I do the majority of my reading in the bedroom. The living room is the Boy's domain... where he does his art, and whatever else it is that boys do. I do have a nice sunny chair in the extra bedroom, but I don't like to read in there very much... I like to sprawl out on the bed and read.
The problem is that my new(ish) downstairs neighbors like to have parties... a LOT... and they like to have these parties in the room directly below my quiet bedroom sanctuary. Unfortunately, it was too much of a distraction for me (seriously... it sounds like they play circus jug-band music every day... I couldn't take it anymore!), and so my boyfriend and I decided that the living room and the bedroom should swap places, because it doesn't bother him.
So we did... This has been a work in progress for 4 days now, and I've finally gotten things how I want them.
And it's nice and quiet and peaceful. *contented sigh*
Pictures below! Read on!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
So, You Say You're Not A Reader, Eh?
Then what are you doing reading book blogs?! ;) Just kiddin'!
After reading Allison's last Top Ten Tuesday post, I thought it looked like fun and decided that I would do one... or maybe more... to try to stick to my resolution of blogging more consistently and such. So, here goes. This week's theme is...
"Books you'd give to someone who says they aren't a reader."
If you don't already know, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. :)
10) Soulless by Gail Carriger
This is an entertaining book with an intriguing, smart, funny, take-no-prisoners heroine who just happens to not have a soul. But she does have great fashion sense. ;) This is very quick and light read, and if you like it, you can continue on right away-- there are three more in the series already published, and the 5th book is due out in a few months!
9) The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
For those people who don't like fiction (*cough* like my boyfriend), this is non-fiction and very interesting and relevant. I highly recommend it, for everyone.
8) Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King
This is a fantastic collection of stories. They range from horror to fantasy to sci-fi to thriller, but they are all expertly written and compelling. If you're not into committing to a full-length novel, maybe short stories would be more your thing?
7) The Princess Bride by William Golding
Exciting, funny, romantic, and whimsical. Not loving it is INCONCEIVABLE! O_o
6) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
I admit, this might seem like an odd choice, but I've already seen it work! Wooo! This book is exciting, intriguing, filled with amazing characters and plotting, and it is just unputdownable. Don't believe me... give it a try. ;)
5) Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
This book is really fantastic. Amazing world-building, interesting and unique magic system, great characters and just a wonderful story, not to mention it's just plain exciting to read. Highly recommended. I loved it, and this book made me a Brandon Sanderson insta-fan.
4) American Gods by Neil Gaiman
If you're into mythology... this one is for you. This book is a mythology lover's dream, and all worked into a brilliantly smart and compelling modern fantasy story. My favorite of Neil Gaiman's books, and that's saying a lot.
3) Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
This is my favorite Austen. I just love the contrasts between the characters: Marianne's reckless abandon vs Elinor's reserved decorum. Not to mention the romantic aspect, and how one never seems to get just what one wants. This is a classic, but it's readable and lovely.
2) The Shining by Stephen King
This is for the horror lovers who might love the movie but have never read the book. Maybe a cross-over book might help to kick-start their reading. The book is more subtle, the characterizations are much better and more fleshed out, and it's awesomely creepy. This book will burrow into your head and stay there... Forever...
1) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I'd be horribly remiss if I didn't include Harry Potter on this list, since it's probably the book most responsible for creating new readers since reading was invented. Or... maybe 2nd. But still. This is a great story, full of wonderful characters that you just can't help but love, a whole magical world you'll wish was real, and a whole series of books to cherish forever. What's not to love?
Now scoot! Get reading! ;)
After reading Allison's last Top Ten Tuesday post, I thought it looked like fun and decided that I would do one... or maybe more... to try to stick to my resolution of blogging more consistently and such. So, here goes. This week's theme is...
"Books you'd give to someone who says they aren't a reader."
If you don't already know, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. :)
10) Soulless by Gail Carriger
This is an entertaining book with an intriguing, smart, funny, take-no-prisoners heroine who just happens to not have a soul. But she does have great fashion sense. ;) This is very quick and light read, and if you like it, you can continue on right away-- there are three more in the series already published, and the 5th book is due out in a few months!
9) The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
For those people who don't like fiction (*cough* like my boyfriend), this is non-fiction and very interesting and relevant. I highly recommend it, for everyone.
8) Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King
This is a fantastic collection of stories. They range from horror to fantasy to sci-fi to thriller, but they are all expertly written and compelling. If you're not into committing to a full-length novel, maybe short stories would be more your thing?
7) The Princess Bride by William Golding
Exciting, funny, romantic, and whimsical. Not loving it is INCONCEIVABLE! O_o
6) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
I admit, this might seem like an odd choice, but I've already seen it work! Wooo! This book is exciting, intriguing, filled with amazing characters and plotting, and it is just unputdownable. Don't believe me... give it a try. ;)
5) Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
This book is really fantastic. Amazing world-building, interesting and unique magic system, great characters and just a wonderful story, not to mention it's just plain exciting to read. Highly recommended. I loved it, and this book made me a Brandon Sanderson insta-fan.
4) American Gods by Neil Gaiman
If you're into mythology... this one is for you. This book is a mythology lover's dream, and all worked into a brilliantly smart and compelling modern fantasy story. My favorite of Neil Gaiman's books, and that's saying a lot.
3) Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
This is my favorite Austen. I just love the contrasts between the characters: Marianne's reckless abandon vs Elinor's reserved decorum. Not to mention the romantic aspect, and how one never seems to get just what one wants. This is a classic, but it's readable and lovely.
2) The Shining by Stephen King
This is for the horror lovers who might love the movie but have never read the book. Maybe a cross-over book might help to kick-start their reading. The book is more subtle, the characterizations are much better and more fleshed out, and it's awesomely creepy. This book will burrow into your head and stay there... Forever...
1) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I'd be horribly remiss if I didn't include Harry Potter on this list, since it's probably the book most responsible for creating new readers since reading was invented. Or... maybe 2nd. But still. This is a great story, full of wonderful characters that you just can't help but love, a whole magical world you'll wish was real, and a whole series of books to cherish forever. What's not to love?
Now scoot! Get reading! ;)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
The Reading Plan: Week of February 6, 2012
Goal: Read 3 books a week to meet my goal of 160 books for 2012.
Update:
Only two list books again this week, and only two books total. Didn't meet my goal, but I was a little ahead so I'm still on track. I do plan on getting in some decent reading this week though. I took the whole week off from work for a mental health recharge vacation. It was very, very needed.
On another note, while I have this time off, my boyfriend and I are rearranging the house. We're swapping the bedroom and the living room/Man Cave/art zone around to provide a more relaxing environment for me. Because he is not bothered by loud parties downstairs every weekend and I am... and they used to go on directly under the bedroom.
More on that later. I'll be posting pictures of my new reading room... err, bedroom, soon! :)
Last week, I finished:
Coming up this week:
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick
World Without End by Ken Follett
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
What is on the agenda for your reading list this week?
Update:
Only two list books again this week, and only two books total. Didn't meet my goal, but I was a little ahead so I'm still on track. I do plan on getting in some decent reading this week though. I took the whole week off from work for a mental health recharge vacation. It was very, very needed.
On another note, while I have this time off, my boyfriend and I are rearranging the house. We're swapping the bedroom and the living room/Man Cave/art zone around to provide a more relaxing environment for me. Because he is not bothered by loud parties downstairs every weekend and I am... and they used to go on directly under the bedroom.
More on that later. I'll be posting pictures of my new reading room... err, bedroom, soon! :)
Last week, I finished:
- The Book of Negroes/Someone Knows My Name - I actually really enjoyed it. I thought that the ending was just a bit contrived, but over all, very good and very informative and interesting.
- The Poet - Great book! It's been a long time since I read a police procedural thriller that didn't contain some sort of paranormal or speculative aspect. I definitely need to read more of those!
Coming up this week:
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick
World Without End by Ken Follett
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
What is on the agenda for your reading list this week?
Friday, February 3, 2012
Friday Flashback Review: Blindness by Jose Saramago ★★★★
Friday Flashback is hosted by Jen @ The Introverted Reader.
This was definitely a thought provoking book.
What would the world be like if we all suddenly lost our ability to see? Would we try to help and protect each other or would we adopt such a heightened sense of self-preservation that it would make every other living being an enemy? Would we lose our humanity along with our sense of identity...?
It took me a little while to get the feel for this book, literally. Dialogue was reduced to a disorienting jumble of voices, which was effective in making sure that I heard the story rather than seeing it in my mind.
In addition, the narrative was purposefully obscure, with an absolute minimum of visual descriptions. The only real descriptions we obtain through the doctor's wife are of the dirtiness and depravity that we do not wish to see.
There were sections of this story that I found atrocious and horrifying, but not unbelievable. But all the while, there is an underlying sense of hope that makes the story beautiful and unforgettable.
This was definitely a thought provoking book. What would the world be like if we all suddenly lost our ability to see? Would we try to help and protect each other or would we adopt such a heightened sense of self-preservation that it would make every other living being an enemy? Would we lose our humanity along with our sense of identity...?
It took me a little while to get the feel for this book, literally. Dialogue was reduced to a disorienting jumble of voices, which was effective in making sure that I heard the story rather than seeing it in my mind.
In addition, the narrative was purposefully obscure, with an absolute minimum of visual descriptions. The only real descriptions we obtain through the doctor's wife are of the dirtiness and depravity that we do not wish to see.There were sections of this story that I found atrocious and horrifying, but not unbelievable. But all the while, there is an underlying sense of hope that makes the story beautiful and unforgettable.
Originally reviewed: October 6, 2008.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
January 2012 Reading Wrap Up
Because I kinda like lists, I think I'll start doing a monthly wrap up with my choices for the Great, the Good, and the Bad, and the DNF. Sounds fun, right? Sure, sure, just humor me. ;)
Books Read: 15
Avg Rating: 3.27 Stars
Pages Read: 3,596
The Great:
The End of the Party by Graham Greene
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a short story (and by short, I mean SHORT -- it's only 6 pages long), so I hemmed and hawed a bit before deciding to feature this one. But the more I think about it, the more I know it deserves to be right where it is, topping this list. This little story packs a wallop. It's easily one of the best short stories I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them. This is the kind of story that sticks with you for a long, long time. I highly recommend reading it. You can find it here for free online.
The Good:
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one is pretty dang different than my usual reading fare, but I really enjoyed it. It made me cringe, it made me think, it made me very glad that we didn't lose to Germany and/or Japan in WWII!
If you haven't had a chance to read this one, I'd say to give it a chance. It's intriguing and unique, that's for sure!
The Bad:
The Death Cure by James Dashner
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
After loving The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure just belly flopped into the pool of What The Hell?! and soaked me in a wave disappointment.
It was illogical, a huge cop-out, and just plain bad. Maddeningly, infuriatingly, Hulk-needs-to-smash-this, atrociously bad.
DNF:
The God Killers by David Simpson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars (Did Not Finish)
I thought this book's premise was very intriguing, and that it definitely has potential. Unfortunately, the writing just made reading the book extremely hard, and it overwhelmed the story.
I don't consider myself to be an overly critical reader, but I just can't recommend this one. If it was re-worked and edited, I think it has definite potential to be a good book. But as it was when I attempted it (because I just couldn't continue reading it), it needs a lot of work.
Books Read: 15
Avg Rating: 3.27 Stars
Pages Read: 3,596
The Great:
The End of the Party by Graham GreeneMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a short story (and by short, I mean SHORT -- it's only 6 pages long), so I hemmed and hawed a bit before deciding to feature this one. But the more I think about it, the more I know it deserves to be right where it is, topping this list. This little story packs a wallop. It's easily one of the best short stories I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them. This is the kind of story that sticks with you for a long, long time. I highly recommend reading it. You can find it here for free online.
The Good:
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. DickMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one is pretty dang different than my usual reading fare, but I really enjoyed it. It made me cringe, it made me think, it made me very glad that we didn't lose to Germany and/or Japan in WWII!
If you haven't had a chance to read this one, I'd say to give it a chance. It's intriguing and unique, that's for sure!
The Bad:
The Death Cure by James DashnerMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
After loving The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure just belly flopped into the pool of What The Hell?! and soaked me in a wave disappointment.
It was illogical, a huge cop-out, and just plain bad. Maddeningly, infuriatingly, Hulk-needs-to-smash-this, atrociously bad.
DNF:
The God Killers by David SimpsonMy rating: 1 of 5 stars (Did Not Finish)
I thought this book's premise was very intriguing, and that it definitely has potential. Unfortunately, the writing just made reading the book extremely hard, and it overwhelmed the story.
I don't consider myself to be an overly critical reader, but I just can't recommend this one. If it was re-worked and edited, I think it has definite potential to be a good book. But as it was when I attempted it (because I just couldn't continue reading it), it needs a lot of work.
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