July 2012
2 posts
4 tags
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
I have to say, this book’s title is a little off-putting. It seems so proper and important, which made me think that the book was going to be proper and important. Well, it may be an important book, but not in the way the title suggests.
I got this book as a gift, and I had no idea what it was about when I started reading it. All I knew was that it sells really well and that there’s a...
6 tags
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre
I had this book sitting on my shelf for a while. I think I bought it even before I moved to New York. Actually, yes, I did. I remember paying $17 for it and realizing I needed to get on the eBook bandwagon, which was a very difficult decision to make. But that will likely be a post for another time.
The main reason I picked this up is because I wanted to read it before seeing the film. I still...
June 2012
1 post
4 tags
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
It’s been a while since I last read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. I’m a part of a poorly organized book club, and at my suggestion, we decided to read this book. It’s my “go-to” suggestion for anyone who is looking for an interesting read, but I typically recommend it to my male friends who need suggestions.
In Cold Blood was the start of a new genre—a...
May 2012
3 posts
5 tags
An Open Letter to Harry Potter
Dear Harry Potter,
How to begin? Our relationship has lasted quite a while. I remember when I first heard about you. It was summer, and I was maybe eleven or twelve years old. I overheard a conversation between my bunkmates at summer camp. One girl said, “I bet you’re a Hufflepuff!” The other girl, clearly offended, replied, “No way! You’re a Hufflepuff!” And...
4 tags
My Dirty Little Reading Secrets
Inspired by this article from BookRiot, here are some of my dirty little reading secrets:
The first time I read The Picture of Dorian Gray I ended up stopping halfway through. I just couldn’t get into it.
I liked the Lord of the Rings movies better than the books.
I am horribly ashamed to admit that I devoured the Twilight series, even though the whole time I was aware of how awful it...
5 tags
Equality
An old professor of mine writes for CNN’s Belief Blog. I occasionally check up on his articles, and today he posted one titled “My Take: On gay marriage, Obama, Billy Graham, and a tale of 2 Christianities.” As always, Professor Prothero has a knack for getting me to think. Here’s a little excerpt from the article:
Two things are striking about this debate. The first is...
April 2012
2 posts
6 tags
Workday Haikus
Projects piling up
at four in the afternoon,
but bored all morning
When pitching a book,
make sure there aren’t typos.
Super mega fail.
Florescent lightbulbs
are no replacement for sun.
Wishing for windows.
Gorilla Cheese truck:
I always hope to see you
at the curb outside.
Dare I sudoku?
Will anybody see me?
No. Sweet victory.
I forgot that thing.
Shit. Will I get in...
5 tags
Pronto and Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard
Elmore Leonard is a beast of a writer. The man is 86 years old and still churning out books. He used to publish one book every year. Now it’s about every two years. But hey, the man’s getting old. We can cut him some slack.
I first encountered his writing as an undergrad. I took a detective fiction class, and the last book we read was Killshot. It’s a very exciting book. Hell,...
March 2012
7 posts
5 tags
Facebook: Where I Draw the Line
I used to go on Facebook at least four times a day. I needed it. For one thing, it was my primary means of staying connected with my school friends. But it also provided a society-approved form of stalking. I liked looking in on those bratty girls from high school and seeing how their lives were so different than mine. I’ll admit, I reveled in the belief that these differences made me...
5 tags
The Hunger Games: The Books and the Film
There is nothing I enjoy more than piecing through the film adaptation of a book I enjoyed reading. Most people will tell you that the book is better than the movie nearly 100% of the time. I used to agree. But then I realized that both mediums are so different that it’s not fair to judge them side-by-side. Each version of the story can excel or fail in different ways.
Like thousands of...
2 tags
If on a winter's night, a traveler by Italo...
This was a fascinating read. I don’t think I’ve ever read something so outwardly meta before. I didn’t study a whole lot of post-modern literature, but if anything were to make me want to take a class, it would be this book.
I found myself itching to take out a pencil and make notes in the margins. I came up with at least five paper ideas. I even dog-eared a few pages that reminded me of an early...
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I decided to reread The Great Gatsby for two reasons. First, I had been meaning to reread it for a while now, since I haven’t read it since high school. And second, I heard they were making a new film adaptation directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan. Now, what grabbed me about this is Baz Luhrmann. If you’ve ever seen what he did with Romeo and...
2 tags
Random Thought: Subway Reading
Have you ever caught someone looking at your book cover on the subway? I know I do it all the time. I’d like to say that I’m just curious, but the truth is that I sort of judge the person by what their reading. The first thing I check when I add someone on Facebook is what books they have listed on their info page. And I’m not saying that I’m super snooty and will only like you if you have a...
2 tags
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars is a new best-seller written from the perspective of Hazel Grace Lancaster—a sixteen-year-old girl with cancer. Hazel’s humorous yet existentially skewed voice guides us along her experiences with disappointment, love, and loss.
I decided to read this novel because someone gave it to me, but also because of the blurb on the cover:
“Electric…filled with...
First Post
Hello!
It’s nice to meet virtually meet you. Thank you for reading my blog. I know you have a lot of mindless, silly, I-should-be-working-but-I’m-bored reading options available to you, so the fact that you’ve landed here is quite flattering.
I suppose I should start by explaining a little bit about why I’m writing this blog to begin with.
I first thought of writing a...
