10 Books Update: Throwing in the Towel

So after 8 months and 2 and a half books, I am calling time on my 10 Books project for this year.  As much as it pains me to call it quits, I am absolutely swamped with varsity reading.  Last semester we did a novel a week plus secondary material and this semester is shaping up to be more of the same.  While I am sad to have less time to read for pure pleasure, I am enjoying the sheer variety of subjects covered by my courses.  

Last semester I did Writing Across Worlds which focused on writers who had left their country of origin either by choice or by force.  This displacement allows them a very unique double perspective on the world and one which is particularly interesting to read.  I enjoyed the course because it not only gave a name to a genre that I particularly enjoy (magical realism) but it also had a particular resonance with the goings on in my family (they are preparing to relocate to France).  This semester I am doing a course called Gender and Writing and although it's still early days, I can already appreciate the opinions and texts that it's exposing me to.  One thing that I can say is that early attitudes to woman are frighteningly ignorant and I am grateful for every inch of freedom that we have today even if things are not quite perfect yet.

Anyway, I haven't given up on my list entirely and I will still try and get through as much as I can before the end of the year.  I think I may have made a mistake when I chose to read Moby Dick third because I have battled to make progress with it.  I think the combination of complicated readings for varsity and a complicated reading for pleasure was not a good one.  Just to recap, here is what was on the list and what I managed to get through:

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
2. Moby Dick - Herman Mellville (Roughly halfway through)
3. Please Kill Me:  The Uncensored Oral History of Punk - Legs McNeil
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
5. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
6. South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami
7. More Baths, Less Talking - Nick Hornby The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
8. Less than Zero - Brett Easton Ellis
9. N.W. - Zadie Smith
10. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Who knows, maybe I will still finish these before the end of the year but I decided that the pressure to finish them just to write about them was not something that I need right now.  Now, on a lighter note, have any of you guys read anything new and awesome lately?

10 Books Update: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

"Charlie's not the biggest geek in high school, but he is by no means popular.  Shy, introspective, intelligent, yet socially awkward, Charlie is a wallflower, standing on the threshold of his life whilst watching everyone live theirs.  As Charlie tries to navigate his way through uncharted territory - the worl of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends - he realises that he can't stay on the sidelines forever.  There comes a time when you have to see what life looks like from the dance floor."

From the Back Cover

I can't even explain to you guys how much I loved this book.  Charlie is so relatable!  I was socially awkward for most of my school career and again at varsity when I suddenly found myself in the uncomfortable position of having to make new friends.  This book made me smile, it made me wish I was younger, it made me wish for one of those epic nights out where it feels like everything is exactly as it should be.  Most of all it was an amazing breath of fresh air after all the heavy postcolonial/postmodern/immigrant writing I have been reading for the last month!  My favourite quotes  are:

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.” 

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” 

“And all the books you've read have been read by other people. And all the songs you've loved have been heard by other people. And that girl that's pretty to you is pretty to other people. and that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing 'unity.”

I wanted to start reading it again almost as soon as I finished.  Most of all, it reminded me that there is nothing wrong with being the quiet one, the awkward one, the wallflower.  As long as you also remember to participate.  Have you read the book?  Or even watched the movie?  What did you think?

10 Books: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

So I started this year's book reading project with Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.  I had seen and loved the movie when it first came out but somehow never got around to reading it.  My friend kindly lent me her complete collection and I got stuck right in.

I definitely enjoyed the first book.  It wasn't as much like the movie as I expected but honestly, that fact should never surprise.  I am a little sad I didn't read the book before the movie though, I'd probably have enjoyed both more.  The edition that I read had a lot of commentary on the movie making process and the struggle they had to get the right script and the right people interested.  It's sad that Douglas Adams didn't get to see the end result.  

My favourite quotes are:

"Don't panic." (of course)

“He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.” 

“I'd far rather be happy than right any day.” 

Now I must be honest, I tried to read the rest of the series and I found them so hard to get through.  Maybe I was tired, maybe it was just bad timing but I finished them more because I felt I should than because I wanted to.  It doesn't change my opinion on the first book in the slightest but my recommendation would probably be read the first one for sure and for the rest, proceed with caution.  Maybe you will love them.  Have any of you read them?  What did you think?

Currently...

A new coaster for my desk, gratuitous hamster photo, Saturday morning reading

Watching:  Right now I am rather obsessed with Pawn Stars and Storage Wars on the History Channel.  I never really paid much attention to them but when Jason and I were off sick two weeks ago, we got totally sucked in.  Out of the two I think I prefer Pawn Stars.  I can’t believe all the random things people bring in to sell!!

Thinking About:  Being an adult and doing adulty things. Every now and again I get the feeling that I am a small person playing at being an adult.  I look at the things I do every day, the things happening around me and my increased responsibility at work and find myself thinking “How am I old enough for this??”  Other days, I get on with my job, sorting out my life and being married without it even crossing my mind.  Does this ever happen to anyone else?  

Reading:  Life, The Universe and Everything.  One of the books on my 10 Books List for 2013 is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  My friend was kind enough to lend me her boxset so I thought I’d tackle all of them.  While I loved Hitchhiker's, I am finding the rest a little hard to get through.  I am also reading Blog Inc which I have heard so many good things about.  I am still in the early stages (setting up your blog etc) but I will keep you posted.

Celebrating:  The fact that I have been accepted to do my Honours in English.  Hooray!!  I can’t even explain how excited/nervous I am about this.  I know that I can do it and I am excited about being forced to think in a different way but I am also a little socially awkward and meeting new people always makes me nervous.

Making Me Happy:  Pictures of bunnies and sad pugs on the internet.  I’ve said it before but if the internet’s sole purpose was the dissemination of cute animal pictures, I would be okay with that.  Also making me happy?  Playing Ratchet & Klank again from the very beginning, my terrarium, marshmallow Easter eggs, watching The Avengers AGAIN and the idea of buying cute stationary for varsity.  

These currently posts are inspired by the ones over at Sometimes Sweet.  You can check out the most recent one here:)

10 Books

So this year I have decided on 10 books rather than 5.  Why?  Because I read a lot more than 5 books last year and it doesn't hurt to plan for more.  Also, I find that if I have some sort of plan, I spend less time re-reading or just reading plain nonsense!  As part of this, I am making a real effort to keep my Goodreads profile up to date.  You can follow along here should you feel so inclined.  Now, onto the books:

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
2. Moby Dick - Herman Mellville
3. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk - Legs McNeil
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
5. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
6. South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami
7. More Baths, Less Talking - Nick Hornby
8. Less than Zero - Brett Easton Ellis
9. N.W - Zadie Smith
10. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

I have already made a serious dent in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy so expect some feedback soon.  On a side note, I was reading an interview with Art Garfunkel in our local Rolling Stone the other day - do you know that he shelves his books in the order that he reads them?  And he keeps a running catalogue on his website.  I would like to be like that please.

What's on your reading list for 2013?