Sunday Salon: Catch-up 4 Replies

Posted on April 22, 2012 in Books

TSS

It has been a lethargic week for me and to be honest, I hadn’t read a book for two weeks until yesterday. Yikes. It’s suppose to be a year of me reading more again. I remember summers as a teenager and two weeks without a book would be very strange. It use to make me angsty when I didn’t have a book on hand.

To be honest, I have been doing much of anything lately. The days are a blur. Still, with impending library books due, I read one yesterday: The Best American Travel Writing 2011 (review up tomorrow).

Now that I’ve hit my stride, it’s a reading weekend so I will start another today among the To Be Read queue. It will be my first Georgette Heyer today:

The Devil’s Club by Georgette Heyer
A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
The Maladjusted by Derek Hayes
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

And more. There is always more books for me to read. It’s a cloudy weekend so it’s perfect time to stay indoors. What are you reading this week?

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Booking Through Thursday – Pet Peeves 1 Reply

Posted on April 19, 2012 in Books

BTT this week:

What are your literary “pet peeves”?

At first, I didn’t know how to answer, but on more thought: precocious child geniuses. I don’t know why, but the reason I couldn’t stand Artemis Fowl was due to the eponymous character. I know he is an antihero, but the fact he was 12 made it worse. Similarly, I didn’t mind the mystery in The Sweetness at the Bottom of Pie, but the preciousness of Flavia de Luce prevented me from reading more of the series. It’s a bad sign when reading a series of novels when you find the protagonist so annoying. I still read young adult and children’s books and there are lots of characters I still like from that world, but when they get particularly arrogant, it really irks me.

That really specific archetype aside, I usually don’t like fictional books where the characters are motivational less or static. I don’t mind unsavoury characters or those unlike me, but they should be entertaining and interesting. There are a few books where I struggled to feel for any of the characters and this ultimately makes me dislike a book.

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Booking Through Thursday – Eternity 2 Replies

Posted on April 12, 2012 in Books

This week’s BTT:

What book took you the longest to read, and do you feel it was the content or just the length that made it so?

I think the content is usually what makes it take awhile. I thought about this for a bit, and the longest book was JRR Tolkien’s The Two Towers. I read The Fellowship of the Ring and started TTT, but I was getting bored so I put it down. Soon after, someone gave me the last two books for a birthday present as well. When that happens, I’m even less inclined to finish a book because I know it’s there. So I left it in limbo for at least 5-7 years. I can’t remember when I finished it exactly but it was definitely over five years later. I wasn’t actively reading it. It just fell by the wayside.

Length doesn’t bother me. I read War & Peace in two weeks and actually enjoyed myself because of the content.

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WIP Wednesday: Blue Cardi continued 7 Replies

Posted on April 11, 2012 in Knitting & Crafting

Progress on my blue Garter Yoke Cardigan:

Sweater WIP at Instagram

Taken on the new iPad 3 and Instagram since I wanted to test both features.

I finished one sleeve yesterday. While I was doing the body, I didn’t want the sleeves to take up my remaining yarn so I put the body on hold (it’s beyond the waist shaping now) and started the sleeves. That way, I can make this a fairly long cardigan. I am really liking this royal blue from Patons Classic Wool.

Let’s be honest, I’d have finished this sweater in less than two weeks given my situation. I’ve been very slow with it and spent a few days not even knitting a bit. I know knitting hasn’t been on my radar as much lately because of that and the fact I haven’t been on Ravelry much. I was a bit sick the other week and distracted with other things. I also haven’t been watching shows or movies that much and I almost always knit during those times. I don’t really sit and knit; I’m usually watching something while doing it. Even with lace!

In any case, the Crazy Zauberball I mentioned a few weeks ago, I bought as a birthday present to myself. Yay! Except I have no idea what I will do with it yet.

I’m nearly done this cardigan and due to my lack of knitting mojo, I haven’t really been excited for my next project. Maybe I will take a break and knit some hexipuffs. I haven’t done that since last year; I can make a couple and then plan my next project.

Do you ever feel you lose momentum during projects and why?

Check out other WIPW at Tami’s Amis.

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Timeless by Gail Carriger Leave a reply

Posted on April 8, 2012 in Books

Timeless

Timeless is Parasol Protectorate No. 5 and the last of this series. I have been reading this series since late 2010 I think. I like it because it has comedy, supernatural elements, steam punk and urban fantasy, but it isn’t as dark as some of the latter two elements usually. It’s fun ‘fluff’, but it also has some wit and great diction. The series is found in the young adult section of the library, but all the characters are adult and there is sexuality in it.

What I really adored from this series are the characters. That’s usually how it goes for me. While I like Alexia and Maconall, I have a fondness for the supporting characters and relationships: Professor Lyall (who reminded me of Harry Potter’s Lupin), Lord Akeldama, and Biffy. I was pleased that Biffy had even more prominence and perspective in the last book.

I recommend this series for those who like light supernatural series and Victorian times. It’s light and suitable for adults.

The next series The Parasol Proectorate Abroad will come out Fall 2013 and is suppose to be set twenty years in the future from the end of Timeless. I hope most of my favourite characters will become prominent in the next series and I look forward to seeing how Prudence grows into her powers.

Finished reading on the Kindle on April 7th, 2012.

Visit the author’s website at Gail Carriger.com.

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Girl Reading by Katie Ward Leave a reply

Posted on April 6, 2012 in Books

girl reading

Girl Reading by Katie Ward is another 2012 “TV Book Club” pick. As often is the case, I saw the episode before I read the book.

The premise is that this novel is really a series of short stories based on artwork featuring women’s reading. Each chapter is one standalone story with characters and often incorporating the creator or artist.

There are almost no quotation marks in this novel. The dialogue is written without them. I’ve read other books that employs this literally technique, notably Jose Saramago. It’s not my favourite thing in the world, but generally the books I read can get away with it because the editors realize the authors are decent enough otherwise to not employ them. Still, I generally won’t recommend a book such as this to everyone because that kind of technique can be warying to most readers if they are not use to it or have the patience for it.

The stories are all very different, but they all feature female characters. I found it was easy to be involved and interested in the characters; the author gave a good sense of them in less than 50 pages. There’s an element of art history in this along the lines of Girl with a pearl earring, and I would recommend it to be people who enjoy art, history, and female literature. I liked almost all the stories except the one taking place in 1914. I didn’t really care for any of the characters in that and it seemed even more aimless than the others.

Aside from that, I liked this book. If you have read it, I’d like to know your thoughts.

Read April 2nd-3rd, 2012.

Here is a snippet from the segment on “TV Book Club” featuring the author as well:

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Booking Through Thursday – Recommendation 1 Reply

Posted on April 5, 2012 in Books

This week on BTT, Bookish Sarah asks:

If someone asked you for a book recommendation, what is the FIRST book you’d think to recommend (without extra thought)?

Actually, I don’t have a book that I would recommend without extra thought to everyone. I tailor my book recommendations to people based on their interests, personality, and other books they like. I have a varying tastes so there is usually something I could recommend. It also doesn’t mean I love the book, but I think they can appreciate it more or just as well. I think I only know a couple of voracious readers, all the others are casual or non readers. I don’t try to push books on anyone unless they ask and with thought, it makes the experience better for them if I consider.

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The Hunger Games movie Leave a reply

Posted on April 4, 2012 in Movies

Hunger Games

It’s been over a year since I read the books, but I did enjoy them for the most part. They are entertaining and it is definitely a series which I thought would translate on screen especially since the author Suzanne Collins wrote the screenplay and seems to be so involved with the films. I enjoyed the film too, and it is hard to condense such an action packed book into a film even if the film was 2.5 hours.

The casting of Jennifer Lawrence was perfect as I anticipated. I saw her in Winter’s Bone (which I also read). The protagonists of THG and WB are essentially the same: independent, strong young women with younger siblings, unstable mothers, and no father. Lawrence has this ability to be both strong and steely, but also very quickly and naturally, sensitive and vulnerable. I like that she herself looks normal physically without being too skinny. She is one of my favourite young actors. I also liked Lenny Kravitz being cast and few people could have taken on that role.

