A-Z Reading Challenge Update

So...do you remember how at the beginning of the year I decided to do an A-Z Reading Challenge?  Yeah, I kind of forgot too.  Here's what's been happening and what books I've read so far:

January:
H:  The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
E:  Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins
P:  Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George

February:
Nothing

March:
J:  A Jane Austen Education, by William Deresiewicz
Y:  Mocking Jay, by Suzanne Collins

I only had the first Hunger Games book on my list, but since I'm the kind of girl who reads one, reads them all, (and I really wanted to read how it ends), I decided to change books E and Y to include the other two.  Plus, I was doing very poorly on my list and needed the extra help.

What should I read next?

A-Z Reading Challenge

Keith gave me a Kindle for Christmas.  Mmm...I like it...  In fact, I'm having way too much just fiddling with it to actually READ something.  I think I'll be getting a lot of use out of it, especially as I haven't really read much at all over the last two years due to graduate school.  Yes, I've read all of Harry Potter over again, and I've read a smattering of other things, all of which I've read before, but I haven't taken the time to branch out and read something NEW.  So, yes, the Kindle and I will be great friends.  What should I name it??

Anyway, my friend, Melinda, posted a great reading goal on her blog.  The idea is to read 26 books over the course of the year: one book for every letter of the alphabet. 

So, I'm signing myself up and putting my little free time to better use.  My list of books to read is below.  Want to read along?

A:  Amazing Grace, by Eric Metaxas
B:  Beauty and the Beast, by Marianne and Mercer Mayer
C:  Crossed, by Ally Condie
D:  Dangerous to Know, by Tasha Alexander
E:  The Elect Lady, by George MacDonald
F:  Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen
G:  Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
H:  The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
I:  Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini
J:  A Jane Austen Education, by William Deresiewicz
K:  Kindred Spirit: A Biography of L.M. Montgomery, by Catherine Andronik
L:  The Little Prince, by Antione de Saint-Exupery
M:  Midnight in Austenland, by Shannon Hale
N:  No Name, by Wilkie Collins
O:  The Odyssey, by Homer
P:  Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George
Q: The Mysterious Mr. Quin, by Agatha Christy
R:  The Redheaded Princess, by Ann Rinaldi
S:  The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
T:  The Tenant of Windfell Hall, by Anne Bronte
U:  The Unfinished Angel, by Sharon Creech
V:  Vixon, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
W:  The Walking Drum, by Louis L'Amour
X:  House of Learning: Getting More from Your Temple EXperience, by Richard & Kathleen Walker 
Y:  Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories, by Dr. Seuss
Z:  Zachary Pill, the Dragon at Station End, by Tim Greaton

I do have to say that this list was incredibly difficult to compile.  It has literally taken me days to write it up, which is probably because any book that actually sounded good to read I've already read.  So, I had to do a lot of research.  What made the list were mostly books I already had but never read, what I hope the library carries, and books I could download to my Kindle for free.  And the nice thing about this challenge is that I can change my books anytime.  If I start something and don't like it, I can find something else.  And I don't have to read them in alphabetical order.  In fact, I've already finished reading letters H and P.  Which letter should I go for next?

Four Thousand One Hundred and Sixty-Seven

For the first time in a long time I have had time to do some leisure reading.  With no class, no homework, and no textbooks, it has been great to just relax and read.  So after 2 years of graduate school without more than holiday breaks, what do I pick up to read first? 

Harry Potter.

Yep, all 7 books, all 4,167 pages.

It was awesome.  Just like last time.

But now the question is: what to read next?  Any suggestions?

The Harry Potter Effect

A week or so ago, I read this post about one writer's Harry Potter summer.  It got me thinking about my own Harry Potter experiences.  But then everyone else started writing and blogging about Harry Potter, and I didn't feel like my ideas were special anymore.

But doggone-it!  I love Harry Potter!  Not necessarily the movies (although they are entertaining), but the books.  And what I love isn't so much that the books are the best things I have ever read (but they are pretty darn close), or that the fight between good or evil is superbly played (which it is), or that there is real, palpable emotion in those pages (who didn't cry when Dobby died?  or through the 'Mirror of Erised' chapter?); it's what happened to the nation and to the world when Harry Potter was born.

You see, I remember Harry Potter as the first big book craze. It was like we were all asleep to reading and literature and Harry Potter shook us awake.  It seemed that for the first time, people were excited to read.  Kids started reading, adults starting reading, the whole world started reading. There was a feel of unity, a sense of solidarity, as we all read and breathed for the Boy Who Lived.

