Sunday, January 30, 2011

Book 4 Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard




Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard was a recommended book. Recommendations rarely happen to me since I read such dark books and I was surprised by how much I liked this one. It was a great read, very well written and not near as dark as what I'm used to, so a bit of a change. I thought it was a bit wordy and didn't hold my attention so I had to really try hard to make time. I did really like it but it was a little more difficult a read than I'm used to.  All and all I'm glad I challenged myself to read something I might not have read otherwise. It really gets you motivated to think outside the box and find new books in different genres.

It was a super busy week for me and I just got some time to get this posted and I'm almost done with my 5th book, Autumn by David Moody ! I can't believe I'm reading so fast. I'm a pretty slow reader so this has been amazing. I know it will slow down once it starts to get nice out in Chicago. Summers are always hard to keep up your reading but I find it fun to find a spot outside to travel to and lay on the fresh grass and read. I bike to Chicago's lovely lake front and set up a blanket and read.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Book #4: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston


Whoa!  My fourth book, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston actually made me cry real tears.  What a great book, and I see why it's a classic.  Beautiful, dialectically-accurate piece of literature. 

It looks like Lindsay and I are breezing through these books!  I'm in school full time and working part time and still find time to read, somehow.  There's always time.  Maybe just 20 minutes here and there before bed, and if it's a good book, you'll be surprised by how much your book is intertwined in the dreams you'll have.  Then again, maybe that's not such a great idea if you're Lindsay!
Read!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Number Three Found Me



Sometimes books find you. I was browsing my wonderful popular library section Chicago's Harold Washington's Library two blocks from my apartment and came across this wonderful book. It was right in the first row I searched nestled between two other zombie books. Now I know I'm not alone since the popular library has Zombie books on display.

It was funny and entertaining and a very quick read. So I'm off to the next book Johannes Cabal the Necromancer.

Book #3- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen





My third book, "Water for Elephants", has been my favorite thus far.  I read it in a day.  Although a book in a day isn't typical, it's easier than you think when you're stuck in an airport or on a stuffy plane.  This book was fun, cleverly written, and engrossing (to say the least).
Like Lindsay has said before, take a book or a Kindle- or whatever reading source you have- with you wherever you go.  You'll be surprised at how quickly otherwise "boring" situations fly by.  Better yet, you'll be surprised at how quickly the books themselves fly by. 

Here's an interesting article I came across recently about the importance of books in an era ruled by the internet.  Enjoy!
http://warriorlibrarian.com/RESEARCH/libresearch.html

Book #2- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera


For my second book, I chose "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera.  This had been recommended to me by some coworkers, and I'm really glad I read it.
Apparently, the book has been made into a movie, and it's available instantly on Netflix!  Woohoo!  I love watching movies after reading the book.  I'm not sure if I've ever enjoyed the movie as much as a book, however.  One more reason to read, read, read!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Two Down and Gaining Steam



I usually judge a book by its cover, not in this case. I absolutely love this Gothic horror author Rhiannon Frater. She wrote the wonderful zombie trilogy As the World Dies and I ate them up in large chunks and couldn't believe how fast I read through them. Her use of women in lead and dominant roles it what really got me liking her but the plots and stories lines are solid and enticing.

The Tale of the Vampire Bride is not my usual read as it is a vampire love story. Through most of it I was a bit irritated because I was kinda liking it, ugh, its a love story, ewwwww. I won't get into it too much but it was all in all a good novel. A solid unique story line with a lead woman role that leaves you feeling empowered.

I must also touch on the fact that Rhiannon Frater has been a successful female independent author that self published all her books. She was recently signed to a publisher and I'm extremely happy for her. I want to urge all you readers out there to think outside the bestsellers list and giant publishers and look for those independent self published authors. You never know when you'll find a diamond in the haystack.

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Looking Forward with One Down



 Reading wasn't always my passion. In fact I hated the idea has a child because it kept me away from my 42 acre backyard. As my reading scores fell my 3rd grade teacher put me in a special group called Chapter One Reading and it was there when I learned that there are no rules to reading that you can listen to or pick up a book of any kind. My teacher allowed me to pick any book I wanted so I chose "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" by Alvin Schwartz. It opened my life up to reading and I soared above all my classmates within a year. Keeping with the horror genre I was reading Stephen King by 5th grade and never really stopped reading horror books.

It's not so much what you are reading or how but that you're absorbing the messages, learning about the characters and feeling the intensity of the plot in a good book. Though I mostly read horror I do get some good solid literature in but it's not like I'm reading for a grade its just for fun.

A lot of people that don't read I find have the same excuses such as "it's boring" or "I don't have time". We've all fallen into these same excuses at one time or another. I've developed a few methods to get past those excuses and into a book.


1. Choose books that interest you. I love zombie movies so I went in search for books with zombies. They don't have to be bestsellers or critic approved to be enjoyable they need to appeal to you. That alone got me started reading a book a week.

2. If you can't find time to sit and read a book listen to one. When I was too busy I would take 15 mins before bed to relax and listen to an audio book before bed. Rent one from the library and listen to it on your ride to work.

3. Make reading a part of your routine. Take a book for lunch breaks and read a bit everyday.


Looking forward to 2011 and reading more than 32 books this year I hope to engage you as a reader to get past that 32 book mark and find those odd macabre reads intriguing enough to pick up.

Book #1- Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin


For my first book, I decided to read one of my first very-favorite chapter books.  I loved The Babysitters Club books.  I probably read about 75 of them.  I read them far after it was cool to read them.  In fact, I remember this kid Clint who rode my bus and said, "What's a sixth grader doing reading Babysitters Club books?  Those are for babies!"  After that, I kept them to myself and enjoyed them for another year or so, at the same time reading more age-appropriate books as well.
So yes, I revisited my childhood and laughed a bit, remembering how cool these characters seemed back then.  I even named my first cat after one of them.  
I have to admit, there were a couple times riding the el (realizing how often I try to sneak a peak at what everyone else is reading) when I decided to put my book away.  Stupid Clint apparently has given me a complex that has lasted well into my twenties.
32 to go, this is fun!