What have I been reading?
Perfume - Patrick Suskind
A very weird book. As you can tell by the title, it focuses mostly on scent, which makes this book probably written in the oddest style I've encountered. Imagine reading a book that continously relies on smell for the storyline. Overall - a fairy-tale like murder tale. The main character lives in Europe in the 1700s, has an accute sense of smell (he knows smells like most people know the names of objects), and ultimately tries to create the most potent and powerful perfume. How does he accomplish this? By murdering (very humanely) young virginal girls, because they have the most beautiful smell. He then steals their scent and captures it in perfume form. So, an interesting tale, but it was frustrating to read because it is very detailed and not always relevant. Interesting.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
I read this book a few years ago and didn't hate it, but didn't really like it and remember being disappointed and depressed by it. I think it was because I was sad before and while reading it and it just made me feel worse and lonlier.
But then three people told me they really like this book and I felt it deserved a second chance. So I read it again, and it's really endearing! The narrator has the same dry sense of humor that my sisters and I have! I love this book. I have so many quotes written down in my quote journal. It's a great book, and I thank Zach for prompting me to re-read it:)
Undressing the Moon - T. Greenwood
I like this book because it is like reading a story of polaroids, and I love polaroids. Colored glass slivers are used a lot metaphorically to tell the story, which I like. I finished this book really quickly, and like most of what I read, but there is something about the writing style that bothers me. I think it jumps between the present and past a little too much, and some things seem to be repeated too often. I'm a little disappointed because it doesn't have some unnamed element that I look for in all the books I like, so it was just an Okay book.
The Kindness of Strangers - Mike McIntyre
A book about a penniless trip across America! It is the true-life story of a former journalist who quits his job and his "life" for a while to discover who America really is, and to see if the general public is kind enough to give a traveller food and shelter. One of my favorite quotes is when the narrator is trying to get a ride and is passed by over and over again. He says, "America. Land of the free and home of the serial killer." This book is very interesting and quite surprising. America is a lot kinder to strangers than you might expect, but at the same time I kept thinking of all the terrible stories you hear about hitch hiking. I wish that everyone was as kind as the people who helped Mike truly see America.
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
It's official, this is one of my favorite books. It turned out differently than I expected it to, but I love it all the same. Usually books only take up a page or two in the "quotes from books" journal, but The Bell Jar took up four. Sylvia writes with such exquisiteness. It is obvious that she is poet because her words are carefully chosen yet beautiful, and she writes with a lyrical and stream-of-consciousness style. This book is about a young woman's stay in NYC, then her turn to depression and "madness" once she returns home. You mostly get to read about what she thinks 100% of the time, as opposed to only reading about what she does. I feel like I am the narrator while reading this. Impressive.
I Know This Much is True - Wally Lamb
I didn't want to read this at first because the sheer size intimidated me, but I was completely absorbed in this book during the few weeks it took me to read it. Wally Lamb has a talent for weaving an intricate story that you feel like you are personally involved in. This book quite different from She's Come Undone, but in some aspects it's very similar. The main character has personal problems of his own, yet ignores them to take care of his schizophrenic brother. This book gives you the privelege to dive deep into the life and thoughts of the narrator, and feel as though you are experiencing everything right along with him. This is one of the best books, "story"-wise and "character development"-wise, I've read in a while.
Hamlet - Shakespeare
I really really like this play! I am a fan of Shakespeare as it is, but I think Hamlet has a good story line, and plot twists that you don't really see coming unless you have previous knowledge of this play. Once again, Shakespeare doesn't disappoint me, though I think the ending needed a little work.
The Virgin Suicides - Jeffery Eugenides
This was a really quick read, and written very beautifully. I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this before, and I really enjoyed the writing style. The book focuses around five sisters, who all end up committing suicide, though no one really knows the true reason why. It's written from the point of view of a boy who grew up with them, 20 years later. The girls' characters aren't really well developed, but still you have the feeling that you know all of these girls and can somewhat understand them. Nonetheless, it is sad knowing that they all will end up killing themselves. This book is well-written and interesting, and to me, it was very thought-provoking.
Moon Women - Pamela Duncan
This was a good book, not one of the best books I've ever read, but the characters are really loveable and you end up feeling like you know them. It's basically about three generations of women and how they deal with each other. All of them have distinct personsonalities and it's neat to see how their lives turn out.
A Year by the Sea - Joan Anderson
Probably one of the books that will stick with me the longest. It's the autobiographical story of a writer who leaves her husband and family behind to reconnect with herself. She goes to Cape Cod to her summer cottage house, and lives there for a year, completely alone. Since she's a writer she does an excellent job of capturing her emotions and experiences while trying to find her true self and be that person. I will always think of this book when I visit the ocean.
She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
This book really drew me in, and I quite enjoyed reading it. It takes place over 30 years through this woman's life. Critics say "touchingly funny", but I didn't really think it was funny at all. (except a few really funny parts, ok) It was very good, and makes you think about life in general and especially about the relationships you have with yourself and others.
Annie On My Mind - Nancy Garden
This was a good book, but I really got worked up reading it. It's about these two girls who end up falling in love, but even though it was written in the late 80s, and supposedly things have changed since then, it really upset me because people were treating them so unfairly and horribly. So it was a good book, but I ended up getting too upset over it because of the other people's (in the books) reactions, and I just wanted to change the hateful way of thinking that our society still seems to have.
Confessions of a Pagan Nun - Kate Horsley
Now this book was interesting! It was a good book, and brought up some issues with thinking about organized religion. It had a fairly interesting story line, I recommend it if you want to widen your view on religion, or just read something different.
My Life, Take Two - Paul Many
This book looked like it'd be interesting because it was about a teenaged guy who had to make a documentary about some part of his life, and sounded like a coming-of-age novel, with I generally like. However, I was not that impressed with it. It was in the "new books" section of the regular books written for adults, but I think it would have been better in the 'teenage book' section, mostly because of how the story line was handled. And there are plenty of teenage books that I love, and this one didn't come close. Not really worth your time reading, if you ask me.
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingslover
This book really made me think. There were so many good observations about culture, human nature, religion, and US diplomacy in there that I really loved. I copied all the quotes from the book down that I liked, and there were tons. It did take me a while to read it, it's quite long, but it was excellent and really worth reading.
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neal Hurston
In my own opinion, this was a good book. It is a little hard to understand the dialect because it's very southern. However, I liked the main character Janie, because she had a really horrible life and managed to take control after submitting for so many years. And, surprise, she found that once she was in control and respected, she was truly happy. :)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
Most likely the best book I've had to read as an assignment for school so far. This book does a great job of making you care for and feel for the characters. It also makes you think about what makes or breaks the human spirit. I think it was an excellent read, and provides an interesting look at the ethics used by psych hospitals in the 60s.
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone - J.K. Rowling
I didn't feel the need to read any of the Harry Potter books or see the movie. As far as I was concerned, if kids are going crazy for this book and it's making them read more for personal interest and entertainment, wonderful. But I was less than enthralled to pick it up on my own. At Christie's urging, I finally read it after having it sit in my room for two years. I liked it, suprisingly. It has an interesting plot and I think most people can relate to Harry because of his move from victim to not quite victor, but close. It was, best of all, a quick read. I was actually suprised that it was such a success and acclaimed as one of the greatest children's books, because as a middle schooler (which I'm guessing is about the average age level, I'm not sure) I myself read many many books I would list above Harry Potter.
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Wonderful. It's long and to me was a slow read, but an enjoyable slow. It reminds me of the movie "The Matrix" in a way, because it is written so obvious fantasy is reality to the main character. Even though logically he "knows" what's happening can't be real, physically it's happening. This book suprised me because it makes great statements about today's American culture, icons, 'gods' if you will; and how phony and superficial they are. Even if you don't get or agree with the societal message, it's a finely woven plot that comes together at the end even though you aren't fully aware it's supposed to.
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