October Reads
Yes, yes. I know this is a wee bit late, but I've been away from home for 11 of the last 14 days.
1. The Hobbit. Finished this one just at the beginning of the month.
I wanted to re-read it because I really didn't recall much of it but
wanted to brush up before reading about Durin's Folk in the Appendices of Lord of the Rings.
It was a fun read for me and I found in interesting how skewed my remembrance of it was from the first time I read it ages ago. For example, there were several incidents that I had no recollection of whatsoever, and other parts I remember being greater than they are, like Bilbo's return to Bag End, for example. It was a part I remember liking a great deal was astounded to find only 2 paragraphs devoted to it!
I did enjoy seeing some tie-ins with the LOTR series, like the parallels with both Pippin and Bilbo passing out during battle to the cries of "The Eagles are coming." I'm glad I bought my own copy to have around.
2. The Kite Runner
I've received numerous recommendations for this book from several quarters. However, I have not had the emotional wherewithal to pick it up. I've never had any doubt that it was a fantastically written and powerful story, but I had been told enough to know that the content was heavy and I just haven't felt drawn to the serious stuff lately.
So why did I finally read it? - Book Club. Yep, it was the first selection. So after receiving my copy and putting it off for a couple of weeks, I finally cracked the spine (carefully, though; after all, others will be reading my copy later). And I found out something: My gut was right.
The Kite Runner is a fantastic book. It is well written. It has a powerful story. It takes you into the lives of people in a world we really know little about though we hear much on the evening news. It also takes you into the lives of regular people dealing with all the difficulties of life, just like anyone else in the world. It was emotionally heavy: once I started reading it, I had to plow through, try and put off the tears and just get it done so that I could work through the emotional upheaval and then move on. Since becoming a mother, stories about hurting children have effected me in a way I would have never expected.
Am I glad I read it? Absolutely.
Would I recommend it? Definitely.
3. Austenland
Most everyone enjoys some literary fluff once in awhile. I started this one and I almost abandoned it after the first few chapters but persevered. I wish I could say it was worth it, but I'm not so sure it was. Anyway.
4. The Fifth Woman
This book came recommened to me from a friend who knew I liked mystery novels but wasn't too keen on ones where the the detective turns into the prey. This novel is one of many by Henning Mankell, a Swedish author, and follows the work of Kurt Wallander, a detective with the police force. It was a very well written book and I'd recommend it to any mystery fans out there. I currently have Firewall on my shelf and plan on reading that if I think I can do so before I have to return it to the library.
Other Reads:
I did enjoy seeing some tie-ins with the LOTR series, like the parallels with both Pippin and Bilbo passing out during battle to the cries of "The Eagles are coming." I'm glad I bought my own copy to have around.
2. The Kite Runner
I've received numerous recommendations for this book from several quarters. However, I have not had the emotional wherewithal to pick it up. I've never had any doubt that it was a fantastically written and powerful story, but I had been told enough to know that the content was heavy and I just haven't felt drawn to the serious stuff lately.
So why did I finally read it? - Book Club. Yep, it was the first selection. So after receiving my copy and putting it off for a couple of weeks, I finally cracked the spine (carefully, though; after all, others will be reading my copy later). And I found out something: My gut was right.
The Kite Runner is a fantastic book. It is well written. It has a powerful story. It takes you into the lives of people in a world we really know little about though we hear much on the evening news. It also takes you into the lives of regular people dealing with all the difficulties of life, just like anyone else in the world. It was emotionally heavy: once I started reading it, I had to plow through, try and put off the tears and just get it done so that I could work through the emotional upheaval and then move on. Since becoming a mother, stories about hurting children have effected me in a way I would have never expected.
Am I glad I read it? Absolutely.
Would I recommend it? Definitely.
Most everyone enjoys some literary fluff once in awhile. I started this one and I almost abandoned it after the first few chapters but persevered. I wish I could say it was worth it, but I'm not so sure it was. Anyway.
4. The Fifth Woman
This book came recommened to me from a friend who knew I liked mystery novels but wasn't too keen on ones where the the detective turns into the prey. This novel is one of many by Henning Mankell, a Swedish author, and follows the work of Kurt Wallander, a detective with the police force. It was a very well written book and I'd recommend it to any mystery fans out there. I currently have Firewall on my shelf and plan on reading that if I think I can do so before I have to return it to the library.
Other Reads:
- Newspapers: Must read up on the candidates for mayor, council and school trustees. Municipal elections tomorrow in this province: Get out and vote. (Again!)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Bits and pieces of my favourite Rowling book just to pass the time.
- Interweb stuff: I finally got around to setting up Google Reader and am enjoying the format for perusing my favourite websites. I think I'll post about interesting stuff there later.
Comments
Right now, I'm reading Terra Incognita: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie, which is the second in a series and it's pretty good so far.
Terra Incognita - is it fiction, then?