Once, just a day or two after Book 6 came out, I was flying back from New Orleans.  I was frantic to get home to my new Harry Potter book, but I had to settle for Wuthering Heights for the duration of the flight.  No one else decided to suffer as I had.  Every row of that airplane was dotted with at least one Harry Potter book, whether it was The Half-Blood Prince or one from before.  The flight was silent except for the constant turning of pages.  They were all reading together--laughing, crying, cheering, gasping, delighting together.   It was amazing.

The effect of Harry Potter has been far-reaching and far-felt.  Millions have read or seen of his adventures and his triumphs, and we have all changed as a result.  Because of Harry Potter, we have learned lessons about love and family and friendship.  We have spent hours with books in our hands, we have explored mythical worlds, we have pretended and imagined, and magic has been worked in all of us.  And even though the books have all been published and the movies have all premiered, I don't think the effect will ever actually be lost.  For, how could we ever forget the boy who taught us to live?

***

What effect has Harry had on you?

And don't tell me you haven't always secretly wished to be a wizard.

Austenian Irony

Keith and I had yet another discussion about Jane Austen last night.  It seems that anytime the conversation leans toward reading and literature, he always has to mention Jane Austen, as he thinks that I am a little Jane Austen obsessed.

So last night I told him that I had began reading (or, should I say, re-reading) Mansfield Park, and he scoffed.  He then said something about how none of her books are written from the view point of a man and how you never know how the MAN is feeling as the pages are dominated by women.

At that remark, I promptly got up, went to my book shelf, and pulled down Persuasion.   I flipped to the back, skimmed a couple of pages, and then read Keith Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne--the letter in which he pours his heart out and asks for a chance.  How's that for MANLY feeling?

When I checked my email this morning, I found that I had won a giveaway on BlogHer. And what did I win? A copy each of The Complete Works of Jane Austen and A Jane Austen Education, which is written by and tells of the experience and feelings of a Jane Austen-reading MAN.

I love when irony works in my favor.

P.S.  With two new books to add to my collection, I think my obsession just got worse.

On Your Mark, Get Set, TWAIN!

Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain

Sometimes my smartness astounds me. 

Take this morning for example:

I was playing along with the 7:40 Challenge on B98.7 while on my drive in to work. They ask five questions and you have five seconds to answer each question.  In order to win you need to get at least 3 of the 5 questions correct.  You have to be quick.  You have to be fast.  You have to be smart. 

One of the questions this morning was, "What great American author wrote the novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?"

My immediate response?  "Samuel Clemens!"

P.S.  Have you ever read his Diaries of Adam and Eve?  It is absolutely delightful!

Jill and Jane Austen

Sometimes I get made fun of for my likes in LITERATURE. Just because I read good, old English classics, I tend to get mocked and ridiculed. So what if I own EVERY title Jane Austen ever wrote? And just happen to be watching Sense and Sensibility this week? Who cares that I have FIVE (or six?) different movie versions of Pride and Prejudice in my collection? Or that I tend to watch Persuasion every other week or so, because I LOVE it that much? Although I have read Mansfield Park at least FOUR times, I have only read Northanger Abbey TWICE; I love Emma, but I have NEVER read Lady Susan. Therefore, I am not a FANATIC--for, I cannot be a fanatic if I have not read the COMPLETE WORKS. And, for your information, I happen to be reading North and South right now, which, by the way, is NOT written by Jane Austen. Nor is Jane Eyre, which is one of the best books EVER. I have read Wuthering Heights twice, and find Wives and Daughters just DELIGHTFUL. Hence, if I also ENJOY the Brontes and Gaskells, I can't be too CRAZY, can I?

(Note: all words in purple are linked to other blog posts. Maybe I do I have a problem...)

Rumor Has It

I heard that they are making a new movie of Jane Eyre, produced by BBC, that is supposed to be released sometime in 2009.

As you know, Jane Eyre is quite possibly the best books ever written. I have read it many times and will yet read it again. It is an amazing book that has been adapted again and again for the big screen. There are at least 4 different/older versions of the movie that I can think of and I am sure there are more that I am unaware of. And yet, each and every one of these versions is a disappointment. Mr. Rochester is too harsh, Jane is too pretty (or too ugly), they mess up the story, they mess up the romance, they cut out the best speeches, etc. They get it all wrong.

To hear that they are making a new movie of Jane Eyre excites me. I have been waiting for a film that can truly capture the emotion and feeling of the book, something movie makers have yet to accomplish, and hope that this new film just might be the one.

However, as I search for and google this new film, I come up with nothing. There is absolutely zero information about it. The only bit of news I can find is the actress who is to play Jane. And as for the release date? Well, 2009 is more than half over and there is still not the slightest peep. It's discouraging. And I begin to wonder: Is the rumor to be believed?

Oh, the suspense!

