Review: Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere

Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere by Lauren Leto

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This book made me feel like a bad English major. I only recognized about half of the authors and titles that Leto mentions (one bit of advice is to keep paper and pen with you to take notes on all the books she references). It might be the fact that the vast majority of the books are "contemporary literature" and I haven't really read "literature" published in the last 50 years or so. My literary education focused on eras before modernism, probably because I like a linear plot and I am not apologizing for that.

It's just that after reading Judging a Book by Its Lover, I feel that there is so much I missed and now have seriously make up for lost time. However, I've gotten used to reading fun books, or commercial genre fiction (lots of paranormal fiction at the moment), so I'm out of practice with that kind of reading. I've been meaning to stop reading such fluffy books (usually with quite a bit of sex), and start on books that really make me think, but again I place some blame on my English and liberal arts classes for the sheer amount of reading they forced me to do. After all that scholarly reading I just wanted to turn my mind off, and thus fluff books and tv took over.

So I will make a resolution to start reading books that make me think. I'll start slowly and intersperse them with other types of reading as I have wanted to get back into more epic fantasy and there are quite a few nonfiction books that I think look interesting. Let's see how this goes.

On other notes Leto is pithy and acerbic at times while warm and touching at others. I'm sure that her insights into the authors and books would be more meaningful if I had read more of them, but at the same time she is often a little too critical for my taste.



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DoJ: Imperfect Bliss: A Novel

Imperfect Bliss: A Novel by Susan Fales-Hill

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Imperfect Bliss is an interesting edition to the Austen-inspired collection. Set in suburban Washington D.C., this contemporary, chick-lit follows Bliss Harcourt, a divorced mother and graduate student, on her path of rediscovery. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are very recognizable in Harold and Forsynthia Harcourt, a British professor of the history of science and a Jamaican-born Anglophile. Jane Bennet has transformed into Victoria Harcourt a thirty-five year-old librarian, who can't seem to love any man. The two younger Harcourts, Diana and Charlotte, are a mish-mash of the three youngest Benets, clamoring for attention in all the wrong ways, including being the star of a reality-TV show reminiscent of The Bachelorette and a sex-tape scandal.

What really intrigued me about this book was the fact that the Harcourt family dynamic was the center of the plot, not the romance between Bliss (Elizabeth) and Dario (the Latino TV director, Darcy). In fact Dario was such a flat and uninteresting character, I really didn't want Bliss to end up with him at all. I would have been much happier with Bliss realizing that she could be happy without a man after all three of the happily-ever-after potentials (ex-husband, dashing older professor, and Wickham character) turned out to be duds. The romantic aspect of the novel just seemed so forced and slapped on to the end that I was left feeling completely unsatisfied, especially after all of Bliss's feminist, politically correct, and self-actualized leanings in the book, especially when dealing with her mother and younger sisters as well as the lessons she tries to instill in her four year-old daughter, who reminds me of the little girl from Hope Floats.

So while the handling of the Bennet/Harocurt family dynamic was intriguing, the half-hearted attempt at romance left me feeling cold.

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Review: Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon by Melissa Anelli

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A wonderful, insightful look at the fandom of Harry Potter from an insider's perspective. Anelli gives parallel histories of the Potter phenomenon: her own personal journey from novice Potter reader to super-fan, webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron as well as the stories of J.K. Rowling, the series' inception, and various big players in the Potter fandom. Covering topics like fan fiction, wizard rock, spoilers, and book challenges, Harry, A History gives an enthralling look into the deep and diverse Muggle world of Harry Potter. This well written guide will give any Potter fan back stage glimpses to the real world of Harry Potter, and the forward from J.K. Rowling doesn't hurt.

On a personal note, this book opened my eyes to the breadth of the Potter phenomenon. I'm what I like to call a periphery fan, not a FAN in the purest sense of the word. I obsess privately, don't own much merchandise, and only geek out once in awhile. This book makes me wish I had taken greater part in the greater phenomenon while it was still fresh and ongoing.

