First of all, is this a cancer book, a teenage book, neither, or both? I’m not sure, but I really, really liked it. I read the first two chapters on Amazon for [...]]]> This is my second John Green novel, and while I liked the first one, An Abundance of Katherines,  okay, this one really blew me away.

First of all, is this a cancer book, a teenage book, neither, or both? I’m not sure, but I really, really liked it. I read the first two chapters on Amazon for free and couldn’t get enough so I sought it out to finish the story.

I found this book to be a very mature treatment of a very serious topic. I found the characters to be smart, believable, and, in general, wonderful. Philosophical. Romantic. Heartbreaking. All of these adjectives describe this beautiful book. Many book bloggers have reviewed this work more eloquently than I have so I will just give you the links to their reviews.

All I know is that I highly recommend this novel.

2012, 336pp.

FTC Disclosure: I was NOT given this book by the author or publisher or any other outlet.

Other reviews:

• Things Mean a Lot
• It’s All About Books
• Book Nut
• Becky’s Book Reviews
• All About {n}
• Bart’s Bookshelf
• A Literary Odyssey
• Books I Done Read
• Bluestocking Society

I didn’t have any idea what this book was about when I started reading it. I sort of like it that way sometimes because it doesn’t color my view of the book at all.

I always love it when I read a novel in a historical context and learn something that [...]]]> Winner of the Orange Prize, 2000

I didn’t have any idea what this book was about when I started reading it. I sort of like it that way sometimes because it doesn’t color my view of the book at all.

I always love it when I read a novel in a historical context and learn something that I didn’t know before. I had only a minimal clue of Israel’s beginnings and the struggle for Israeli independence. This book enlightened me on that front, and I appreciated it for that aspect. The story takes place before, during, and after World War II.

When the novel begins, Evelyn Sert is just a young girl with a young, single mother. They are lucky to be in the Soho area of London, because they are Jews. As the war begins and progresses, Evelyn’s mother has an increasingly difficult time dealing with the atrocities. After a series of events, Evelyn is persuaded to emigrate to Israel.

She begins her time in Palestine in a kibbutz, but soon leaves for Tel Aviv. Evelyn soon becomes involved in the political turmoil of the time, becoming conflicted because she feels ‘at home’ with the British occupiers but at the same time, resents their presence. She is definitely caught in the middle.

I really liked the book up unto that point, but I ended up not caring for the ending. I feel the book would have been much stronger if it had gone in another direction. Regardless, I did enjoy learning about this period in history and would probably read another Linda Grant novel at some point.

2000, 260 pp.

Other reviews:

• Jill
• Laura
• Nomadreader

Best Picture: “The Artist” “The Descendants” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” “The Help” “Hugo” “Midnight in Paris” “Moneyball” “The Tree of Life” “War Horse”

Best Actor: Demian Bichir, “A Better Life” George Clooney, “The Descendants” Jean Dujarin, “The Artist” Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Actress: Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs” Viola Davis, “The Help” Rooney Mara, “The Girl with [...]]]> The Academy Awards ceremony will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012.

Best Picture:
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

Best Actor:
Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Jean Dujarin, “The Artist”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Actress:
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn”

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Best Directing:
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

Best Foreign Language Film:
“Bullhead” (Belgium)
“Footnote” (Israel)
“In Darkness” (Poland)
“Monsieur Lazhar” (Canada)
“A Separation” (Iran)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
John Logan, “Hugo”
George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, “The Ides of March”
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, “Moneyball”
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best Original Screenplay:
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation”

Best Animated Feature Film
“A Cat in Paris”
“Chico & Rita”
“Kung Fu Panda 2″
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”

Best Art Direction:
“The Artist”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“War Horse”

Best Cinematography:
“The Artist”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

Best Sound Mixing: 
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“War Horse”

Best Sound Editing: 
“Drive”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“War Horse”

Best Original Score: 
“The Adventures of Tintin,” John Williams
“The Artist,” Ludovic Bource
“Hugo,” Howard Shore
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Alberto Iglesias
“War Horse,” John Williams

Best Original Song: 
“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets,” Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from “Rio,” Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett.

Best Costume:
“Anonymous”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Jane Eyre”
“W.E”

Best Documentary Feature: 
“Hell and Back Again”
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”
“Pina”
“Undefeated”

Best Documentary (short subject): 
“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”
“God is the Bigger Elvis”
“Incident in New Baghdad”
“Saving Face”
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”

Best Film Editing: 
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”

Best Makeup: 
“Albert Nobbs”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
“The Iron Lady”

Best Animated Short Film:
“Dimanche/Sunday”
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”
“La Luna”
“A Morning Stroll”
“Wild Life”

Best Live Action Short Film:
“Pentecost”
“Raju”
“The Shore”
“Time Freak”
“Tuba Atlantic”

Best Visual Effects
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Real Steel”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

FICTION:

Banks, Russell. Lost Memory of Skin. Ecco. 9780061857638 A surprisingly sympathetic exploration of the lives and treatment of sex offenders and how this reflects on our society.

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending. Knopf. 9780307957122 A 60-something retiree living near London searches through his memories to discern what role, if any, he may have played in a [...]]]> http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/notablebooks/lists/2012

FICTION:

Banks, Russell. Lost Memory of Skin. Ecco. 9780061857638
A surprisingly sympathetic exploration of the lives and treatment of sex offenders and how this reflects on our society.

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending. Knopf. 9780307957122
A 60-something retiree living near London searches through his memories to discern what role, if any, he may have played in a decades-old tragedy.

deWitt, Patrick. The Sisters Brothers. Ecco. 9780062041265
A darkly comic and quixotic quest western tale about two brothers whose divergent world views are presented in sparkling prose and originality.

Goldman, Francisco. Say Her Name. Grove. 9780802119810
Poetic novelization of the author’s struggle to cope with his young wife’s accidental death.

Harbach, Chad. The Art of Fielding. Little, Brown. 9780316126694
One man’s failure to attain perfection on the baseball field reveals the pain and beauty that life offers in this psychologically astute novel.

MacLeod, Alexander. Light Lifting. Biblioasis. 9781897231944
Seven fearless short stories explore the limits of physical and emotional endurance in muscular prose.

Obreht, Téa. The Tiger’s Wife. Random House. 9780385343831
After the death of her beloved grandfather, a young doctor navigates family history, folklore, and love across ethnic barriers in a war-torn country.

Ondaatje, Michael. The Cat’s Table. Knopf. 9780307700117
An adventurous 21-day ocean voyage filled with a rich assortment of characters and escapades resonates through a boy’s life on his way to a new life.

Phillips, Arthur. The Tragedy of Arthur. Random House. 9781400066476
In an adulthood marred by family dysfunction, an author who dislikes Shakespeare reluctantly finds himself in possession of the Bard’s lost gem. Or does he?

Russell, Karen. Swamplandia! Knopf. 9780307263995
An inventive story set in an alligator theme-park navigates boundaries between childhood and adulthood, imagination and reality, in an American landscape both familiar and surreal.

Torres, Justin. We the Animals. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 9780547576725
Searing portrait of a troubled, mixed-race working class family centers on the youngest son as he struggles to find his identity amid affection and abuse.

Trevor, William. Selected Stories. Viking. 9780670022069
These finely sculpted and timeless stories provide a greater appreciation for finding beauty in the minutiae of daily life.

NONFICTION:

Adams, Mark. Right Turn at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time. Dutton. 9780525952244
In this humorous travelogue, the author sprinkles historical anecdote with investigative reporting as he retraces the steps of early explorers into ancient Peru.

Bartók, Mira. The Memory Palace. Free Press. 9781439183311
Beautifully wrought memoir chronicles the 17-year estrangement of the author and her homeless, schizophrenic mother, and the painful reunion that brings them together.

Gleick, James. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood. Knopf. 9780375423727
This comprehensive study, a melodious interplay between science and literature, documents the transmission of human knowledge from the talking drums to the Internet.

Greenblatt, Stephen. The Swerve: How the World Became Modern. Norton. 9780393064476
Meditation on the power of literature, examining how a medieval book hunter’s serendipitous discovery of an ancient prose poem provides a theoretical bridge to the Renaissance.

Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Random House. 9781400064168
An Olympic runner’s physical and inner-strength is tested by the experience and aftermath of a plane crash, 42 days at sea, and Japanese imprisonment.

Hitchens, Christopher. Arguably: Essays. Twelve. 9781455502776
Polymath and public intellectual displays his considerable range and biting wit in these thoughtful, incisive pieces that provoke and challenge.

Homans, Jennifer. Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet. Random House. 9781400060603
Elegant, authoritative work traces the evolution of classical dance from the 16th century to today, highlighting social and cultural dimensions of this traditional art form.

Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Strauss, Giroux. 9780374275631
Entertaining look at the complexities and oddities that characterize our mental processes from the only psychologist ever to have won the Nobel Prize for Economics.

Marable, Manning. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Viking. 9780670022205
Definitive work on his life and transformation from petty thief to charismatic leader of during the turbulent civil rights era.

Millard, Candace. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President. Doubleday. 9780385526265
Era of great corruption and change in U.S. history is illuminated through the tragic story of two men – one destined for greatness, the other a madman.

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. Scribner. 9781439107959
The history of these diseases and their treatment is examined through the stories of those seeking to discover a cure and the individuals affected.

Reitman, Janet. Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 9780618883028
An investigation of the origins, personalities, and controversies of this uniquely American religious movement.

POETRY:

Rimbaud, Arthur. Illuminations. Translated by John Ashbery. Norton. 9780393076356
A vigorous new translation of the French prodigy’s last poems as rendered by one of America’s finest contemporary poets.

Bartlett, Jennifer, Sheila Black, and Michael, Northen. Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability. Cinco Puntos. 9781935955054
Collection of poems and essays that provides insight into the lives of the estimated 50 million Americans with disabilities.

My plan is to read all of the Orange Prize winners, so I had no clue what this book was even about when I started reading it. Let me just say I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style and the gothic mood of the book. However, much of the [...]]]> 1996 Winner of the Orange Prize

My plan is to read all of the Orange Prize winners, so I had no clue what this book was even about when I started reading it. Let me just say I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style and the gothic mood of the book. However, much of the subject matter is disturbing, so I became increasingly uncomfortable as the novel went along.

Cathy and Rob are brother and sister who have been abandoned by their parents and are being raised by servants in their grandfathers’ home. Though they are ‘rich enough’ to have servants and enough food to eat, their property is in a continual state of needing repairs. The siblings’ relationship is complex — they’ve really only had each other for most of their lives. Throw in a potential suitor or love interest and jealousies arise on both sides. As the novel progresses, the mood darkens considerably.

The book certainly has similarities to Wuthering Heights, one of my all-time favorite books; but of course, who can live up to a Bronte? As uncomfortable as I was with some of the plotlines of the book, I felt that Dunmore did not go far enough in her treatment of Cathy near the end. When she took this character so far for 2/3 of the novel, and then wrapped it up in the way she did, I just felt like it didn’t ring true. Ironically, if the ending had been darker than it was, I would have appreciated the book more.

A Spell of Winter is definitely worth reading if you’re an Orange Prize reader or if you have an affinity for Wuthering Heights. Just be aware that the subject matter is very dark and depressing.

1996, 313 pp.

How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d; — Alexander Pope

One of my favorite movies, [...]]]>
“Well, technically speaking, the operation is brain damage, but it’s on a par with a night of heavy drinking. Nothing you’ll miss.”

How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d; — Alexander Pope

One of my favorite movies, that I just watched for the 20+ time. I’ve been watching a lot of TV and movies lately, to the detriment of my book reading. However, I do plan on participating in Orange January, so hopefully that’ll get me back on track.

I’m still alive, just (possibly,temporarily) brain dead. See you soon, though!

The Publisher’s Weekly Interactive Guide to the best books of 2011 can be found HERE.

PW’s Top Ten Books of 2011

Outrage and disgust. That’s what I’ve been feeling for almost a week.

My eyes and TV have been riveted to the Penn State child abuse scandal. I cannot get it out of my mind. That such supposed ‘moral’ people could cover up for a [...]]]> (Caveat: I know there are many good and honorable Penn Staters out there)

Outrage and disgust. That’s what I’ve been feeling for almost a week.