Writer's Block

I am trying to write a story. I have this awesome plot and tale, with many thoughts and ideas, roaming around my head, yet I lack the words to express them. Well, it's more like I lack the words needed to get from one point to the next. Therefore, at the moment, my story is very, very short and I am stuck. I went here for a little inspiration. Can I just say that Shannon Hale is my hero? (And not only is she my hero, she is my cousin, too. I am so lucky. (See this post for the full story.)) I'm still stuck, but I feel better.

I did, however, get told today that I have very good syntax. What a compliment! I have always prided myself on my syntax. Thanks for the ego boost, Meg!

Oh, and thanks, Mrs. Riley, for teaching me what syntax is. Got to love AP English.

Booking It

I have a long commute. If I take public transportation, it takes me 50 minutes to get to work in the mornings and over an hour to get home at night. That gives me a LOT of time to read.

From my last post, you can see that I have just finished reading North and South. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am now love with the hero, Mr. Thornton. The book before that was Jane Eyre, which is, in my opinion, one of the most compelling and best books ever written.

So now, having read through two fairly heavy pieces of literature, I am in need of a new book to read as I wile away the time on the train. Any suggestions? Leave me a comment with what you think I should read next or what your favorite book is and we'll see what we can do.

So Long, Mr. Darcy

Hello, Mr. Thornton!


My most current read is North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It is good; really good. I saw the movie first and liked it enough to read the book. And you know what? The book is better.

And if you thought that Mr. Darcy loved Elizabeth, then Mr. Thornton LOVES Margaret.

Oh, to be loved by such a man...

Just Great! Expectations

When I was in ninth grade, we read "A Tale of Two Cities" in English class. Finding it a rather good book, I thought, "I'll try another Dickens'." The only other Dickens' we had in the house was "Great Expectations." I whipped the fat book off the shelf and began reading. I trudged and struggled and strained to read that book. It was hard. The language was flowery, the story odd, and it was just too much for my ninth grade brain to comprehend.

I hadn't gotten very far when I lugged that big book to school one day. I was trying to read it for quiet reading time and had just determined to quit the book all together, when my teacher, seeing my book, came up to me. "Jill," Mrs. Thornley said, "I am so impressed that you are reading another Dickens' book. I think it is great that you are reading classic literature."

Do you know what I felt? Guilt. Guilt for wanting to quit. Guilt for thinking it was so hard. And Guilt for not trying hard enough. I vowed at that moment that I wouldn't let Mrs. Thornley down. I was going to finish that book, even if it killed me.

Imagine my surprise when, a couple months later, Mrs. Thornley nominated me as English student of the year, ALL because I was willing to go beyond the normal capabilities of a 14-year-old and read Dickens' "Great Expectations." She knew I was capable of reading that book and knew that I could do better than I had done before.

Since President Monson's address at the CES fireside on Sunday, I've been thinking about the Great Expectations my Father in Heaven has for me. He has so much planned for us, He expects a lot of us, and He knows what we are capable of. It might be hard, and I might want to quit and give up, but as long as I try to do my best, I can't let Him down. And when I try my best, I will get a far greater reward than I could imagine.

I started a new book today--"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. Perhaps this time I'll understand it.

A Lesson In Faith

I have currently been reading the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. These books are amazing! Not only are they easy to read and thoroughly entertaining, they also contain many gospel principles and lessons. It is fun to read a piece of fiction and find religious symbolism.

In the fourth book Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy have been recalled to Narnia to help Prince Caspian defeat his uncle and be victorious in reviving "Old Narnia". The only problem is that the children have been away from Narnia for so long, and the lay of the land has changed so much, that they can't find Prince Caspian to help him. They are lost. They have two options: to go up or to go down. Lucy, the youngest and purest of the children, sees Aslan. In her brief glimpse of the lion, Aslan indicates to Lucy that they must go up. The others do not believe what Lucy saw and decide to go down. The path is very rocky and trecherous and everything goes wrong and they must go back to where they began. While resting for the night, Lucy hears someone calling her name. She wakes to find Aslan telling her that she must get the others to follow her. He will lead her and show her where to go, but at the beginning, no one else will be able to see him. Lucy wakes everyone and they grumble and moan and make a fuss about following little Lucy, and do so grudgingly. As they travel through the night and down a ravine and find a smooth path and are swiftly lead to their destination, they stop their mumblings and murmurings, and one by one they all notice that it is not Lucy who is guiding them, it is Aslan guiding Lucy.

The application? Take Aslan to symbolize the Savior Jesus Christ and the children to symbolize you and me.

Sometimes we don't understand all that the Lord requires of us. We don't see a reason or a purpose to doing the things that we need to do. We don't have the eternal perspective, we don't see our Savior, and our eyes and spirits are blinded. This is where faith comes in. As we follow the Savior and his teachings, walking the paths that he himself trod, we will find that road is smooth and easy.  We will be able to walk forward and eventually reach our goal. And while we might not see at first, as we soften our hearts, are willing do as the Lord commands, and become pure and child-like, we will begin to see Him and His hand guiding us along the path. Christ will lead us; all we have to do is believe and have the faith to follow wherever he leads.