Favorite quote (context - Anelli's private interview with Rowling several months after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

"I have one last question: What does she [J.K. Rowling] hope people will take with them about this time?

She pauses, but then the answer is right on her tongue.

'When all the fuss and hoopla dies away, and when all the press commentary dies away, I think it will be seen that the phenomenon was generated, in the first instance, bu kids loving a book. A book went on shelves, and a few people loved it. When all of the smoke and lights die away, that's what you'll be left with.

'And that's the most wonderful thought for an author.'"



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Review: Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved it! Tim Gunn's unique voice really comes through in this advice/tell-all book. He expounds on his philosophies of good behavior, ambition, teaching, and even parenting. The book is deeply personal as Gunn's family dynamics (including his father's relationship with J. Edgar Hoover) and professional life play a major role throughout.

A must read for any Tim Gunn fan going through withdrawal when Project Runway is not airing.

Favorite quotes from the book:

"But let us not be swept up in this tide of rudeness. This book (in addition to being a fun excuse to tell some of my fashion-world stories) is a call to arms, a manifesto for kindness, generosity, and integrity. I hope will join me in trying to make society a friendlier, more polite, and less aggressive place."

"Also: If you're going to yell demands for food into a room full of strangers, you'd better be as fabulous as Diane von Furstenburg if you expect to get away with it."

"There are times for protest, for civil disobedience, but on a day-to-day basis, it's best to avoid bringing out the big guns."

"Never try to resolve an emotional conflict over food. I recommend ordering drinks instead - with neither ice nor olives."

"Why bitch-slap someone unless you're leaving the planet for good? Don't burn bridges; you might need them later."

"If I were a waiter and someone talked rudely to me, I know I would be seriously tempted." I would never intentionally put someone's life at risk, bu half-a-dozen laxative tablets disolved in a cup of coffee would be sweet payback, indeed."

"I can't imagine a more aesthetically offensive item of footwear than Crocs. That little strap! I shudder."

"I also have no problem if you want to find a cave and have someone roll a boulder in front of it. To each his own."

"Call me a schoolmarm, but few things make me angrier than people not taking care of library materials." ~A man after my own heart!

"But let's talk some more about the bad ones, because they're the most fun to gossip about, and they deserve a little public shaming."



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"Hit List" Misses the Mark

When I first was introduced to the Anita Blake series, I loved it. Anita was a kick butt heroine with some hefty emotional issues, trying to cope with the horrors of her job as an animator. But slowly and surely Hamilton bumped up the kink with the multiple men and the ardeur plot line which meant that in the second half of the series is practically page after page of sex. Now I like a little bit of raunch just as much as the next girl, but enough is enough.

That was why I was glad that Hit List, the most recent edition to the series only had one very short scene. At the same time, Anita has added another man to her already full dance card and spent most of the rest of the book putting up a feminist defense to the overbearing bully of a U.S. Marshal. It's old. And it leaves me wondering whether or not Hamilton can keep the series going. The logistics of Anita's life are mind boggling and if another guy or two gets added each book ... I can't even keep them straight now.  Plus, I keep forgetting who she's done and who she hasn't; I need to make a score card like I did for the Merry Gentry series.

Plus, Hamilton has killed off the Marmee Noir plot line, a little to easily for my taste. But what now? I mean the Olaf plot is heating up, but how far can that go?  Does Hamilton have some bigger, badder monster than the Mother of All Darkness? On the other hand, how is this series going to end? The only way I can see is that Anita has to die, but that isn't exactly the happy ending I want.  This series is too much like an amusement park ride. It's great and exciting while your on it, but at some point you have to get off. But when do we get off?

**I just found this awesome drinking game via GoodReads and Reading Amidst the Chaos. I may try this on my next day off. (Though some of the other books will get soused faster.)

