2013 Challenges, Books

Book 208: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I didn’t want this book to end and that’s really all I want to write for this review, but I’ll harp on for a good while I’m sure. I’m sad that it’s over but happy that I read it. The ending made me both smile for the cuteness of it, but also made me sad it was finished! I wanted to know so much more about the characters and the stories and everything! There was just so much left unanswered, but not really because we’re left on the precipice of the amazing post-World War future. I bought a copy of this back in April of 2012, so it counts as a bonus book for my Mount TBR challenge.

Two things stood out for me in this book and those are the multitude of unique voices for the numerous characters and their point of views and the fact this was a World War II novel without the war taking the role of protagonist or overshadowing everything else.

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2013 Challenges, Books

Book 200: The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas – Gertrude Stein

The writing in this book is quite possibly the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read. The premise of the book, however, is incredibly convoluted. Regardless, I am glad I read the book because it counts for multiple challenges this year (Back to the Classics Reading Challenge and Mount TBR Reading Challenge).

When I first thought about reading this novel, I knew it wasn’t an autobiography, but I wasn’t quite sure where this fit into the myriad genres available. Ultimately, this book falls into some gray area between biography and autobiography. This felt like Gertrude Stein’s biography told through Alice B. Toklas but written by Gertrude Stein. And what I found out while reading this was that Paris was an incredibly small place and everyone knew everyone. It was incredibly strange how everyone was connected, but at the same time it was awesome the people who stumbled in and out of the novel including numerous painters and authors.

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ARC, Books

Book 142: Comet’s Tale – Steven Wolf

I rarely read nonfiction and even more rarely go out of my way to read nonfiction. However, when I saw the cover to the right I HAD to request a copy of this book to read. I requested a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. The response below is my honest opinion and I received nothing in return for reading the novel.

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill is two-for-two for wonderful books I’ve read so far! Comet’s Tale was an endearing read and touching read, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Art Forger, which I read earlier this year.

Now the reason I requested to read a copy of this book is because of the beautiful greyhound, Comet, on the cover. I currently live with a greyhound and she constantly baffles me with her joie de vivre and just her lovable personality and I wanted to know if she was unique. Blogging world, meet Olivia:

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2012 Challenges, Books, Quotes

Book 140: Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami

You’ll have to excuse the language, but this book was a mind f*ck. Now, don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean it was bad, it is actually one of the best written books I’ve read this year, but my brain hurts trying to process the novel.

A friend in the UK recommended this book to me and I only just now got around to reading it and thus it counts for my Mount TBR Challenge (22 of 25).

I did a brief cursory search to see if I should save this novel for the Literary Others event in September and I should have with the amazing character Oshima, but I’m glad I didn’t. At one point he says this and it boggled my mind at how awesome he is. I mean there were a lot more awesome things, especially as to the reveal which happens pretty late in the book, but still definitely a great character. Click here to continue reading.

Random

I’m A Grumpy Ggggggg

Sorry everyone, I needed to take a few minutes and vent a few things about the book blogging community and blogging in general.  As I was writing I realized some of it was just me being petty, but part of it is a larger issue that I just don’t want to be the one to raise.

You aren’t supposed to be able to read what I’ve written (except for the last two paragraphs) because I used the NaNoWriMo Word hint to hide what I wrote.  I did this to 1) get this off my chest and allow me to step-over-it and 2) so that I didn’t offend or upset anyone.

GGGG GGGG!  Ggg gg gg gggg gggg G gg ggggggggg ggg ggg ggggggg ggg ggggggg gggggggg ggg ggggggggg gg gg gggg ggg gggg ggggggg gggggg gg (ggggg gggg ggggg’gg gggggg gg gggg ggg gggg ggggg G ggg) ggg ggggg’g ggggggg gg ggggg?  Gg’g gggggg ggggggggggg ggg gggggggggg gggggggg gggggggggg gg gggg ggggggg gg ggg gg gggg gggggggg ggg gggggggg ggg gggggggg ggg ggg gggg gggggg gg ggggggg.  G ggg’g ggggg gggg ggggggggggg ggg gggg, ggg g gggg ggggg gggg ggggg ggggg gggg gggg gggggggg gg ggg ggggg gggggggg ggg gggg gggg gggg.  Ggg G’g ggggg ggggg ggg G ggg gg ggggg ggg G ggg gggggg ggggggggg (gg ggg ggggggggg gg ggggg ggg gg gg ggggg) gggg ggg ggg gggg, gg ggg ggg, gg ggg ggggg gggg gggg G ggg.  Gg’g gggggg GGGGGGG gggggg ggg gggggg ‘ggg, ggggg ggg gggg gg-ggg-gg ggg.’

Ggg gggg gg gggg gggggggg, ggg ggg gggggggg gggg-gggggggggg/ggg-gg-gg ggggg ggggg gggggg gg g ggg ggggg ggg gggggggggg ggggggggg.  Ggg ggg gggg gggggggg gggggggg, ggg ggg gggg gggg ggggg gg gggggg, ggg gggg gggg ggg gggggg ggg ‘gg’ gggg ggg ggg gggg ggggg gg ggggg’g gggggg gg ggg gggg ggg – ggg gggggg GGGG GG GG!  Ggg ggggggggggg gggg gggg gg ggg gggggggg, gggg gggggggg ggg gggg gg ggg gggggg gggggg ggg ggg’g ggg gggggggg, ggg gg GGG’G, gg gg ggggg G GGG’G, gggg gg gggg ggggg gg gggg ggg gggg ggggg. Gg ggg gggg gg ggggg ggg gggg, gggggg gg ggg gggg gg – ggg’g gggg ggg gggg gg gg gggg gggg ggg.

There is one thing – I will ‘vent in public,’ if you will. Just keep in mind this is a personal opinion (and stems from my work with social media/technology in my professional life), so don’t everyone line up to take pot-shots at me.  When you’re writing your blog, try and remember that REALLY long blogs are difficult to read.  I know I’m guilty of doing this on occasion so I’m clearly the sinner casting the first stone.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I read at least 100 blog posts a day and honestly I lose interest quickly.  Just a tip from experience if you find something really interesting and find yourself writing and writing and writing, try breaking it up into a series – or creating a page for a longer/in-depth look.

Thanks for letting me vent even if I couldn’t share all of it publicly – sometimes you just have to write something out to get some sort of closure.