Penguin Girl

June 30, 2008 - כ"ח סיון תשס"ח • Category: books •

A while back, Beverly wrote a post about being well read. I found the spreadsheet and discovered I’m not well read according to that list. I believe that there are some that should be included that aren’t. In my defense, I have a difficult time with any Man Booker prize winner (I have a hate-love relationship with The Life of Pi probably because I’m still bummed that it’s not a maths book like I thought!). It took me a while but I finally decided to sign up for the challenge.

Here’s my list, not really in any order. I think it will be a challenge as I didn’t exactly choose short reads:

1. Middlesex
2. Gravity’s Rainbow
3. The Golden Notebook (currently reading)
4. The Once and Future King
5. Lolita
6. The Magic Mountain
7. Middlemarch (after The Golden Notebook)
8. Walden
9. Pride and Prejudice
10. Émile; or, On Education

Can I finish all of these by 20090228? I think so. Unless I chose to read Émile en français. I hope it will help me balance the Fantasy and Science-Fiction bias I have.

This past week I finished a few books, including The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey. What is it with the rule of library book holds? They all come in at once at the worst possible time? I really enjoyed this one more. Perhaps it is because Godmother Elena had a small appearance and while parts of the story felt disjointed I enjoyed it much more than Fortune’s Fool. I’m back in love with the different fairy tales of the world and this was a wonderful bridge to some other stories I have listened to or read. My wonderful “enabler” LC (who just has to wait until I pay her back by shipping her and her daughter a box of knitting needles and fibre. bwah hah hah) informed me that there is a new Valdemar story coming out in early October! (Foundation (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, Book 1))

Listened? Yes. There are three podcasts I am kicking myself for not writing about recently. Escape Pod, Pod Castle, and my new addition FaeryKnitting.

Go, listen. Enjoy. I look forward to each episode and they are the “carrot” I bribe myself with throughout the week.

This past week I finished reading: (reviews will be linked in eventually. Because it’s not “reviewed” doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it greatly and have nothing to say about it. I’m just trying to focus on one. Because I was harsh on Ms Lackey last week I felt a need to give my opinion on this one this week.)
Prisons We Choose to Live Inside by Dorris Lessing
A Thousand Words For Stranger (10th Anniversary Edition) by Julie E. Czerneda