End of the List

• Mortified - David Nadelberg
• The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
• Eager to Please - Julie Parsons
• Death: A Life - George Pendle
• Louise Rennison: Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging; Knocked Out by my Nunga Nungas; On the Bright Side I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God; Dancing in My Nuddy Pants
• Lives of the Saints - Nino Ricci
• Lucky - Alice Sebold
• Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
• Larry's Party - Carol Shields
• Swann - Carol Shields
• We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
• Dracula - Bram Stoker
• The Guardian - Nicholas Sparks
• The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
• A Walk to Remember - Nicholas Sparks
• A Complicated Kindness - Miriam Towes
• The Divine Economy of Salvation - Priscila Uppal
• The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
• The Glass Castle - Jeanette Wallis

And recently purchased:

• Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
• The Savage Garden - Mark Mills
• The Woman in the Closet - Kenneth J Harvey

Pseudo Goodbye

So technically, today would be the last day of my blog's existence, at least for class purposes.

I am definitely going to finish posting the rest of my books, and after than we will see.

Definitely not deleting this blog, but not promising to update it either.

More Books

G-M

Once again, all books I highly recommend are italicized

• Tempting Faith DiNapoli - Kisa Gabriele
• A Lesson Before Dying - Gaines
• Elle - Glover
• Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
• The Confessions of Max Tivoli - Andrew Sean Greer
• Swimming - Joanna Hershon
• The Gemini Bride - Sally Heywood (yes its a harlequin)
• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
• Fault Lines - Nancy Huston
• Confessions of a Shopaholic - Kinsella
• How to Meet Cute Boys - Deanna Kizis
• The Historian - Elizabeth Kostava
• She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
• The Girls - Lori Lansens
• Fall on Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald
• Rembrant's Whore - Sylvie Matton
• Megan McCafferty: Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings
• The Child in Time - Ian McEwan
• Atonement - Ian McEwan
• On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan
• Stephanie Meyer: New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn
• Fugitive Pieces - Anne Michaels
• The Memory Artists - Jeffrey Moore

The List Begins

I am definitely going to be doing this list in parts. For a couple reasons, one being that eventually I will have to work on what is due tomorrow lol.

And it begins...(in OCD alphabetical order of course) A-F

Anything in italics is something that I highly suggest

• The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
• Celeste - V.C. Andrews
• Go Ask Alice - Anonymous
• Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
• The Robber Bride - Atwood
• Pride & Prejudice - Austen
• Idioglossia - Eleanor Bailey
• Inappropriate Men - Stacey Ballis
• Sir Gaiwan and the Green Knight
• Summer Sisters - Judy Bloom
• All 4 of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants - Anne Brashares
• The Last Summer (of you and me) - Anne Brashares
• Jane Eyre - Bronte
• The Wife of Riley - Junnifer Coburn
• Veronika Decides to Die - Coelho
• The Witch of Portabello - Coelho
• Eleven Minutes - Coelho
• Flesh Wounds - Mick Cochrane
• The Voice on the Radio - Caroline B. Cooney
• Marrying Mozart - Stephanie Cowell
• The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
• The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
• Submarine - Joe Dunthorpe
• Pilgrim - Timothy Findley
• Ellen Foster - Kaye Gibbons
• White Oleander - Janet Fitch
• Me & Emma - Elizabeth Flock
• The French Lieutenant's Woman - John Fowles

If you have questions about any of these books let me know.

Reading List

The two words of my title used to scare me because they meant two things:

1. I would soon be spending a lot of money (English students have to buy waaay too many books, and lord help you if you don't have the right (aka expensive) version)
2. Reality check - you are about to read a lot of books you have never heard of/ heard of and are afriad of/ you don't want to read/ you will fall in love with (happened once or twice)

So I'm here to shake things up a bit. Soon, I am going to post a list of all the books on my bookshelf, not matter how embarrassing. Sadly I don't have as many books as I used to as before I made money I went to a place called Recycled Reading and traded them in for store credit. That being said, stores like that are everywhere and can be hidden gems. I have managed to find a lot of great books at recycled reading stores all over the place, and for very reasonable prices.

By no means will my list be extensive, or possibly even interesting to everyone, but I for one love when people give me a list of books they love - so I feel like returning the favour. And now that we will soon have the time to read, its a great way to start your summer reading list :).

We Need to Talk About Kevin

As I've probably mentioned before I like "dark" books, and tend to mostly avoid lighthearted chick lit type books. Although I do indulge in those genres from time to time, the books I love the most are usually of a less than happy nature.

