East of Eden, Finis!

I'm a little late with this post, but I am indeed finished with East of Eden for the #EstellaProject readalong! WHAT A BOOK! Seriously, this is an epic family saga, and it seems like forever since I read one of those. 

By the end of the novel, I was ready to know what would happen to Cal and Aron as well as Abra and Cathy. No surprises really, since I knew quite a bit about the book going into the final sections (it was a book club book), but I was very satisfied by Steinbeck's conclusion. Those last few sentences were pitch perfect, and that's saying something after such a long, involved novel. 

It's safe to say that Lee remained my favorite character, though Cal grew in my estimation a lot in this final run. Multi-faceted, complicated, "gray area" characters are so much more interesting than flat, one-note ones. I admired Cal's determination to grow past what he feared was his dark nature. I loved he and Abra together. 

I definitely have plans to read more of Steinbeck's work. I won't be intimidated to try out Grapes of Wrath or any of his other offerings since I adored this one. Thank you to ALL who participated in this readalong! It's been so much fun chatting with you all! 

(B)East of Eden, Discussion 1

Today is the first installment of our East of Eden Readalong with the Estella Project! 

Watch out for spoilers from this first section.

1. What do you think of the style of Steinbeck's writing? Readable and awesome or slow and slogging?

Readable and awesome, for sure! When I have time to sit down, I'm whizzing through this book lickety-split! Somewhere along the way, in high school I think, I read a Steinbeck short story that I hated. I thought all of his writing was slow and full of dust. While I had the dust part right, I find his descriptions lush and his metaphors deep. Lurv!

2. We have a wicked case of sibling rivalry going on here. What are your thoughts on Adam's and Charles' relationship thus far? Their father's influence?

Their father was a bit of a dick. I just felt the way he related to his sons was wonky and backwards, making them both feel belittled and cut down, though their reactions to it are quite different. I found myself really surprised that Adam went the wandering hobo route and adopted such a laissez–faire attitude. Since we ended this section with his marriage to Cathy and their trek to California, I'm really curious to see where things are going for these two. And I'm with Charles. There's no way their father, whose hilarious career as a "military expert" was such a farce, came by his fortune honestly.

3. Just....Cathy. Expound.

I've never met a character more evil than Cathy. What a pill! I love her for it, though. I'm captivated. And if you haven't noticed, there's a #beastofeden or #(b)eastofeden hashtag that's sprouted on Twitter. Makes me laugh every time. 

4. It remains to be seen how Samuel Hamilton's brood will play into the story. Any guesses?

Not really. At first, when Adam and Cathy went to California and the Hamilton bunch was re-introduced, I had completely forgotten about them. They seem to embody those who live on and endure the land since their piece is so inhospitable. Looking forward to learning more about them. 

See you next Monday for another discussion!

Top Ten Classics I Haven't Read Yet!

Happy Top Ten Tuesday, y'all! Since I'm one of those people with a consistent and ongoing wishlist of classics, I figured today's topic was a tailor-made for me. Shall we?

I read A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, back in high school, and while I loved it then, I suspect I'd love it even more now. This is at the tippy-top of my re-read list. 

Middlemarch, by George Eliot, is a commitment! Have you seen the size of this thing? BUT, I read the much shorter Silas Marner, and I adored it. I'm not so weary to commit since I have that success under my belt. 

I flaked on a readalong of North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell, a few years ago, and I've felt guilty ever since! I really liked the part I read, but...life. Now I have both NandS AND Cranford waiting on my TBR.

Now...here's where we get dusty. 

I'll be reading East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, in July! My book club chose it, AND it's an #EstellaProject pick! Two birds, one stone. Love it!

Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry, is another huge chunk of a book. Given all the great reviews I've read, I think I'll really get sucked into this one. 

While I didn't adore Vile Bodies, by Evelyn Waugh, the way I thought I would, I'm still keen to try Brideshead Revisited. It just sounds so "me." 

I can barely even remember what Roast Beef, Medium, by Edna Ferber, is about, but it's free on GirlEbooks.com AND I've seen some great reviews of this one, too. 

The Painted Veil, by W. Somerset Maugham, seems to be a university favorite with those who pick it up and review it. I need to know what the hooplah is about, and this will be my first Maugham book!

