Bookworm: April 2016

"Sometimes you buy a book, powerfully drawn to it, but then it just sits on the shelf. Maybe you flick through it, the ghost of your original purpose at your elbow, but it's not so much rereading as re-dusting. Then one day you pick it up, take notice of the contents; your inner life realigns."

--Hilary Mantel

Loved: 

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel: Winner of the Man Booker Prize for English literature, "Wolf Hall" is the first of three novels by Mantel chronicling the life of Sir Thomas Cromwell in the Tudor court. I'm a fanatical English history nerd and Cromwell's politics and influential role in the English court of the 1520s and 30s have always fascinated me. Great, gorgeously descriptive read. 

Enjoyed: 

Fairest, Gail Carson Levine: A re-telling of Snow White that I picked up when feeling grumpy and out of sorts one day. Charming and light and smart - very much like "Ella Enchanted." 

The Heir Apparent: The Life of Edward VII, Jane Ridley: Number 4 of 5 in my 101 in 1001 #76, this biography chronicled the exceptionally weird and dramatic and fascinating life of Queen Victoria's heir, Edward VII. Known as "the Playboy Prince," his Marlborough House antics and numerous affairs often overshadow his unique kingship and diplomatic finesse. I enjoyed the insight into a monarch I previously knew very little about. 

Tolerated: 

None this month! 

Re-reads: 

Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine: Did anyone else adore this book as a child? It came up in conversation with a co-worker looking for good books for her nine-year old daughter and I immediately felt like I had to re-read it. Such a great, quick (2 hours-ish) read. 

The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern: I've read this book five or six times in around four years and the imagery of the writing never ceases to astonish me. It's such an incredibly evocative novel...the phrasing and prose, just like the story, remain unexpected and draw me in every time. 

Bookworm: March 2016

"Novels and plays still have a strange force. The writing of fiction and the creation of theatrical images can affect life there more powerfully and stealthily than speeches, or even legislation. Imagined worlds can lodge deeply in the private sphere, dislodging much else, especially when the public sphere is fragile."  -Colm Toibin

So many books this month--clearly I need a life and/or to spend less time being a total antisocial freak. Unrelated note: I'm organizing my books by color in my next apartment, a la Emily in her cute Cincinnati home. 

Loved: 

Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos: I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF, gang. I read the entirety of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" IN FRENCH this month. And it took me for flipping ever. Written epistolary-style as a series of notes between French nobles at the end of the 18th century, it was a total slog to get through and keep everything straight at times. That said, I was so insanely excited to find that I was getting it, and to notice that my speed and comprehension were both improving as I went on. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the book is essentially a series of sexy romances and illicit amours..."Cruel Intentions" was based on it! (#6 on my 101 in 1001 #70!) 

Mozart in the Jungle, Blair Tindall: I marathoned the entirety of Amazon's outstanding new series based on this book a couple weeks ago, and as soon as withdrawal set in I downloaded the book. Illustrating the cutthroat and often un-glamorous world of professional classical musicians, I couldn't put it down - I loved the behind-the-scenes peek into the world of the orchestras I adore so much. 

Enjoyed: 

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train, William Kuhn: Such a cute book! It imagines Queen Elizabeth needing to get away and essentially playing hooky from her job as, you know, leader of the English people. With a charming and varied cast of supporting characters, I'd call it the literary equivalent of a warm cup of tea. 

The Heir, Kiera Cass: Part of a dystopian young adult series I picked up randomly on Scribd one day, "The Heir" is sort of "The Bachelorette" meets "The Hunger Games." Super fast read, and enjoyable...the sequel comes out in May and I'm looking forward to it, if only for its quick and undemanding style. 

The Position, Meg Wolitzer: A husband and wife take on a Kinsey-esque project to write a book about how to...um...keep the spark alive, and it destroys both their marriage and their four children's lives. The book bounces back and forth between narrative perspectives, chronicling each child's adulthood and their parents' attempts to re-publish the book, find meaning, and navigate the complicated relationships they've created within their family. Gorgeous prose and a sharp, incisive look at family dynamics. 

Tolerated: 

Brooklyn, Colm Toibin: The movie, which I loved, was based on this book, and I was expecting to like it much more than I did. Eilis, who I really admired and enjoyed in the movie, is essentially a sad, passive, coldhearted character in the book, and so much of the charm and glamour of 1950s New York was lost in the book. 

