I just can't pass this one up... The Classics Challenge 2008 is now open for sign ups and will begin on July 1 and will last through December 31, 2008. There are a few options to choose from, and the goal I've selected is to simply read five classics. Audiobooks are okay, and cross-posting is allowed. Here is my list:
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
- The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
- The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Labels: Challenges, Classics, Lists
Rating: 9 · 552 pages
Read for The tl;dr Challenge
This book came highly recommended and positively reviewed by so many different readers, both offline and online. In the back of my mind, I knew there was a possibility that this would be one of those books that become popularized in the reading world for no real concrete reason. Thankfully, that wasn't the case with The Book Thief.
Narrated by Death himself, you'd think this novel would be mostly depressing. Quite the opposite; it is life-affirming. As we walk with Liesel through her formative years we watch as she becomes wise beyond her time, thanks to her surroundings, choices, and circumstances. Living as a foster child in Germany during World War II, Liesel's life is enriched by her friends, neighbors, family, and is damaged irretrievably by enemies she didn't deserve. Although this is a fictional account, I feel that in many ways, Liesel's experiences are symbolical and utterly essential to learning about the inexplainable truths and disappointments that so many have had to face. As she makes her way through the terrors of war, Liesel conveys a heart of courage and thoughtfulness that many would have trouble displaying in peacetime.
Throughout the novel, Liesel steals books. Sometimes from desperation, sometimes from anger, and sometimes just because they are there for the taking. But Liesel isn't a typical thief, not by any means. Books mean even more to Liesel than they do to most of us who consider ourselves bookworms. Her books are real, sacred connections to her past, present, and future.
It's not often you find a novel that is written so simply yet so lyrically. The way the author used words, it was just amazing. Here are a few quotes:
It kills me sometimes, how people die.
Even the wrinkles around her eyes were joining hands.
Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. That was the business of hiding a Jew.
She could see the light on Max's eggshell face and even taste the human flavor of his words.
I can now officially join the multitude of people who hold this book and its deeply creative author in high esteem.
I actually finished Prince Caspian last night. It was pretty good, but I felt like it was a bit discombobulated. Like Lewis was trying to fit 30 different characters into a 234-page book. I'm not knocking it, don't get me wrong; and I'm still going to go see the movie. I just wasn't totally impressed like with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Anyway, I will be back on Friday, hopefully with some fun vacation pictures as well as a few book reviews! Happy Memorial Day, to those of you in the U.S. Remember those who have given their lives for our freedoms.
Labels: General
Rating: 6 · 501 pages
I wouldn't go so far as to say that buying this book was, in itself, a "pretty little mistake", but I will admit that this is yet another lesson I've learned in not judging a book by its cover. I purchased Pretty Little Mistakes because it looked cool. I did read the premise, and thought an adult version of the choose your own adventure would make for a fun read. And it did, kind of. Maybe I'm just too much of a traditionalist to be able to truly enjoy a book that is written this way. You have to keep going back to the first page to start over on a new adventure. I did this about 10 times, but each adventure only lasted about 12-20 pages each, and then you were dead and had to go back to the beginning all over again.
Eventually, I gave up and just read the book straight through. The various story lines ranged from interesting or fulfilling to scary or depressing. Obviously, the author wrote this book for women to read, because the main character (you) is a female. She meets all types of people, travels to different areas of the world (most of them outside the U.S., I noticed), and ends up in situations good, bad or terrible. If you read the book straight through, you'll find that near the end, you die on every other page. It's an interesting reading experience.
This book made me thankful for my own very uneventful life and for the ultimately mundane choices I've made.
Oh well. Next week promises to be better, as my boss will be back in the office and she will take a lot of the load off (I have a fantastic boss, another big blessing in my life). And then the next week will definitely be even better, because I will be on vacation! I can't wait. Jeff and I haven't decided if we're going to take a trip or just stay home. Our house is in severe need of some spring cleaning (pretty soon it's going to have to be called summer cleaning, and who wants to do anything in the summer? Not me!). So we thought about staying here and doing some small home improvement projects and general cleaning. But we haven't been on a real vacation in 3 years, so we think it's time for a getaway. I'm craftily nudging Jeff toward agreeing to us going to a beach and being complete and total bums for a week. I can't think of anything that sounds better at this moment as I recover from another long, hard day at work!
Got any recommendations on where we could go (preferably somewhere in the Southeast USA)? And what about you? Are you going on any vacations this year?
Labels: General
I'm also excited about some other movies that will be coming out soon. Indiana Jones 4, Prince Caspian (I'm currently reading the book), and The Happening all look like they'll be good.
What movies are you looking forward to seeing this summer?
Labels: Movies
