Wait, wait. Buffalo Bill Cody and Susan B. Anthony met at the 1893 World’s Fair? Awesome.

(Reading The Devil in the White City.)

10 Feb 2011   [ books reading 40 in '11 ]
Progress: 3 down, 37 to go. Which: The Fiddler in the Subway, Gene Weingarten (Borrowed from Ky) The title article isn’t until the end of the book and I didn’t even realize I hadn’t passed it in the book until I got to it. Weingarten is conversational, but always, always a writer: a combo that’ll get me every time. I may just add a copy of Fiddler to my collection as an example of writing well (yes, I made that joke). Also? He is funny as hell. On re-reading his childhood-favorite Hardy Boys: Thomas Wolfe warned: you can’t go home again. But shouldn’t you be able to saunter past the old neighborhood without throwing up?

Progress: 3 down, 37 to go.

Which: The Fiddler in the Subway, Gene Weingarten
(Borrowed from Ky)

The title article isn’t until the end of the book and I didn’t even realize I hadn’t passed it in the book until I got to it. Weingarten is conversational, but always, always a writer: a combo that’ll get me every time. I may just add a copy of Fiddler to my collection as an example of writing well (yes, I made that joke).

Also? He is funny as hell. On re-reading his childhood-favorite Hardy Boys:

Thomas Wolfe warned: you can’t go home again. But shouldn’t you be able to saunter past the old neighborhood without throwing up?

4 Feb 2011   1 note   [ books reading 40 in '11 my photos hipstamatic ]

Americans, good. American leadership, bad. Americans, nice. President Bush, glass bowl.

Gene Weingarten describing the gist of French opinion on America(ns) in “Pardon My French…” in The Fiddler in the Subway; “glass bowl” having been previously  defined as a substitute for a description he couldn’t have printed.

“Glass bowl” is officially on my list of favorite substitute words, now.

4 Feb 2011   5 notes   [ quotes books reading 40 in '11 ]
Progress: 2 down, 38 to go Which: Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë lowindustrial: I remember being forced to read Jane Eyre in high school and being completely shocked that I fucking adored it. I think its cardinal virtue is the consistency of its portrayal of Jane from childhood to adulthood. She feels acutely alive. Not to put too fine a point on it, but: seriously. I’m completely taken aback by how much I ended up loving this book. And Jane. I don’t mind that I’m only just now reading it, but I do mind that the movie’s not out for another month. Hee. I knew before that chestnut tree split in two that I would need my own copy (low expectations had me reading the free iBooks version); you cannot be surprised this is the version I got. (:

Progress: 2 down, 38 to go

Which: Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

lowindustrial:

I remember being forced to read Jane Eyre in high school and being completely shocked that I fucking adored it. I think its cardinal virtue is the consistency of its portrayal of Jane from childhood to adulthood. She feels acutely alive.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but: seriously.

I’m completely taken aback by how much I ended up loving this book. And Jane. I don’t mind that I’m only just now reading it, but I do mind that the movie’s not out for another month. Hee.

I knew before that chestnut tree split in two that I would need my own copy (low expectations had me reading the free iBooks version); you cannot be surprised this is the version I got. (:

25 Jan 2011   4 notes   [ 40 in '11 books my photos reading jane eyre ]

Almost done with Jane Eyre…

And I kind of want to punch St. John in the head. Go to India, indeed. Shut UP, St. John!

25 Jan 2011   3 notes   [ 40 in '11 books reading jane eyre ]
Progress: 1 down, 39 to go Which: In the Woods, Tana French(Borrowed from Ky) I keep trying to get this out and it keeps not working and I keep putting it off. We’ll have no more of that, thanks! In brief: Adam (not-so-humble narrator) is daft and frustrating, tells a good story but, by book’s end I wanted to whack him on the nose. Somehow my annoyance is squarely with him and not the author. I liked the book (I know, right?), but do yourself a favor: don’t stay up past midnight finishing it unless you’re chasing it with “Kung Fu Panda” or “Avatar The Last Airbender”. Eesh.

Progress: 1 down, 39 to go

Which: In the Woods, Tana French
(Borrowed from Ky)

I keep trying to get this out and it keeps not working and I keep putting it off. We’ll have no more of that, thanks!

In brief: Adam (not-so-humble narrator) is daft and frustrating, tells a good story but, by book’s end I wanted to whack him on the nose. Somehow my annoyance is squarely with him and not the author. I liked the book (I know, right?), but do yourself a favor: don’t stay up past midnight finishing it unless you’re chasing it with “Kung Fu Panda” or “Avatar The Last Airbender”. Eesh.

10 Jan 2011   [ 40 in '11 books reading my photos hipstamatic ]

All right, 2011: let’s do this.

Last year, I tried to read 20 books, twice. The first time: short by 4; the second time: short by 11. How embarrassing! The fatal flaw in my plans? Choosing the books, whether all or in small groups, ahead of time. I left the reading list yoke behind in college; so this time: whatever I pick up is what comes next. (:

That said: I am going for 40 on the year again. First up is Tana French’s In the Woods.