My eyes and TV have been riveted to the Penn State child abuse scandal. I cannot get it out of my mind. That such supposed ‘moral’ people could cover up for a monster is outrageous. When the story broke, of course I gave Paterno the benefit of the doubt. I love sports. I love certain teams. I, too, have been guilty of ‘worshiping’ the idols of football and certain players and coaches. Now I’m ashamed. Any sport is immaterial compared to this nightmare.

All you have to do is read the presentment by the Grand Jury, which I will not link to here because of its awful, graphic nature. You will be immediately SHOCKED that a monster was allowed to perpetrate his crimes, all because of the fear of tarnishing the hallowed name of Penn State.

I’m disgusted and saddened. My heart breaks for these kids, that after 2002 at least and really even 1998, did NOT have to experience these horrendous acts, if only the adults in the situation(s) would have done the right thing. It took A KID, tired of the abuse, to bring all this to light. His courage and desire for others not to be affected have saved countless wrecked lives.

I will not be surprised if even more graphic and disgusting details come out. Such as:

1. Paterno and higher ups forced Sandusky out in 1999 after the 1998 allegations and covered it up.
2. Sandusky p*mp*d out boys to big money donors of Penn State and The Second Mile.
3. Sandusky abused his 5 adopted sons.
4. Gricar’s death is somehow related to this case.
5. Dozens of new victims will come forward.

.
.

Q1: Welcome to the 1st German Literature Month Readalong! Had you heard of Theodor Fontane and Effi Briest before now? What enticed you to readalong with us?

I knew Effi Briest was on the 1001 list, so it’s really been on my tbr for a long time. I also have a very strong German heritage with [...]]]>

Q1: Welcome to the 1st German Literature Month Readalong! Had you heard of Theodor Fontane and Effi Briest before now? What enticed you to readalong with us?

I knew Effi Briest was on the 1001 list, so it’s really been on my tbr for a long time. I also have a very strong German heritage with relatives still living in Germany so it was very natural for me to participate in German Literature Month. In addition, I won a copy of Effi Briest from Lizzy!!

Q2: Which edition/translation are you using and how is it reading?

I am reading the translation by Hugh Rorrison and Helen Chambers. Now that I’m almost halfway through, I’m used to the style, but it did seem a little choppy at first. Not sure if this was a translation issue or not.

Q3: Is the novel living up to your expectations?

At first it was very slow going. The gothic part of the ghost (or whatever it is) has perked me up a bit.

Q4: What do you make of Effi Briest and Baron von Innstetten. What motivates them? What do you make of their match?

I think Effi at first was the stereotypical teen bride, immature but excited to ‘catch’ someone. I really don’t fully trust Innstetten yet. I’m not sure of his motivations. So far their marriage seems typical for their situation.

Q5: How are you reacting to Effi’s parents?

I think it’s really strange her mother consented to this marriage. Her father seems a lovable sort.

Q6: Are there any secondary characters to whom you are particularly drawn? Any to whom you are adverse?

Not particularly, though I am suspicious of all the characters in her new environment!

Q7: Effi Briest was originally serialised in 6 parts. I’m assuming that its 36 chapters were published in 6 monthly parts of 6 chapters each and the novel so far seems to bear this out. How does the mood of the first part (chapters 1-6) contrast with that of the second (chapters 7-12)?

Obviously the first part of the novel is much more carefree and Effi is happy. In the second part, she is adjusting to a new place and a new life. Not easy for anyone — I’ve been there for sure!!

Q8: We finished our first reading at the end of chapter 15 or the middle of part 3. Where is Effi in terms of her psychological development and how does this bode for the future?

It seems like she is more mature, but also still wary of her surroundings and her life in general.  I have a feeling it won’t turn out well, but we’ll see.

Some characters that were the [...]]]> Having just completed We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson during the read-a-thon, I came across a list that puts Mary Katherine Blackwood as the 71st best character in fiction since 1900. It’s an interesting list — scroll down to see it below. I bolded the ones I’ve read.

