What Am I Reading?
Those of you who know me well know that I love to read. I almost always have a book somewhere that I am in the midst of. Reading gives me something to do when I just have a few minutes, or when I have an hour to spend waiting for something. Here is what I have been reading this year:
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I actually started this series late last year, but considering there are 14 books, each of which is close to 2 inches thick, it took me a while to get through them all, and I didn't finish until March. I find these books absolutely absorbing. There are so many characters, and so many intricate plot lines and so much going on that they are hard to put down, and I feel like I have to read them quickly so I don't forget what is going on with characters who are set on the back burner for sometimes an entire book. I love that I can get sucked into that incredible universe.
Still Life by Louise Penny. I recently became part of a book club. This has encouraged me to read things that I probably wouldn't pick up and read on my own. This one however, I might have picked up if I came across it in a library. Still Life is a murder mystery, and I really enjoyed some of the underlying themes, like the importance of changing and growing, and not stagnating or fixating on the past. Also There is a theme of being an agent for one's self, and taking responsibility for who we are rather than blaming our faults on outside circumstances.
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee. This was another book club book. This book was set in the old west and is about a couple girls who disguise themselves as boys as they are forced to flee from the law. I found the whole story a bit far fetched. I like to read books for the depth of characters, what they are thinking, why they do what they do, and what motivates them. I found this book frustrating in that the characters didn't seem to have much depth, and the climax - where the girls' secret is revealed to their traveling companions - the narrator only gets it second hand. The reader doesn't get facial expressions or reactions, or anything until they've had time to think and adjust. The book leaves a lot unexplained, and I found that very frustrating.
Dragongirl by Todd McCaffrey. I love Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern. The way she mixed science in with the fantasy of dragons is fascinating to me. I love how she could intertwine her stories so the reader could get glimpses of the same events from different view points in different books. Her books are some of my favorites. Her son's books, on the other hand, I don't care for so much. I tried this one, and I managed to finish it, but I'm not likely to ever read it again. Anne's books caught people up in the struggle to survive, to learn and grow and discover new things. Todd's books are more wrapped up in justifying a certain lifestyle, delving into and emphasizing aspects of character's lives that I would rather remained in the background. I'll probably stick with rereading Anne's books in the future.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This was supposed to be a book club book, but then a couple ladies read it ahead of schedule and didn't like it, so they decided to change to another book. I talked to another lady who read it and she did like it, so I thought I would read it just to see. I ended up really enjoying it. It is about a man who lives in a hotel in Moscow under house arrest for thirty two years. You might imagine that with such a limited setting, there wouldn't be lot of adventures, and yet, somehow there are. People come into his life and people leave, but each makes an impression. There are villains and loves. The hero himself changes and evolves as he searches to find purpose and meaning in his life. The historical atmosphere of the 20th century in Moscow and Russia in general is present, but not overly invasive. The hero's great love for his country in spite of their treatment of him and those he cares about comes through to the very end.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christy. Steven has been listening to Agatha Christy books on his commute, and so when I was looking for something to read, this one caught my eye. Agatha Christy's books are always fun with their twisted, surprising endings that I can never quite catch coming.
Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series. Yes, I realize these books are written for teens. I actually dug them out of one of the boxes of books that Hannah left behind. The reason why? I've read them before, and scenes from them kept coming to mind. It was almost like they were calling to me, or that my subconscious was trying to tell me I needed to read them again. Creepy, huh? Anyway, I read them and thoroughly enjoyed them. Again. No, I'm not on team Edward or team Jacob. I do enjoy the dynamic between the three of them, the way they push and pull against each other. I needed something interesting, fun and light-hearted, and that fit the bill perfectly.
Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene. This is the book club book that A Gentleman in Moscow was traded for. This non-fiction book is about a town in Nebraska that set up a canteen for WWII soldiers who came through town on the train, and kept it up, meeting each train for four years. The author was very impressed by the atmosphere of the town at the time, the service they performed, how appreciated it was by the soldiers, and the book is a collection of stories by people he interviewed about the event interspersed with his impressions on changes that had happened since as he toured the town fifty some years later. Honestly, if I hadn't been listening to the audio book (while I crocheted a cat) I don't know that I would have finished it. The point that the author was trying to make was made in the first chapter or two, and everything after that just seemed a bit redundant.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austin. I love Jane Austin's books. I love how she develops her characters and gives them a deepness that can change, while the fundamental part that makes them who they are remains steady. In one way her books are like fairy tales, where the heroine gets to marry the prince at the end, whether that prince had to change from a beast first, or he was the one she had her eye on from the beginning. I like the contrast of her time period to today: they had their stiff culture and manners and expectations that seem so different from how we live today, and yet the jealousies and pride and selfishness and love - the motivating factors behind why people do what they do are the same emotions that we have today.
Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. I'm in the middle of book two of this three book series. Like the Wheel of Time Series (which Brandon Sanderson helped finish after Robert Jordan's death), the universe it is set in is absorbing. The characters are fairly well developed with their strengths and weaknesses. It is a fun world with a mysterious, but largely unknown villain, while almost everyone of any importance has various "magical" talents. At times I think I know where things are going, and yet there are enough sudden plot twists to keep things interesting. The action is often intense, with more fighting scenes than I would really like, but overall I find these books very enjoyable.
What books are you reading? What would you suggest I read next?
