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While doing a little reading on Franzen and his take on the American Mid-West, I came across this fab blog - www.blographia-literaria.com. Of the many interesting things to be found on this blog is this list of Franzen's favourite books. A little inspiration for further reading perhaps?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
"Crime and Punishment," Fyodor Dostoevsky
Finished: Jan 18th
I started to read this one the month before I left for my trip. I ambitiously brought it with me to Korea, but decided to leave it there with L. instead of carrying it with me to Cambodia. It was a bit heavy of a read for the road, but for some reason, I picked up another copy of it in a book exchange in Selcuk, Turkey. For the rest of the trip, I read a couple of pages now and then, but I always had another book on the go as well. Long story short (ha), I was determined to finish it over the holidays and so, I did. The story is incredible. I enjoyed it thoroughly even though I found it hard to read... as in I fell asleep almost every time I picked it up.
I started to read this one the month before I left for my trip. I ambitiously brought it with me to Korea, but decided to leave it there with L. instead of carrying it with me to Cambodia. It was a bit heavy of a read for the road, but for some reason, I picked up another copy of it in a book exchange in Selcuk, Turkey. For the rest of the trip, I read a couple of pages now and then, but I always had another book on the go as well. Long story short (ha), I was determined to finish it over the holidays and so, I did. The story is incredible. I enjoyed it thoroughly even though I found it hard to read... as in I fell asleep almost every time I picked it up.
enough with the numbers
Counted the books I was reading while I was on my trip, but I am going to stop doing that. Just about to get on a plane to Calgary to visit K & J and their babes. Book for the trip -The Red Tent.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
reading list 3
21. Seeing, José Saramago
Read while on a 'blue cruise' in Southern Turkey. Very interesting writing style, haven't read anything else quite like it.
22.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
Another one I'd seen around the house. A good read, but not great in my opinion.
23. The Museum of Innocence, Orhan Pamuk
An incredible read. Gifted it to mom for Christmas. Even though I got annoyed with it at parts, and was tempted to skim sections, I would still consider it one of my favourite reads of this trip. A. didn't like it nearly as much, if at all. Set in Istanbul and a large part of why I like it is probably that I just love that city.
24. The Private Patient, PD James
This was the first PD James I've ever read even though L.A. loves her. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one.
25. Seven Years in Tibet, Heinrich Harrer
I picked this one up in Bangkok when I thought we might be heading into the Himalayas... we ended up heading for the Middle East instead and so I found myself daydreaming about Tibet while on safari in Western Egypt. It was a bit surreal.
26. Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Marina Lewycka
Why I read this one, I'm not quite sure. Light read, to say the least. Glad when it was over.
27. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
Recommended to me by a shopkeeper in Dharamsala as his favourite book. I raced through it. A great book to read while India, although it is set in the South and I was in the North. Still very insightful and actually quite sad.
28. The Glass Palace, Amitav Gosh.
Recommended by A. I absolutely loved it. Beautiful in so many ways (including the cover art - above).
in a local newspaper in turkey...
I found a copy of this article by Ayaan Hirsi Ali in one of the local newspapers in Turkey. It was originally published in the Wall Street Journal and I was surprised to come across it in Olympus, a small beach town in Southern Turkey. I found it interesting not only because Infidel was still on my mind, but also because Women's Rights, Islam and the Muslim world at large was a hot topic for Ayesha and I while traveling in the Middle East. We were immersed in this new world for the first time and were both drawn into it completely and appalled by it.
Huntington's Clash of Civilizations was widely unpopular and I think Ali is straddling the line between being liked and being hated. She is the kind of scholar we want to see succeed - a woman from a visible minority who overcame a very challenging upbringing to ultimately fight for equal rights for many oppressed subgroups. I don't necessarily agree with Ali in this article, but I think she asks good questions. Reading this while in Turkey, after visiting Malaysia and Indonesia, and before traveling to Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, this article asked for what we were in some way doing... looking into life on "the other side."
I left the Middle East with more questions than I arrived with. More questions, which for me means more reading.
Huntington's Clash of Civilizations was widely unpopular and I think Ali is straddling the line between being liked and being hated. She is the kind of scholar we want to see succeed - a woman from a visible minority who overcame a very challenging upbringing to ultimately fight for equal rights for many oppressed subgroups. I don't necessarily agree with Ali in this article, but I think she asks good questions. Reading this while in Turkey, after visiting Malaysia and Indonesia, and before traveling to Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, this article asked for what we were in some way doing... looking into life on "the other side."
I left the Middle East with more questions than I arrived with. More questions, which for me means more reading.
reading list 2
Next installment from the trip... Saigon to Beirut.
12. Ghost Wars, Steve Coll
The full title of this one is, ‘Ghost Wars: The History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to Sept 11, 2001.’ That lengthy title might give you some idea of what kind of book this was - a modern political history on a really heavy subject. It was beautifully written. If I ever write a political history, I would want it to read as easily as this one did. Very informative, but very depressing. Would highly recommend it to anyone iınterested in the subject or to anyone who has read the newspaper articles on Afghanistan and said - what the hell is this article trying to tell me?
13. Infidel, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
A couple of summers ago, Linds read this one while we were up at Gambier. She loved it and we got into a fairly heated argument with her mom & Hil about it. Erin passed it on to Ayesha and I in Thailand and it was amazing. Again, quite a depressing read on a bunch of really heavy subjects like war, genocide, immigration, fgm, physical & mental abuse, murder and most significantly to the author - Islam, to mention only a few of the subjects touched on. Recently I stumbled across an article written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali in the Times, which is amazing ın itself considering how little I’ve actually been reading the news on this trip. In this article Hirsi Ali was talking about how Huntington’s Clash of Civilization is basically coming to fruition between the West and Islam right now. Reading Infidel really gives you some insight into why Ali feels we are on the verge of WWIII.
14. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
A quıck, fun read. Very different from the two I read before it and I was incredibly thankful for the change of pace. Bitter, dry, Brıtish humour was just what I needed.
15. Theodoore Boone, John Grisham
Yes, this is a kids book. Yes, it is the only John Grisham I have ever read. I read it in one sitting on a rainy morning in Laos really only because it was right in front of me and I was too lazy to go up to our room to get my own book. I actually want to read some other John Grisham novels now - I enjoyed Theodoore Boone that much.
16. The Pilot’s Wife, Christine Lahti
An Oprah’s Book Club Book - enough said? I think so.
17. Siddon Rock, Glenda Guest
A great random find. Bought this one in Vientiene at the same time that I bought The Pilot’s wife. It was a really enjoyable read and offered some insight into life in nowheresville Australia. Most interesting parts were those that touched on aboriginal relations in Australia.
18. Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
Oh boy, where to start with this one. Well, first of all, it took me a full month to get through it. Most of the time I was dreading picking it up and some crazy determination to get through it was the only thing that made me do it. As a whole, I though it was awful! Repetitive, verbose, and generally boring. However, there are some amazing scenes. If you are ever planning on taking on this serious challenge I strongly suggest picking up an abridged version. Save yourself from serious frustration!
19. I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb
This is one of those books that I have always wanted to read. Why? I really don’t know. I have seen it around my parent’s house and always thought it looked interesting. It actually was really interesting. Not a substantial read, but I had a hard time putting this one down.
20. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Read this one for two reasons 1. because Meg is currently in Dublin and keeps posting fab Oscar Wilde quotes 2. because it was one of the few english language books at a book fair we stumbled across in Taksim Sq., Istanbul. To put it simply - loved it.
12. Ghost Wars, Steve Coll
The full title of this one is, ‘Ghost Wars: The History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to Sept 11, 2001.’ That lengthy title might give you some idea of what kind of book this was - a modern political history on a really heavy subject. It was beautifully written. If I ever write a political history, I would want it to read as easily as this one did. Very informative, but very depressing. Would highly recommend it to anyone iınterested in the subject or to anyone who has read the newspaper articles on Afghanistan and said - what the hell is this article trying to tell me?
13. Infidel, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
A couple of summers ago, Linds read this one while we were up at Gambier. She loved it and we got into a fairly heated argument with her mom & Hil about it. Erin passed it on to Ayesha and I in Thailand and it was amazing. Again, quite a depressing read on a bunch of really heavy subjects like war, genocide, immigration, fgm, physical & mental abuse, murder and most significantly to the author - Islam, to mention only a few of the subjects touched on. Recently I stumbled across an article written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali in the Times, which is amazing ın itself considering how little I’ve actually been reading the news on this trip. In this article Hirsi Ali was talking about how Huntington’s Clash of Civilization is basically coming to fruition between the West and Islam right now. Reading Infidel really gives you some insight into why Ali feels we are on the verge of WWIII.
14. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
A quıck, fun read. Very different from the two I read before it and I was incredibly thankful for the change of pace. Bitter, dry, Brıtish humour was just what I needed.
15. Theodoore Boone, John Grisham
Yes, this is a kids book. Yes, it is the only John Grisham I have ever read. I read it in one sitting on a rainy morning in Laos really only because it was right in front of me and I was too lazy to go up to our room to get my own book. I actually want to read some other John Grisham novels now - I enjoyed Theodoore Boone that much.
16. The Pilot’s Wife, Christine Lahti
An Oprah’s Book Club Book - enough said? I think so.
17. Siddon Rock, Glenda Guest
A great random find. Bought this one in Vientiene at the same time that I bought The Pilot’s wife. It was a really enjoyable read and offered some insight into life in nowheresville Australia. Most interesting parts were those that touched on aboriginal relations in Australia.
18. Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
Oh boy, where to start with this one. Well, first of all, it took me a full month to get through it. Most of the time I was dreading picking it up and some crazy determination to get through it was the only thing that made me do it. As a whole, I though it was awful! Repetitive, verbose, and generally boring. However, there are some amazing scenes. If you are ever planning on taking on this serious challenge I strongly suggest picking up an abridged version. Save yourself from serious frustration!
19. I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb
This is one of those books that I have always wanted to read. Why? I really don’t know. I have seen it around my parent’s house and always thought it looked interesting. It actually was really interesting. Not a substantial read, but I had a hard time putting this one down.
20. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Read this one for two reasons 1. because Meg is currently in Dublin and keeps posting fab Oscar Wilde quotes 2. because it was one of the few english language books at a book fair we stumbled across in Taksim Sq., Istanbul. To put it simply - loved it.
the past 11 months
On Dec 20th I landed in NY after almost exactly 9 months abroad. While traveling, I kept track of what I was reading. Even though it is kind of cheating, I thought it would be nice to paste here my 'reading lists' from the trip. Here's the first one. Looks like I read these between April 21st when I landed in Seoul and July 1st when we were in Singapore. Above is a shot from Cambodia.
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
The beginning of my addiction to this trilogy. Great suggestion Dad!
2. A Fraction of the Whole, Steve Toltz
Picked it up at the Wildlife Center. Okay read, good story but long. Was fun that it was set partly in Thailand.
3. The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
Addiction continues. Least fav of the 3.
4. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Berniers
Fun read also from the Wildlife Center. Great romance - need to see the movie now!
5. The French Lieutenant’s Woman, John Fowles
Got this one on Koh Phi Phi. My Nana was after it for xmas last year, and since she is pretty much the highest authority I know on literature, I thought I would give it a try. Very interesting. Loved it, hated it, not sure how I feel about it now.
6. The Red Pony, John Steinbeck
Beautiful. Need to read more Steinbeck.
7. The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks
Oh boy, embarrassed to admit that I read this one, but it was the only English language book I could find on Tanote Bay and I needed somettthing to read. Not nearly as good as the movie; whoever adapted that novel into a screenplay was a genius.
8. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
Beautifully written but long and drawn out. Did not love it when I was reading, but I’ve found myself thinking about it a lot since I finished it. The idea of searching for the ‘real’ India has really stayed with me because it seems that every place we go, there is a line drawn between the tourist Bali (for example) and the real Bali.
9. The Girl Who Stepped on the Hornet’s Nest, Stieg Larsson
Fav of the 3. Could hardly put it down. Ayesh is racing through it right now. Sad the author never got a chance to write more.
10. My Antonia, Willa Cather
Pretty to read. Willa Cather is such an interesting character, need to know more about her.
11. All the President’s Men, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
Picked this up on our way down to Padang-Padang on Bali. Was desperate for something to read, and had actually been thinking about Watergate for some reason the night before. Because it is written by journalists, it is definitely a different kind of read. Am glad I read it, but it was a toughie. Somehow, I managed to pick up another book written by a Washington Post report (Steve Coll, ‘Ghost Wars’) and am struggling through that one page by page.
a place to keep track of what I've read
This is a place for me to keep track of what I've been reading. I've tried all sorts of journals, logs, cue cards and other means of recording (many of them gifts from L.), but so far nothing's stuck. Recently I've just been holding on to all my books. In all actuality, I think this is probably the best way of keeping track of what I read but now I have boxes and boxes of books and no place to put them. I also borrow books and lend books and lose books... so I thought I would give this a try.
I do read at other time of the day, not just at night. The name ‘each night before bed’ just popped into my head at the same time writing a book blog did, and I don’t feel like taking the time to think of something more fitting. Especially since this will really just be a place for me in cyberspace.
There’s something unnerving yet satisfying about blogging. It feels like a personal journal, but it’s out there, in the open, for anyone to discover. I’m not hoping anyone stumbles across this site, but if they do, I’m hoping they will see years and years of what I’ve read.
I do read at other time of the day, not just at night. The name ‘each night before bed’ just popped into my head at the same time writing a book blog did, and I don’t feel like taking the time to think of something more fitting. Especially since this will really just be a place for me in cyberspace.
There’s something unnerving yet satisfying about blogging. It feels like a personal journal, but it’s out there, in the open, for anyone to discover. I’m not hoping anyone stumbles across this site, but if they do, I’m hoping they will see years and years of what I’ve read.
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