Some characters that were the most memorable  to me of books that I’ve read since I’ve begun blogging are:

2011

• Firdaus from Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
• Harri from Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman
• Flavia de Luce from The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley
• Mary Katherine from We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Source: NPR

100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900
From Book magazine, March/April 2002

Listen to the Talk of the Nation discussion. (48 minutes)

1 – Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925 
2 – Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, 1951
3 – Humbert Humbert, Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov, 1955
4 – Leopold Bloom, Ulysses, James Joyce, 1922
5 – Rabbit Angstrom, Rabbit, Run, John Updike, 1960
6 – Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1902
7 – Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 1960
8 – Molly Bloom, Ulysses, James Joyce, 1922
9 – Stephen Dedalus, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce, 1916
10 – Lily Bart, The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton, 1905
11- Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman Capote, 1958
12 – Gregor Samsa, The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, 1915
13 – The Invisible Man, Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison, 1952
14 – Lolita, Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov, 1955
15 – Aureliano Buendia, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1967
16 – Clarissa Dalloway, Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf, 1925
17 – Ignatius Reilly, A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole, 1980
18 – George Smiley, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, John LeCarre, 1974
19 – Mrs. Ramsay, To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf, 1927
20 – Bigger Thomas, Native Son, Richard Wright, 1940
21 – Nick Adams, In Our Time, Ernest Hemingway, 1925
22 – Yossarian, Catch-22, Joseph Heller, 1961
23 – Scarlett O’Hara, Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, 1936
24 – Scout Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 1960
25 – Philip Marlowe, The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler, 1939
26 – Kurtz, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 1902
27 – Stevens, The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro, 1989
28 – Cosimo Piovasco di Rondo, The Baron in the Trees, Italo Calvino, 1957
29 -Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne, 1926
30 – Oskar Matzerath, The Tin Drum, Gunter Grass, 1959
31 – Hazel Motes, Wise Blood, Flannery O’Connor, 1952
32 – Alex Portnoy, Portnoy’s Complaint, Philip Roth, 1969
33 – Binx Bolling, The Moviegoer, Walker Percy, 1961
34 – Sebastian Flyte, Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh, 1945
35 – Jeeves, My Man Jeeves, P.G. Wodehouse, 1919
36 – Eugene Henderson, Henderson the Rain King, Saul Bellow, 1959
37 – Marcel, Remembrance of Things Past, Marcel Proust, 1913-1927
38 – Toad, The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame, 1908
39 – The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss, 1955
40 – Peter Pan, The Little White Bird, J.M. Barrie, 1902
41 – Augustus McCrae, Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry, 1985
42 – Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett, 1930
43 – Judge Holden, Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy, 1985
44 – Willie Stark, All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren, 1946
45 – Stephen Maturin, Master and Commander, Patrick O’Brian, 1969
46 – The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1943
47 – Santiago, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, 1952
48 – Jean Brodie, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark, 1961
49 – The Whiskey Priest, The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene, 1940
50 – Neddy Merrill, The Swimmer, John Cheever, 1964
51 – Sula Peace, Sula, Toni Morrison, 1973
52 – Meursault, The Stranger, Albert Camus, 1942
53 – Jake Barnes, The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway, 1926
54 – Phoebe Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, 1951
55 – Janie Crawford, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, 1937
56 – Antonia Shimerda, My Antonia, Willa Cather, 1918
57 – Grendel, Grendel, John Gardner, 1971
58 – Gulley Jimson, The Horse’s Mouth, Joyce Cary, 1944
59 – Big Brother, 1984, George Orwell, 1949
60 – Tom Ripley, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith, 1955
61 – Seymour Glass, Nine Stories, J.D. Salinger, 1953
62 – Dean Moriarty, On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 1957
63 – Charlotte, Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White, 1952
64 – T.S. Garp, The World According to Garp, John Irving, 1978
65 – Nick and Nora Charles, The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett, 1934
66 – James Bond, Casino Royale, Ian Fleming, 1953
67 – Mr. Bridge, Mrs. Bridge, Evan S. Connell, 1959
68 – Geoffrey Firmin, Under the Volcano, Malcolm Lowry, 1947
69 – Benjy, The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner, 1929
70 – Charles Kinbote, Pale Fire, Vladimir Nabokov, 1962
71 – Mary Katherine Blackwood, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson, 1962
72 – Charles Ryder, Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh, 1945
73 – Claudine, Claudine at School, Colette, 1900
74 – Florentino Ariza, Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1985
75 – George Follansbee Babbitt, Babbitt, Sinclair Lewis, 1922
76 – Christopher Tietjens, Parade’s End, Ford Madox Ford, 1924-28
77 – Frankie Addams, The Member of the Wedding, Carson McCullers, 1946
78 – The Dog of Tears, Blindness, Jose Saramago, 1995
79 – Tarzan, Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1914
80 – Nathan Zuckerman, My Life As a Man, Philip Roth, 1979
81 – Arthur “Boo” Radley, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 1960
82 – Henry Chinaski, Post Office, Charles Bukowski, 1971
83 – Joseph K. The Trial, Franz Kafka, 1925
84 – Yuri Zhivago, Dr. Zhivago, Boris Pasternak, 1957
85 – Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling, 1998
86 – Hana, The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje, 1992
87 – Margaret Schlegel, Howards End, E.M. Forster, 1910
88 – Jim Dixon, Lucky Jim, Kingsley Amis, 1954
89 – Maurice Bendrix, The End of the Affair, Graham Greene, 1951
90 – Lennie Small, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck, 1937
91 – Mr. Biswas, A House for Mr. Biswas, V.S. Naipaul, 1961
92 – Alden Pyle, The Quiet American, Graham Greene, 1955
93 – Kimball “Kim” O’Hara, Kim, Rudyard Kipling, 1901
94 – Newland Archer, The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton, 1920
95 – Clyde Griffiths, An American Tragedy, Theodore Dreiser, 1925
96 – Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne, 1926
97 – Quentin Compson, The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner, 1929
98 – Charlie Marlow, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 1902
99 – Celie, The Color Purple, Alice Walker, 1982
100 – Augie March, The Adventures of Augie March, Saul Bellow 1953

