the musings

J U L Y | 2 0 0 8

| July 23 |

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Very dark and explicit, much more graphic than I’d thought it would be. Murakami addresses harsh issues with the real confusion of someone actually undergoing those conflicts. It’s hauntingly poetic and symbolic, with writing that brings beauty into the darkness of the story.

The Probable Future
The novel’s start is very promising and I can’t help but love the cover. Hopefully it’ll live up to its interesting summary and be a fascinating read.

| July 17|

The Book of the City of Ladies
It’s so sad that I didn’t really look at this until now, after posting it on BookMooch. I’d picked it up at Stanford and ended up just laying it aside. It really looks so interesting and is so easy to read and understand! I love how it’s written in praise of women and how it was basically the first of its kind. I’m really looking forward to reading it (it’s huge, so it may take a while).

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency [audiobook version, recording by Hilary Neville]
This book is extremely surprising. Its subject matter is at times very serious but the book itself is light and refreshing. I’m almost finished listening to it (have about 45 minutes left) but I already know I’m going to be surprised again long before it’s finished.

| July 13 |

Animorphs
Yup, I’m going through a pleasant nostalgic phase. As a child, I was never able to read every single book in the series, since whenever they were available in a bookstore or library, it would be a random number in the series. I’m planning on reading 5 of the books per week (I’ve just filled my quota in one night – they’re so addicting) and it looks like these might just be my filler books, to lighten my head a bit between some of the heavier books I have planned throughout the month.

| July 10 |

Ukridge [audiobook version, recording by Jonathan Sissel]
Not sure from the start what this one’s about – I believe it may be a result of the recording. The words are a bit hard to decipher and the events hard to pinpoint. If it doesn’t get easier to pick up, this will be a struggle.

The Stupidest Angel [audiobook version, recording by Tony Roberts]
This will be fun to listen to – already, it’s provided me with witty, laugh-out-loud humour that just never quits. Each character is refreshingly alive and unique, his or her odd personalities and unbelievable misunderstandings highly amusing. The title’s got me wondering how an angel will fit into all of this while the delightful cop reminds me of lazily intelligent Hamish Macbeth (from M. C. Beaton’s series).

| July 07 |

Evening
I can’t read it. I just can’t. I can already tell it’ll be heartbreaking, and I just can’t take heartbreaking right now. So I’ll be giving this book away next month, which is good – hopefully it reaches someone more capable of handling this much emotion.

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle [audiobook version, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat]
Headphones are still broken and I’m beginning to lose track of what on earth’s happening in the novel. This is so depressing.

| July 04 |

Evening
Began this book this morning, and I’m not sure whether I want to continue reading it or watch the movie instead. The interesting way Minot chooses to display her dialogue and the fact that I know I’m going to cry are the reasons why I’m a bit hesitant to just plunge. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not even sure whether this is the book that leads to the movie, Evening, which also stars Meryl Streep. So I suppose I should go off and research that now.

| July 02 |

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle [audiobook version, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat]
As fascinating as ever – and I’m halfway finished – except that I’m terribly frustrated. My headphones completely died on me, so until I can get new ones, I won’t be able to make a marathon of listening to the audiobook, like I normally do for Mrs. Pollifax.

A R C H I V E D | M U S I N G S

[ X ] J U L Y | 2 0 0 8

• The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
• Studies Series by Maria V. Snyder

Musings are my thoughts on the books I read throughout the month, before I actually write reviews about them. (Musings for particular books are archived after the full review is posted.) If you have any thoughts of your own to add to any of the books mentioned, please do add them in comment form to this page – I’d love to read what you think! Also, if you are a book reviewer and would like to guest review for any book here (or even one of your own picking) please let me know! I’m always open for guest reviewers – it makes everything even more enjoyable!