Tackling a Doozy: LOTR

Yesterday I finished reading Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea. In truth, I've had the book for some time but didn't get the inspiration to actually sit down and read it until I watched the movie The Jane Austen Book Club. In the movie, one of the characters mentions several times that one of his favorite authors is Le Guin, which made me think, "I should really read that book and find out what all this fuss is about." You see, that wasn't the first time someone had told me (yes, I realize the movie wasn't directly speaking to me) to read her books--which is why I had A Wizard of Earthsea on my shelf in the first place. I needed a break from heavy reading and thought a 200-page fantasy novel just might hit the spot.

And, for the most part, it did. I was frustrated at times because I wanted more from the story, but I realize that I may need to read the rest of the series to get that something more that I wanted. There were details mentioned but never connected, and--here you can really tell I'm a linguist--none of the names (of people or places) sounded truly authentic. The book mentions that the main character speaks Hardic while others speak other languages; yet, on the maps, the islands have names like "The Hands." I know, I know--it's meant for younger readers, and I'm most likely one of the few to get bothered by so much English throughout the book. However, I did like the depth of intent for the story. For how much is packed into such a small book, the story itself has a lot of character. So, in the end, I enjoyed the book. I'm not sure I enjoyed it enough to go out and buy the next one, but I may check my local library for them...

Once I finished reading A Wizard of Earthsea, I sat in front of my bookshelf for a while, trying to decide what to read next. Some people may remember that I went on a kick a while back to read all my unread books. I had one of those moments when I realized just how many books I owned that I had yet to crack the cover. I'm nearing the end of my reading quest, and I'm down to only 20 books that I haven't read, but some of them are doozies (in the sense that they are pretty darn long and will take some time to finish). So as I sat there, I decided that I should start tackling the doozies to make the rest of my reading quest look easy. The three biggest books swam before my eyes: Pillars of the Earth, Just Enough Jeeves (a collection of Jeeves novels by Wodehouse), and Lord of the Rings. Since I had just finished a fantasy book, I decided I'd tackle Lord of the Rings first (the entire collection--all 1100 pages of it).

I picked it up with trepidation. I tried to read The Hobbit some time ago and stopped about 100 pages in, uninterested in finishing it. I watched all three Lord of the Rings movies but didn't leave feeling like I had witnessed something amazing (just something cool). I figure the movies problem is that I didn't read the books first and missed out on a lot of character development and such (which is why I tell people never to watch the Harry Potter movies unless they've first read the books). My biggest worry was my lack of success with The Hobbit. That in and of itself is pretty funny because I bought the Lord of the Rings long after failing with The Hobbit. You may wonder why I'd do such a thing, and my reason is simple: I teach an invented languages course, and two years ago when I was planning out lectures for my course, I thought I'd need to read Lord of the Rings to speak credibly about the Elvish languages. It may seem silly, but it also seemed very important to me at the time. Once I got the book, though, I had a lot of things going on and put the book by my desk, promptly forgetting to read it. Now, two years later, I'm teaching the invented languages course again: perfect timing to pick the book up again.

I decided I wouldn't pressure myself and would even start reading another book while reading a chapter at at time from Lord of the Rings, if need be. But here's the surprising part: I'm over 100 pages into the book (so roughly 10% finished) and loving it. I haven't bothered picking out a "back-up" book because I'm enjoying LOTR so much. I realize that hundreds of thousands (millions even?) of readers who have read the books before me are probably saying, "Yeah, we know!" For me, though, it's a pretty big deal that I'm liking the book so much. I can't decide if it's that I just needed to give it a chance or if I'm at a place in my life where I can better appreciate the story.

I suppose it just goes to show that books you've purchased are ones that you should at least try to read.

Unread Book Challenge: CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

I just finished reading The Chronicles of Narnia--all seven books in the series. Now that I have finished reading the books, I have a confession to make: I was dreading reading The Chronicles of Narnia.

I never read the books when I was younger because I didn't much enjoy fantasy books. I remember watching a movie based on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was younger, and the story didn't appeal to me. I think my sister had the books on her bookshelf (she can correct me if I'm wrong, but I know I remember seeing them on someone's bookshelf...), and I remember thinking, "Why would anyone want to read books about talking animals?" At the time, I just didn't get it. It took me a while to come around to reading fantasy; in fact, I was in college before a friend convinced me to read The Complete Book of Swords, my first foray into fantasy. It wouldn't be until I read Harry Potter, though, that the true magnificence of fantasy would finally open my eyes to a genre I had been largely ignoring most of my life.

And so, it was with a bit of trepidation that I included The Chronicles of Narnia in my Book to Read Next Poll because I figured that would be the winner. My underlying motive was to read it early on in the Unread Books Challenge, though, so that I could get it out of the way.

I had started reading the books right after my son was born (a little over 4 years ago), and I still had my small paper bookmark, showing the place where I had stopped reading (right after the beginning of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). So I had made it through the first book in the series, but I couldn't remember a single thing about what I had read (which I find odd, seeing as how I can leave off for several years in the middle of other books and have no problems picking the storyline up again). I began at the beginning.

I flew through the series--not because I was skimming to get to the end but because I was so intrigued that I had to keep going. I wish I had read the books when I was younger because I'd like to know what I would have thought of the books as a younger reader; as an adult, I found I wanted to get out my red editor's pen and mark places that could have used a bit more detail (I've read that J.R.R. Tolkien, a friend of C.S. Lewis, felt the same way about the books), yet I still adored the stories. I adored the stories so much that I'll be dedicating at least two upcoming posts to stories of Narnia.

And so I thank my readers for giving me a gentle push toward finally reading the classic Narnia books by voting that book as the winner of the BTRN poll. In the next couple days, I'll post the next BTRN poll and continue reading my way through my own bookshelves.

Happy reading!

Unread Book Challenge: Second BTRN Poll

After the wild success of the first Book To Read Next (BTRN) poll, I am ready to begin the second reader's choice poll; again, there are four book choices, and all four are provided below with pictures of the book covers and links to the Amazon pages for the books (in case you need a summary or want to read reviews for the books). This time around, I'm focusing on books written for younger readers (YA/Middle Grade).

Here are the four choices:

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

These are all books I have on my bookshelves, waiting to be read. Help me decide which one to read next by voting on your favorite of these choices. Voting is open from today until June 19 (that is three weeks for voting, in case you're wondering), and the poll is located in the left-hand sidebar.

In the meantime, I've started reading Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding. I think I'm staying on target for my challenge, as I've read 9 books in a little under two months. So far, so good!

Unread Book Challenge: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

First, I'd like to give a hearty thank you to my readers who voted on the "What book should I read next?" poll. Your votes pushed me to read Pride and Prejudice, and it is with great joy that I can now write I have finished the book. And much to my own surprise, I enjoyed it.

When I first put that book in the poll, I hoped that another book would get chosen, but my rationale for including it in the first poll I made was that if it got selected, at least I would get it out of the way early on in my Unread Books Challenge. In that way, I am rather like Elizabeth Bennett--my first prejudices against the book were proven unfounded, and now I know that the book deserves all the attention it has garnered over the years.

I had tried to read Pride and Prejudice about five years ago but gave up after the first 60 pages because I couldn't get into the language usage, the fact that everyone "cried" in the book (nearly all the beginning quotations are marked with a "cried he" or "cried she" phrase), and the number of characters introduced all at once without a great differentiation among the voices of the characters. I found that if I didn't pay attention as I read, I lost the storyline altogether.

This time around, I pushed past the opening chapters, and, having seen the movie, I was able to keep up with the character introductions. I found myself losing the language barrier and getting attached to the characters and their story. Even though the story has its archaicisms (e.g., the Bennett family is in an uproar because their youngest daughter ran away with a man and didn't immediately marry him), the story is remarkably progressive for having been written over a century ago. For instance, when two characters are discussing marriage, one says this:

...it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life. (24)

The entire conversation is comical and makes some good points about marriage and its supposed blissful existence. That a woman would understand that marriage may not be the "be all to the end all" in an era where marriage was treated as the highest accomplishment a woman could achieve is progressive, to say the least.

Another good aspect of the book is that it is full of honesty. The characters are (in some respect) hopelessly flawed, and I appreciate that Jane Austen wrote her characters imperfectly, which she, as the narrator, acknowledges in writing:

There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome. (58)

But we are none of us consistent. (82)

The book is also full of little insights that had me underlining quite a bit as I read. I can't put all the underlined portions in this post, or you'd be reading a good portion of the book, but here are some of my favorites (this is by no means a comprehensive list of my favorite quotations from the book):

Nothing is more deceitful... than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast. (48)

The power of doing any thing with quickness is always much prized by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance. (49)

Her impatience ... was as well rewarded as impatience generally is. (146)

It is such a spur to one's genius, such an opening for wit, to have a dislike of that kind. One may be continually abusive without saying any thing just; but one cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty. (221) 

I think most avid readers have a book (or two) that, as we read it, we had to re-evaluate our thoughts about the book. What book was your Pride and Prejudice?

Happy reading!

Unread Book Challenge: Voter's Choice

The voting ended last week for the book I would read after I finished The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (which I adored), and the winning book was . . . Pride and Prejudice.

I bought Pride and Prejudice about five years ago and had started reading it, but I put it down after the first 60 pages because I just couldn't get into it. I didn't get rid of the book, though, and I was determined that someday I would read it. I Netflixed the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice last summer and enjoyed it so much that it renewed my determination to read the book. This challenge provided just what I needed to force myself to pick it up and try again. I'm currently about 100 pages into the novel and, despite my typically modern tastes in books, am enjoying it.

So a big thank you is due to the readers who voted for Pride and Prejudice and gave me reason to sit down and try reading a classic. :)

Happy reading!

