Out With The Old ...

Another year has wound down and a new one is about to begin. Our audience has grown over this past year and we have you to thank. We are committed to bringing you more reviews, more author interviews, more book spotlights, just more bookish stuff in general ... which we know you love.

Unfortunately, we were not able to finish all of our reading challenges this year. Below are the challenges we attempted in 2013 and our numbers. Over the next few days, we'll update our pages to include the 2014 challenges we're participating in. We hope you'll come back, check it out, and show your support as we begin this new year together.

2013 TBR Pile Challenge

Kathy: Finished 10/12

Mandy: Finished 9/12

Shut Up & Read's Winter Wonderland Spell Challenge for January 2013

Mandy: Finished 11/16

Shut Up & Read's Star Wars Yearly Challenge

Mandy: Finished 12/38 (Ugh! How horrible!!!)

Back to the Classics 2013

Kathy: Finished 7/11 (5 of the 11 were optional categories, of which Kathy read 2)


Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge

Literary R&R: 196/200 (So close!!!)

{Back to the Classics 2013 Challenge} Beloved by Toni Morrison

ISBN #: 978-1400033416

Page Count: 321

Copyright: June 8, 2004

Publisher: Vintage; 2004 Edition

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe's new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement.

Kathy's Review:

(Originally posted on her personal blog, Grown Up Book Reports, on 10/13/13)

Every sentence is poetry.

It's thick and dense and sometimes unpleasant to wade through, but every sentence has the promise of a poem. The language is so rich and vibrant, and so full of emotion and hurt and mystery, that you need to take your time while you read this one, lest the words pass you by.

It is appropriate to read this during October, because there is a supernatural element to the story, in the form of the titular character, Beloved. The protagonist, Sethe, is haunted by the death of her young daughter, who was killed by Sethe's own hand in order to save her from a life of torture similar to the life she lived in this post-Civil War world. Only the word "Beloved" was etched on the child's grave. The house where Sethe lives with her daughter Denver, is possessed by a malevolent spirit that seems to suck the very life out of the inhabitants - until one day Paul D, a man from Sethe's past, banishes the spirit. Days later, a young woman shows up, named Beloved, and seems to have an unhealthy obsession for Sethe. Does her presence help or heal Sethe?

The book winds through past and present, describing the torture and inhumane conditions of slavery experienced by Sethe, Paul D, and other characters in the book. It tells of their escape to freedom and the dangers experienced along the way. But the story transitions past to present to past without warning and at times it is difficult to know what time period we are in.

This is an amazing book, written artfully and passionately by Toni Morrison. It's one I think any student of literature should put on their lifetime bucket list of must-reads.

As a side note, this completes my "Back to the Classics" challenge for the year (with the exception of the alternates).

{Back to the Classics 2013 Challenge - Review} Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St. Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption.

Kathy's Review:

(Reprinted with permission from her personal blog, Grown Up Book Reports)

When I decided to read this for the Back to the Classics Challenge, I had no idea how long it would take me to read (a month). Note to self: next year, choose shorter books for this challenge!

I had read some Dostoyevsky in college, most memorably "Notes from Underground," and did enjoy it at that time. In undertaking Crime and Punishment, I was once again impressed with the writing of Dostoyevsky from a purely psychological standpoint. The character of Raskolinov is so deeply explored that he is whole and I would know him if I ran into him on the street. From there, I start to get mixed up with the Russian names. Especially because sometimes they are called different things. For instance, Raskolinov is also called Rodion (his first name), or Rodya. His sister's full name is Avdotya Romanovna but sometimes she is called Dunya.

And then, there's the philosophy entrenched in this novel. As Raskolinov himself states in the novel, there are ordinary people and extraordinary people. The extraordinary people are few and far between. They are the inventors, the ones who bring new thoughts and ideas into society. And maybe, these extraordinary people, because of who they are, are allowed to literally get away with murder. (I was with him on this philosophy right up until the murder part!) Raskolinov fancies himself to be one of these extraordinary people. And so he commits an act of murder and theft, feeling that he may get away with it, and that he is right in doing so because he can use the stolen items to help better his position in society. Of course, that isn't what happens, and he teeters on the edge of confessing his murder as he begins to act more and more suspicious to those around him.

Not at all a light read, Crime and Punishment is the kind of novel you have to devote large blocks of time to, in order to digest and absorb what is on the pages. With limited time, I could only read a few pages at a time, and then I would have to go back to re-read passages. It's an excellent psychological novel, exploring the motivations of people to act why they do. Although it was written in the 1860's, and is translated into English from Russian, it remains relatable today. Nothing to read in October? Devote your month to Crime and Punishment.

{Back to the Classics Challenge - Review} Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

I was at the library last night with the kids, looking for books that my third grader will read (a daunting task), and I came upon all the Judy Blume books that I read back in the day. But there’s one that I never read, and I put it on my “Back to the Classics” reading challenge list this year as an alternate.

