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Schultz's Reading Log 2018


BSchultz19

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3 hours ago, Madeleine said:

I was the same at school too, did so much reading at school that it put me off reading for pleasure for about 5 years!

 

I'm studying chemical engineering, so I don't really *read* that much. But I spend a lot of time thinking and studying. So much that I hardly have time let alone the desire to read. It's sad though. 

 

14 hours ago, Athena said:

I'm sorry you haven't been able to do much reading for pleasure :(. I found it hard too when I was at/in school.

 

For me it's easier to read an easy book rather than watch tv, but I know a lot of people find watching tv easier than reading a book.

 

I hope you'll be able to read a bit for pleasure soon :(.

 

Thank you :) I'm always able to get quite a bit of reading done while on my breaks, so I'm hoping this one isn't too different. Just a shame that I haven't been able to keep up the rest of the time. 

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It's completely understandable that you're reading slips when you're studying. There's only so much concentration the brain can take. Maybe you need to find some trashy novels to replace the trashy TV :giggle:

 

And don't be too hard on yourself. Good luck with the studies, and the reading! I hope you have a good break.

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3 hours ago, ~Andrea~ said:

It's completely understandable that you're reading slips when you're studying. There's only so much concentration the brain can take. Maybe you need to find some trashy novels to replace the trashy TV :giggle:

 

And don't be too hard on yourself. Good luck with the studies, and the reading! I hope you have a good break.

 

:D Maybe trashy novels are the answer. I wonder what the novel version of bad reality tv is :lol:

 

I'm going to keep trying and working to make time for myself to enjoy some reading. No reason to be hard on myself for focusing on school and doing well, but I also want to expand my learning and enjoyment beyond what I'm required to do. And that's where reading comes in. 

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Another update:

 

As I combed back through my read books on this book thread, I realized that I hadn't put down that I read Coyote in Provence nor had I created a review. Unfortunately, I don't have a strong enough recollection to write a review now because I had actually started the third book, Cornered Coyote, when I ran out of time (both for reading and on my kindle unlimited trial :lol:). Because I started the third one, I'm a little blurred on which parts of the plot happened in which book. I do remember that I didn't like it as much as the first one as it sort of felt like a filler to get to the climax of the series in the third book (which I never reached). 

 

In the spirit of getting back into reading, I made a trip to the bookstore yesterday. I went in not even looking for anything in particular and came out with a couple of books, a journal, and a planner. 

The two books I bought are:

Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly 

Why not Me? - Mindy Kahling

 

I had already planned on reading Why not me because I love Kahling as a tv writer, book writer, and actress as well as part of the popsugar 2018 challenge. It was a hardcover that was bargain priced for $7, so I couldn't pass up that opportunity. I think it's what I'll read next. 

 

When I saw Hidden Figures on the bargain shelf as well, I immediately picked it up. I was choosing between it and a history-based book, and I felt that I would enjoy this one more. I haven't seen the movie, but I understand that the underly plot of the book is female scientists that helped America in the space race and that is extremely interesting to me. 

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:readingtwo: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult :readingtwo:

 

General summary: Jenna is a teenage girl whose mother disappeared when she was three years old after an accident in an elephant sanctuary. Now that she sees herself as old enough to be taken somewhat seriously, she's on a mission to find her mom. She doesn't know whether she is alive or dead, but she has a hunch that her mother is alive somewhere. With the help of a psychic and a grumpy ex-policeman she does her best to track down where her mom could be as well as finding out exactly what happened the night of the accident when her mom disappeared. 

 

My thoughts: I picked this book up because it was on my shelf, and I assumed that starting with a Picoult would get my reading skills going again. I expected it to be a quick read (it was) where I pretty much knew where the book was going (I didn't). Through the first 200-250 pages I thought I had it all figured out. It was seemingly way too predictable, but I kept reading along to see how the characters would find out what I thought I already knew. In some ways, my predictions were right. But as far as the overall plot goes, I was completely blown away when I reached the end. If this doesn't make any sense to you, all I can say is that you should give it a read. I'm prone to recency bias and thinking each new book I read is the best one, but I definitely think this is one of Picoult's better books. 