I Said Yes, Emily Maynard: Oh my god I'm embarrassed to even admit I read this. Emily was a Bachelor contestant who went on to be the Bachelorette and I downloaded her book on a random slow day at work. It was simultaneously self-indulgent and dull to the point that I debated not finishing it...and very little interesting "Bachelor/Bachelorette" behind-the-scenes gossip, too, which made me crabby. Basically, I need a life. 

Re-reads: 

I've loved Eva Ibbotson for years and I find myself revisiting her entire adult canon around annually. The books are charming, quick, pretty reads that center around things I love: ballet, Europe, Brazil, World War II and opera/the arts. Just one of my weird little favorites or quirks, I guess, but early March was a time when I needed a little Eva in my life. 

The Morning Gift, Eva Ibbotson

A Company of Swans, Eva Ibbotson

A Countess Below Stairs, Eva Ibbotson

A Song For Summer, Eva Ibbotson

Bookworm: February 2016

"But she had to know words. She had to know everything." - Eva Ibbotson

I thought I would read a ton this month, with a cumulative 16 hours on a plane and 72 hours to myself in London, but that wasn't the case...too busy to fall into my usual antisocial habits! That said, there were some winners and some serious duds this month.... 

Loved: 

Wallflower at the Orgy, Nora Ephron: I love everything any Ephron touches, and this was no exception. A collection of short stories and pieces she published over her newswriting/editorial career, Wallflower kept me laughing even at hour 6 of my London flight. 

Enjoyed: 

For the Right Reasons, Sean Lowe: SHAMELESS member of Bachelor Nation, y'all, and as soon as I realized Sean Lowe had actually collaborated on a book I had to read it. It was pretty insipid, but some of the "behind the scenes" stuff really made me happy because I'm stupid-into that show like every other basic white girl in America. 

The Tutor, Andrea Chapin: What if Shakespeare had been a grammar-school teacher? Chapin re-imagines his early days as a writer and reframes the success of some of his poetry as being inspired by a very not-Renaissance woman. It was a quick read, but the endless hand-wringing and emotional drama felt a bit flat to me. 

Tolerated: 

Little Women and Me, Lauren Baratz-Logsted: A young woman accidentally ends up IN "Little Women," and decides to make sure (SPOILER ALERT) that Beth doesn't die and that Jo ends up with Laurie. I have problems with all of this because Beth has to die for emotional development. I also take umbrage with how mean the narrator was about Meg because Meg has secretly always been my favorite. Do not recommend, FYI, unless you agree with the author that Jo and Laurie would totally not have needed "Celebrity Couple's Therapy" after less than five years. 

Re-reads: 

The Royal We, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan: I had this on my iPad, and it seemed appropriate to pick it up in St. James's Park, spitting distance from Buckingham Palace, to kill a little time on my London weekend before the V&A opened. I completely adore this book. It's a romantic comedy that hits all the right notes AND satisfies my inner craving for a good princess/Cinderella story. 

Kate: The Future Queen, Katie Nicholl: Again, it was in my iBooks library, I was at Kensington, and it's something I've read enough times that it was quick and mindless on trains, the Tube, and planes. Good read for those who share my sad, over-the-top case of Middleton Mania. 

Magic Flutes, Eva Ibbotson: Funny story, I just proofread this post and realized I had typed "Magic Glutes," and now I'm all like "SIGN ME UP." Anyway, I adore Eva Ibbotson and this is one of her harder-to-find books...but Amazon has it in Kindle now and I plowed through it yesterday and love it so, so much...especially after having just seen "The Magic Flute" in London! 

Bookworm: January 2016

“Reading well is one of the great pleasures that solitude can afford you.”  --Harold Bloom

Perfect quote for this month, as January has had me staying in and being a hermit more often than not! Add some airport time early in the month to that and you've got a prodigious (and pretty mixed-bag) reading list for the month! 

Loved: 

The Good Girl, Mary Kubica: I picked this up at the Phoenix airport en route home from the Fiesta Bowl, and stayed up late when I got home to finish it right away. It's a Gone Girl-esque thriller about a kidnapping, told from the perspective of the kidnapper, the victim's mother, and the cop on the case. Lots of little twists and one big one that legit left me going "WHAT?!"

