Alexander the Great Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) Books I've read so far in 2012 Harry: A History by Mellisa Anelli Diary of a Wimpy Vampire by Tim Collins Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster Veronika besluit te sterven by Paulo CoelhoEnglish: Veronika Decides to Die Island by Jane Rogers Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart Hey Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld Mailman by J. Robert Lennon Maddie by Gonçalo Amaral Het Anastasia Syndroom en andere verhalen by Mary Higgins ClarkEnglish: The Anastasia Syndrome and other stories Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Digital Fortress by Dan Brown De boekhandelaar van Amsterdam by Amineh Pakravan Blijf Thuis! by Patrick de Witte The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Jongensdroom by Sven Biebuyck Hannibal by Thomas Harris Amy Winehouse by Chas Newkey-Burden De vrouw die op Greta Garbo leek by Thomas Ross & Maj Sjöwall Virginia Woolf by Alexandra Harris Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris Meisje met de parel by Tracy ChevalierEnglish: Girl with a Pearl Earring Sorry by Zoran Drvenkar Room by Emma Donoghue Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman Blue Monday by Nicci French De ongewone lezer by Alan BennettEnglish: The uncommon reader Poorten van de nacht by Brigitte RiebeEnglish: Gates of the night De vrouw van de boekbinder by Belinda StarlingEnglish: The Journal of Dora Damage Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury De boodschapper van de koningin by Sharon Kay PenmanEnglish: The Queen's Man Frankenstein by Marry Shelley Mannen die vrouwen haten by Stieg Larsson English: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Boven Zee, onder Steen by Susan Cooper English: Over Sea, under Stone De Duistere Vloed by Susan Cooper English: The Dark is Rising Groenheks by Susan Cooper English: Greenwitch De Grijze Vorst by Susan Cooper English: The Grey King The Book Boy by Joanna Trollope Zilverboom by Susan Cooper English: Silver on the Tree The Fault in our Stars by John Green Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger De vrouw die met vuur speelde by Stieg Larsson English: The Girl Who Played with Fire Edited December 27, 2012 by Alexander the Great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 Hi Alexander, are these books you have read or are they to be read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Hi Alexander, quite a mixed bag of books you have there Out of your list i've read & enjoyed Room, Girl With The Pearl Earring & Interpretation of Murder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander the Great Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 (edited) Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley Started: 28 August 2012 Finished: 4 September 2012 What an insanely good novel! General thoughts I read this novel in English, and English is my second/third language. I speak and understand English very fluently, but novels like this one remind me that I'm not a native speaker. The style is very bombastic, but I knew that when I started reading. It's typical for the time, and this is a classic in the genre. It was a struggle to get through at some points, and I frequently had to re-read sentences, but I enjoy a good challenge. The story Frankenstein is one of those stories which has been adapted numerous times. It has been made into movies, used as inspiration for other stories, been simplified for younger readers, made into plays, etc. Naturally, I knew the story. I knew that 'Frankenstein' is the name of the man who made the 'monster', and not of the 'monster' himself. I knew the main events of the story. That said, it is a great accomplishment of Mary Shelley's that I was still fascinated when reading, and that I still felt suspense and curiosity. Frankenstein tells a story of three men, two of whom feel that they are the most unlucky creatures having ever wandered the Earth. We read both their stories, one a bit more than the other, and Shelley drags us into their worlds and their minds. We get to know them on an intimate level, and most importantly, we get shown what their motives are. Up until the very end, I never felt like I was told who I should feel sorrier for, and I appreciated that. I loved the descriptions of the countries and the travels, showing a nice general picture of 18th-century Europe. It is amazing how much knowledge a 19-year-old girl had of Europe in the 18th century. Mary Shelley understands the art of showing and not merely telling. The story begins with Frankenstein's parents meeting, and that immediately gives the reader an incredible insight into his background and character. We meet the 'monster' from his very creation as well. We witness their changes of heart. We are given the circumstances in which they made their decisions, and it's up to the reader to figure out who they side with, and if they side with anyone. I felt so much compassion for the 'monster'. I know a lot of people feel this for Frankenstein as well, but I couldn't. I feel he brought it on himself first and foremost - for a