Sometimes I wish authors would all collaborate and decide not to publish anything new for a year. Wouldn't it be nice to get caught up on all the books on your to-read list without new books being written and printed?
Sometimes I wish I wasn't a compulsive list maker. Even if authors and publishers didn't print anything new for a year I would still discover a whole realm of books to read that I hadn't looked at yet... just because I need to make a list (Have I mentioned recently that I'm extremely Type A?? My children are probably going to hate me for that.).
Sometimes I wish I could just reread all my favorites from when I was younger without feeling guilty because there are so many books I've never read. I really want to re-read the Anne of Green Gables series, Little House on the Prairie series, The Kingdom and the Crown series, Little Women series... the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I also have over 120 books on my to-read list I feel guilty whenever I think of re-reading those books. I tell myself that this year, once I hit my goal of 52 books then I'll treat myself by reading all of those books again.
Sometimes I wish I had never even thought of going to graduate school because then I would feel like I had a whole lifetime to catch up on my reading rather than trying to cram it all into the 18 months before I hopefully start grad school (and then spend the next 2-6 years with my to-read list growing ever longer... the curse of being an English major... no matter how much you read, your to-read list will never get any shorter).
Sometimes I hope and pray, that if I'm good enough, I'll get an eternal assignment in that big library that I just know exists in heaven (I know we're going to be busy and all, but we're still going to be able to have some time for reading... right?). I mean... someone has to catalogue all the books? Unfortunately, my to-read list would grow impossibly long since since I'll have access to millions and millions of books I'd never heard of. Fortunately, all the worthless/crappy books wouldn't be allowed there AND I'll have all of eternity to get caught up.
Sometimes though, I am so grateful to live at this time in history where it is so easy to have access to books!! Sure, there are times when I think that I'll never have enough time to read all the books I want to, I also feel incredibly blessed that I have access to pretty much any book I could ever want to read. Could you imagine living before the printing press? Or heck, even in the 1800s? I love the fact that I live across the street from a rather good library (and that I'm still going to live across the street from it when we move!) and if that library doesn't have the book I want, I can get my husband to check it out from the BYU library (I may or may not steal his ID card before he goes on his internship so I can check out books there during the summer).
What do you sometimes hope for?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Happy Early Birthday to Me!
I would like to start off by saying that I am fully aware of the fact that my birthday isn't for another 3 weeks, but sometimes you just need to start the celebrations early... so I did. It may also have something to do with the fact that the day after my birthday we get the keys to our new apartment and once that happens we'll be busy packing stuff up, buying practical stuff like a washer and dryer, and moving stuff over... so there will be no birthday celebrations after my birthday.
Last night, after many hours, days, and weeks spent in deliberation, I bought a Nook! Barnes and Nobles sells certified, pre-owned Nooks at a bit of a discount, so I bought one! In just a few short weeks (or hopefully less) it'll be here!
I decided to go with a Nook mostly due to the fact that it gives me more options. The Kindle (as much as I love it) doesn't support ePub format, which means there are a lot of books that aren't accessible to you if you have a Kindle. The Nook on the other hand, does support ePub format. The best part about it is the fact that the Provo library (and I think all libraries in Utah) have a eBook component, so I can borrow relatively new books using my Nook just like I'd check them out from the library! This is really important if you'd prefer not to spend oodles of money buying books.
The biggest reason I'm excited about this purchase though? I no longer have to spend hours before any trip agonizing about what books to take with me on a trip and how many books I'll realistically read on a trip. I can just make sure my Nook has some interesting books and I'm good to go! Yay for not needing an extra bag just for books (you only think I'm exaggerating)!
Once it arrives and I get to play with it I'll let you know how I like it. Hopefully I'll love it!
Last night, after many hours, days, and weeks spent in deliberation, I bought a Nook! Barnes and Nobles sells certified, pre-owned Nooks at a bit of a discount, so I bought one! In just a few short weeks (or hopefully less) it'll be here!