I started reading the heartbreaking Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates, years ago. Again...life. I haven't finished it, but I was suitably impressed with that first go-round to really want to try again. Back to the beginning I go!

What's on your classics wanna-read list? 

On the Physical Quality of Books

Image credit. 

Y'all know I'm a bonafide #coverho, and one of my favorite collections is the Penguin English Library. But I'm not here today to talk about the beautiful patterned artwork, I want to talk about how much you can ABUSE these books!

As I've gotten older and more set in my readerly ways, I have come to appreciate the physical quality construction of books more than ever. While a pretty cover will draw me in every time, it's really of no use if the book falls apart after a page flip or two. Not the case with these Penguin English Library books AT ALL. They are beautifully designed and just as beautifully and carefully made. They can take whatever you throw at them. Quite literally.

Since I just posted yesterday about wrapping up The Woman in White, let's use it as an example. I read the book for approximately six weeks. I took it EVERYWHERE. To work most days, to lunch, to dinners. To the break room, NOT to the bathroom. But pretty much everywhere else.

When I started reading, I was slightly worried about how such a thick, chunky paperback would survive my reading habits since it's not unusual for spines to crack grotesquely or pages to dislodge themselves from binding. But this book held up like a champ! At 700 pages, it was inevitable that I would break the spine just for the sake of comfort, but because it's a well made book, whenever I close it the spine seems to heal itself. It's slightly creased, you can feel it when you run your finger over it, but it still looks beautiful and it doesn't flop open to the middle.

This series also has that velvety, coated feeling to the cover. I was concerned that this would pick up extra grease from lotiony fingerprints and whatnot, but while the white portions on the back got slightly discolored in the book's travels, overall, it still looks great!

This book has been tossed, bent, dog-eared, dropped, creased, and generally abused, and I'm so pleased with how well its held up. It makes me feel really good about taking the extra time to order these gems from the BookDepository. They aren't any more expensive than other classics--and in many cases, they're cheaper--so it's a solid investment. I love a pretty book, but I also love DIGGING IN to my books. I don't want to worry that I'm going to destroy them. Luckily, these seem indestructible.

Are there any publishers whose book quality you love? Tell me! #nomnom #bookcookiemonster

On the Physical Quality of Books

Image credit. 

Y'all know I'm a bonafide #coverho, and one of my favorite collections is the Penguin English Library. But I'm not here today to talk about the beautiful patterned artwork, I want to talk about how much you can ABUSE these books!

As I've gotten older and more set in my readerly ways, I have come to appreciate the physical quality construction of books more than ever. While a pretty cover will draw me in every time, it's really of no use if the book falls apart after a page flip or two. Not the case with these Penguin English Library books AT ALL. They are beautifully designed and just as beautifully and carefully made. They can take whatever you throw at them. Quite literally.

Since I just posted yesterday about wrapping up The Woman in White, let's use it as an example. I read the book for approximately six weeks. I took it EVERYWHERE. To work most days, to lunch, to dinners. To the break room, NOT to the bathroom. But pretty much everywhere else.

When I started reading, I was slightly worried about how such a thick, chunky paperback would survive my reading habits since it's not unusual for spines to crack grotesquely or pages to dislodge themselves from binding. But this book held up like a champ! At 700 pages, it was inevitable that I would break the spine just for the sake of comfort, but because it's a well made book, whenever I close it the spine seems to heal itself. It's slightly creased, you can feel it when you run your finger over it, but it still looks beautiful and it doesn't flop open to the middle.

This series also has that velvety, coated feeling to the cover. I was concerned that this would pick up extra grease from lotiony fingerprints and whatnot, but while the white portions on the back got slightly discolored in the book's travels, overall, it still looks great!

This book has been tossed, bent, dog-eared, dropped, creased, and generally abused, and I'm so pleased with how well its held up. It makes me feel really good about taking the extra time to order these gems from the BookDepository. They aren't any more expensive than other classics--and in many cases, they're cheaper--so it's a solid investment. I love a pretty book, but I also love DIGGING IN to my books. I don't want to worry that I'm going to destroy them. Luckily, these seem indestructible.