man of both science and philosophy, he really didn't think his project through. But most of all, his initial reaction when the 'monster' came to life, and all the subsequent reactions, were very unfair, premature and narrow-minded. The original vs adaptations I feel that this original work far transcends any later adaptation. So many essential parts of the story were left out - essential because they added to the feeling that the writer evokes, and the compassion. Later adaptations mainly seem to go for the sensation angle, and I don't think that was Shelley's intention at all. Edited September 4, 2012 by Alexander the Great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander the Great Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper Started: 18 September 2012 Finished: 15 December 2012 Note: During the month of November and the first half of December, I didn't read anything because I was doing my teaching practice. I remember reading these books seven or eight years ago. They were in the school library then, and when I recently saw them during my training at the local public library, I was flooded by a wave of nostalgia. I remembered some of the characters and a little about the world this was set in. I remembered the book with fondness, and that I'd liked reading them. Of course, I was only about 13 years old when I first read them, so I was well aware that my opinion might change entirely. It happened before - Dance on my Grave by Aidan Chambers used to be my favourite book around age 15, and when I re-read it two or so years ago, I hardly got through it. I wasn't disappointed, though. The books were just as charming as I remembered them. They'd been more magical in my memory - I was really sucked into the story before, whereas now I never really got that feeling. But still, the characters were likeable but not perfect. They were credible kids/early teens. This series was written in the 60s and 70s of the previous century, and I found something quite refreshing about the way they'd really just play with the things they found, and decide to go on walks and take a picnic, and how they'd make an adventure out of discovering new houses they were staying at. It was a welcome change from the nowadays frequent whiny kids sulking about leaving behind their computers and gaming consoles. My favourites in the series are the first, Over Sea, Under Stone and the third, Greenwitch. They're followed by the second, The Dark is Rising. Then comes the fourth, The Grey King and finally the last one, Silver on the Tree. Especially the third and the fourth read very fluently - I finished both in two days each. The last one was a complete drag to get through, though, and it took me weeks to finish it. All in all, this is a series I would really recommend for younger kids who like fantasy. The main characters are between the ages of 8 and 12 throughout the series. The Book Boy, by Joanna Trollope Started: 8 December 2012 Finished: 8 December 2012 In only 94 pages, the author succeeds in creating very layered characters - not one character in this novel is simple or one-dimensional. This story about a woman who doesn't know how to read at age 38 finally going against her husband and standing up for herself is never cheesy or sentimental, which would have been an easy road to take. It is heart-warming though, and I do wish there were a more extensive version. The characters were really interesting, and I'd have loved to read more about their lives and developments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander the Great Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 The Fault in our Stars, by John Green Started: 14 December 2012 Finished: 16 December 2012 This is my first John Green novel and I'm not sure how I feel about it. John Green writes a fluent story and creates interesting characters, but perhaps that is the problem: the characters are too interesting, too quirky. To use two words I hate: too hipster, too pretentious. Don't get me wrong - I love quirky weird people and I love to read them about, but these just weren't credible at all as teenagers. They reminded me a little of the characters in Marisha Pessl's Special Topics in Calamity Phyics and Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. They use words and references and care about things not any teenager I've ever known or been uses or cares for. They're too smart, too cultured. In those novels I also thought that the characters, while interesting and intriguing, were just a tad bit over the top. They're what we like to imagine, but they're not real. And I mean - just - Augustus? Really? It also annoyed me a little how many times the writer would use his full name - Augustus Waters - all the time. There was only one Augustus. Also the fact that 'Augustus Waters', 'Augustus' and 'Gus' seemed to be used randomly, instead of sticking to referring to the character by one name only. That doesn't mean it was a bad novel. I liked it. I read it quickly because I did like the characters and felt attached to them. I cared for them and wanted to know what would happened to them. But for a book that seems to want to make