LAST DAY TO SUBMIT FOR THE BEGINNING CONTEST! Details here...
I had a bit of time this month to read, and I made sure to read a lot to catch up on my 100 books in a year goal. I'm going to have lots of reading time in August too! I'm glad...
Notes from Underground Anthology - The Literary Lab
The Notes from Underground Anthology is a compilation of short stories, poems, and pictures by twenty-five wonderful writer winners of a contest hosted by The Literary Lab last year. There is amazing variety in this collection, and all of it is well-written, inspiring, and fun.
Misery - Stephen King
Ah, Stephen King. Whenever I read his books, I just feel like writing, especially when I read a book of his involving a writer character. This was a great book about a writer who is kidnapped and held captive by his number one fan, who forces him to write a book especially for her. Quite disturbing, but very fun.
Anthem - Ayn Rand
This is a sort of science fiction story about a man living in a communist society. I wrote a bit about Ayn Rand recently, here.
Post Office - Charles Bukowski
Semi-autobiographical and witty, I liked this book. It was a quick read. It's about the life of a post office worker... I can see how it would not be for everyone, but the author is well known and a great writer, so maybe you'd like it...
The Storm - Frederick Buechner
This is an odd book, based loosely on The Tempest. It is about a man, whose young lover died while giving birth to their child. I wasn't quite in the reading mindset when I read this, so I may have to go to the library and check it out again... Eventually...
Yellow Dog - Martin Amis
Another Martin Amis, one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. A man gets hit on the head and becomes violent and stuff (I'm so eloquent), and there is a scandal involving a British princess involved. It was interesting and entertaining. But also a bit disturbing, of course, considering that is a Martin Amis novel.
The Plague - Albert Camus
A fictional account of bubonic plague in the 1940s in Algeria, taking place of the course of many months. Exsistentialist/absurdist, this novel was intriguing, with great character development as the doctor and the community suffer through the plague and its effects. Pretty cool, well written, Albert Camus. Yeah.
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A lawyer tries to prove insane the drunken firefighter philanthropist, Eliot Rosewater, so his relative can gain control of his company. Kurt Vonnegut has this gift of making things that sound boring turn into exciting adventures. In other books of his, he can make wired things that don't make any sense exciting adventures. I'm not sure exactly what this book, or any of his others really besides Slaughterhouse-Five, is actually about, but it was witty, so, go ahead and read it if you want.
The Touch - F. Paul Wilson
I suppose this series is growing on me. As I said before when I read the first and second books in this series, I was wary to begin because I don't really trust my mother's taste in books, but my dad liked it too, so I decided to give it a try. It is a series of more than fifteen books, and I've officially decided now to read all of them, but obviously not consecutively. This book, The Touch, is about a doctor who discovers one day that he can heal people by touching them, like a faith healer. The writing, as it is in Wilson's other books, is simple but suspenseful. I don't love it, but I'll admit that I like it.
The Island at the End of the World - Sam Taylor
A sort of post-apocalyptic novel about a father and his three children trapped on an island after the great flood. Kind of pretentious, but it was still good.
How the Dead Live - Will Self
Sex, drugs, rock and roll, and dying of cancer. My kind of book! This is a good book by a good author, sort of a story about death, but mostly a story about life. I recommend you read it if you are looking for a laugh, but prepare yourself for some disconcerting scenes as well.
The Almost Moon - Alice Sebold
I seem to have read mostly emotional, disturbing novels this month... This book is about a woman who kills her mother. It takes place over the course of one day. I read The Lovely Bones, by the same author, last year, and I thought it was amazing. This was just as good.
Books I Read This Month - June 2011
I'm supposed to be at the 50 book mark, since it's halfway through the year, and I'm trying to read 100 books in one year, but I'm a little bit behind at 46! I guess I have to read more in July...
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The cartoon movies and the one with Johnny Depp had plots. The book didn't. But it was fun anyway. A goofy classic adventure that will never get old. :)
Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll
Same as first... :)
The Dispossessed - Ursula K. le Guin
Let's not go on a political rant here... This is science fiction, which I am not a fan of, as I said when I read one of her books last month, but the subject matter this author discusses in her books intrigues me extremely. 100 and some years ago, on the planet Urras, there was a revolution, and a group of people moved to the moon, Annares, to begin an anarchical society. Now, one man returns to the plant to learn about the society and try to make the people get along. I'm really into freedom and all that jazz, so I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it, even if you are totally against anarchy, because Ursula K. le Guin has a very interesting viewpoint on it. It makes you think.
The Green Mile - Stephen King
Stephen King is always good. This book had a distinct voice. It was fast-paced and thrilling. I kept getting deja vu as I read it, but then I realized I'd seen the movie a while back. Anyway, this is an amazing book. You should read it if you haven't already.
If on a winter's night a traveler - Italo Calvino
The tone is wonderful. I felt like the author was speaking right to me, even though I am a girl, and the 'you' in the story is obviously a male. It was written in second person, the writer speaking to the reader, and I think this book is a book that every writer must read. So get on that! :)
The Tent - Margaret Atwood
This is a book of little vignette essay type things, all connected thematically. I thought it was a very interesting idea, and the mini stories were very well written.
The Ethical Assassin - David Liss
This is the kind of book I would like to write: a funny thriller that's well written and has a strong message. It's about this kid who's selling encyclopedias to make money for college, but he is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up as an accessory to murder. I really liked this book.
Demons - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
When you're reading a book that is over 600 pages long, has dozens of characters, and has been translated from Russian to English, it can be pretty tricky to understand. But that's Fyodor Dostoyevsky for you. Of what I did understand, it was funny and clever, and I liked it. Typical Dostoyevsky, I suppose.
Peace, Aimee
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The cartoon movies and the one with Johnny Depp had plots. The book didn't. But it was fun anyway. A goofy classic adventure that will never get old. :)
Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll
Same as first... :)
The Dispossessed - Ursula K. le Guin
Let's not go on a political rant here... This is science fiction, which I am not a fan of, as I said when I read one of her books last month, but the subject matter this author discusses in her books intrigues me extremely. 100 and some years ago, on the planet Urras, there was a revolution, and a group of people moved to the moon, Annares, to begin an anarchical society. Now, one man returns to the plant to learn about the society and try to make the people get along. I'm really into freedom and all that jazz, so I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it, even if you are totally against anarchy, because Ursula K. le Guin has a very interesting viewpoint on it. It makes you think.
The Green Mile - Stephen King
Stephen King is always good. This book had a distinct voice. It was fast-paced and thrilling. I kept getting deja vu as I read it, but then I realized I'd seen the movie a while back. Anyway, this is an amazing book. You should read it if you haven't already.
If on a winter's night a traveler - Italo Calvino
The tone is wonderful. I felt like the author was speaking right to me, even though I am a girl, and the 'you' in the story is obviously a male. It was written in second person, the writer speaking to the reader, and I think this book is a book that every writer must read. So get on that! :)
The Tent - Margaret Atwood
This is a book of little vignette essay type things, all connected thematically. I thought it was a very interesting idea, and the mini stories were very well written.
The Ethical Assassin - David Liss
This is the kind of book I would like to write: a funny thriller that's well written and has a strong message. It's about this kid who's selling encyclopedias to make money for college, but he is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up as an accessory to murder. I really liked this book.
Demons - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
When you're reading a book that is over 600 pages long, has dozens of characters, and has been translated from Russian to English, it can be pretty tricky to understand. But that's Fyodor Dostoyevsky for you. Of what I did understand, it was funny and clever, and I liked it. Typical Dostoyevsky, I suppose.
Peace, Aimee
Books I Read This Month - May 2011
Since I didn't have school this month, I got a bit of reading done. Here's what I read!
The Tomb - F. Paul Wilson
This is the first book in a series that my parents have been urging me to read. I read The Keep quite a while back, which they told me is a kind of background to the series of like twenty books. I'm not sure I'm committed to reading all of them yet. I mean, The Tomb was good (the writing was great, the characters interesting, the plot suspenseful) but twenty more like it is a lot to handle. I'll probably end up reading them all, just not consecutively. Obviously. Since I didn't read any more in the series this month.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
I don't have much to say about this book that has not been said before, so...
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Two young men travel around the world in seven days, giving away $35,000. It was funny in some places and tear-jerking in others. The writing was amazing, but the plot confused me slightly.
The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula K. le Guin
My sister pressured me into reading this. It's science fiction, so I was kind of wary, but it was a very intriguing read. It's about a man whose dreams change reality. He goes to a psychiatrist, who tries to use the dreams to his advantage. I would recommend you read this if you are in the mood for a philosophical discussion.
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
I read this a couple years ago but had to read it again. It's just such a cultural phenomenon, and I'm kind of obsessed with the Catch-22 idea. I run into them almost every day. Good book.
The Nomination - William G. Tapply
The Nomination is the last book published by William G. Tapply before he died a few years ago. It's about a supreme court judge nominee and his history. He tries to hide the secrets of his past so that he will get the job. Somewhat of a murder mystery, the book was wonderfully written. Round characters and a distinct story line. I'd recommend it, but only if you enjoy the genre.
K-PAX II: On A Beam of Light - Gene Brewer
Sequel to K-PAX, which is an amazing book. There's a third one, too, but I'm not sure what it would be about, since this one wrapped up the story pretty well. Psychiatrist's sessions with a patient with multiple personalities, the main alter being an alien from the planet K-PAX. This, like the first book, is one of those unexpected treasures. You'd think it would be the story of the patient and how he heals from the trauma in his life, but it is surprisingly philosophical. I enjoyed it very much. I definitely recommend it, but you have to read the first book first. And maybe see the movie. Kevin Spacey is amazing.
London Fields - Martin Amis
Dense (470 pages took me over a week to read) and almost plotless, but the characters were wonderfully wrought, and there were some humorous moments. Not my favorite of Martin Amis, but it didn't change my high opinion of him. His novels are kind of long and winding, like this one, but his novellas are brilliant.
Peace, Aimee
The Tomb - F. Paul Wilson
This is the first book in a series that my parents have been urging me to read. I read The Keep quite a while back, which they told me is a kind of background to the series of like twenty books. I'm not sure I'm committed to reading all of them yet. I mean, The Tomb was good (the writing was great, the characters interesting, the plot suspenseful) but twenty more like it is a lot to handle. I'll probably end up reading them all, just not consecutively. Obviously. Since I didn't read any more in the series this month.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
I don't have much to say about this book that has not been said before, so...
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Two young men travel around the world in seven days, giving away $35,000. It was funny in some places and tear-jerking in others. The writing was amazing, but the plot confused me slightly.
The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula K. le Guin
My sister pressured me into reading this. It's science fiction, so I was kind of wary, but it was a very intriguing read. It's about a man whose dreams change reality. He goes to a psychiatrist, who tries to use the dreams to his advantage. I would recommend you read this if you are in the mood for a philosophical discussion.
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
I read this a couple years ago but had to read it again. It's just such a cultural phenomenon, and I'm kind of obsessed with the Catch-22 idea. I run into them almost every day. Good book.
The Nomination - William G. Tapply
The Nomination is the last book published by William G. Tapply before he died a few years ago. It's about a supreme court judge nominee and his history. He tries to hide the secrets of his past so that he will get the job. Somewhat of a murder mystery, the book was wonderfully written. Round characters and a distinct story line. I'd recommend it, but only if you enjoy the genre.
K-PAX II: On A Beam of Light - Gene Brewer
Sequel to K-PAX, which is an amazing book. There's a third one, too, but I'm not sure what it would be about, since this one wrapped up the story pretty well. Psychiatrist's sessions with a patient with multiple personalities, the main alter being an alien from the planet K-PAX. This, like the first book, is one of those unexpected treasures. You'd think it would be the story of the patient and how he heals from the trauma in his life, but it is surprisingly philosophical. I enjoyed it very much. I definitely recommend it, but you have to read the first book first. And maybe see the movie. Kevin Spacey is amazing.
London Fields - Martin Amis
Dense (470 pages took me over a week to read) and almost plotless, but the characters were wonderfully wrought, and there were some humorous moments. Not my favorite of Martin Amis, but it didn't change my high opinion of him. His novels are kind of long and winding, like this one, but his novellas are brilliant.
Peace, Aimee
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