Book 26 of 100 – “Letter to My Daughter” by Maya Angelou

I wish I didn’t need to read 74 more books so I could spend a few weeks combing through this book. I want to soak in every word and appreciate every bit of wisdom Maya Angelou felt necessary to impart upon me.

I wish Angelou would have kept writing this book forever. In the several short chapters I read, I got mini glimpses into Angelou’s life. As much as I loved this, I am still a bigger fan of her poetry than anything else she has written.

I chose to read “Letter to My Daughter” because in my opinion, if I can grow to have a life even a fraction as interesting and well fulfilled as Maya Angelou, then I will have lived my life well.

Everyone should read this piece. It may not take you long, you may notice some pointed opinions, but you will also notice a wise, well-lived life laid out on paper which you have no choice but to appreciate.

Book 12 of 100 – “The Year of Living Biblically” by AJ Jacobs

In this novel, AJ Jacobs takes on the ridiculous task of following every single rule that is outlined in the bible as closely as possible, then he documents his journey. I read this very interesting book at the request of a wonderful friend and I found it to be a great suggestion.

AJ Jacobs did not make his job easy. He chose to spend eight months following the Old Testament to a key and later spend four months following the New Testament from the bible. As much as I enjoyed this book and the humorous comments that Jacobs made, I found it somewhat difficult to read. There are times that he makes long, drawn out references that don’t completely make sense. He can get lost in how he feels about what he is doing or adversely lost in the micro challenges that he faces.

AJ Jacobs in his extreme detail told a story of something I know I will never be able to do. This was a fun book, but be careful not to read it with a fine-tooth comb or a critics tongue. Enjoy this book for the book and the challenge that Jacobs takes on.

Book 11 of 100 “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx and Friedrick Engles

How about this for a diverse read? I recently spent a weekend in Tucson. Since my friends and I don’t play by traditional vacation rules, we decided to try out something new and visit an LGBTQA all inclusive coffee house and book shop. Let me tell you, this little place was the most adorable coffee shop I have ever been to. On top of it, they managed to make a perfect caramel macchiato with almond milk. While we were visiting, they happened to be having a Marxist study. SUPER COOL! Although we didn’t participate on the study, we did have some interesting conversations about Mr. Karl Marx. So, I decided I would look into some of his work and get some more diversity in my studies. This book did not turn me into a communist, but it was interesting. Marx and Engles throw some really interesting theories out there. Some of their thoughts about how capitalism would turn out are pretty interesting and fun to play around with. I encourage those who are going to read this to do so with an academic, not political, mindset. Do not attempt to challenge all of the perspectives that they display, simply study them. You might learn something, I did.

Book 6 of 100 – “Heart Collector” by Jacques Vandoux

Get ready for my first harsh review of a book. This book was available free to me as an editors pick through Amazon, so I didn’t expect it to be perfect, but the reviews hyped it up for me and that made it easy for me to be let down.

I have one word to truly describe this book: disappointment. The murder-mystery concept that this book is based around is really awesome. There is a lot that could have been done with it to make this an exciting novel to read. However, after the first half of the book, I was done. There was a large amount of over-explanation in everything. Even if you love Victorian novels, you will still think there is too much here: the characters just kind of jump in and out while the scenes jump from one type of voice to another.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the mystery and the supernatural aspect, but once I solved the mystery and the characters still hadn’t, I was bored. To be fair, this is a translated text, originally written in French. Perhaps, it needs to be read in French to be truly appreciated, but I fear I may have wasted more of my time with this one than I wanted to. If they go back in a re-edit this piece and submit a new edition, I would be willing to try again. However, this particular copy is not one that I will be willing to pick up again anytime soon.

If you have some free time and want to look into French culture, writing, or even supernatural myths, this book might be worth it. However, if you are just looking for something to entertain you, stick to Harry Potter.

Stay tuned for the next book! Hopefully coming soon!

Book 5 of 100 – “Titus Andronicus” by William Shakespeare

I’ll admit, I am VERY behind on this book challenge. It seems that starting a new full time job and getting back into the swing of things at school has thrown me for a loop. However, I am determined to catch up and I have a few books started currently. So, expect an influx of blog posts starting NOW!

Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare

OH! Titus Andronicus! I had to read this play (I’m still considering it a book) for my Shakespeare class. I know you must be thinking that I never actually do the reading for classes, but since this is the only class I need to graduate this semester I figured I would give it my best shot and actually read the first required play.

As soon as I started working on Titus Andronicus, it became my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays. This play is known as ‘ol Shaksey’s only revenge tragedy. That’s right, revenge tragedy. There is loads of blood, murder, rape, secrets, plots, and most importantly, revenge.  The play starts off with a murder, ends with a bunch of murders, and has murders and even a terrible rape in the middle. There is so much to be read about it and everything that is discussed in; if you aren’t going to read this play, at least watch one of the many AWESOME YouTube summaries.

Favorite Quote:

“Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, Blood and revenge are hammering in my head”

Book 4 of 100 – “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque

I read this book at the request of a very dear friend. I have been given many book suggestions. When someone gives me a suggestion, I usually just add it to my list and do my best to get to it later. However, this friend adamantly reminded me that this is her favorite book (for many months) and eventually she just handed me a copy and told me to read it. So read it I did.

It is not hard to tell why this is a favorite book. “All Quiet on the Western Front” is a beautiful novel written from the perspective of a WW I German soldier. It does not pick sides or tell us who was right in the war, but instead it shows us the horrendous parts of the war.

I cried when I read this book.

The imagery and language that Remarque uses is so perfect in that of a war scene. Everything seems as though it should be proper, the young soldier does his best to live on, but in the end, it is all just mud, clay, glass, bullets, and splinters. If you want a book that will make you think, cry, and read nonstop, then this is the book for you.

Favorite Quote:

“Our hands are earth, our bodies clay, and our eyes pools of rain. We do not know whether we still live.”

Book 3 of 100 – “Demon Moon” by Jack Williamson

If you have never heard of or researched Jack Williamson, you need to do so right away. Jack Williamson was a beloved science fiction author who happened to grace the halls of the wonderful school I now call my home. It was in the Jack Williamson Liberal Arts Building that I decided to become an English major three years ago. It was there that I learned about my love of reading and developed it farther than I ever thought possible.

“Demon Moon” also known as “Really Awesome Book with Unicorns and Stuff.”

“Demon Moon” is a wonderful example of the great work that Jack Williamson did. It is filled with unicorns, demons, fighting, food, adventures, werewolves, dragons, and much more. He even uses the book to discuss the complex issues that are created between religion and science and how there is, in fact, a middle place.

It took me some time to read “Demon Moon.” I was busy getting back into the New Year and I didn’t want to miss anything. Jack Williomson did a wonderful job of putting together intricate details to weave together a story. This is a read I highly recommend, along with any and all other Jack Williamson books.

Some links so you can learn more about one of the coolest writers ever:

His Wiki

His Library Page

A Cool Science Fiction Site Interview

What’s next? “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque

Book 2 of 100 – “Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay

For my second book of 2015 I chose to finish up this beautiful collection of essays by Roxane Gay.

From Roxane Gay’s wesite: roxanegay.com

What did I think? I highly recommend that anyone and everyone (even if it makes you more angry than happy) read this book.

But Marissa, I’m not a feminist, why would I care?

Because this book is about more than just feminism. “Bad Feminist” talks about everything from the definition of “feminism” to the over-sensitization of it, to race, class and even scrabble. Roxane Gay knows that she is a feminist because she longs for equality, because she doesn’t want to be put down, and because she doesn’t want to be in fear of sexual violence. However, she knows that she isn’t perfect, and she is alright with that, hence the title: “Bad Feminist.”

Roxane Gay is so perfectly, unapologetically honest in this collection. She holds no bars. She has essays about race, sexuality, and even abortion. There were times that I didn’t 100% agree with her, but she still provided an interesting insight, one which will affect my future dealings with culture, feminism, race, class, and scrabble. I am a white, twenty year-old college student who has yet to experience a third of my life; Roxane Gay is in her thirties, she’s African American, and she has some pretty boss scholarly references: the learning curve was steep, but worth the crime.

I learned a lot from this collection and I love the way that Roxane Gay approaches feminism. Every single one of my friends and followers should read this book. At the very least, a few of the essays from it.

Favorite Quote:

“Feminism is flawed, but it offers, at its best, a way to navigate this shifting cultural climate . . . In truth, feminism is flawed because it is a movement powered by people and people are inherently flawed.”

What’s next? “Demon Moon” by Jack Williamson

If you like my writing and want to see what else I am up to, feel free to check out my other blog here where I do more than just book reviews.

Book 1 of 100: “Hollow City” by Ransom Riggs

The novel, “Hollow City” by Ransom Riggs is actually the second book in a series that, much to my dismay, has to be finished.

I read the first book in the series, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” at the end of last month. Although I found it to be somewhat slow at times, I still found it entertaining, original, and well thought out.

The same can be said for “Hollow City.” Ransom Riggs uses a meticulous writing style as he slowly develops big conflicts and builds upon the force that the children are fighting much like a TV show might. Just when you think things might be resolved, they become far from it and just when you think things cannot possibly get any worse, there is another twist.

The characters in the novel are described as “peculiar.” They have special abilities, but are alienated from society as well as forced to battle several enemies. Riggs uses this peculiarity to make profound statements about “otherness.” As a young adult novel, this is crucial as it gives young adults a fictional window into what has happened in society and is still happening now.

The main character (and narrator), Jacob is well developed, but he sometimes loses himself in his thoughts and makes it slightly boring. However, these moments are fleeting and usually followed by large events that quickly regain your interest.

The ending was good and very surprising. However, it was also, in my opinion, a very unfair cliffhanger. Ransom Riggs is a meticulous writer and has yet to even set a release date for the next novel in the series. As much as I want the next book desperately, I also want it to be just as meticulous and planned out as the first two, so I have made peace and resolved to wait patiently for the next novel to come my way.

Favorite Quote from the novel:

“I liked this idea: that peculiarness wasn’t a deficiency, but an abundance; that it wasn’t we who lacked something the normal had, but they who lacked peculiarness. That we were more, not less.” – Jacob (Main Character & Narrator)

Next I will be reading (or rather finishing) “Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay.

Have you read this book and/or series? Do you have more comments about it? Do you like my review? Are YOU Ransom Riggs? Do you have book suggestions for me?

Feel free to comment and leave your opinion. If you like my writing and want to read about more than just books, check our my other blog here.

100 Book Challenge: An Introduction

A new year, and a new resolution. Although I don’t normally participate in creating laundry lists of resolutions, I did find myself creating one this year. I will be entering my last semester of my undergraduate degree, (hopefully) starting a new career, and buying at least three new pairs of socks this year. Since it will undoubtedly be a year of change, I thought I would push myself a bit harder and make sure that my learning does not stop with college.

Before I began my college career, I did large amounts of consistent reading, however, college seemed to consume my time; some semesters I held multiple jobs and volunteer positions as well as took on difficult classes all at the same time. What was the first thing to go when college got crazy? Reading.

I learned a lot in college and did a lot of reading, but only for class. I decided I want to fall back in love with the world of books and conquer the enormous piles in my closet as well as the large amount of desired books in my wish lists across the internet. So, for my 2015 resolution, I drew up a picture, posted it on Facebook, and lot all of my friends know my plan.

However, I don’t want to leave anyone out of my challenge. My family, friends, and followers all seem very interested in learning about the books that I am reading. I am constantly asked for book suggestions and reviews, so here they will be. I will write a small review of each book I read and give others the opportunity to follow along with me in my journey.

I have started a second blog in which I will depict this journey. I urge everyone to follow it and let me know what you think! I am always open to suggestions of what to read and review as well as comments about the books I have reviewed.

Book reviews is not the only writing I do! If you are interested in reading my other blog and learning more about my writing feel free to check out my other blog here. You will find humor, fun, and maybe some good writing. Who knows?