2 Jan 2011   [ books reading 40 in '11 ]
Progress: 9 down, 11 to go Which: The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (borrowed from Ky) I unintentionally dragged my feet with this and managed to never read the back cover, so once I did dig in, I had no idea what was coming—which I’m grateful for. Final answer: whoa. Death as a subjective omniscient narrator is, I think, an excellent choice. Death’s own opinions, a little eye-rolling, and a good deal of sympathy combine to give Zusak better emotional access to his readers and he serves that from the first page to the last. (I was a bit of a mess those last hundred pages, but Death and Liesel earned it.)

Progress: 9 down, 11 to go

Which: The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (borrowed from Ky)

I unintentionally dragged my feet with this and managed to never read the back cover, so once I did dig in, I had no idea what was coming—which I’m grateful for.

Final answer: whoa.

Death as a subjective omniscient narrator is, I think, an excellent choice. Death’s own opinions, a little eye-rolling, and a good deal of sympathy combine to give Zusak better emotional access to his readers and he serves that from the first page to the last. (I was a bit of a mess those last hundred pages, but Death and Liesel earned it.)

31 Dec 2010   3 notes   [ books reading 20 by NYE ]
After football, we read. (and snack.)

After football, we read. (and snack.)

12 Dec 2010   1 note   [ my photos books reading ]
Progress: 8 down, 12 to go (NYE, 2nd batch) Which: The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins I read Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay (they’re hard to put down), but I’ll count them as 1 book (nerd). I really, really liked Games and I’m glad I entered the series without an inkling as to the plot. Mockingjay is a little frustrating (unearned turns of events), but overall it’s a good series. Not too fluffy without forgetting it’s about teenagers, either. That said, the concept is pretty twisted, some of the scenes more graphic than you’d think! Yes, the covers were a big part of my initial interest; they’re fantastic. Designed by Elizabeth B. Parisi and (husband) Tim O’Brien, they do a couple of things that I love in a book cover: they don’t picture any characters for you and the designs have meaning once you’ve begun to read. Love that. (I admit it, if [if? when…] those mockingjay pins were actual, I would totally throw one on my bag. Oh shut up. (: ) Edit! Thank you to Tiff for letting me borrow them!

Progress: 8 down, 12 to go (NYE, 2nd batch)

Which: The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

I read Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay (they’re hard to put down), but I’ll count them as 1 book (nerd). I really, really liked Games and I’m glad I entered the series without an inkling as to the plot.

Mockingjay is a little frustrating (unearned turns of events), but overall it’s a good series. Not too fluffy without forgetting it’s about teenagers, either. That said, the concept is pretty twisted, some of the scenes more graphic than you’d think!

Yes, the covers were a big part of my initial interest; they’re fantastic. Designed by Elizabeth B. Parisi and (husband) Tim O’Brien, they do a couple of things that I love in a book cover: they don’t picture any characters for you and the designs have meaning once you’ve begun to read. Love that.

(I admit it, if [if? when…] those mockingjay pins were actual, I would totally throw one on my bag. Oh shut up. (: )

Edit! Thank you to Tiff for letting me borrow them!

29 Sep 2010   2 notes   [ books reading 20 by NYE ]
Progress: 7 down, 13 to go Which: To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee 3rd Pulitzer Prize-winner this summer (year). My list of books to re-read periodically grows ever longer…

Progress: 7 down, 13 to go

Which: To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

3rd Pulitzer Prize-winner this summer (year). My list of books to re-read periodically grows ever longer…

21 Sep 2010   3 notes   [ 20 by NYE books reading my photos ]
Progress: 5 down, 15 to go Which: Prince of Thieves, Chuck Hogan Owing to the fact that I picked up the book after watching the trailer for The Town, Thieves reads quickly and like a movie to me. I let the casting director do that heavy lifting for me and between you and me: Jeremy-Renner-as-Jem in my head is terrifying.  I like that the book doesn’t ask for and the fellas don’t want your sympathy. And not in an adolescent, “no, you shut up!” kind of way. There’s just the story and the way Hogan tells it and either it works for you or it doesn’t. It worked for me. p.s. Boston and I aren’t very good friends, so even though I Google Map’d the major locations for context (nerd!), my brain called up visuals from The Wire for Charlestown scenery. Weird.

Progress: 5 down, 15 to go

Which: Prince of Thieves, Chuck Hogan

Owing to the fact that I picked up the book after watching the trailer for The Town, Thieves reads quickly and like a movie to me. I let the casting director do that heavy lifting for me and between you and me: Jeremy-Renner-as-Jem in my head is terrifying. 

I like that the book doesn’t ask for and the fellas don’t want your sympathy. And not in an adolescent, “no, you shut up!” kind of way. There’s just the story and the way Hogan tells it and either it works for you or it doesn’t. It worked for me.

p.s. Boston and I aren’t very good friends, so even though I Google Map’d the major locations for context (nerd!), my brain called up visuals from The Wire for Charlestown scenery. Weird.

9 Aug 2010   1 note   [ books reading 20 by NYE ]

Next batch of books!

After almost a month of not really being home, there’s lots waiting on the TiVo—along with the Netflix-delivered season 1 disc 1 of “Chuck” (uh, love it)—but I am totally sucked into Thieves, so that all gets to wait. Plus, Seattle decided it needed a gray, rainy day and not that I need an excuse to stay in and read, but…

7 Aug 2010   [ books reading 20 by NYE ]

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