Weekend Read

Pet Peeve: finally discovering a great novel, only to have it be too short.

It happens to me a lot. Mostly because when I find a novel I really like, I keep reading, and reading, and reading...and then its over too soon.

This weekend I read, The Man In The Brown Suit by Agatha Christie.

For me it was perfect.

I love mysteries, mostly because I try to figure things out as I read but I'm really awful at it, so its always a surprise at the end!

Excellent characters...very convincing, and varied.

I loooooved the heroine. I wish I was her. I'm probably the farthest thing from, but that's what books are for anyway: living vicariously.

The humor in the book was...I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful. Its so rare to find people that have just your sense of humor, much less books.

Romance...hilarious. Totally crazy, but totally awesome.

Sigh.

It was lovely.

And actually the pacing was great, but its just one of those books you enjoy so much you don't want it to end, even though you know it needs to in order to be so great.

Maybe I'll just read it again.

Little House Life

I don't know what to blog about, but I'm trying not to fall out of the habit.
I picked up a "Little House" book while dog-sitting this weekend, and started to read it again for the first time in many, many years...
It was quite entertaining actually! I used to adore those books, but then "grew out of them" (read: avoided them due to mocking brothers) and haven't looked at them since. I was reading, "These Happy Golden Years", which had never been a favorite of mine back in the day. This time I really enjoyed it, maybe because I am older now. There are parts that are quite funny, especially the interactions between Laura and Almanzo at the beginning of their relationship. The writing style is very matter-of-fact and straight-forward, but reading between the lines you can imagine the expressions and reactions!
I also enjoy picturing how life was different back then. They took nothing for granted, and life was so much harder...everyone had to pitch in. Laura was so skilled, even at 15 she was sewing her own clothes, teaching school, educating herself on her own, cooking, cleaning, and helping put her sister through college...I can hardly imagine!
She was very capable, confident, and intelligent. No wonder Almanzo fell in love with her!

A Slight Obsession

The teen years can be a troublesome time.

One may search for one's identity in one's appearance, one's friends, or...

Perhaps an obsession with a fictional character?

I was organizing my books the other day, making room for my newest addition, when I came across an old shrine of mine. This included dozens of random Robin Hood books, a McDonalds Robin Hood figurine, a scrap of paper (probably from a TV guide) advertising Robin Hood, a creepy cloth Robin Hood hanging, and...a small bag of Robin Hood flour, of all things. So of course I had to go downstairs and gather my 3 Robin Hood DVDs and take a picture of this fabulous collection. (Unfortunately its missing a prize gem: the first season of a Robin Hood tv series from the 80's, and also the Richard Greene tv series, that I left at my brother's place!)

Its true, I did go through a "phase", and may perhaps still be going through it. I just...I just love Robin Hood. Ok?! The Disney fox Robin Hood was my first crush. I also love that everyone has their own version of Robin Hood...I've read so many books on the legend, and most of them are quite different from each other. The movies/tv series are ridiculous. And awesome.

There are a few gaping holes in my collection though.
DVDs: Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and the Errol Flynn version (delightful!).
And books: The Outlaws of Sherwood (Robin McKinley) and the rest of the Hood series by Stephen Lawhead.

Interestingly, there is a movie coming out in 2010 called "Nottingham" directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe. Personally, that revolts me, but I will have to see it anyway, because obviously when it comes to RobinHood, I just can't help myself.

Christmas Came Early This Year

My mom brought home a surprise for me when she arrived home from Alberta, yesterday.
I think I have probably recommended this book to quite a few people since reading it in August 2008.
To say I am excited to own this book is an understatement. I loved it, and will definitely be reading it again and again.

To those of you who I have not already raved about this to, "Things We Couldn't Say" is an autobiography of a young Dutch woman who joined the resistance against the Nazis in WWII.

I don't remember a lot of details from the story, but it is truly amazing what this woman did and went through, when she was around my age...even a little younger, I think. This might be one of the big draws for me, personally. I find it fascinating to read about how myself and my peers may, or may not, have acted under those same circumstances.

The most interesting thing about this book for me was the glimpse inside her mind at the time, which is revealed through diary entries and letters she wrote.
Sometimes I feel like we only ever hear about the events in those years from a commentary in hindsight. With this book, you feel like you are thrust right into the middle of it, and it is happening as you read.

I am still surprised that this book is not more well known, because to me it is one of the best WWII books I have ever read. As the information about the book reads: "Here is a story that has all the emotional impact of The Diary of Anne Frank and all the drama of The Hiding Place."

Now the best part...Since I told myself I can not start reading anything else until I finish the last 2 I've started, this book is up for borrowing grabs. If you are interested and would like something interesting to read during the Christmas holidays, drop a comment requesting to loan this book!

Of Books and Bookstores, Used and Old

So I had this great idea for a blog post about books today...

And then my mother had to go and blog books first.

But I'm a free spirit. So I'm going to go with my idea anyway. That's what free spirits do.

Here is a tale of two bookstores.

