10 Things: 12 Books

{A sample of the lovelies I have read}

I admit, I'm kinda jazzed with myself for having achieved one of my goals for this year already.  12 books might not seem like that many really, but I've been severely lacking in my book-worming the past few years and to get back into reading has been like coming home.

I love books.  I adore reading.  There are few things I consider more pleasurable than finding a cosy spot and getting completely lost in a good story.  I am the sort of person who can start a book one morning and finish it by the time I go to bed, utterly gripped by the words, a whole novel devoured in a day.  It brings me such joy, to re-read old favourites and discover new, exciting authors and genres.  Reading is really, really awesome.

The 12 books that completed my goal are, in order:

1. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
2. Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally
3. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Philip Pullman
4. The Shining - Stephen King
5. The Wishsong of Shannara - Terry Brooks
6. Carrie - Stephen King
7. What the Night Knows - Dean Koontz
8. Watchers - Dean Koontz
9. The Taking - Dean Koontz
10. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End Of The World - Haruki Murakami
11. Asbo - Iain Robin Wright
12. Hannibal - Thomas Harris

I think from that list, it's pretty evident I like spooky, creepy, thriller-y and scary books ^_^ I love science-fantasy too, but so far this year I've tried to push myself to read genres and stories outside of my usual comforts.  The Murakami novel, for instance, was one of the weirdest, most unusual novels I've ever read and I adored it.  'Hannibal', on the other hand, was very complex and involved and a little slow in parts and I found it a bit of a struggle to push through it.  I even read one book on my Mum's Kindle ('Asbo') and while I appreciate the ability to carry around all your books in one, nothing quite beats paper and ink.

I am going to stuff myself full of literature for the rest of the year and read as many books as I can!  I'd love some suggestions, which could be similar to those I've read already or completely different - what are you reading at the moment?

Ooh, and a tiny bit of exciting news - I'm officially moving on July 17th!  Less than two weeks away!  Ahhh!  Exciting!  Thanks for stopping by, I hope you're all having an awesome week and have lots of lovely things planned for the weekend.

xoxo

Book 3 : The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

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Having read Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy, I saw this in a thrift shop and just -had- to buy it.  It intrigued me more than anything; I wondered how the story of Jesus' birth and death could be told differently, how someone who describes himself as an 'agnostic atheist' could portray such a tale.

This novel tells the story of Jesus and Christ, two brothers born of Mary, brothers who could not be more different; Jesus, a hard-headed, mischievous boy who grows to be the outspoken preacher we all know and Christ, his quiet, introspective twin who used his words to keep his brother from trouble and took it upon himself to record Jesus' words.  In both characters, we see parts of the Jesus we are familiar with, as though the man we know from the Bible was an amalgam of both individuals, as though just one man, with one set of ideas, was not rounded enough to lead to a new way of thinking, of being.  Jesus is, of course, the man who spoke out, who encouraged those around him to see the world in a different light.  Christ was his author, who included some of his personal ideas to make sure that his brother was observed to always be true, honest and the right man to lead.

It is an interesting concept and well executed by the author.  He tells it with care, with consideration, as an alternative viewpoint on one of the most famous stories of all time.  I read it -very- quickly (sometimes super big print is so awesome) and I enjoyed it.  It wasn't what I expected at all and I liked that ^_^

I hope you've all got a lovely weekend waiting for you!  I'm working the whole thing =( but I've got a chat with S tomorrow night to look forward to, and not having to do another 12-hour shift in the near future!  Woo!  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sit down with some yummy nibbles and a new episode of The Walking Dead - remember, if Daryl dies, we riot ^_^ Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

Book 2: Schindler's List

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First off, I haven't seen the movie, so I only vaguely knew who Oskar Schindler was and the impact he made on the survival of Jewish prisoners during WW2.  This novel is as factual as the author was able to make it; some elements had to be imagined, such as actual conversations between individuals, but the story within is one of truth and very little fiction.