Are there any publishers whose book quality you love? Tell me! #nomnom #bookcookiemonster

The Woman in White, Epoch 1! #WilkieWinter

Welcome to the first week of discussion of The Woman in White! You can head over to the Estella Society for the official questions and link-up and stuff. I'll just be posting my own thoughts here.

This is my second attempt at The Woman in White, no fault of the book's or Wilkie's. While the first section is relatively slow in that good ole Victorian way we're probably familiar with, I still enjoyed the rich writing and the characterization.

What did I not like so much? ROTATING NARRATORS! If you've been around this blog for a bit, you'll know this is a huge peeve of mine in any literature...contemporary, classic, whatev. Given, the way Wilkie has constructed this novel, it works, I admit, but I was pretty darn resistant to leaving Hartright and setting out with Gilmore. I was much more amenable to leaving Gilmore and joining Marian.

So how's about those characters? I could kick Mr. Fairlie in the teeth. Same goes for Sir Percival Glyde. I do feel sorry for Laura but I wish she'd grow a set. But then Marian wouldn't SHINE nearly as much as she does. I just love her. And I admit, I cackled out loud when, upon meeting Marian, Hartright admits that she's downright ugly. It was just so...blunt! But it's still a bummer that the one woman with a keen intellect and raging sense of self has to be an ogre. How Victorian stereotype can we get, y'all? But there I go again laying my contemporary expectations on a novel written in the 1800s. Phooey.

Anyway, I'm off and running on Epoch 2, and I can't wait for some more stuff to happen. I have a feeling now that Wilkie has laid the groundwork of this marital conundrum, things are really going to take off in this next section.

Onward!

Check out all the luscious Wilkie in Winter goodness over at The Estella Society.

The Woman in White, Epoch 1! #WilkieWinter

Welcome to the first week of discussion of The Woman in White! You can head over to the Estella Society for the official questions and link-up and stuff. I'll just be posting my own thoughts here.

This is my second attempt at The Woman in White, no fault of the book's or Wilkie's. While the first section is relatively slow in that good ole Victorian way we're probably familiar with, I still enjoyed the rich writing and the characterization.

What did I not like so much? ROTATING NARRATORS! If you've been around this blog for a bit, you'll know this is a huge peeve of mine in any literature...contemporary, classic, whatev. Given, the way Wilkie has constructed this novel, it works, I admit, but I was pretty darn resistant to leaving Hartright and setting out with Gilmore. I was much more amenable to leaving Gilmore and joining Marian.

So how's about those characters? I could kick Mr. Fairlie in the teeth. Same goes for Sir Percival Glyde. I do feel sorry for Laura but I wish she'd grow a set. But then Marian wouldn't SHINE nearly as much as she does. I just love her. And I admit, I cackled out loud when, upon meeting Marian, Hartright admits that she's downright ugly. It was just so...blunt! But it's still a bummer that the one woman with a keen intellect and raging sense of self has to be an ogre. How Victorian stereotype can we get, y'all? But there I go again laying my contemporary expectations on a novel written in the 1800s. Phooey.

Anyway, I'm off and running on Epoch 2, and I can't wait for some more stuff to happen. I have a feeling now that Wilkie has laid the groundwork of this marital conundrum, things are really going to take off in this next section.

Onward!

Check out all the luscious Wilkie in Winter goodness over at The Estella Society.

Monday Reading Update

Morning all. If you follow me on Facebook you'll know that my fiance's, David's, family has had a rough go of it. His mother passed away last week quite suddenly, and we've been busy with all of the things that go along with a time like this. David is doing better every day, though it will take a long time to heal. Thank you all for your words of comfort and prayer that you've offered on Facebook, Twitter, and via email. I assure you that we appreciate it more than you can imagine. 

I'm back to work today, and swimming in email, but I wanted to drop by and touch base with you all. I have some fun posts pre-scheduled this week...reviews and lists and requests for recommendations and whatnot, and I'll surely be reading comments and visiting blogs again during my downtime.

I've only really been reading one book for the last several days and mostly only just before bed. I took off to be with David in his hometown without a book, so I picked up Susannah Cahalan's Brain on Fire when I was browsing around in Target.

I've seen this book show up on plenty of "best of" lists this year, and so far it's an enthralling read. I find it easy to dip in and out of this one. Though, in the author's situation, when she was incoherent and in and out of consciousness for a month (the month she's writing about)...it'll be interesting to see how she handles the uncertainties and herself as an unreliable character in her own life. 

The Book Cellar, 3 West Central Ave. 

David and I hit up a small independent bookstore in Temple, TX called The Book Cellar during a bit of downtime. It was, without a doubt, the most entertaining trip to a bookstore I've had in a long time. The owner is a quirky, eclectic, snarky kind of fellow with big bushy hair and a high IQ (he says). We started with a tour of the store filled with lots of his anecdotes and then moved on to some browsing from there. 

I told the owner I needed more Octavia Butler in my life, and he surfaced from somewhere in the bowels of the store with Clay's Ark. I haven't read it, and I haven't heard much about it before, but I'm up for anything by Butler. I also found a well-loved copy of Les Miserables in the classics section, so I'll be giving that one a go in 2014. I figured I could start with a tattered copy since it will likely be much MORE tattered by the time I read all 1000+ pages.

I hope you all had a glorious weekend. Have you added any new books to your collection lately? 

Hosted weekly by super-awesome Sheila from BookJourney.

Monday Reading Update

Morning all. If you follow me on Facebook you'll know that my fiance's, David's, family has had a rough go of it. His mother passed away last week quite suddenly, and we've been busy with all of the things that go along with a time like this. David is doing better every day, though it will take a long time to heal. Thank you all for your words of comfort and prayer that you've offered on Facebook, Twitter, and via email. I assure you that we appreciate it more than you can imagine. 

I'm back to work today, and swimming in email, but I wanted to drop by and touch base with you all. I have some fun posts pre-scheduled this week...reviews and lists and requests for recommendations and whatnot, and I'll surely be reading comments and visiting blogs again during my downtime.

I've only really been reading one book for the last several days and mostly only just before bed. I took off to be with David in his hometown without a book, so I picked up Susannah Cahalan's Brain on Fire when I was browsing around in Target.

I've seen this book show up on plenty of "best of" lists this year, and so far it's an enthralling read. I find it easy to dip in and out of this one. Though, in the author's situation, when she was incoherent and in and out of consciousness for a month (the month she's writing about)...it'll be interesting to see how she handles the uncertainties and herself as an unreliable character in her own life. 

The Book Cellar, 3 West Central Ave. 

David and I hit up a small independent bookstore in Temple, TX called The Book Cellar during a bit of downtime. It was, without a doubt, the most entertaining trip to a bookstore I've had in a long time. The owner is a quirky, eclectic, snarky kind of fellow with big bushy hair and a high IQ (he says). We started with a tour of the store filled with lots of his anecdotes and then moved on to some browsing from there. 

I told the owner I needed more Octavia Butler in my life, and he surfaced from somewhere in the bowels of the store with Clay's Ark. I haven't read it, and I haven't heard much about it before, but I'm up for anything by Butler. I also found a well-loved copy of Les Miserables in the classics section, so I'll be giving that one a go in 2014. I figured I could start with a tattered copy since it will likely be much MORE tattered by the time I read all 1000+ pages.

I hope you all had a glorious weekend. Have you added any new books to your collection lately? 

Hosted weekly by super-awesome Sheila from BookJourney.

Classics Club Spin #4!

So I completely failed the last Classics Club Spin in September/October because I didn't have time to get to 1984 by the time the event was over. I'm trying again with a modified list from last time around.  

Blah

1. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
2. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
3. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
4. 1984 by George Orwell (if it gets picked twice, it's fate)
5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Can't Wait to Read

6. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

7. Persuasion by Jane Austen

8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

9. Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber

10. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - The winner is!

Neutral

11. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

12. Wise Blood by Angela Carter

13. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

14. The Theban Plays by Sophocles

15. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote

Free Choice 

16. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

17. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

18. Dracula by Bram Stoker

19. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

20. The Outsiders by SE Hinton

The Spinners will pick a random number and post it next Monday, November 18th! Let's do this! 

Classics Club Spin #4!

So I completely failed the last Classics Club Spin in September/October because I didn't have time to get to 1984 by the time the event was over. I'm trying again with a modified list from last time around.  

Blah

1. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
2. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
3. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
4. 1984 by George Orwell (if it gets picked twice, it's fate)
5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Can't Wait to Read

6. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

7. Persuasion by Jane Austen

8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

9. Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber

10. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - The winner is!

Neutral

11. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

12. Wise Blood by Angela Carter

13. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

14. The Theban Plays by Sophocles

15. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote

Free Choice 

16. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

17. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

18. Dracula by Bram Stoker

19. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

20. The Outsiders by SE Hinton

The Spinners will pick a random number and post it next Monday, November 18th! Let's do this! 

SeptembEyre, Chapters 12-21

Spoilers ahead! Just beware!

Oooh, look at Charlotte Bronte challenging gender roles and norms! It's fun to see Jane grow and change, and in this section we really dig into her life at Thornfield. This novel follows her chronologically from childhood to adulthood and through some specific life changes. We have a bildungsroman on our hands, kids, and those are traditionally stories about male protagonists. I think ole Char is challenging gender norms in her plot and her form. Love that!

Beyond the formalistic stuff, I love Jane all the more for her interactions with Rochester at the beginning of this section. Once they sit down by the fire together it's a battle of sharp tongues, I tell ya. She is brutally honest right down to telling Mr. R. he's not terribly attractive. That bit cracked me up.

I do get a wee (ok, more than a wee) tad annoyed with Rochester for his treatment of Adele. He took her on (mirrors Jane's "adoption"), so he should treat her like less of a scab.

I also wanted to kick Rochester in the crotch over the course of his section for flirting with Blanche Ingram in front of Jane when he knows that she's beginning to have feelings for him. Though, admittedly, without this bit of teasing and game-playin' we would've had a much shorter novel and a lot less tension.

And that gypsy disguise? For reals? I rolled my eyes a bit.

I'm still loving the book even though I want to slap some of them from time to time. How about you? 

SeptembEyre, Chapters 12-21

Spoilers ahead! Just beware!

Oooh, look at Charlotte Bronte challenging gender roles and norms! It's fun to see Jane grow and change, and in this section we really dig into her life at Thornfield. This novel follows her chronologically from childhood to adulthood and through some specific life changes. We have a bildungsroman on our hands, kids, and those are traditionally stories about male protagonists. I think ole Char is challenging gender norms in her plot and her form. Love that!

Beyond the formalistic stuff, I love Jane all the more for her interactions with Rochester at the beginning of this section. Once they sit down by the fire together it's a battle of sharp tongues, I tell ya. She is brutally honest right down to telling Mr. R. he's not terribly attractive. That bit cracked me up.

I do get a wee (ok, more than a wee) tad annoyed with Rochester for his treatment of Adele. He took her on (mirrors Jane's "adoption"), so he should treat her like less of a scab.

I also wanted to kick Rochester in the crotch over the course of his section for flirting with Blanche Ingram in front of Jane when he knows that she's beginning to have feelings for him. Though, admittedly, without this bit of teasing and game-playin' we would've had a much shorter novel and a lot less tension.

And that gypsy disguise? For reals? I rolled my eyes a bit.

I'm still loving the book even though I want to slap some of them from time to time. How about you? 

SeptembEyre, Check-In 1

Read other posts from Check-in #1.

Image credit. 

A brief discussion of chapters 1-11. No major spoilers, but if you don't wanna know plot points, skip it!

And off we go...

Oh woa woa, Jaaaane! I am stinkin' loving this book so far. I think the first time I sorta-read it, I was in my early 20s, so that's been on 'round 10 years ago. And I've slept a lot since then, and I've endured a good deal of brain drain since then, and I've forgotten most of the things about this book.

As it opens, the young Jane lives with her dastardly (ok, maybe just bitchy) aunt and her bratty cousins and she is mucho unhappy. I was actually relieved to see Jane packed off to Lowood, even if Mr. Brockelhurst was a bit of an ass, what with starving the children and all. For the first time, Jane was allowed to be on an equal playing field with her peers. I was certainly rooting for her to prove herself and do good things both at Lowood and beyond. I did another little happy dance when she gained her employment at Thornfield.

I thought Bronte did a great job establishing Jane's character right from the beginning of the book. She's fiery and not terribly afraid of sticking up for herself which makes me love her. However, she still has enough self-control to listen to reason. She fits in nicely at Lowood once she realizes that no one is judging her harshly as she expects they will based on the besmirching of her character by ole Brockelfart. Urrr, Brockelhurst.

Someone asked me on Facebook or Twitter if Jane Eyre is considered a gothic novel, and while I wouldn't say it's a straightforward gothic novel, it certainly possess elements. The red room, for instance. She is locked away for a long while by herself and falls into a swoon. Has an episode. Whatever you want to call it. She's basically scared out of her wits because it's the room where her uncle passed away. While there's no evidence that Jane actually saw a ghost, the implication is one of great atmosphere and gothic flavor.

So yeah, beyond those early pages I pretty much remember nothing about this book from my first reading, so it's like reading it for the first time all over again. Nothin' wrong with that.

How's it coming for you?

SeptembEyre, Check-In 1

Read other posts from Check-in #1.

Image credit. 

A brief discussion of chapters 1-11. No major spoilers, but if you don't wanna know plot points, skip it!

And off we go...

Oh woa woa, Jaaaane! I am stinkin' loving this book so far. I think the first time I sorta-read it, I was in my early 20s, so that's been on 'round 10 years ago. And I've slept a lot since then, and I've endured a good deal of brain drain since then, and I've forgotten most of the things about this book.

As it opens, the young Jane lives with her dastardly (ok, maybe just bitchy) aunt and her bratty cousins and she is mucho unhappy. I was actually relieved to see Jane packed off to Lowood, even if Mr. Brockelhurst was a bit of an ass, what with starving the children and all. For the first time, Jane was allowed to be on an equal playing field with her peers. I was certainly rooting for her to prove herself and do good things both at Lowood and beyond. I did another little happy dance when she gained her employment at Thornfield.

I thought Bronte did a great job establishing Jane's character right from the beginning of the book. She's fiery and not terribly afraid of sticking up for herself which makes me love her. However, she still has enough self-control to listen to reason. She fits in nicely at Lowood once she realizes that no one is judging her harshly as she expects they will based on the besmirching of her character by ole Brockelfart. Urrr, Brockelhurst.

Someone asked me on Facebook or Twitter if Jane Eyre is considered a gothic novel, and while I wouldn't say it's a straightforward gothic novel, it certainly possess elements. The red room, for instance. She is locked away for a long while by herself and falls into a swoon. Has an episode. Whatever you want to call it. She's basically scared out of her wits because it's the room where her uncle passed away. While there's no evidence that Jane actually saw a ghost, the implication is one of great atmosphere and gothic flavor.

So yeah, beyond those early pages I pretty much remember nothing about this book from my first reading, so it's like reading it for the first time all over again. Nothin' wrong with that.

How's it coming for you?

#FridayReads

For those of you not down with the vlogs so much, I'm writing to you, too. But you can skip the reading and go straight to the video or you can skip the video and read this. Or you can go in for double torture and do both. Pick your bookish poison.

 I'm reading some great stuff right now and into the weekend. Of course I'm plugging away at Jane Eyre for #SeptembEyre and RIPVIII, and I'm ahead of the schedule right now.

Since I'm ahead, I picked up the second in the Chaos Walking trilogy, The Ask and the Answer, and it's going super fast. I should be done with it by the end of the weekend!

What are your #FridayReads? 


 

#FridayReads

For those of you not down with the vlogs so much, I'm writing to you, too. But you can skip the reading and go straight to the video or you can skip the video and read this. Or you can go in for double torture and do both. Pick your bookish poison.

 I'm reading some great stuff right now and into the weekend. Of course I'm plugging away at Jane Eyre for #SeptembEyre and RIPVIII, and I'm ahead of the schedule right now.

Since I'm ahead, I picked up the second in the Chaos Walking trilogy, The Ask and the Answer, and it's going super fast. I should be done with it by the end of the weekend!

What are your #FridayReads? 


 

Rebecca Took Over My Brain (a review)

Well, crap. Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier, is one of those books that makes everything after it, at least for a period of time, pale in comparison. I can't believe I avoided reading it for this long. Truly. Ridonkulous.