When the guys were cast, I was more unsure. Peeta was one of my favourite characters in the books so I wasn’t sure about Josh Hutcherson. It wasn’t until recently that I found out he was the kid from Bridge to Terabithia! That and the promotional interviews made his image ascend in my eyes. I thought he did a decent job for what’s written. They even toned down the romance. The guys don’t really get a lot of stuff in this movie. Gale has such a small role up until the third movie and Liam Hemsworth is unremarkable likewise.

The emotional note in the book for me was and the played onscreen as well. I did like how it was an epic movie and that they obviously built and designed so much of the film. I was also impressed with the music. It was effective especially in the action and darker scenes.

All in all, I look forward to the sequel. As a reviewer and someone who reads and watches adaptations, I am lenient on these things. I just want to be entertained and to escape, and this did that for me.

Watched April 3rd, 2012 in theatres. I usually don’t see movies in theatres very much; I average about one of them a year now. Years ago, as a high school student, I would go to see movies in theatres all the time. I would often go alone; I watch movies alone all the time even now. It was a bit addictive back then so I stopped. Everyone was telling me how good The Hunger Games (or my friends who had also read the books liked it) so I decided to go for it on cheap Tuesdays.

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Monthly Movies March 2012 Leave a reply

Posted on April 1, 2012 in Monthly Movies

Secret world of ArriettyThe Secret World of Arrietty (12 03 2012) – I watched the British dub version. I love Studio Ghibli movies. I think Hayao Miyazaki is an absolute world treasure. His films always make me feel at ease, comfortable and child like. I know no one other director/ producer / writer that does that. The universes he creates are so marked by his imaginative and beautiful style even when he didn’t direct his film, his writing reflected it. I must admit that I did not love Ponyo as much as his other movies, but this one was wonderful. Very much for children, but I still really adored it. The animation is lovely and you feel you are in that world. It’s a film for children about change and also ever lasting belief. Lovely.

Captain AmericaCaptain America: The First Avenger (29 03 2012) – A couple of people told me this movie wasn’t bad so I went for it. It’s not as good as Iron Man or Chris Evans doesn’t have quite as much charisma as Chris Hemsworth did in Thor, but it was decent. I watched it with a friend and we made snarky comments the whole way through, but it was a decent action movie. The ending was surprisingly bittersweet. It made me anticipate for The Avengers.

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The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes & Booker Reading Update Leave a reply

Posted on March 30, 2012 in Books

The Sense of Ending

This was my first Julian Barnes book, and I don’t think it will be my last. I’m curious about his other works now. I think I rather enjoyed myself even though there were few real characters and a perplexing ending.

The themes of the novel are those of memory, history, self-awareness, and mortality. I think given the shortness of this novella, Barnes tackled a lot in a short period of time. An excerpt from the book:

I certainly believe we all suffer damage, one way or another. How could we not, except in a world of perfect parents, siblings, neighbours, companions? And then there is the question, on which so much depends, of how we react to the damage: whether we admit it or repress it, and how this affects our dealings with others. Some admit the damage, and try to mitigate it: some spend their lives trying to help others who are damaged; and then there are those whose main concern is to avoid further damage to themselves at whatever cost. And those are the ones who are ruthless, and the ones to be careful of. (p 44)

As I read this book, I didn’t expect much in the way of plot movement and so when the plot did move by Tony, the narrator and protagonist, receiving a money from the will of an ex-girlfriend’s mother, I was intrigued. From then on, I chased the novel’s ending for more on the mysterious Adrian and the full story about him, Veronica, and Sarah. I kept waiting for the twist; there was such a build up to it.

I wasn’t annoyed with any of the characters even though it seemed there was not much to give them credit for. Tony is self-obsessed, but I didn’t mind his take on things. He’s analyzing himself and the whole story seemed to be about him thinking back on his life so I could understood the self-reflection. I was irked with Veronica who kept saying, “You don’t get it and you never will!” and I just kept thinking, then tell him about it! She seems to have regressed since young Veronica was about to communicate to Tony about somethings, but not about ‘this’ (or whatever it is he needs to get) even after their meetings?

When I reached the last two pages, I was perplexed with the ending. Tony said he understood, but I felt dumb because I didn’t. I had to go online and read other reviews and blogs to realize that I was suppose to question the ending and what had really happened. Did Tony block out so much of his memory? Why the money from Sarah? Lots of questions. It did make me think which is good enough for any book. I wasn’t irked by the lack of ending though.

