So here is what I learned.
Not all books are good. Up until this past year, in my opinion, most all books I took the time to read ended up being decent or excellent. How childish of me. But that's the truth of it. When you are surrounded by Harry Potter, Magic Tree House, literary classics, and other books like those while growing up, you start to think that books are the perfected artwork of these holy angels called writers. You feel a guilt weighing down on your shoulders when you think that you may have neglected to finish or read a book that could have so gracefully enriched your life.
Little did I know of the soul degrading affects of a poorly written book with boring characters and a disrespected plot. I now fully understand why it is perfectly alright to not finish a terrible book. I firmly believe that stories and content are pure in their element, but can be mutilated by an unworthy writer. And guess what? The best way to respect the story is to put the book down (in the garbage if necessary) and never again look upon the shame and embarrassment that has been thrust upon it by an incapable writer.
And then I learned that there are some books that just have no choice but to change your life. They just can't help themselves. They just have nothing better to do than inspire you and blow your mind. Let them do their job. Help them help you. Read the beautiful pages and absorb the knowledge that can rewire your brain for the better.
Ready for a bit of cheese? this is a picture of all of the bookmarks I found in all of the books I finished. Some had book sleeves as bookmarks, but this is the rest. Yes, that's a Lego Loyalty card; yes, that's a $50 monopoly bill; and yes, that's a leaf from a lake in Idaho. Sentimental, I know, but it's been a long year.:)
The
Calder Game by Blue Balliett
As a very young fourth or fifth grader I loved these books
by Balliett. The two books that precede this one are Chasing Vermeer, and The
Wright 3. Basically, they are DaVinci Code for kids, which is to say they
are mystery books that revolve around art and symbolism. The Calder Game was surprisingly suspenseful for me. I guess I
don’t read a lot of suspense books, or mystery books for that matter, but for
being a kid’s book this gets pretty exciting. Mostly I adore the way Blue
thinks and writes. She can somehow explain the potential of a young curious
mind in a way that’s not only in depth, but very real. Sure, there are some
cheesy parts to these books, but she gets you to really think about art in a
way you never have before and I love it.
The
Science of Harry Potter by Roger Highfield
So heads up: this book mildly resembles a
textbook. While it is filled with interesting facts and applications of the
wizarding world to science, it doesn’t have a story line, which means you can
go back to it if you’re having an argument about the Ministry of Magic at comic
con. Not only are there technology and engineering applications in this book,
but also psychological, sociological, and genetic discussions as well. Its
downfall is simply the fact that it was published in 2003, and only has Harry
Potter information up to Harry Potter and
the Goblet of Fire. I would have loved to see Rogers take and findings on
Horcruxes, wouldn’t you?
The Magician’s
Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Kate KiCamillo is one of my all-time favorite writers, and
she doesn’t even know it (Trust me, I’ve tried to find any way of contacting
her to tell her how much I am indebted to her mind, but I can’t find any
non-creepy way of contacting her). While my absolute favorite book of hers is the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,
This book is definitely not a disappointment. This book is about hope and
belief, and how powerful they can be. But as I always find in Kate’s writing,
there are much deeper lessons that can be learned. Yes, this is technically a
children’s book, but I think you’ll find that it’s a refreshing alternative to
the more cynical books out there right now.
The
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Speaking of cynical books, this may be the most cynical of
them all. However, it gives an unfiltered look at the world through the eyes of
someone who can actually see it for what it is, and I love it. So many people
told me this was a good book and I now understand why. This book is a complete
must. Chances are though, you’ve already read it, and you know what I’m talking
about. :)
Dune by Frank Herbert
Holy cow this is a monster of a book. I’m not actually sure
I’ve ever experienced a book this involved other than maybe Tolkien. It’s a
mash up of Political Science, science fiction, psychology, religion, and a
coming of age story. I still don’t know what to think of it. The ideas and
philosophies throughout the whole book were endlessly interesting. I must say though (and I could get shot for
saying this, I’m sure), I didn’t enjoy the main character. I honestly thought
he was a little full of himself. However, I understand and respect that I don’t
yet know the whole story behind dune, considering there are 19 books all
together, including 7 prequels to the book I read. In any case, Dune kept me very entertained
and always thinking. If you like epoch fantasies like Lord of the Rings, you
should for sure give Dune a try. I will warn you though, it is definitely not
for the faint hearted.
The
silent Boy by Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry, the author of The Giver is a very talented writer in my opinion who doesn’t ever
let you get too bored. The Silent Boy
is no exception. The message of this book just haunts you: do we condemn people
simply because of their past—do we even sometimes teach and create the monster
we see in others? Who’s at fault of a crime when the one who committed the
crime was taught to do so by the same people who accused him or her? Mostly, I
must say I simply love the way Lois’s mind works, and I will gladly always be a
fan of her writing.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and through
the looking glass by Lewis Carroll
Whether you believe Lewis Carroll was a genius or just high
in general, you must admit that he brings up good points. And after finishing
these books, while I cannot say I really understood everything he wrote, I will
say that there is so much truth to what he writes. He easily captures countless
personalities of people we associate with every day, and reveals the
ridiculousness of human behavior. He does all of this through the dream
filtered eyes of a young girl. Over all, I personally believe Lewis Carroll to
be a very smart person whose style is not for everyone, but can speak very
deeply to some.
Sense
and sensibility by Jane Austen
Jane Austen is not my home girl, and I’m sorry. The problem
for me is the fact that she does such a good job of developing characters I
just don’t like at all that I just end up not liking the book. I also just
didn’t like the story. But you know, it’s okay right? We can still be friends?
Hold on. Let me read Pride and Prejudice and I’ll get back with you.
The
tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
My favorite is definitely Babity Rabity and the Cackling
Stump. And as always, thank you JK, for
gracing us with more Harry Potter like things. I seriously plan on reading
these to my future kids. Let’s just hope they like it, and all of the other
Harry Potter I will be force feeding them.
No
Limits by Michael Phelps
Yes I know what you’re thinking. “Why are you reading a
druggie book?” I’m not reading a druggie book I’m reading a book about a very
talented athlete and all the factors that got him up to and through the 2008
Olympics. It’s actually fascinating. However, the use of swimmer lingo is very
heavy. But anyway, I thought it was interesting to read it right before these upcoming
Olympics just because it will be his last round. I think that despite what we
read about him, he’s a normal guy who has more determination and focus than
most, and has been able to accomplish incredible things.
The
storytelling animal by Jonathan Gottschall
So remember how I said that there are books that will change
your life? This would be one of them for me.
I actually remember finding this book in the store and instantly
connecting with it. I remember picking it up and reading it a little bit and
then putting it back to look at something else and coming back to it maybe
three or four times before I just gave up and got it. I am so glad I did. Describing everything
from why we needed stories anciently to how we use them now and how it is
altering our very existence, Jonathan created a new awareness in my brain that
is now hyper-aware of the concept of story in all of its aspects. Sure it’s a
non-fiction analytical psychology book, but kept me up late at night reading
while constantly blowing my mind. If you like psychology, or you have people in
your life who constantly tell stories you have questioned the truth of before,
this book will probably get you to stop dead in your tracks like it did for me.
Oh my gosh just read it.
The
glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Before I say anything, let me just warn you that this book
is a very hard read—not in the sense that it’s written in old English, but in
the sense that the content is very hard to take in. The Glass Castle is a memoir of Jeannette Walls that takes a good
look at what poverty in the US actually looks like, a real look at mental
disorders, and a real look at abuse. The interesting thing about this book is
that Jeannette hardly ever stops to talk about her thoughts on what was
happening throughout her story, and instead forces you to think about it for
yourself. While this book isn’t for
everyone, it is a book that needs to be out there.
The
Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Yes, this is the last book in the Percy Jackson series, and
yes, I got through the whole series and stopped half way through the last book.
I’ve claimed before that I didn’t want the series to end and that’s why I
stalled finishing it, but the truth is I just found it to be kind of
disappointing after the other four books. This could be because I was into a
very different kind of writing style in junior high, but really, (and here I
make my confession) I read 80 more pages of the book from where I left off, and
then looked up the summaries of each chapter till the end. I know, I’m lame,
but I really couldn’t take it anymore. This is one of those series’ that, in my
opinion, just need to be started and finished while you are in the age range
prescribed. I’m pretty bummed that I didn’t finish it while I could have
enjoyed it more, but there’s a lesson for you.
Leven
Thumps and the ruins of Alder by Obert Skye
I know I know, I did it again with the whole
not-finishing-a-series stuff. This time it was different though, I’m happy to
say. It could have been because I adored these books while I was reading them
from elementary to junior high, but this was a great ending to the story of
Leven and Foo. Obert is a very funny and sarcastic writer, as well as just
plain great at telling stories. I was actually pretty sad when the book ended,
even though it ended great. I’m not even going to try and describe what the
book is about for you however, because that would take days on end and you’ll
just have to read them yourself.
Now that those reviews are done, I would like to tell you
something. There was a book I read I was pretty excited to read, and it ended
up being terrible… quite literally awful. And I’m not going to give you the
name of the book or author because I don’t actually want any of you to find it.
I’m actually kind of sad that I spent a whole 7 dollars on it. That money could
have been used to buy lunch or a much better book. I literally threw it in the
trash. So libraries: use the libraries. We must keep the libraries in business
not just because they are sanctuaries for the nerdy soul, but because they save
us from wasting our money on books we don’t know are abominations unto the invention
of the printing press… and ink… and paper.
Next post: My adventures I forgot to post because I was reading all the time.
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