you believe you're reading about people you know - well, I just can't imagine running into a Hazel, Isaac or Augustus at the supermarket. I do want to give some other John Green novels a shot, but I'm sceptical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Great review of The Fault in our Stars. I felt the same way and had to give up on it. I just couldn't believe the characters spoke and acted the way they did; I certainly didn't when I was a teenager and nor did any of my friends. I think it's the most popular of his books, at least judging from the reviews. I read Paper Town, which I enjoyed quite a bit - at least significantly more than The Fault in our Stars. I don't know - maybe you have to be full of teenage angst to be able to fully appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 I tried reading Looking for Alaska but didn't get past the second chapter as it felt very unbelievable.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander the Great Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 (edited) @bobblybear: As I mentioned in my review, there are some other YA novels out there who use the same type of characters. I'm sure there are much more than I mentioned, since I sometimes read YA novels but don't spend all my reading time on them. I wonder where that comes from - is this the ideal image of teenagers the authors have? Do they feel they have to create these kinds of characters to make their novels interesting or appealing? I also wonder if the YA audience really likes it that much. Thinking back to the kids I taught for a few weeks - they're all in the target audience of the YA genre - I imagine most of them would roll their eyes and find it hard to care. Also, Augustus was very Gary Stu for me. I mean, come on, he's good-looking, smart, a gentleman, charming and totally in love with Hazel, who we are led to believe is very ordinary? @chaliepud: Maybe I'll try Looking for Alaska, but based on what I've read about it seems very similar to The Fault in our Stars. Apparently, John Green seems to use a kind of formula - as Nicholas Sparks does. I do prefer an original author with fresh ideas who can surprise me. Parrotfish, by Ellen Wittlinger Started: 16 December 2012 Finished: 19 December 2012 This is, again, a YA novel. The difference with the previous one I read - John Green's The Fault in our Stars, the main character is a more realistic teenager. Grady can be moody, selfish, vain and think everyone is always talking about him - but deep down, he really is a good kid. I really like how the author managed to create such a realistic character. As a reader, I didn't always like him and it takes courage to use a main character who isn't always likeable. The novel spans about a month in Grady's life and I felt it was ended at the right point, which is an art in itself. There were several original and/or fun backstories going on - for example, Eve and Grady having been homeschooled by their moms for most of their lives, and the impact of going to a public high school on their friendship. Then there's Grady's dad's obsession with the Christmas decorations, and his Jewish mum bearing it all those years, and how no family member has the heart to tell him they don't actually enjoy the excessiveness that much. The novel is flawed, though. I think I'd have been more awed reading this at age 14 or so - target audience. I would've been less critical, I think. For starters, I wish we'd read more about the other characters. I understand Grady Katz-McNair is the main character and narrator, but Sebastian Shipley was just brilliant, and I liked Eve well enough. I wasn't too keen on Russ and Kita, and I don't believe Kita would react to a real-life Grady that way. I wasn't that happy about Ms Unger's part in the events either. She sounded very much like what kids want a cool teacher to be like and how they'd like a teacher to react - but as a nearly graduated teacher I can safely say it just doesn't happen that way. A real teacher would never do what Ms Unger did. What also bothered me was how quite a few times the author would mention Grady 'choosing to be a boy' and 'changing gender' or using terms like 'I'm a boy now'. He's always been a boy, he didn't change gender but wants to change his sex. It's delicate terminology, and I wished the author had kept it in mind more as it's the central point of this story - that it's not a choice, that he's always been that way inside. All in all, it's certainly a book I'd recommend to teenagers. In all honesty, I think I'd recommend this book because of the lack of competition of books handling this specific subject - a female-to-male teenager in high school living his life as best as he can. I think the book certainly benefits from that, as most YA books dealing with transgender characters are either about male-to-female teenagers, or about a main character who knows someone who is transgender, and how hard it is for the main character to deal with their transgender friend. Edited December 19, 2012 by Alexander the Great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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