May 2017 Chapter

Welcome to the Read.Write.Repeat. monthly wrap-up.  Every month, I give a quick overview of what books I read, the progress made on the 100 Best Novels goal, a few book-related links, and general blog news.  

May News 

Glorious May.

Spring semester comes to a close and ushers in the busy, but much quieter days of summer. I often see summer as a secondary New Year. I have a chance to reset goals and challenge myself to make good use of my summer days. I'm teaching online this summer, so I have plenty to do, but at least I can do it from home. This year, I'm really trying to buckle down on exercise, healthy eating, and self-improvement. I don't always have time for language study or writing or music during the school year - ok, I don't make time for those things. But summer springs hope eternal and I'm trying to be disciplined about making time for things I care about but for which there is no tangible payout.

Hopefully, that will include charity work this summer. The political turmoil (ugh - it just keeps getting worse!) has, if nothing else, pushed me to question how I can affect change in my community. That. in turn, is causing me to do some reevaluating of my career path, but that's another story for a different day. For now, I'm hoping to translate a desire to change the world into practical work. And I don't want my volunteerism or activism to end this summer. Kevin finishes his graduate studies at the start of August and we've discussed how we can get involved in community service together after that point. As we enter the next decade of our lives, we are becoming increasingly aware of the gift of time and how we use it. We want to give back not just financially, but with our time and talents as well. If you have any awesome volunteering or community service ideas/experiences, I'd love to hear them! We're just starting to dip our toes in the water over here and it's exciting and scary all at once!

All the free time means I have been watching a bit more TV, too. Not so self-improving, I know. But it's relaxing. Movie Monday posts are becoming a more regular thing again. And, if you missed it, you'll definitely want to check out my thoughts on Netflix's new series, Anne with an E.

When school ended this spring, I basically flopped myself onto the couch and into the new hammock swing we have in the backyard and read for days. I was exhausted at the end of the term and needed some serious self-care. Plus, we spent a delightful Memorial Day weekend at my parents' new house in Wilmington (read: the beach). So, I have blazed through books this month. This month, I tried to focus on one or two books at a time rather than reading five or six and once. I think doing that gave me a greater sense of accomplishment. I'm not always reading exactly the genre I feel like, but I'm getting through books faster.

Movie Monday: Anne with an E

Anne with an E

When opportunity arises, I feature Movie Monday. I recognize few people have the time or desire to read the amount I do, especially when it comes to the 100 Best Novels list. Luckily, Hollywood loves adapting a classic and I love a good story in any form.

Film Title: Anne with an E

Book Title: Anne of Green Gables

Release Year: 2017

Summary: It's L. M. Montgomery's classic story, but with some modern additions and attitudes.

What I Thought: I know there are so many feelings out there on the Internet about this series. As when I talked about Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, I feel a bit superfluous adding my voice to the cacophony. However, I want to get a conversation going. I know all you Anne-lovers out there have feelings about this series and I want to talk about them! So, consider this a mashup between Movie Monday and Let's Talk About.... Just know, there are spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

Let's start at the beginning. It is, after all, a very good place to start... wait...wrong movie. 

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go

Title: Never Let Me Go

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Publication Date: 2005

Pages: 288

Genre: Literary Fiction / Science Fiction / Fiction

How I Found It: I've read other Ishiguro works and I really liked the film adaptation of this novel.

Date Completed: 5/7/17

Summary: Kathy recounts her years of friendship with Tommy and Ruth. From their days confined to boarding school to their years as carers and donors, their story is haunted by questions and rumors about their life's purpose.

What I Thought: I saw the film adaptation of this ages ago. I fell completely in love with it, in part because it has one of my favorite film scores ever. Looking back now, I'm not surprised I enjoyed the movie. Carey Mulligan, Andrew Gafield, Kiera Knightly... The cast was stacked before any of those three really became major stars. 

I haven't seen the movie in years, but I've been enjoying Ishiguro's work lately and really coming to respect him as an author. It seemed like a good time to visit the source. 

Take Tuesday: Reading Lolita in Tehran

Reading Lolita in Tehran

Some books are just so good, you have to read them again. And some books deserve a second chance. And some books I think about and change my opinion or have more to say. Take Tuesday is a chance to do just that. 

Title: Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books

Author: Azar Nafisi

Publication Date: 2003

Pages: 356

Genre: Historical / Memoir / Political / Nonfiction

Previous Readings: November 2012

Date Completed This Time: 5/3/17

Summary: Nafisi reflects on her time teaching Western Literature in post-revolution Iran. She talks about her experiences and how the books impacted her and her students in the midst of their changing world. 

What I Thought Before: You should definitely go back and read my first post about this book. I think I covered my thoughts pretty well.

What I Think Now: I recommended this book for book club and, thankfully, it was a hit. We had a wonderful discussion about the purpose of literature, gender roles, and the arch of revolution. Good stuff. It's such a treat to share books like this with an intellectual group of people.

100 Best Novels Roundup, Vol. 3

As I near the end of the 100 Best Novels challenge, I've been condensing my reviews into these roundups. Here are mini reviews of the two novels from the list which I read in April:

The Naked and the Dead

Title: The Naked and the Dead
Author: Norman Mailer
Publication Date: 1948
Pages: 721
Genre: Classic / Historical / Fiction
How I Found It: 100 Best Novels
Date Completed: 4/11/17

What I Thought: I'll be honest... Sitting down to write this review, I remember very little of this book. I only finished it nine days ago, but I'm struggling to recall much of what happened. I think such an admission is actually quite representative of my feelings of this novel in general.

I'm sure I'll grouse about this more when I do my final 100 Best Novels overview post, but I am just so tired of war stories. I recognize what hugely impactful events the world wars were. It makes sense that every book written around that era at least references them. Still, it's hard for me to connect with stories of soldiers on the battlefield. I have absolutely no life experience which can help me understand such circumstances. I know, I know. That makes it even more important for me to be reading these stories. I get that, too. I just...I'm tired of them. There are so many unique stories to tell in the world and I'm annoyed by the high number of stories from the trenches that made it onto this prestigious list.

I recognize Mailer's skill and why this book became such a sensation. It just didn't work for me personally. It did, however, make me wonder if there will ever be such an event that every single story of this era will center around it. Is there anything left that can unite our stories in such a huge way? Would it take another world war?

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Will I Re-Read: Nope

The Gammage Cup - Carol Kendall

The Gammage Cup

Title: The Gammage Cup

Author: Carol Kendall

Publication Date: 1959

Pages: 288

Genre: Children's Literature / Fantasy / Fiction 

How I Found It: I read it as a child and have been searching for it for literally years. 

Date Completed: 5/5/17

Summary: The Minnipins have lived in their peaceful valley for centuries without disturbance. When a few social outsiders sense a threat, the natural order of things is threatened. 

What I Thought: This is such a great book. No surprise that it's a Newbery Honor book. Though it was written back in 1959, it has themes that feel so relevant today. Social acceptance, heroism, speaking truth to power...the messages of the book are still wise in 2017. And, it's still totally fun to read as an adult. 

It's a quick read. I read it in two days. It was the perfect thing to get my mind off of the AHCA passing the House. Escapist and inspirational all at once.

Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher

Wishful Drinking

Title: Wishful Drinking

Author: Carrie Fisher

Publication Date: 12/2/08

Pages: 163

Genre: Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I've been wanting to read some of Fisher's work.

Date Completed: 4/28/17

Summary: Fisher recounts the highs and lows of her life in the spotlight, including her struggles with alcohol and drugs, her celebrity parents, and that time a friend died in her bed. 

What I Thought: I have been wanting to read Fisher's books since her death in December. When she died, I had heard a bit about her most recent memoir, but I had no idea she had been such a prolific writer. I am a Star Wars fan, but really did not know much about Fisher beyond her tenure as Princess Leia. So, when I was looking for a lighter read late one night and this was available via my library's digital collection, I jumped. 

I am so glad I did. I read the whole thing in less than two days, sneaking bits here and there when I could, devouring chapters at a time when I should have been sleeping. It's not a long book, so two days is not quite the accomplishment it sounds. Still, Fisher's writing style made it easy to devour and hard to put down.