2013 Goal: Reading

In my post about my New Year's Resolutions, I talked about how reading was one of the main things I wanted to focus on in 2013. Here are some of the ways I'm going to reach my goal of reading 30 books in 2013. Wanna read more too? Check out these tips!

1. Utilize Goodreads

Goodreads is an AMAZING little website. And it's not only a website--it's an app for your iPhone or iPad as well! Anything you do on the website will sync to all of your devices, and vice versa.

Goodreads is like a reading-centric Facebook. You make lists of the books you own, the books you want to read and the books you've finished. Besides that, there are daily polls, quotes, giveaways you can enter for advanced reader copies, reviews and, my favorite, virtual book clubs you can join. I joined two groups: Oprah's Book Club 2.0 and Classics Without All the Class. Both are reading books for the month of January, and then have discussion boards for them. So cool! I can't wait to get started on January's selections, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

Goodreads also has a nifty little widget now where you put in the number of books you want to read for 2013, and it'll remind you of your goal by having a progress bar on the side of your main page.

I've said this before, but friend me if you become a member of the site! I'm always interested in what other people are reading!

2. Put a limit on the amount of TV you watch

Instead of spending an half an hour channel surfing, I'd rather spend the time reading a good book. I'm going to try to only watch TV on school breaks, rather than following several TV shows at once. I might make an exception for The Walking Dead and Downton Abbey, but hey, at least they're not as bad as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

Even though I love that show. Please don't hate me.

If you can't make the full plunge and go cold turkey on TV, maybe try to only watch a half an hour or so each day, or follow a certain TV show. Track and see how much time you spend watching TV per day--maybe that time could be spent doing other things, like reading!

3. Use an E-reader

I know it sounds strange to a lot of people, but I've become so used to reading on a computer screen or my Nook that I like it MORE than reading from a physical copy. My generation has become so used to using technology that using it for reading seems like second nature.

If you don't mind reading from a screen, I think that the Nook Color is the perfect device for any reader. I love it because I can store so many books on the device. I usually read multiple books at once, so instead of carrying three or four books around, not knowing which one I'll be in the mood for, I just haul around my Nook. I export PDF readings that my college professors assign onto the device, instead of printing the readings out. This saves me a lot of paper and printer ink.

With my Nook Color, I can also highlight and take notes on books that I read for class. Even with a "fun" book, the search tool is perfect when a character from the first chapter of novel pops up again 700 pages later, and I don't remember who he was. I can just type his name in and it'll take me right to his first appearance.

If you don't like the computer-like feel of the Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Nook HD and Kindle Fire, there are also many alternative ereaders that use special technology to make the screen look as close to an actual page in a book as possible. Whatever the case, if you read as much as I do, make the investment in an ereader! It changes the whole reading experience for the better, at least in my opinion.

Are any of you on Goodreads? Do you have ereaders? And do you really think I'll make it until spring break watching barely any TV?

Books Read 2012: And the Bookie Goes To...

I'm pretty proud of my reading accomplishments this year. I read thirty books and, although it may not seem like a lot, it is to me! Here are all the books I read this year, followed by my "Bookie" awards (think Oscars)!

Any questions? Check out my Goodreads account and friend me to see more recommendations and books I'm dying to read. 

Bookie for Making Me Keep the Lights on at Night: The Passage by Justin Cronin

The book is about a vampire apocalypse, but these aren't your Twilight vampires that are taking over the world. One difference? Their teeth are described as being as long as toothpicks. And that's only part of the picture. The book might not seem up my alley, but you'd be surprised. You really become attached to the characters--a colony of people who have survived 100 years after the apocalypse--and follow them as they venture out to look for others like them. (And there's a sequel!)

Bookie for Being a Surprisingly Amazing Book: Tie between Villette by Charlotte Bronte and The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

I love it when I dread reading a book that's required for class, and it actually turns out to be great. Villette was required for my Victorian Lit class, and I spent a whole Saturday in my bed reading the 400-plus page tome. I couldn't wait to see what happened to the main character, a teacher at a foreign all-girls school.

The White Tiger had a similar effect on me. The book is about a boy who rises from the slums of India to become a wealthy entrepreneur. It reminded me of Slumdog Millionaire, yet seemed more realistic. I really was able to understand the caste system in India, and the conditions of those living within it.

Bookie for Being Overrated: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Ugh, I hated this book. Okay, hate is a strong word, but I was expecting so much more of this book due to the glowing reviews I had read of it. The book is told from an eleven-year-old girl's perspective as the world ends due to the rotation of the earth slowing down. It's a genius idea, but the narrative of the young girl brings the whole book down. I feel like having the girl narrate the book was just an excuse for the author to write at a lower level.

Bookie for Not Being Able to Put Down: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I can't say anything about this book without spoiling it--it's just amazing. The book opens with a husband who's wife has gone missing, and he's the number one suspect. That's all I can say, for the book takes so many twists and turns from there on that I don't want to spoil anything. Just read it!

Other Favorites:

• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

What were some of your favorite books this year?

Understanding Shakespeare: 4 Simple Tricks

This semester I was forced to take a 300-level Shakespeare class. It's a requirement for my English major, so I figured I might as well get it out of the way so I don't have to take it senior year.

Is it fun? No. Am I getting through it? Yes, but it's been a painful experience.

For those of you who don't understand Shakespeare either, I thought I'd compose a list of the tricks I'm using to survive the class. These tricks can be applied to any English book that you're required to read.

1. Use Post-It Notes to summarize each page

In class, we go through the plays page by page. I use post-it notes when I'm reading to keep track of all the major events, characters and lines on each page. Not only does this keep me from falling asleep when I'm reading, but it also means I don't have to write all over my rented Shakespeare textbook.

2. After reading, write down a brief summary of each scene

I don't know about you, but these plays are confusing. It's hard to keep track of everything, so right after I'm done doing the reading assignment I write down what I remember about the plot. It's great to study off of for our oh-so-wonderful weekly reading quizzes.

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3. Check to see if your interpretation is correct on Sparknotes

Okay, I'll admit it, sometimes I don't do the reading for classes and rely on Sparknotes to help me out. BUT I find that Sparknotes is actually a better tool for when you've done the reading but aren't sure if you understood it or not. For instance, I got completely stumped by a passage in The Merchant of Venice, but Sparknotes helped me get through it by summarizing the meaning of the passage for me. Don't rely on Sparknotes, though--use it sparingly.

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4. For help with specific lines, check out No Fear Shakespeare

"No Fear Shakespeare" is a series of books that translate traditional Shakespearian plays into "modern-day" English (Shakespeare technically did write in modern English, but I won't bore you with that story). If there's a specific line that I don't understand, it's great to look up the "modern" translation of it so I can understand it better.

I'm curious: do we have any fans of Shakespeare out there?

--Becky

Sunday Confessions

Yay, I'm back! And with my return some confessions:

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1. I had a dream about Essie's Fall 2012 collection, which is a little sad. But look at this amazingness...now I just have to wait for my local CVS to get the collection and I'll be set.

2. I have nothing to wear as the temperatures cool off. I thought I'd be going home sometime in September so I could pick up all my sweaters then, but it turns out I can't. Guess I'll be the only one on campus still wearing a mini skirt at the beginning of October. Gonna be outfits like this for the next couple weeks, just with jeans.

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3. My roommates are now all obsessed with Downton Abbey! And we pretty much want to live there--if anything, for the clothes and for people to cook all our meals for us. Apparently Season 3 premieres in the UK tonight, but the US doesn't get it until January.

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4. J.K. Rowling's new book is coming out soon, and I don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand, even though it's not Harry Potter, I think she's a great writer and I want to read something else from her. On the other hand--what if it's bad?

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5. I cleaned up the beach next to my apartment on Saturday for Ecology class extra credit. My favorite items found? A planter, full cans of beer and an iPod Nano (that still works!) Guys, the rocks are not your personal garbage, just so you know (but thanks for the iPod)...

Any of you have any Sunday confessions? Cheers to a new week!

"Gone Girl"=Best Book of the Summer?

I think yes. 

Via Goodreads

Book Description from Amazon:    "On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?'

Judging by the brief synopsis, I figured I'd get bored quickly by this book. Wife goes missing, husband gets accused? Sounds like an episode of Nancy Grace to me.

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But no. There is so much more to Gone Girl than that. The editors clearly don't want to spoil the book and have made the synopsis vague on purpose. The twists and turns are what make Gone Girl the best book of the summer. They're part of the adventure of reading it, so they can't be spoiled.

 The whole point of the novel is that nothing is what it seems to be. You don't know who's lying, who's telling the truth. You're presented with a clear idea of who the two main characters are--Amy and her husband Nick--but those ideas continue morphing as progress further into the novel.

And...that's about as much as I can tell you without spoiling it for you. My advice? Pick up Gone Girl now before someone else spoils it for you! If you were aware of the twists beforehand, I don't think the book would be interesting at all.

I still haven't finished it, but I probably will by the time the night is over. The book might just have kept me up till 2 last night...I couldn't put it down! Thanks for anyone who suggested this book for me, whether you did on your blog or you did via a comment on one of my previous posts. I love it!

So, since you all have good taste, what do you think--what's the last book I should read before the fall semester begins? Any suggestions?

Summer Reads, featuring "The Age of Miracles"

As I've said before, summer is the perfect time for me to catch up on all the fun books I wanted to read. I wanted to read The Age of Miracles ever since I heard the premise: an 11-year-old girl narrates the year that the Earth started to slow down its rotation, causing all sorts of chaos on Earth.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

I love anything post-apocolyptic or sci-fi, so I thought I would love this book. Wrong. I had so many problems with it. The actual cause of "the slowing" is never really explained, the characters are one dimension and you never feel the panic of the people on Earth. 

I wrote up a review and posted it here on Amazon. Definitely check it out in case you're planning on purchasing the book! 

The book seemed like it would be amazing, and then it was such a let-down. It was hyped up to the extreme, and I couldn't understand why. Then I saw it: the author was a former publisher at the company that published this book. 

Oh. So I see how that goes. 

In order to rectify this disappoint, I need some summer book suggestions! Here are the three books I'm planning on finishing before the fall semester starts. Has anybody read any of these?

1. Gone Girl

Amazon

On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne finds his wife to have disappeared, and is the number one suspect. 

2. Gold

Amazon

Two longtime friends compete against each other in the 2012 London Olympics

3. Beautiful Ruins

Amazon

An Italian innkeeper finds a dying American actress washed up on his beach

--Becky

P.S. Anyone on Goodreads? Come find me here! I need more bookish friends!

Book Club Friday: The Art of Fielding

Hey everyone! I'm linking up with Blonde...Undercover Blonde today to talk about what I'm reading this week.

I'm reading The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

Synopsis from iTunes:

At Westish College, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league until a routine throw goes disastrously off course. In the aftermath of his error, the fates of five people are upended. Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen Dunne becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own. And Pella Affenlight returns to Westish after escaping an ill-fated marriage, determined to start a new life.

As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, "The Art of Fielding is mere baseball fiction the way Moby Dick is just a fish story" (Nicholas Dawidoff). It is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment--to oneself and to others.

My thoughts:

I'm not finished with the book yet, but I'm in love. My mom read it before me and told me that I had to read it. I'm not the biggest baseball fan in the world (meaning I know nothing about baseball other than the fact that you hit a ball with a bat and there's nine innings). Still, I fell in love with this book. 

It's not about baseball, guys.

It's about a college-aged boy who starts out being a star on campus and falls. 

It's about having a talent and then having that stripped away from you. 

It's about the tedious process of planning out your future and the stress of having it ride on your performance.

I can find this book so relatable, so I'm sure you all will too! I'm sure I'll do a full review once I finish it. Like I said, it's not about baseball...it's about the irony of life, and how our destinies are intwined in each other's. The book is almost magical. Can't wait to finish it!

What are you all reading right now? Give me some book suggestions!

--Becky

Easter Break in an Eggshell

The three days went by so fast! Here's the gist of my extended weekend.


Cinnamon Challenge

 I'm obviously still 12, because I tried the Cinnamon Challenge this weekend. For those of you who don't know, the challenge is to swallow a whole teaspoon of cinnamon without any water.

Yeah...that's impossible.
This video from GloZell on Youtube has gone viral. I wanted to try the challenge because I thought surely this lady was exaggerating.


She's not. The stuff literally gets stuck in your throat and burns--you feel like you can't breathe. I spit out cinnamon all over the kitchen and had to vacuum it up. KT thought I was being dramatic and had to try for herself. That didn't work out too well either.

Reading

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Yep, two English books that I procrastinated on reading couldn't wait to finish. The girl on the cover of Uncle Silas seriously freaks me out. She looks like the girl from Orphan.

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Essay Writing

I was obviously very productive on those two essays I needed to finish.



Hanging Out With the Fam


We watched Persepolis together over the weekend. The movie is about a girl growing up in Iran during the 1970s, which is a time of turmoil and revolutions. It was a good thing my parents watched the movie with me--they remember the war Iran had with Iraq in the early 80s, so they explained the controversy for me. I feel very naive when it comes to problems in the Middle East, and I want to read more books about all the issues going on over there.

