Monday 30 January 2012

Reading Progress: January

As I mentioned at the start of the month this year I have decided to do the 50 Book Challenge again.  As a result of this I've decided that I will do a monthly update on my progress because well... 

So what was my grand total completed books for January 2012?  Three.   I read three books, and started five.  I liked all of them but to be honest I wasn't very 'into' them.  I had been hoping that by now I would be really wrapped up in the reading, but I'm not.  I read a disappointing Neil Gaiman book that in retrospect was a bit of a door stopper, but I decided to run with it because every other one of his books that I have read I read very fast.  I will be doing a review on that in the near future. 

I read 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and thought it was interesting, but not much else, hence I didn't even bother with a review.  In my opinion, because of it's classic status it would be a tough one to review anyways, and at the end of the day I think everyone should try as many classics in their lifetime as possible, irrespective of reviews.  The classic book lover in me also screams that reviews (unless from the actual time period) of the classic genre are at best a bit pointless, and at worst a bit... I suppose the word would be wrong.  To me it feels wrong.   I did review 'Heart of Darkness' by Conrad before, and that was probably the hardest review I've written so far.  It just felt wrong.  I know I'm rambling (lack of sleep) but my point is that I just don't see myself doing many (if any) reviews on such books in the future.  I know I am probably coming across as a book snob, and I am probably insulting some bloggers out there.  I don't mean to offend in any way.  I've just never once actually read a review of a classic prior to reading it, and I like it that way.  I like figuring out for myself why the book is so special (or in some cases overrated).  However, I do like reading reactions to those kind of books, and obviously I am doing the classics challenge, and enjoy how that is being done.  It is nice to discuss classic books. 

The third book that I read in January was 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'.   It was a re-read after several years (four and a half to be exact) and I loved it like I always do.  Like most readers my age, Harry Potter was one of my childhood favourites, and so it was a nice re-read.   I also started reading 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' which is going well. 

Finally I also started 'Crime and Punishment' which so far I am enjoying.  It's very engaging to read about a mind that is so apparently ill and fractured.  In the past I tried to read the book, and got quite far in, so I know what is to come for a good part of the book.  My reading mood right now is probably on the dark, gloomy and gritty side of the scale. 

 

2 comments:

  1. HEAR YE! O HEAR YE!! This’ll help immensely on your journey Upstairs and, believe-you-me, why would you want anything else?? Why should you love our exploded plethora of produce which’ll plant the seeds for you to grow to great heights?? PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK:

    Greetings, earthling. Not sure if we're on the same page if you saw what I saw. Because I was an actual NDE on the outskirts of the Great Beyond at 15 yet wasn’t allowed in, lemme share with you what I actually know Seventh-Heaven’s Big-Bang’s gonna be like for us if ya believe/accept: meet this ultra-bombastic, ex-mortal-Upstairs for the most blatantly deluxe and incomprehensible, catch-22-excitotoxins, myriads of cogently-ironic-metaphors, sheer guhroovaliciousnessly-delicious-endorphin-rush with pleasure-beyond-measure (to boot), Ultra-Firepower-Idyllic-Addiction in the Great Beyond for a BIG-ol, point-blank, kick-ass, party-hardy-friction (and sweet intimacy), robust-and-risqué, eternal-real-McCoy-warp-drive you DO NOT wanna miss the sink-your-teeth-in-the-rrrock’nNsmmmokin’-hot-deal: PLEASE KEEP HANDS/FEET INSIDE THE RIDE UNTIL WE MADE A CIRCUMFERENCE OF the OUTSTANDING, NEVER-ENDING, THRILLIONTH-RED-MARKER-POSSIBILITIES …with eXtra eXciting eXtroverts doing the most vivid, brazen conGREWnts: flawless as pearls from the Toyster Upstairs!!! Gain altitude, not attitude, and take front-row-seats, miss gorgeous, as the inexhaustible, irresistible intimacy shall blow-your-fragile-mind to peaces. Meet me Upstairs. Do that for us. Cya soon, girl…

    PS “It is impossible that anyone should NOT receive all that they have believed and hoped to obtain; it gives Me great pleasure when they hope great things from Me and I will always give them more than they expect”
    -Our Lord to Saint Gertrude

    ReplyDelete
  2. HEAR YE! O HEAR YE!! This’ll help immensely on your journey Upstairs and, believe-you-me, why would you want anything else?? Why should you love our exploded plethora of produce which’ll plant the seeds for you to grow to great heights?? PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK:

    Greetings, earthling. Not sure if we're on the same page if you saw what I saw. Because I was an actual NDE on the outskirts of the Great Beyond at 15 yet wasn’t allowed in, lemme share with you what I actually know Seventh-Heaven’s Big-Bang’s gonna be like for us if ya believe/accept: meet this ultra-bombastic, ex-mortal-Upstairs for the most blatantly deluxe and incomprehensible, catch-22-excitotoxins, myriads of cogently-ironic-metaphors, sheer guhroovaliciousnessly-delicious-endorphin-rush with pleasure-beyond-measure (to boot), Ultra-Firepower-Idyllic-Addiction in the Great Beyond for a BIG-ol, point-blank, kick-ass, party-hardy-friction (and sweet intimacy), robust-and-risqué, eternal-real-McCoy-warp-drive you DO NOT wanna miss the sink-your-teeth-in-the-rrrock’nNsmmmokin’-hot-deal: PLEASE KEEP HANDS/FEET INSIDE THE RIDE UNTIL WE MADE A CIRCUMFERENCE OF the OUTSTANDING, NEVER-ENDING, THRILLIONTH-RED-MARKER-POSSIBILITIES …with eXtra eXciting eXtroverts doing the most vivid, brazen conGREWnts: flawless as pearls from the Toyster Upstairs!!! Gain altitude, not attitude, and take front-row-seats, miss gorgeous, as the inexhaustible, irresistible intimacy shall blow-your-fragile-mind to peaces. Meet me Upstairs. Do that for us. Cya soon, girl…

    PS “It is impossible that anyone should NOT receive all that they have believed and hoped to obtain; it gives Me great pleasure when they hope great things from Me and I will always give them more than they expect”
    -Our Lord to Saint Gertrude

    ReplyDelete