The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
Read: 'Cause it was free and popular
Source: Kim's big box o'books.
Pages: 841
Another one of these books that no one knew about until it became stupidly popular. I do like to see what the fuss is about when it comes to books so when this ended up in front of me, and for free, who was I to argue?
I had heard the reviews: this book takes a while to get in to. So I was prepared and ready. And I started to read. And I stopped. And I started. And I stopped. And I tried again. And then it was on the bottom on my night stand covered with cat hair and becoming water damaged because Kris the idiot cat likes to knock over my glasses of water.
On Easter weekend, we ended up watching the movie. I didn't get through it all because of the festivities, but it got me going and got me committed to finishing this... monster. As the internet has been saying lately "It gets better". Whether you're a sexually confused teen or a 27 year old trying to get through the first book of the Millennium Trilogy, it's true... it gets better.
Business matters are already exceptionally dry for me, and the first 200 pages of TGWTDT does not change that. This was downright, unread-ably boring. Then Lisbeth Salander steps in the picture and makes things more interesting - before you are thrust unceremoniously back in to Swedish financial douchebaggery.
I have to be honest and say, I liked the book but it did not blow me away. Perhaps it is because I did end up finishing the movie before I finished the book, and that ruined the suspense. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that, murder mystery and thriller aside, it still comes down to being about "gangsters" in the Swedish business markets. I'm not quite sure. I'll read the other two books, but I wont go out of my way to buy them. One copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, free to good home... slightly damp.
****
Book Count: 16
Page Count: 4472 + 841 = 5313
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Bella Swan, eat your heart out. Bitch.
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
Read: 'Cause Sam made me
Source: Sam's Kindle
Pages: 374 + 391 + 392 = 1157
You have probably heard about the series, unless you have been trapped under a rock on Mars. And rightfully so. The books are GOOD. The movie was pretty good too, and I look forward to the next. These books are written as fiction for young adults and, as such, aren't overly wordy and they're written in a current, easily readable language. If you are looking for Shakespeare, keep moving. But the story that the books hold is EXCELLENT. The characters are realistic but interesting, the premise familiar but not over done.
****
Book Count: 15
Page Count: 3315 + 1157 = 4472
I knew I was far behind, and that I was probably not going to get to 15,000 pages before the end date. But WOW. I forgot how badly behind I was.
Read: 'Cause Sam made me
Source: Sam's Kindle
Pages: 374 + 391 + 392 = 1157
You have probably heard about the series, unless you have been trapped under a rock on Mars. And rightfully so. The books are GOOD. The movie was pretty good too, and I look forward to the next. These books are written as fiction for young adults and, as such, aren't overly wordy and they're written in a current, easily readable language. If you are looking for Shakespeare, keep moving. But the story that the books hold is EXCELLENT. The characters are realistic but interesting, the premise familiar but not over done.
****
Book Count: 15
Page Count: 3315 + 1157 = 4472
I knew I was far behind, and that I was probably not going to get to 15,000 pages before the end date. But WOW. I forgot how badly behind I was.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Playing massive, massive catch up
I did some reading, always meaning to update here.. and then I stopped reading again. I doubt I am going to make my 15000 pages before June 20. But I am going to try this again.
I don't remember when I finished reading any of these books. So I'm just going to list them in whatever order and hope I don't miss any.
Ghosts in the Snow - Tamara Siler Jones
Read: The blurb on the back didn't make it sound terrible
Source: Kim's box o'books
Pages: 488
Detective in a castle can see ghosts, who harass him until their murders are solved. This must have been part of a series since there was a certain amount of back story I was a little lost on, but it didn't ruin the book for me.
Calculating God - Robert J. Sawyer
Read: Looked like an interesting read. Aliens that believe in God and say math and science backs the theory up? Yes please!
Source: Kim's box o'books
Pages: 338
Aliens come to earth to learn about our history, and one befriends a paleontologist who works at the ROM. In the process he learns that the aliens not only believe in God, but say that science proves God's existence.
The Year of Living Biblically - A. J. Jacobs
Read: Because I wanted to re-read it.