DoJ: Pride/Prejudice

From Herendeen's website

I recently picked up Ann Herendeen's Pride/Prejudice. It is a slash fiction re-telling of P & P.  Herendeen's definition of slash fiction is when "existing stories are re-told with same-sex relationships between some or all of the main characters" (410). Basically, Darcy and Bingley have a relationship inspired by ancient Greek and Roman culture, when men had relationship with younger men in an "ideal love." Plus, Lizzy and Charlotte also have a relationship, though Charlotte is really a lesbian.

The premise isn't that strained, as Darcy obviously has a whole lot of authority over Bingley, but the fact that Darcy is part of the Brotherhood of Philander (the gentlemen's club whose members are all gay/sodomites). The Brotherhood is a major part in her first book, Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander.  It's a little to much product placement for me; plus she adds so many characters, the actual story of P&P is lost.  The flip side of not dwelling too much on the original is that Herendeen actually creates rather than retells:

"all authors who write versions of Austen novels are faced with the hellish problem that the Divine Miss A. produced some of the most elegant prose ever to appear in English literature... we have two unpalatable options: to paraphrase, or to dump vast chunks of her text into our narrative. Neither alternative is attractive to a writer. Copying is, well, copying - not creative at all" (412).

On the whole, it was okay; pretty smutty, but being able to see more of Darcy (even a bi Darcy) was refreshing. Grade B. Rating R.

Other Reviews:

B&N Bookclubs     Good Reads     Library Thing

Chick Lit, Chick Flick

I recently saw the trailer to the newest rom-com that will be hitting theaters this May. It's Something Borrowed starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, Colin Egglesfield, and John Krasinski (aka Jim from The Office) and directed by Luke Greenfield.  I am a fan of Ginnifer Goodwin having seen her in He's Just Not That into You, Mona Lisa Smile, and a the few episodes of Big Love I watched.  She usually plays a sweet, somewhat naive best friend (seems to be the standard for brunette actresses), so I am excited to see her with a leading role, though I will admit the role is still in her 'type.'

Cover of Something Borrowed

The film is based on Emily Giffin's novel by the same title, and because the trailer was so intriguing I checked it out from the local library.  It was a quick read, as is most chick lit, but I'm kind of ambivalent about the premise. Basically, on her thirtieth birthday, Rachel has semi-drunken sex with her best friend's fiancé, Dex, and then proceeds to have a summer affair with him before his September wedding date.  As much as I was rooting for Rachel and Dex, I was almost hoping that Dex's continuous avoidance of calling off the wedding would spur Rachel into dumping his a** and finding someone who deserves her. Also, ruining your best friend's wedding is a huge no-no in my book, though Darcy, Rachel's bff, is not a prime candidate for bff of the year.  Really, I just wanted Rachel to grow a spine and dump both Darcy and Dex and find some other way to fulfill her life. So I give the book a B, and I plan to see the film, probably as a matinée.

Related articles

• Movie Review: Something Borrowed (2011) (pacejmiller.wordpress.com)
• Something Borrowed...5/6/11 (cyberiasha.com)
• Attention Chicago Movie Loving Brides! (chicagonow.com)
• Watch Kate Hudson & Ginnifer Goodwin's 'Something Borrowed' Trailer! (okmagazine.com)

Coming Out of the Closet

First of all, I am declaring this blog a no-shame zone. Having said that, I am not gay, regardless of what the title of this post may lead you to believe. To explain the title, you will notice in my profile that I describe my self as "a closet romantic." Well, I'm owning up to romantic, slightly gooey side, inspired by my Adult Popular Literature (APL) in structor who proudly owns up to reading romance and even erotica. I've made baby steps in the past with my "Vamping the Bookshelf" and my "Daughters of Jane" series, but this post is a no holds-bar exposé. Here goes nothing ... I read romance novels.

Granted I am not usually drawn to the contemporary or historical love stories. I like a back story, usually with a robust mythology, harkening back to my exclusively fantasy period. Most of the time, the straight love story is not enough to hold my attention. I want some action, usually of the political conspiracy/large objects blowing up/sword fighting and if at all possible, a kick-butt heroine. However, in an effort to broaden my reading horizons for my APL class, I decided to read outside of my box and got the first two books of Nora Roberts' The Bride Quartet as well as a true bodice-ripper.

Cover via Amazon

I just finished A Vision in White, the first book in the quartet. The plot focuses on Mackensie "Mac" Ellot, a wedding photographer, and Carter Maguire, a PhD high school English teacher (one of those prestigious academies in Connecticut). Mac is an owning partner in Vows, an almost all-inclusive wedding planning company, with her three best friends: Parker, the brains of the operation, Emma, the florist, and Laurel, the baker/pastry chef. Carter has had a crush on Mac since high school and the romantic journey ensues after a chance meeting when Carter's sister comes to Vows to plan her wedding.

Having never read Nora Roberts before, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It follows the basic romantic tale plot: boy meets girl, boy loses girl (this time because of the girl's deep-rooted trust issues), boy gets girl back. The dialog is witty, the characters seem real, and the situation is not that implausibly fairy tale/chick flick romantic. Also, the love scenes are tasteful and there aren't too many of them. I also appreciate she had me going to the dictionary to look up some words, like "stevedore" which is a person who loads and unloads cargo from ships. The issue I had with the book is some overly sentimental metaphors and dialog, but the comes with the territory.

Having said all that, it was predictable to the point that I feel comfortable forecasting the direction of the rest of the series. There were only three single, eligible men introduced in A Vision in White: Carter, Jack Cooke, and Delaney "Del" Brown. Carter has been spoken for, but there were hints as to who the other men would fall for in the end.

Cover via Amazon

There was an interesting scene with Emma and Jack which ended with her yelling at him and storming out, so I will predict that the second book in the quartet, Bed of Roses (remember Emma is the florist), will feature them.

                  Cover via Amazon

The third book in the series, Savor the Moment, will feature Laurel, the baker (clever title Ms. Roberts), and Del based on one interaction between Mac and Laurel. Mac has just apologized for being bitchy and explains that Del helped her in a situation with her mother, Laurel's response: "In the act of getting down a glass, Laurel glanced back. 'Del was there?'" (p. 141). I will admit it isn't much to go on, but just the fact that she mentioned him is significant and besides that he's Parker's brother.

Cover of Happy Ever After (Bride Quartet)

The final book in the quartet, Happy Ever After, will feature Parker with a yet-to-be-named suitor. Parker's book has to come last because she seems to be the strongest, motherly personality and she has to see her friends settled before she can find her ... wait for it ... happily ever after.

Daughter's of Jane: P&P in Black and White

Since my spate as an undergraduate student has come to a close, I can no longer hold an undergrad position at the UGL. Besides significantly trimming down my income, not being an SA has also curtailed my browsing of the UGL's media collection, which is very impressive. You never know what goodies you'll find whilst shelving.

Image via Wikipedia

A case in point is the main subject of this post: the 1940 film version of Pride and Prejudice, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, as well as one of my favorite character actors: Melville Cooper (best known as the Sheriff of Nottingham in The Adventures of Robin Hood).  Also, Aldous Huxley wrote the screenplay. Yes, the man who wrote Brave New World was also a prolific screen writer for TV and Hollywood.  It was a decent adaptation of the film, even for Hollywood.  As usual Austen's dialog was preserved with lines like Mr. Bennet's:

"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. Your mother will never see you again if you don not Marry Mr. Collins. And I will never see you again if you do."

and Mr. Darcy's:

"You must allow me to tell you how much I admire and love you."

The characterization was also done very well.  Mrs. Bennet, played by Mary Boland, is exquisite in her overly conniving and blatant attempts to marry off her daughters and Edna May Oliver, as Lady Catherine de Bourgh is wonderful, though I still prefer Barbara Leigh-Hunt.  The one horrible job was Olivier as Darcy.  He was just too wishy-washy and definitely not nearly as socially awkward as he should be.

From there, the adaptation starts to deteriorate. Though the plot deviates from the original in some small ways toward the beginning of the film, the major divergences happen after Elizabeth's rejection of Mr. Collins.  Let's hit the highlights and, by the way, SPOILER ALERT!

• Mr. Collins is Lady Catherine's librarian, not a clergy man.
• The Bingley's throw a garden party instead of a ball.
• The Gardners, the visit to Pemberly, and actually seeing Georgiana were completely cut.
• Mr. Darcy tells Elizabeth about Wickham in person, not by letter.
• Lydia and Wickham elope from Meryton, not Brighton.
• Darcy doesn't just find the love birds and get Wickham a commission; instead, he finds them and gives them a fortune. (How unjust is that! I prefer the ending in which they are miserable and poor for the rest of their lives.)
• Mary and Kitty find men during the very last scene.
• And perhaps the biggest twist: Lady Catherine visits Elizabeth as Darcy's "ambassador" aka MATCHMAKER! (It was a shock to me too.)

Also, the film just comes off as very abrupt and lacks the subtlety of the Regency customs and manners.  Everything, like how ruinous Lydia's actions and how "inferior" the Bennets are to Darcy, is either explained outright or so completely over-acted that it is impossible not to see how horrible the situation actually is.

Image via Wikipedia

Besides these errors (and some would same calamitous transgressions by Mr. Huxley), I found the most distracting part was the costuming.  Even though Mrs. Bennet mentions the Battle of Waterloo at one point, the dresses seem more mid-century (see photo to the right), as in Gone With the Wind.  It's just not right.

The Potter Generation

Image via Wikipedia

The end of an era has begun. That's right Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was released two weeksago to mixed reception by fans and critics alike (see the related articles at the bottom of this post for reviews).  I was at the midnight showing with a group of like-minded Potter-fans (excluding the two boyfriends who got dragged along). I have to say I was impressed with the accuracy of the movie as compared to the book; they even kept the George's "holey" joke.

The downside of following the book so closely was that the film inherited the problems of the book as well.  First of all, the cast was really lacking. Very little Snape and Hagrid, no Dame Maggie Smith aka Prof. McGonagall,  and a whole lot of Harry and Hermione moping in the woods, though I must admit that I loved seeing all the landscapes of Britain.  Second, plot is sparse with explanations (how does Ron actually find them) and the extended camping trip does not lend itself to excitement. Finally, there is no recap, so if you haven't read the books or haven't seen the movies in awhile then it's hard to remember what happened.  Now the last is a bit of a double edged sword because by not re-reading the seventh book before seeing the film, it gets rid of all the plot-spoilers so I was able to enjoy the movie more.

Now granted there were a few gratuitous cinematic liberties (why Ginny couldn't have asked Hermione to zip her dress up upstairs I will never know) and some missing info (I had no idea what the mirror shard was until I started re-reading), but overall the films have matured just as the books have.

And that's what I love about the series; we grew up with it. When the first book was published in 1998 (U.S. date) I was 9 and when Pottermania really took off I was about 12, the same age as Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  With each successive book the material got darker and more serious, in effect we grew up with the characters (though Harry is actually close to 30, you can figure it out with the second book and the date on Nearly Headless Nick's death-day cake - yes, I'm a dork, deal with it) and then the actors, who are my age.  We waited through midnight book releases and movie showings just to continue on with the story.  We embraced that magical world buying into all the commercialization and trying to recreate that world in this one.   We've even made it our own through parody (for laughs watch the two clips at the end of this post) and fanfic.  We are truly the Potter generation.

Related articles

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Ralph Fiennes interview - exclusive (telegraph.co.uk)
• Jackie K. Cooper: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1: Half the Book, Half the Entertainment (huffingtonpost.com)
• YAB Review: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (ypulse.com)
• Google search for more reviews

Daughters of Jane: Darcy's Passion

The whole interest in Austen spin-offs was in part inspired by Denise, friend and co-worker at the UGL, who sent me various quotes from horrible internet Austen fan-fiction.  So, whilst I was shelving, I stumbled upon Darcy's Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Through His Eyes by Regina Jeffers and checked it out.  As my first spin off it wasn't too bad.  Jeffers incorporated quite a bit of the actual book and her language was pretty authentic.  Of course she does take the story past the wedding (and yes, Darcy is good in bed), but her additions, such as Anne de Bourgh an Col. Fitzwilliam marrying and Georgiana finding someone as well, don't really detract from the original.

My only complaint is that Darcy the enigma disappears.  Mr. Darcy is the ultimate heartthrob because of his brooding darkness that women just love to pry into and try to fix in some way.  Trying to put emotion behind the Darcy's facade comes out a little fake; there are a lot of tormented emotions that do not seem possible in a man as contained as Darcy. Also a lot of embracing occurs between the whole Darcy family in a way that Austen probably would not have written it. It's just a little too sappy, however ti wasn't bad enough to sully the original for me.

Update on Summer Reading List

Way back in May I created this post about my aspirations for reading this summer.  Needless to say, it did not go as planned, but here is the update of my journey so far.

1. The Dresden Files -- Read them, loved, them, and so obsessed that I found almost all the short stories that go in between the books.  For my immediate reaction after reading Changes see this post.

2. Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy -- I have been trying to find them all summer, however they are constantly checked out as they seem to be the IT books of the summer.  However, Tony, the library specialist from the Modern Languages Library is on the look out for their copy for me.  He's such a nice guy.

3. Devil in the White City -- I started it in May and just finished yesterday (7/31).  It isn't really that long of a book, it just moves a little slowly and is rather jumpy going from the architect to the serial killer to the insane assassin.  Also, each chapter tries to end with a mini cliff hanger which gets tiresome after awhile.  But all in all I really liked it, especially the little bits of sarcastic humor Larson threw in every once in awhile,

"No one saw Twain.  He came to Chicago to see the fair but got sick and spent eleven days in his hotel room, then left without ever seeing the White City.

Of all people."  (285)

I think my favorite quote about it was the Chicago Sun-Times one on the back of the book, "Larson is a historian with a novelist's soul."

4. Kathy Reichs' series -- I have started Deja Dead, the first book of the series and so far, I am unimpressed, especially in comparison to Bones.  The characters aren't very engaging so far and it's a little too graphic for me.  I will at least finish it, but if I don't end up liking it, I'm not going to read the others.

Update 8/11: I got through most of the book and just didn't care what happened. It's probably because I love Bones so much, but Reichs' characters seemed kind of flat and the attention to detail was a little too much for me.

5. Orwell's 1984 --  It's in my bag right now and I plan to start it today, as soon as I finish the other book I am currently reading (I'll get to that a little later).

Update 8/11: 1984 just stayed in my bag. I'm just not in the mood for disturbing, dystopian novel, as I'm already bummed enough that classes are starting up and my relative summer freedom is coming to an end.   

6. A.S. Byatt's  Possession -- I have it checked out from the library and will get to it, but it's a HUGE book, so I am not sure I will be able to finish it before classes start.

7. Italo Calvino -- I am currently reading the revised edition of The Path to the Spiders' Nests (finished 8/2) and so far it's okay.  It reminds me For Whom the Bell Tolls a little. I prefer his more experimental fiction so I also checked out If on a winter's night a traveler.

8.  The Woman in White -- I still have to catch up to Renae.

At least I have most of the books, and no those aren't all the Dresden Files.

As mentioned in the May post, my reading this summer was not limited to the above list.  In addition to the list I have read Namaah's Kiss and Namaah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey (just get past the sex goddess thing and it's an epic tale), Mercedes Lackey's The Sleeping Beauty (see this post), the graphic novel version of Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton, and a few trashy romances to rot my brain. 

I really don't think I did too badly, considering all the time I've been at work, plus the TV I've watched as well and the blogs I read daily.  But hopefully, I will finish the rest of the list in the next few weeks.

The Good Book Feeling

It's part warm  fuzzy, part shock and awe, and part anticipation/satisfaction.

It's confusion and exhilaration and a mind-numbing emotional roller coaster that leaves you speechless and shaking.

I am experiencing that feeling right now, and I can't believe how long it has been since I last felt this way.

There are now words to truly describe it, but I think it's about as close to an orgasmic experience that I will be for a while.

You just have to experience it for yourself.

If you are wondering what book did this to me, read the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and just pray you get to, the twelfth book, Changes; it's Harry Potter for adults without the final letdown.

Thank you Emily, for making me read this series.

Summer Reading List

The beginning of summer: a time for freedom from homework and academic pressures. But about two or three weeks in I start getting bored, even though I will be working almost 40 hours a week.  This summer I am being proactive about what to do in my free time, so I am planning out what to read.

1. Beginning the list is Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files.  My friend Emily has been hounding me to read this series, and I am intrigued.  The premise is that Harry Dresden is a modern day private investigator/wizard and he fights all sorts of bad guys.  I've read the first book Storm Front, and was not impressed.  But Emily assures me that they get better after the first three (there are 12), so I remain hopeful, plus I read his Alera Codex and was blown away. 

2. Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy.  It's a crime series and I don't know anything more about it, except for the fact that they always pop up on Amazon as suggested reading and the titles are intriguing.

3. Devil in the White City by Eric Larson. My mom has been trying to get me to read this book for a while.  It's about the architect of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago 1893 and a series of murders that occurred at the same time.

4. Kathy Reich's series about Temperance Brennan.  Ever since I found out that Bones is based on a book series, I have wanted to read it.

5. 1984 by George Orwell.  I read Animal Farm and liked it and have had tons of people tell me to read it.  So I am.

6. Possession by A.S. Byatt.  Two of the Ellens took an class on A.S. Byatt and Margaret Drabble; they couldn't stop talking about it.

7. I took a comparative world literature class and had to read Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. It was an awesome book and I want to read more by him.

8. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.  I first heard about the book when it was alluded to in The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.  Setterfield was less than impressive, but Collins sounded interesting, so the next time my friend Renae and I were at Barnes & Noble we both picked up the book and said we would both read it.  Well that didn't go as planned, but now she's started to read it and loves it so far.  Now I have to catch up. 

That's the list of what I definitely want to read.  I will of course read other books, most likely trashy romance novels and snack lit, but the above list WILL be read this summer.

Fables Fanatic

I've always felt that reading comic books, graphic novels, and manga (yes, there is a difference) always had a certain stigma attached to the act, but recently I've changed my mind. I was taking down a cart of books to shelve at the Undergrad and saw the first three volumes of Fables by Bill Willingham amongst the other books. I began to peruse them and got hooked. They're basically about all the fairytale and fable characters in literature and how they were driven out of their Homelands by the Adversary and now live in our "mundy" (short for mundane) world.

It is possibly the most awesome story line I've read in awhile. Not only does Willingham show a great knowledge of his Grimms brothers and other sundry traditions, the world he has crafted for his characters is so ... awesome. Everyone has their flaws and foibles, but you get attached to them just the same. His cast includes Snow White (no dwarfs, so far), Bigby Wolf, King Cole, Prince Charming, Boy Blue, and even non-human Fables like the Three Bears and the Liliput people. It's absolutely amazing the amount of creative genius that's been put into the series and I can't wait to read the next one.

My anxiousness is basically why I'm writing this post. I've finished both volumes I brought to work, and am too keyed up to do much else. I think I'll ride back to my room during break and get the other two I have checked out from the library. However, my entertainment will be short-lived as I only have one more to go before I reach the road block of the bindery. *sigh*

Here's a link to find out more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fables_(comic)