Sunday I had Easter brunch with my extended family at an Irish pub. I don't know if it's just me, but when I think of Ireland, it doesn't scream out "Easter" to me. But the food was good and I got to be with my family.


And now it's back to the grind. Hope everybody had wonderful breaks! Tell me if you did anything fun this weekend.

Harry Potter Ebooks

I just heard the announcement that the Harry Potter series is finally available as ebooks!

It's only around $50 for the whole series, which isn't bad at all in my opinion. All the hardcover books I have probably cost four times that.

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Guys, this summer is no longer going to be productive in any shape or form. The last time I read the whole series must've been when the 7th book came out. So this summer I have a date with my Nook and 4,182 pages of Harry Potter.

Source: skreened.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Still, the announcement is bittersweet. When I first started reading HP way back in the 2nd grade, I never imagined that by the time I was in college I'd be reading the series on a screen. It's strange, because I have such fond memories of reading the big ol' hardcover things. It was so special to hold the physical books at midnight the day they were released, smell the pages, and read the synopsis on the inside cover.

Embarrassing throwback time: my sister and I for one of the midnight book releases EONS ago. 

However, the Nook versions are going to be so much more convenient for me. Let's face it: at 20, you don't want to be seen reading a Harry Potter book, so I can read the things unbeknown to others on my ereader. Plus, the books are freakin' tomes. My backpack is heavy enough, thank you very much. There is no room for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in it.

If I have kids, I'm definitely going to introduce them to Harry Potter the old fashioned way with the hardbacks. However, the ebooks are a perfect solution for where I am right now in my life.What's everybody's opinions on the ebook versions?

Hunger Games Mania

I feel like every single blogger is talking about the Hunger Games coming out today, so I thought I'd hop on the bandwagon. It's not just bloggers and teens that are excited about the movie. It seems like everyone on my college campus either went to the midnight premiere or are going tonight. So much for being just teen books, right?

My friends keep reposting this on Facebook, and I laugh every time I see it.

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Hunger Games nail polish! I have no idea which one is my favorite. I guess I like the Luxe and Lush color, but it's only a topcoat. Sigh...

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By connecting with your Facebook at http://thecapitol.pn/, you can get assigned to a district. I really got a kick out of this because my profile or whatever ended up being so true. Take a look!

Not only am I in district 8, which is where I always thought Chicago would end up being, but it also says I would be a weaver. Guys, I already knit, so how perfect would that job be?

I don't know when I'll get to see the movie, since I'm going to be focused this week on schoolwork and visiting my family at home. For all those that go to see it this weekend, have fun! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

Great Expectations: The Book, the Miniseries, and the Movie

Here's where the science-y side of me goes away. I'm a double major, so besides going for a BS in biology, I'm also trying for a BA in English. People ask me all the time how I can study both the physical sciences and the social sciences. They're polar opposites. Really, I don't know, and sometimes I wish I wasn't in love with both biology and English. You don't know how strange it is to go from a class teaching cell biology to one teaching about Victorian Literature in the 19th century.

Anyway, over break my assignment for the above literature class was to finish Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. It's not like we want to relax or anything over the break, right?

I "read" the book for an English Honors class my sophomore year of high school. "Read" as in I got to about page fifty, didn't understand a thing, and did a combination of skimming/Sparknoting to get through the rest. I didn't remember any of it. So, honestly, I didn't have high expectations for this book (see what I did there?) Even the cover looks dull.

I don't know how after four measly years, I can suddenly understand this book and actually enjoy it. Is this what college did to me? Did it turn me into one of those prudes who yearns for the classics and says that Pride and Prejudice is the best book ever written? (LIES...everyone knows its Harry Potter). Did I sell my soul to this major?

But no, something must've changed because I raced through this book. It's hard to describe: mostly its a coming-of-age story of a boy named Pip who inherits a vast amount of fortune. I imagine that this is one of the first books that showcases the problems that material wealth can bring with it, as Pip starts longing for the times when he was a poor blacksmith's apprentice. Therefore, the theme seemed a little overdone, but I'm sure that at the time it was fresh. We learned in my Victorian Literature class that material wealth was first talked about in books in the 19th century. Before then, people were too proud to brag to others about how much they owned. Just think of such a different society we live in today!

Like I said, I enjoyed the book but it wasn't as good as other books we've read in the class. What I find interesting is how this book is adapted over and over again into TV series and movies. There's two, two versions of the book hitting the US screens this year. That's too much Pip for anyone to handle.

Here's the trailer for the first adaption, the miniseries, which is on PBS April 1st and 8th. I don't care if you have no interest at all in Great Expectations, but you have to watch the trailer. It was just weird. There's no talking at all in the whole thing, just some weird hipster/new age/indie song wailing in the back. Now, I like indie songs, but they weren't around in the 1800s, people. I just want to hear these characters talk. Which makes me think they might not have the greatest acting abilities, and the good folk at PBS are just trying to hide it...

Watch Great Expectations Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Now the second adaption seems a little more legit. It's coming out at the end of the year, so there's almost no information on it but the cast list at IMDB. It's got some heavy-hitter names. Ralph Fiennes (i.e. Voldemort), Helena Bonham Carter (i.e. scary lady in every British/Tim Burton movie), Jeremy Irvine (i.e. the boy crying over his horse in "War Horse). Strangely of all, even Robbie Coltrane, HAGRID, is in it. HAGRID. So we got Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Hagrid. What is this, the Potter family reunion?

Even though we know nothing else than the cast list, I can tell by the caliber of these actors that the movie will be something special. I'll probably watch it just because I love to watch movie adaptations of books and then complain about everything they cut out. The miniseries on PBS? I'm giving that a maybe.

I'm glad that the classic book is getting exposure to a new generation, but why two adaptations in one year? Perhaps it's just bad timing. But I almost wish that instead of doing the 18th adaptation of Great Expectations (seriously, it's the 18th according to Wikipedia), they'd reinvent a different old classic. Like Villette. Or Mary Barton.

Or just let these books sleep peacefully--perhaps they were never meant for the big screen at all.

Becky's Books: The Hunger Games vs Battle Royale

So I just started my spring break, which means I actually have time to read...books other than the ones I have to read for my Victorian Lit class, anyway. Don't get me wrong, Villette, Mary Barton and Great Expectations are amazing books (I actually hae found them all interesting, which is a first when it comes to required reading). But there's something about being able to sit down on my bed and read a page of the book without having to analyze every single word on it and go to Sparknotes to figure out what the hell I just read.

And now for my first spring break read: The Hunger Games!

Everyone has been talking about these books. You literally can't miss hearing about The Hunger Games. With the movie coming out, it's going to be the next "Harry Potter", the next "Twilight"...whatever. The three series are completely different...I don't know how they keep getting compared. My mom read these books though, and loved them, which is a good sign. She never could get through the Potter series.

Anyway, in case you haven't seen, the books are about a dystopian society divided into 12 districts, each responsible for some form of the industry: mining, fishing, etc. Every year each district must send two children to fight in the Hunger Games. The twenty-four kids fight to the death, for there can be only one survivor. And the whole thing just happens to be broadcast on TV.

Yes, this is a teen book.

Barnes and Noble gave me a free copy of Mockingjay, the third book in the trilogy, when I bought my Nook Color a few weeks ago. I don't really know why, but it compelled me to read the books over again. You see, I read the first two books in high school before they became a big thing. At the time, I was meh about them...because they had already been done before.

Meet Battle Royale, a book translated from Japanese that I read during my wee years as a high school freshman. A group of students think that they are going on a field trip when they instead are gassed on the bus and awaken on an isolated island. They soon learn they are part of a military training program called, aptly, "The Program", and are required to fight the other members of their class to the death. If not everyone dies in a twenty-four hour period, everyone dies. Only one may survive. Sound familiar?

At the time, I called The Hunger Games as a blatant rip-off of Battle Royale. However, upon rereading them I'm realizing how different the two books really are. Battle Royale is very descriptive of its killings, and is faster-paced...the whole thing takes place in 24-hours versus almost a week during the Hunger Games. Whereas in Royale all the students knew each other and we really delve into their backgrounds, there is little unity between the kids of The Hunger Games. And finally, the purpose of the Hunger Games is to provide entertainment for the country's citizens (how disgusting is that?), whereas in Battle Royale the whole thing is a top secret mission.

I recommend reading both books and seeing which you like better. I'm almost done with The Hunger Games, and for some reason I'm loving it a lot more than I remember. I have the other two books still to get through, but they're pretty quick reads and I think I'll finish them by the end of break.

I'm starting to realize why these books have made such an impact on teenagers, though. I was absolutely devastated when I first read Battle Royale, and I can honestly say the book changed my views on human nature: really, when it comes right down to it, do we all have the ability to kill, just for the sake of survival? The Hunger Games has a similar story, but it still is teaching the same message. We may all be humans, but that doesn't mean we're capable of killing each other.

I'll keep you postponed as I read Catching Fire and Mockingjay!


--Becky