The Silent Wife

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Stay with me while I discuss this soap opera of a story. Jodi and Todd are a happy couple on the outside. Jodi is beautiful, caring and insanely good at being a homemaker. Todd is a successful business man with a great reputation. In the beginning, it seems like a healthy relationship. The Silent Wife, however, affirms that only the people in a relationship, really know the relationship.

Todd is a cheating son-of-a-bitch. He lives in a world without consequences, where he can take whatever he wants. It's so well written that it feels real, like Todd actually exists. The details of his slimy escapades are genuine in the way that his feelings are complex. On the one hand, he wants the stability of a life-long partner. On the other, he wants to sleep with half of Chicago's population. It makes my skin crawl.

Jodi is all about the front. Even with her own husband she doesn't let her guard down. As he cheats, as he carries on with his lousy lifestyle, she stays quiet. Not just quiet, but seemingly unchanged. She takes care of him just the same. She talks about her small revenge, like hiding Todd's keys or 'accidentally' destroying his phone. But nothing she feels or is experiencing is ever said out loud. She believes that if you don't talk about it, it doesn't have to be real.

So, the book is about this couple crumbling in a very dramatic series of events. Their faults and motives become exposed, people are betrayed, bitches be crazy, etc.. I would say more about the plot, but the thrill is in not knowing.

This book holds true my opinion that books open up our minds to ideas that we may never have explored before. I would be devastated if my husband cheated on me. Every once in a while I have bad dreams where Andrew cheats on me with another girl. Or an airplane. Or a sandwich (don't think about it too long, dreams don't make sense). I have a hard time recovering from them, and sometimes get mad at my real husband for my dream husband's transgressions (just before regaining consciousness).

But, Jodi wouldn't care. She doesn't care. She can't care. It's definitely a different way of thinking from what I'm used to, and I think I learned from it. No, I am not saying it made me okay with cheating. But, it's an interesting idea to me that someone could be okay. That, maybe, there is a certain amount of mistakes or issues that would tremendously bother me, but not others. I mean, it's obvious. But really getting immersed in a book where you're only seeing it from one person's point of view can be a whole different kind of education.

So, I endorse it. It's a thrilling read and will make you think. I highly recommend it for anyone at the cusp of a serious relationship. It's a perfect lesson on what NOT to do.

Divergent

I’ve been sipping the Kool-Aid lately, I know. Remember when I said I gravitate towards certain books? Well, Divergent is one of them. I understand that it manipulates the reader with unrealistic and dramatic events. I get it. I understand it, admonish it, but read it just the same. If you find yourself with the same plight, pick it up.

Beatrice lives in a Utopian/Dystopian society where the population is divided by values. There are five groups or “factions” to be divided by, that stand for the values the name represents. Abnegation believes in selflessness, Dauntless is based on courage, Erudite favors knowledge, Amity focuses on peace and Candor is for the honest. At the age of sixteen, a young adult will choose to stay in their group, or switch to another. We join Beatrice at the cusp of her sixteenth birthday.

At the last moment, Beatrice decides to be brave, and chooses to switch factions. Beatrice or “Tris”, as she renames herself, deals with the loss of innocence and family ties as well as the growth of new relationships. Who can’t relate to that? She goes from humble, selfless and reserved, to someone who can finally indulge in what’s been missing in her life.

Can I say that this is a girly book- without sounding too gender normative? The Divergent series is clearly meant to hit a note with the self-conscious, everyday girl who wants to find her inner bad ass. I started to get Mulan/Pocahontas vibes. It reminds me of the handful of books I’ve talked about recently: Hunger Games, Twilight, Matched. It ranks up there, but has a different kind of intensity.

My least favorite part of the book is that she gets turned into a victim. Disclaimer: of course females can be victimized, it happens every day. I’m not saying I’m annoyed that she is a victim. I’m annoyed that it feels like it is being used to make her seem special. I’m not down with that kind of writing. Using something as serious as verbal and physical abuse for a cheap vehicle for entertainment is gross. So, as brief as it is, I’d do without that part.

