The ABCs of Me: "B" is for books

Oh my.  Look how pretentious I look reading Hemingway.   The funny thing is, I really do like that book.  Its one of my favorites, and I've read it 6 times.

ANYWAYS, when I thought of what the letter "B" would represent in my list about me, it was obvious that it would have to be books.  If you walk into our place, the first thing you see are bookshelves full of books.  When the guys that were moving our piano came in, he said "whoa, you guys really like books, huh?"

And we do.  For the first 8 years living together, we didn't have cable TV, and so we got used to reading instead of watching TV.  Which is great.  Its a habit now if we are bored to pick up a book instead of turn on the tube.  But I definitely read more than D does.  I will read anything.  And I know people say that, but seriously, I will.  One night because it was in the house and I was interested, I read an entire text book on the Nuremburg War Crimes trials after WWII.  I don't know why, I just did.   I think I like being a know-it-all.  That's why I read all sorts of things.  I like to be able to annoy my friends with little-known trivia.  I am a hit at parties.  Well, not really, but still...

I also read for fun.  I love a good novel.  For a while, I was into the classics.  I figured they had to be classics for a reason, right?  Some I loved, like Les Miserables, David Copperfield, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Grapes of Wrath; but some I didn't like Wuthering Heights; Great Expectations or anything by Jane Austen.  I've slowed down with the classics, and read a lot of Sci Fi now.  Its cool, and you've heard me drone on and on about it, so I won't repeat how much I love it again.  But I do.  Love it that is.

I'm usually a really social person, but reading is one of those things that I do solo.  I have never been in a book club-- I don't think I would enjoy it.  I tried to have a stress-free book club on my blog here, but I always have a problem sticking to things I start... So, that was short lived.  I think I like talking about books, but I don't necessarily want structure to that conversation because then it feels like English class.  And I kind of hoped my essay days were over.  I don't like writing essays.

What I do like is writing book reviews.  But if you are anything like me, you hate reading book reviews; which is an interesting conundrum.  I want to tell you what I think about a book, but I don't want you to care about what I think.  I guess I just want to argue about books.  Or not.  Its hard to tell with me sometimes.

What is also hard is coming up with my top ten books of all time.  Entirely difficult actually.  So here is my third list (in no particular order).  I tried my best to come up with one line summaries- not reviews. 

1. Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell- A dystopian "love" story.  (Read it and you'll know why I put love in quotation marks.)
2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- You can't always get what you want.
3. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo- Vive la revolution!
4. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway- Viva la revolucion! (See what I did there?)
5. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut- You never could see the cat, or the cradle, could you?
6. Dawn by Octavia Butler- Alien babies of our own.
7. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley- You want to wear grey in this world.  Trust me.
8. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood- Never trust anyone who calls themselves "Maddadam."
9. Where and When I Enter by Paula Giddings- Its a feminist text book.  I love it though.
10. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck- Even though Tom Joad has a ballad, Ma Joad was the hero.      

Of course, as soon as I hit publish, I will want to change this list.  For me, the above books are good readings to broaden one's cultural lexicon.  I like them because whenever I talk to someone about any of the above books, I always hear a different interpretation, or a new lesson.  It makes me want to read them again to see if I can glean something new from them.  I usually do.  And that's an important part of reading for me.

What are the top 3 books you would recommend to someone to read?  For what reasons?

Read the rest of the ABCs of Stephanie:

"A" is for Angerball

Link Up-- No Stress Book Club: On Repeat?

I love hearing about the books people read.  And I love Link-Ups.  So this is the best of both worlds.  But this isn't a blog book club in the regular sense.  There is no required reading.  We talk about books you have already read.  Each week there will be a new question about books and their characters to answer.  Once you have answered, link up so that everyone can see your answer!

This week's question:

What book could you read (or have you read) over and over?

There are a number of books I have on repeat.  But there is one that I come back to  often enough that it qualifies as being read over and over. 

My tattered and dogeared copy of The Eight by Katherine Neville is my go-to feel better read.  It is not my favorite book, but it is a book that I enjoy reading every time I pick it up.  Its like a favorite movie to me; each time I read this book, I notice something different.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
" Computer expert Cat Velis is heading for a job to Algeria. Before she goes, a mysterious fortune teller warns her of danger, and an antique dealer asks her to search for pieces to a valuable chess set that has been missing for years...In the South of France in 1790 two convent girls hide valuable pieces of a chess set all over the world, because the game that can be played with them is too powerful... "

Ok yes, it is about chess.  But it is also an adventure fiction; historical fiction (it spans from the 1790s to the 1980s); mystery and a dreamy Russian chess master named Aleksander Solarin.  Overall, it is a fun book.  And when I want to read to be entertained, this book never disappoints.  

The Eight is also quite a long book.  I have a problem with short books (if I like them.)  They end too soon sometimes; but this book is just over 600 pages, which is long enough for me to read it and not feel that it was over too soon.  

What book do you read on repeat?

How to link up:

• Write a post answering this week's question on your blog.
• Post the link here;
• Grab a button to share! (In the side bar)
• That's all there is too it.  No stress!

Have a look at the first question of the No Stress Book Club here.

Link Up: The No Stress Book Club

If you are anything like me, you like to share about a book you loved.  I love inspiring people to read a good book, and I love hearing about books that other people have read.  My partner says that I will try and read anything.  Really, its talking to people about books that helps me find my next novel to read.   Just the other morning, I went o buy my coffee, and I started talking about Kurt Vonnegut with another customer (he happened to have a copy of Cats Cradle in his pocket.)  And that's how I found the book I'm reading now (Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger if you are interested.)

In short, I love hearing about the books people read.  And I love Link-Ups.  So this is the best of both worlds.  But this isn't a blog book club in the regular sense.  There is no required reading.  We talk about books you have already read.  Each week there will be a new question about books and their characters to answer.  Once you have answered, link up so that everyone can see your answer!

This weeks question:

What book turned you into a "reader?"

I was always a big reader.  I grew up in a house that did not have a lot of books in it, so as soon as I could go to the library on my own, I was there every weekend.  

In high school, I was able to talk to adults about what they were reading, and about what was influential.  I loved my high school English classes, because they introduced me to some great works.  Even though my classmates hated them, I loved all the books we were reading.  (Except maybe The Stone Angel.  I don't know how they expect teens to relate to Hagar Shipley...) 

ANYWAYS, I remember talking to my English teacher about dystopian literature, and he was shocked that I hadn't read 1984.  He said he wouldn't talk to me about these types of books until I read it.  Then he loaned me his copy.  

I read it in 2 days.

It is still my favorite book.   I became very interested in science fiction; and other dystopian books; and reading this book helped to develop my cultural lexicon.  When they installed surveillance cameras in our high school, I was able to understand the comments about "Big Brother."  (And I just made the connection to the once popular "Big Brother" "reality" show.  Oh sometimes I am slow with things-- especially when you don't have a TV...)

ANYWAYS, I always felt a little like Winston in 1984; sort of walking through life, not completely interested or invested; a little depressed about my situation; always wanted to know more, but having none of the supposed power that came with that knowledge... I could see many similarities to the society of 1984, and our society.  This book is probably why I became the "bleeding-heart" liberal that I am.  And I am thankful for that.  

How to link up:

• Write a post answering this week's question on your blog.
• Post the link here;
• Grab a button to share! (In the side bar)
• That's all there is too it.  No stress!

Bassability Books: E-Read-a-thon!

For Christmas, I got  tablet.  A pretty fancy one: I got an ASUS Infinity Transformer.  It is a tablet, and docks into a keyboard to become a netbook-like thing.  It is by far, one of the coolest gadgets I have ever had.  But cool gadgets are one of the great things about living in the future.

I've been thinking more about this: all the classic sci-fi I read mention these years as the future.  It is so cool what people thought would be available now, and what our world would be like.  Think about it: 1984 by Orwell thought that England would be under totalitarianistic government; Alas Babylon by Pat Frank thought the world would have had the 3rd world war by now; and who could forget what the movie Back to the Future thought about 2013 (Side note: January 4 2013 was the time that Marty travelled to.  This January was back... to the future!)

ANYWAYS, because of my new tablet thing, I have been reading like a machine.  I like to read every night, and now I don't have to wait to get to the bookstore.  This has been good and bad; good because I have been reading a lot more and learning more.  Bad, because my bank account is taking a hit buying all these e-books.  Good thing I like the classics which are largely free! 

So, this Bassability Books post may be a little long. Because I have a few books to get through.  Luckily, I've been reading a lot of trilogies.  So I will treat those as one.  Got to give you a bit of a break so that you can go out there and read some books!

As always, the rating scale:

*** 3/3 - Couldn't put it down.  I may have taken a day off work to finish it.

** 2/3 -  I read it.  Passed the time, probably won't read it again.

* 1/3 - Finished it.  Still don't know why I bothered

0/3 - Didn't finish it.  Life's too short for bad books.

Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy by E.L. James: Welp, I read it.  I guess as someone who is not shy or hindered by her sexuality, I didn't think that the sex in this book was a big deal.  It should probably be said that as an editor (a past career of course) I edited more than my fair share of erotica fiction.  So this was no big deal.  I would talk to a friend (who recommended this book to me) and she was shocked that I wasn't scandalized by these books.  Above all, it was a romance novel.  And I don't usually read those.  It wasn't the best written book; the metaphors were labored and repetitive; and I totally didn't see the appeal of the protagonists.  The girl was consistently demonstrating her own self-hatred; and the message of trying to save a partner who was border-line abusive is not one that I found entertaining.  So I guess what I'm saying is: I don't see why these books were so popular.  They weren't terrible; but not worth the hype either.  

(**) <--- My grade for this book looks like breasts!  That's funny.  And fitting.  What can I say? I have a child's sense of humor sometimes.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson: This book made me want to move to Sweden.  Imagine: a place where journalist actually discover newsworthy information!  Where they have an interest in their society!  Where they are invested and involved in making the news!  Here in North America, journalists haven't really discovered anything amazing since Watergate.  Step it up, newsies!  Otherwise this book had enough intrigue to keep me attached to these books.  I read the whole trilogy, over 1500 pages in 5 days.  That is saying something. (***) 

Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood: I actually had no idea that atwood had started a new trilogy.  I came across these books while browsing the Kobo site, and I'm glad I did.  They are really good.  The story is one I read a lot, since I am strangely fascinated with the apocalypse; it is about the end of the world, but from the point of view of an ecologically based cult.  I'm always happy to find these things; a new twist on an old trope.  (***)

Amped by Daniel H. Wilson:  This is the second book that Wilson has written that I have read.  It is very clever.  If you know your American history (and current events) you can find a lot of commentary on American society.  That's one of my favorite things about reading sci-fi; its meant to teach us about ourselves and our world.  (***)

I've started some new books (surprise, surprise), so there should be more book talk coming in the future.  One idea I've had is to do a type of book club-- but one that is no obligation, and no pressure.  You can read whatever you want, and there would be some questions to discuss if you wanted to.  I think it sounds like fun.  Does someone else have that?  If you do, can I join?

Bassability Books: Reading the Apocalyspe

Before I started writing down my thoughts on the books I read, I didn't realize that I read thematically.  I mean, I start with one book, and I'm drawn to books along the same them for a while after I finish that first one.  I don't always do this on purpose... But with this theme, I found that I did want to see how authors treated the situation of the apocalypse.  I devoured these books.  Even though this isn't the most uplifting subject, these books left me feeling... well, good actually.

Ratings:

*** 3/3 - Couldn't put it down.  I may have taken a day off work to finish it.

** 2/3 - Glad I read it.  Passed the time, probably won't read it again.

* 1/3 - Finished it.  Still don't know why I bothered

0/3 - Didn't finish it.  Life's too short for bad books.

Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky: This was the most recently published of what D calls my "Apocalypse List."  Without giving too much away, much of the story takes place in Russian subway stations where people are forced to live in the year 2033 after a nuclear war.  Its bleak, much like most Russian lit I've read; but you can't help but love the main character.  He's so curious that it makes you root for him, even when you probably shouldn't.  I found it ingenious how the author explains how they live, and eat in these stations.  So clever.  This is a sci-fi, so expect normal sci-fi twists and turns. (***)

Alas, Babylon by Paul Frank:  Alas, Babylon was written at the height of the cold war.  It was like Frank took a picture of American Southern society and wrote about the fears of the future through a 1959 lens. In this story, the cold war becomes hot, and the United States is bombed with nuclear warheads.    All throughout the story, I was amazed that people treated the deaths and catastrophe in stride.  I couldn't even guess what I would be like in a similar situation.  Sometimes the characters reminded me of a line in Robert Frost's poem "Out, out" "...And they, since they/ Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs."  You would think such a book would be overwhelmingly sad, but  the book was not a downer, there was the theme of hope through all the actions of the people in Fort Repose.  The plot follows the protagonist, Randy Bragg, as he morphs from apathetic bachelor to brave leader of a small Southern town in the midst of the fallout.  And I wanted him to be successful.  (***)

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut:  Its no secret around this part that I love Vonnegut.  I've read all his books now.  This one is my favorite, because the apocalypse comes as an accident.  There is not war, just an accidence of science.  I think Vonnegut is writing about being careful with the power that science has.  As a student who studied Humanities in college, I totally agree with the message.  For all their intelligence, I don't feel as much a connection with the characters in the story.  I was more interested in their circumstance. But every time I read this book I think about something new.  (***) 

Patron Saint of Plagues by Barth Anderson: Have you ever played the game Pandemic 2?  This book cited the apocalypse as a international pandemic.  What I love about this book is the author's construction of the political state of the world.  The head of the world in Anderson's future is Mexico led by a over-zealous Catholic party.  It is fascinating the laws and obstacles that theocracy put in the main character (an epidemiologist's) way to solving the world health crisis. (***)

Now, I don't feel better prepared to survive the Apocalypse, but I do feel more hopeful... In all these books the theme of hope shines on through.  Humans stand a chance, regardless the circumstances.  And that's good news to me.

Bassability books: June 2012

I love to read.  I thought that it would be fun to try and review the books I read.  I don't do reading challenges because I read at least 10 books a month.  I like to read every night before bed, and instead of watching movies or TV.  I'm not sure why I like reading as much as I do, it wasn't something my parents did.  In fact, I don't remember books anywhere in the house except my room when I was younger.  I think my mom reads some now, but we have such different taste in books. 

I also don't do the e-reader thing.  There's something about holding onto a book, and turning the pages.  I love the way the books sounds as you turn the page, sounds like progress.  I've tried the e-reader route, but I couldn't stick with it.  I don't know if I will ever be able to give up my paper books.   The picture above are some of  the books that I read this month.  These were my favorites of them all.  Here's what I thought from bottom to top.

Ratings:

*** 3/3 - Couldn't put it down.  I may have taken a day off work to finish it.

** 2/3 - Glad I read it.  Passed the time, probably won't read it again.

* 1/3 - Finished it.  Still don't know why I bothered

0/3 - Didn't finish it.  Life's too short for bad books.

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (which is actually 2 dudes who were writer's assistants sharing the writing in this novel) This story was a combination between Sci-Fi (love it) and Mystery (love it too.)  It wasn't a tough read, for the most part the book was really fun.  Like a Soap Opera in space, but the fun kind like Passions, not the serious kind like General Hospital. The story was about a detective on a space station, who joins forces with a ship captain to solve the mystery of what was killing the station inhabitants.  It was cool how the story flipped back and forth between characters and styles with each chapter.  I guess that was done to combine the two writing styles, and it worked.  If you like Sci-Fi, I think you will like this book.  The only down side, there is no sequel... yet. (***)

Fool by Christopher Moore: This book was an irreverent retelling of King Lear from the point of view of Lear's fool, Pocket.  I think this was a great idea; and even though Shakespeare fans would hate that the bard's work was co-opted, I think the way that Moore wrote this is a great homage to what Billy Shakes did.  There is a lot of inappropriateness in the book; lots of sex and referencing boobs.  Shakespeare's work was for the common people, and the themes and scenes would have been considered tawdry (as the whole acting profession was seen) and so Moore's retelling fits with this tradition.  It would be hard to follow though if you didn't know the story of King Lear, so that would be a must read first. (***)

Bite Me by Christopher Moore: Funny.  And vampires.  And rats.  Moore is good at writing from different point of views.  This story's narrator was a teenage girl obsessed with vampires.  So much that she works for two.  This story has less sex and more crazy vampire animal hybrids.  I really enjoyed it, this was the book that made me pick up Fool. (***)

Mars Life by Ben Bova:  Another Sci Fi, this time by one of my favorite authors ever.  Bova wrote my favorite Sci Fi novel Saturn.  The great thing about Bova is that he is upfront with what he wants his stories to do, the stories are supposed to teach us about ourselves.  It is cool how he references current events like history in his novels.  Its a really interesting idea: what will future people think of our current events?  There will be more evidence and record of what happening now then at any point in history.   My mind is blown. (***)

She's Come Undone by Walter Lamb: In a way, I did like this book, but I had a couple of problems with some of the plot points.  Mainly, the heroine (Dolores) of the book is miserable for most of the book, and often notes that her unhappiness was caused by her fatness.  Now, I think that this is a surface reading of how the author attempted to work thought some complex feelings of guilt and grief with the main character, but I couldn't help but feel attacked (is that the word I'm thinking of?) Everytime some character would reference Dolores' weight, I would pause.  I'm fat, and I'm happy.  Should I be unhappy?  A huge deal was made about the main character's weight, and that is my weight.  They kept referring to her as a "whale," that she found solidarity with the whales... And on and on.  I'm sure that there is some significance to this theme, however I can't get past the negativity of fatness in this book.  Fat girls, proceed with caution on this one. (**)