Results of an Ambitious Week

Hello my amazing readers,

As promised, here is the first entry to my new and improved blog! Aren't you proud of me for doing it when I said I would? I feel this is progress. Anyway, this post might be slightly longer than my future ones will be and the reviews themselves might be slightly shorter because I did a ton of reading this week and it is a lot to process. I admit, when I started the week, I wasn't sure I would be able to get it done. And technically I am one book short...but oh well. I still think five books (only four for the blog) in one week is pretty good. And I hope you enjoy my reviews of them.

In The Bag

So, the first book from this week that I want to talk about is In The Bag by Kate Klise. I admit, I chose this book almost solely based on the cover.

I am a sucker for anything that has to do with travel so I was immediately intrigued by the book when I was shelving it at my work. And once I read the description, I thought it sounded pretty interesting so I decided to check it out and give it a chance.

As far as chick-lit goes, it is pretty standard. The book follows the stories of four travelers, an 18 year old named Coco, her mom, Daisy, a 17 year old boy named Webb, and his dad, Andrew. Since this story is, in a way, two separate stories, I will talk about each one separately. 

So, the book starts with Daisy and Webb grabbing each other's bags at the airport in Paris. Webb travels off to Madrid with hers only to realize he grabbed the wrong item. Daisy also realizes her mistake and both of them hit the internet in search of a way to find their bags. Webb happens to come across Coco's e-mail address on her bag and sends her a message. This initial message begins a flirtation between the two of them as they make plans to meet and exchange bags. After tricking their parents, Webb takes a train to Paris to meet Coco and neither of them is sure of what to expect. The visit starts out fine and they are having a great time but, due to miscommunication and jumping to conclusions, it ends on a sour note and Webb leaves disappointed while Coco blames herself for coming on too strong. (I don't want to go into detail about the miscommunication in case you decide to read the book for yourself.)

Meanwhile, Daisy, a famous chef who is notorious for jumping from restaurant to restaurant, decides what she really needs is a vacation and decides to take her daughter along with her. But the trip doesn't start out so well when a man spills wine on her expensive blouse then leaves what she deems is a creepy note in her bag. However, this man, Andrew, has only the best of intentions and has no idea how the note will be perceived. He only finds the mysterious first class woman beautiful and intriguing. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that he is traveling with his son, Webb, he would have most certainly talked to her. But Andrew must continue on to Spain where he is designing an art exhibit all about love in the age of technology. The plans for the exhibit aren't going so well though and the person in charge of the exhibit, Solange, must eventually request the catering services of her friend, Daisy, who is staying in her apartment in Paris. When Daisy and Andrew meet at the exhibit, it is love at first sight and they end up spending the rest of the night talking before Daisy has to catch her flight back to Paris. But through many phone calls they plan to meet up again in Barcelona. And Andrew debates whether or not he should tell her he was the one who wrote the note. 

When the two of them finally meet up again in Barcelona, children in tow, utter awkwardness ensues. Webb and Coco aren't really sure how to act when they see each other again. Not to mention, neither of them wants to let on that they lied to their parents. But eventually they make amends for their first meeting and immediately start their flirtation once more. Daisy, however, assumes the worst when Andrew refuses to give her his email address and decides he is just another cheating jerk who isn't worth her time. Daisy leaves with Coco in a huff, determined to change her flight back to the States so she never has to see Andrew again. So...of course...they meet again on the plane.

(Spoilers ahead!)

It was at this point that the book sort of lost me. Things honestly became way too dramatic and suddenly Webb was accused of being a terrorist because of some sparklers he put in Coco's bag before they exchanged them. The art exhibit blows up due to a group called Cinco Por Cinco. And so much happens in a short amount of time I'm not even sure I understand it. Of course, everything ends happily and the four of them return to Paris for a big sleepover at Solange's apartment.