BTRN Poll: Voting is On for Round 1

I posted a poll that will last for 3 weeks to decide what book I should read next (hence the title of this post: Book To Read Next [BTRN] Poll). The four books in the running are these:

• Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
• Marilyn Brant's According to Jane
• Holly Chamberlin's One Week in December
• Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason

The poll is located in the left-hand sidebar, so please make your way there and cast your vote! You may select more than one book, but remember that selecting too many will throw off the numbers. :)

Thank you for your help in deciding what I should read once I finish my current list, and I'm excited to see what you all decide...

Happy reading and voting!

Unread Book Challenge: 2 Down, 105 To Go

I know I had said I would put up a poll when I was about finished with The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, but when I finished it, I realized I wanted to go ahead and finish all the books that were partially read on my bookshelf by my comfy chair. The next one I grabbed was Inkspell, the second book in the Inkheart trilogy, a book I had started reading over a year ago and then stopped reading about a year ago.

I had loved Inkheart and so was a bit disappointed when the second book was more difficult to get into. The language was still beautiful, but sometimes the story just dragged. I talked to my friend Sarah who has finished all three, and she said she had the same experience but was glad she kept reading the second because the third (Inkdeath) gets better. One of the reasons I like the idea of the trilogy so much is that it brings a world to life that is wholly dependent on words. Reading aloud can change the world in drastic ways. It reminds us that "reality [is] a fragile thing..." (Inkspell, pg. 568) and that words really are powerful, even if they can't perform magic. Being a word-lover, I appreciate the shout-out to the power of words.

The next two books that I'll be reading are Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr and I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. Once I'm finished with those, I'll be rewarding myself with The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes. And then I'll feel better, knowing I've read those books that I've started but haven't quite made it through. There are a few more of those, but I know they'll be harder for me to finish, so I'm putting those off until I have more mental energy. Sometime this week, I'll put up a poll that will run for a couple weeks (at least) to vote on the book I read after I'm finished with the three I've listed here. Two of them are longer books, so it may be a few weeks before I'm reading to go beyond those.

Have you decided to read any unread (or partially read) books on your shelves? If so, how's it going for you?

Happy reading!

Challenge: Unread Books

My husband and I were sitting in bed the other night, watching an episode of Jay Leno, and I happened to glance over at my bookshelves and notice how many books I had stacked sideways because I had run out of room on the shelves for new books. I looked over on my nightstand and saw that I had five more books waiting to be read and shelved … somewhere. I love my books. Each and every one of them. So I can’t seem to part with the ones I’ve got—even if I didn’t especialy enjoy the book—to make room for new ones.

Well, at least I thought I loved all my books. But then as I raked my eyes over the titles on the book edges, I realized just how many books I have sitting on my shelves that I’ve never read. How can I love a book if I buy it and never open it to find out its secrets?

I took the time to make a list of all the books I had on my shelves, including the books I’ve downloaded on my Kindle, that I haven’t yet read (or that I’ve started but never finished). And the total number of books I have in my home that I still need to read is … 107 books.

Whew. That’s a lot of books, and that number doesn’t even include the books I want to re-read. I am a little ashamed of myself for spending money on new books when I’ve already got shelves of books in my house of books waiting to be read. So I am issuing myself a challenge: I am challenging myself to read those 107 books in the next 24 months. So by April 3, 2012, I want to have read every book I already own. That comes to about 4 or 5 books a month, which I think is a fair number, especially since that number doesn’t include any books that I might choose to re-read, books I might choose to buy, or books I might gt as gifts over the next two years. As a caveat, I will excuse myself from having to finish any book I downloaded on my Kindle for free (as I often check the free books and get any I might be interested in without knowing what quality those books are). I do challenge myself to read AND finish any book I’ve paid for, though (even if the book isn't my favorite). You might be double-checking the end date I have for my goal and wondering if I know what today is. The end date is the 3rd of April and not the 5th because I started the challenge on Saturday but waited to post and tell you all about it until today, figuring most people wouldn't be checking in with the blog over a holiday weekend.

I am asking you, my readers, for help in two ways: (1) send me good reading vibes when I’m going through a reading slump to remind me that I can do this challenge; and (2) participate in polls I’ll occassionally post, in which I’ll post a few books to choose from and ask for your input on which book to read next.

I've already started the challenge by picking up where I left off in Katherine B. Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane; once I get close to finishing that book, I'll ask for help in choosing the next book to read. I'm making myself wait until I've read at least two unfinished books (books I've started reading but never finished) before letting myself read the newest book by Marian Keyes (The Brightest Star in the Sky)--that will be my reward. When I blog about this challenge in the future, the blog post title will begin with the challenge name: Unread Books Challenge. It might better be called "Clear the Shelves Challenge," as I will force myself to part with any books I don't particularly enjoy (deleting books from my Kindle or giving books away from my shelves) so that I can make room for all the books I actually like reading.

I'm ready for some fun over the next two years and am glad to know I'll have some accountability because this challenge is a public one that is shared with my readers. If anyone would like to go on this challenge with me by making a list of all those unread books on your own shelves, make the list and leave a comment for me. You can be a guest blogger in the future (if you so desire), and we can support each other as we read, read, read. :)

Happy reading!