I decided to go with a Nook mostly due to the fact that it gives me more options. The Kindle (as much as I love it) doesn't support ePub format, which means there are a lot of books that aren't accessible to you if you have a Kindle. The Nook on the other hand, does support ePub format. The best part about it is the fact that the Provo library (and I think all libraries in Utah) have a eBook component, so I can borrow relatively new books using my Nook just like I'd check them out from the library! This is really important if you'd prefer not to spend oodles of money buying books.
The biggest reason I'm excited about this purchase though? I no longer have to spend hours before any trip agonizing about what books to take with me on a trip and how many books I'll realistically read on a trip. I can just make sure my Nook has some interesting books and I'm good to go! Yay for not needing an extra bag just for books (you only think I'm exaggerating)!
Once it arrives and I get to play with it I'll let you know how I like it. Hopefully I'll love it!
Friday, March 18, 2011
What I've Been Reading Lately
So much for being good about updating this thing... the midwinter blahs definitely set in around mid February. I've been reading a lot, but not too much else. My recent bout of strep throat/laryngitis probably didn't help to much either (is it bad if I thought strep was just a kid's illness since I haven't had it since 6th grade?).
Anyways, here's what I've been reading lately.
Book 6 of 52: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
I loved this book! It was everything I love in a book: a slight conspiracy theory, jumps back and forth between multiple plots, slightly fragmented, a little mystery, and of course a little romance. I also have to make a confession about this book. Part of the reason I liked it so much is because this book talks a lot about Jewish history and I have a slight obsession with Jewish history. If I had to be born into a family of a different religion, I would like to be born into a Jewish family. I love the fact that I have an ancestor way back there who was Jewish (unfortunately it was a male so I can't claim to be Jewish in any way shape or form). There's just so much history and culture in the Jewish religion to be proud of! Sure, there are not so good things as well, but could you imagine growing up with the stories of the Old Testament and knowing that your family took part in that? I just think it's phenomenal! Hopefully I'm not the only one who feels that way.
Anyways, end of confession, this book tells the story of a modern day woman who is a book preserver and is called in to verify the authenticity of a an old Jewish haggadah (the book used to tell the story of Passover every year). She finds a few random items in the book and starts wondering how they got their. The rest of the story goes back and forth telling the story of these items and how they got into the book at various points throughout history as the book was created and also how the woman is researching the items in the present day.
Is it worth reading? YES! This author tells a very good story, and this story is worth telling!
Book 7 of 52: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
This is another very good book. It has a fragmented story line about this one man's life. It's very interesting to see how it all comes together at the end.
Is it worth reading? I enjoyed it and it does have some very pretty passages.
Book 8 of 52: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson books, you'll love this book! It's a new series that uses many of the same characters from the previous series and introduces some new ones as well. It's a YA book, so it's a very enticing read. Riordan definitely knows how to get kids reading.
Is it worth reading? Absolutely! This book, like the Percy Jackson books, made me feel like I was learning something about the Greek/Roman gods. This book would be great for a kid who's learning about Greek history in school!
Book 9 of 52: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
This is the first book in the Kane Chronicles by Riordan. It's much like the Percy Jackson series, except it talks about Egyptian gods. The first book seems to move a little slow while he's setting up everything, but the second half is action packed! In case you haven't noticed I've developed a bit of a thing for books by Riordan and have decided I feel comfortable buying any YA book by him without feeling like I need to read it first to see if I like it. There are very few authors I feel comfortable doing that with, but Riordan has proven he can write good stories consistently!
Is it worth reading? I think so! If you're looking for a good easy read, this is definitely a good one!
Book 10 of 52: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
I've been on a bit of a YA kick lately, so this is another YA book. I really liked it. The book tells the story of two girls in the Asian steppes a long, long time ago. It kind of has a Repuzel-esque story line, but much more interesting.
Is it worth reading? If you like retellings of fairy tales, you'll probably like this book. It's also a fairly quick read.
