As of March 29, I am halfway to my goal of 100 books in 2010.
HUZZAH
Originally, I was going to post a whole collage of the book covers of the 50 books I have read. Then I remembered that I don't have time for that kind of nonsense. SO, we are giving out prizes instead for books that stood out to me. We'll call them the Raizers
In the category of Cried-Like-A-Baby
Nominees:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Redeeming Love
Odd Thomas
Echo in the Darkness
Winner: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Without giving away the ending, I cried for, triumphs as well as tragedies, for joy and for sadness, and was left with a sense of loss as well as fulfillment when I put the book down. Odd Thomas gets an honorable mention for making me bawl my eyes out in the front seat of my car, in my driveway, making my neighbors think I am mentally unhinged,
For Made-Me-Paranoid-as-an-Agoraphobic-Chihuahua
World War Z
Shutter Island
I, Robot
Winner: Shutter Island. While World War Z did make me a bit wary of the woods and cause me to check my back seat for the undead, Shutter Island had me seriously contemplating my own sanity and wondering if everything happening was only a part of my own psyche. I have never been so suspicious of my husband in my life.
For I-Had-A-Hard-Time-Not-Lighting-the-Book-on-Fire
Never Let Me Go
InkHeart
Multiple Blessings
Winner: Just all of them. Never Let me Go was horrific, and Multiple Blessing was an eyeroll beginning to end. InkHeart was redeemable only because it was an interesting plot made horrible by sub par writing.
Top Five Books of THE FIRST HALF:
5. Water for Elephants - Beautifully engaging, richly charactered, sentimental without being sappy, and an elephant as a heroine. How can you go wrong?
4. Life of Pi - I believe this book is on the 1001 books to read before you die list, and for good reason. So imaginative, and thoughtful enough to make you wonder if you are living your life purposefully and with love and faith. Beautiful.
3. Outlander - I have never fallen in love with a hero quicker than I fell in love with Jamie Fraser. Even when he's beating Clare senseless, I couldn't help but love him. The story is intricate, sometime maddeningly so, but the beauty of the storytelling and the romance of the love story makes it completely worth it
2. Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors, and this is only one of three of her books that I read this half. The love between the two main characters (or, more accurately, the love the male lead has for the female lead) is so pure, so beautiful, so selfless. The idea of taking someone back, no, actively seeking someone who has betrayed you, with the intention of taking them back and loving them, is so foreign, but at the same time so perfectly right. I cried buckets at the end, by the way.
1. Odd Thomas - I cannot say enough about this book. I don't even know what to say other than READ IT.
Showing posts with label Odd Thomas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Odd Thomas. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Notifications
I just got a text from Library Elf (which if you don't have, you should get. There's nothing like a text message in the middle of the day letting you know your book is available.) Telling me that Forever Odd is due back.
Forever Odd is an audiobook. Meaning that my "reading" time is limited to my 20 minute commute (total, not each way) to and from work each day and a 45 minute commute to and from school three times a week. Audiobooks are not ideal for people in my driving situation. They're meant for people who do a lot of driving, which s a little pointless, because if I need to go anywhere that would facilitate me listening to an entire audiobook during my commute, I'm going to fly instead, thank you.
But I digress.
The point is that I am not finished with Forever Odd, and when I went to renew, I COULDN'T, because some person has put a request on it, with no thought to my convenience. Selfishness, that's what it is.
I suppose this means I need to find an excuse for extra driving today. I simply can't picture myself sitting in front of my television, listening to a CD on the XBOX. It doesn't feel right.
Forever Odd is an audiobook. Meaning that my "reading" time is limited to my 20 minute commute (total, not each way) to and from work each day and a 45 minute commute to and from school three times a week. Audiobooks are not ideal for people in my driving situation. They're meant for people who do a lot of driving, which s a little pointless, because if I need to go anywhere that would facilitate me listening to an entire audiobook during my commute, I'm going to fly instead, thank you.
But I digress.
The point is that I am not finished with Forever Odd, and when I went to renew, I COULDN'T, because some person has put a request on it, with no thought to my convenience. Selfishness, that's what it is.
I suppose this means I need to find an excuse for extra driving today. I simply can't picture myself sitting in front of my television, listening to a CD on the XBOX. It doesn't feel right.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
BOOK REVIEW: Odd Thomas
I waited to do my Monday book review, partially because I forgot, but partially because I wanted to wait until I had finished Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. Rarely do I find a book so blessedly amazing as this one was.
The story is that of a young man named Odd Thomas. He sees what he calls the "lingering dead". Basically ghosts who still have unfinished business here or who love the world too much to move on. He also sees Bodocks, evil spirits that gather whenever and wherever they sense impending violence and carnage. After a strange visitor visits to the cafe where he works, Odd finds himself racing to stop the deaths of hundreds of people.
The book is beautifully written, managing to combine humor, love, and tragedy in a perfect balance that never seems forced. It is over 60 chapters long, and yet I never felt that it was dragging along or that nothing was happening. I laughed out loud at certain points, yelled at Odd to "Run!" at others, and, when the tragedy struck, I sobbed. Nothing recommends a book to me more than it's ability to find myself so entrenched in it's pages that I weep for the sorrows of fictional characters. To date, I have only had this happen with five books. Six now, with Odd Thomas.
This book will break your heart, but I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
The story is that of a young man named Odd Thomas. He sees what he calls the "lingering dead". Basically ghosts who still have unfinished business here or who love the world too much to move on. He also sees Bodocks, evil spirits that gather whenever and wherever they sense impending violence and carnage. After a strange visitor visits to the cafe where he works, Odd finds himself racing to stop the deaths of hundreds of people.
The book is beautifully written, managing to combine humor, love, and tragedy in a perfect balance that never seems forced. It is over 60 chapters long, and yet I never felt that it was dragging along or that nothing was happening. I laughed out loud at certain points, yelled at Odd to "Run!" at others, and, when the tragedy struck, I sobbed. Nothing recommends a book to me more than it's ability to find myself so entrenched in it's pages that I weep for the sorrows of fictional characters. To date, I have only had this happen with five books. Six now, with Odd Thomas.
This book will break your heart, but I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
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