For instance, I absolutely love the book We Need to Talk About Kevin. The book is written from the perspective of Kevin's mother and deals with her attempt to come to terms with the murders her son committed. It is told in first person as a series of letters to her husband.

Reading this book really makes you feel for other mothers who have been placed in this position. She goes through the emotions of blaming herself, blaming others, blaming Kevin and trying to understand what exactly brought him to the point where he would kill some of his classmates. It also goes through her experiences of being ostracized from the community because they blame her almost as much as they blame Kevin.

It is really hard not to wonder how you personally would react to this situation when reading the book. It is also really hard to not empathize with Kevin, for reasons I won't disclose. I don't want to ruin the experience of any one who decides to pick this book up.

I was just looking up some information, and it looks like there is the possibility that this book could be turning into a movie. Most books usually are, but given the content, I can see there being a hard time with being accurate to the novel. Especially if there are any more highly publicized incidents of school violence close to its release.

In any case, this book will truly make you question a parent's role in who their children become.

A Good Lighthearted Read

I was looking through my book shelf today and came across a hilarious series by Louise Rennison that I had totally forgotten about. The first book in the series is called: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. Needless to say, the book is random and hilarious.

The entire series is based around a teenage girl who lives in England and records every detail of her life in her diary. The book even includes a dictionary at the back so that you can understand the crazy vocabulary of the Brits.

This series is perfect if you are in the need of a good laugh and a short read. I have yet to actually finish the series, and doubt that I will. But I am glad that I have had the chance to read the few books from the series that I have.

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones is another one of those books that I have no problem reading over and over again. There is something about the writing that is hard to resist, and I get drawn in every time I (re)read it.

The story is about a young girl who is murdered by the man across the street. After she dies, she watches her family and her murderer from heaven. What I really like about this book is how it gives the reader a new perspective on what heaven could be. The saddest part is that you see her family suffering through her eyes, and have to be in her head when she realizes she can no longer comfort them.

I am really interested to see how the movie version of this book will turn out. In my opinion, The Lovely Bones is one of those books that could suffer greatly from the artistic vision of any director. This is just my opinion, but when I read a book I create a vivid picture of how I think it should look like in my head. This book in particular will be difficult to translate simply because it is told from the viewpoint of someone in heaven. Maybe I'm just not too creative, and someone has figured out a way to manage this problem, I will just have to wait and see.

All being said, I am very excited to go see the movie, which is supposed to come out in December 2009. Also very excited to see The Time Traveller's Wife which FINALLY has a release date of August 14, 2009!!!!

Adding to the List

Yesterday I found myself waiting around the Milton Mall to pick up my brother's girlfriend after work, and I of course ended up in the book store.

"In times like these", as a student I don't really have the money to be buying myself any new books, at least for the moment. Though, this didn't stop me from picking up every book that caught my eye (I'd say about 20) and deciding if one day I might buy it.

The only way I could make myself feel better was by making a list in my phone of all the books that I would actually read and might have a chance of getting if they were put on my birthday list, even though my birthday is in June.

Anyways, long story short. The two books that made the list were:

Mapping the Edge - Sarah Dunant

The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield

Here are some short descriptions of each:

Mapping the Edge

Anna, a self-sufficient and reliable single mother, packs her bags one day for a short vacation to Italy. She leaves her beloved six- year-old daughter, Lily, at home in London with good friends. But when Anna doesn't return, everyone begins to make excuses until the likelihood that she might not come back becomes chillingly clear. And the people who thought they knew Anna best realize they don't know her at all.

Dunant, a masterly British suspense writer, skillfully interweaves parallel narratives that are stretched taut with tension even as they raise difficult questions about motherhood, friendship, and accountability. In this compelling hybrid of sophisticated crime writing and modern women's fiction, Dunant challenges and unnerves us as she redefines the boundaries of the psychological thriller.

The Thirteenth Tale

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchantingstories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate livesfor herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about herextraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret forso long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her ownpainful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret ismesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness -- featuring the beautifuland willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Hopefully I will be reading these sooner than later.

Amazing Discovery!!

If it weren't for writing this blog I would have had NO IDEA that there is going to be a fifth installment to one of my favourite series of all time.

I was going to start writing a post about a series written by Megan Mccafferty and decided to go onto her website when I discovered that she is suprisingly releasing another book. I had thought the series was done, so needless to say I am more than thrilled.

Ther series follows Jessica Darling as she moves through high school, into college and then finally into the "real" world. I was lucky enough to discover these books when I was the same age as Jessica in the book (16). So I really got a chance to grow up with her.

The books focus, like many other teen books, around her relationships and friendships. It specifically follows her unexpected relationship with the reformed druggie loser type Marcus Flutie who is a very very complicated character. He appears in all five books, usually at very inopportune times (I know I can relate to that).

