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I'm on a roll!
Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (reread)
Genre: YA fantasy
Length: 309 pp.
Progress (pages): 3,470/15,000 (23%)
Grade: A
Amazon Summary: Readers are in for a delightful romp with this award-winning debut from a British author who dances in the footsteps of P.L. Travers and Roald Dahl. As the story opens, mysterious goings-on ruffle the self-satisfied suburban world of the Dursleys, culminating in a trio of strangers depositing the Dursleys' infant nephew Harry in a basket on their doorstep. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself. Most surprising of all, Harry is a legend in the witch world for having survived an attack by the evil sorcerer Voldemort, who killed his parents and left Harry with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. And so the fun begins, with Harry going off to boarding school like a typical English kid—only his supplies include a message-carrying owl and a magic wand. There is enchantment, suspense and danger galore (as well as enough creepy creatures to satisfy the most bogeymen-loving readers, and even a magical game of soccerlike Quidditch to entertain sports fans) as Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione plumb the secrets of the forbidden third floor at Hogwarts to battle evil and unravel the mystery behind Harry's scar.
My Thoughts: I know, who needs a summary of Harry Potter? Who hasn't heard of the black-haired boy wizard with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead? Who doesn't know about the adventures he embarks on in this and the six other books?
Probably no one by now.
Personally, I've been a Harry fan ever since grade four or five, and I've never looked back. It sounds cheesy to say this, but Harry Potter changed my life. This is no exaggeration; without Harry Potter, I would not be the person I am today. For a little less than half my life, he has been one of the major inspirations behind my writing, and at age 9, he hurtled me into the world of writing with my first fanfiction piece (a terrible Harry/Ginny story).
I don't really want to get into too much of the plot and stuff because, as I said, most everyone already knows it, but there were so many things I picked up this time around, and it is so odd reading the first book and knowing how everything ends. It really enriches the reading, in my opinion.
I love this series. At first glance, it's a simple fantasy story, but as you get further into it, you peel away layers and layers of things you never even noticed before. This is probably why it lends itself so well to fandom, because in a way you can dig deep into it and find evidence for anything you might want to write about it. It's very interesting.
Can't wait to get to the rest!
Book: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Genre: Classics / Fiction
Length: 473 pp.
Progress (pages): 3,943/15,000 (26%)
Grade: B
Amazon Summary: Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of dust bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of the Joad family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel West in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision; an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit.
My Thoughts: Read for the banned books club at school, this came highly recommended by the instructor. This is one of those books that I found extraordinarily hard to get into at the beginning, but when the action picked up and I got used to the dialect, I found myself liking it more and more. It is not one of my favorite books, nor a book I couldn't put down, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
The messages in this book resoated with me. The Grapes of Wrath speaks of hope, envy, jealousy, family, childbirth, work, desires, dreams, morals, and trials in a powerful way. It shows us a vision of the prejudiced Californians, the heartbroken "Okies," and teaches a lesson. All humanity is one, all humanity must act as one. In crises like the Great Depression, we should have banded together for the common good, not push away those less fortunate than us.
The Joads, the main family in this story, go through many things. They start out with such strong hope, such hope that things will be better in California, that they will be comfortable, working, making a living there, and not even the warnings of men they meet on the road will convince them entirely that things will be quite different than what they expect. They press on, hoping, and yet... later, in the story, their hope dwindles, dwindles, dwindles, their family splits apart, untit there are only a few members left who fight for their survival in a world where they are treated like animals. They end up with less hope than they started, but they keep fighting. Because what else can they do?
Tom, Ma, and Rose of Sharon make up the story to me, with Casy, an ex-preacher impacting the story as well. Tom, fresh out of prison, doesn't expect to see what he does when he gets out of prison, and yet he sticks by the family until the end, until events pressure him to leave for the sake of his own family's protection. Ma is the glue that keep her family together; she is the one who makes sure they don't separate, that they stick together, and she doesn't let go until she knows there is nothing further she can do to prevent it. Rose of Sharon is isolated, at first with her husband, and then with the baby growing inside her stomach. She's not like the other people; she stands alone; others might say she's materialistic and self-absorbed, but I see not that, but a scared young lady who is thrust into a situation she can't control and yet is trying to protect her baby as much as possible. And, without Casy, Tom would not have played the role he did in the story. Casy impacted Tom and everyone else around him, even though he might not have said much. He was still there, and formed a friendship with Tom.
The Grapes of Wrath is everything people said it was, especially with the warnings of a "disturbing ending". If I had read this on my own, I probably wouldn't have gotten through it, but I am glad I stuck with it, because I really liked it by the end. The end was open, though, which is my only fault with the book other than the difficult beginning. Most likely, I will pick up another Steinbeck novel when I go to the library next.
Book: Atonement by Ian McEwan
Genre: Fiction
Length: 351 pp.
