Archive of Finished Books
for 2002
(58 books total)
|
I,
Elizabeth by Rosamund Miles |
| Ex
Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman This is a wonderful book, but only read it if you are a book lover. With essays such as "marrying libraries" (she and her husband did not do this until they had been married for 5 years), courly love vs. carnal love of books, compulsive proofreading, etc. this is the perfect book for book lovers to read. I laughed a LOT. From the blurb on the dust jacket: "Ex Libris recounts a lifelong love affair with books and language. Anne Fadiman is - by her own admission - the sort of person who learned about sex from her father's copy of Fanny Hill, whose husband buys her nineteen pounds of dusty books for her birthday, and who once found herself poring over a 1974 Toyota Corolla manual because it was the only written material in her apartment that she had not read at least twice." [2/3/02] |
| The
Journal of Hildegard of Bingen by Barbara Lachman I was walking through the fiction shelves in the library and this book caught my eye. I have a friend who is very interested in Hildegard and I've wanted to learn some more about her, too. The author spent many many years researching Hildegard, relearning Latin in order to read the original writings and learning medieval neumatic notation to understand Hildegard's music. Then she took a year in Hildegard's life and wrote what could have been how Hildegard would have written a journal for that year. There are tons of footnotes throughout (on the same page as their callout, which I love) and although the journal itself is "fictional," it is still quite remarkable and the notes (and appendices) are absolutely fascinating. I'm definitely going to have to learn more about Hildegard. [2/05/02] |
| The
Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd Every now and then a book comes along that really slams into you and makes you think, "Wow! This stuff is so simple and yet so profound." Sometimes these books can completely change your life; other times they can make you realize that you've been standing still and you need to pick up and get your butt in gear and move forward. If I had read this book a couple of years ago, I could have said the former. At this point in my life, the latter is true for me. This is a book every woman should read (and men, too, in order to better understand women). It describes the author's journey from Christian tradition to the Sacred Feminine, finding Goddess in the world and in herself. [2/25/02] |
| The
Golden Compass, The
Subtle Knife, The
Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman A trilogy of books influenced by Milton (Paradise Lost) and Blake. An excellent read. I could barely put them down. The ending was not what I had quite hoped for; it was very bittersweet and I cried quite a bit, but the journey that the books took me on was well worth it. [3/26/02] |
| Gawain
and Lady Green by Anne Eliot Crompton I finished the rough draft of my paper on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and needed a way to relax and wind down afterwards. I thought that this retelling of the story might be a good way to go. It was, but the book was only so-so. The author added a creative back-story to the original; however, I felt that she just completely missed the entire purpose of the original poem. Even if that had not bothered me, I still wouldn't call this a highly recommended book. It did only take me half a day to read it, so it's not like I spent a long time on it, but I'm not going to be loaning it out to all of my friends. So if you have a day to kill with nothing better to do, go ahead and read it, but if you don't have that day, it's no loss to skip this one. [5/4/02] |
| The
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Well, I never finished The Hobbit, but I decided to go ahead and try the trilogy. Marvelously better! I'm actually very much enjoying this one. I don't think I'll ever include it on my top ten list of books, but I am glad that I have read it. I know why these books are so well loved and why Tolkien is such an important part of fantasy literature, but sometimes the books just don't cut it for me. Yes, the world itself and the history is very fleshed out and amazing, but sometimes the main characters seem too archetypal and stereotypical (especially the few female characters) and flat. Since character is what drives my enjoyment of reading, this is probably one reason why these books aren't quite as good for me. [5/10/02] |
| Ship
of Magic, Mad
Ship, and Ship
of Destiny by Robin Hobb Definitely not my typical type of fantasy, but I greatly enjoyed these books. Character development is fantastic and I love many of the characters. Ahhhh....this is what fantasy is all about. During the ending of the second book, I was entralled and couldn't put it down! The trilogy ended with things how I wanted them so I was happy there, but I think there could have still been several hundred extra pages to continue on with what happened to the characters. After 2400+ pages, you'd think that would be enough, but I would not have minded more at all![5/17/02] [5/24/02] [5/28/02] |
| Assassin's
Apprentice, Royal
Assassin, Assassin's
Quest by Robin Hobb Excellent books. Robin Hobb is so good creating characters. You can tell that the characters from the Liveship Traders trilogy are a little more developed, but the characters in this trilogy are wonderful as well. [5/31/02] [6/5/02] [6/13/02] |
| Fool's
Errand by Robin Hobb Finally, the real reason I read the Liveship series and reread the Farseer series. All I can say is two things - Wow! and When is the next one coming out? Of course, because of references in this book, it made me want to reread the Liveship trilogy to pick up on some things I had possibly missed before. It never ends! *grin* [6/17/02] |
| Wicked:
The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
[BookRay] I wanted to read a fun book, and this was definitely that! Very good book that I enjoyed reading very much. I was quite sad at the end when the Wicked Witch had to die because I had grown to like her quite a lot. Definitely gives you a whole new perspective of The Wizard of Oz. [6/25/02] |
| Dickens'
Fur Coat and Charlotte's Unanswered Letters: The Rows and Romances of
England's Great Victorian Novelists by Daniel Pool This is actually quite a good and interesting read about book publishing and authors in Victorian England. Since all of the books and authors that I am reading for my summer class are discussed in this book, I'm calling this doing research. *grin* [6/27/02] Preparation for Studies in the English Novel class |
| Mrs.
Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien I'm grading a class for children's lit this summer and this is one of their books. I had read it a long long time ago as well as its companion book but I had forgotten most of it. It was a pretty good book, but it seemed too short. It needed more and the ending didn't completely satisfy me. [7/5/02] Children's Literature (Grader) |
| Life
in Charles Dickens' England by Diane Yancey I thought that this would be a good book to read to help me out with my class. I don't know all that much about Victorian England (though the Pool book that I read has helped a lot) so this looked like a good book to help me learn more about it. [7/6/02] Preparation for Studies in the English Novel class |
| Sybil
by Benjamin Disraeli [BookCrossing] I have to read this for my summer class - 7 novels in 5 weeks. This was rather dull except for a few parts (such as the riot at the end). I can see how it is a great novel that focuses on the social problems, but there was too much political detail for me. [7/10/02] Studies in the English Novel class |
| The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte [BookCrossing] The second book for my summer class. I really enjoyed this one; it is the one I have chosen to focus on for my paper. Yes, there are some problems with this book, mostly in the form that it takes (letters and diary entries), but I thought that it was romantic even in its anti-romance and quite suspenseful at points. [7/13/02] Studies in the English Novel class |
| Vanity
Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray The third book for my summer class. This one was a little hard for me to get into but it was a pretty good book overall. [7/18/02] Studies in the English Novel class |
| Hard
Times by Charles Dickens The fourth book for my summer class. I had read this one before (about 4 summers ago) but didn't remember anything much about it except that I didn't like it very much. Upon a second reading, I change my opinion. Although not an "exciting" book, I think that it was quite good and definitely something that made you think - especially about education and the importance of Fancy (imagination). [7/21/02] Studies in the English Novel class |
| North
and South by Elizabeth Gaskell [BookCrossing] The fifth book for my summer class. I really liked this one. [7/25/02] Studies in the English Novel class |
| What
Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool I really enjoyed the other Pool book and since this one is also mostly about Victorian times and authors, I thought it would be a good thing to read for my class as well. It was extremely helpful in explaining some of the vocabulary of the times as well as everyday life and social norms. [7/26/02] Preparation for Studies in the English Novel class |
| The
Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope The sixth book for my summer class. [8/3/02] Studies in the English Novel class |
| The
Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis [BookCrossing] One of the books for the children's lit class. It was very good; the beginning was quite funny and then it took a darker tone (it deals with the church bombing in Birmingham that killed 4 little girls). It was very well written. [8/9/02] Children's Literature (Grader) |
| Daniel
Deronda by George Eliot [BookCrossing] The seventh and final book for my summer class. I can't believe that I actually did it - read all 7 books in 5 weeks! And actually understood and got something out of them. [8/10/02] Studies in the English Novel class |
| Woodsong
by Gary Paulsen Another book for the children's lit class. This is autobiographical and about dealing with running sled dogs and experiences with other animals. I laughed a lot and cried a bit and was amazed throughout at how smart animals truly are. A great reading experience. [8/11/02] Children's Literature (Grader) |
| Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling The children's lit class also read this one so I thought that I would reread it to refresh my memory. Ahhhh, now this is a fantastic book (which I thought the very first time I read it of course) and it was great to go back and revisit the characters and adventures. It's started me on a Harry Potter reading spree as I reread all of the books while I wait and wait and wait for the 5th book to come out. [8/11/02] Children's Literature (Grader) |
| Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling I love this book! [8/18/02] |
| Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling And I love this book! [8/20/02] |
| Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling Oh, if only the 5th book would come out when I finished reading this. I know it's going to make me want the next book even more! And I was right. All this made me do was want more. I should make it a point to reread these books at least once a year. They are so much fun! [8/22/02] |
| The
Chronicles of Krystonia by Beau Dix and Mark Scott [BookCrossing] I picked this book up at a garage sale because it just looked interesting. It is definitely aptly named. It is indeed a chronicle. It tells several stories that occur in the land of Krystonia, each chapter focusing on a different race of creatures from the land. It was quite inventive and this largely unique land was created, but the book left me with wanting something more. It seems a pity to create this world and then just have one short, incomplete book about it. Oh, wait, there isn't just one book. Apparently there are four books and there are even figures to go along with them. How cool! [8/25/02] |
| Seaward
by Susan Cooper I love Susan's Cooper's Dark Is Rising series, so I thought I'd give this book a try. It was a little complicated at times because I wasn't truly sure what was going on, but I think that was how it was supposed to be. I really enjoyed it, especially near the end. [8/30/02] |
| A
Song for Lya by George R.R. Martin I was just going through some of the books on my shelf and I pulled this one (9 short stories and a novella) to give it a try. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but there wasn't one that I didn't like. They are all more sci-fi than my usual taste, but with some twist endings and some characters that I liked, it was a good read. [9/1/02] |
| Writing
a Woman's Life by Carolyn G. Heilburn The first reading assignment for my women and literature class (focusing on women's biographies). I'm going to read it again before class. There were too many sweeping generalizations that I just couldn't agree with and the book as a whole did not make a good impression on me. So I'm going to go back through it again and try to pinpoint the various places that bother me so I can bring them up in class. [9/6/02] Women and Literature: Women's Biographies class |
| The
Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes by Janet Malcomb This is a reading for my Women and Literature: Biography class. Sylvia Plath is one of the case studies we are using in the class. This book is less a biography of Plath and more of a commentary on the available (at that time) biographies of Plath. It discusses strengths and weaknesses of each, and I found it to be excellent in its analysis. Malcomb also spent a lot of time doing her own research, including talking to several of the biographies and people who knew Plath when she was alive. It even delves into the problems inherent with biography as a genre as a whole. Fascinating book. [9/14/02] Women and Literature: Women's Biographies class |
| The
Haunting of Sylvia Plath by Jacqueline Rose [BookCrossing] The second Plath book for my Women and Literature: Biography class. I didn't actually read through it. I got through almost the first three chapters and then I just started skimming it. Less a biography than a psychoanalytic interpretation of some of Plath's poetry, it still contained a lot of biographical material. It was not, however, a light and easy read, which is why I was unable to finish it in the week that we had for class. I don't know if I'll ever get back to it, but it is definitely a book that you need to spend a lot of time with. [9/23/02] Women and Literature: Women's Biographies class |
| Daisy
Miller: A Study by Henry James [BookCrossing] This was a reading for the class I'm grading for. I liked it overall yet I was disappointed by the ending. It seemed abrupt and rushed. [9/24/02] American Literature (Grader) |
| Bitter
Fame: A Life of Sylvia Plath by Anne Stevenson The third, and final, Plath book for my Women's Biography class. I really liked this one. [10/1/02] Women and Literature: Women's Biographies class |
| Reason
to Believe: Romanticism, Pragmatism, and the Teaching of Writing by
Hephzibah Roskelly and Kate Ronald A reading for my Teaching English Composition class. I think that the first chapter and parts of the last two chapters had some helpful discussion, but the majority of the book was not very helpful. It seems to be an overly romantic idea that the authors weren't really able to put into practice. [10/7/02] Teaching English Composition class |
| Riding
in Cars with Boys by Beverly Donofrio I saw this movie a while back and decided to pick up the book. I liked it a lot, but it was a little disappointing after watching the movie. I guess it was because the movie was a little more fleshed out (though obviously I don't know if what the movie added was factual or not). [10/10/02] |
| Voices
of the Self: A Study of Language Competence by Keith Gilyard The next reading for my Teaching English Composition class. I had a lot of problems with this one - I don't think that the author proved to me that Black English should be an acceptable dialect in classrooms - what about all the other possible dialects out there? Isn't there a reason Standard English is called Standard English - so everyone can understand each other? [10/18/02] Teaching English Composition class |
| Marion
Zimmer Bradley by Rosemarie Arbur This is the biography that I read for my Women and Biography class. It is more of a reader's guide than a biography, but it was fantastic. The only problem is that it was published in 1985, so it could use some heavy updates. [10/19/02] Supplemental Reading for Women and Literature: Women's Biographies class |
| My
Mother's House and Sido by Colette [BookCrossing] For my Women and Literature: Biography class. What a wondrous style Colette has; the phrases are so lyrical that many times, I got caught up in the language and lost track of the details. This was a translation from the French; it made me want to learn French so I could experience it as it was intended. [10/27/02] Women and Literature: Women's Biographies class |
| Bootstraps:
From an American Academic of Color by Victor Villanueva, Jr. Reading for my teaching class. I liked this one much better than Gilyard's book; I think it fulfilled more of a purpose as well as gave me more to think about and use for my teaching. [11/2/02] Teaching English Composition class |
| Wizard
of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm A very unique and different book that I mostly enjoyed. I think the full impact was lost on me, however, because I read it (and it's rather short) over a long period of time. [11/6/02] |
| Telling
Women's Lives by Linda Wagner-Martin Reading for my Women's Biography class, spread out over the semester. Good in some cases, a little too overgeneralizing in others. [11/12/02] Women and Literature: Women's Biographies class |
| The
Golden Fool by Robin Hobb Wow, wow, wow! Fantastic! When is the next book coming out? I want to read more. I just sped through this book because I couldn't put it down. So much that I've been waiting for finally happened (although many other things did not yet). I wanted to strangle Fitz and the Fool at times, but they're finally starting to be completely honest with one another (perhaps at times too much so). And now another year's wait to see how everything wraps up. [11/22/02] |
| Smoke
and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman Collection of short stories. I've been reading these for a while now. Overall I enjoyed them very much, but there were a few I didn't care for or didn't really understand. [11/25/02] |
| The
Planet Savers by Marion Zimmer Bradley I have a lukewarm reaction to this book. It was just okay. Of course, being the first Darkover book, it seems like it took MZB a while to get into it. I'm eager to see how the books and ideas develop. [11/27/02] |
| The
Sword of Aldones by Marion Zimmer Bradley This one was better than the last; however, it was a bit confusing in the end - I'm still not sure that I untangled everything. [11/30/02] |
| Beloved
by Toni Morrison [BookCrossing] I didn't really want to read this book and I surely didn't want to like it. But Morrison is brillian and really has me thinking about this book. It's one of those that I'm not finished with yet - I know I'll come back to it again, reread it, and get even more out of it. [12/5/02] American Literature (Grader) |
| Gone
with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Thank you for the class next semester in which we'll be reading this book and my wanting to get ahead. How many books have made me cry - a number of them - but how many have just left me drained, blank of thought? When Melly died and Scarlett had her realizations, I just let the tears pour down. And no happy ending - Scarlett figured things out too late. But even if not in happiness, it does end up with hope. Scarlett won't give up and neither will the reader. Tomorrow is another day and I sing to all the gods for my tomorrows, as well as my todays. [12/20/02] Film Adaptation class |
| Day
by Night by Tanith Lee I need to do something more with this book - there's a paper in here somewhere - I just don't know where yet. Ideas that are floating in my head have to do with Paradise Lost and Adam and Eve as well as the idea of playing god. This book bears more thought. [12/29/02] Recommended by Emily |
|
The
Scholar Adventurers by Richard D. Altick |
| Archive
for 2001 |
Home | Wedding
Quotes | Journey | Links | Kittens
Current Read | Books
Credits | Updates
|
updated:
6/14/10
|