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:readingtwo: Why not Me? by Mindy Kahling :readingtwo:

 

General summary: This book was a collection of essays by Mindy Kahling. The topics of the essays varied from female body image to work to dealing with relationships, both platonic and romantic. 

 

My thoughts: This book is funny. Genuinely, genuinely funny. I can't remember a single book that made me laugh actually out loud as much as this one, or even at all. What made it even more enjoyable of a read was the fast pace. The book is separated into chapters, subchapters, and occasionally different essays within each subchapter. Despite the different subgroups, it all tied together and flowed from start to finish. The beginning of the book was definitely more light-hearted, but I enjoyed it all the way through. There was humor, truth, and inspiration. Definitely a book I would read again and again and recommend to everyone. 

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:readingtwo: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald :readingtwo:

 

General summary: The story is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, who moves East and settles into a house next to Jay Gatsby's mansion. Gatsby has been smitten with Daisy for five years despite not seeing her for that long and knowing that she is married. Nick's connection to Daisy allows Gatsby to sneak back into her life. As one could imagine, things go down hill from there for everyone involved. 

 

My thoughts: This is not your average love story, and that is what makes it such a great one. I absolutely love the way that Fitzgerald writes. It flows and it's absolutely beautiful. What I think people, myself included, appreciate most about his writing is how authentic the writing is. It's a love story, but it's not frilly and it certainly isn't necessarily going to end with sunshines and rainbows. It's real and I assume that it accurately portrayed relationships and general life during that time period even better than it (still somewhat accurately) portrays current relationships and life. This novel didn't have the profound impact on me that it has on others who love it, but it was definitely a good book that I could find myself re-reading later on in life. It was short, well-written, and contained an interesting plot. 

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I'm glad you enjoyed the last few books you read :). Great reviews! I liked Leaving Time too, though it's not one of my favourites from Picoult (but also not my least favourite! Even Picoult's medium reads are still good books imo lol). It was an enjoyable read :).

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On 22/03/2018 at 3:51 PM, BSchultz19 said:

When I saw Hidden Figures on the bargain shelf as well, I immediately picked it up. I was choosing between it and a history-based book, and I felt that I would enjoy this one more. I haven't seen the movie, but I understand that the underly plot of the book is female scientists that helped America in the space race and that is extremely interesting to me. 

 

I saw the film last week. It was absolutely brilliant and so inspiring. I'm tempted to pick up the book myself at some point. :)

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I may post reviews of the three books I have read in the time since my last post, but I have not decided yet. 

 

This summer I am trying to get more into nonfiction books, especially history and/or politics related ones. I anticipate that this will mean I read fewer books, but I expect them to be even more meaningful than my typical reads. I will still, however, be mixing in some light fiction reads to spice things up. Very excited to get my summer reading going into full gear. I'm about halfway through The Handmaid's Tale right now and loving it.

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On 7/4/2018 at 3:44 AM, Athena said:

Hi BSchultz, nice to see you again :). I'm glad you're liking The Handmaid's Tale (it's on my TBR). How have you been?

 

I have been good! I am working in a research lab this summer, which has been keeping me very busy. But I like being busy so all is well. It's also nice to have a more money to spend on books :lol:

 

7 hours ago, ~Andrea~ said:

I really enjoyed the Handmaid's Tale. I'm going to add The Great Gatsby to my wish list based on your review.

 

I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed Handmaid's Tale and that you enjoyed my review of Gatsby! It's such a classic book, and I'm glad that I was able to read and fully appreciate it. 

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12 hours ago, BSchultz19 said:

I have been good! I am working in a research lab this summer, which has been keeping me very busy. But I like being busy so all is well. It's also nice to have a more money to spend on books :lol:

 

I'm glad you're doing well :)!

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