By most accounts, Oskar Schindler was a man who enjoyed indulgences and pleasure; he drank and smoked often and kept several mistresses alongside his wife.  He is never painted as a saint, but as having an almost childish attitude towards his private life and his excesses.  An unremarkable man before the war and one who lived the rest of his life without incident, his greatest actions occurred between 1939-1945, in which his factories, under the guise of needing skilled workers, became safe havens for hundreds of Jewish prisoners otherwise destined for concentration camps.  Because of his compassion, his want to save innocent lives and his anger at the senseless murders occurring, those who may not have survived -did- and went on to tell an extraordinary story.

Owing to this novel being mostly factual, there are swathes of text to get through and I found myself referring back to the little glossary of German-English military rankings time and again.  It left me frustrated in parts, as the Jewish population was herded into ghettos, stripped of their possessions, reassuring themselves that everything would be okay and resisting little.  It had me shaking my head at the horrors the prisoners suffered, the brutal executions, the constant threat of violence.  It was a struggle to plough through at times, but reading of the liberation of the camps, the freedom of those who had suffered and the way they, in turn, protected their protector was immensely satisfying, as was discovering the punishments of those who had committed those heinous acts.

I didn't know what to expect as I started reading.  Despite it being hard to continue at times, due to endless descriptions, I am glad I read it.  I don't often stray from fiction, but this was worth making the exception for.  It's a heavy book, tragic but ultimately uplifting and insightful.  I hope you're all having a great day today, thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

Book 1 : Tess Of The D'Urbervilles

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Well.  That was a...cheery way to start my reading for the year.

I am not a huge fan of Victorian literature but I couldn't resist picking up 'Tess' at my local thrift store.  It is a classic, after all, and I can see why.  I find the style of writing a little hard to get my head around sometimes, but there are beautiful descriptive passages throughout the novel that conjure fantastic images of endless countryside and spark the most powerful feelings of absolute love and agony.

Tess is, quite possibly, the most tragic creature I've ever read.  She is quite beautiful, or 'handsome' as she is referred to, works hard and is considerably bright for a woman of her stature.  She suffers, poor thing, suffers completely and relentlessly throughout the novel.  She is pursued by one she does not love, essentially abandoned by the one she does, lied to, manipulated and, eventually...well, I won't spoil the ending but it's miserable.  She goes through her short life believing herself to be at fault for all that goes wrong when really, she is the victim.  It had me sighing woefully, huffing with annoyance and raising my eyebrows in worry.  It's all just so terribly sad.

This novel frustrated me.  I wanted for everything to right itself and it didn't.  I wanted the characters to realise what they were doing and stop it, but they didn't.  I wanted poor Tess to find true happiness, one that she deserved even if she did not feel she did, but she didn't.  It is a novel which caught me unexpectedly, one I could not put down for several days until it was finished, and one I would recommend.  Prepare to be outraged, fall in love and sink into misery if you decide to tackle this one.  There's nothing quite like a novel which makes you -feel- and this one did, in abundance.

On that happy note -chuckles- I hope you are all preparing for a lovely, relaxed weekend full of things that will make you smile ^_^  Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

Monday Must Haves #23

It's been a while, huh?  I think my last MMH was in February!  Crazy times!  It's been a real rollercoaster since then, from blog stuff to personal stuff to everything in between!

S and I have been planning a trip {which I'm actually taking next week, how exciting!} and as much as I love going to see him, I really *don't* like the 8 hours flying there and back ~sad face~ My flights are usually okay, I get fed a lot of yummy food and the entertainment isn't bad.  But you need more than that to make an okay flight into a really good, comfortable one.  So this week, my Monday Must Haves are all about making your flight the best it can be!

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♥ So, I know when I land in NJ at about 1pm, the July heat will likely cause me to melt like a popsicle left in the sun.  ~However~, when you're up on that plane, it gets *chilly*.  One important factor for comfort is warmth, and even though they give you a blanket, wearing a cute, light sweater will keep the cold away and will be easy to stuff in your travel bag once you get outside!