But, there are plenty of inspiring moments to counteract the bad. One thing I like is that Tris’ strength doesn’t somehow magically appear. She is not physically able to beat the crap out of a 250lb man, and I’m appreciative that her limitations are vaguely realistic. She has moments of fabricated self-consciousness and coy unrecognized strength, which makes me gag. But, for the most part, her emotions feel genuine. She becomes vain, greedy and angry. She has moments of overconfidence, and gets knocked down for being too cocky.

Although it’s a ‘fluffy’ book, it has some brief moments of wisdom. Messages like ‘people who crave power and get it, live in constant fear of losing it’ are pretty deep. Even though the whole ‘faction’ thing is overdone and somewhat unrealistically laid out, it’s an interesting thought. What would I be? No clue. I’m pretty sure everyone wants to pretend like they’d be in Dauntless (Gryffindor in disguise). But, I’d most likely be in Erudite. I’m not selfless, honest or peaceful, but I sure hate idiots.

It’s an easy 500 page read, if you’re into that kinda thing. I’ll be getting in some serious reading over the holidays, so get excited!

Dead Man's Mirror

I'll write a quick post for a very quick book. After a lot of serious reading, I decided to start on the less-than-scholarly trilogy Divergent. It is not a quick book. The first of the trilogy is 500+ pages. Of course, I'm almost all the way through it after 4 days because I'm a trashy novel shredder. Well, just before embarking on this journey, I decided to indulge in another Agatha Christie murder mystery.

I am not a fan of Sherlock Holmes novels. I find the character overly dramatic and I get bored very easily at the pompous dialogue. I think Dead Man's Mirror is Sherlock Holmes without the BS. Short, punchy and without fluff. Who done it?

The premiss: someone is meddling with Mr. Gervase Chevenix-Gore's business (clearly wealthy- did you see his name?). He sends detective M. Hercule Poirot to get to the bottom of it. But when Mr. Poirot arrives at the scene, it's too late for him to protect Gervase's wealth. BECAUSE HE'S DEAD. Get it? He's the dead man in the story!

There are many motives for murder at play. Many clues and testimonies to sift through. I don't like how Sherlock Holmes always has a twist ending that you would have never have been able to guess. But, with this, I don't mind.

A quick read that I recommend for any reading slump. It definitely was a momentum book that helped me take on a new challenge. Stay tuned for that and more next week!

Tuesdays with Morrie

What if you knew you were going to die? What if your body was slowly shutting down, and you had no way of stopping it? My current answer is: get drunk, cry, steal a blimp, not pay taxes and maybe cook meth to provide for my family. Essentially, I would become selfish and reckless. More than anything, I would be bitter. No question. If I get so much as a paper cut I'm screaming bloody murder at the world.

Morrie decides to not only accept his fate, but embrace, cherish and share it. He was diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease and knew that his body was slowly withering. Instead of being bitter- he is pleasant. Instead of being selfish, he spends his time helping others through their troubles. The craziest thing, though, is that this isn't fiction. Morrie and Mitch Albom, the man who wrote the book and whose prospective the story is told through, are real people. And within the first three chapters, I guarantee you'll forget that.

Ahhh... what can I say? Nothing extraordinary happens. Mitch and Morrie reconnect after years of not speaking. They agree to meet every Tuesday until the very end. And yes, there is an end. Morrie, unlike many fictional characters near death, did not live. He did not miraculously get better. But as much as that is a destination, the story is the spiritual journey.

Conversations and meditations on life that could have been easily lost and ignored are captured here. It's nothing extraordinary, but somehow it is. What would you do if you were in his shoes? What would you do differently? Who would you reach out to in your last moments? After hearing his story, you'll want to live the way he died.

Right now, things are rough. My husband and I are having to downsize after an extensive job search. As I type these words I'm sitting in my half-moved apartment that's a half-size of our last. Getting used to one salary after making two is tough. But, what's really important? As a materialistic girl, I realized that there is a world where I would not care. With the possibility of literally dying every moment everyday, in a fashion that doesn't allow you to say goodbye... well, let's just say that we don't normally act that way.

You'll cry. You'll be devastated. You'll wish that Morrie was your father and at the same time want to call your father and make sure he knows you love him. My advice? Just read it. Disclaimer: I am not liable for the emotional outpour that will ensue.

A Meditation on Family Game Night and Thanksgiving

The hubs and I just got back from the three-day-coma known as Thanksgiving. Despite my best efforts to read one of 5 books I brought along for the trip, it didn't really work out. No new books this week, but plenty of personal dribble, if you dare read on.

Before leaving for Thanksgiving, handfuls upon handfuls of co-workers and friends told me that this would be THE year. This is the first year I'm officially a part of the Jack family, and the first holiday not as a Lund. Exciting and terrifying stuff.

What was supposed to make this year different, was "setting a precedent for holiday attendance". Everyone told me to be aloof, and put in minimal effort, so as to have a rock-bottom to start from. Instead, we ended up going to three Thanksgiving dinners in 4 hours. And it was fabulous.

The night before Thanksgiving, my mom, dad and husband engaged in what is quickly becoming a holiday tradition. Game night. But like most traditions, it turns hostile. It started with an innocent game of "Taboo". For those of you not familiar, you and your partner take turns giving each other clues to a word. For example, "tree" could be described as "you find it in a forest". You guess until you're able to say the word based on your partner's clues.

This game becomes increasingly difficult when you become intoxicated. "Tree" suddenly turns into "that thing that's in the place where bears live". And, of course, we partook in party libations while playing the first few rounds. Everything was going well, until things got ugly. All I remember is yielding the last 10 seconds of my time while glaring when Andrew couldn't guess the "Empire State Building". I was disgusted. I have since apologized.

So we switched to Apples to Apples. Let's just say that what was supposed to be played as a team made my family turn like animals. My competitive spirit was satisfied when I won 16 hands and won the game. I might have made a few people cry, but I won a card game. Sorry (I'm not sorry) to the weaker beings that couldn't handle the heat that was my kitchen.

Throughout the holiday, I found myself reverting back to my child-like habits. I would eat food, and leave it out for my parents to clean up. I grabbed new glasses every time I wanted water, instead of reusing them. I left those glasses all around the house. In true fashion, I became lazy and lethargic. Books? What books? I was in denial. Readers, I let you down. My 13-year-old self is sorry.

Thursday morning, we enjoyed three delicious Thanksgiving meals. As much as we tried to plan the eating situation, we ended up stuffed and fat by 5 pm. But honestly, no regrets here. We've have 5 years of great Thanksgivings behind us, all uniquely wonderful. Just because we're married doesn't mean we have life figured out. I have a feeling I'll be stumbling through this for many more years to come.

Me Talk Pretty One Saturday

So, I have to apologize for the lack of post last night. For my most avid readers (I’m talking to you, Russia), I’m sure that really crunked up your night.

I’ve come to the realization that (for PR’s sake), I need to pretend I have better things to do on Friday nights. In the spirit of never taking responsibility for anything, I’ll blame my husband for last night’s disaster. He welcomed me home with a chocolate cupcake from a local bakery and his adorable smile. What was I supposed to do?

Saturdays it is!

David Sedaris is a really hilarious guy. I heard him for the first time on John Stewart. He was talking about a book and it piqued my interest. It’s true love when your husband lets you rummage around the grungiest, hippiest, dustiest-smelling bookstores; especially on your honeymoon. I think it was store #3 when I finally saw Me Talk Pretty One Day on a shelf.