Summer Book Review

One of my summer traditions is to read as many novels as I can. It is one of my favorite past times and makes me feel smart. Recently, I've read three novels I'd like to review:

1. Spindle's End, by Robin McKinley. Now, you have to understand that I LOVE Robin McKinley. I have many of her books and have read them multiple times. I believe this was my third reading of Spindles End, which was needed due to my forgetfulness. It is a retelling of 'Sleeping Beauty' and is absolutely wonderful, like all of McKinley's other novels. McKinley definitely has a knack for language. Like Jane Austen, the language is a little difficult to understand, yet is so mellifluous that once you understand you are instantly pulled into the story and can't get out: though fictitious and fantastical, you can't help but believe that Foggy Bottom exists, Kat and Rosie breathe, and Pernicia threatens. McKinley doesn't waste her time, pages, or words on unneeded facts or stories, and everything she writes is important to the story no matter how many pages are in between. If you are looking to be transported into another time and world, a fantasy more mature than 'Harry Potter', and a happy ending, give Spindle's End a try. You won't be disappointed. My advice to readers: don't stop at Spindle's End. Go on to read Beauty, The Blue Sword, The Hero and the Crown, and others by McKinley.

2. The Countess Below Stairs, by Eva Ibbotson. Ibbotson is a celebrated children's book author yet I was sorely disappointed her novel. I am picky about writing style, and though the story and plot were good, the writing was atrocious. The book is about a Russian countess who, after emigrating to England during the fall of the Russian Empire, goes to work as a domestic servant in the manor house of an English count. Lo and behold, the count and the countess fall for each other, but alas, she is a servant. Or is she? Unlike McKinley, Ibbotson moves her story along by telling you it is moving, not through descriptions, dialogue, or third-person-narrator-like observations. The story was simply too simply written. My advice to readers: this one you can pass. My advice to Ms. Ibbotson: stick with children's books. Novels are not your forte.

3. Breaking Dawn, by Stephanie Meyer. The fourth and final installment of the "Twilight" series was good but a little disappointing. I will admit, I like the books, and I liked this one, yet there was something to be desired in this last book. Meyer's writing is good and continues to get better. I was pleasantly surprised by all that comes to pass in "Breaking Dawn" and thought the story went along well. My one complaint is the climax-or, should I say, the final climax-of the story fell very flat. For all four books, and especially the second and third, the Volturi play an important role in the lives of our friendly vampires. Yet, here in the fourth book, when the event Meyer's has been leading up to all along, when the Volturi come to visit and to pull the Cullen's coven down, she builds and builds and builds, and then nothing happens. I don't really like reading about blood, guts, death and fire, but here, in the climax of the entire series, nothing happens, nothing more than a little chit chat and some blocking of supernatural powers. No fights, no blood, no death. Nothing. Everything is fine and dandy and everyone lives happily ever after. Kudos to Meyer for seeing the books through and doing a good job, but I felt that she was getting tired and just kind of gave up in the end. My advice to readers and "Twilight" fans alike: read The Host--same author, just a little more mature and grown up and really good.

A Classical Confession

If you know me at all, you know that I love to read, especially the classics. Give me a Jane Austen, and I could tell you every plot, character, love interest, and bad guy. Give me Charles Dickens, and I could tell you that A Tale of Two Cities is amazing and that Great Expectations is just what the title implies: it expects you to be a great reader because it is hard! The Bronte Sisters, L.M. Montgomery, Dumas, Forster, and Gaskell -- I'm a fan of all. However, being the avid reader that I am, I admit that up until recently I have never read the classic of the classics, Little Women. I know! How can you have read them all if you have never read Little Women?!?! Usually when I confess this small fact I am met with wonder and shame. That I have never read the book is inexplainable and unpardonable. I have tried to read it at least twice before. I was never able to get past 30 or so pages. It was just too boring or too something or other for me to go on. Well, I had a resolve to finally read it. At the beginnning of this last school semester I stuck the book into my backpack thinking that anytime I'd get bored with studying, I'd pull it out and read it instead of the textbook. It happened occasionally, but not often. Progress was slow or completely nonexistent. When the semester ended I was going through my things and found the poor paperback, and little worse for the wear but still unfinished. I had had a goal to read this book once and, by george, I was going to do it!! Well, a month later and I finally finisihed! And I'll tell you what, it is one of the best books I've ever read. I laughed, I cried (a lot), I loved and learned many lessons about life. So many good things come from this book. My only regret is that I didn't read it sooner. But now I have and am the better for it.