Source: Chapters
Pages: 350
A.J Jacobs was raised in a secular family with only minor connection to religion. So he decides to follow the bible as literally as possible for 365 days, and write about it. I LOVE this book. It is interesting, it is funny, and it makes you think.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
Read: Because I wanted to re-read it before seeing the final movie.
Source: Chapters special pre-order.
Pages: 607
I don't actually have to write what I think about this one, do I?
My Heart is Africa: A Flying Adventure - Scott Griffin
Read: Because it was there
Source: Kim's box o'books
Pages: 270
A memoir about Scott and his wife leaving their lives in Canada for a year, so he can volunteer as a pilot for the Flying Doctors Service in Africa. He chronicles everything from flying over the desert, to drinking with lots of different characters, to getting stranded on a desolate island. I enjoyed this book but it wasn't anything particularly special, it didn't grab my attention and make me NEED to finish it.
****
Book count: 12
Page count: 1262 + 2053 = 3315
I don't remember when I finished reading any of these books. So I'm just going to list them in whatever order and hope I don't miss any.
Ghosts in the Snow - Tamara Siler Jones
Read: The blurb on the back didn't make it sound terrible
Source: Kim's box o'books
Pages: 488
Detective in a castle can see ghosts, who harass him until their murders are solved. This must have been part of a series since there was a certain amount of back story I was a little lost on, but it didn't ruin the book for me.
Calculating God - Robert J. Sawyer
Read: Looked like an interesting read. Aliens that believe in God and say math and science backs the theory up? Yes please!
Source: Kim's box o'books
Pages: 338
Aliens come to earth to learn about our history, and one befriends a paleontologist who works at the ROM. In the process he learns that the aliens not only believe in God, but say that science proves God's existence.
The Year of Living Biblically - A. J. Jacobs
Read: Because I wanted to re-read it.
Source: Chapters
Pages: 350
A.J Jacobs was raised in a secular family with only minor connection to religion. So he decides to follow the bible as literally as possible for 365 days, and write about it. I LOVE this book. It is interesting, it is funny, and it makes you think.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
Read: Because I wanted to re-read it before seeing the final movie.
Source: Chapters special pre-order.
Pages: 607
I don't actually have to write what I think about this one, do I?
My Heart is Africa: A Flying Adventure - Scott Griffin
Read: Because it was there
Source: Kim's box o'books
Pages: 270
A memoir about Scott and his wife leaving their lives in Canada for a year, so he can volunteer as a pilot for the Flying Doctors Service in Africa. He chronicles everything from flying over the desert, to drinking with lots of different characters, to getting stranded on a desolate island. I enjoyed this book but it wasn't anything particularly special, it didn't grab my attention and make me NEED to finish it.
****
Book count: 12
Page count: 1262 + 2053 = 3315
Monday, September 26, 2011
Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maude Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maude Montgomery
Read: I think there is some sort of law that any female raised in Canada has to read Anne of Green Gables at some point.
Source: e-reader
Finished: June some time
Pages: 270
I had never really wanted to read this book. I kind of sort of knew the general premise, but I knew it had some sort of vague connection to Road to Avonlea which was a show I always despised but would end up watching the last few minutes of since it aired before the Bugs Bunny and Tweety show on Sunday nights.
But, it was one of the free books on my e-reader and I thought, what the heck, I'll give it a go.
I actually enjoyed it. I really wasn't expecting to. I wasn't expecting it to be funny, and I wasn't expecting for the characters to be so relate-able. Anne, who always struck me as an obnoxious little prat when I would see/hear/read something about the book, was just a funny kid with a wild imagination and a runaway mouth. She wasn't trying to be annoying, it just worked out that way.
Am I going to join the legion of crazy Green Gables nuts? Nah. But it was a cute book and I am glad I read it. I might read it again some day.
****
Book count: 7
Page count: 992+270 = 1262
Read: I think there is some sort of law that any female raised in Canada has to read Anne of Green Gables at some point.
Source: e-reader
Finished: June some time
Pages: 270
I had never really wanted to read this book. I kind of sort of knew the general premise, but I knew it had some sort of vague connection to Road to Avonlea which was a show I always despised but would end up watching the last few minutes of since it aired before the Bugs Bunny and Tweety show on Sunday nights.
But, it was one of the free books on my e-reader and I thought, what the heck, I'll give it a go.
I actually enjoyed it. I really wasn't expecting to. I wasn't expecting it to be funny, and I wasn't expecting for the characters to be so relate-able. Anne, who always struck me as an obnoxious little prat when I would see/hear/read something about the book, was just a funny kid with a wild imagination and a runaway mouth. She wasn't trying to be annoying, it just worked out that way.
Am I going to join the legion of crazy Green Gables nuts? Nah. But it was a cute book and I am glad I read it. I might read it again some day.
****
Book count: 7
Page count: 992+270 = 1262
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Second half of the Bone Series by Jeff Smith
Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border (Book 5)
Old Man's Cave (Book 6)
Ghost Circles (Book 7)
Treasure Hunters (Book 8)
Crown of Thorns (Book 9)
Read: Because I've always heard good things about Bone when I used to stalk the comic book community.
Source: Christmas Presents from Kim
Finished: 6/26/2011
Rating: 9 out of 10
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Pages: 116+118+150+136+212= 732
Published: 2009 (overall)
This series is really just too good. It is as satisfying a fantasy read as you can get, and in a different form. And I love the use of the drawings to move the story along without any dialogue at all in some parts. The books are sweet, funny, deep and incredibly creative. I highly, highly recommend.
****
Book count: 6
Page count: 260+732= 992
Old Man's Cave (Book 6)
Ghost Circles (Book 7)
Treasure Hunters (Book 8)
Crown of Thorns (Book 9)
Read: Because I've always heard good things about Bone when I used to stalk the comic book community.
Source: Christmas Presents from Kim
Finished: 6/26/2011
Rating: 9 out of 10
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Pages: 116+118+150+136+212= 732
Published: 2009 (overall)
This series is really just too good. It is as satisfying a fantasy read as you can get, and in a different form. And I love the use of the drawings to move the story along without any dialogue at all in some parts. The books are sweet, funny, deep and incredibly creative. I highly, highly recommend.
****
Book count: 6
Page count: 260+732= 992
Saturday, September 24, 2011
I know, I know, I fail.
It's pretty easy to see that my attempt at a standard format to make entries "easier" on me failed miserably. Directly after my posting of Mitch Albom's book, going back and following the format seemed like a huge chore. That, coupled with life, meant that I neglected the blog for a couple of months.
In fact, I neglected to read. Period.
Normally books are my number one escape. I smash through them at light speed and can't wait for more. But the last few months have not been easy for me, dealing with health, pets, work, and the massive changes that life has thrown at me in general.
Well, I did read. I have been reading collections of Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Cathy... comic strips that are completely mindless and the perfect tonic for an exhausted, stressed out brain. I needed pictures and immediate gratification.
But they don't count.
In the last week, though, I've been reading again. I picked up a book that's been sitting on my shelf, just waiting for a re-read. I know it's a book that I enjoy and is light, but piques my deeper interests also. And that's gotten me thinking about the blog again and the fact that, I can come back, admit that my experiment in formatting was a huge fail, and get back to what I like doing. Reading books and jotting what I liked about them.
Tonight, I came across something else. Something that has me EXCITED to read. Something to LOOK FORWARD to. I haven't been excited or looked forward to something in a long time. This feels like a bit of a tonic for me and I am ready to do this. I am stoked.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/
When Mike and I went to a resort in Cuba a few years ago, there was an informal library where guests took books, left books, etc. So I took a couple of books from that library, but left a few that I had brought with me - cheap used book store finds that I wouldn't miss. But there was a bit of a thrill, thinking about them moving on to someone else. Maybe moving on to yet a different part of the world altogether. It reminded me of when I was younger and I liked to hide little treasures for people to find. Small toys or pretty rocks or a quarter. When I was older it turned into moving the lawn ornaments around in suburban yards. I wouldn't damage them, just place them oddly for the owners to find in the morning.
