tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9961198054438923862024-03-05T12:04:29.446-05:00I Read BooksNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-19154360435376616352012-01-13T13:16:00.000-05:002012-01-13T13:16:59.951-05:00The EndIt’s now 2012, and my New Year’s resolution for 2011 has drawn to a close. Unfortunately, I completely dropped the ball this winter! To my surprise, the holiday season proved to be the most difficult time of year to be consistently reading. I had predicted that it would be the summertime – but I suppose days lazing in the sun provide perfect reading opportunities!
Since my last entry, I have Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-85944857624931756752011-12-12T10:21:00.000-05:002011-12-12T10:21:29.960-05:00Week 46: Pride of Baghdad, by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko HenrichonThis graphic novel was loaned to me by a friend and fellow cat-lover. The book tells the story of a group of lions who escape from their zoo in Baghdad after it is shelled during an attack. It is apparently based on a true story, as the end of the book informs the reader that in 2003, a group of Americans soldiers encountered a group of starving lions wandering around the city. The story isNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-20141937034354957862011-12-12T09:59:00.000-05:002011-12-12T09:59:03.541-05:00Week 45: Falling Man, by Don DeLilloLet me tell you – I loathed this book. Every page of it was torture. I know that Don DeLillo is supposed to be awesome, but this book was terrible. The only reason I chose to read this book of his and not one of his two more famous works (Underworld or White Noise) is because this book was in our library at work. I’m sure there are people out there who loved it. It’s about 9/11, which is fine. Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-36847257902844247142011-11-23T13:48:00.000-05:002011-11-23T13:48:51.526-05:00Week 44: The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey NiffeneggerI had wanted to read this book for a while, even though I had heard mixed reviews about it, with some calling it romantic and others, maudlin. The truth is that it’s both. But, it works. A book like this cannot succeed, in my opinion, without being a tiny bit sentimental – it’s a love story. But it is far more sad than it is romantic. It’s a deeply melancholy tale that is more about Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-32199296418658138062011-11-23T13:46:00.000-05:002011-11-23T13:46:30.958-05:00Week 43: Gossip Girl: I Like It Like That, by Cecily von ZiegesarI really enjoy the TV show Gossip Girl. It’s so snarky and brutal and just plain clever. It’s also chock full of couture fashion, which makes it fun to look at as well. Jamie is also a fan of the show, which prompted our friends to purchase this book for him while at a yard sale. I read it, thinking that it would make a nice, lighthearted book of the week. The book series preceded the show, and Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-34847209769137963982011-11-07T11:28:00.002-05:002011-11-07T11:28:51.231-05:00Week 42: Last Night at the Lobster, by Stewart O'NanThis was my book club’s latest pick. I read it in one sitting. It’s a quick read – it feels almost like a music video that was shot in one continuous take. It’s a fun book, yet it’s steeped in a bleak mood. The story revolves around Manny DeLeon, who is a manager at a New England Red Lobster that is about to close its doors permanently. Manny, and a few other of his staff, are headed the next dayNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-8930518686095811332011-11-07T11:25:00.000-05:002011-11-07T11:25:48.591-05:00Week 41: The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild, by Craig ChildsSometimes it is impossible not to judge a book by its cover. I saw this book in the store and its beautiful cover sucked me in. Plus, what was not to like? A book about chance encounters with wildlife, segmented by the type of animal? Sign me up. I had returned from a camping trip out West and was longing to be in nature again. Unfortunately, I felt somewhat disappointed by this book. I am not Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-44890467644743817422011-11-07T11:24:00.000-05:002011-11-07T11:24:10.157-05:00Week 40: Tinkers, by Paul HardingI was drawn to Tinkers, frankly, because it had won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010. When I picked up the book, it did not strike me as a Pulitzer winner. It’s a small book, a fairly short book, looking more like a young adult novel as opposed to a serious novel. These attributes, however, segue into what makes Tinkers appealing. It is a different sort of book. It’s somewhat abstract and single-mindedNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-58622870464837191042011-10-27T11:15:00.003-04:002011-10-27T11:17:40.795-04:00Week 39: Between a Rock and a Hard Place, by Aron RalstonA coworker lent me this book right before my recent camping trip to the Grand Canyon and the Utah National Parks. Aron Ralston, the author (whose story was adapted into the movie 127 Hours) , went through his ordeal in Canyonlands National Park, and I was headed there on my trip, so it seemed appropriate to read this book while I was in the actual setting of the story. Let me tell you, I looked Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-88682514050278616622011-10-26T13:16:00.000-04:002011-10-26T13:16:21.035-04:00Week 38: Born to Run, by Christopher McDougallBorn to Run has received a lot of buzz since it came out and has a bit of a cult following. Its primary claim to fame is its role in publicizing the barefoot running movement. You may have heard of this phenomenon – the idea is that wearing minimalist footwear while running (hello, Vibram Five Fingers) or even running barefoot (hello, calluses) improves running performance. This is because modernNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-19258087937701397922011-10-06T12:29:00.000-04:002011-10-06T12:29:30.738-04:00Week 37: Talkative Man, by R.K. NarayanMicroblogging aka Lazyblogging review:
This book is mad boring. Snoozefest. Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-37260871327515987782011-10-06T12:28:00.000-04:002011-10-06T12:28:12.249-04:00Week 36: All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthyMicroblogging aka Lazyblogging review:
Another amazing book. Perhaps the abbreviated review is appropriate for McCarthy's spare, minimalist writing style. I'm a huge fan of McCarthy. Every time I read one of his works, I'm always struck by how much content and underlying themes are embedded in his simple sentences. It's haunting, and a thick fog of dread fills the pages. I loved this book.Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-64799642475458129552011-10-06T12:25:00.000-04:002011-10-06T12:25:35.571-04:00Week 35: The Walking Dead, Volume 2: Miles Behind Us, by Robert KirkmanMicroblogging aka Lazyblogging review:
I really enjoy this series. I can see why it took off so well. It's a blast to read. It's exciting, but has great human elements to it as well. I will definitely read more volumes!Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-70940851066774414642011-10-06T12:23:00.000-04:002011-10-06T12:23:26.286-04:00Week 34: The World According to Garp, by John IrvingMicroblogging aka Lazyblogging review:
It's a shame I'm summing this one up so quickly, because this book is tremendous. One of my all-time favorites. It's hilarious and moving, filled with wonderful characters. I fell in love with this book, and when I finished it, I clutched it to my heart, closed my eyes, and smiled. Not kidding!Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-68604235701201442332011-10-06T12:19:00.000-04:002011-10-06T12:19:56.133-04:00Week 33: Afrodisiac, by Brian Maruca and Jim RuggSo, I've been pretty remiss in updating the blog. Really remiss.
To make up for some lost time, I'm going to write some super quick reviews here. Maybe a sentence or two. We can call it "microblogging" to make it sound fancy!
That being said, here goes:
This book was beautifully drawn, rather ribald, and filled with inappropriate puns. What's not to like? Thumbs up.
(Real reviews will be Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-20793610294829801352011-09-02T13:36:00.000-04:002011-09-02T13:36:36.563-04:00Week 32: Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine HarrisI borrowed this book from a friend, not really knowing much about the television series, True Blood, that it spawned. I knew that it had to do with vampires, and because of that, I was a tiny bit apprehensive about reading this. But let me tell you, it did not take long for me to get over it, because I really enjoyed this book! It such a fun read. The gloriously-named main character, Sookie Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-10656559008043207212011-09-02T13:34:00.000-04:002011-09-02T13:34:49.896-04:00Week 31: The Hakawati, by Rabih AlameddineI picked up The Hakawati on a whim because it had gotten a lot of great reviews, but primarily, I wanted to read it because it is about a Lebanese family, and I am part Lebanese. As soon as I started reading it, I knew I loved it, and by the time I finished it, it had become my favorite book. Of all time. It’s that good! I suppose that some might find the “frame tale” structure too convoluted or Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-31300011950869222322011-09-02T13:30:00.000-04:002011-09-02T13:30:18.551-04:00Week 30: Asterios Polyp, by David MazzucchelliThis book was my book club’s most recent selection. I was really looking forward to it, because it’s our club’s first graphic novel choice. We have a pretty relaxed book club, and I’m proud to say that we’ve read a lot of different types of books, from autobiographies to historical accounts to short stories. I’m not very well-read when it comes to graphic novels, but I enjoy them, and my intrigueNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-59929621158799857922011-08-07T23:10:00.001-04:002011-08-07T23:11:47.010-04:00Week 29: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard BachOK guys. This book is effing weird. Like, I think it might be propaganda for some weird cult that believes in some weird seagull god. It's trippy. I mean, I enjoyed it, it was sort of an epic mind journey. But I don't really get it, per se. It's about a seagull named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yeah, he's got three names. He lives in a flock of seagulls but feels as though he doesn't fit in withNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-70202947271999285222011-08-07T22:47:00.000-04:002011-08-07T22:47:12.198-04:00Week 28: Tour De France for Dummies, by Phil Liggett, James Raia, and Sammarye LewisI got this book to complement my aforementioned annual Tour de France bender. Although my mania for the Tour puts my knowledge of the event way out of the league of "dummies", I purchased this book with the hope that it might acquaint me with some of the nitty-gritty rules and regulations that I wanted to become more familiar with. One of the authors, Phil Liggett, is the premier announcer for Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-68756267102652928252011-08-07T22:20:00.001-04:002011-08-07T22:21:36.299-04:00Week 27: Boy Racer: My Journey to Tour de France Record-Breaker, by Mark CavendishSo here I sit, reflecting on this year-long reading challenge, realizing that updating the blog on a regular basis is proving more tricky than the reading! The reading is just a given - the blog takes more of a concerted effort. But I do enjoy having this evolving documentation of the whole process, so it's worth it, to me. At any rate, here come a few rapid-fire book reviews! First off is Boy Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-90358947267970597712011-07-11T13:59:00.000-04:002011-07-11T13:59:18.847-04:00Week 26: American Skin, by Don DeGraziaAmerican Skin is a novel loosely based on the life of its author, Don DeGrazia. It’s the story of Alex Verdi, a teenager who finds his life completely uprooted when his hippie parents get busted for dealing pot. In a single day, finds the family farm ransacked and one of their dogs shot, and his parents and little sister are nowhere to be found and presumably in police custody. He makes a split Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-69480005413632678802011-07-01T16:28:00.000-04:002011-07-01T16:28:19.738-04:00Week 25: Lord of the Flies, by Wiliam GoldingOK, as mentioned in my previous post, I need to hustle through this review because it's the Friday before the Fourth of July, and I'm running late. But in an attempt to not fall behind on the blog too badly, I thought I would squeeze this post in. There's a lot of things to say about this book. And I think the first thing is: "WTF? Thanks, Golding, I'm totally creeped out now and terrified." I Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-1407155985715319872011-07-01T16:13:00.000-04:002011-07-01T16:13:16.007-04:00Week 24: AM/PM, by Amelia GrayIt’s almost time to leave work before the holiday weekend, so I will keep this brief. Very brief. And perhaps this is fitting, considering the nature of this book. AM/PM is a collection of short stories that are loosely connected to each other. At times, the stories are no more than a few sentences. Other times, they are a little longer, but not by much. No matter the length of them, they Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-996119805443892386.post-57269676052945626092011-06-23T16:00:00.000-04:002011-06-23T16:00:36.914-04:00Week 23: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott FitzgeraldThis is one of those books that many people read in high school, but for whatever reason, I had never read it. Part of my motivation for taking on this reading challenge was to make time for these sorts of books and cross them off of my “to-read” list. I’m a big fan of Fitzgerald. Prior to The Great Gatsby, I had read Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned, and I really enjoyed it. The two books Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11262150948436323986noreply@blogger.com0