That was my first mistake. I did a little research after reading, and prior to its publication, David read this on the radio. Ugh. It’s not that I didn’t like the book… I just felt like it might have been better heard than read.

That being said, there were moments of sincerity that I really got into. “The Youth in Asia” almost made me cry. I remember once having this exact thought:

“With us grown and out the of the house, my sisters and I reasonably expected our parents’ lives to stand still. Their assignment was to stagnate and live in the past. We were supposed to be the center of their lives, but instead, they had constructed a new family.”

Not but a month after moving out of the house, my parents adopted a toy poodle. Like me, she also has curly brown hair, asthma, hip problems and is similarly needy and disobedient. I was replaced before I even took the bed sheets off my bed! Actually, I was replaced before I stopped coming home every weekend to sleep in those bed sheets.

Here's a picture for adorable reference:

 

I found myself gravitating towards the more serious stories. If the there were more concrete and introspective stories about struggling with homophobia and dealing with the cultural issues of France, I’d be satisfied. Needless to say, that meant that the chapter “Big Boy” (the story about a trip to the bathroom) just sounded like a way too long poop joke.

I guess this means I’m taking a really unpopular stance: it’s not my favorite and I probably wouldn’t read it again. But, if any of you have an audio copy- lay it on me.

Matched Games

I'm having a hard time getting through Me Talk Pretty Some Day. I'd like to break my own rule and force myself to read it for tonight's blog post. But instead, enjoy these short and sweet reviews of my guiltiest pleasures.

I know, I know. They're what you'd call 'trash books'. I know, it's 'mainstream'. Guys, I have a pair of Ray-Bans. I know what I'm talking about.

Hunger Games
The first book of the series introduces a bad-ass female lead, Katniss, who sacrifices her livelihood for her sister's safety. She is pitted against 23 other kids who are willing to fight to the death to appease an aristocracy created by war. Intense stuff.

The first book is lively, entertaining and, at times, brilliant. Luckily, I was forewarned that the first book of the series would be spectacular, and the last two books would be less than. If I had gone forth with the first book and expected the second and third to be even remotely in the same level, I would have been disappointed. Obviously, I can really only talk about the first book without any spoilers... but it's a let down. Overly dramatic and predictable, I felt like a bitter ender.

Matched
This was recommended to me as a post-Hunger Games book. Dare I say that this series as a whole was better than Hunger Games? Yes, I do dare. Because I'm sorry (not sorry), but the last book was garbage.

Think: 1984 mixed with a little Fahrenheit 451 and a smidgen of Twilight. Matched, like Hunger Games, features a strong female lead. She is intelligent, talented and content. Everything she does is dictated by rule enforcers. There are few surprises, but everyone seems to have what they need. Her dystopian society really becomes dystopian as the rituals that hold it together become exposed as imperfect.

My only real gripe about the book (yes, besides it being cliche, a little simplified and cutesy) is that the main character never experiences hardships with the society in the beginning. Yes, people can't exercise as much as they want, but somehow she has a pass to workout however she wants. Some people aren't allowed outdoors much, but she gets to take a hiking course. What? I have a hard time liking her at first because it seems like she's just privileged and oblivious. Yes, eventually that wears away, but at first the rebellious streak seems forced. Next to Katniss, she's a bit of a poser.

But really, it's good enough to read! For those of you experiencing post-Games withdraws (with movie 2 coming out, I hope not, you junkies), it could be a good quick fix.

Match Game
For those of you who might be familiar with Match Game, popular in the 1970's, I'm sorry for the misleading title. For those of you who have no idea what I'm taking about, it's a game show where Gene Rayburn would tell hilarious stories and leave a blank in hilarious places. For example, 'John said to Mary, "I'm tired of your ____ing."' The contestants would fill in the blank and try and match the fabulous celebrities.

It's a far cry from a guilty pleasure. I love this show.

As an added bonus, here's my dream panel:

Richard Dawson (duh)
Charles Nelson Riley (only in his most dramatic years)
Brett Somers (she's the glue)
Scoey Mitchell (his voice is like Morgan Freeman's on helium)
Betty White (she outlived them all)
Fannie Flag (the boobies, duh)

The Books I Will Never Read

I have one rule when it comes to reading, and it's not too hard: don't force it. If you don't feel like reading, don't force it. If you're not interested in reading a particular type of book, don't force it. I think reading should be fun, or at least, natural.

When I read Anna Karenina, it took me over a month to finish. Sections were hard to get through and at times it was so dense I was missing major plot points. But, I thought it was a good book. Ridiculously long, confusing and at times frustrating, but ultimately good. There were fun parts and I occasionally think that it influences me in a profound way (like my opinion of black dresses).

When I made my list of books I will never read, I knew that I would be forcing those books. Not in a 'I'll feel better after I workout' kind of way, but in a 'Maybe sleeping on a bed of nails' way. I just can't see a world where me reading them ends in me being satisfied. 

I hate saying 'never', because nothing is predictable in the world of reading. So, if it would make you feel better, 1. thank you for your deep, emotional interest in my reading habits and 2. you can replace 'never' with, 'I don't think I will ever'.

The list is as follows:

• Lord of the Rings
• The English Patient
• Grapes of Wrath
• War and Peace
• Twilight
• Fifty Shades of Grey

Lord of the Rings
This is one of those books that everyone likes, so you might be asking, why not? Well, I tried. I really did. I was a young elementary schooler with little interest in fantasy fiction. I tried. You know when you go to a party and everyone's already drunk and sleepy? And you're trying to get into it, but you can tell you should go home? This is my 10 year party that I can't have fun at. Can we just all agree that the Hobbit is better?

The English Patient
Seinfeld. That's all. I'm not making some silly reference. My husband can attest to the fact that I hardly ever watch Seinfeld now and that I never did as a kid. But there was this onnnneee episode about The English Patient. I didn't get it- but it seemed like they really hated the book/movie. Ever since, I've given up on it.

Grapes of Wrath
This would have been another book I attempted as a child, way before my reading level was appropriate. Where are the grapes? Who is this truck driver? Why is he talking to strangers? Isn't that dangerous? The concept was far gone from the start. Instead of taking the high road and conquering my childhood failures, I'd rather just say this book is stupid and we're never, ever getting back together.

War and Peace
I get angry, because there are people out there that read this as if it's some kind of righteous task. Have you ever heard someone talk about it WITHOUT a monocle? Get over yourselves. Unless you actually liked it, in which case, I'm sorry (I'm not sorry).

Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey
Not only because it's supposedly hot garbage, it's also that I'm afraid I will actually like it. I'm steering clear of that guilty pleasure.

Look, we've all got our reasons. I'm not saying mine make sense. In fact, I believe they are utterly senseless. Move on, share on, but most importantly, read on.

The Catcher in the Rye and My Dialated Eye

I could take responsibility for not posting on Friday as usual, but I'd rather blame it on the alcohol. It's Halloween weekend, folks. Cheers.

I've heard mixed reviews about The Catcher in the Rye. Some were forced to read this in High School, and as such, hate everything about it. Some picked it up later in life and had very little to say. My friend Megan (yes, famous Megan from Fiterature.com) highly recommended it as a read-on-an-annual-basis book. Clearly, I needed to know what the fuss was about.

Holden Caulfield is an arrogant son-of-a-gun, who rationalizes just about everything. He's fickle. He's jaded. He has a strange way of interrupting the world and acts like a goofy moron. Throughout the book, beginning to end, he's an entirely unlikeable character.

"I don’t give a damn, except that I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes I act a lot older than I am - I really do - but people never notice it. People never notice anything"

"People always clap for the wrong things."

"That's something that annoys the hell out of me- I mean if somebody says the coffee's all ready and it isn't."