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells, Andrew Sean Greer: A woman undergoing electroshock therapy finds herself experiencing parallel lives in different eras...the 80's at the advent of the AIDS crisis, the end of World War I, and the beginning of World War II. Beautifully written and incredibly heartwarming. 

The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion: A brilliant, autistic college professor decides to go on a hunt for a wife with a detailed "wife checklist," and ends up entangled with a quirky oddball of a woman looking for her biological father. I constantly had a smile on my face reading this...perfect midwinter pick-me-up read! 

Enjoyed: 

The Will of Wisteria, Denise Hildreth: A cozy, charming, lighthearted read about four siblings whose late father's will challenges them to overturn their lifestyles for a year. Super fast read, but mostly unremarkable. 

My Notorious Life, Kate Manning: A turn-of-the-century tale of New York crime rings, abortion, immigration, class structures and women's rights all rolled into one. A bit overwhelming at times, and I had a hard time connecting with the narrator, but all in all a fast-paced and interesting enough read for a few evenings! 

Tolerated:

Falling For Hamlet, Michelle Ray: Oh my goodness, this was a completely vapid waste of time. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I watch E!'s "The Royals," and the first season was loosely based on this book. If possible, the book is worse than the TV show...terrible text shorthand, dull, insipid writing, and if you ask me, a wasted opportunity to do something really fun with one of Shakespeare's best works. 

Pericles, William Shakespeare: I was inspired to read Pericles after seeing Joseph Haj's production of it at the Guthrie...and not liking it. I hoped reading it would redeem it in my eyes, but it's an insipid, repetitive, weak Shakespeare play in my eyes. I blame that largely on the fact that it's supposedly not entirely by Shakespeare...but it's easily my least favorite of his works that I've read thus far. 

Re-reads: 

So I re-read all the Madeleine L'Engle "Kairos" series on a whim after stumbling on a blog post about the best young adult fiction. The four books took me about two days to pound through, and they were fun to revisit. Well-written, if a bit dated, with overt but not in-your-face Christian messaging and such a creative, original outlook. 

A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle

A Wind in the Door, Madeleine L'Engle

A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Madeleine L'Engle

Many Waters, Madeleine L'Engle

Bookworm: December 2015

"Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book." -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Loved: 

Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong, David Walsh: I fell in love with this book on page six, when Walsh described his stories of the Tour De France as "a Canterbury Tales in Lycra." I've been fascinated by the Armstrong story for years and Walsh's behind-the-scenes look at his 13-year fight to take him down was riveting.  

Enjoyed: 

American Boy, Larry Watson: A kind of gloomy but atmospheric tale of small-town, 1960's, western Minnesota boyhood...adultery, first love, and sin all wrapped up in heartland values. I loved it for the way it captured an era and for the beautiful writing, but the story itself didn't do much for me. 

The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway: I love Hemingway's stark, pure, sparse prose and the vivid but unadorned worlds he creates. This wasn't my favorite of his (that title's held by A Farewell to Arms), but it was a great read all the same. (#5 on my 101 in 1001 #70!)

Tolerated: 

A Curious Invitation: The Forty Greatest Parties in Fiction, Suzette Field: This was a really cool book at times, and was a concept I was definitely intrigued by...basically the who/what/when/where/why of forty different parties in various books. I loved reading about the parties from the books I'd read, mostly because I could contextualize them, but it was dull and uninspiring to read about books I was unfamiliar with. Good excuse to add them to my reading list, I guess! 

The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet's Pride and Prejudice, Jennifer Paynter: I'm always a sucker for a good piece of P&P fan-fiction, but this one fell perilously flat for me. I was intrigued at the thought of Mary Bennet repainted as a sympathetic character, but I just can't get behind a book that turns my beloved Elizabeth Bennet into a lying, bitchy slut. Too far, Jennifer Paynter, too far. 

Re-reads: 

The Gift, Cecilia Ahern: This book bills itself as a Christmas/holiday novel, and I forgot that I was sorely disappointed by its gloomy tone the first time I read it. It's a riff on "It's A Wonderful Life," but it's pretty negative and, frankly, I had to go watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to get back in the holiday spirit after the depressing ending. DO NOT recommend, for the record.