A Little Princess

I finished reading A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett on Tuesday. I am in the book club we have for church, and it was the selection this time. I won't be able to go to the meeting, but I thought I might as well read it because I have been wanting to for a while. It's such a lovely story. It's no wonder that it's a classic. It's a story that every young girl should read, and I am glad I finally got to read it. I decided that I am going to read The Secret Garden by the same author next. It's such a nice break from all the critical theory that I've been reading lately.

River Secrets

Hmmm. Shannon Hale. This is the most recent book in the Bayern series (The Goose Girl and Enna Burning). It tells of Razo's travels to Tira with Bayern's Own and Enna to help protect the ambassador. Again Shannon Hale writes a beautiful story with creative use of the elements and gifts that Enna and Isi have. I am very excited because a fourth book in the Bayern series called Forest Born should come out this year. Can't wait!

Wizard and Glass

The fourth installment of the Dark Tower series. I finally got to find out about the riddling with Blaine. I really enjoyed hearing about Roland's young adventures with his friends Cuthbert and Alain, and the story of Roland's first and only love Susan. This book had great characters and storylines, so many that I don't want to list them all. In King's afterword, he mentions that some won't make it to the dark tower, but those that do will stand and be true. I love that. Stand and be true.

Interred with their bones

I finished this book last night while driving to and from Tucson for class. It was recommended to me by an old friend who knows my love for a good mystery and literature (of course). This book was about finding one of the lost plays of Shakespeare called Cardenio. The story was like a Da Vinci Code-esque adventure. I know most of the story was fictional, but I found it interesting how Carrell wove truth in with the fiction. It was done very well. Last night while driving through Texas Canyon on I-10, the characters in the book were driving down my same path. It was somewhat surreal. I enjoyed how Carrell took me on a journey from England, Boston, Cedar City, Utah, Washington DC, Spain, and the Southwest to show the vast influence of Shakespeare and also the probability of finding the lost play where her characters found it. So fun.

The Waste Lands

I finally finished the third book in the Dark Tower series. There are some great characters and story developments. The idea of Roland's world moving on continues to be intriguing. I enjoy a good apocalyptic story as much as the next girl. I like how King shows a futuristic world of mechanical animals which guard portals for thousands of years. The city of Lud is the future of a world that is appalling, but it's a world I can imagine of the future full of greed, ignorance and superstition. The mono-rail Blaine (the pain) is a disturbing representation of a machine that has lost it's mind because of neglect and has become deized by the people of Lud. I was miffed about the ending of the book because I was in Tucson when it ended with two hours left to drive. If you decide to read this book, make sure you have the 4th book handy, so you can go right into it. I can't wait to get into the riddling.

Size 12 is not fat

I finished Size 12 is not fat, the first Heather Wells mystery by Meg Cabot while we were in California over the Christmas holiday. I have read the second book in the series already before the first. I found the story full of Cabot's personality and wit. Heather Wells is an ex-teen pop mall singer. I found the excerpts from Heather's "hits" at the beginning of each chapter quite hilarious, and it reminded me of those dreadful songs that I loved as a teenager. Very fun. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Heather and her boy band singer ex-fiance comical. The story is a nice light mystery, and I enjoyed it.

Catch Up

I am so embarassed that I haven't posted in so long. I have been so distracted with my class and taking the GRE and the Literature Subject Test that I haven' t had a chance to write. I have read many books this semester, some for school and some for pleasure.

Anatole le Vampire: An abridged version of the story of a vegetarian vampire. The publishers combined three books into one. I have read the original three when I took French a couple of years ago. The condensed version I found disturbing because Anatole's love, Virginie, (who he spies on while she is in her bedroom, so voyeuristic, so French) falls in love with him and they have their small half-vampire children so quickly, not giving Anatole's parents enough time to get used to their son's lifestyle change and that he has fallen in love with a mortal. My only complaint is that I don't like abridged books. I do like the story. It's nice to be able to read a book in another language even though it is at a 3rd grade level.

Enna Burning: After reading Don Quixote, I need some Shannon Hale. Enna Burning is a sequel to The Goose Girl. It is also a wonderful story. I love Hale's writing ability and her way of using nature and the elements. Great story. I can't wait to read the next one in the series.

Waverly: My first experience with Sir Walter Scott. I really liked the story because it was about Scotland during the Bonnie Prince Charlie era. I didn't finish the book. His writing is difficult and something I think you have to get used to. I plan on finishing it, but I just don't know when.

Inkspell: The sequel to Inkheart in which the characters from Inkheart return/travel and live in the Inkheart story. I enjoyed it. I know it seems like that I read a lot of books at that 9-12 year old age. It's true; it's a nice break from reading books that are too thick to think about.

The Scarlet Letter: Like this one.

Pierre, or the Ambiguities: And this one, both of which I finished. This was my first experience reading Melville (which I didn't mention in class because my teacher is a Melvillian scholar and probably wouldn't understand why I hadn't read any Melville).

Le Petit Prince: This book we read for French class. It made me want to be young again. I enjoyed how the author made the story philosophical, reminding the readers of the innocence of children and how they should try to be.

The Portrait of a Lady: My first experience with reading James. I know I watched the movie years ago and hated it. I actually stopped watching it because I hated the way John Malkovich's character manipulated Nicole Kidman's. It made me angry. The book is different. I think Isabel's character is stronger. It's a book that I had to read. I don't know how I feel about it yet.

Absalom, Absalom: I like Faulkner, but I'm not sure about the book. It's so hard to enjoy something when you have to hurry and finish it then write a 4-6 page paper. The more I think about it, the more I like it, but I'm still thinking.

The Drawing of the Three: Chapter 2 of 7 in the Dark Tower series. It had some interesting character development. King really spends time developing characters which is something I admire in a writer. I just started reading the next book.

The Sot-weed Factor: I haven't finished it, and I don't think I ever will. It was entertaining with the way Barth wrote it like Tom Jones, but the length made me tired; plus, I was suffering from bronchitus at the time. I wasn't really in the mood. I am mentioning it though because I did read 450 pages. So there!

Princess Academy: I took a break from the Sot-weed Factor with another Shannon Hale. I am thinking that I've read most of her books, and I need to slow down. I think she only has two left that I haven't read. Princess Academy was great. I don't even know what to say about it. Just great!

Enchantment: Oooohhh! This is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story by Orson Scott Card. It was very fun. I really liked how he took Russian folk tales and wove them into the story. The main character was a Russian Jew born in Kiev in the late 1960s. While staying at a cousin's home in eastern Ukraine he goes out to the woods and notices something that looks like a girl on a pedestal. He dreams of that image while growing up. He studies folklore, like his father, and returns to the Ukraine later, and the adventure continues. Wow. I won't say anymore. I enjoyed it a lot.

The Goose Girl

Shannon Hale Rocks! Everytime I read her books I am so inspired by her writing that I want to write. The Goose Girl is a wonderful story full of the wonderful elements that Hale brings to her writing. Her characters are unique. I love Enna and the other workers. I appreciate her imagination and the cool way in which the goose girl is able to speak to Falada. Just beautiful. I also loved the gifts that Hale gave Ani, her ability to talk to the birds and the wind (which was part of the origingal fairy tale). It's interesting because I knew how the book would end (it is a fairy tale), but I didn't care. I loved every minute of the ride and was surprised by some of the ways Hale told the story. I can honestly say I loved the book and will read it again. First, I need to read Enna Burning and River Secrets which are about two characters she created in The Goose Girl, Enna and Razo. I am debating between reading the second book of the Dark Tower series or Enna Burning. I think I choose Enna. Shhhh.

Now reading: Don Quixote (for the second time)