Books this reminded me of: You Deserve Nothing (which was the last book I read and fit with the earlier chapters of this book), Ian McEwan works such as Atonement, Amsterdam and Solaris, and Iris Murdoch’s The Sea, The Sea (not sure why other than it’s a Booker by an English person – perhaps it was the self-obsession). Barnes and McEwan have the dry and philosophical English contemporary literature that the Booker panel seems to love. I don’t hate McEwan, but I actually think I was less annoyed with Tony in The Sense of Ending than I have been with any of McEwan’s narrators. Makes me wonder why I’ve already read three McEwan novels, but I digress.

I think Barnes has said that you must read the book at least twice to get it. I doubt I will even though I did enjoy this book for the most part. I wasn’t as annoyed or irked with the ending or the seeming plot holes as other readers, but I’m not that involved. Maybe I am just use to literary novels (specifically, Booker winners) having these kind of endings. At least I didn’t want to throw this one across the room like I did God of Small Things.

Have you read this book and what did you think of it? What are your theories on what really happened? Or did you not care at all?

Here are a couple of links on what other readers thought of the book:

The Man Booker Prize forum thread on the book
The Aslyum Book Review with lots of comments on it

Read on March 28th, 2012.

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The Man Booker Prize Reading List Update

Since this blog was defunct for three years, I know I’ve read at least five Booker prize winners in that time. Here is an updated list of of all the Booker Prize winners I’ve read so far. I’ll do a Pulitzer post in the future.
Continue reading →

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Booking Through Thursday Relating 2 Replies

Posted on March 29, 2012 in Books

BTT this week is about fictional characters:

Are there any fictional characters whom you have emulated (or tried to)? Who and why?

What literary character do you feel is most like you personality-wise (explain)?

I don’t think I have tried to emulate any character specifically, I have admired and respected some characters as I would some people in real life. For some reason, the narrator in Gilead comes to mind. Also, when I was very young, I did want to be some of the characters in books like Wendy in Peter Pan if only because I wanted to have adventures.

As for who I am like, this is difficult to answer. I’ve read so many books with so many characters. There hasn’t been an instance where I feel a character is a GPOY or Gratuitous Picture of Yourself (Myself). I once took a Jane Austen quiz and it told me I was Elizabeth Bennet and I do agree that Lizzie and I have the same sense of humor. Along the line of the classics, when I read Jane Eyre, I saw a bit of myself in her mostly in terms of her pragmatism and her sensitivity. I can’t be like these characters though in terms of their romantic lives. It is actually a bit limiting to encapsulate myself from one character in a novel. Most stories don’t even tell you everything about the character or their journeys. So it is a bit apples to oranges for me.

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You deserve nothing by Alexander Maksik Leave a reply

Posted on March 27, 2012 in Books

you deserve nothing

This book is on this series “Tv Book Club”. Since I read at least a couple of books from each series of the show, I have decided to put it as a tag. As of this review, I have not seen the show’s segment on it and may never so I can’t speculate on what the panel said or thought.

When I heard about the premise of the book, I was interested by the setting of Paris and the illicit nature of the relationship between two of the main characters. When I first started the book, I found the prose is a bit strange and clipped, cool. There was a bit of second person narrative or rather the main characters seem to talk to themselves and refer to ‘you’ a lot. Still, after the initial pages, it was mostly first person.

I went through this book much quicker than I thought. It was an easy read though it had some darker issues about growing up, isolation, and ultimately, loneliness. The author is good at describing loneliness. There were some very Paris moments in the book which I enjoyed as that is one of my favourite cities.

You deserve nothing is adult fiction, but allegedly the author based it on his own experiences. I can see that because a lot of the feelings in the book and the situations seemed real. I could see how people at the age were and remembered it. Though, these kids had vastly different issues than I did. I didn’t relate to their disillusionment of Will the main character, but I understood it.

There is one sex scene in this novel that is actually well written. I find most sex scenes in novels either badly written or unremarkable. In this novel, it was well done and fitting for the characters and the scene.

The ending and a lot of the novel reminded me of Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I’m not sure I actually liked the ending of this book; it just seemed to be just there. Maybe that was the point. I did want more from the characters.

Read March 16th, 2012.

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