Archive of Finished Books for 2003
(110 books total)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick [BookCrossing] This book was very easy to read through, but its seeming simplicity shouldn't fool you - there's a lot going on in this book. I haven't seen Blade Runner (the movie based off this book), but Jarrett has so I asked him some questions about it. Seems like the movie is only loosely based on the book and the movie left out all the good things, like the importance of owning an animal. I liked the book. I don't know if I'll like the movie. [1/3/2003] Film Adaptation class

Possession by A. S. Byatt This is a fictional account of two literary scholars who make a terrific find - love letter between the two scholars they are each studying when before scholars didn't even know that the two poets had even met. The book traces their discoveries as well as the progression of the relationship between the poets. This was a dense book. I am still trying to take it all in. I know there are hints and subtleties that I missed in it. This was probably one of the best written books I've read in a long time. All of the letters, the journal entries, and the poetry - not to mention the story itself. The plot, after a while, was actually quite predictable (except for the postscript - I didn't expect that) but I still enjoyed the journey. [1/4/03] Recommended by Emily (and many others)

The Pearl by Anonymous (Ed. Sara de Ford and Others) Although this has a facing page Middle English/Modern English translation, since this was my first read through, I stuck to the translation. Interpretation of this poem has varied. How do I interpret it? A man has lost someone (female, not sure of age or relation, though there are some clues) and is heavily in mourning. He falls, prostrate, on the mound of the grave and has a vision, where he sees and converses with the girl and even gets a glimpse of Heaven. Has anyone ever interpretted this as a near death experience? I should do some research and then write my own article on this. [1/4/03]

Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey I read through this one in one evening. It was a good story and relaxing. [1/9/03] Recommended by Kendra

Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey This one wasn't as good as the first one. I felt that it really dragged in places and the same thoughts occurred over and over, just with different (slightly) situations. [1/11/03] Recommended by Kendra

Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey What a bittersweet book. The WeatherWitch was right - Talia's greatest joy would come after her greatest sorrow. Yes, I wanted Talia and Dirk to be together more than anything and was happy when they finally were - but at what cost? [1/20/03] Recommended by Kendra

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett [BookCrossing] I'm not big on the whole detective novel genre, but this was a fun little book, rich with descriptions. The movie is supposed to follow pretty closely to the book. I guess I'll find out whether or not that is the case soon. [1/26/03] Film Adaptation class

Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman [BookCrossing] I liked this book a lot (though it took me a little while to like Sally). This was the first book in a trilogy, which I don't plan to finish anytime soon. I must admit that I looked ahead in the second book to see if something I wanted to happen would happen. It did, but I kept flipping and found a horrid happening. I don't want it to happen and I don't want to read it. [2/1/03]

The House of Fame by Geoffrey Chaucer This dream vision of Chaucer's is supposedly unfinished; however, I want to argue that it is finished, that Chaucer intentionally left it off where it was. [2/5/03] Chaucer class

The Little Foxes by Lilian Hellman This is one where I liked the movie much better than the book (play). The addition of the character of David to the movie really makes all the difference. [2/6/03] Film Adaptation class

A Double Deception by Joan Wolf I've been doing a lot of reading for my classes, and my "light" reading hasn't really turned out to be very light, so I picked up this regency romance for some really fluffy reading, which it was. [3/1/03]

Engaging Words: The Culture of Reading in the Later Middle Ages by Laurel Amtower This book was exactly the thing that I was looking for in my research for my Chaucer paper. [3/6/03] Chaucer class (research)

The Mode and Meaning of Beowulf by Margaret Goldsmith This was a really interesting book, but I don't think that I completely buy the premise. [3/15/03] Beowulf class (book report)

Cain and Beowulf by David Williams Only a few sections of this book will really be helpful for my paper; however, there were some interesting ideas in this book, especially regarding Unferth, that I need to think more about. [3/23/03] Beowulf class (research)

The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt [BookCrossing] I don't know what to make of this book. I've been reading it for quite some time. It just seems to sit there and not go anywhere. [3/30/03]

Chaucer's House of Fame: The Poetics of Skeptical Fideism by Sheila Delany I ran across this book at Barnes and Noble and especially since I'm researcing the House of Fame for my Chaucer class, I decided to give it a try. Although I didn't completely understand the premise behind it (fideism), it did contain a lot of useful information to help me better understand Chaucer's poem. [4/20/03] Chaucer class (research)

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I'm reading ahead for the next semester. I loved this book though it had a horribly tragic ending. [4/23/03]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman [BookRing] Good book! I loved the idea of ho gods exist (or cease to exist). And Shadow is a really fantastic character. [5/6/03]

The Tower at Stony Wood by Patricia McKillip [BookCrossing] I'm a bit ambivalent about this book: it wasn't great; it wasn't terrible. But it did really just seem to sit there and not really go anywhere. I don't know what to make of it. [5/11/03]

Reading the Vampire Slayer edited by Roz Kaveney I enjoyed some of these articles (about the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and I found some of them a bit overmuch. Sometimes I think things are seen in the show which really aren't necessarily there. I guess it's a lot like interpreting literature sometimes. [5/14/03]

The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth [BookCrossing] Yes, this book at times gave way to the melodramatic and was sometimes a bit unbelievable in its coincidences, but isn't that what it was supposed to have done? A book that left me happy and smiling and chuckling at the adventures of the dear ole madcap - Capitola! [5/22/03]

Singer from the Sea by Sheri S. Tepper What an unusual book. Very intriguing and well thought out and written. Some really interesting ideas regarding man's place in a world as well as animals and nature. And a world soul rather than individual souls. Lots to think about. [5/26/03]

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin [BookRay] [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] A nice simple fantasy book and a good beginning to a series. The world building was well done - I felt a sense of history with Earthsea. I look forward to reading the next one. [5/27/03]

The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels I plodded my way through this book - it was slow going nearly the whole way through - the last chapter was the most interesting. The title is a bit misleading. It is more of a history of the early church and how Satan was more of a political construct, used to villify another group - from Pharisees to Jews to Romans to Pagans and even other Christians (so-called heretics). I really liked this part (below) and find it, quite sadly, still fitting the Church today: Christians must have the same beliefs and thoughts. The should "'all speak and think the very same things'" (163). Heresy equals choice and the heretic is one who makes a choice. "To stamp out heresy, Tertullian says, church leaders must not allow people to ask questions, for it is 'questions that make people heretics'" (164). "In place of choices, questions, and discussions of scriptural interpretation, Tertullian prescribes unanimous acceptance of the rule of faith" (165). [5/27/03]

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin [BookCrossing] I liked this book - it was neat to see a completely different part of Earthsea. However, it was a very odd feeling to see Ged from someone else's point of view. Even so, I can see how it was the right POV. From Ged's POV, it would have been a much different story. [5/28/03]

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin [BookCrossing] I liked the character of Arren a lot but I still miss seeing things from Ged's point of view. I did get a little tired of the journey sometimes - it didn't seem like much of a quest and a lot of it seemed more like filler than something important. [5/31/03]

Tehanu by Ursula K. LeGuin This book was differently set up - no real quest or great travel. More a quest of the mind perhaps? One thing I am interested in is the unresolved discussion of the difference between women's magic and men's magic. Will the 2 remaining books continue this thought? [6/3/03]

Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin Well, my question about female wizards was mostly answered (I liked "The Finder" the best of the stories in this book). I liked all but one of these tales - "Diamond and Darkrose" was a bit boring and didn't seem very important in the overall scheme of things. [6/5/03]

The Other Wind by Ursula K. LeGuin A nice ending to this series. [6/8/03]

Archangel by Sharon Shinn I absolutely loved this book - it was so different from things I've read before - as far as the world building was concerned. What a unique, wonderful world. And it had a love story to make me both frustrated and satisfied. What more could I ask for? [6/11/03]

A Short Guide to Writing About Literature by Sylvan Barnet and WIlliam E. Cain This is a book I'm recommending to my Intro to Lit class for the Fall. I probably should have read it first, but oh well. Some things are good about it and other areas are weak. I'm not really happy with any of the example essays - I didn't think any of them were really good papers. [6/11/03]

Jovah's Angel by Sharon Shinn [BookCrossing] I'm a bit disappointed that this book did not continue with Gabriel and Rachel - I wanted to read more about them. This one takes place 150 years after the last book. But I am tantalized by the hint that in this book we find out the true nature of Jovah. And I knew it; I was right. I accurately figured out the nature of the god on Samaria. But it was still enjoyable to see the story unfold. And there was a fascinating discussion between Alleya and the god on how people need to have a god and need to feel that a higher power is watching over and guiding them. [6/14/03]

Coraline by Neil Gaiman I really enjoy Gaiman's writing and this was no exception. It was a creepy little story that had some cliche elements but they didn't feel cliche. It was a quick afternoon read. [6/16/03]

The Alleluia Files by Sharon Shinn Although I liked this book, I didn't like it as much as the other two books in the series. It was probably because going into it I knew that the Jacobites were correct in their beliefs so there was very little mystery. I wonder if it would have been better to read this one before Jovah's Angel. Or maybe it would have spoiled the other book instead. [6/20/03]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling A three-year wait and it's already over in one day. I absolutely devoured this excellent book. So many wonderful, frightening, sad, happy things happened. Harry is even more burdened because now he has O.W.L.S. and girls (Cho) on his mind, along with everything else. But so many of the mysteries were cleared up (just who Arabella Figg is, why Harry keeps going back to Privet Drive every summer, what happened when Voldemort went to kill the Potters, etc.), but there are still more left unanswered. And it was great to see some of our old friends again, but I'm really going to miss ______. (don't want to leave a spoiler here) How long until book six comes out?? [6/21/03]

The Story of Avis by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps This was a difficult book to read because it was very dense - it took me a while to get through it. However, it is a good book about what happens to a woman's dreams when she gets married. Instead of becoming a great artist, Avis paints very little and even seems to lose some of her talent and vision. It is a good study of a marriage and what happens to a couple that makes them lose and then refind their love. [6/27/03]

Guenevere: Queen of the Summer Country by Rosalind Miles I don't know if I liked this book or not. It didn't really seem to add anything new and was a bit of a bland addition to Arthuriana. It also seemed at times too much like a romance novel, especially the use of some cliche romance language. Also, it seemed too much like Mists of Avalon (a vastly better book), except Guenevere was the one who had spent time in Avalon and Morgan was quite an evil character. [6/29/03]

Publish, Don't Perish by Joseph M. Moxley Although this book is over 10 years old, I found it to be filled with a wealth of information from the basics of writing to how to put together a book proposal. It's given me the push to take my own writing more seriously and to do those things that we tell our students to do - most of all is to practice. [7/1/03]

Medieval Romances by R.S. and L.H. Loomis This was good. I got to read some class medieval works (including Tristan and Isolt --> finally!) with some helpful introductions. Only problem - they were in translation. I need to read the orginals when I can. But I do need to really become more familiar with more primary sources. [7/6/03]

Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn [BookRay] This was a delightful retelling of the Jane Eyre story - set in a science fiction universe. Even though the basic plot was known and there were few large surprises, it was a good story with a satisfying ending. And I loved the use of Reeder (the recorder Jenna used to tell her story) for Bronte's Reader. [7/7/03]

The Chicago Handbook for Teachers by Alan Brinkley et al I guess I was expecting this book to be absolutely full of information. And it was, but not much that I haven't figured out for myself using common sense and teaching one semester. I did pick out small tidbits that were useful, but nothing major or awe inspiring. This might have been better to read before I had set foot in a classroom. [7/7/03]

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I missed out on this book in my youth . And such a shame! I would have greatly enjoyed this book then as I did now. [7/12/03]

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] Another good, warm-hearted Anne book. I am very much reminded of the book Christy, which I simply adore. I'm so glad there are sequels, so that I can watch Anne grow up. She is such a delightful character. [7/13/03]

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery [BookCrossing] I ran out and bought 5 more Anne books this afternoon because I knew I would finish this one tonight and I couldn't bear it if I wasn't able to continue in the next book. Thank goodness for my foresight because I was right! And finally, finally, Anne and Gilbert are engaged. I was so worried that it wouldn't happen. [7/14/03]

Anne of WIndy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery [BookCrossing] I read through this Anne book a bit slower than the last few. Part of that is because I want to spread my "Anne" enjoyment out a bit more. The other part is probably because I wasn't as excited with this book. It felt like it was just a waiting time between Anne's engagement and marriage. I did rather enjoy parts of Anne's letters to Gilbert. My favorite was a cut out part: "(Several pages omitted, Anne's pen being evidently neither sharp, stub nor rusty.)" [7/18/03]

Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery [BookCrossing] Anne has such a beautiful like. I must admit to agreeing for a while with Leslie Moore - I was a bit jealous of Anne's good fortune. I wanted her to see some downfall, some small bit of disappointment. I did not mean it to take the form that it did - poor little Joy - but I do think that it matured Anne and made her seem more like a real person. I guess I am a lot like Leslie in many respects. And it was also wonderful to see Leslie finally be able to be happy. [7/21/03]

Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery It was so much fun to see Anne's children develop their own characters and personalities (though we never really got any stories about her son Shirley). I think Walter is my favorite. It will be interesting to see how they grow up and turn out in the remaining two books. I would like to see a little more of Anne though. I loved the last bit in the book that finally got into her thoughts. And she is quite human after all! [7/25/03]

Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction by Jonathan Culler Literary theory is an area in which I have not delved much and is one in which I probably should. Hence, this introduction. Some things are much clearer to me now and some are still rather hazy. But I think that now I have some general ideas to take with me as I explore more into theory. [7/27/03]

Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery [BookCrossing] This book seemed to be more about the Meredith children than Anne and Gilbert's children. That bothered me at times, but the Merediths are a fun bunch. There seemed to be quite a bit of foreshadowing about the coming War. I'm almost fearful to read the next book. [7/27/03]

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M Montgomery [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I don't think I will read this book again. It just left me too emotionally exhausted. And Walter, Walter, although I knew in my head it was coming, my heart would not accept it. I just couldn't believe it had happened and I sobbed and sobbed. Why? I asked myself over and over. But like Rilla, his last letter was a slight comfort. He could not have returned home the same Walter he had been when he left. For someone who once had seen only beauty in the world, he saw more than his share of the ugly and hideous. And those memories could never be blotted out by the beauty. [7/29/03]

Mort by Terry Pratchett My first Discworld book. And it was a success! I laughed quite a lot, plus it was just a really good story. I wonder what Death will be like after this? Will he be all work or will he take vacations and explore humanity again? I loved it when he was working in the kitchen. [8/1/03]

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde [BookCrossing] This was a fun book. Not stellar, but good. I really like (for the most part) this alternate 1985 and it was fun to catch the literary allusions. If you are familiar with Victorian literature and a little Shakespeare, this is a good book. [8/8/03]

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I was a bit disappointed in this book. Not quite as good as I had expected it to be. I don't know that I really liked Bridget all that much and in a diary format, you need to like the character to like the book. I did like the movie quite a bit so since I saw it first perhaps that spoiled the book for me. [8/10/03]

The Chicago Guide to Your Academic Career by John A. Goldsmith, et al. This is one book that anyone interested in academia should be required to read. It is full of helpful advice that I can use now and plenty more to keep in mind for the future. I liked the format (Q&A with each author's reply separated) and really respect two of the authors - the third author I'm not sure I like (he seemed a bit condescending at times). But they all do a good job of telling it like it is: academia is not all roses and butterflies - I'm in for some hard times ahead, but I feel much more secure in my choice of career path. [8/12/03]

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I am very glad that I chose this novel for my class to read. I think a lot of really great discussions can come forth. And it was just time for me to read and appreciate this story again. [8/14/03]

Approaches to Teaching Shelley's Frankenstein edited by Stephen C. Behrendt I really like this series of books - I wonder if they are still being writte. I did skim over a few of the essays and some were more helpful that others, but I think I now have a lot of good ideas to take into classroom discussions. I really hope my class is open to discussions. [8/16/03]

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares [BookCrossing] At first, I wasn't sure that I would like this book, but I ended up thinking it was okay. It was a good story about the power of friendship, even when those friends aren't physically in contact. [8/16/03]

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood [BookRay] This was a very compelling book though I would have liked a little more of a settled, clear ending. It was quite scary how easy this world came into being - it seemed as if it could be something that could actually happen. I'm glad that I finally took the time to read this classic. [8/18/03]

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman [audio book] [BookCrossing] [BC] [BC] [BC] I listed to the audio book while cross stitching. I should have done this while writing my paper about this series -- some things are much clearer to me now. For example, I noticed the ideas of free will came through a lot during this book (I just noticed them mostly in the third book before). The audio is narrated by Pullman himself with a whole cast of characters playing the different parts. I really enjoyed listening to it this way. [8/19/03]

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett I didn't like this one as much as I liked Mort. I did really enjoy all the scenes with Death/Bill Door though. It was a fairly quick read, but even so, I found myself becoming a bit impatient with it at times. [8/19/03]

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce [BookCrossing] This was a fantastic young adult fantasy book. I really like the character of Alanna, and I am looking forward to reading more about her. [8/20/03]

In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce [BookCrossing] And the adventures of Alanna continue. Yes, there are many fantasy cliches to be found in these books, but I rather like them. Two more books about Alanna. I must admit that the romantic in me wants to see what happens with Jon -- and perhaps with George. [8/20/03]

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce [BookCrossing] I do very much want Alanna and Jon to be together, but I am proud of Alanna for being true to herself and not giving in to Jon. And Alanna is doing so many remarkable things. But she'd better watch out for her twin brother -- I don't think he's as trustworthy as Alanna believes him to be. [8/21/03]

Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce [BookCrossing] This was a fantastic ending to this series. Yes, some sad things happened (I cried a few tears of sorrow), but some really wonderful things happened, too (I cried some tears of joy). I think Alanna has finally found her place in life and can settle down (only figuratively speaking of course). [8/22/03]

Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown [BookCrossing] I would have really really enjoyed this book if I had read it before seeing the movie. The movie added quite a few things (characters, situations, conclusion), which were good additions. Even so, this was a fun, light-hearted book, and I enjoyed reading it. [8/23/03]

The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis Much of this book was over my head; I wasn't always clear about what was being said. However, I can see how it is helpful for medieval scholars and I did pick up several useful bits of information. I'll definitely have to read this again, but at some later date when I have more background behind me. [8/27/03]

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot [BookRing] This was a good fun book, sweet and innocent. I really liked the character of Mia -- she was very realistic. I'm happy there there are follow-up books because I really want to read more about what happens to Mia. [8/29/03]

Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot [BookRing] [BookCrossing] The continuing adventures of Mia, greatly enjoyed by myself. These are just the right books to read before the start of a new semester. [8/30/03]

Princess in Love by Meg Cabot [BookRing] I love happy endings. Just one complaint -- Mia doesn't like Anne of Green Gables?? At least she does like A Wrinkle in Time. [8/31/03]

The Children of Llyr by Evangeline Walton A retelling of the Branwen story in the Mabinogion. I thought that I would like this one a lot more than I did. Walton sometimes stuck closely to the original and sometimes departed or vastly reinterpretted. And I'm not sure I liked her writing style. The book was just dripping with similes -- and bad ones for the most part. I will probably read the other three books, but they've been pushed down on my TBR stack. [8/31/03]

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket [BookCrossing] This series was suggested reading while waiting for the next Harry Potter book. Well, this was no Harry Potter book. Yes, the author gave plenty of warning that it was not going to be a happy book. But I don't think many adults would enjoy this book. The story line is rather weak and I figured out the very tiny plot twists quite easily. And the author has a rather annoying habit of defining words ("the word 'rickety,' you probably know, here means 'unsteady' or 'likely to collapse'"). Yes I do know what the word rickety means. You don't have to interupt the sentence to tell me. Perhaps this is a good book for a young child to help with vocabulary building, but it happens every few pages with words I learned long, long ago. It kept taking me out of the story. I'll probably continue with this series for a bit of light reading during the semester. [9/1/03]

Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown [BookCrossing] This was a very strange book, and I'm still not quite sure what to make of it. [9/10/03] American Novels class

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood [BookRing] This rather compelling novel was based on actual events (Atwood inclues an afterward explaining the real events). I found it to be an intriguing idea of a possible solution as to what really happened. [9/11/03]

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman [audio book] [BookCrossing] I always like this book because I like Will's character. And it's so sad when he finally meets his father. This audio version was excellent--love having a whole cast of characters. [9/14/03]

The Art of Courtly Love by Andreas Capellanus Well, I must admit taht I had some pre-formed ideas before I started this book, and these ideas were more or less solidified in books one and two and were completely blown apart in book three where Andreas gives all the reasons why men should not fall in love. And I also realized how much courtly love contributes to the objectification of women. It's not truly the grand ideas I first conceived it to be. [9/15/03] Medieval Seminar class [book review]

Watchstar by Pamela Sargent [BookRay] Did I like this book? Yes. No. Maybe. Parts of it were annoying. I do not like hard SF and don't want detailed technical explanations, but those provided in this book were somewhat dissatisfying at times. Did I like the characters? Mostly. Why only mostly? Nothing I can really put my finger on. It was, however, a very inventive book with a unique story. I did enjoy that aspect of it. [9/17/03]

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde [BookCrossing] This was a really good book. I didn't expect to read it so quickly, but I just couldn't put it down. Ah...if only I could find enough faith in the world and the good of mankind. If only we all could...but that's not really the point, is it - we're supposed to have faith in ourselves, that we can be a better person. [9/22/03]

The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne [BookCrossing] [BC] [BC] This book was so-so. I wasn't really very drawn into it. I often felt like I was only on the surface and couldn't dig underneath, but I do know there is a lot underneath. I just couldn't, or didn't want to, get beneath it. [9/24/03] American Novels class

Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine by Kristiana Gregory [BookRing] A fictionalized diary of Eleanor of Aquitaine when she was fourteen. I can tell the author did a lot of research and perhaps that was the problem. She seemed to be more concerned with showing the historical aspect that the character and story seemed to get a little lost. So it felt a bit more like a history book than a novel. [9/27/03]

Kristina: The Girl King by Carolyn Meyer [BookRing] I liked this book much better than the Eleanor of Aquitaine book. This author does a much better job of taking the historical events and weaving them together into a good story with a strong character. I did wish, however, to get more details of some of the events. The journal entries are often too short. [9/29/03]

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I'm really glad that I chose this book for my class to read. I think that it worked out very well. [10/2/03] Introduction to Literature class [teaching]

The Third Witch by Rebecca Reisert [BookRay] It took me a little while to get into this book, but the last pages were really good, and I couldn't put it down. Overall, I liked this book. But I didn't really like the main character, Gilly. Sometimes she was too whiny and too much focused on her revenge. I do think that she redeemed herself in the end, but she was a bit annoying at times. [10/9/03]

Peace-Weavers and Shield-Maidens by Kathleen Herbert This is a very short book that I read for possible use for a paper I am writing. I mostly enjoyed the contents of this book, but I think the title will be the most helpful part for my paper. [10/11/03] Medieval Seminar class [book review]

The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth [BookCrossing] During this second read of this book, I had a lot of fun catching the clues that I had missed the first time through. Still a very fun read. [10/12/03] American Novels class

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden [BookRing] I liked this book, but I didn't love it. Though I think a lot of that has to do with how I read it rather than the book itself. I didn't have long stretches of time to read it, so I read bits here and there whenever I had a chance. So I didn't really get into the story. I did, however, read the last 50 or so pages in one sitting and really started to love the book then. So I wish I had had the time to read this in larger sections. I did learn a lot from this book, so that was a very good thing about it. [10/17/03]

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight One of my favorite works of medieval literature. [10/22/03] Introduction to Literature class [teaching]

Sunshine by Robin McKinley When I saw this book in Hastings, I grabbed it immediately. Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors. This book was quite different fro her previous works, and yet it wasn't. I don't usually go for vampire stories, but this one was very well done. And Sunshine is a fascinating character. I only wish the book would have continued so I could find out more about her life. [10/23/03]

Isabel: Jewel of Castilla: Spain 1466 by Carolyn Meyer [BookRing] I liked the book itself better than the other two Royal Diaries I have read mostly because the storytelling was so good. The only problem I had with the storytelling was that it wasn't at all suspenseful as to whom Isabel would marry if you do a little thinking about your history (and I know practically nothing about Spanish history, so it doesn't take much knowledge). I'm not sure if it was meant to be suspenseful, but it wasn't to me. So, I liked the storytelling, but I didn't like Isabel very much. Her prattling about religion and sin really got annoying (she didn't do it so much later in the book). And then reading the historical note in the end gave me chills and I discovered what her incessant talk of religion meant when she was grown up - she was largely responsible for the Spanish Inquisition. With that in mind, I understand more about why I didn't fully like the character. [10/25/03]

The American by Henry James [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I liked this book until the ending. I didn't throw it across the room, but I did toss it onto the bed. Why did James have to end this novel in that way? Why couldn't Newman and Claire have found a way to be together? What was the point? I absolutely hated the ending. Perhaps it works from a thematic point of view but it doesn't make for a very satisfying story. [10/25/03] American Novels class

A Gift of Magic by Lois Duncan [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I had this book when I was younger and remember reading and enjoying it many times. And I enjoyed reading it this time. It felt like seeing an old friend or putting on old worn-in jeans. Comfortable. Relaxing. I can't really say how good the story itself is because reading it is tied too closely to my memories of reading it, so I can't separate the story from the memories. [10/26/03]

Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb This was a very satisfying end to this trilogy of trilogies. No, not everything turned out as I would have completely wished, but then again, everything really couldn't. Fitz goes through more pain and struggles, but in the end he can say, "I am content." And so am I. [11/2/03]

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket [BookCrossing] I liked this one slightly better than the first one. It didn't annoy me quite as much, but it also wasn't a very fun book to read. But it was enough to keep me moving a little more through the series. I'll go ahead and try the next book to see what I think of it. Perhaps if they keep getting marginally better each book, I'll really like the last one. *grin* [11/4/03]

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson [BookCrossing] This was a fairly good book that I would have enjoyed much better if I were younger. It was a well-told coming-of-age story, but I'm realizing that the farther I get, in time, from my own coming of age, the less I enjoy reading of others' coming of age. [11/6/03]

A History of the English Language by Albert C. Baugh and Thomas Cable A good survey of the English language's history. More historical than linguistic, which was good for me. I learned a lot while reading this book, but I did learn even more from my professor that I did from the book. [11/12/03] History of the English Language class

The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett [BookCrossing] This collection of sketch-like stories told from the point of view of a young woman who spends the summer in a small coastal village in Maine has some really nice comments on life. Both nostalgic and looking toward the future, it mourns change but also realizes that change must happen. [11/12/03] American Novels class

A History of the World in 10-1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes [BookCrossing] I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. It started out really great, with the first chapter being just the right amount of satire. He had some very good and true things to say about mankind and our society/thoughts. But the book went downhill from there. There were some chapter I really enjoyed and some I didn't. I think there was a lot of depth to this book, and that seemed to be the problem - I didn't feel like taking the time and energy to really dig in this book. [11/16/03]

Count Karlstein by Philip Pullman [BookRay] Yes, this book was very predictable, but it was still a lot of fun to read. [11/18/03]

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket [BookCrossing] I didn't hate this book like I did the first one of this series, but I also didn't really love it. But there must be something about these books because I keep reading them! [11/21/03]

Works by Sir Thomas Malory I read most of this and skimmed through other parts (which I have read before). Since this time around was mostly to pick up details for my paper, I focused on the places where women entered the story. [11/21/03] Medieval Seminar class

The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket [BookCrossing] This one wasn't too bad, but I did finally figure out what bothers me about these books. It's simple: I don't really care about the children. Yes, they have personalities, but I don't find them extremely sympathetic characters. Plus, the story is always so predictable. The children go to another guardian, Count Olaf shows up in disguise, bad things happen, Count Olaf is revealed, Count Olaf escapes. Not much variety, just different settings. So the children are never truly in danger. Nothing really happens or matters. [11/22/03]

Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore [BookCrossing] I've been hearing a lot of good things about this author, so I thought I'd give one of his books a try. This book was good and reminded me a lot of Neil Gaiman. I'm not sure that I was blown away by this book, but I did enjoy it a lot. [11/29/03]

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton [BookCrossing] [BookCrossing] I think this is going on my list of favorite books. I just absolutely love it. [12/1/03] American Novels class

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks [BookCrossing] I have to admit that I liked the movie better, but I did still enjoy the book. And I cried at the end, even though I knew how it would turn out. [12/2/03]

The Obituary Writer by Porter Shreve [BookCrossing] I read this book because I saw the glowing review about it. It's not something that I would normally pick up, and that may have been the problem. I didn't really see anything great about this book. I think I saw some potential underneath it, but I don't think that the author ever got there. [12/5/03]

The Dragon's Son by Sarah L. Thomson [BookRing] I love how a story that I know so well and love can be made fresh and new. I really liked what the author did with the story and the characters (especially Medraud). [12/6/03]

A Backward Glance by Edith Wharton [BookCrossing] Edith Wharton's autobiography. All I can say is Wow! What an amazing life Wharton led. She travelled to so many interesting places and, oh, the people she knew! [12/10/03]

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman [BookCrossing] This is a cute little book about a girl who is looking for a place to belong and finally finds one. It is a children's book, so I would personally have liked it to contain more, but it was a good children's book. [12/12/03]

Freeze Frames by Katharine Kerr [BookCrossing] Not happy with this book. I felt that there were a lot of loose ends never tied up. What was Nick's plan? Why were these women so important and able to thwart Nick's plan? What the heck did the aliens have to do with anything? I almost gave up reading halfway through, but Tiffany's story was interesting, so I kept reading. I shouldn't have. Why did the author never resolve anything? And what was the point of this book? [12/17/03]

The Companions by Sheri S. Tepper [BookRing] This book took me a long time to get into, and it was never a page turner. At times, it was way too technical for my taste -- I just wanted Tepper to get on with the story, which was good, though Tepper's usual agenda was quite clear throughout. But it did give me a lot of ideas to think about--and I'll probably never look at dogs the same way again. *grin* [12/23/03]

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde [BookRay] Just finished reading the book. Excellent. I couldn't put it down. Thank goodness I'll have the third book coming to me soon via a bookring. This one does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I just have to find out what happens. As for this one, the tidbits I especially liked was Pellinore chasing the Questing Beast and the little part about the Canterbury Tales. So many subtle jokes in here. You really have to pay attention to catch them. I caught quite a few, but I'm sure there are many I missed. (And a thank you to my high school freshman English teacher who had us read Great Expectations.) [12/30/03]

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