The other day I went into Chapters to drop off a resume. I figured, I like books. I can work at Chapters, wear the silly little uniform, weather the Christmas shopping storm...make a little money.
If you've ever been there, which you probably have, you know that Chapters is large. And its a chain company. And its affiliated with Starbucks. What was I thinking...

The lady at the desk peered over her glasses at me when I asked to speak with the manager, and crisply told me that "we don't accept resumes here." She told me to go online and apply there. Since I'd already checked out their site and hadn't seen anything about applying online, I asked, "at Chapters.ca?", and she answered peevishly, "yes, go to our website."
Bad customer service reeeeally turns me off. You have no idea.
I didn't bother going online to look.
That's just the way I am.

I went into Second Glance Used Books today.
On a mission.
Not to drop off a resume, but to find a rather obscure book that I have wanted for a very long time.

There is something about used bookstores that are so much more lovable than new ones, I think. They are so inviting. Its not like when you walk into a new bookstore and everything is displayed perfectly, and arranged just so. You don't feel slightly awed, scared to touch anything for fear of bending a corner, or tearing a page. It is the difference between entering an immaculate show house, and the home of an old friend.

Second glance had a box of freebies at the door, and as I entered, I was pleased to see it was filled to bursting with all kinds of books...books stacked on the floor, piled on shelves, stuffed in boxes...every book imaginable. Mystery, Horror, Romance, Children's, Fantasy, Self-Help, Plays, Poetry...on and on.

I couldn't help but grin as I made my way through the maze of books and shelves, occasionally tugging one book out from under a pile, like a game of Jenga, or finding an interesting title wedged between two larger books.

There were a couple of friends gathered in the back on couches, hanging out, and there were a few wanders who had just come to browse. Then there was me, trying to find that elusive novel.

I was sidetracked for a while by a pile of retro-looking Tolkien books. Then by an old book of poetry. Finally I found my way into the children's section, and spied a box of Anne of Green Gables books. Aha!

There were old cloth-bound versions of "The Golden Road", and newer shiny editions of the Anne series, with pictures from the movies. And lots and lots of the typical paperbacks by Seal Books publishing.

I trailed my finger down the titles frantically. Was this all there was? Would I never find my book?

Then there it was. Right there, amidst a sea of "Anne of Avonlea"s...

A Tangled Web
By L.M. Montgomery

I snatched it up, as though some stranger would nab it before I got to the till. It was $2.

There were a total of 8 books stuffed under my arm when I unloaded them onto the counter with a beaming smile. I happily handed over the $30 it cost me. One was like new, and the others were old enough to be collectors items, or so I'd like to think.

I really can't help myself when it comes to used bookstores. They are just so awesome.

The girls at the counter were nice and helpful, and I'm definitely going back...with a resume.

Rants and Reviews on Romantic Fiction

I spent the week wading through Wuthering Heights.
When I was a lot younger I plucked it off the bookshelf downstairs, (the same bookshelf that supplied material for my insatiable appetite for reading most of my childhood), read maybe the first chapter, and then tossed it aside, thoroughly and utterly confused. The old English, lengthy descriptive paragraphs, and odd colloquial accents, threw me off I guess.
However, being a "classic", its always been on my To Read list. I figured I would read it when I was older and could understand the big words. Well, I read it, but I'm not going to say I understood it all!
To be honest I was disappointed, because I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. I thought it was going to be a Pride & Prejudice-esque read, maybe requiring a little more concentration than your average story, but worth the time.
Instead there seemed to be little reason to like or sympathize with any of the characters, or become emotionally attached, since someone would drop dead every few chapters. They were all bad-tempered, spiteful, cruel, and prone to fits and rages. If they were pale, blond, and blue-eyed, they inevitably fell dangerously ill and cried all the time, and if they had dark hair, they were surly, strong, and silent. It was apparently a love story, but there was plenty more hating than loving in that book, let me tell you.
When it comes down to it, I plodded through the story just to say I had finished it. And I really don't understand what makes it so great.

Well, that is a work of dark Romantic Fiction from long ago. Fast forward to the present time, and you have the wildly popular "Twilight" series.

The first I heard of these was in Ireland...one of the girls in the church was reading them, and left them at my house one time. I didn't really know anything about them, and didn't even bother to take a peek inside. Then last summer the movie was announced, and then all of sudden "I Heart Edward Cullen" groups were popping up on Facebook like a bad case of acne. When the movie was released it was all the girls at school were talking about, and I still had no clue what the book was even about, beyond that the guy was apparently like, really hot, and the girl was like, really pretty, and they were like, really in love.
Ick.
But everyone assured me the book was really good, and everyone was comparing it to Harry Potter, which -not gonna lie here- I truly enjoy, and may have even obsessed over...in the past... ;)

For that reason alone, I didn't reject the book entirely, but merely relegated it to the "I'll probably read it someday" spot. I had no overwhelming urge to subject myself to a cheesy teenage romance; the movie trailer certainly did nothing to entice me.

The other day however, my mom of all people, brought it home from the library. "To see what all the fuss is about".
Having just put myself through the painful ordeal of Wuthering Heights, and having made no plans for the day, I decided a bit of fictional fluff might be in order.
An hour or two (!) later I was halfway through, and the pages were still turning.
Was I desperately bored, or hopelessly addicted?
I stayed up late to read, and made it to the brink of the climax before my aching eyes forced me to go to sleep. When I woke up, I had to find out what happened, and I finished it before 10 AM, ending on a cliffhanger of the sample first chapter from the sequel.
Now that it is done, I'm reflecting on whether or not I actually liked it, and what the allure is.

I'm a little perplexed. On one hand it was very addictive and exciting, but I'm left wondering exaclty why, since its also fairly predictable. As it is a series of 4, I think its pretty safe to assume that the main characters don't die in the first book. Having established character immunity early on takes a lot of suspense out of the plot.
The main character, Bella, I liked. The story is told in her first-person perspective, and her "voice" is entertaining and well-written. A real-ish heroine, she has plenty of faults, flaws, and feelings that the reader can (probably) relate to. Of course, there are always elements of the character that drive me insane, but I'm getting to that...
Its the romance...well, I can see how it appeals, but it is still painfully fictional. What I mean by that is, its a classic case of truly-unexplainable-love-at-first-sight. Why exactly do they love each other? Apparently she is like, so pretty, and smells soooooo good, and he is like, so beautiful, and mysterious, and did I mention beautiful???
Its so typically shallow. They are "deeply and irrevocably in love" a week into their acquaintance, and there's really no reason for it. Normally I could overlook that, except in this case its the basis of the entire story.
It makes no sense. I'm reading their declarations of passion, and I'm thinking, "What the heck? Didn't you just meet?"
Maybe I'm just a cynical old fogey, and you just want me to shut up, and enjoy a girly romance. After, all these are precisely the reasons why its a best-seller, right? The target audience wants to be that shy, new girl that attracts the most handsome, unattainable, boy in school, and is immediately in a dangerous, exciting relationship. It doesn't happen in real life, so we read the book. Ok, cool. I get it. Its an escape, a fantasy, a fairytale. Its not supposed to be "realistic". But I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't truly enjoy a story of romance for the sake of romance. There's just not enough substance there. I'm left rolling my eyes, and groaning, "Whatever."
So, summing up: well written, sexy, and shallow...in all honesty, my opinion on the series hasn't changed all that much from what is was before I started. I would read the sequels for entertainment, but I don't really care enough about it to seek them out.

I Crave Fiction

I've always loved good fiction.
Like really...if given the option, fiction or non-fiction...I always go fiction.
I don't know why.
Actually maybe that is a little bit of a lie. I like a good true story too.
Anyway, I'm kind of straying from the original point of this post.
I used to be a huge bookworm and I read sooo much. I would devour everything that came to our house from the library. Maybe it was during the stress of grade 11 and 12 that I fell out of that habit, and since then I read only textbooks, and only when I have to.
Lately I've been craving good books again. I miss that feeling of getting totally absorbed into a totally different world, with great characters that seem almost real, and scenarios I can imagine myself into. When I get into a book, I reallly get into a book.
The thing is, I find it so hard to find books I can get into!
I get so discouraged when I pick up a book and within the first chapter could tell you the basic plot of the story fairly accurately. I find this especially true of novels written about women for women. Don't even get me started on Christian Romance...
Sometimes I just go back to my old favorites because I don't have the time and energy to find new favorites.
Its starting to become obvious though, that I have never read a lot of classics. So I'm thinking maybe I should work on those. I read through a list and I picked out a few that I might find interesting. A lot (if not all) have been made into movies...but you know me. I haven't really seen many of those anyway!
Here are a few I'm hoping to get my hands on this year:

The Count of Monte Cristo
Gone with the Wind
Casino Royale
Love in the time of Cholera
Catcher in the Rye
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Children of Men (I started this one at some point last year, but I think I left for Ireland before I finished it)

On a side note, I just finished reading "The Hiding Place," by Corrie Ten Boom, for the first time. Now...I'm sure many of you have read "The Hiding Place," and probably love it the way I did...so I must insist you read,"Things We Couldn't Say" by Diet Eman. Its also a true story written by a Dutch woman during the exact same time period. In fact Diet Eman met Corrie Ten Boom. However, its a different perspective, a different personality, and a story with the good, the bad, and the ugly. I absolutely loved it.

Now I'm finished for tonight, but if you have any reading suggestions please leave a comment, and feel free to elaborate on why you like it!

A Book for Anyone Who Shrinks from Conflict

Mom had this hanging around the house so I picked it up and began to read, because the title seemed kind of funny, and I enjoyed the book "Boo" by the same author.
This one wasn't the same laugh-out-loud kind of humor, but it sure did have its moments! It wasn't completely obvious at first that the main character was "conflict-challenged" but as you get through it and she somehow winds up at a "Conflict Resolution" class with a couple of wackos, you find out just how spineless she really is. Scary how I related to her at some points... :P
Some of the scenarios were hilarious, sometimes you squirmed with or for her, and other times it was just plain cheesiness, but I would reccomend it to anyone. Most people will get a laugh out of it, and its not a hard read. Try it out!