51. The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros (Completed 1/31/11) - I'm a strong believer that we should reread certain books every five-ten years. This is one of those books.
52. My Sister's a Barista - John Simmons (Completed 2/7/11) - I wrote about this book a few times in my I <3 Starbucks posts (which are many, I know). Simmons does not work for Starbucks in any way. However, he blends the observer/participant lines to create a narrative and business plan for one of the biggest, most successful businesses in the world.
53. The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen (Completed 2/10/11) - Ohhhh, I love Sarah Addison Allen. She is is such a fantastic writer. This time, the stories of the characters surround a chubby girl with a sweet tooth and her friend that has the strange ability to communicate with books. As a former chubby girl and a girl who wishes her books could understand her, I devoured this book in two days.
54. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Durbavka Ugresic (Completed 2/12/11) - If you aren't familiar with the Canongate Myth Series, take the time out of your reading schedule to get acquainted. The Canongate Myth Series features many talented writers from all over the world who reimagine popular myths. Baba Yaga is just another gem in the already gleaming Canongate crown. This book centers on aging, the maiden/mother/crone concept, and then turns into a dissertation on the history of Baba Yaga. When you finish this novel, add Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad, Jeannette Winterson's Weight, and Karen Armstrongs' A Short History of Myth to your list. Since I'm currently trying to work my way through the list (and it's difficult because so many are out of print), I'll keep you posted on other suggestions.
55. The Reapers are the Angels - Alden Bell (Completed 2/16/11) - I'm not a zombie fan. I hate them. They scare me, they disgust me...and, mostly, they scare me. I keep thinking of that Bob's Burgers episode where Tina says, "I'm not a zombiephile. They scare me, but I like their swagger." This is their swagger. In a world where we can't turn a corner in a bookstore because of teen paranormal romance, adult paranormal romance, adult paranormal mystery, teen paranormal fiction, science fiction, zombie anthologies, and fiction-based, but could be true, paranormal stories, this is a breath of fresh air. A breath of fresh air found in a world where it smells pungently of zombie flesh. I didn't find myself so frightened since Bell is a talented enough writer to know that zombies aren't the entire story. Those left behind are the real main characters.
56. The Wee Free Men - Terry Pratchett (Completed 2/22/11) - I laughed, I cried, I shook my fist to the heavens. Tiffany Aching in an adorable character and Pratchett manages to sneak a moral into the story among the hijinks that ensue. Kind of like when your mom used to sneak veggies into the pasta sauce. Pretty sneaky, sis.
57. Lyra's Oxford - Philip Pullman (Completed 2/24/11) - A great novella reuniting us with Lyra and Pan. However, if you haven't read His Dark Materials yet, then shame on you...
58. The Girl Who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen (Completed 3/5/11) - Yes, I know. I couldn't help myself. I ran out and got this after I finished The Sugar Queen. I can't get enough of this woman's writing. I did manage to drag this out for three days, but it was only because I wanted to savor the story.
59. What-the-Dickens - Gregory Maguire (Completed 3/9/11) - I'm such a huge fan of Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, but I wasn't into this story. This is a cute tale about tooth fairies, but the cutesy part of the story kind of got in the way.
60. Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann (Completed 3/16/11) -This came highly recommended by a friend whose taste I trust completely. I was too young to witness the man walking a tightrope across the Twin Towers. But the Twin Towers have always been a part of my childhood and I still mourn them to this day (as do most people in this country). This is a gorgeous homage to the most beautiful manmade structures in the history of the world.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Bookworm Goddess: My Yearly Reads #41-50
41. The Witch Queen's Secret - Anna Elliot (Completed 11/21/10) - This was a short story that was free for all Nook readers (Yes, I have my Nook now! Best. Birthday. Present. Ever). It continues the tale of Isolde and fits right between the first book and the second. I really love the idea of Queen Isolde as the "witch queen." We pride the stories of Avalon on having such an open mind of all things magic. It is interesting to read a moment in King Arthur history where everyone was an ignorant, religionous fanatic just like everyone else. I feel for Isolde because she joins the ranks of so many misunderstood women. And it provides a good lesson to all: Magic is here to stay, whether we like it or not. My advice: Like it.
42. The Lost Hero: Heroes of Olympus #1 - Rick Riordan (Completed 11/28/10) - Oh, Rick Riordan, whenever there is one of your books in my house I get nothing done. This book kicks off the new series, right where Percy and his friends left off. The characters are new, but I still get excited when I meet up with the old faces from the Olympians series. Once again, a fast-pacing, exciting read. The only bad thing about this book is that I have to wait until September for the next volume.
43. The Book of Love - Kathleen McGowan (Completed 12/17/10) - Again, a beautiful piece of writing and research. I think this is my favorite of the Magdalene Line series. In this volume, Maureen and the reader are introduced to the intelligent, powerful woman known as Matilda. A kind and generous ruler over her people, a strong warrior, another famous redhead...and one hell of a chess player. The Time Returns.
44. Aesop's Fables (Completed 12/27/10) - I read this book as a kid and I have yet to stop reading it. I learn something new every time.
45. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen (Completed 12/29/10) - I always saw this book in B&N and I always wanted to pick it up. Thanks to my Nook, I finally did and I am happy to report that I will read anything this woman writes. Part Practical Magic, part recipe book, and 100% Allen.
46. Click - Almond, Coifer, Doyle, Ellis, Hornby, Lanagan, Maguire, Ozeki, Park, Wynne-Jones (Completed 1/3/11) - This was a great idea. A book written in turn by some of the best YA and fiction writers. However, the story is a little weak, and I found myself praising the practice and not the plot.
47. Gone - Lisa McMann (Completed 1/12/11) - After months of waiting for this to make its way to shelves, I happily settled down to read the last installment. I can't really say too much because I don't want to spoil the story. Read it for yourself. It's worth it.
48. Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe - ed. by Stanley Buchthal and Bernard Comment (Completed 1/13/11) - I love Marilyn Monroe. But, of course, so does everyone else. For those that really claim to love Marilyn, I offer you a challenge: read this book and see what she was really like. Read her thoughts, dreams, fears, and plans for the future. You haven't seen her like this yet.
49. A Short History of Women - Kate Walbert (Completed 1/24/11) - Needless to say, I cried when I reached the end of this book. This novel chronicles the lives of one family of women throughout the most daring and frightening parts of the feminist movements. Every character is flawed, yet strikingly beautiful. This is the way female characters are supposed to be.
50. Bizenghast, Volume 2 - M. Alice LeGrow (Completed 1/29/11) - What is going on in this book? I am so confused. Let's hope I get it in the next volume. Dinah, I'm rooting for you.
42. The Lost Hero: Heroes of Olympus #1 - Rick Riordan (Completed 11/28/10) - Oh, Rick Riordan, whenever there is one of your books in my house I get nothing done. This book kicks off the new series, right where Percy and his friends left off. The characters are new, but I still get excited when I meet up with the old faces from the Olympians series. Once again, a fast-pacing, exciting read. The only bad thing about this book is that I have to wait until September for the next volume.
43. The Book of Love - Kathleen McGowan (Completed 12/17/10) - Again, a beautiful piece of writing and research. I think this is my favorite of the Magdalene Line series. In this volume, Maureen and the reader are introduced to the intelligent, powerful woman known as Matilda. A kind and generous ruler over her people, a strong warrior, another famous redhead...and one hell of a chess player. The Time Returns.
44. Aesop's Fables (Completed 12/27/10) - I read this book as a kid and I have yet to stop reading it. I learn something new every time.
45. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen (Completed 12/29/10) - I always saw this book in B&N and I always wanted to pick it up. Thanks to my Nook, I finally did and I am happy to report that I will read anything this woman writes. Part Practical Magic, part recipe book, and 100% Allen.
46. Click - Almond, Coifer, Doyle, Ellis, Hornby, Lanagan, Maguire, Ozeki, Park, Wynne-Jones (Completed 1/3/11) - This was a great idea. A book written in turn by some of the best YA and fiction writers. However, the story is a little weak, and I found myself praising the practice and not the plot.
47. Gone - Lisa McMann (Completed 1/12/11) - After months of waiting for this to make its way to shelves, I happily settled down to read the last installment. I can't really say too much because I don't want to spoil the story. Read it for yourself. It's worth it.
48. Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe - ed. by Stanley Buchthal and Bernard Comment (Completed 1/13/11) - I love Marilyn Monroe. But, of course, so does everyone else. For those that really claim to love Marilyn, I offer you a challenge: read this book and see what she was really like. Read her thoughts, dreams, fears, and plans for the future. You haven't seen her like this yet.
49. A Short History of Women - Kate Walbert (Completed 1/24/11) - Needless to say, I cried when I reached the end of this book. This novel chronicles the lives of one family of women throughout the most daring and frightening parts of the feminist movements. Every character is flawed, yet strikingly beautiful. This is the way female characters are supposed to be.
50. Bizenghast, Volume 2 - M. Alice LeGrow (Completed 1/29/11) - What is going on in this book? I am so confused. Let's hope I get it in the next volume. Dinah, I'm rooting for you.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Bookworm Goddess: My Yearly Reads #31-40
31. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding (Completed 9/22/10) - Yay, Bridget!! I first read this novel in high school, but I'm sorry to say I didn't laugh as much as I should have. But I've always been obsessed with the movie (come on, how can you not enjoy "Fitz Herberts...because THAT is his name?"), so I figured I should reread this fantastic book in my old age. I GET IT NOW. I couldn't stop laughing - between Bridget and her singleton status to her adorable way of handling embarrassing situations, I fell in love with her all over again.
32. Twilight of Avalon - Anna Elliott (Completed 10/6/10) - I picked up this book when I was in severe Tintagel withdrawal. So naturally, I devoured the book immediately. Anna Elliot has recreated the Tristan and Isolde tale by going the Mists of Avalon route and allowing the women of the story to talk. Isolde is a powerful healer who has to watch her Tintagel under siege, run a kingdom, deal with the fact that her father was a traitor and her grandmother a witch, watch her husband die, marry an abusive man, fall in love with Tristan, lose Tristan, and then stand trial for witchcraft. Once again, a story like this one proves that we don't give famous historical women enough credit.
33. The Unwritten, Volume 2 - Mike Carrey (Completed 10/10/10) - I read the first volume of Unwritten the same time I read the first volume of Chew. My eyes feasted on great graphic novels that week. What draws me to The Unwritten series is the story within a story within another story, while referencing great works of literature and maintaining a graphic novel format. Mike Carrey has made story for comic book geeks AND literary nerds. Now, we can live peacefully.
34. Don't Look Now and Other Stories - Daphne du Maurier (Completed 10/20/10) - Another Cornish goddess!!! I've been a fan of Daphne du Maurier's since Rebecca, but I didn't understand her contribution to Cornish literature until I spent time in Cornwall. I read this back when I returned stateside with a new appreciation for this author. This book is a collection of short stories, proving that you don't need to incorporate blood, murderers, and gruesome details to scare the living daylights out of your readers. Sometimes a ghost story will do. It was a great October read.
35. Bizenghast, Volume 1 - M. Alice LeGrow (Completed 10/23/10) - If you choose to read Bizenghast, my advice to you is to keep reading. Trust me, the story makes sense after the third volume. I'm not finished with the series myself, but Dinah's story still haunts me. Ghosts and mental illnesses I can handle. But setting a story in an abandoned New England town? Now, THAT'S creepy.
36. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (Completed 10/31/10) - READ. THIS. NOW. As you can see, I read the entire series in a month. Enough said. Just make sure you have all three volumes at hand. You don't want to go running off in the middle of the night looking for the next volume. And read the books before the movies come out. You'll enjoy Katniss's story much more. But seriously, go read this now. I'll wait.
37. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk - David Sedaris (Completed 11/2/10) - Oh, David Sedaris. How can you make a chorus of anal leeches singing German drinking songs out of a hippo's bumhole something I still laugh about? And then couple the book with heartbreaking stories that remind us that we're all human, even though you're portraying your characters as animals? Because you're a writing genius.
38. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (Completed 11/12/10) - Okay, why are you reading this? FINISH THE SERIES NOW!!!
39. Olympians: Athena, Grey-Eyed Goddess - George O'Connor (Completed 11/16/10) - My boyfriend and I met George O'Connor at a comic convention. He's a very cool guy, and I don't want to brag or anything, but he not only signed our copy of Athena, he also drew a picture of Medusa on the title page. What does this mean, you ask? That he's a nice guy, a talented artist and a great storyteller.
40. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (Completed 11/18/10) - Oh, you finished? How great was it? Did you cry at the part where ---? What about the ending when --? Don't you just hate ----? What about the part with Gale? What about Peeta? How sad is Haymitch? What about the scene with the cat? What did you think about Rue and the flowers? Don't you want to bake Mockingjay cookies? I'm so glad we can finally have this conversation.
32. Twilight of Avalon - Anna Elliott (Completed 10/6/10) - I picked up this book when I was in severe Tintagel withdrawal. So naturally, I devoured the book immediately. Anna Elliot has recreated the Tristan and Isolde tale by going the Mists of Avalon route and allowing the women of the story to talk. Isolde is a powerful healer who has to watch her Tintagel under siege, run a kingdom, deal with the fact that her father was a traitor and her grandmother a witch, watch her husband die, marry an abusive man, fall in love with Tristan, lose Tristan, and then stand trial for witchcraft. Once again, a story like this one proves that we don't give famous historical women enough credit.
33. The Unwritten, Volume 2 - Mike Carrey (Completed 10/10/10) - I read the first volume of Unwritten the same time I read the first volume of Chew. My eyes feasted on great graphic novels that week. What draws me to The Unwritten series is the story within a story within another story, while referencing great works of literature and maintaining a graphic novel format. Mike Carrey has made story for comic book geeks AND literary nerds. Now, we can live peacefully.
34. Don't Look Now and Other Stories - Daphne du Maurier (Completed 10/20/10) - Another Cornish goddess!!! I've been a fan of Daphne du Maurier's since Rebecca, but I didn't understand her contribution to Cornish literature until I spent time in Cornwall. I read this back when I returned stateside with a new appreciation for this author. This book is a collection of short stories, proving that you don't need to incorporate blood, murderers, and gruesome details to scare the living daylights out of your readers. Sometimes a ghost story will do. It was a great October read.
35. Bizenghast, Volume 1 - M. Alice LeGrow (Completed 10/23/10) - If you choose to read Bizenghast, my advice to you is to keep reading. Trust me, the story makes sense after the third volume. I'm not finished with the series myself, but Dinah's story still haunts me. Ghosts and mental illnesses I can handle. But setting a story in an abandoned New England town? Now, THAT'S creepy.
36. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (Completed 10/31/10) - READ. THIS. NOW. As you can see, I read the entire series in a month. Enough said. Just make sure you have all three volumes at hand. You don't want to go running off in the middle of the night looking for the next volume. And read the books before the movies come out. You'll enjoy Katniss's story much more. But seriously, go read this now. I'll wait.
37. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk - David Sedaris (Completed 11/2/10) - Oh, David Sedaris. How can you make a chorus of anal leeches singing German drinking songs out of a hippo's bumhole something I still laugh about? And then couple the book with heartbreaking stories that remind us that we're all human, even though you're portraying your characters as animals? Because you're a writing genius.
38. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (Completed 11/12/10) - Okay, why are you reading this? FINISH THE SERIES NOW!!!
39. Olympians: Athena, Grey-Eyed Goddess - George O'Connor (Completed 11/16/10) - My boyfriend and I met George O'Connor at a comic convention. He's a very cool guy, and I don't want to brag or anything, but he not only signed our copy of Athena, he also drew a picture of Medusa on the title page. What does this mean, you ask? That he's a nice guy, a talented artist and a great storyteller.
40. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (Completed 11/18/10) - Oh, you finished? How great was it? Did you cry at the part where ---? What about the ending when --? Don't you just hate ----? What about the part with Gale? What about Peeta? How sad is Haymitch? What about the scene with the cat? What did you think about Rue and the flowers? Don't you want to bake Mockingjay cookies? I'm so glad we can finally have this conversation.
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