My reading slowed down quite a bit with the move and the new job, but I'm starting to pick up steam again. In fact, I've taken to carrying a good book around with me most of the time, so I can read if I get to campus early, or when I'm waiting for the doctor, or while my students are taking an exam. Not all books lend themselves to that sort of reading, of course, but many of them do, and I've been taking full advantage of that. I'm not sure that I'll manage to complete all my yearly challenges, but I'm going to do my best to get there. Now I just need to stop rewatching Daredevil...
For those who don't want to read all of the reviews below, my favorite reading experiences from the last three months were my reread of
Matilda, and three nonfiction books:
Liturgy of the Ordinary,
13 Hours, and
The Etymologicon. Who knew nonfiction could provide such great reading? (Okay, lots of people probably knew that, but I'm just starting to realize how good it can be.)
Monthly challenge categories were as follows:
KidLit for Grown-Ups - July: a classic (
The Little Prince) - August: a book set during the summer (
Eleven Kids, One Summer) - September: a science fiction book (
The Rising Force)
Read the World - September: Australasia (
The Whale Rider - New Zealand) - October: West Africa (
Aya - Côte d'Ivoire)
Keeping It Real - July: DDC 300-399 (
13 Hours - DDC 363) - September: DDC 400-499 (
The Etymologicon - DDC 422)
I don't generally include picture books, graphic novels, or comic books in these blog posts, as I don't count them toward my reading total for the year. However, if you're interested in my thoughts on anything mentioned in the challenge categories that doesn't appear in the reviews below, let me know, or check out my Goodreads if you're on there.
46. The Lives of Christopher Chant, by Diana Wynne Jones
(Read for the Birth Year challenge.) I liked this book just a little bit more than Charmed Life, partly because Christopher was more interesting than Cat, partly because I liked the Goddess, and partly because Tacroy was a wonderfully conflicted character. The story doesn't take any really unexpected turns, but I enjoyed the travel between worlds and the fairly impressive magic. I also liked the way Christopher's perspective was so clearly a child's view of the world - it added a bit of humor that only adults would really get.
My rating: 7/10
47. Matilda, by Roald Dahl
(Read for the Read It Again, Sam and Birth Year challenges.) This book was very important to me as a kid. It was funny, and smart, and featured a main character who was brilliant and didn't really fit in, but who was the hero of her story anyway. You can probably see why a story like that appealed to a dorky little kid who was good at school and not much else - it helped me realize that being different wasn't just okay, but actually something special and good. Anyway, I loved this book as a kid, and I still enjoy it every time I reread it, which happens on a fairly frequent basis. There are things that I like less about it now that I'm older (For example, why are there no good adult characters? They're all either dumb, or cruel, or spineless), but I still like the fun twists and turns to the story, and there are definitely bits that I didn't quite get when I was younger that I find funny now. If I were to read it now for the first time, it wouldn't quite be a perfect book, but I'm sticking with that highest rating because of how much this book has meant to me over the years.
My rating: 10/10
48. Light the Dark, edited by Joe Fassler
Since this was a collection of pieces by 46 different writers, I read it over the course of three weeks or so, starting my day with one chapter in the morning, and ending my day with another chapter at night. I really loved some of the pieces in here. I don't know how to describe how they made me feel except to say that they resonated with something deep within me, and made me say, "Yes! That! Exactly that!" when the author put into words something I'd never been quite able to articulate. Which is precisely what I love most in books. Not every piece was like that, of course. Some were just interesting, or good advice, and there were a very few I didn't particularly like, but overall I came away from this book with a sense of awe and beauty. I got it out of the library, but after reading it, I'm definitely intending to add it to my owned books, so I can go back and reread my favorite pieces at will.
My rating: 8/10