Books in Bed

Midwives

9 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Fiction /

I hate it when I enjoy Oprah Book Club books. I really hate it, particularly if Oprah has chosen the book before I’ve read it. But, I liked Midwives and I wonder why I didn’t read it sooner. What’s not to like?

I’m always surprised at how well Chris Bojhalian (link to his blog), handles women’s topics. Water Witches and Midwives, very cool. His choice of narrator, Connie – the daughter of the accused Midwife, was excellent. I can’t imagine how the story might have been told from the Rand’s perspective (Rand is Sybil’s husband) and I think if it had been told from the midwife Sybil’s perspective, it would have been to clunky. Connie was a good choice.

I enjoyed it, darn Oprah. I hate it when she does this sort of thing to me.

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Gravity’s Rainbow – Help Me!

3 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics, Don't Read This /

Gravity’s Rainbow is the last “difficult” and “scary” read from my Summer Reading Challenge and I’m ready to give up. I was ready to give up on page 7, again on page 16, also on page 34, then on page 43 and now on page 116.

I don’t want to give up on it, so now I’m in search of study guides, reading guides, something that will help me follow this, this, this… I don’t even know what to call it.

Anyone out there have any words of wisdom? Anyone out there who can tell me why I should keep reading? 600 pages is a long time to muddle through if I’m not going to get anything out of the muddling.

Help!

Updated – 8/6/6 – I’ve given up, for now. I may go back to it later but another 50 pages last night proved that I just wasn’t going to get anything out of it. Darn it.

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Kristin Lavransdatter – Redux

1 Comment / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics /

I’ve complained mightily about this book, not as much as Vanity Fair or The Moonstone but close. I shouldn’t have complained. I liked it and I’m glad, now that I’m finished, that I read it. 1000+ pages of difficult language and complex storylines well worth reading.

I understand now, why Kristin Lavransdatter won the Nobel Prize and why it is on the Teachers First Lifetime Reading List. Good solid Summer Reading Challenge book – long as heck though.

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An Epic

2006, Books in Bed, Classics /

Summer Reading Challenge is kicking my ass – being at Blogher isn’t helping but really it was my choice of books that’s driving me insane. What in the heck caused me to choose Kristin Lavransdatter, along with all of these other really long and difficult books?

It’s not that I’m not enjoying the book because I am. It’s just incredibly long and it isn’t an easy read at all, due to the translation and the odd phrasing and such. Not to mention I can’t pronounce any of these names or places and so I stumble in my head over all of them.

It took me about 50 pages to get sort of comfortable with the language and then I began to really enjoy the story. TW has commented several times that I seem to be really moved or into the book, even while complaining at how long it is taking to read it or how difficult it is to read. And that’s so true, I am really into it. It’s just so long.

I’m through “Book One” and “Book Two”. I’m hoping to be finished with “Book Three” before I head home from Blogher. I probably won’t make it but that’s my goal.

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The Shadow of the Wind

3 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Mystery /

I wasn’t looking forward to reading The Shadow of the Wind. I kept pushing it back further on the “to be read” list. I kept picking it up and putting it down. I even read Vanity Fair before The Shadow of the Wind because I was sure this was going to be a dud. I was soooo wrong.

From the first paragraph to the last, I was totally hooked. I love the idea of a Cemetary of Forgotten Books. I loved every single character in this novel, including the “bad guys”. I loved the twists and turns and the impossible connections between the characters. I even loved the ridiculous and completely impossible coincidences.

The only thing I didn’t like was that the book ended. And I wish, I really wish, I could read Julian Carax’s novels.

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Percy Jackson – Sea of Monsters

2006, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed Sea of Monsters. Ignoring the fact that I’d have enjoyed just about anything after the horrors of Vanity Fair, Sea of Monsters was terrific. Great fun for kids and grown ups and an excellent sequel to The Lightning Thief. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

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I Prefer the Moonstone

1 Comment / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics /

I finally finished this monster of a book, Vanity Fair. I prefer The Moonstone. Thank goodness that’s done with. I’m not even sure what the point of the book was? I suppose 100 bloody years ago, it might have been new and interesting but today it just seemed tired and incredibly long and a wee bit boring. OK more than a wee bit.

It’s pretty bad when you don’t find a single character to LIKE in a 750 page book.

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