to pin me down I’d have to say that I was ‘Team Bella’ in the sense that I’m rooting for her to realize and attain what she really wants for herself. Sometimes that’s the hardest thing in life to do — figuring out what one really wants.
2007, 629 pp.
[Disclosure: This book was not received from the publisher. It's hard to admit, but I actually purchased a copy.]
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145:18-19, ESV)
Snowflower and the Secret Fan tied (along with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak) for my top book of 2007, so I was very anxious to read the latest book by Lisa See. It did not disappoint. In fact, I am now fairly certain I will want to read most, if not all, of Lisa See’s works. Though I didn’t feel it was as good as Snowflower, I still thought it was excellent and will definitely be reading the sequel.
I read Eclipse pretty much straight through in one sitting the day after finishing New Moon. These books are addicting, if nothing else. I liked these two books the best of the four, and I couldn’t read fast enough. Since so many have already read the book, this post will contain spoilers.
