16: The Help
It has been way too long since I last posted about what I’ve been reading! But now that finals are done and it is summer break, I’m planning on plowing through my reading list.
Anyways, once finals finished, I readThe Help, by Kathryn Stockett. I loved this book! Stockett makes her characters so dynamic that you can’t help but falling into their minds and feeling what they feel, seeing what they see. Personally, my favorite character is Skeeter— she is such a strong-willed person with goals and dreams that drive everything she does. Plus, she wants to be a book editor, so there’s a little something extra that makes her extremely relateable to the everyday English major.
The Helpis a touching book about hardship, perseverance, and standing up for what is right. I highly recommend this book to any audience. It’s one of those books where you think, “I’ll just read one more chapter, then go to bed,” but you end up awake at 4:30am with a finished book. Read this book, just wait til you’re done with finals!
15: The Island of Dr. Moreau
My 15th read of the year is The Island of Dr. Moreau, by H.G. Wells. Admittedly, I did not elect to read this book on my own, but rather it was assigned in my Later British Literatures class. I was pleasantly surprised by this book! This novel is a detailed account of Mr. Prendick’s time on the Island of Dr. Moreau, a scientist who tries to create humans out of animals. The emphasis on science in this story makes it oddly believable, making it easy for the reader to become immersed in Moreau’s strange world. Prendick’s experiences lead the reader on a path of self-exploration and discovery by taking a closer look at philosophies that are often taken for granted in civilized society.
The Island of Dr. Moreaureminded me greatly ofAnimal FarmandThe Lord of the Flies. I highly recommend this book for the insightful musings and unique perspective on society that it offers.
14: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
I finished this book about a week ago, but have just now gotten around to writing my response. To be blunt: THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. Jonathan Safran Foer demonstrates phenominal ability to create characters that weave in and out of each other’s lives, creating an unforgettable masterpiece about tragedy and recovery. Oskar is an ever-questioning boy with unending curiosity and a proclivity for solving riddles. His search for “Black” takes him on a journey that both helps him come to terms with his father’s death as well as giving him more insight into himself.
This book is a must read.Extremely Loud and Incredibly Closeis my new favorite book; I can’t wait to see the movie, though I doubt it will do the novel any sort of justice.
13: Life As I Blow It
After reading nearly all of Chelsea Handler’s books, then Tina Fey’s Bossypants, I was really drawn to Life As I Blow It, by Sarah Colonna. Although the cover makes it look like a wildly inappropriate book, it has a surprising amount of valuable life lessons tucked inside. Unlike many of the books by comics that I’ve read before, Life As I Blow It offers advice on dealing with break-ups, learning from mistakes, and growing up.
What I liked most about this book is the perseverance that Colonna displayed in trying to start up her career. Dreams of working in the entertainment industry are often nearly impossible to achieve, but she kept working toward her goal and eventually got to where she wanted to be.
However, despite the lessons learned, this book has a lot of inappropriate qualities. I would suggest this to a friend my age, but under that, reader discretion is advised.
Birthday Weekend
It has been a while since I’ve posted anything about my adventures in NYC, and I really miss writing about them!
My birthday was last Wednesday (I’m 20— how weird) so to celebrate and let off some steam, Danny and I made our way into SoHo for some recreational shopping. I specifically remember thinking as we were on the train, “Okay, I’m only going to spend $100 so I can work on saving up for a Macbook.” Yeah, right.
Danny, a veteran at navigating the shops of lower Manhattan, led me into store after store; needless to say, I quickly waved goodbye to my $100 budget. How much I actually spent does not need to be disclosed, since I know my father is an avid reader of my blog. However, even though my Macbook savings may have suffered, I walked away from that day with eight shirts, two bras, a pair of pants, and a $50 pair of STEVE MADDEN heels that I am absolutely in love with.
After shopping away my dreams of a Macbook, Danny and I made our way over to Dash in hopes of seeing a Kardashian. Unfortunately, none of the Kardashians were there that weekend; but it was fun to go there and gawk at expensive things anyways.
After Dash, Danny and I backtracked and went over to Rice to Riches, a delicious rice pudding place on Lafeyette and Spring St. I, never having had rice pudding before, was a little skeptical about how it would taste— it just looked so gross. But then I tried it and my life was changed. I scarfed down my rice pudding like it was the first thing I’d eaten since I moved to New York over a year ago. It was that good.
Overall, it was a giant success of a day. New shoes, rice pudding— what more could a girl want?
Sparks Novels Are Like Drugs to the Single, College-aged Female
And I am addicted.
The Lucky One, by Nicholas Sparks, is my 12th book for 2012. Although the novels by Nicholas Sparks that I have read before all seem like they come out of some romance-making machine, but I love them anyways! The love story in this one is touching, making the reader start to believe in the existence of destiny.
Another perk to reading the book—it is being made into a movie starring Zac Efron! I can’t wait to go see this book played out on screen!
To all others addicted to romance: read this book!
#11
My 11th read of the year was Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Just to be clear: I LOVED IT. This sixty-page nugget of a novel is a psychological labrynth of self-realization.
Growing up in modern culture, it is nearly impossible to go your entire childhood without at least hearing a reference to the infamous duo. Although I had come across these references many times, my understanding of them was always vague. Actually reading the novel has made much more sense of the true meaning of the mishap.
I particularly enjoyed Henry Jekyll’s note at the end, describing firsthand how everything happened between Hyde and himself. Although he was only describing how Hyde was growing and taking over both personalities, I thought Jekyll’s transformation was also noteable; although he never directly said how his respectable ego was developing to deal with his evil side, it was evident through how he went about ousting his bad half. As Hyde got more evil, Jekyll became more cautious, working to will himself to be good. Jekyll’s final conclusion on how to put Hyde to his ultimate rest was the most noble decision he could have made, showing that he was truly in control of himself, despite his lack of control over Hyde.
As a whole, I really enjoyed The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It is a quick and fascinating read.
Ten
I have lost track of how many times I’ve read J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I will never cease to be amazed by its brilliance. Rowling’s characters are beautifully developed throughout seven enthralling books, and each comes fully into themselves in the final installment of the series. I enjoy reading the book every time I pick it up, always finding something that I missed the time before.
Reading it this time around was the second time after the last movie came out; I found myself expecting everything to go according to the movie and forgetting about the subtle differences between the two mediums. Although the movie does a pretty good job, Snape could never be as well represented as he is in his original form. I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading Snape’s story of lost love (needless to say, I teared up while Harry was watching Snape’s memories in the pensive). I love the Harry Potter movies, but watching them will never measure up completely to reading the books.
If you have not read the Harry Potter books, you are missing out. Pick them up immediately. (side note to my family: I am giving you express permission to borrow my copies. Be good to them.)
