read 2 books a month

I finished Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. It has been in my bookcase for years…. it won a Booker Prize and I am usually not a fan of Booker Prize books because I feel they are extremely wordy. This was a pleasent surprise – I’m glad it has survived all of my clean up the bookshelves cleaning sprees over the years.

Now I have moved on to The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, my all time favorite author. I always take my time reading her books because I savor every single word.

Good book. Wasn’t what I was expecting. Kinda like a mideivel literature with plenty of heroism and battles, and substituting romance for loving ownership

Kinda screwy perspective… but not enough to distract you.

Buck…the dog unlike any other…

No set theme for this month. I am kinda feeling a little adventurous and outdoorsy…thus my first book will be Call of the Wild by Jack London.

My second book. Catcher in the Rye. I ve never read it, but its summary seems pretty intriguing

Well, 4 days into November I finally finished Frankenstein.

Good book. I liked it. I find it funny that the monster remains unnamed throughout the entire novel, but society has always known this figure to be Frankenstein. Who in fact, was actually the creator. Ironic? maybe. Also I find it really interesting that the default image of this monster is green skinned, flat, square head, black hair and lots of scars. in the novel however, it never really pinpoints his looks. Where did this image come from?

Favorite part of the book- the monster meets fire. I feel this moment is really reflective of the enitre book. At first, the monster finds warmth and comfort in the fire, very much like what he found in humanity. Upon closer inspection of this fire when he goes to touch it, he gets burned. This moment is also reflective of when he tries to connect with humanity. I found it utterly, profoundly devastating when the monster travels away from this fire, and he is incapable of replicating it, and he is left to despair in the cold. And I dont think I need to write out how that relates the monster to humans. I was not however as moved for some reason when he could not gain warmth from humanity as when he could not reproduce warmth from the fire. And the way in which the monster is to die is very interesting, as he will die from fire, from this which rejected him, he dies in the heat of it. Crazy.

As for characters:

Frankenstein: I really did not like the creator, Frankenstein. I was never really able to connect with him, because he turned on his own creation. I saw him as weak, not only from his continual sicknesses, and inability to protect his future wife, but also because he totally retreated from his creation, his life study.

The Monster: I felt very sorry for the monster and him not being able to connect with society. I do not feel he was justified to kill because of it, but he did. I liked his overall character, even though I did not like his actions. He was a driven, motivated character.

The sea captin: I guess necessary for the story to unfold, but i really didnt like the detour between his story and frankensteins. I find it funny that he was in search of a friend, and found Frankenstein, when all who Frankenstein cared for were marked with vengence and death.

Also, what ever happened to the other younger brother?

I met my October goal by reading the Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. It was an interesting read but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Bridge to Terabithia-

I had read this book in the 6th grade, but realized last week, that I remembered nothing about it. i liked the movie, so I had to reread the book.

Very good book. Classic perhaps.

The beginning definitly sounded much like a kids novel- because of the kid perspective, but over the course as the main character grows up, you can definitly see the writing style to become more deep as well.

The movie was pretty true to the book too. with added scenes for content of course, but pretty true. surprising!

Overall, I am glad this detour happened!

I’m on track for October. Just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. The book outlines her family’s attempt to eat only what they can grow and or buy from friends for a year. The book made me think about my food choices and the effect they have on the envrionment. I do not have the time or the space to grow my family’s food but I will definitely try to buy more seasonal and more local.

Finally finished! It was a very good book. Easy read, a bit long, but worth it.

The overall tone of the book was a great effect for October. And the ending was so intense! My emotions were on edge!

Favorite character? very tough to decide- I dont think i have one.
Jonathan? He was pretty wimpy throughout the entire novel, his character seemed quite feminine
*Seward? not really capable of making tough calls
*Van Helsing? kinda a crybaby.
* arthur? doesnt really make a huge presence in the book
(its funny how all the men are pretty feminine even with all the talk of “Manhood”)

I feel Quincey was thrown in only for his final purpose.  Although his last lines changed my  opinion of him, and really made me like him.

I will pick Quincey as my favorite.

Great book, really pumped me up for spooky October, but also helped enforce the early early premices of the holiday. now a days, holloween is fun, not too scary, geared towards smiling ghosts and friendly monsters. but think way back to when people feared actual ghosts- thats creeping me out.

So far in the book, points to hit on.

-I love how at the beginning of the book, we see Dracula as a very cultured, civilized man, but this image is only to be later destroyed by the imagry of what Dracula (and vampires in general) are. The culture is ripped away from dracula, and is transformed into a beast like figure that has absolutly no humanity in him.

- England is freaked! I love how the joyful loving mood of this island is now penetrated by this monster. The bright streets of England have turned dark with blood, and death.

- the Un-dead. not dead, but very much not living. un-dead. only in the night can these creatures awake and roam. Its creepy how the England people are attacked in their subconscious sleeping minds, when they are seemingly dead to the world. Also to note, I find it awesome, in a creepy way that Dracula, and Vampires in this book are totally dead except for in the night- nothing rattles them in the day, you cannot even see them breath.

In spirit of Halloween, I am thinking a european-romantic theme for the month.

1. Bram Stoker’s Dracula

2. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein