Tag: reading

The Three Musketeers

This was a book that I’ve been meaning to read for years. I am a big fan of French literature, but have never gotten around to Dumas. So, when this year’s book challenge included a book that’s been on your “to read” list for way too long, this book immediately came to mind. And, thankfully, it’s free on the Kindle, so there really was no excuse for me not to read it.

Most people know the general characters of the Musketeeers- Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, along with their young aspiring friend, d’Artagnan. And I think I’ve seen the old ’90s movie, however I really knew nothing about the plot. And I will say that it took me halfway through to really get into it. Partly because the language is out of date, leading me to spend a lot of time clicking on words to get the definition, (don’t get me wrong… I LOVE reading older books because of the language) but also because there is a lot of setting the stage for the big plot points. There’s double crossing, triple crossing, back stabbing (literally and figuratively), poisoning, murder, love, and a lot of wine. Basically, all the elements for a classic adventure story.

I can see why this story has endured the ages. Along with The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask, Dumas has endured two centuries of translations and reading. He was a prolific writer, and I imagine the French read more of his works that we Americans do. But this was a fun read. And although the setup was lengthy, the payoff was worth it.

Tags books and reading, dumas, french literature, reading, the three musketeers

Hamilton: The Revolution

I really despise musicals. Probably because my mom made me watch them when I was a kid, and they just were so boring! I’m also way too cynical to think people singing and dancing is happy entertainment. However, I saw the movie of Rent and saw that musicals didn’t have to be all happy and cheesy. I never saw Rent on stage, but I did see a dvd of the stage play, which was really great. But then stuff like Wicked comes around, people say how great it is, but I just need more. I need some sort of depth and importance to the story. Book of Mormon just doesn’t even count in the traditional musical category, in my opinion, because it’s so offensive (and I loved every second of it) and funny. And then there’s Hamilton.

I was very skeptical when I first heard about this hip-hop musical and how great it was. I was familiar with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work, though. I’ve been to NYC a sum total of one time and saw two musicals while there- Hair, and In the Heights. My BFF was living in Washington Heights at the time and drug me to see it. And I liked it. Sadly, Lin wasn’t performing that night, but the show was still enjoyable. But Hamilton had so much hype that it made me skeptical. Rolling Stone said it was one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. Then the Pulitzer. Then the MacArthur Grant. What?? That just doesn’t even seem possible. So, I reached out to a musical nerd friend of mine and asked her if it was really worth it. Her short answer was YES. So, I got a clean version (so I can listen in the car with little kids) and went from one song to the next, taking me a few weeks. And by the time I got to “It’s Quiet Uptown,” I was sobbing. Yes, it really is that good.

I mostly listen to Act I upbeat stuff because my kids really don’t want to hear the sad songs (and honestly I can’t listen to them on a daily basis) and I think we’ve listened to “My Shot” about 100 times. My 5 year old is obsessed with A.Ham, Washington, and NYC in general. I’ve shown him Lin’s SNL performance and assorted YouTube videos of the songs. He says our next vacation is to go to NYC and meet the guy who plays Alexander Hamilton. (Anyone want to make this happen? You would make his little heart burst with joy). But what strikes me most isn’t just the story, since it can easily be found in a number of books, but Lin’s brilliance as a writer. His ability to craft a phrase is second to none. I’ve never read such clever word play in a musical. My favorite part is his ability to use a phrase in so many ways and how he assigned these phrases to Burr and Hamilton to be repreated through the entire musical. Rise up, talk less, write like you’re running out of time, throwing away your shot, etc. And the music associated with these phrases is repeated in various songs as well. As soon as a Hamilton song comes on, my 5 year old knows what it is because of the familiar melody. The consistency, yet ability to keep it fresh is amazing. I just can’t rave enough about this piece of art.

And then there’s the book. Every song is included, along with annotations by Lin. And he’s so clearly a product of my generation, referencing the same rap artists I listened to growing up, Harry Potter, and Jordan Catalano. The pieces of background information were written by Jeremy McCarter. He clearly did his research and conducted a number of interviews with the cast and the behind the scenes people like the costume designer, set designer, and choreographer. This book made me see the musical as a whole, rather then just the words and music. It was truly a fascinating insight into how much work and thought people put into this amazing musical. So, even the most skeptical people (myself included) should give this musical a chance. Every award Lin won was much deserved and I look forward to his future endeavors, whether they musicals or not.

Tags books and reading, hamilton, hip hop, lin-manuel miranda, musicals, rap, reading

books and reading

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Post author By pleasantnites
Post date January 9, 2017
1 Comment on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

I’m nothing if not true to my word. I told myself I would get to this book when I finished the 2016 book challenge and The Dark Tower series. If I don’t make myself finish books, I end up putting them off for new and shiny books. And since I had heard less than stellar reviews about this one, I wasn’t really in a hurry to get to it. Ultimately, I enjoyed it and it was nice revisiting the characters.

Since this is a play, it’s very sparse and missing a lot of the magic that the books provide. But I fully expected that going into reading. Somehow, I managed to avoid all spoilers for this book. All I knew was that it took place pretty quickly after book 7 finished. If that’s all you know, too, I would stop reading at this point. I’m not going to reveal tons of stuff, but will address basic plot points.

So, we meet up with the old gang pretty quickly. Ginny, Harry, and their three kids. Ron, Hermione, and their two kids. And Draco and his son. I love that Draco and his son, Scorpio, are central figures to this book. I was always a Draco fan, mostly because he was exactly like Harry- forced into a situation he didn’t want to be in and overshadowed by his father (or lack there of in Harry’s case) and expectations put upon children. And it looks as though neither Draco or Harry has fully resolved their father issues. Neither one of them is a great dad, which was hard to read, given how good of a person Harry is, but it’s also nice to see him still learning about himself and trying to be better. It’s clear that Ginny wears the pants in the family, which is awesome. I always thought she was a good match for Harry and could keep him grounded.

Ron seems to be as lackadaisical as expected. Hermione has succeeded in the wizarding world to the highest position, and Ron manages the Weasley joke shop. He makes some terrible dad jokes and just is very bumbling, although full of love. Seems right on point. The story focuses on Albus, middle child of Harry and Ginny, and Scorpius. They meet early on in the book, after being told to stay away from each other, but they are fast friends. Scorpius is a good kid; nothing like the evil Draco tried to espouse. He has a crush on Rose Granger-Wealsey, Ron and Hermione’s daughter and is just generally a sweet kid.

The Cursed Child named in the title really could apply to many characters. Obviously Harry and Draco, but also Albus, Scorpius, and a character not to be revealed here, because it was a pretty big spoiler. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you really do need to read this just to see what happens to your friends. However, don’t expect to be in love with it the way you are with the books. It’s just not the same reading experience.

Tags books and reading, cursed child, harry potter, jk rowling, reading

books and reading

Adnan’s Story

I was very reluctant to read this book, only because I listened to both Serial and Undisclosed and just didn’t want a rehashing of the same facts I already knew. And there are a few pieces of information that I hadn’t known, but mostly it was old information. However, it was really worth reading for a few reasons.

It’s no surprise that Rabia is going to write a biased story about the facts. And I have no problem with this. She makes no apology at all for believing in Adnan’s innocence. And I agree with her 100%. I was pretty sure after Serial, mostly sure after Undisclosed, and completely sure after reading this book. Having the facts in paper in front of me was really helpful to see all the inconsistencies. And one great thing about the book is the inclusion of original documents like police reports, cell phone records, and attorney’s notes. Rabia also does an excellent job of putting a lot of things into context within the Muslim faith. Why is it such a big deal that Adnan was sneaking around behind his parents’ backs? Why is Ramadan such an important holiday? How is faith used in support and simultaneously against him within the trial? This information was touched on in Undisclosed, virtually ignored in Serial, but well explained in this book.

The best part about this book is getting to hear Adnan’s voice. There are entire sections that he wrote himself. These parts give his side of the story behind his relationship with Hae, his interaction with Sarah Koenig, and his thoughts on his situation in jail. These were my favorite parts because I knew his words weren’t being edited or taken out of context. I knew Rabia would do his voice justice.

Rabia gives credit to Serial for bringing Adnan’s story to the masses. There would be no PCR and subsequent new trial without Serial first existing. Although it seems like Rabia is frustrated with Koenig with good reason when Koenig discusses the police mostly did a good job at their investigation (that is absolutely NOT the case; my goodness they were so inept), she is also upset that Koenig didn’t give Adnan the support she was hoping for. And I see this differently. I got up at 6am the morning the last episode was posted. I laid in bed in the dark and listened with excitement for Koenig to take a side on the issue. And it irritated me that she didn’t. However, after much reflection, I believe she did the right thing. She’s a journalist. And in a world of complete bias from most mainstream media, I think presenting the facts and letting the listeners decide for themselves was the right thing to do. It would have been wrong of her for her to flat out tell us what she thought. And granted, she only presented part of the story (obviously, there was no way to put it all out there in the 12 episode limit), Undisclosed took up the slack and filled in the blanks.

I really do recommend people who are not only familiar with Adnan’s case and a MUST read for anyone on Team Adnan. It really did help solidify my thoughts on the case. Rabia might not be a spectacular writer, but that’s irrelevant because her passion comes through loud and clear. She believes in Adnan and so do I.

Tags adnan syed, books and reading, rabia chaudry, reading, serial, true crime, undisclosed

books and reading

The Dark Tower

I finished. It took me two years. But I finished. And it was worth every minute. Again, I’m a huge Stephen King fan, so it was crazy that I had never read his series, which many consider one of his best works. The Stand being the other one, which I have read and loved. I am going to try to do this book and series justice, however, the best I can do is urge you to read it.

The final book picks up right were book six Song of Susannah leaves us. There are various plotlines while our ka-tet is separated. And obviously, no spoilers because if you’ve come this far, I don’t want to ruin anything for you. However, it’s been hinted at for a couple books that Stephen King makes an appearance in the series. He does, and it’s really clever. I was very suspicious about how successful this would be, but I loved it.

Many people complain about King’s endings. Some of his books end much weaker than others, like Revival and Under the Dome. And I will say there is one aspect of the ending to the series that I didn’t care for. However, this book has an Epilogue and a Coda, and I really liked what happened in both of those. It’s no secret that King loves the battle between good and evil. And, considering the entire series was inspired by this poem, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, King definitely used many of the concepts loosely in this book, down to the last two lines.

I know King’s writing isn’t for everyone. However, let me say that this really isn’t like anything he’s written. There are some shocking and horrifying things that happen, but it is definitely not graphic horror, or even really suspenseful or scary.

If you consider all his works in a graphic, I would put this in the middle with his other works branching off of it. Many of his other novels are connected to this one by events or characters. There is a lot of overlap between the series and ‘Salem’s Lot and Insomnia. The nemesis in this series is also in The Stand and Eyes of the Dragon. The list of connections goes on and on. But this series is the backbone of his entire bibliography.

And it is worth every minute you spend in Mid-World. Long days and pleasant nights.

Tags books and reading, reading, stephen king, the dark tower

books and reading

The Deep

So, I’m a big Stephen King fan. He’s one of my absolute favorite writers. I am slowly but surely working through his entire bibliography. And thankfully, he is an avid reader and likes to recommend books to his Twitter followers. When I came across his recommendation of The Troop, by Nick Cutter, I did a little research and found that Cutter has only written a few books, and I figured I might as well read them all. Through my Kindle lottery, The Deep was the first of his to come up.

And wow. Oh wow. What a creepy book! Premise is that the world has been taken over by a disease called the ‘Gets where everyone forgets things, starting with small stuff, leading to forgetting to breathe and dying. Young and old, alike, are afflicted. However, a new discovery in the depths of the ocean leads researchers to a hopeful cure for the ‘Gets. Luke’s brother, Clayton, is the head researcher, but living at the bottom of the world has its drawbacks. The dark plays tricks on people. The noises are eerie and reminiscent of children’s laughter. Luke is summoned to go retrieve his brother, because no one has heard from him in quite some time. Once there, Luke realizes the discovery, called ambrosia, isn’t the magic elixir everyone thinks it is. And the other researchers have slowly but surely lost their minds.

The creepy factor ramps up the longer Luke stays below. Occasional flashbacks give us insight into Luke’s life, namely his childhood with his abusive mother and brilliant brother. And these flashbacks play cleverly into the resolution of the book. The book is much more suspenseful and creepy than outright graphic horror, which I think makes it better. There are some rather gross parts, but nothing that I would consider graphic, but I also have a strong tolerance. If you love animals and hate to see them in pain, then I certainly would avoid this book, though. There are some animal testing scenes.

If The Troop is anywhere near as good as this book, I will be really pleased. It’s rare a book holds the suspense for the duration, but this one certainly did it.

Tags books and reading, horror, nick cutter, reading, stephen king, suspense books, the deep

books and reading

Abandon

There are some authors who never seem to disappoint. I have read a good chunk of their stuff, and it always seems like they are quality authors with something interesting to say. So far, Blake Crouch is one of those authors. I have read The Wayward Pines trilogy and Dark Matter, so when Abandon came across my Kindle, I was really excited to delve in.

Unlike Crouch’s other works, there is no heavy science aspect to this one. And although I find the science stuff interesting, this book doesn’t seem to be lacking anything without it. Basically, everyone in the town of Abandon (clever!) disappears Christmas Day one year in the late 1800s. The story unfolds from the modern era, juxtaposed with the varying points of view from the past. A girl, her father, two paranormal experts, and a couple guides travel through the mountains of Colorado to find the abandoned town. There, they try to solve the mystery of what happened to the townspeople, who seemingly vanished without a trace.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the two perspectives. Layer after layer, you get answers about the past from the townspeople themselves. And simultaneously, the people of the modern day reveal a few secrets of their own. The book’s resolution is satisfying, with no sequels needed. I get tired of cliffhanger books and series after awhile. So far, Crouch is batting 100% in my book, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Tags abandon, blake crouch, books and reading, reading

books and reading

The Instructions

Back in 2010, I was a member of The Rumpus Book Club. We were a small group of close-knit people who had a love of books in common. We had never met but formed lasting friendships over our shared interest. I still keep in touch with many of them via social media. Many of us have moved on from the book club (time and money prevented me from staying) but the book club still exists. For $27/month you get a book sent to you every month. You get to read the book together, discuss via a message board, and interact with the author in a Q&A. And the books they select are fantastic. I was one of the first people to read Wild by Cheryl Strayed because of the book club. Fun fact: Strayed was Dear Sugar on therumpus.net for quite some time. Here’s a link to the Book Club if you are interested.

We were warned by our book club editor, Isaac Fitzgerald, (now the Buzzfeed books editor) that we were going to receive a monster book for one of our selections. Shipping was taking longer than usual because the book was gigantic. The only buzz we knew about the book, other than its size, was that it was published by McSweeneys, and involved pennyguns. Intriguing, right? Little did we know the epic we were about to encounter.

The story covers 4 days in the life of Gurion Maccabee, a 10 year old in a Cage program in a Chicago middle school. Gurion may or may not be the messiah, by the way. He is in the Cage program because he has been expelled from other schools and is viewed to be a danger to himself and others. He immediately makes friends with the other Cagers and this is where the story picks up. In these four days, Gurion falls in love with Eliza June Watermark, destroys school property, breaks the heart of another girl, breaks up various fights between friends, starts fights with other friends, loses a best friend, regains a best friend, and aquires a following of Scholars.

Gurion is an Israelite. The religion in the book is woven through in a variety of ways. Not only is Gurion deeply religious, so are many of his followers, especially in the belief that Gurion is the messiah. Gurion never actually states that he is, but he never dismisses it either. And then comes the 11/17 Miracle. This book is over 1000 pages. And, because of the binding and the thickness of the paper, it’s also the biggest book I own. And you spend 800+ pages before getting to 11/17.

The story is written in a unique way. The author, Adam Levin, doesn’t always use quotation marks, so this takes some getting used to. But once you do, the book becomes easier to manage. Over the course of the four days, you get to know Gurion (1st person narrator) well. You learn his wants, needs, passions, and brilliance. To say Gurion is a genius is a mixed bag. He certainly is, but he also causes so much disturbance and emotional trauma to those around him, that he is hard to sympathize with.

There’s no way for me to explain how much I love this book. Even the second time around, the book holds up. There is something lost knowing what the 11/17 Miracle is before you even start the book, but you also go into it loving the characters already. If anyone knows how to contact Adam Levin, please tell him how much I love this book. Gurion is such a rich character. I used to teach gifted and talented kids so Gurion spoke to me on a level that few characters ever do. So, thank you, Mr. Levin, for bringing Gurion to life. WE DAMAGE WE

Tags adam levin, books and reading, judaism, reading, the instructions, the rumpus

books and reading

314 Trilogy

I’m not a big reader of graphic horror. I like Stephen King, and although his books are technically horror, they aren’t as pervasively graphic as some books I’ve read. There have been a few books that I had to skim because the writing was just too much for me to handle. American Psycho comes to mind. I had to skip several pages at a time in that one. And the dentist scene in A Million Little Pieces was quite memorable as well. But I can usually stomach most anything, and even if I can’t, as long as the story is good, I will stick with it and skim if I have to. This is how I made it through the 314 trilogy.

I read the first one for free from Bookbub and knew that I had to read the rest because the first was just so interesting. I skimmed a lot, I’m not going to lie. But the story was captivating. People in the the town of Widowsfield are reliving the same day over and over again, March 14, and at 3:14 PM, tragedy strikes. The Watcher in the Walls and The Skeleton Man come for them and force some to do terrible things to ones they love.

I read the first two books quite some time ago, so I really don’t remember what happened in which book, but the story of Widowsfield unfolds nicely, with more information coming the more you read, and this is especially true in the last book. You learn the origin of the Watcher and where the Skeleton Man lives. And even though the story is impossible and not grounded in reality at all, you still get an answer that seems somewhat plausible.

I was pleasantly surprised how well the books are written. The language and characters aren’t spectacular or unique, but the story itself was quite clever. If you can get past the graphic violence, these books are a lot of fun.

Tags ar wise, books and reading, horror, reading

books and reading

2017 Book Challenge

Popsugar has released their 2017 book challenge!

Here is a clean copy of it. See below for what I am hoping to read in each category

2017 book challenge

Book recommended by a librarian:
Book that’s been on your TBR list for too long:
A book of letters:
An audiobook:
Book by a person of color:
Book with one of the four seasons in the title:
A book that is a story within a story:
A book with multiple authors:
An espionage thriller:
A book with a cat on the cover:
A book by an author who uses a pseudonym:
A bestseller from a genre you don’t normally read:
A book by or about a person with a disability:
A book involving travel:
A book with a subtitle:
A book published in 2017:
A book involving a mythical creature:
A book you’ve read before that never fails to make you smile:
A book about food:
A book with career advice:
A book from a nonhuman perspective:
A steampunk novel:
A book with a red spine:
A book set in the wilderness:
A book you loved as a child:
A book by an author from a country you’ve never visited:
A book with a title that is a character’s name:
A novel set in wartime:
A book with an unreliable narrator:
A book with pictures:
A book with a main character that’s a different ethnicity than you:
A book about an interesting woman:
A book set in two different time periods:
A book with a month or a day of the week in the title:
A book set in a hotel:
A book written by someone you admire:
A book that’s becoming a movie in 2017:
A book set around a holiday other than Christmas:
The first book in a series you’ve never read before:
A book you bought on a trip: