I adore reading. There is no other way to put it. I want to read more books than I will possibly be able to finish in my lifetime.
A "friend" (well really a friend of a friend) started a post on her blog of 52 books to read in 52 weeks. What a lofty goal! But it got me thinking... I cannot possibly achieve the goal if I don't try. And although invariably, there will be a book that takes me longer than a week to read, I am often able to read some books in much less than a week.
So here it is - my own challenge for 2012! Hope you enjoy going through this challenge with me and please let me know of any books you recommend I pick up this year.
1. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini - 880 pgs (hardcover edition)
started December 25, 2011 -finished December 31, 2011
Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.
The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?
This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.
New words: Lots of them!
retinue, morass, ken, maxim, torpor, obdurate, novitiate, fey, vociferously, intransigent, obliquely, escarpment, rivulet, tenebrous, susurration, vambraces, mandibles, immutable
Review: 4.5 stars (for the entire cycle)
I think I enjoyed Inheritance the most. The first novel, Eragon was good. Eldest was okay but not as good as the first novel and Brisingr I think is neck and neck with the first novel.
In all, Christopher Paolini tells a LONG story and maybe a lot could've been edited out and the basis of the story would still have been there. Maybe the law of diminishing returns exists here - perhaps the value we gain from the extraneous detail is not worth the extra time it takes to read (or in Paolini's case write)... but I think that it was perhaps necessary.
All in all, I wasn't sure of how I felt about the "cycle" until I had finished the 4th book. Now, I can say that I really enjoyed it. Perhaps someday I will reread it to uncover something that I overlooked or a foreshadowing I was unable to comprehend at the time.
And lastly, I know a lot of people did not like the way the story ended. Don't worry - I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the book... but I would like to defend the story and Paolini's decision if I may. The ending was perhaps not as we all would have liked it to have ended, but I agree that it was how it should have ended.
2. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F Wright - 288 pages
started January 1, 2012 - finished January 2, 2012
Their story begins with one letter on their wedding night, a letter from the groom, promising to write his bride every week—for as long they both shall live.
Thirty-nine years later, Jack and Laurel Cooper die in each other's arms. And when their grown children return to the family B&B to arrange the funeral, they discover thousands of letters.
The letters they read tell of surprising joys and sorrows. They also hint at a shocking family secret—and ultimately force the children to confront a life-changing moment of truth . . .
Review: 3 - 3.5 stars
The Wednesday Letters is a short quick read that leaves you thinking...feeling...
The themes in the book are deep and resonated to my core. I thought about each of the Cooper kids - Matthew, Malcolm, and Samantha and their relationships with their parents, the relationships they have with their husbands/wives and the relationship Malcolm has with Rain.
I loved the weekly letters of love, life, and sacrifice.
It left me second guessing who it was and still leaves me wondering if I could do the same.
3. Bel Canto by Ann Patchet - 318 pages
started January 3, 2012 -
Somewhere in South America at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening until a band of terrorists breaks in, taking the entire party hostage.
The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?
New words: Lots of them!
retinue, morass, ken, maxim, torpor, obdurate, novitiate, fey, vociferously, intransigent, obliquely, escarpment, rivulet, tenebrous, susurration, vambraces, mandibles, immutable
Review: 4.5 stars (for the entire cycle)
I think I enjoyed Inheritance the most. The first novel, Eragon was good. Eldest was okay but not as good as the first novel and Brisingr I think is neck and neck with the first novel.
In all, Christopher Paolini tells a LONG story and maybe a lot could've been edited out and the basis of the story would still have been there. Maybe the law of diminishing returns exists here - perhaps the value we gain from the extraneous detail is not worth the extra time it takes to read (or in Paolini's case write)... but I think that it was perhaps necessary.
All in all, I wasn't sure of how I felt about the "cycle" until I had finished the 4th book. Now, I can say that I really enjoyed it. Perhaps someday I will reread it to uncover something that I overlooked or a foreshadowing I was unable to comprehend at the time.
And lastly, I know a lot of people did not like the way the story ended. Don't worry - I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the book... but I would like to defend the story and Paolini's decision if I may. The ending was perhaps not as we all would have liked it to have ended, but I agree that it was how it should have ended.
2. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F Wright - 288 pages
started January 1, 2012 - finished January 2, 2012
Thirty-nine years later, Jack and Laurel Cooper die in each other's arms. And when their grown children return to the family B&B to arrange the funeral, they discover thousands of letters.
The letters they read tell of surprising joys and sorrows. They also hint at a shocking family secret—and ultimately force the children to confront a life-changing moment of truth . . .
Review: 3 - 3.5 stars
The Wednesday Letters is a short quick read that leaves you thinking...feeling...
The themes in the book are deep and resonated to my core. I thought about each of the Cooper kids - Matthew, Malcolm, and Samantha and their relationships with their parents, the relationships they have with their husbands/wives and the relationship Malcolm has with Rain.
I loved the weekly letters of love, life, and sacrifice.
It left me second guessing who it was and still leaves me wondering if I could do the same.
3. Bel Canto by Ann Patchet - 318 pages
started January 3, 2012 -
But what begins as a life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion and cannot be stopped.
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