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I actually started this series late last year, but considering there are 14 books, each of which is close to 2 inches thick, it took me a while to get through them all, and I didn't finish until March. I find these books absolutely absorbing. There are so many characters, and so many intricate plot lines and so much going on that they are hard to put down, and I feel like I have to read them quickly so I don't forget what is going on with characters who are set on the back burner for sometimes an entire book. I love that I can get sucked into that incredible universe.
Still Life by Louise Penny. I recently became part of a book club. This has encouraged me to read things that I probably wouldn't pick up and read on my own. This one however, I might have picked up if I came across it in a library. Still Life is a murder mystery, and I really enjoyed some of the underlying themes, like the importance of changing and growing, and not stagnating or fixating on the past. Also There is a theme of being an agent for one's self, and taking responsibility for who we are rather than blaming our faults on outside circumstances.
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee. This was another book club book. This book was set in the old west and is about a couple girls who disguise themselves as boys as they are forced to flee from the law. I found the whole story a bit far fetched. I like to read books for the depth of characters, what they are thinking, why they do what they do, and what motivates them. I found this book frustrating in that the characters didn't seem to have much depth, and the climax - where the girls' secret is revealed to their traveling companions - the narrator only gets it second hand. The reader doesn't get facial expressions or reactions, or anything until they've had time to think and adjust. The book leaves a lot unexplained, and I found that very frustrating.
Dragongirl by Todd McCaffrey. I love Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern. The way she mixed science in with the fantasy of dragons is fascinating to me. I love how she could intertwine her stories so the reader could get glimpses of the same events from different view points in different books. Her books are some of my favorites. Her son's books, on the other hand, I don't care for so much. I tried this one, and I managed to finish it, but I'm not likely to ever read it again. Anne's books caught people up in the struggle to survive, to learn and grow and discover new things. Todd's books are more wrapped up in justifying a certain lifestyle, delving into and emphasizing aspects of character's lives that I would rather remained in the background. I'll probably stick with rereading Anne's books in the future.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This was supposed to be a book club book, but then a couple ladies read it ahead of schedule and didn't like it, so they decided to change to another book. I talked to another lady who read it and she did like it, so I thought I would read it just to see. I ended up really enjoying it. It is about a man who lives in a hotel in Moscow under house arrest for thirty two years. You might imagine that with such a limited setting, there wouldn't be lot of adventures, and yet, somehow there are. People come into his life and people leave, but each makes an impression. There are villains and loves. The hero himself changes and evolves as he searches to find purpose and meaning in his life. The historical atmosphere of the 20th century in Moscow and Russia in general is present, but not overly invasive. The hero's great love for his country in spite of their treatment of him and those he cares about comes through to the very end.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christy. Steven has been listening to Agatha Christy books on his commute, and so when I was looking for something to read, this one caught my eye. Agatha Christy's books are always fun with their twisted, surprising endings that I can never quite catch coming.
Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series. Yes, I realize these books are written for teens. I actually dug them out of one of the boxes of books that Hannah left behind. The reason why? I've read them before, and scenes from them kept coming to mind. It was almost like they were calling to me, or that my subconscious was trying to tell me I needed to read them again. Creepy, huh? Anyway, I read them and thoroughly enjoyed them. Again. No, I'm not on team Edward or team Jacob. I do enjoy the dynamic between the three of them, the way they push and pull against each other. I needed something interesting, fun and light-hearted, and that fit the bill perfectly.
Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene. This is the book club book that A Gentleman in Moscow was traded for. This non-fiction book is about a town in Nebraska that set up a canteen for WWII soldiers who came through town on the train, and kept it up, meeting each train for four years. The author was very impressed by the atmosphere of the town at the time, the service they performed, how appreciated it was by the soldiers, and the book is a collection of stories by people he interviewed about the event interspersed with his impressions on changes that had happened since as he toured the town fifty some years later. Honestly, if I hadn't been listening to the audio book (while I crocheted a cat) I don't know that I would have finished it. The point that the author was trying to make was made in the first chapter or two, and everything after that just seemed a bit redundant.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austin. I love Jane Austin's books. I love how she develops her characters and gives them a deepness that can change, while the fundamental part that makes them who they are remains steady. In one way her books are like fairy tales, where the heroine gets to marry the prince at the end, whether that prince had to change from a beast first, or he was the one she had her eye on from the beginning. I like the contrast of her time period to today: they had their stiff culture and manners and expectations that seem so different from how we live today, and yet the jealousies and pride and selfishness and love - the motivating factors behind why people do what they do are the same emotions that we have today.
Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. I'm in the middle of book two of this three book series. Like the Wheel of Time Series (which Brandon Sanderson helped finish after Robert Jordan's death), the universe it is set in is absorbing. The characters are fairly well developed with their strengths and weaknesses. It is a fun world with a mysterious, but largely unknown villain, while almost everyone of any importance has various "magical" talents. At times I think I know where things are going, and yet there are enough sudden plot twists to keep things interesting. The action is often intense, with more fighting scenes than I would really like, but overall I find these books very enjoyable.
What books are you reading? What would you suggest I read next?
I just finished reading Diane Duane's young wizard series. They were interesting. There are a few mistakes, discrepancies, and confusing bits that aren't very well explained that drove me crazy, but for the most part, they were very interesting and thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteI loved Wheel of Time though it did take me about nine months to get through it, and I loved the Mistborn series. Did you know there is a sequel series to Mistborn? I can't remember what it's called, but it's good too.
I think I'm going to read Brandon Mull's Five Kindom's series next. I've heard good things about it, and I've read other things by Brandon Mull that I enjoyed.