The List - Siobhan Vivian

The List

I picked up this book because Veronica Roth recommended it on her blog.  Now, I am not in the habit of taking recommendations from just any blog (and, yet, apparently I expect you to take recommendations from me?  Hmmm...), but this is Veronica Roth.  She wrote one of my surprise favorite series of the year.  So, I had to at least give it a shot.

The Testament of Jessie Lamb - Jane Rogers

The Testament of Jessie Lamb

Fall is officially here.  There is a definite chill in the air and leaves are starting to turn.  As much as I love summer and wish it could last endlessly, I relish the return of flannel shirts, cardigans, scarves, and music that has a deeper feel than summer bubblegum pop.  Adele has been on my turntable all week.  In that same vein, The Testament of Jessie Lamb seemed to fit perfectly as a transition novel into the colder months.  This is no beach read.  Jessie Lamb is heavy and a bit dark; yet its young central characters still bring an innocence that cannot be ignored in the face of such morbidity.

Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables

I am not exactly sure what it was that prompted me to return to Green Gables.  For the last several months, I have had an urge to read through L.M. Montgomery's beloved series again.  Because I believe firmly in indulging such inexplicable compulsions, I finally took the time to reread this story.  As a child, I owned the box set of all eight Anne books and, I believe, only read through them once in completion.  In addition to the books, I remember countless viewings of the 1980s movie version starring Megan Follows.  What little girl growing up in the 1990s didn't watch it and the sequel, Anne of Avonlea, over and over?  Obviously, rereading the book stirred a lot of those memories; however, I think that, even more than memories, Anne herself creates a stronger pull to childhood.

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead

Yes, I did finish two books in one day.  After being totally unable to put Gone Girl down last night and this morning, the afternoon brought a close to Ayn Rand's literary classic.  Now, most people have either never heard of this book or it is one of those ones that sits on the shelf for years without ever actually being read.  It was Mark Twain who once defined a classic as "A book which people praise and don't read."  I, however, do read them and am attempting to bring more into my literary diet.  I am ashamed to call this book, which by some would not even classify as classic to begin with, my first classic novel of the challenge.  I guess you have to start somewhere.  I promise another is on its way shortly.

I started this book back around the end of July - long before Paul Ryan decided to announce that he was an Ayn Rand fan.  Honestly, when there was all the media attention given to that story, I was slightly irritated that now anyone reading this blog may think I picked up The Fountainhead at the suggestion of the Republican Vice Presidential candidate.  Take heart, Democratic readers; I did no such thing.  Actually, I read Atlas Shrugged last year and found that I enjoy Rand's style.  I have read Anthem multiple times and find it a lovely, bite-sized, and much more palatable dose of her celebration of egotism.  Though they give ultimately the same message, Atlas is very political while Fountainhead is more more personal.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl

I feel the need to use the overused statements that you would expect: I couldn't put it down; Flynn keeps you guessing; This book is brilliant; etc., etc.  While those things are true, I also feel that this book deserves more that that.  Flynn has written - and written well - a delightful thriller that is evil to its core, as well as completely addicting.  While the book is not perfect by any means, it is very good.  The twisted plot is matched only be the characters.  To me, it is the epitome of an indulgent summer beach read.  (Warning: Spoilers Ahead)

Common Sense - Thomas Paine

Common Sense

It feels as though lately every post begins with an apology for the length of time which has passed since the previous post.  We are just beginning to come through the busy season at work and we're down to 8 weeks until the wedding.  Also, I have moved into the house that Kevin and I will be living in after the wedding.  It has been a crazy month, and I have yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I hate that I have only one post so far in August.  My blog silence, however, should not be taken as a sign that I am not reading.  I am, in fact, in the midst of four good-sized volumes and have no doubt that there will be a barrage of blog posts in September as I begin to wrap them up.  You can look forward to some classic literature, the continuation of a series, and a return to some high school required reading.  Oh, and I am picking up one of summer's best sellers at the library this weekend.  Obviously, I don't really know how to slow down.

Thanks to a lovely little website called DailyLit, I will not leave Jenny Lawson standing alone as the only author whose work I completed in August.  (I must have unconsciously gone in search of the most extreme opposite to her memoir as I could find.  I find it very hard to imagine Thomas Paine and the Bloggess would run in the same social circles.)  For those of you who are unfamiliar with their service, DailyLit is a website that helps busy people like me read more.  In a world where checking email is the first thing most of us do in the morning - or any time we have a free moment - DailyLit is helping to make reading a part of that routine. You sign up, choose your book, and set up when and how often you would like installments emailed to you.  You can also make them part of an RSS feed.  They have a wide range of work on their website.  There isn't a lot of current stuff; it is mostly public domain works and poetry.  However, if you want to tackle a big classic novel you have always meant to read but never quite find the time to pick up, DailyLit will be happy to deliver it to you one manageable bite at a time.  Best part: it's free.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened - Jenny Lawson

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

First off, let me apologize for my absence.  It's the Olympics, folks.  They suck me in and I can't do anything but watch them.  So, while two weeks ago when I wrote my last post, I was a week ahead of schedule in my 52 Book Challenge.  However, then the London 2012 Olympics started and I forgot about books and reading and anything that does not involve gold medals or crying gymnasts who apparently bathe in glitter.  What makes these Games of the XXX Olympiad even better (if that is even possible), is that some of my favourite (note the British spelling) people keep popping up: British royals.

Ok, I am completely sidetracked.  But, I kind of did that intentionally in honor of Jenny Lawson, author of my latest read.  Lawson, known online as The Bloggess writes a, you guessed it, blog about her life and all the crazy things that happen to her.  Forewarning: her blog, like her book, will be viewed as highly inappropriate to anyone with an aversion to profanity or socially awkward situations.  If you can get past those things, though, I promise you will find Lawson genuinely hilarious.