Progress (pages): 4,294/15,000 (29%)
Grade: A
Amazon Summary: On the hottest day of the summer of 1934, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her sister Cecilia strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching her is Robbie Turner, her childhood friend who, like Cecilia, has recently come down from Cambridge. By the end of that day, the lives of all three will have been changed for ever. Robbie and Cecilia will have crossed a boundary they had not even imagined at its start, and will have become victims of the younger girl's imagination. Briony will have witnessed mysteries, and committed a crime for which she will spend the rest of her life trying to atone.
My Thoughts: This is my second McEwan novel of this year, and it will most certainly not be my last. I was absolutely engrossed by this book, and finished it within two days. I even brought it to lunch for two days because I couldn't put it down, I had to find out what was going to happen next.
Atonement is, at the heart, a haunting tale of love and loss, guilt and atonement, forgiveness and bitterness, clarity and confusion. It evokes emotions, both with the writing style and the events that are described. It made me cry in two spots and, though I was accidentally spoiled right before I finished the book (that's what I get for searching out reviews on it when I'm thirty pages away from finishing), the ending pulled at my heartstrings.
I have heard some people say that part one was boring, but that was actually the most intriguing for me. I found myself holding my breath, felt my stomach tighten with anticipation, as the tale started. It flowed seamlessly, effortlessly, and took my breath away. I knew who Cecilia, Robbie, and Briony were from the first time they were mentioned. I just thought part one was wonderfully well-written; it just took my breath away. Parts two and three were not as good as the first. Maybe it's because I found more to relate to in part one.
You see, I can relate to the writer's attitude. Briony is a writer, and a very good one, I'd say, and the way she expresses her thoughts about writing resonated with me in the way a soldier during war or a nurse could not. The images in parts two and three were vivid and disturbing in some areas, but part one just started off the story the way it was supposed to have started.
Briony's character, though, made this book. In certain ways, I can relate to her, but I just want to smack her upside the head for her complete ignorance. If she had just kept her mouth shut, if she hadn't said what she said... well, then, things would be different, as Briony realizes as she tries to atone for what she did so many years ago.
Many people have said that Briony's attempt at atonement didn't work, and so they didn't understand/like the book. However, that's precisely why I loved the book. I never believed that Briony thought she could ever truly atone for what she had done. As she said, it was simply "an attempt." It may not have been atonement, but at least she tried.
The end made me cry, made me angry, made me upset, and I am still in shock over it. Any book that can make me feel so many different emotions is certain to be good. I just wish I had read it sooner.
I am definitely going to pick up more of his books later. I have a feeling he's going to make it on my "Favorite Discovered Authors" list this year.
Currently Reading:
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Laarson
Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (reread)
Genre: YA fantasy
Length: 309 pp.
Progress (pages): 3,470/15,000 (23%)
Grade: A
Amazon Summary: Readers are in for a delightful romp with this award-winning debut from a British author who dances in the footsteps of P.L. Travers and Roald Dahl. As the story opens, mysterious goings-on ruffle the self-satisfied suburban world of the Dursleys, culminating in a trio of strangers depositing the Dursleys' infant nephew Harry in a basket on their doorstep. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself. Most surprising of all, Harry is a legend in the witch world for having survived an attack by the evil sorcerer Voldemort, who killed his parents and left Harry with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. And so the fun begins, with Harry going off to boarding school like a typical English kid—only his supplies include a message-carrying owl and a magic wand. There is enchantment, suspense and danger galore (as well as enough creepy creatures to satisfy the most bogeymen-loving readers, and even a magical game of soccerlike Quidditch to entertain sports fans) as Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione plumb the secrets of the forbidden third floor at Hogwarts to battle evil and unravel the mystery behind Harry's scar.
My Thoughts: I know, who needs a summary of Harry Potter? Who hasn't heard of the black-haired boy wizard with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead? Who doesn't know about the adventures he embarks on in this and the six other books?
Probably no one by now.
Personally, I've been a Harry fan ever since grade four or five, and I've never looked back. It sounds cheesy to say this, but Harry Potter changed my life. This is no exaggeration; without Harry Potter, I would not be the person I am today. For a little less than half my life, he has been one of the major inspirations behind my writing, and at age 9, he hurtled me into the world of writing with my first fanfiction piece (a terrible Harry/Ginny story).
I don't really want to get into too much of the plot and stuff because, as I said, most everyone already knows it, but there were so many things I picked up this time around, and it is so odd reading the first book and knowing how everything ends. It really enriches the reading, in my opinion.
I love this series. At first glance, it's a simple fantasy story, but as you get further into it, you peel away layers and layers of things you never even noticed before. This is probably why it lends itself so well to fandom, because in a way you can dig deep into it and find evidence for anything you might want to write about it. It's very interesting.
Can't wait to get to the rest!
Book: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Genre: Classics / Fiction
Length: 473 pp.
Progress (pages): 3,943/15,000 (26%)
Grade: B
Amazon Summary: Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of dust bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of the Joad family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel West in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision; an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit.
