Book Group, Books

Book 141: Big Fish – Daniel Wallace

I remember when the film version of Big Fish came out, I’d just started undergrad at UNC Chapel Hill and there was a bit of a to-do because Daniel Wallace lived in Chapel Hill at the time. He must’ve given a talk or something because I have a vague recollection of meeting him or hearing him speak. But the funny thing is, I never read the book or saw the story – I must’ve just been in the right place at the right time. This is the September selection for the Books into Movies book group at my local library. I enjoyed the book and we’ll see about the film.

Overall, the book was a fun read and you can take out of it any number of things, but if there is one thing that I took out of it, it’s that,

“You’re not necessarily supposed to believe it,” he says wearily. “You’re just supposed to believe in it. It’s like—a metaphor.” (112)

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ARC, Books

Book 135: The Art Forger – B.A. Shapiro

My original plan was to go right into reading another book from my Mount TBR challenge list, but as I’m on a stay-cation at Tom’s parents and I didn’t bring the book I had to do some fast thinking on what I could read. I looked through the local library Kindle books and didn’t find anything and remembered I had a NetGalley waiting that would be a light, fun read. I’m definitely glad I decided to read it. It also doesn’t hurt that I feel justified reading a ‘fun’ book as it’s a galley I wanted to review and I’m not just faffing about.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher. This response to the novel is my honest opinion and I did not receive any compensation for it. Algonquin Books is releasing The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro on October 23, 2012 of this year.

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2012 Challenges, Books, Quotes, The Classics Club

Book 134: Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

I want to like Dickens—I really do. The only problem is that I’m convinced if he had a better editor these books would have been BEYOND amazing. The same thing happened while reading Great Expectations to me while reading A Tale of Two Cities. There were probably 200(+) pages in the middle of the book that just felt waffly and I could’ve done without. The openings were both great, once I got used to the language, and the endings were PHENOMENAL!

Great Expectaions counts for both my Mount TBR Challenge (20/25) and The Classics Club (11/100)!

I don’t want to boil this down to a love story, because it is so much more, but we all know my responses generally focus on one theme that really strikes me and the love of Pip for Estella definitely overwhelmed everything else (with the exception of his learning to love Magwitch). But seriously, how can you not be bowled over by the following quote? Click here to continue reading

Books

Book 133: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling

[Click here to read an updated response from my September 2018 re-read.]

And so it ends…there is so much that happens I can’t begin to explain my feelings about the end of this series. As with most of my posts on this re-read, this post is not so much a review as a regurgitation of my thoughts and emotions of the books. So, please accept my apologies ahead of time.

For those of you considering a re-read I encourage you to check out the Harry Potter Read Along over at The Lost Generation Reader from September to December. If I hadn’t just finished I would seriously consider it again. I’m already considering another re-read this time next year 😀 Re-reading this series provided me with a much-needed relaxation and break from my various challenges and I’m definitely glad I took the time to do it.

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Books

Book 132: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – J.K. Rowling

[Click here to read an updated response from September 2018.]

I’m sad that my re-read of the series is coming to an end, but elated that Tom has started reading them and is seriously enjoying them! We’re watching the movies as soon as he finishes each book and both playing through the Lego Harry Potter series. Although I could do without him telling me everything that’s different in the books (open-wound people!), but it’s still exciting that he’s enjoying them.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is DEFINITELY in the top half of my arbitrary which Harry Potter books do I like more list. In this book more than any other, I believe, we truly see just how much potential Rowling has. She begins tying up loose ends while at the same time keeping the story moving forward in such a way that you can’t stop reading. This book more than any other (except for perhaps the first) provides the stage and set for the final novel. And as such – the wait for the final novel was by far the hardest and the longest (seeming)!

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