Today I’m keeping it short and sweet. I’ll be in professional development at work all day. Ugh. And quite frankly, I’m exhausted. I’ve had very little time to do any internet souring this week. But I did stumble on the best flowchart I’ve seen in a long time via Teach.com.
I think I even discovered a few new books!
Have a beautiful and restful weekend, ya’ll.
love,
melanie
Sometimes I think I’m the only book-lover in the world who has luke-warm feelings towards Pride and Prejudice. I know, I know, it’s a sin. Don’t shoot me, but I’ve always thought Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were snotty, boring and terribly pretentious. I need a heroine with… excuse my expression… balls! I’d take Hester Prynne over Elizabeth Bennet any day.
I always feel guilty about my dislike of Pride and Prejudice, and I guilt myself into reading mash-up P and P novels in the hopes that Elizabeth will grow on me. She never does. My taste is appalling. I know.
When we got the audiobook of Death Comes to Pemberley at the library, I felt obliged to pop it into my car stereo. Alas, if I didn’t listen to this book in audio format, I don’t think I would have finished it. The best part for me about the experience was listening to the glorious accent of the narrator, Rosalyn Landor.
Ms. Landor had a fabulously matriarchal British accent. She might just be the real-life Mary Poppins. AND she had different voices for each one of the characters!
Unfortunately, Ms. Landor was the best part of the novel. The characters I found dull, and the plot, although it involved a murder, had me dozing off at the wheel.
Although this book was a total flop for me, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for audio books narrated by Rosalyn Landor in the future.
Did you read Death Comes to Pemberley? What did you think?
love,
melanie
I was terribly sad to hear of Ray Bradbury’s passing on Tuesday. Although the man was 91 and lived a rich and full life (presumably), I’m still sad to hear of a great author’s passing. As with most the passing of other famous folk, I always seem to learn something new about the person post-modem.
I was delighted to learn that Mr. Bradbury was such an outspoken advocate for libraries. He even wrote Fahrenheit 451 in a library!
After watching this video, I felt such a kinship to Mr. Bradbury. We both love libraries and books and cats and life. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
Rest in peace, Mr. Bradbury. You will live forever in the pages of your novels.
love,
melanie
Tell me a book is about young adults dappling in magic and I’ll read it. Tell me it’s about borderline alcoholic, young adults dappling in magic and I’m grabbing the book out of your hand and running for the door.
The book I just gracefully snatched out of your clutches is The Magicians by Lev Grossman.
The Magicians is easy to compare to the Harry Potter series. Both are about young magicians attending a school for magic. Both feature a young man as a protagonist and are written from a third-person perspective. But that is where the similarities end.
The Magicians was surprisingly fast-paced and modern unlike the Harry Potter series, which is timeless, but can be a bit slow. The Magicians was also very adult, so I wouldn’t recommend this one to the kiddos.
Quentin, the protagonist, is an unhappy young guy who stumbles through a garden in Brooklyn and ends up at a school for magic. Quentin, always dissatisfied with life, thinks this new school may be the key to happiness. He makes friends, he meets a girl, he studies diligently, but he still isn’t happy.He graduates and soon after, his childhood fantasy comes true, but will it lead him to happiness? Dun. Dun. Dun! You’ll have to read it to find out! (How very Reading Rainbow of me!)
My favorite part of the book? The reality of it all. Magic, if real, would exist in the world of Grossman’s novel.The characters have major flaws. They drink, they do drugs, they have sex with the wrong people. They don’t wave wands or wear capes. They truly seemed like real people with a talent.
I also enjoyed the peach-Schnapps-drinking bear. Just read it, you’ll understand.
Have you read The Magicians? What did you think?
I’m checking out the sequel today!
love,
melanie
I’m on a Young Adult literature kick right now. I guess I’m making up for reading almost no YA lit. as a “young adult.” (I still consider myself young adult, although I’m technically out of the bracket.)
I have to admit, I picked Please Ignore Vera Dietz because of the cover art. I’m terrible about judging books by the cover, but I can’t think of one instance where a book I love has a crappy cover. This book was no different. Great cover, great story.
Vera, a high-school senior, is haunted by her dead-ex-best-friend, Charlie. Charlie wants Vera to tell the truth surrounding the circumstances of his death. But Vera is conflicted. She loved Charlie and she hated Charlie. She loved him because he was charming, dangerous and her childhood best friend. And she hated him because he spread her ugly family secret around their high school.
Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an easy, but edgy read. The book has a storyline that jumps through time and through characters to keep it interesting. I’d recommend this book to any and all wallflowers with a free afternoon.
Has anyone else read this book? What did you think about it?
love,
melanie
I hate that I kept comparing this book to Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Concerns. But I couldn’t help it. Mindy even mentions in her book that the comparison is obvious and Bossypants is better. But I actually felt like I could relate much more to Mindy. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? was so relatable, we’re now on a first-name basis.
Bossypants may be relatable for moms living in NYC, but I’m a 20-something that has lived in LA. I was an overweight child who has been on “hobby-diets” my whole life, dated too many “boys” and I online shop more than is healthy– so does Mindy.
The relatablity of a memoir often determines how much I will enjoy it. I just didn’t enjoy Bossypants as much as I thought I would. Sometimes I can’t be unbiased with book reviews.
If you are going to read Bossypants, I would highly recommend the audio book. I enjoyed hearing the book read by Ms. Fey (we’re not on a first-name basis) because she does a few voice impressions and she has a strong, clear, sometimes theatrical voice.
Did anyone else read Bossypants? Did you have lukewarm feelings about it, too? It seems that I’m the only one that didn’t adore it. Maybe my expectations were too high?
oh well,
love,
melanie
I’m making pleasure reading a priority this summer– no matter what. And I am ready, ready, ready for summer.
So, I’m starting my summer reading off early with The Gemma Doyle Trilogy. I read A Great and Terrible Beauty over the weekend and I’m hooked. I’m checking out the second in the series, Rebel Angels today.
I have to admit, I am a total wimp. In kindergarten, we watched the Disney adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and I’ve never been the same. If I had known how haunting this book is, I probably would not have picked it up. But I am so glad I did.
A Great and Terrible Beauty is one part, Gossip Girl, one part Edgar Allan Poe. The book is told from the point-of-view of Gemma, a sixteen year old girl, who when the book opens is living in Victorian-age India. Soon after a mysterious tragedy, she is sent to a strict boarding school in England where she creates frenemy relationships and experiences dark visions.
A Great and Terrible Beauty had me reading (with all the lights on!) into the wee hours of the morning.
What are you currently reading? Follow me on Goodreads to see more!
love,
melanie