What I liked the least about The Catcher in the Rye, was how much I related to Holden. As a fresh college graduate and newlywed, there are times where I have no idea where my life is going. There are times where I am immature and hypocritical. There are more times than not that I feel like I don't understand the realities of the world. At this juncture, my husband and I are faced daily with decisions and opportunities that could change the entire course of our lives together.

Sometimes, it is hard to see yourself in the mirror. Sometimes, it's hard to hear your kid sister tell you that you hate everything and to shut-up about it. In a way, reading this book made me feel more grounded. It's important to act like an adult and take life seriously sometimes. I can tell now why some people feel it's good to read it regularly.

As I travel into the world of adulthood, I have new responsibilities. That can sometimes be exciting (like driving!) and it can sometimes be down-right poopy (figuring out your 401K!). One of those responsibilities includes being responsible for your health, and proactively managing it. I went to the eye doctor on Thursday. CHECK THAT EYE OUT!

This was the first time EVER that I took the initiative to go to the doctor by myself and I'll be damned if I won't post about it.

And Then There were None

I would like to make my perspective on this topic immediately clear: I am a scaredy cat. Saw? I did not see Saw. Paranormal activity? I did not go near. I can hardly read Edgar Allen Poe without getting the willies.

So, when I put And Then There Were None was on my list, I was somewhat cautious. The only thing I knew about this book was that it was a murder mystery. The only thing I knew about Agathia Christie was that she holds the title as the "Queen of Mystery". After reading just the Author’s Note, however, I was hooked to the concept:

"I had written this book because it was so difficult to do that the idea had fascinated me"

The book starts off developing the stories of ten people. Don't get too attached, though. Those ten people are about to die. Nope, I did not just ruin the book. The foreshadowing, epigraph and general ominousness make it clear what is about to take place. The suspense is in the journey.

No one is innocent of committing a crime, but somewhere along the line I began to side with the helpless guests. The terror of being in closed quarters with a murderer is frightening, and it is heart wrenching to read.

  

This is considered the beginning of the "who done it" genre by many. The phrase "and then there were..." would have originated/been popularized by this book. I consider this a great classic for anyone's repertoire. Anyone watch Family Guy's "And Then There Were Fewer"? BLAMO. Perfect pop culture reference.

The book questions what you think about justice. Who is right? Who is wrong? What do either of those things mean? It questions what you would do (sit in a locked room, with a gun, crying, thanks for asking). It makes you think beyond the last page.

It is a quick read. The suspense moves the plot along without a pause. It’s so intelligently approached and so full of twists and turns that I would read this again in a heartbeat. Once I finished, I almost went back to the beginning immediately.

Dad is Bossypants

Jim Gaffigan’s Dad is Fat and Tina Fey’s Bossypants are two solid autobiographies. I read them both back-to-back and because there isn't a lot of plot, I thought I'd write a two-for-one. 

Dad is Fat

Prerequisite of reading: Having watched Jim’s “Hot Pocket” stand-up

My favorite part: "I am undeniably lucky to have married a women liek Jeanie. However, during our marriage there have been periods when she has become rather lazy. Jeannie describes these periods as "pregnancy.""

Jim fills his book with joke after joke after joke. His humor comes from every day situations and observations from a pretty self-centered guy. The people in his stories are more prop than human. There are no intimate details or personal reflection, just trips to the park and "don't tell Mom" ice cream. He's a father of five, an albino and super lazy. His life is obviously hilarious.

I read through this once and could read through it a hundred times. But, it wasn't a quick read for me. Although extremely funny, each joke was reminiscent of the last. If I read a chapter, it felt like nearly and hour of stand-up. He likes to break the forth wall, and in that way, you'll never truly feel like you're reading a narrative.

Bossypants

Prerequisite of reading: Having watched the 30 Rock pilot and SarahPalin SNL skits

My favorite line: "No, you don't get to say that about me. My parents loved me. You can't treat me like some abused adult child."