My Thoughts: Read for the banned books club at school, this came highly recommended by the instructor. This is one of those books that I found extraordinarily hard to get into at the beginning, but when the action picked up and I got used to the dialect, I found myself liking it more and more. It is not one of my favorite books, nor a book I couldn't put down, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
The messages in this book resoated with me. The Grapes of Wrath speaks of hope, envy, jealousy, family, childbirth, work, desires, dreams, morals, and trials in a powerful way. It shows us a vision of the prejudiced Californians, the heartbroken "Okies," and teaches a lesson. All humanity is one, all humanity must act as one. In crises like the Great Depression, we should have banded together for the common good, not push away those less fortunate than us.
The Joads, the main family in this story, go through many things. They start out with such strong hope, such hope that things will be better in California, that they will be comfortable, working, making a living there, and not even the warnings of men they meet on the road will convince them entirely that things will be quite different than what they expect. They press on, hoping, and yet... later, in the story, their hope dwindles, dwindles, dwindles, their family splits apart, untit there are only a few members left who fight for their survival in a world where they are treated like animals. They end up with less hope than they started, but they keep fighting. Because what else can they do?
Tom, Ma, and Rose of Sharon make up the story to me, with Casy, an ex-preacher impacting the story as well. Tom, fresh out of prison, doesn't expect to see what he does when he gets out of prison, and yet he sticks by the family until the end, until events pressure him to leave for the sake of his own family's protection. Ma is the glue that keep her family together; she is the one who makes sure they don't separate, that they stick together, and she doesn't let go until she knows there is nothing further she can do to prevent it. Rose of Sharon is isolated, at first with her husband, and then with the baby growing inside her stomach. She's not like the other people; she stands alone; others might say she's materialistic and self-absorbed, but I see not that, but a scared young lady who is thrust into a situation she can't control and yet is trying to protect her baby as much as possible. And, without Casy, Tom would not have played the role he did in the story. Casy impacted Tom and everyone else around him, even though he might not have said much. He was still there, and formed a friendship with Tom.
The Grapes of Wrath is everything people said it was, especially with the warnings of a "disturbing ending". If I had read this on my own, I probably wouldn't have gotten through it, but I am glad I stuck with it, because I really liked it by the end. The end was open, though, which is my only fault with the book other than the difficult beginning. Most likely, I will pick up another Steinbeck novel when I go to the library next.
Book: Atonement by Ian McEwan
Genre: Fiction
Length: 351 pp.
Progress (pages): 4,294/15,000 (29%)
Grade: A
Amazon Summary: On the hottest day of the summer of 1934, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her sister Cecilia strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching her is Robbie Turner, her childhood friend who, like Cecilia, has recently come down from Cambridge. By the end of that day, the lives of all three will have been changed for ever. Robbie and Cecilia will have crossed a boundary they had not even imagined at its start, and will have become victims of the younger girl's imagination. Briony will have witnessed mysteries, and committed a crime for which she will spend the rest of her life trying to atone.
My Thoughts: This is my second McEwan novel of this year, and it will most certainly not be my last. I was absolutely engrossed by this book, and finished it within two days. I even brought it to lunch for two days because I couldn't put it down, I had to find out what was going to happen next.
Atonement is, at the heart, a haunting tale of love and loss, guilt and atonement, forgiveness and bitterness, clarity and confusion. It evokes emotions, both with the writing style and the events that are described. It made me cry in two spots and, though I was accidentally spoiled right before I finished the book (that's what I get for searching out reviews on it when I'm thirty pages away from finishing), the ending pulled at my heartstrings.
I have heard some people say that part one was boring, but that was actually the most intriguing for me. I found myself holding my breath, felt my stomach tighten with anticipation, as the tale started. It flowed seamlessly, effortlessly, and took my breath away. I knew who Cecilia, Robbie, and Briony were from the first time they were mentioned. I just thought part one was wonderfully well-written; it just took my breath away. Parts two and three were not as good as the first. Maybe it's because I found more to relate to in part one.
You see, I can relate to the writer's attitude. Briony is a writer, and a very good one, I'd say, and the way she expresses her thoughts about writing resonated with me in the way a soldier during war or a nurse could not. The images in parts two and three were vivid and disturbing in some areas, but part one just started off the story the way it was supposed to have started.
Briony's character, though, made this book. In certain ways, I can relate to her, but I just want to smack her upside the head for her complete ignorance. If she had just kept her mouth shut, if she hadn't said what she said... well, then, things would be different, as Briony realizes as she tries to atone for what she did so many years ago.
Many people have said that Briony's attempt at atonement didn't work, and so they didn't understand/like the book. However, that's precisely why I loved the book. I never believed that Briony thought she could ever truly atone for what she had done. As she said, it was simply "an attempt." It may not have been atonement, but at least she tried.
The end made me cry, made me angry, made me upset, and I am still in shock over it. Any book that can make me feel so many different emotions is certain to be good. I just wish I had read it sooner.
I am definitely going to pick up more of his books later. I have a feeling he's going to make it on my "Favorite Discovered Authors" list this year.
Currently Reading:
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Laarson
