Weekend’s Bookends: July 26 & 27

F U E L I N G | W E E K E N D

Took a week-long break from scheduled reviewing, which wasn’t exactly planned but was actually welcome. I’ve been able to catch up on reading as well as complete my academic assignments thus far, so I’d say everything’s still on the right track. [I'm avoiding the thought of the take-home midterm that's currently resting next to me. I think people have a term for it: denial.]

Books I was able to read this week are:

the wind-up bird chronicle by haruki murakami | the jane austen book club by karen joy fowler | animorphs (books 43-52) by k. a. applegate | the shadow spinner by susan fletcher | outcast: the un-magician by christopher golden & thomas e. sniegoski

The Jane Austen Book Club was the most surprising book out of this batch. While I love Pride & Prejudice, the rest of Austen’s books just terrified me – I thoroughly disliked Emma the few times I read it, but Fowler makes me want to go back and have another go. I think I might even like Fowler’s book so much that I’m going to watch the movie version. [And what I didn't notice from my cover of the book (different from the version here) was that Emily Blunt is in the movie. Huh. She plays Prudie, which would be very interesting to see. Prudie's parallel book was Mansfield Park, if that gives you any hints about what her character's like.] Alice Sebold, author of The Lovely Bones, commented, “If I could eat this book, I would.” My sentiments exactly.

OutCast: The Un-Magician was a soothing read, welcome between some of the harsher, more realistic novels of the week. Timothy was actually an interesting, likeable character, though I suppose a bit more character development could have been welcome. I’ve ordered the second in this series, so it’ll be interesting to see whether Timothy grows along with the books and whether things continue to be as uniquely grasping as the first installment turned out to be.

Unfortunately, I had to abandon Hush, Little Baby by Katharine Davies because I just felt like it’s not the right time for me to try reading it. There’s some very good praise for it, though, if anyone else is interested – apparently it’s a really sly take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. My copy will be returning to the library until I’m ready for it. And after I’ve actually read Twelfth Night instead of just hearing about it or watching reincarnations of it (such as the movie She’s the Man).

I’ve recieved a few more books in the mail,

arena by karen hancock | up high in the trees by kiara brinkman

which is exciting! I think I might have one or both of them up for next month’s giveaways, but it’ll depend on how I feel after reading & reviewing them myself.

Speaking of giveaways, there were a good number of entries this month and I’m glad there was almost equal interest in both books. I have here the lucky winners of July’s giveaway:

Cheryl W. has won Conviction by Skylar Burris!

Linda L. has won One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus!

Congratulations, you two! You’ll receive e-mails tonight on how to send me your info so that I can give you your books!

Thanks to everyone who entered – on the first of August, there’ll be another giveaway and another chance to win some free books.

Cheers all around!

& ElizabethC