That goes back even further to a talk show episode I saw when I was very young. Someone had stolen a small plastic duck lawn ornament from a yard, and then took pictures of it in different locals all over the world and mailed them back to the owners. They loved getting updates on their little duck and then one day, the duck showed up in their yard again. It was a bit more beat up, the colour had faded, but it must have had stories to tell. And someone is doing that with a rubber duck right now. I love it. http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110816/NEWS/708169979
In fact, I neglected to read. Period.
Normally books are my number one escape. I smash through them at light speed and can't wait for more. But the last few months have not been easy for me, dealing with health, pets, work, and the massive changes that life has thrown at me in general.
Well, I did read. I have been reading collections of Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Cathy... comic strips that are completely mindless and the perfect tonic for an exhausted, stressed out brain. I needed pictures and immediate gratification.
But they don't count.
In the last week, though, I've been reading again. I picked up a book that's been sitting on my shelf, just waiting for a re-read. I know it's a book that I enjoy and is light, but piques my deeper interests also. And that's gotten me thinking about the blog again and the fact that, I can come back, admit that my experiment in formatting was a huge fail, and get back to what I like doing. Reading books and jotting what I liked about them.
Tonight, I came across something else. Something that has me EXCITED to read. Something to LOOK FORWARD to. I haven't been excited or looked forward to something in a long time. This feels like a bit of a tonic for me and I am ready to do this. I am stoked.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/
When Mike and I went to a resort in Cuba a few years ago, there was an informal library where guests took books, left books, etc. So I took a couple of books from that library, but left a few that I had brought with me - cheap used book store finds that I wouldn't miss. But there was a bit of a thrill, thinking about them moving on to someone else. Maybe moving on to yet a different part of the world altogether. It reminded me of when I was younger and I liked to hide little treasures for people to find. Small toys or pretty rocks or a quarter. When I was older it turned into moving the lawn ornaments around in suburban yards. I wouldn't damage them, just place them oddly for the owners to find in the morning.
That goes back even further to a talk show episode I saw when I was very young. Someone had stolen a small plastic duck lawn ornament from a yard, and then took pictures of it in different locals all over the world and mailed them back to the owners. They loved getting updates on their little duck and then one day, the duck showed up in their yard again. It was a bit more beat up, the colour had faded, but it must have had stories to tell. And someone is doing that with a rubber duck right now. I love it. http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110816/NEWS/708169979
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Have a Little Faith: A True Story - Mitch Albom
***I am trying out a format for my entries, stolen from the "Lets Eat Grandpa!" blog. I don't know yet if it will stick so, bear with me.***
Have a Little Faith: A True Story - Mitch Albom
Read: it showed up at work one day, and I have always wanted to read Tuesdays with Morrie
Source: Borrowed from Anthony
Finished: 6/22/11
Rating: 9 out of 10
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 260
Published: 2009
Product Description: (from amazon.ca)
In the beginning, there was a question...
With those words, Mitch Albom launches his long-awaited return to nonfiction. Have a Little Faith is Albom's first true-life story since Tuesdays with Morrie, and like that classic tale, this book explores life through a unique journey: Mitch's search for the right words to eulogize a Man of God.
Albom takes his readers on a stirring, heartfelt mission to honor a last request and send a beloved rabbi off to heaven the way the cleric had done for so many before him. Along the way, Albom--who walked away from a deeply religious background as a young man--rekindles his own faith by sitting with and caring for the wise, funny, but slowly decaying man of the cloth. Together, they explore the things that pull us apart about faith, as well as the universal beliefs that pull us together: God, heaven, doubt, war, atheism,intermarriage, the "us" versus "them" of religion.
Meanwhile, as Albom crafts his cleric's final sendoff, he accidentally engages with an inner-city pastor of a crumbling church, one that houses the homeless and collects no dues--as far from Albom's religious upbringing as possible. Skeptical at first, Albom begins to admire the pastor and his impoverished congregation. And as his own beloved cleric slowly lets go, Albom discovers that a faithful heart comes in many forms and from many places.
Insightful, stirring, humorous, and heartbreaking, Have a Little Faith will make readers explore their own beliefs, and perhaps realize how much more we are alike than different. And as Albom fulfills his cleric's last request and tearfully asks God to welcome the man home, this book will surely become everyone's story.