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret was deemed “too racy” for us to read when I was in grade school. It was in our school library, but none of us had the guts to check it out. One of my girl friends owned a copy and I remember giggling over the chant the girls did in the book … ‘We MUST! We MUST! We must increase our bust!”

One day, Chris S., one of the most popular kids in my grade, boldly checked it out and he and the other eighth grade boys read it on the playground as all of us girls huddled around in disbelief and embarrassment. I wish I hadn’t wasted half of my eighth grade year crushing on him – he was a jerk then and he’s still a jerk now.

But I digress.

Reading Are You There God now, as an adult, it seems comical to think that we were all so worked up over this book. First, as it was written in the 70′s, it seems extremely outdated. Second, the topics that may have been taboo back then, and back in the 80′s when I was growing up, are more freely discussed.

Margaret is a sixth grader who moves to a new school and becomes part of a group of girl friends called the PTS’s (Pre-Teen Sensations). They are all in a hurry to grow up, get breasts, wear bras, get their period, and discover the mysteries of kissing a boy. I wish I could make a guest appearance in the book and tell them that none of those things are what they’re cracked up to be (except the kissing a boy part, and even then, it’s not special unless there’s a spark – not some forced smooch in the closet at a co-ed party during “Two Minutes in Heaven.”). There’s something nostalgic about this innocence they all have – eleven year old girls today are way more knowledgeable about sex than they should be.

Definitely glad I finally read it, if for nothing more than to see how much things have changed even from when I was a kid. I also checked out a couple of other Judy Blume titles to take a trip down memory lane – and perhaps pass some of the more “PG” titles on to my son. He will not be reading this one, however!

{Back to the Classics 2013 Challenge Review) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

ISBN #: 978-0749717100

Page Count: 112

Copyright: September 1, 1993

Publisher: Penguin Books

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation.

Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations of a flirtatious woman, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.

Kathy's Review:

(Reprinted with Kathy's permission from her personal blog, Grown Up Book Reports)

This is my second time reading this book but it may as well have been my first. All I remembered about Of Mice and Men was that Lennie liked to pet bunnies and there was that one Saturday Night Live skit about it. (Check it out here.)

As the book opened with Lennie and George by the river, looking for wood for their fire, it struck me that the relationship between them is much like the relationship between me and my three year old. George is mildly tolerant of Lennie's behavior, gently scolding him, often frustrated with him, but bound to him nonetheless. "God a'mighty, if I was alone, I could live so easy," George laments in the early pages of the book. Amen, brother. Of course, I would never shoot my three year old in the back of the head like George does to Lennie (oops ... spoiler alert!), but there is a parent/child kind of vibe with them.

George and Lennie have big dreams. They talk of owning their own farm where they'd live off the land, have rabbits, have a nice house. It's the American dream of that era, where these California ranch hands have little but the clothing on their backs. But they can't hold a steady job due to the "trouble" Lennie gets himself into. The man doesn't realize his own strength.

A quick read, Of Mice and Men is a classic that everyone should read, at least once.

{Back to the Classics} The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

ISBN #: 978-0684830490

Page Count: 96

Copyright: June 10, 1996

Publisher: Scribner

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

The last novel Ernest Hemingway saw published, The Old Man and the Sea has proved itself to be one of the enduring works of American fiction. It is the story of an old Cuban fisherman and his supreme ordeal: a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Using the simple, powerful language of a fable, Hemingway takes the timeless themes of courage in the face of defeat and personal triumph won from loss and transforms them into a magnificent twentieth-century classic.

Kathy's Review:

(Reprinted with Kathy's permission - Originally posted on her blog, Grown Up Book Reports)

I picked this book for the Back to the Classics challenge because initially I thought my book club was going to read it. But we went a totally different direction and read Gone Girl. However, with this pick still looming on my Challenge list, I decided to dive in and knock this one out.

I'm not sure how I escaped AP English and an English minor in college with minimal exposure to Hemingway, but this is my first real foray into his work. I've heard his writing described as simplistic. I'd say that's accurate. I have a son in second grade, who is really just starting to get the hang of reading, and at times, I pictured him reading passages from this book aloud to me. I think he'd be fully capable of doing so. He might not like it, but he could definitely read the words.

At its core this is an epic struggle of man vs. beast. Santiago, poorer than poor, older than old, is able to win a days-long battle with a huge marlin he manages to hook after a very long "unlucky" streak of not catching a fish. It almost kills him to bring this fish up, and then its immense size prohibits him from being able to get it into his boat. So instead he tows it along side, and basically feeds the local shark population on his way back into shore. Although in a total bad-ass fashion he kills a couple of sharks, losing his harpoon along the way.