I apologize if that last paragraph seems confusing and absurd. Honestly, that is how the book made me feel. Overall, it wasn't a horrible book and it was a quick and easy read. But, of course, you can read it and see for yourself.

The Reader

So, the second book I completed this week was The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. Now, this book was part of my goal to read books that I already have at home instead of always getting them from the library. With all the other books I read, I figured I could complete one from my personal library every month and for January I picked this one.

Now, some of you might be aware that this book is pretty famous. It was part of Oprah's Book Club and they made a movie about it. It has been sitting on my shelf for years and I finally decided to give it a try. And honestly, I was underwhelmed by it. 

The book tells the story of a young 15-year-old boy who ends up falling in love with an older woman named Hanna. They spend many afternoons together where he reads books to her, she bathes him, and they sleep together. This interaction goes on for years and while the boy, Michael, finds her somewhat confusing, he loves her. Then one day she disappears. He doesn't see her again until he is a law student and he attends her trial where she is being accused of horrible crimes committed during the Holocaust. She worked at one of the concentration camps and is found guilty of many crimes, including the death of many people. Michael is confused as to why she doesn't defend herself but then realizes she is embarrassed by the fact that she can't read or write. Hannah is found guilty and sentenced to many years in prison. During this time, Michael grows up but continues to send her cassettes of him reading books. This is practically the only communication they have until her death. I don't want to give away how she dies or what happens between them right before it because I want to allow you the opportunity of discovering it for yourself if you haven't read it yet. 

As I said, I found this book to be underwhelming. Yes, I did understand the deeper themes and the message the book was trying to convey. And it was definitely a tragic story. But I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. If I am being honest, a big part of it was probably the fact that he began his relationship with Hannah when he was only 15. I had a hard time moving past how uncomfortable the age difference made me feel. But that might just be me. 

Running Like A Girl

The third book I want to talk about in this entry is Running Like A Girl by Alexandra Heminsley. So before I tell you about this book in particular, I feel I need to give you a little backstory as to why I chose to read it. So back in December, my roommate and I decided that we wanted to make 2017 a year of change for us. This involved us coming up with plans to diet, change our looks, coming up with goals for our writing and art, and, finally, working out. So for my workout plan, I decided I want to become a runner. (For more specifics on my goals, feel free to check out my other blog paychecksandpoetry.blogspot.com). So, to prepare for this monumental task, I bought new gear, planned how to start, and felt pretty ready overall. Then I stumbled across this book at my work.

The cover was so bright and the title immediately caught my attention so I couldn't help but check it out that same day. Honestly, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made. 

In this book, Alexandra Heminsley talks about how she went from not being what she considered athletic at all to running five marathons. Throughout the story, she discusses tips for buying gear, what problems she encountered, and even about the motivation and self-doubt issues that plagued her on her journey. But she overcame all of these issues and tells the reader how to do the same. 

I learned so much from this book. Not only was her story inspiring, but I feel like she never sugar coated how difficult becoming a runner is. And I liked that a lot. She talks about some running myths, how to run, what clothes work best, and even tips for staying motivated. I know that it is going to be a struggle to start but I feel far better prepared because of this book. If you are considering becoming a runner or even just need some general life motivation, I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read and you will finish it feeling like you can conquer the world!

The Word Detective: Searching for the Meaning of It All at the Oxford English Dictionary

So, the last book I want to talk about briefly is The Word Detective by John Simpson. This is the first non-fiction book I have read in a while but I absolutely loved it. It is also by far the nerdiest thing I have ever read. It is difficult to give you a true summary of the book since it is not plot based and is pretty complicated. 

Essentially, this book is a memoir by John Simpson who is the former chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. In the book, he discusses the history of the dictionary, how he got started at the company, and how the dictionary and his career progressed over the years. The book goes into a lot of depth about the production of dictionaries and how language develops. Also scattered throughout the book are histories of various words that have significance in John's life. Overall, it was a really interesting read to me and I highly recommend it if you have a love of words like I do.

So that is all I have for you this week. As you can see, it was a very busy week of reading for me and this week looks like it will be about the same. I would love to hear from you about any of these books if you have read them or want to read them. And I will be back next week with more reviews for you!

Until then...happy literary travels!

Changes To The Blog

Hello dear readers,

I had no idea it has been almost a year since I did a post for this blog. I apologize profusely for this. The truth is I have kind of lost interest in attempting the 1,001 Books To Read Before You Die. I feel it is keeping me from doing the kind of reading I actually want to do. However, I still love reading and I still love the idea of doing a blog on what I am reading. So, starting next Sunday, I will be trying to post every single week about the books I have read that week. Not only do I work for a library now but I am doing another reading challenge this year so the posts should prove to be quite interesting and cover a great variety of books. 

That is about the only thing I have to say today. I apologize again for it being so long between posts but a lot has changed in my life and I hope to become a much better blogger this year. So look for the new blog post next week and I hope you all have a great week. Until next time...

Happy reading!

Junky

Hello dear readers,

I am back with yet another post. Yes, I know it has been a few months but hopefully I can get back on a regular schedule. To be honest, I am reading more than ever now. But I am also writing and working more than ever now as well and sometimes my blogs get pushed to the side so I can focus on other writing. But I think I finally came up with a realistic posting schedule for each of my blogs that I can hopefully follow. So, if all goes well, expect posts from me every two weeks or so.

Anyway, the book I want to talk about this time is Junky by William S. Burroughs. Now, for those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of beat writing. I find the whole beat culture and its effect on history fascinating. But, before this, I had yet to read any of Burroughs's work. And I have to say, I am not yet sold on it. 

So, Junky simply tells the story of a man who is hooked on junk aka heroin. Told from a first-person perspective, the reader is treated to what goes on in the head of an addict. The story follows the narrator through the first strains of addiction to selling junk to trying to kick the habit to falling back into it. The narrator discusses not only the physical reactions both on and off the drug but also the mentality of an addict. The book also has a historical aspect as the narrator discusses how life changes and how dangerous it becomes to be an addict as new laws are passed making addiction a felony.

Now, I will admit, I was supposed to read this book in one of my college classes but could never finish it. And it honestly took me a long time to finish it this time around. I will say one positive thing about the book is the way it portrays addiction. Most of the time, drug addiction is portrayed as strictly good or strictly bad depending on the point of view. But this book deals in simple facts, not glorifying drug use or condemning addicts, but simply telling the reader exactly what being an addict is like and making them truly think about if they want a life like that. There is nothing glamorous in it, nothing over-hyped. It is just one man telling his story. Now, that being said, I honestly was not the biggest fan of the book. Perhaps it is because I have no experience with drugs at all so I found the story difficult to relate to. But, for whatever reason, I just could not get into it.

So, should this book be on the list of ones to read before you die? In my opinion, no. While it is a decent story and provides some historical and psychological insight into the mind of a beat generation drug addict, I do not think that it truly adds anything beneficial to the life of the reader or leaves them thinking about the story when they are finished with it. But, that is just my opinion. If you read this book, I would love to hear what you think. 

Anyway...hope you enjoyed this little review and I will see you in two weeks. Until then...

Happy reading!

The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Hello wonderful fellow readers,

I first want to apologize for missing last week. It is not that I haven't been reading because I have been doing a lot of that. But my time for writing decreased greatly as my number of work hours doubled. But, I am adjusting to my new schedule and should have plenty of time for writing. Anyway, this week, I want to talk about the book I just finished: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. 

So, as far as plot goes, I am certain most of you are familiar with the story of Dorian Gray, the man who owns a painting of himself that ages while he remains young. It is a wonderful story really but there is so much more to it than aging. Rather, the painting begins to reflect the evil and sin that collects in his soul. The story starts out with a young Dorian Gray posing for a painting for Basil Hallward. Upon completing the painting, Basil raves about how it is his greatest work and a close friend of theirs, Lord Henry Wotton, comments to Gray about how he should cherish such youth and beauty while he has it. Well, Gray begins truly pondering over Lord Henry's statement and finds himself wishing to stay as youthful as he is in the painting. But, feeling it is a frivolous wish, Gray takes the painting home and thinks nothing more of it.

