What I Read: August 2013

I thought I'd do a monthly round up of books I've read. This is the first month in a while that I've got some serious reading done (still not that much), as it's the first month that I've been done with graduate school! If I hadn't (re)discovered cross stitch, I would probably be reading pretty much every available moment.

Also, there's still lots of fluff going on in my reading material, but that's about out of my system. You may expect fluff levels to return to normal now. (Speaking of fluff, does anyone else feel like they emotionally read, kind of like emotional eating? Like "I'm stressed and I only want to read light YA fantasy and eat donut holes" or something).

FYI, all of my ratings are out of 5 stars.

Enchated - Alethea Kontis *****
This was a pleasant surprise. I had added this to my to read list a while back, but I wasn't seriously interested in it. Then I saw some good reviews that made it stand out a bit more, so I picked up one day when I randomly saw it at the library. This was original and well-written. The main character is the youngest of seven sisters, all named for days of the week. The main plot isn't what drives this book, though. It's the backstory of all of the characters, main and supporting casts included. Kontis takes fairytales and twists them in clever ways, sometimes subtly and sometimes not so subtly. Trule a fun read. I gave this five stars immediately after I read it. Looking back, I would probably drop it to four stars, but I try not to change ratings willy nilly so I'll leave it.

 

 

Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey - Karen Wilkin ***

I had never heard of Edward Gorey until I received a jigsaw puzzle of some of his art for Christmas (one of my favorite puzzles of all time, actually). I saw this book at the library and picked it up on a whim. The short essay at the beginning was a good introduction to Gorey's life and work, and I enjoyed looking over the drawings that were collected in the book.



Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories - Karen Russell ****

I wrote about this earlier in the summer. I greatly enjoyed these stories, though they took me longer than expected to read. I think it's because a few were a bit lengthy, and I always felt the need to read them in one sitting. Plus, I forgot I was reading it for a good part of July. Russell does magical realism in a beautiful way, without being over the top or hokey. And these days, to write original fiction about vampires that is actually original (see title story) is no small feat. I will definitely be reading more of Russell in the future. In fact, Swamplandia! has started calling to me from it's spot in one of the living room bookshelves, so it probably won't be too far into the future.

Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England - Carolly Erickson ***
Look, it's nonfiction! This is another one that's been hanging around all summer. I thought this was written in an interesting way for a history book (although I haven't read much of them, so what do I know). There was no clear organization to the topics (the chapters have no headings), and the chapters were really more vignettes about certain aspects of society during the Regency period. 19th-century England is one of my favorite time-place combinations, so I really enjoyed learning more about it. Erickson's writing was conversational, but still well-informed. The details she included made it feel more personal and nothing at all like a history textbook. I will likely look into reading Her Little Majesty, which is about the life of Queen Victoria (something I know virtually nothing about).

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma - Trenton Lee Stewart ****

(Technically, I finished this in September, but just barely, so I'm counting it in August). This was a reread. I wanted to revisit this series before reading The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict which is the prequel to this series. Each of the volumes in this series have been fantastic children's literature, for many reasons, and I highly recommend them to everyone (kids especially, adults also).

That's it for August! A bit of a slow month, but hopefully my reading volume will pick up now that my brain is mostly done recovering from grad school. I'm currently trying to finish up Shadow and Bone, and then I will be tackling Lonesome Dove. I'd like to try to finish it before starting something new, but that rarely ever happens (especially since I have The Cuckoo's Calling (not so) patiently waiting in the wings). We'll see!

Escape

I can remember a time when I didn't identify as a reader, but it was a very long time ago. Plus, I wasn't that good at reading yet anyway.

Ever since I became a voracious reader, reading has always been a way for me to forget about my own problems and world for a while and read about lives that were more interesting than my own. This is in part because I worry far too much and need ways to get away from that. My worrying manifests itself physically as well, so I've always been grateful to have a way to relieve that stress.

As I've gotten older, reading has been able to soothe my soul less and less, unfortunately. I still get lost in good books, and books and reading are still one of my biggest comforts. But I find that the more challenges I face (especially those pesky "adult" problems), the harder it is for me to completely let them go, even if only for half an hour.

When I rediscovered cross stitch a few months ago, I had only planned on doing one project as a gift. However, I sort of fell into a mild (ok, maybe not mild) obsession with cross stitch and other needle crafts. Some of this is due to finally having a creative outlet (something I've been searching for awhile now), but I think a good chunk of that obsession came from the complete and utter relaxation/calmness I usually experience when stitching. This particular time in my life is very hectic. Everything is up in the air and big changes are coming. All of that is great, but a bit trying on my poor nerves (I'm definitely channeling Mrs. Bennet here).

Basically, all I want to do right now is stitch 24/7. It is just like me to find a new, time-consuming hobby right when my thesis is due.

What I'm Reading #1

If there is one word that describes me most completely, it is this: reader. I can remember a time when I did not love to read and when the mere thought of reading brought me to tears, but then again I was three or four and just learning and it was hard.

I always have a book with me, even when I know there is absolutely no chance I will have even 30 seconds to read. And that's a real paper and ink book, not my phone or an e-reader. It's why I usually carry large purses.

Anyway, though my new found hobby of cross stitch has deeply cut into my reading time recently, reading never fails to reassert itself on my list of priorities. So here's what currently happening in my land of books.

DISCLAIMER: I have a good chunk of my time in the past year studying and working quite hard (if I do say so myself), and only recently has my brain been able to take a slight break. Please forgive me if my reading material is a bit on the light and fluffy side for a bit; I promise I read other stuff, too.

Vampires in the Lemon Grove - Karen Russell

This is a collection of short stories that all feature fantastical elements. I've never read anything by Russell though I do own Swamplandia!. I love the way she writes; it's clean and beautiful and just what it needs to be. My favorite stories so far are the title story, "Reeling for the Empire", and "The Barn at the End of Our Term". The last one is about random U.S. presidents being reincarnated as horses on a small farm.

Russell is able to write about the absurd without making them seem so. I can't imagine I won't like the rest of this, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.



Our Tempestuous Day - Carolly Erickson

Let me start by saying that the 19th century is one of my favorite periods of history and 19th century British literature is tied for first as my favorite genre. Erickson's account of the Regency period in England's history (approximately 1810 - 1820) has so far been full of interesting details, yet easy to follow at the same time.

So far it's mostly covered the royal family and the transition into the rule of the Prince Regent George IV, as King George III became too mentally and physically unstable to rule.

If I enjoy the rest of this book as much as I am now, I will probably look into reading Erickson's Her Little Majesty: The Life of Queen Victoria, as that's something I would love to know more about.

Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate #1) - Gail Carriger

Here comes the fluff. I'm nearing the end of this one, and it's been a fun, silly ride. Seriously, this is nearly all ridiculousness. I will say that I like Carriger's take on werewolves and vampires just fine, which is somewhat impressive as I typically try to avoid them these days. And the fact that the main character is not such a creature and cannot become one make it even better.

As long as this one doesn't end stupidly, I will probably continue to consume these when my brain wants something light and sweet.






The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma - Trenton Lee Stewart

This is a reread for me, as a refresher before I read The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict. Love it as much as I did the first time.

And I must say, I'm very proud of the fact that this fantastic series came from an Arkansan author who went to my alma mater.







The Peculiar - Stefan Bachmann

I started this about a month ago, and I haven't really touched it since then. I liked it fine and it was interesting, but apparently I haven't been in the mood.

I should really get it read as it's from the library and I've renewed it at least three times.