Tina has a slightly different style of humor. To me, the stories of her early beginnings and career evolution are fascinating and funny. Each story is interesting, improbable and riddled with self deprecation. I identify with this book because, like Tina, I'm extremely famous and funny. Or rather, I am socially awkward and unable to keep my mouth shut. I like that she develops her characters, and I can't help but love the behind-the scene feeling of it all. 

Her love letters to the people she's worked with make me feel like I learned more about her. With Jim's book, I pretty much know as much as the inside flap. I've read Bossypants now 2.5 times. While riding on the (#!%*) shuttle bus to work, it's my book of choice to fill the time. 

My personal autobiography (release date 2035) will probably contain some worthless dribble about loving my family.

Life of Pi

Did everyone see the movie trailer of this? If you haven’t, please see *here* because you’re about to call me a lair.

It’s about a boy on a boat with a tiger. Seriously. A tiger.

The main character, Pi, lives in India at a zoo. He was raised Hindu, but dabbles in Christianity and Islam. He finds solace in the rituals of each religion and is adamant that they can all be combined into one spiritual experience. His family decides to travel west to relocate the zoo. The ship inexplicably sinks, leaving Pi on a life boat with some of the zoo animals: “Orange Juice” the orangutan, a Hyena, and “Richard Parker”, the infamous tiger.

Ready for a tangent? Since I was five, I've hated meat. Beef, pork, chicken and fish: I hate it all. I’ve not eaten meat for so long that the thought grosses me out. I wasn't some brilliant child activist, and my parents never encouraged the movement (there were many nights I sat at the table staring at a pot roast). But somehow, I still turned out vegetarian. Thanks Obama.

I think about what it would take for me to eat a hamburger. The truth is- I don’t think I would do it for a thousand dollars. Maybe not even two thousand. Maybe I would do it to make my husband do the dishes once in a while (buz-zing!), but in general, I simply would not.

I can hear my carnivorous friends scoffing, so I’ll get to the point. What if that’s all I had to survive? Yes, then I would eat hamburgers. Even though it makes my stomach churn, and in many ways has become a part of my very being, I would do it. If it meant (somehow) saving my husband or friends, I wouldn't even think twice.

Survival. What would you do to survive? What’s your hamburger?

Pi gives up his vegetarianism to survive. He fights fiercely against hunger and insanity. He consistently fights, when it would be easy to give up. The book is a compelling thought experiment on the will to live. Some parts are disgusting, but bare-bones living isn't going to be pretty.

Though it’s not necessarily my favorite book, and not something I would read again, I did feel more in tune to the world because of it. I’m, at the very least, glad to have read it.

*Spoiler* At the end of the book, Pi reveals that there are potentially two different versions of the same story. My opinion, after much thought, is that the second story does seem more likely. I believe that Pi was facing a manifestation of his own thoughts, and that the animals are in fact something else. I also think that it doesn't matter. The focus of the book is on survival, and if those delusions are what kept him from insanity... so be it!

You better not never tell nobody but God

I’m not an expert on books. I am not the most read, intelligent or insightful authority on literature. But I enjoy reading and writing about myself (= book blog magic).

From a young age, I slipped into different worlds through words. If you immerse yourself in a book, it forces you to experience things you may never come across. You can identify completely with the hero, or despise their actions. Even if you would rather sit at home, the book takes you to Hogwarts*. Either way, the story doesn't change.

No, reading Dad is Fat did not make me funny. Reading And Then There Were None did not make me a murdering mastermind (as far as you know). But books like The Color Purple do change you. If not in an epiphany sort of way, then perhaps it makes you occasionally more self-aware.

When left to my own devices, I often read similar books. Although it’s great to have personal favorites, seeing the world through the same lens can become boring. When I found out that there is a secret guild of people making long, long lists of books they want to read, I was intrigued. I love a challenge.