Overall Impressions:
I may not be a religious person, but I have always found religion and spirituality an interesting topic. I love to learn about different religions and see how people practice theirs. You don't have to be a religious person to be familiar with Mitch Albom's famous books, Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. So it pretty much goes without saying that Mitch Albom is a famous author, and for good reason! He weaves a fine tale, even if it is non-fiction.
I liked this book largely because no subject was off limits. He asked his Rabbi, Albert Lewis, all the hard questions, and got pretty realistic answers. There's some fine lessons and great quotes to be taken from this story, the vast majority of which you don't need a man of God to explain to you - it's all just good sense. It is amazing how often good, old fashioned logic and sense get left behind when religion is involved. And that's just plain silly. You can be religious and logical, all at the same time!
Positives: This is an uplifting, easy to read, feel good book, even though if the subject matter is a sad. Some of the personal stories are heartbreaking, but the whole thing comes through with a positive message. Gotta love that.
Negatives: I honestly found little fault in this book. If you are looking for an in-depth study of religion, or if you find vague morality discussions frustrating, this is not the book for you.
For the majority of people who are not terribly jaded it is a worthwhile read.
Other books I've read by Mitch Albom: Zip. Zilch. Nadda.
****
Book count: 1
Page count: 260/15000
Have a Little Faith: A True Story - Mitch Albom
Read: it showed up at work one day, and I have always wanted to read Tuesdays with Morrie
Source: Borrowed from Anthony
Finished: 6/22/11
Rating: 9 out of 10
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 260
Published: 2009
Product Description: (from amazon.ca)
In the beginning, there was a question...
With those words, Mitch Albom launches his long-awaited return to nonfiction. Have a Little Faith is Albom's first true-life story since Tuesdays with Morrie, and like that classic tale, this book explores life through a unique journey: Mitch's search for the right words to eulogize a Man of God.
Albom takes his readers on a stirring, heartfelt mission to honor a last request and send a beloved rabbi off to heaven the way the cleric had done for so many before him. Along the way, Albom--who walked away from a deeply religious background as a young man--rekindles his own faith by sitting with and caring for the wise, funny, but slowly decaying man of the cloth. Together, they explore the things that pull us apart about faith, as well as the universal beliefs that pull us together: God, heaven, doubt, war, atheism,intermarriage, the "us" versus "them" of religion.
Meanwhile, as Albom crafts his cleric's final sendoff, he accidentally engages with an inner-city pastor of a crumbling church, one that houses the homeless and collects no dues--as far from Albom's religious upbringing as possible. Skeptical at first, Albom begins to admire the pastor and his impoverished congregation. And as his own beloved cleric slowly lets go, Albom discovers that a faithful heart comes in many forms and from many places.
Insightful, stirring, humorous, and heartbreaking, Have a Little Faith will make readers explore their own beliefs, and perhaps realize how much more we are alike than different. And as Albom fulfills his cleric's last request and tearfully asks God to welcome the man home, this book will surely become everyone's story.
Overall Impressions:
I may not be a religious person, but I have always found religion and spirituality an interesting topic. I love to learn about different religions and see how people practice theirs. You don't have to be a religious person to be familiar with Mitch Albom's famous books, Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. So it pretty much goes without saying that Mitch Albom is a famous author, and for good reason! He weaves a fine tale, even if it is non-fiction.
I liked this book largely because no subject was off limits. He asked his Rabbi, Albert Lewis, all the hard questions, and got pretty realistic answers. There's some fine lessons and great quotes to be taken from this story, the vast majority of which you don't need a man of God to explain to you - it's all just good sense. It is amazing how often good, old fashioned logic and sense get left behind when religion is involved. And that's just plain silly. You can be religious and logical, all at the same time!
Positives: This is an uplifting, easy to read, feel good book, even though if the subject matter is a sad. Some of the personal stories are heartbreaking, but the whole thing comes through with a positive message. Gotta love that.
Negatives: I honestly found little fault in this book. If you are looking for an in-depth study of religion, or if you find vague morality discussions frustrating, this is not the book for you.
For the majority of people who are not terribly jaded it is a worthwhile read.
Other books I've read by Mitch Albom: Zip. Zilch. Nadda.
****
Book count: 1
Page count: 260/15000
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