As time moves on, Gray falls in love with a young actress, only to break her heart the moment they are meant to run away together; the young girl kills herself in grief. This guilt of her death begins weighing on Gray and, when he looks at the painting, he finds the features of it have changed. They seem harsher, more evil. And this is just the beginning. Through the years, Gray drowns himself in every pleasure known to man, never showing remorse and never aging. And as he continues in debauchery, the painting becomes more and more grotesque. Eventually, the painting drives him to madness, forcing him into an action from which he never recovers. I don't wish to spoil what this action is for those who haven't read it. But I hope I have intrigued you enough to go and read it for yourself.

Now, I have been a longtime Oscar Wilde fan. I find him insanely witty and his writing never fails to make me smile. But up until now, I have never read The Picture of Dorian Gray. I felt I knew the story and always seemed to put other books ahead of it. But I was gravely mistaken and there is so much more to the plot than I imagined. What intrigued me the most was the way the painting reflected not only age but sin and darkness as well. The idea of a painting showing the true depravity of the soul of a person is something that gives me shivers and makes me wonder what my own painting would look like. In this book, Wilde addresses not only social issues but what it truly means to experience pleasure in life and at what cost it comes at. 

While this book can, at times, be a slow read due to its depth and elevated speech, it is one I highly recommend. There is no doubt in my mind that it belongs on the list and I hope everyone picks it up at least once in their lifetime. And if you do read it, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Until next week...

Happy reading!

Pride and Prejudice

Hello literary lovers,

I feel my entry this week will be quite short. The reason for this is not due to the book I read being bad or boring. On the contrary, I absolutely loved it and have actually read it more than once. But it is a book familiar to most people and the plot is not something I feel needs true delving into. The book I am referring to is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 

So, as I was saying, the plot of this book is quite familiar so I won't bore you with all the little details. The story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy has been told in many styles and media forms ever since Jane Austen first wrote it. Many a girl, I believe, has pined over this stoic character. Or perhaps over Mr. Bingley or even the rapscallion Mr. Wickham. But whatever man you prefer, the story is familiar and relatable to nearly everyone in one way or another.

What I truly want to discuss about this book is its great need to be on this list. Of all the books on the 1,001 Books To Read Before You Die, I would place Pride and Prejudice among the top ten that must be read. And, although it has a reputation for being the ultimate chick-lit, I truly believe it is a book that every man should read as well. Aside from being a wonderful commentary on the class system of the day and the laws of proper social etiquette, it teaches men how to treat women. And it does not place women into one category. You have Jane, so shy and sweet, and Mr. Bingley, the quiet but rich suitor, eventually learns how to win her heart. And you have Elizabeth who is independent, stubborn, intelligent, and fiercely loyal. It takes an entirely different approach to win her heart. And finally, you have a bad example of a relationship in the impetuous Lydia who runs away with the handsome man who ends up almost ruining both her and her family. 

While I could go on and on about the lessons of this book, I will stop there, leaving the rest for your own discovery. If you haven't read the original book, I highly encourage it. And, if you have read it before, I would encourage you to read it again. It is such a rich text and provides the reader with something new every single time.

I will see you all next week but until then...

Happy reading!

Slow Man

Hello dear readers,

Today, I bring you another book from the 1,001 Books To Read Before You Die: Slow Man by J. M. Coetzee. Now, if you recall, this is the second book I have read by this author. Honestly, I enjoyed this book more than Disgrace, although both are very good.