So here I am, powering through the good, the bad and The Fountainhead. I’m half way there and I’m ready to share the journey. Maybe I’ll review new books. Maybe I’ll revisit some of the old. Maybe I’ll just talk about my lively shenanigans. I’m sorry and you’re welcome.

(*That’s a bad example, everyone wants to go to Hogwarts.)

Books I've read:

1.       Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

2.       Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

3.       Harry Potter series – JK Rowling

4.       To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

5.       Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

6.       Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

7.       Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

8.       Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

9.       Middlemarch – George Eliot

10.   Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

11.   The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

12.   The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

13.   Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

14.   House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

15.   Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

16.   The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis

17.   The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

18.   Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

19.   Animal Farm – George Orwell

20.   The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

21.   One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

22.   Lord of the Flies – William Golding

23.   Life of Pi – Yann Martel

24.   Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

25.   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

26.   Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

27.   Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

28.   Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

29.   Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

30.   The Color Purple – Alice Walker

31.   The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

32.   The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

33.   The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery (In French)

34.   Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

35.   The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

36.   Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut

37.   Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

38.   Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank

39.   Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick

40.   And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie

41.   Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom

42.   All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque

43.   Dad is Fat – Jim Gaffigan

44.   The Help - Kathryn Stockett

45.   The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein

46.   Bossypants – Tina Fey

47.   The Code of the Woosters - P. G. Wodehouse

48.   Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

49.   I Know this Much is True – Wally Lamb

50.   Matched (Series) - Ally Condie

51.   Hunger Games (Series) - Suzanne Collins

52.   The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien

53.   The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner

54.   Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

55.   The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

56.   A Room with a View - E. M. Forster

57.   Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

58.   A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

59.   A Separate Peace - John Knowles

60.   Holes - Louis Sachar

61.   The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

62.   Spud – John van de Ruit

63.   My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult

64.   Chocolat – Joanne Harris

65.   The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith

66.   The Red Tent – Anita Diamant

67.   We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver

Books I want to read:

68.   The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

69.   Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

70.   Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris

71.   Rocket Boys - Homer Hickam, Jr.

72.   Beloved – Toni Morrison

73.   The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler

74.   Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

75.   The God of Small Things

76.   I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

77.   If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things - Jon McGregor

78.   An Instance of the Fingerpost - Iain Pears

79.   The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales - Oliver Sacks

80.   Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

81.   Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

82.   The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

83.   Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

84.   Emma - Jane Austen

85.   Gulliver's travels - Jonathan Swift

86.   The World According to Garp - John Irving

87.   Atonement - Ian McEwan

88.   The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

89.   The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane

90.   Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut

91.   Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

92.   What We Talk About When We Talk About Love - Raymond Carver

93.   Freakonomics - Steven D Levitt & Stephen J Dubner

94.   A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh

95.   Q & A – Vikas Swarup

96.   Mort – Terry Pratchett

97.   The Other Boleyn Girl – Philippa Gregory

98.   Magician – Raymond E Feist

99.   A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

100. Saturday – Ian McEwan

101. American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis

102. Libra – Don DeLillo

103. She’s Come Undone – Wally Lamb

104.  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith

105. Blackbox - Nick Walker

106. A Million Little Pieces – James Frey

107. Autobiography of Red – Anne Carson

108. Jamilia – Chingiz Aitmatov

109. The Third Eye-  David Knowles

110. Most Talkative - Andy Cohen

111. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk

112. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
113. Dale Loves Sophie to Death - Rob Forman Dew
114. The Worst Journey in the World - Apsley Cherry-Garrad
115. Ham on Rye - Charles Bukowski
116. The Silent Wife - A.S.A. Harrison

Books I will NEVER read:

 Lord of the Rings

The English Patient

Grapes of Wrath

War and Peace (because I don’t like tourture)

Twilight

Fifty Shades of Grey

Feel free to add, discuss and slander the list.