Category Archives: Reading

A Reader’s Demand

One of the characters in John Fowles’s The Magus says, I burnt every novel I possessed. . . . Why should I struggle through hundreds of pages of fabrication to reach half a dozen very little truths? I sometimes feel … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Leave a comment

Not Persuaded

Hooray! I finished the first of my 10 must-read books for 2008—Jane Austen’s Persuasion. What took me so long to read Persuasion? I read it twice! Why would I do such a thing? The language was such a distraction from … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Leave a comment

Next at Bat

I picked up a couple of books from the library today. One is the next book in the Vonnegut Marathon, Galapagos. I struggled with the temptation to buy this book because it was cheap and readily available. However, one should … Continue reading

Posted in Reading, Vonnegut Marathon | Tagged , | Leave a comment

An Affair to Remember

And now, to balance the less-than-cheery insights from the last post, I present to you the other book that I read recently. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde Grade: A My love affair with The Eyre Affair has … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Q&A With Vonnegut

Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut Grade: B Of Deadeye Dick I have not much to say. The final scene took place in a cemetery and one of the characters raised a ghost. For me, the real ghost was Kurt Vonnegut, … Continue reading

Posted in Reading, Vonnegut Marathon | Tagged | Leave a comment

And How Old Are You?

Faithful Reader kidded me the other day about my propensity for reading children’s books. He said, “And how old are you?” I don’t think he meant it too seriously, but he did have a point. I had been reading an … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Book’s Last Chance

I own a book called The Magus by John Fowles. It came into my hands in an unusual way. The library was giving away a sad-looking collection of books that hadn’t sold at the last book sale. I don’t know … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Futuristic Deja Vu

Here’s another book that rose to the top of the pile and finally got itself read. The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer Grade: B Eoin Colfer is the author of the popular Artemis Fowl series, excellent books that have already been … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Off to a Good Start

Another book read in 2008! Mister Monday (The Keys of the Kingdom, Book One) by Garth Nix Grade: B+ Mister Monday is the story of Arthur, a boy who nearly dies from an asthma attack. He is saved at the … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Leave a comment

Charming Book

I just keep digging deeper and deeper into the children’s section of my personal library. Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones Grade: A- Charmed Life is a story about two orphaned siblings, a teenage witch and her younger brother, who … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Leave a comment