Slow Man tells the story of Paul Rayment. Paul is a middle aged man who ends up losing his leg in a biking accident. This loss sends him into a depression, feeling he is useless and no longer a man. Things begin to look up a bit when his home-care nurse, Marijana, appears on the scene. Marijana and Paul get along well and he soon finds himself falling for her. But she is married and has a happy family life, one she is not looking to leave. Paul knows he can't have her but he finds himself wanting to help her and her family in any way he can, including offering to pay for her son's education. Things become even more complicated with the appearance of famed author, Elizabeth Costello, who forces Paul to deal with his feelings not only for Marijana but his feelings about himself as well. 

Unlike Disgrace, where the plot was deep but fairly straightforward, Slow Man is complicated and confusing with a touch of meta-fiction, making the reader think about the interplay between author, literary characters, and the thin separation between the two. This becomes evident when Elizabeth Costello appears and leads Paul to believe he is only a character in her latest book. Up until her arrival, the book is straightforward and presents a great story. But the addition of this interplay adds an entirely new aspect to the book and changes the story all-together.

As before, I loved Coetzee's writing style. It is unique and truly draws the reader in. And I know that is not a great description of it but I can’t really put my finger on what I like about it so much. But it is some of my favorite prose to read. As for the book itself, I found it quite fascinating although hard to understand at times. Paul Rayment is one of those characters that I found myself rooting for without even knowing why. And I loved how Coetzee made Marijana more than just a side character adding to the life story of the protagonist. Rather, she had dimension and background and I found myself caring just as much about her as I did about Paul.

I agree that Slow Man should definitely be on the list of books to read in one’s life simply for the relationship it presents involving author and character. But, aside from that, I liked the story itself and would highly recommend it to others. However, as a word of warning, this is not a quick read and requires some deep thought to truly appreciate the depth of this book.

Next week, I look forward to bringing you yet another wonderful literary adventure. 

Until then...happy reading!

Kidnapped

Greeting and salutations fellow readers…I am excited that it has not been a tremendous amount of time since my last entry. Since finally obtaining a regular job and getting settled into my adult life, I have been absolutely determined that I would make time for reading every day. So far, it has been working out. 

Anyway, my latest literary conquest was Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. Now, being a huge Treasure Island fan, I was incredibly excited to read this book. And, honestly, I wasn’t disappointed. Granted, in my opinion, it didn’t quite measure up to the epic book about pirates but it was still a wonderful read. The prose was eloquent and I immediately found myself drawn to the main character, David Balfour. 

The book tells the story of a young boy who just lost his parents and has finally reached the age of adulthood. When he sets out to discover more about his family, he finds himself cast into an epic adventure when his uncle sells him to a ship captain. Once aboard, he quickly becomes close friends with a man named Alan Breck, a troublemaker who enlists David’s help during a mutiny aboard the ship. However, their friendship is put to the test when the ship wrecks on a coral reef and the two find themselves wandering through the Scottish countryside as wanted fugitives. I won’t delve further into what they are wanted for or how they escape because I would rather you discover the adventure for yourself. 

Overall, I loved this book and agree that it should be on the list of books to read at least once in your life. It is full of adventure and I constantly found myself on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen and if these characters I suddenly found myself attached to would make it out okay. If you are looking for a romance or a book that inspires deep thinking, this is not the book for you. But if you are just seeking adventure and a way to escape from life for awhile, I highly recommend this book. Especially if you  like Treasure Island.

Also, as I read this book, I found myself amazed yet again at how quickly I develop literary crushes. This happens to me in almost every book I read. The man in this instance was Alan Breck. From his first appearance in the story, I found myself drawn to him and yes, I will admit, attracted to him, although I have never actually seen him. To me, this is the mark of a well-developed character and I always appreciate an author who can make me care about a fictional person so much. So, for those of you out there who are like me, I warn you that another guy will be added to your list if you read this book.  

  
Anyway, to all my readers out there, I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read and, if you are anything like me, you will find yourself not wanting to put it down.

        
Until next time, my fellow literary travelers, happy reading!