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♥ This cute little devil is perfect for a long flight like mine!  Since I'm going to be travelling during the day, it'll be bright out and, since I'll be so excited to go, I'll probably not sleep much the night before!  It's always good to get some shut eye on the plane (Yes, S, people still do say 'shut eye'!) but that doesn't always come easy, especially if the person next to you ~really really really~ wants to look at clouds the whole flight (-_-) Stick on one of these pretties and you'll be sleeping in no time!

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♥ Sometimes, you just don't want to watch a movie or listen to music.  Getting lost in a good book is an excellent way to spend a few of those long hours and make them fly by before you know it!  I love a bit of H.G.Wells, I think he's an excellent writer and a collection of stories would be perfect to dive into!  Note: getting stuck into a book can sometimes stop your very-nice-but-super-chatty neighbour quiet down some.  Or annoy the person the other side!  Bonus!

Above all else, to make your flight as comfortable as possible, *move around* and *drink plenty of water*.  It's important to stay as active as possible and keep hydrated (^_^) These are my top three flight necessities, to stop me from going mad on a flight that is much too long!  What are your top three things to bring with you on your travels?  And are you going anywhere nice for a holiday this year?

Thank you for stopping by!  Hope you're having an awesome week!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

Book 2 Of 10 - The Elfstones Of Shannara

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Good golly.  I am missioning through these books!  And the reason for that is because they are *so* well written and completely engrossing!  I'm already a good way through the third and am fighting myself to read it slower so I can savour every word.

This book is my favourite of the trilogy; fifty years have passed since the first novel and again, a darkness threatens to engulf the world.  It is up to two young people to embark on a perilous quest in order to save it.  It's rammed full of adventure, intrigue and action with incredibly detailed battle scenes and a tenderness between characters not often seen in this sort of novel.  This novel is also my favourite because it really makes me feel; I'm not overly keen on the way the story ends (in fact, it really annoys me because I've grown so attached to two particular characters!) but I *like* that it makes me consider why I'm feeling the way I do and exactly why the author chose to end the book that way.

I'm thrilled to be through my second book already and am keen to keep reading, especially since this third novel is just as gripping as the first two!  I spent the rest of today hanging out with my family and starting the adventure that is crocheting a blanket (^_^) I've got tons of a very pretty aran wool which is a slightly off-white colour flecked with pinks, greens, blues and yellows.  It's going to make a super snuggly blanket!

I hope you're all having a great week!  Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

Book 1 Of 10 - The Sword Of Shannara

Zomg.

 To my fellow, geeky, science-fantasy adoring peoples, I present to you 'The Sword Of Shannara' by Terry Brooks.

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This book is the first in a trilogy and it is *absolutely incredible*.  I read it over the past week and oh...Just oh!  When I was about 16, I borrowed the trilogy from my then-boyfriend and read all three books over a fortnight.  My lovely brother bought them for me for Christmas and it was just as good as I remembered!

For those of you who like a story full of magic, epic battles and a band of comrades who quest to save the world, this novel is a must-read.  It was inspired by LOTR and you can feel it in the way it is written.  You come to love the characters; you fight with them, you cry with them, you exult in joy as they do.  It's truly an engrossing, superbly written novel, full of intrigue, mystery and an ending that will keep you guessing.

I'm thrilled that I've managed to finish one book already!  I'm well stuck into the second novel, 'The Elfstones Of Shannara', so watch this space for another review soon!

Hope you're having a grand weekend and have lots of wonderful things planned for the week ahead!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

Stephen (is the) King

On one of my recent thrifting trips, I found this;

I ♥ Stephen King in so many ways for so many different reasons.  I think he's an amazing story teller, not only dealing in bone-chilling horror but drama and romance too.  I've been working through this collection of short stories and having read 'Skeleton Crew' (purely for The Mist, which is a phenomenal short story) I knew I was in for a real treat when I saw this included both the inspiration for The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me.  I wasn't wrong!  I really enjoyed reading all four of these stories, which range from uplifting celebrations of life to coming of age to the twisted and macabre.

I realised, along the way, that throughout my time reading Stephen King, he's taught me a few things;

• All the crazy stuff happens in Maine.  Ghosts love Maine.  Creepy mist creatures holiday in Maine.  When the zombie apocalypse comes, it'll originate in Maine.  Spooky, weird and wonderful?  It's from Maine.
• It's possible to be scared of using a cell/mobile phone.  So much so that you hide it and refuse to use it for a week, just in case (see: Cell by Stephen King...jeepers that gave me the willies!)
• *EVERYTHING* can be haunted/possessed/generally freakin' scary.
• *NOTHING* is sacred/avoided/brushed over.  It's all there in gory detail, honey.
• Stephen King is awesome and does great cameos (^_^) Storm of the Century, Sons of Anarchy, Creepshow, The Langoliers (♥ this!) and so many more.

I hope you're all going to rush out and read some Stephen King now *chuckles* Hope you're all having a great weekend, I worked the whole thing so I'm looking forward to a Monday free from work, full of talking to my boy and working on a few creative projects!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

Thrifty Finds!

Yay for thrifting!  And yay for weekends off where you get to go thrifting!  I took a stroll down to my local YMCA yesterday and also one day last week, where I managed to find a real good haul of books and the warmest, reddest, gorgeous-est jumper ever!

Reads and Redness, woo!

I'm always thrilled when I find something awesome when I'm out thrifting, it's such a great feeling knowing that something someone else didn't want any more is coming home with me where I'm going to love and appreciate it (^_^) Books are always my first stop in any thrift store; this week I picked up 'Schindler's List', 'The Devil Wears Prada', 'The Shakespeare Secret' and a book of Chinese Fairytales and Fantasies, which looks fascinating!

I hope you're all having a really great Sunday!  In the next week, I'd like to show you the bits and pieces I've been making and working on, I've got another little book review up my sleeve and, well, who knows what else the week will bring!  I'm hoping to go and have a look at a few potential homes for me and my boy in the next week or so, which I'm hugely excited about!  Can't wait to start planning our new home!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

I Have To Return Some Videotapes

Book #4 of 2011 was the fantastic 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis. 

I'd seen the movie years ago and loved it; 80s music, dark humour and an incredibly buff Christian Bale = epic.good.movie.

For the record, I *love* Huey Lewis and the News

While I'm pleased to say that the movie stayed true to the novel for the most part, I'm almost glad it wasn't word for word!  This novel was gory, horrific and somewhat terrifying in its brutality - certainly not for the faint of heart.

Patrick Bateman is expertly constructed as a character; one half professional Wall Street banker with exceptional fashion taste and perfect skin, an intense work-out routine and an understandable disdain for the ignorance of those who surround him; the other half, an utterly psychotic, disgustingly inventive mass-murderer.  Both halves reside in one body, straining against each other in an expensive, materialistic, drug-fuelled yuppie world.

The novel is hilarious - it had me laughing out loud on so many occasions.  Equally, it had my stomach churning and me forcibly gasping.  There are whole chapters dedicated to music, paragraph upon paragraph of clothing descriptions, discussions on how to wear them and what to accessorise with.  Page after page of restaurant reservations and obscenely expensive meals, littered with Platinum AmEx mentions.  There are snide remarks, death threats, long and gruesome descriptions of torturous killings, copious drug use and more than just a little sexually explicit discussion.  This whole combination runs from the sublime to the ridiculous, dull normality and tedium to twisted insanity in the blink of an eye.  It's precisely this which makes 'American Psycho' unputdownable.

So if you're looking for a read that's a little bit different, that'll make you laugh and shock your socks off, I'd thoroughly recommend this book.  I wouldn't advise reading it while eating, though!

Hope you're having a wonderful Thursday!  I've got a killer shift at work tomorrow (6am-6pm...HELP) but thankfully I've got the whole weekend off *woop woop* which I fully intend on using to relax, read and finding some gorgeous yarn to learn to crochet with!  Yay for free weekends!

What have you got planned for yours?

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