Our unnamed narrator and protagonist is swept up by the affluent Maxim de Winter while she's in Monte Carlo. Though they quickly move back to his estate, the dreamy and palatial Manderley, they can't quite get on the same page. Everyone seems so caught up in the memory of his first wife, the enigmatic and beautiful, Rebecca. Especially the creepy and ominous Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, who has taken over the daily workings of the estate since the death of the lady of the house.

The narrator's perception of herself and the gap between the way she perceives herself and her ideas about the deceased Rebeccca make this a haunting novel. I actually expected more of a straightforward paranormal or horror element to this classic given the sentiments I'd heard all these years, but that's inaccurate. This is very much a novel of psychology and image. Of hidden secrets and miscommunications.

Just...WOW. Daphne DuMaurier can really wield a pen. This is a fairly lengthy novel at 386 pages, and my favorite part was the wonderfully-developed characters. The tortured Maxim de Winter, our meek and nameless protagonist, the mysterious Mrs. Danvers, and the house itself--not to mention the absent but overlarge Rebecca.

What I expected would be the climax of this book came WAY before the end. Which means I got some things right, but misjudged that there would be more story afterward. In that way, it was a very surprising book--DuMaurier extended the experience of this book beyond the expected and the safe. She made some ballsy choices for our little narrator, and it really paid off. I love love loved this book and it left me with lots to think about. 

I can't wait to read more by DuMaurier!


Pub. Date: 1938 originally, my edition in 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Trade Paperback (no crappy mass market here!)
ISBN:  9781844080380
Source: Bought it with my very own money.

Rebecca Took Over My Brain (a review)

Well, crap. Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier, is one of those books that makes everything after it, at least for a period of time, pale in comparison. I can't believe I avoided reading it for this long. Truly. Ridonkulous.

Our unnamed narrator and protagonist is swept up by the affluent Maxim de Winter while she's in Monte Carlo. Though they quickly move back to his estate, the dreamy and palatial Manderley, they can't quite get on the same page. Everyone seems so caught up in the memory of his first wife, the enigmatic and beautiful, Rebecca. Especially the creepy and ominous Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, who has taken over the daily workings of the estate since the death of the lady of the house.

The narrator's perception of herself and the gap between the way she perceives herself and her ideas about the deceased Rebeccca make this a haunting novel. I actually expected more of a straightforward paranormal or horror element to this classic given the sentiments I'd heard all these years, but that's inaccurate. This is very much a novel of psychology and image. Of hidden secrets and miscommunications.

Just...WOW. Daphne DuMaurier can really wield a pen. This is a fairly lengthy novel at 386 pages, and my favorite part was the wonderfully-developed characters. The tortured Maxim de Winter, our meek and nameless protagonist, the mysterious Mrs. Danvers, and the house itself--not to mention the absent but overlarge Rebecca.

What I expected would be the climax of this book came WAY before the end. Which means I got some things right, but misjudged that there would be more story afterward. In that way, it was a very surprising book--DuMaurier extended the experience of this book beyond the expected and the safe. She made some ballsy choices for our little narrator, and it really paid off. I love love loved this book and it left me with lots to think about. 

I can't wait to read more by DuMaurier!


Pub. Date: 1938 originally, my edition in 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Trade Paperback (no crappy mass market here!)
ISBN:  9781844080380
Source: Bought it with my very own money.

Classics Club Spin #3!

Since I only recently took the plunge and made my Classics Club commitment, I haven't participated in a Classics Spin! I'm so excited to get in on the action. Below you'll find a list of 20 books from my Classics Club list, and they're categorized appropriately. On Monday, August 19th, the winning number will be chosen, and I'll read that classic in the remaining part of August or September.

Oldest/Dreading/Hesitant

1. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
2. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
3. Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
4. 1984 by George Orwell -- the winning SPIN number is 4! 
5. The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Can't Wait to Read

1. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
2. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
4. Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber
5. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Neutral

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
2. The Bell by Iris Murdoch
3. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
4. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
5. Persuasion by Jane Austen

Free Choice (Mostly Short)

1. The Plague by Albert Camus
2. The Theban Plays by Sophocles (partial re-read)
3. The Professor's House by Willa Cather (re-read)
4. The Outsiders by SE Hinton
5. Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh