So I've had a bit more free time the past few days (4 maybe?) and I have read A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares. I am just going to combine them into one blog post. :)
A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Libba Bray:
This is not a classic but was highly recommended to me by a very good friend so when I received it as a birthday present I decided to read it. It is set in the late 1800s and tells the story of Gemma Doyle who discovers on her 16th birthday (Hey! That's when I got this book!) that she has the power of the Order which allows her to travel in and out of the "realms." Her mother is killed and she is sent to boarding school where she finds out more about the visions she has been experiencing. She and her 3 friends travel in and out of the realms and begin to be addicted to the power stored there. Read the book! I very much enjoyed the setting of the novel (late 1800s, English boarding school) and once I got into the story it only got better and better. (Now I'm reading the sequel!)
FARENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury:
So I was going to alternate between classic and non-classic so I chose Farenheit 451 as my next classic. I finished it in maybe 4 hours at the most. It was an extremely good story that I very much enjoyed. I didn't know if I would like it since I don't always enjoy scifi but this novel read as short stories usually read for me. Farenheit 451 tells the story of a future world where instead of putting out fires, firefighters start them. Firefighters are responsible for burning books and the houses of those who read books. It's a story of censorship and anti-knowledge. Since I am such an avid reader and I love to learn so the idea of hoarding and destroying knowledge is quite concerning to me. I also read Bradbury's afterward and "coda" and learned that people have tried to censor Farenheit 451, a book about censorship. How ironic and twisted is that? If you haven't read this classic novel, give it a chance, you could learn something.
SISTERHOOD EVERLASTING by Ann Brashares:
I am not going to write much about this novel because it is very recent and I do not want to spoil it for anyone. Basically, it is a continuation of Ann Brashares series, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I read that series through junior high and absolutely adored them (the movies do them no justice). When I found out about this novel, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to read it and I finished it in less than a day. It was a tragically heartwarming story of friendship (as cheesy as that sounds). But a wonderful, wonderful story. If you read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants novels: READ IT. (Or read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and then read it!)
Now as I said earlier, I am reading the sequel to A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels by Libba Bray.
Happy reading! :)
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Jane Eyre
Hey all! So it's been like forever but Jane Eyre is a pretty long book.
I read it after it was suggested by my soon-to-be sister-in-law because she has pretty good taste in books. And it was a fantastic book. Jane Eyre tells the story of a plain Jane (literally) who has a bad childhood and spends time in an orphanage but finally gets a job for a mysterious man as his child's nanny.
She finally meets Mr Rochester and as she continues to work for him, she begins to fall in love and he falls in love with her. They arrange the marriage but once at the church a shocking discovery (READ IT FOR YOURSELF!) splits them up and Jane runs away and stays with some other people which she later discovers are her cousins and she has actually inherited some money from a long lost uncle.
The love that Rochester and Jane share lasts through many years though they are not in touch or seeing each other. I wanted them to get back together already! They were amazing together even though Rochester was much much older. And you'll have to read it to know the ending.. but I like the ending.. :)
I wish I could really see Jane's artwork, because it's beautifully described.
My favorite line in the book is probably: "We know God is everywhere; but certainly we feel His presence most when His works are on the grandest scale spread before us: and it is in the unclouded night-sky, where His worlds wheel their silent course, that we read clearest His infinitude, His omnipotence, His omnipresence... I felt the might and strength of God."
Now I'm reading A Great and Terrible Beauty (Not a classic- but on the long time list of "books to read")!
Happy reading, Kelsey
I read it after it was suggested by my soon-to-be sister-in-law because she has pretty good taste in books. And it was a fantastic book. Jane Eyre tells the story of a plain Jane (literally) who has a bad childhood and spends time in an orphanage but finally gets a job for a mysterious man as his child's nanny.
She finally meets Mr Rochester and as she continues to work for him, she begins to fall in love and he falls in love with her. They arrange the marriage but once at the church a shocking discovery (READ IT FOR YOURSELF!) splits them up and Jane runs away and stays with some other people which she later discovers are her cousins and she has actually inherited some money from a long lost uncle.
The love that Rochester and Jane share lasts through many years though they are not in touch or seeing each other. I wanted them to get back together already! They were amazing together even though Rochester was much much older. And you'll have to read it to know the ending.. but I like the ending.. :)
I wish I could really see Jane's artwork, because it's beautifully described.
My favorite line in the book is probably: "We know God is everywhere; but certainly we feel His presence most when His works are on the grandest scale spread before us: and it is in the unclouded night-sky, where His worlds wheel their silent course, that we read clearest His infinitude, His omnipotence, His omnipresence... I felt the might and strength of God."
Now I'm reading A Great and Terrible Beauty (Not a classic- but on the long time list of "books to read")!
Happy reading, Kelsey
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid
I just finished both of these epic poems for my high school literature course on the epics. I will not write much about it since I studied them both heavily in class and I am honestly a bit sick of them. Of the Iliad, Odyssey and Aeneid, I think the Aeneid was my favorite but that may be just because we did not have to take notes over the story. But really, I liked that Aeneas does not do as many stupid things as Odysseus and others. I also prefer Virgil's writing style and vocabulary.
Stanley Lombardo's translations of all these classics are great. We had the privilege of hearing Lombardo speak and read excerpts of the Aeneid. He is an amazing speaker and very brilliant man.
Okay, that is all.
Happy Reading! :)
~Kelsey
Stanley Lombardo's translations of all these classics are great. We had the privilege of hearing Lombardo speak and read excerpts of the Aeneid. He is an amazing speaker and very brilliant man.
Okay, that is all.
Happy Reading! :)
~Kelsey
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Yay! Classic number 2 down!
WARNING: There are spoilers in this blog.
As my first individually tackled classic, I chose The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I chose this novel since it's only 177 pages which would be easier to fit in around my school reading. (Okay, okay I admit it, I'd read this over school stuff any day).
I really enjoyed The Great Gatsby which tells somewhat of a love story but also a story of mystery and intrigue (Okay, that sounds stupid but trust me it's good!). Nick Carroway tells the story of his summer with the mysterious Mr. Gatsby. Mr. Gatsby is his next door neighbor who seems like somewhat of a recluse though he hosts extravagant parties nearly every weekend.
Gatsby harbors an old love for Daisy who is married to Tom Buchanan who is anything but faithful to Daisy. Nick Carroway becomes the re-connection between Daisy and Gatsby and they are nearly reunited to be married. But, sadly, it does not come to pass and Gatsby is murdered by the husband of Buchanan's lover. There are many unanswered questions in the novel although the reader does learn much about Gatsby's past, the reader does not learn everything about what Gatsby has been doing recently (with Mr. Wolfsheim).
Notable quotes (aka my faves):
- And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I has that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with summer. (pg. 4)
-He smiled understandingly- much more that understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. (pg. 48- I actually like a lot more of this quote but I'm too lazy to type it all)
-I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity. (pg. 57)
-"They'll keep out of the way," she insisted. "It takes two to make an accident." "Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself." "I hope I never will," she answered. "I hate careless people. That's why I like you." (pg. 58)
If you haven't read The Great Gatsby, I seriously suggest it. It's only 177 pages and it's pretty easy to read.
Happy Reading! :) -Kelsey
WARNING: There are spoilers in this blog.
As my first individually tackled classic, I chose The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I chose this novel since it's only 177 pages which would be easier to fit in around my school reading. (Okay, okay I admit it, I'd read this over school stuff any day).
I really enjoyed The Great Gatsby which tells somewhat of a love story but also a story of mystery and intrigue (Okay, that sounds stupid but trust me it's good!). Nick Carroway tells the story of his summer with the mysterious Mr. Gatsby. Mr. Gatsby is his next door neighbor who seems like somewhat of a recluse though he hosts extravagant parties nearly every weekend.
Gatsby harbors an old love for Daisy who is married to Tom Buchanan who is anything but faithful to Daisy. Nick Carroway becomes the re-connection between Daisy and Gatsby and they are nearly reunited to be married. But, sadly, it does not come to pass and Gatsby is murdered by the husband of Buchanan's lover. There are many unanswered questions in the novel although the reader does learn much about Gatsby's past, the reader does not learn everything about what Gatsby has been doing recently (with Mr. Wolfsheim).
Notable quotes (aka my faves):
- And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I has that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with summer. (pg. 4)
-He smiled understandingly- much more that understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. (pg. 48- I actually like a lot more of this quote but I'm too lazy to type it all)
-I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity. (pg. 57)
-"They'll keep out of the way," she insisted. "It takes two to make an accident." "Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself." "I hope I never will," she answered. "I hate careless people. That's why I like you." (pg. 58)
If you haven't read The Great Gatsby, I seriously suggest it. It's only 177 pages and it's pretty easy to read.
Happy Reading! :) -Kelsey
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Iliad
One classic down! About a gazillion to go...
In my high school literature class, we just finished Homer's Iliad.
As my first real epic poem, it was definitely a new experience. We read Stanley Lombardo's translation which is still written in verse but it reads much like a novel. Many scenes are extremely graphic and bloody, and the story is someone hard to relate to in the current age. The Iliad is a story of war and glory which is not something that many people have experienced. While I enjoyed parts of the story, parts of it were also hard to get into.
The Iliad tells the story of Achilles' rage although Achilles is not present for over half the story. The story also shows the different aspects of heroes to different cultures.
I think I could have enjoyed the story more if I was not reading it for a class since I always had to take notes which slows me down while reading. I also think it would have been harder to understand some of the different aspects of the story. One of my favorite parts of the story that I may not have noticed on my own was the final battle scene between Achilles and Hector. Hector is wearing Achilles' armor from a former battle won and Achilles knows that if he kills Hector than he will set in motion his own fate and cause his death. It also appears that Achilles is killing himself since Hector is wearing his armor. So Achilles is in turn killing himself by killing Hector who looks like he is Achilles. It is quite a dramatic scene.
-Kelsey
In my high school literature class, we just finished Homer's Iliad.
As my first real epic poem, it was definitely a new experience. We read Stanley Lombardo's translation which is still written in verse but it reads much like a novel. Many scenes are extremely graphic and bloody, and the story is someone hard to relate to in the current age. The Iliad is a story of war and glory which is not something that many people have experienced. While I enjoyed parts of the story, parts of it were also hard to get into.
The Iliad tells the story of Achilles' rage although Achilles is not present for over half the story. The story also shows the different aspects of heroes to different cultures.
I think I could have enjoyed the story more if I was not reading it for a class since I always had to take notes which slows me down while reading. I also think it would have been harder to understand some of the different aspects of the story. One of my favorite parts of the story that I may not have noticed on my own was the final battle scene between Achilles and Hector. Hector is wearing Achilles' armor from a former battle won and Achilles knows that if he kills Hector than he will set in motion his own fate and cause his death. It also appears that Achilles is killing himself since Hector is wearing his armor. So Achilles is in turn killing himself by killing Hector who looks like he is Achilles. It is quite a dramatic scene.
-Kelsey
Reading the Classics
I am in high school and an avid reader. I recently decided to take myself on an adventure in reading classic novels. I usually read fluffy teenage-targeted books that in no way challenge my reading ability. I am just beginning to be challenged in my high school English courses. I put in a little research and found a list of 100 Books to Read Before College and 101 Books You Should Read in College. Perfect! This was great but quite overwhelming.
My future plans include attending college to become a high school English and literature teacher. If I plan on being successful in college and my future career, I know I must be more well read then I am now.
While my coursework for school is extremely difficult and my time is crunched, I plan on beginning to work my way through difficult novels over the next few years. My blog posts may be few and far between for awhile but I will also post on books that I am reading in my current high school literature course which focuses on the epic classics including the Iliad, Odyssey, Dante's Inferno and the Aeneid.
-Kelsey
My future plans include attending college to become a high school English and literature teacher. If I plan on being successful in college and my future career, I know I must be more well read then I am now.
While my coursework for school is extremely difficult and my time is crunched, I plan on beginning to work my way through difficult novels over the next few years. My blog posts may be few and far between for awhile but I will also post on books that I am reading in my current high school literature course which focuses on the epic classics including the Iliad, Odyssey, Dante's Inferno and the Aeneid.
-Kelsey
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