I believe that when I read the final sentence of this book, I may have spoken aloud, or at the very least, thought to myself, "Well, that was f*cking depressing!" Even though the old man hooked the big fish he's been waiting his whole life for, you can't help but feel bad for the guy. First of all, his fishing buddy, a younger guy, has been forbidden to go with him because of his unlucky streak. So the entire time the old man is on the boat, he wishes he had his buddy with him to help. It's obvious he really cares about the fishing buddy. (And it's mutual; before the old man sets out to sea, his buddy brings him dinner and helps him out around his home.) Second, the triumph of catching the fish is completely deflated by the fact that the sharks turn his great catch into an all-u-can-eat buffet. By the time he gets into shore he is towing a skeleton. Third, it's clear that the old man doesn't have much left in him, and this may have been his final hurrah with the sea.

But, that being said, this is a short and easy read, very easy to understand, and a very simple story at its core. I'm sure that if I were back in AP English I'd be tasked with writing an essay about the deeper meanings of this book, but as I'm a grown-ass woman now, I will not be diving any deeper into Hemingway's work at this time. If you remember any of the underlying themes from your high school English class, please feel free to share in the comments.

{Back to the Classics} The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

ISBN #: 978-0743273565

Page Count: 180

Copyright: September 30, 2004 (Reissue Edition)

Publisher: Scribner

Description:

(Taken from Amazon)

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

Kathy's Review:

(Reprinted with permission from Kathy's personal reading blog, Grown Up Book Reports)

Bear with me, because I finished this over a week ago and then went on vacation, so already this is growing hazy in my brain. This is my book club's selection for this month, with a future planned outing to go to the movie when it is released. This is also one of my entries for the Back to the Classics 2013 Challenge. Two birds. One stone!

I also read this in high school at some point, and honestly, the only thing that stuck with me was that somebody died in a swimming pool. I thought it was Daisy. And when I read that part, the most significant action in the novel, I didn't even realize that Gatsby had died until I got to the next chapter talking about his funeral. It's so subtle, the way Fitzgerald writes it, with the raft and a blood mark, or something like that. Again. It's been a week and my brain is still on West Coast time.

The things that struck me about this novel: Gatsby is kind of a psycho. I mean, he's a friendly guy but kind of passive aggressive, especially toward Daisy's spouse, Tom, just because he's married to his lady love. Also, how shallow this group of people is. They come to party at Gatsby's mansion because it's the cool thing to do, but the guy dies and no one can be bothered to show up. Cold.

I think every woman wishes they had someone like Gatsby who pined over them for years. I don't know, maybe that's just me. I think I would find it extremely flattering but maybe also just a tad creepalicious. I guess it depends on who it was. Certain ex-boyfriends and friends-with-benefits, not so much. Those are the ones I'd prefer to forget ever existed, period. If my eighth grade boyfriend ever resurfaced that would be a different story. I've seen pictures and he has aged well, let's just put it that way. And he's an attorney. What am I saying? Anyway ...

I am not sure that I loved this book. It was lacking something, a je n'ai sais quois (sp) that also eluded my jetlagged brain.

So I am going to link to a review that is much funnier and smarter than mine. Check out Bird Bryan's review on Goodreads! (You may have to scroll down - it's the Valentine's quiz)

{Review} Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

As part of the Back to the Classics 2013 reading challenge, Kathy has read and reviewed William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing on her blog, Grown Up Book Reports. We have copied her review below (with her permission).

I really don’t understand what the big deal is about this play! Ha. I kid.

This was my first “Back to the Classics” challenge assignment – I decided to tackle them in chronological order, or something of that sort. Anyway, this was the most accessible to me, as we happen to own a huge, hardboundShakespeare collection, which has all his plays.

This is one of the comedies of Shakespeare. I chose this particular play because I have read most of the tragedies, and I’ve also read Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I frankly, wanted to see what the ado was all about. Oh, it’s just too easy.

There are two concurrent love stories going on. First, between Beatice and Benedick, who can’t stand the sight of each other. It’s like a playground crush – they make fun of each other all the time, she’s a total bitch to him, he puts her down, and yet they fall for each other due to some scheming by their friends. I guess if anything they will have a very lively relationship!

Then there’s Hero and Claudio. They like each other but due to some meddling, Claudio thinks she has cheated on him and goes off on her on their wedding day. She basically passes out and appears to die of embarrassment. Seriously.

There’s a lot of deception and wearing of masks that happens here, and it’s amazing that these people are stupid enough not to recognize each other when they have masks on. Beatrice thinks Benedick is someone else when he has a mask on, and she rips Benedick a new one to him. Then at the end, the women have masks on and – surprise – Hero isn’t dead, and her good name is restored, and Much Ado has been made about nothing.

I know that Shakespeare’s plots are borrowed and retooled for modern movies, books and the like, and I swear I’ve seen this whole masked misunderstanding plot on TV a bunch of times.

It’s been a while since I read Shakespeare, but I find it easier to get his quips and plays on words than I did when I was younger. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been watching too much Downton Abbey lately and I’m in an old fashioned British frame of mind.

I feel quite accomplished for reading one of old Bill’s plays as an adult. One of these days I’ll get around to reading the rest.