17 minutes

I read the first two stories in Japanese Gothic Tales. I’m enjoying this book so far. I like [...]]]> I’m getting way too tired now so I’m going to stop. It’s almost 2 am Central time. Since my last update, I only read for 74 minutes with 62 pages read. I nodded off quite a few times.

I read the first two stories in Japanese Gothic Tales. I’m enjoying this book so far. I like that I can use it for both the Japanese Literature Challenge and RIP VI.

Total time spent reading/listening for this October’s readathon: 507 minutes, or 8 hours 27 minutes

Books read: one complete book, We Have Always Lived in the Castle; and two partials, The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag and Japanese Gothic Tales

Already looking forward to the next one! Signing off now….

Just got finished with We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. This was a great choice for the read-a-thon and RIP VI. I loved it.

Minutes read:  163 Pages read: 209

Not sure what I’m going to read next — perhaps Japanese Gothic Tales. I probably won’t make it all night, but I do plan [...]]]>

Just got finished with We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. This was a great choice for the read-a-thon and RIP VI. I loved it.

Minutes read:  163
Pages read: 209

Not sure what I’m going to read next — perhaps Japanese Gothic Tales. I probably won’t make it all night, but I do plan on reading or listening to something for about 2 hours more.

Happy reading, everyone!

Well, I woke up late due to a late night, and then I had some errands to run so I decided to listen to one of my audios, The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley. I’ve been listening for about 4 1/2 hours and finished it as I was already partway through. [...]]]>

Well, I woke up late due to a late night, and then I had some errands to run so I decided to listen to one of my audios, The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley. I’ve been listening for about 4 1/2 hours and finished it as I was already partway through. I really love this series, and I just love Flavia. I’m really looking forward to the next two books. The newest one comes out November 1st and it is set at Christmas so that’s perfect timing. I’m already checking my library site every day to see if it’s in processing yet so I can be one of the first to put it on hold.

I’m kind of in an audio mood now so I might continue on with a different book on CD or I might start into Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. Before I do, though, it’s off to the shower and then a cup of coffee.

Happy reading, everyone!