Rules of Civility

Well, this week I left the hobbit hole for New York City in the 1938. I received The Rules of Civility, by Amor Towles as a Christmas present from B's little (skinny and taller than me by a mile, younger) sister. I am glad I did, because I have a surprisingly hard time picking out new (non made into movie) books.

Rules puts me in the mind of The Great Gatsby. It's got the unrequited love, the high society, the drinks, etc. It is extremely well-written and it's obvious Towles is well read by the references to everything from Russian lit. to Roman Gods to the Enlightenment. I  resonated with the main character, Katey. For that matter, all of the characters where well developed and believable, they truly seemed like people you would meet in New York (not that I've ever been).

With that said, Rules left me wanting in plot. It was more like reading Katey's journal than reading a novel. She has a pretty passive aggressive personality so when anything exciting (read interesting) was about to happen, she left the room. When the book ended, it left me thinking "What? is that all?" I guess what I am trying to say is that the book is a little too close to life, it needed some drama (read: I wanted Katey to stop being so understanding and start getting mad).

I gave it a 4 out of 5 on Goodreads (partly from the peer pressure of everyone else thinking it wonderful) and partly because of the writing style. But based on plot alone I would give it a 3 out of 5. Maybe I can come back and read it again in a few months and see if I missed something. 

The Hobbit, (There and Back Again)

Well, I finished my first book for 2013 and it's January 16th. Toot Toot (that's me tooting my own horn, if you couldn't tell).  

I started with The Hobbit, it's 351 pages of non-stop, breathtaking, crazy adventures. Yes, there was a new adventure every 3 pages or so. I did get to the point, somewhere between goblins in the Misty Mountains and wood elves in Mirkwood, when I was ready for the dragon to be dead and Bilbo to be back in his little hobbit hole.

While, reading the reviews on goodreads.com (which you can find here) one of the reviewers said that we always have plenty of words for a bad review, but out good reviews are much shorter. That will probably be true here. Overall, I very much enjoyed The Hobbit and look forward to sharing this book with my future (potential) children or nieces and nephews. It's such an imaginative children's story with some grown-up principles (like believing in yourself and working for the good for everybody and always telling the truth). I found myself cheering for Bilbo, wanting the precious little hobbit to get the appreciation he deserved. I also found myself wanting to shake sense into a couple dwarfs.

 If you have kids, enjoy fantasy adventures, or like a good story then go pick up The Hobbit. Have you read this book? What do you like reading? I'd love to hear your thoughts!!  

Reading List

Okay, after this post I will understand if you are calling me a geek or nerd under your breath. In fact, you don't even have to say it under your breath (unless you just find that fun). I may be one a small set of graduates who are most excited about diving into a reading list. The difference is that these books are chosen by me and I don't have to write a paper, discussion post or project about any of them.

The following images (and some of the synopsis) comes from goodreads.com. If you're a reader you should check this out. It lets you rate the books you've read and gives you recommendations based on those ratings.

 Twenty Books to Read in 2013 (in no particular order)

1. Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

 

 The people that have actually read the entire book or watched the movie seem to love this book/movie. Who doesn't love an epic love story?

2. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien

 I loved the first movie and I greatly respect Tolkien as a writer. Cannot wait to get this adventure  started.

3. Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer

 

I read this for a class this semester in a weekend. I am looking forward to taking a little more time to enjoy the quirks of this book. 

4. The Rules of Civility, Amor Towles

 

This was a Christmas gift. It's about love, New York, rich people, and 1937  what's not to love?

5. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy 

 Part of the point of reading is to get up to date on some of the 'classics' I didn't read in school. I've never read Tolstoy and I thought Anna Karenina sounded more enjoyable than War and Peace. 

6. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn 

I've seen this title over and over in the last few months. A couple of friends have read it and enjoyed it. Plus I love reading contemporary stuff. 

7. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson

I didn't watch the movie, maybe I will after reading the book, but I've heard lots of praise for the series. Maybe I'll save this till later in the list in case I have to read the other two. 

8. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo

Another classic that sounds like it's worth reading. (Have you noticed the theme of book turned movie on the list? I may have a problem)

9. The Lightening Thief, Rick Riordan

Okay, I know this is young adult lit --it won't be the last one on the list-- but I love the idea of bringing the Greek gods into something more approachable. 

10. Wicked, Gregory Maguire

I love reading novels that are about the background characters to a well known novel. Plus the musical is coming to Charlotte, NC this spring and I'd love to go see it. 

11. Why We Broke Up, Daniel Handler 

Another book that's been all over the NYT Bestsellers and surprise, surprise has been made into a movie (do people in Hollywood ever really write original works anymore?)

12.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

Another young adult lit book made into a movie. Teen angst + coming of age story = the making of a great novel. 

13. The Road, Cormac McCarthy

 This was a suggestion given to me by one of my buddies from ASU.

14. The Diviners, Libba Bray

I love the trilogy, Great and Terrible Beauty, by this woman. So I am going to give this novel a try. 

15. The Luxe, Anna Godbersen 

Pretty girls, scandal, pretty boys, clothes, New York . . . it's like Gossip Girl in 1899. 

16. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold 

 

I've been wanting to read this book for a while now. It reminds me of The Time Traveler's Wife, so hopefully I will love it too. 

17. The Sealed Letter, Emma Donoghue 

I love this author. My favorite book of her's is a historical fiction novel, Slammerkin. This is the same genre, but a completely different story.

18. The Dress Lodger, Sheri Holman 

This suggestion was given to me by goodreads.com based on my rating for the above mentioned, Slammerkin.

19. Forever, Judy Blume 

Who doesn't love Judy Blume? Another coming-of-age love story, who can say no? 

20. The Friday Nigh Knitting Club, Kate Jacobs 

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a little over a  year now so I figure it's time.

Welcome 2013

Happy New Year!!! While the last week of 2012 had it's moments with forgotten debit card pin numbers, keys locked in the car, and meltdowns in the Walmart parking lot; it was a pretty good year over all. The biggest accomplishment was finishing my Master's degree at East Carolina University!

I told B he could call me Master now, but he's yet to take me up on that offer. But my graduation means our lives can finally leave that perpetual state of limbo. We can take a look at what the next step is going to be. Right now - it's BREATHE :)

So, it's January 1st, the day for resolutions. This year I am going to try to do something new . . . actually make realistic goals that I can keep. So this year, since I received a sewing machine for Christmas, my goal is to learn how to use it. You guys will get to go on the journey with me . . . so far, it's out of the box and sitting on my desk. The problem? The electrical cord doesn't reach far enough, so it will either move to the table or I need to get a extension cord. Haha, then onto threading the needle. I'll keep you posted.