Book 11 of 52: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
I just finished this book today. It's a non-fiction book about recent discoveries about life in the Americas pre-Columbus. If you're LDS and reading this book, you'll definitely have to put away your Book of Mormon timeline in order to appreciate the book--otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy trying to decide how everything fits together. I really enjoyed the book though, it took me awhile to get through (nonfiction and illness do not go well together!), but it was definitely worth it. I feel like I learned a lot not only about the Indian populations pre-Columbus, but also how they interacted with the environment and what that means for us today.
Is it worth reading? Yes and no. It's definitely a nonfiction book, so if you don't enjoy those, I would stay the heck away from it. However, if you're interested in the topic then it's definitely worth reading.
If you've made it this far, Congratulations! Now go get yourself some ice cream as a reward!
Anyways, here's what I've been reading lately.
Book 6 of 52: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
I loved this book! It was everything I love in a book: a slight conspiracy theory, jumps back and forth between multiple plots, slightly fragmented, a little mystery, and of course a little romance. I also have to make a confession about this book. Part of the reason I liked it so much is because this book talks a lot about Jewish history and I have a slight obsession with Jewish history. If I had to be born into a family of a different religion, I would like to be born into a Jewish family. I love the fact that I have an ancestor way back there who was Jewish (unfortunately it was a male so I can't claim to be Jewish in any way shape or form). There's just so much history and culture in the Jewish religion to be proud of! Sure, there are not so good things as well, but could you imagine growing up with the stories of the Old Testament and knowing that your family took part in that? I just think it's phenomenal! Hopefully I'm not the only one who feels that way.
Anyways, end of confession, this book tells the story of a modern day woman who is a book preserver and is called in to verify the authenticity of a an old Jewish haggadah (the book used to tell the story of Passover every year). She finds a few random items in the book and starts wondering how they got their. The rest of the story goes back and forth telling the story of these items and how they got into the book at various points throughout history as the book was created and also how the woman is researching the items in the present day.
Is it worth reading? YES! This author tells a very good story, and this story is worth telling!
Book 7 of 52: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
This is another very good book. It has a fragmented story line about this one man's life. It's very interesting to see how it all comes together at the end.
Is it worth reading? I enjoyed it and it does have some very pretty passages.
Book 8 of 52: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson books, you'll love this book! It's a new series that uses many of the same characters from the previous series and introduces some new ones as well. It's a YA book, so it's a very enticing read. Riordan definitely knows how to get kids reading.
Is it worth reading? Absolutely! This book, like the Percy Jackson books, made me feel like I was learning something about the Greek/Roman gods. This book would be great for a kid who's learning about Greek history in school!
Book 9 of 52: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
This is the first book in the Kane Chronicles by Riordan. It's much like the Percy Jackson series, except it talks about Egyptian gods. The first book seems to move a little slow while he's setting up everything, but the second half is action packed! In case you haven't noticed I've developed a bit of a thing for books by Riordan and have decided I feel comfortable buying any YA book by him without feeling like I need to read it first to see if I like it. There are very few authors I feel comfortable doing that with, but Riordan has proven he can write good stories consistently!
Is it worth reading? I think so! If you're looking for a good easy read, this is definitely a good one!
Book 10 of 52: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
I've been on a bit of a YA kick lately, so this is another YA book. I really liked it. The book tells the story of two girls in the Asian steppes a long, long time ago. It kind of has a Repuzel-esque story line, but much more interesting.
Is it worth reading? If you like retellings of fairy tales, you'll probably like this book. It's also a fairly quick read.
Book 11 of 52: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
I just finished this book today. It's a non-fiction book about recent discoveries about life in the Americas pre-Columbus. If you're LDS and reading this book, you'll definitely have to put away your Book of Mormon timeline in order to appreciate the book--otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy trying to decide how everything fits together. I really enjoyed the book though, it took me awhile to get through (nonfiction and illness do not go well together!), but it was definitely worth it. I feel like I learned a lot not only about the Indian populations pre-Columbus, but also how they interacted with the environment and what that means for us today.
Is it worth reading? Yes and no. It's definitely a nonfiction book, so if you don't enjoy those, I would stay the heck away from it. However, if you're interested in the topic then it's definitely worth reading.
If you've made it this far, Congratulations! Now go get yourself some ice cream as a reward!
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