The books are hilarious and told with perfect sarcastic humour. Even though I am no longer 16 I know that I can pick up these books any time and will be drawn right back into the awkwardness of being a teenage girl. Actually, I am almost certain I am going to start reading them again very soon so I can catch up for the April 14th release of Perfect Fifths.

The other books in this series are:
Sloppy Firsts
Second Helpings
Charmed Thirds
Fourth Comings

I highly highly suggest them.

Do you have any favourite "teen" series?

A Good Suggestion

One of my favourite ways to decide on what book I should read next is to ask other people what their favourite books are.

So many times when I am really wanting to read, but can't find anything I like, I ask around to see what other people are reading. Nine times out of ten, I fall in love with whatever book is suggested.

Case in point, I was talking with Lesley the other day who mentioned she really liked A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Towes. Turns out I own the book, but honestly cannot remember what happened in it. So now I have a book to read, and it didn't cost me any money :).

Here is a list of some of my favourites.

1. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (description)
2. Fall on Your Knees - Anne Marie MacDonald (description)
3. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (description)
4. Eleven Minutes - Paula Coehlo (description)

Fall On Your Knees

This book is one of my classic go to's when I want to read but can't afford a book.

It has everything: love, mystery, family dynamics, racial issues and so on.

It also fits my criteria of not being a beach novel, over 200 pages, somewhat disturbing (I have a bad habit of reading books that include less than pleasant topics), and intriguing.

The book follows a man who is trying to do the best by his wife and daughters but who always wants more than is possible. He gives up certain pleasures to fulfil his fantasy of proving himself to his wife's parents, but in turn ends up falling out of love with his wife. The book focuses mainly on his three daughters, one of whom is his perfect angel, the other is more like a devil child and the middle daughter is trying to keep the family together.

This is another one of those books that is hard to describe without giving too much away. What I can tell you is that different parts of the book are told from different perspectives, which I love, because it allows you to get into the head of all the girls and helps you slowly discover the family secrets.

My favourite character has to be Frances (the "devil" child). You can't help but feel bad for her, especially when you know she always has the best of intentions. And the end is heartbreaking (again another thing I can't quite reveal ugh!!). But something draws me to her character, and I can't quite put my finger on what.

Anyways, I highly highly suggest this (Canadian) book. It will definitely keep you wondering and guessing until almost the very end.

Atonement

Atonement was one of the first books I had to read during my English undergrad and I think that may be partly why I am so attached to it. This was one of the first books I actually enjoyed to read while simltaneously analyzing every detail.

My copy of this book is absolutely covered in highligher and pen, each showcasing different ideas I had about what a certain character's actions meant, or how it was influencing the plot. This book also finally showed me how a talented author can "trick" the reader and manipulate their thoughts so that the ending ends up being a terrific suprise.

Atonement also showed me how movies can never quite suffice in their attempt to capture the essence of a novel. Although I did like the movie, I feel like there is no possible way to ever completely translate the magic of a book onto the big screen. There are so many little tricks your mind plays with you while you read a book and so many ways one can interpret each word and the descriptions given by the author. Whereas, on screen you are only able to see what the director wants you to see, which makes it hard to come up with one's own ideas as to how the movie should look or feel.

Whenever I read a book I create my own mental picture of what the character and settings look like and I get so attached to these images that nothing else can compare. I've also found that everytime I re-read a book I see the same mental images as I did the first time. It may sound crazy, but its true.

On that note, what book has been the biggest book-to-movie dissapointment for you?

Conflicted

Having just finished the fourth and "final" installment of the Twilight series, I have found myself disappointed. Not at the ending of the book, but slightly with the author.

My curious nature demanded that I Google to see if there will be a fifth book, and what I found was a little suprising...Apparently a fifth book - Midnight Sun was planned. At some point in time one of the manuscripts was stolen and posted online - obviously the author was very upset.

As such, she decided that the integrity of the book was compromised and she therefore had no desire to continue writing it. A somewhat inspiring writer myself, I can understand how violating it must have been. So reading the website, it seemed as if there would be no Midnight Sun. Meter did however post the stolen manuscript online if anyone wanted to get a taste at what might have been.

However, I looked further into the website and it seems all the above has changed. Based on the extreme amount of fans e-mailing their opinions and dissapointment surrounding the end of the series, Meyer has decided to finish the novel.

I have very mixed feelings about this. Obviously this book will make a lot of money, there is no questioning that. And I am personally happy that I will get to read this book. However, what happened to Meyer's apparent outrage and disgust and inability to continue writing this book after it had been leaked? If she was really so concerned about the integrity of her work, would she really want to continue writing it?

I really don't know what to think about this one. I know I'll read what there is of the leaked manuscript on her website, but that's because I am insatiably curious. I'm still very interested to see if this book actually does get published and what else Meyer will have to say about it.

Red Dog, Red Dog

One thing that frustrates me more than anything is when I don't "get" a book.

This happened to me over the weekend when I was reading a book called Red Dog, Red Dog. I had borrowed it to keep my busy on my train ride to Montreal, and I was more frustrated than anything once I had finished it.

The saddest part is that I had really been looking forward to reading it. The back over was intriguing, the description seemed interesting and I thought all systems were go.

Its not that the book was bad...I just didn't really get the point of it. Basically it was a story about a dysfunctional family living in the prairies. But outside of that I didn't really understand it. Parts of the book were narrated by the dead sister of the two brothers, but she floated in and out and it was hard to tell when it was an omnicient narrartor versus when she was doing the narrating.

There was also no real climax. It was almost as if the climax was building and building throughout the whole novel, but it never really went anywhere. I'm still trying to work out the story in my mind, but sadly I haven't gotten far.

Are there any books you've read that have really frustrated you? Have you ever felt like you aren't really understanding the book and the message behind it?

An Ode to Paulo

Paulo Coelho is (in my humble opinion) a literary genius. Every one of his books is somehow about the human condition and how vital our connections to others can be. Its not so much about the stories in his novels, but in the life and moral lessons that drive the story along.

I was first introduced to Paulo when I had to choose a book for my grade 12 ISU. As morbid as I know it will sound, the title of his book is what really drew me in - Veronika Decides to Die. I had never heard of Paulo, or this book, before but figured I would give it a try.

I was not disappointed. This book delves deeply into the question of a life's worth, and the innate desire we all have to continue living.

One of the things I love the most about Paulo is that each book he writes covers a different topic/issue that no one living is immune to experiencing. His books take place all over the world, in different times and languages, but they are written so that each person can easily put themselves into each story and learn from it.

What I'm finding really difficult is accurately describing the effect his books have. They suck you in and when you come out at the end, you feel tranquil, thoughtful and always, always questioning your own world. He makes the hardest things in life so easy to look at and disect, but without voiding the experience of emotion and empathy.

If any of what I have said has convinced you to pick up one of his books (and there are many), here's a short list. The ones underlined are ones I have read:

• The Alchemist
• The Zahir
• Veronika Decides to Die
• Eleven Minutes
• Brida
• The Witch of Portabello
• The Devil and Miss Prym
• Like the Flowing River
• Pilgrimage
• The Valkyries

You can also check out his website, including his own personal blog.

"You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” - Paulo Coehlo

And I've Been Judged

Last night during a two-hour phone call with my friend who moved to Taiwan, I revealed to her that I had just finished the third book in the Twilight series: Eclipse.

Immediately she judged me, and questioned why I was reading a: "teenager book about a girl with no substance so that any girl can put themselves in her place", "a more or less copy of the Buffy the Vampire story line" and many other such (in my opinion) inaccurate descriptions.

I got Eclipse on Friday night, and I finished it Sunday night. Those 629 pages just flew by, and really didn't take me all that long to read. My friend would claim that it is simply written, and that's why it was such an easy read. I however, have a slightly different opinion.

I do agree with her thought that the main character Bella is an easy one on which to project oneself. What girl would not want to be treated the way Bella is by Edward? Besides being a vampire, he is more or less perfect.

There are so many universal themes in the story: endless love, unrequited love, the desire to be true to oneself, growing up, adolescence and so on. Mix all of those common elements with a fantasy world where vampires and werewolves fall in love with an "average" girl and of course this book is going to appeal to almost all (of the female sex that is).

I would love to hear reactions from guys who have read this book - just to get a different and possibly opposite perspective.

One of my favourite things about reading a book is talking about it after, especially with others who have read the book. I love to pick their brains and see what they got out of the book that I didn't.

So I'm sitting here and realizing that I have yet to ask you all the most obvious question: What is your favourite book?

Full of Life Lessons

I've devoured another book.

This one is called The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, and was pretty close to making me cry. Either I am getting increasingly sappy or I am just pmsing.

Anyways, this book is about Randy, who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, decides to give a "last lecture" at the University where he taught. The book is a combination of his actual last lecture (which was all slides containing pictures chronicling his life) and other stories and life lessons he has collected.


What really drew me to this book was the fact that it is a true story, and that his main motivation for giving the lecture was so that his kids could have a way of remembering him. At the time of his lecture he had three children: 6, 3, and 1 1/2. Two boys, and a girl. Every story sounded like a lesson/lecture he would give to his children throughout their lives.

He also greatly inspired me to take a hold of my life and enjoy every minute of it regardless of how down and out I might be feeling. This was a man who had 10 tumours on his liver, who made every effort to ensure he spent quality time with his wife and kids. Yes, there were stories of when him and his wife would cry in each other's arms as they fell asleep, but the majority of the stories were about all the things he did to take advantage of every opportunity he could.

One other critical theme, and the basis of his lecture, was all about following your childhood dreams. To him, these dreams are what keep us grounded, and often what keep us the most happy.


So what are your childhood dreams? Have you actively been pursuing them?

To share a few of mine:

• Write a novel


• Own a florist shop


• Travel to Spain

To read more about Randy, and to view his Last Lecture, visit: The Last Lecture

Tear Jerker

So those who know me well know I am sentimental (read:emotional/cries at sad scenes in movies - Marley and Me anyone?). Anywho, usually this only applies to movies and real life events. Wrong.

Fastforward to me in Chapters, innocently looking for books to add to my Christmas list because according to my Mom I hadn't given her enough ideas. So there I am just browsing when I come across The Time Traveller's Wife it looks interesting and is pretty long so I hand it off to my Mom to buy.

Along comes Christmas Day and I start reading - immediately I am hooked. Its a love story with a unique twist. The main male character (Henry) meets the female character (Claire) when he time travels to her family's property. Only thing is, she's 6 and he's in his early 20s. Also, whenever he time travels, he ends up arriving naked which obviously provides for some pretty interesting and awkward situations. And sometimes he visits himself at a younger age, and when Claire meets him in her 20s he doesn't know her because he hasn't time traveled yet, but she has already met him - confusing right? Its really hard to explain the whole concept of this book - especially in writing, but its definitely an interesting concept.

Not that I want to give anything more away, but when I was reading the end - and all the mysterious and confusing elements came together I was more or less crying my eyes out. Me, Christmas Day (night), laying in my basement crying over a book of all things. This was the first (and only) book to ever get that much of a reaction out of me and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Maybe its because it was a love story, maybe it was the writing style, or maybe I am just a sap - but nonetheless the tears were there and ever since I have been telling everyone I know to read this book. And I've proceeded to re-read it myself. (And yes, I did cry the second time too).

Now I just have to wait (impatiently I may add) for the movie to come out. As far as I know it is starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams and is in post-production. They keep pushing back the release date and I keep getting more and more frustrated.

I just hope this movie doesn't follow the trend of most other book-to-movie adaptations and ruin it. But I'm pretty sure no matter what I will be guaranteed to cry :P.

Amazon Link

IMDB Link

Decision Made

So the last post definitely hints at what this blog is going to be about...

I have decided to write about books I'm reading, have read or want to read.

Books are a huge passion in my life, so I figured this would be a topic that would perfectly suit me.

Ever since I learned how to read, I have not been able to put books down. I recently went to Aruba and blasted through about 5 books in the seven days I was there. Considering how much I slept and did other non-reading type activities, I'm pretty impressed I managed to finish all the books I brought. If I were to guess, I think I probably read close to 2,000 pages.

Although sometimes reading fast can be a great advantage (finishing boring textbook readings as quick as possible), it is also a big disadvantage. I feel like I don't have time to fully digest the books, especially when I finish them within an afternoon. Plus, it also ends up becoming an expensive hobby. The faster I finish a book, the sooner I have to buy another one, and since my reading habit is insatiable...this starts to add up.

Thankfully, being at school means I have less time to read, meaning I get to save more money :).

Guilty Pleasure Confession

After months of hearing about it in class, and being convinced to go see the movie, and my friend happening to have it in her purse one day...I have caved.

I read Twilght.

Now usually this is not my type of book, for a number of reasons.
1. It isn't necessarily targeted at me
2. I'm not a huge sci-fi/whatever this genre is
3. I like reading more obscure, random books that catch my attention rather than being brought to it

But all this aside, I read the book in less that two days. It is over 500 pages.....and I've already read the second one in the series.

I am still trying to figure out what exactly is that has drawn me to this series. Maybe it could be that I can talk about this book with friends who have read it too. Usually what I read no one else has, so this is definitely an advantage. And maybe because it is long and therefore takes me more than a day to read.

Long story short...loved the book and definitely going to buy the third and fourth.

Official Stephanie Meyer Site

First Post

This blog is for my Online Communications class which is part of the Corporate Communication program at Sheridan.

So far I am not really sure what to write yet, or what my theme will be, but hopefully I will think of something soon.