The Gift of Fear

This is just a brief tidbit, but I am enjoying The Gift of Fear written by Gavin De Becker. There are a lot of things in this book that I have to say I agree with and wish people would consider his words and how they pertain to their lives.
He has a second book which pertains to children, for which I am anxious to start reading.

A Review of History

While wandering around the library last week, a book caught my eye. It wasn't the title, it was the picture on the cover. I have a thing for beautiful things and the hairstyle of this woman was gorgeous. So, I picked it up and saw that it was Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize. It's easy to see why, too. A great writer who tries to piece together the history of a woman who has lived forever in infamy because most of the things recorded were done so by her enemies.
It's been an interesting book and a great review of my Classical Civilization courses in college. I love when more of the puzzle pieces get put together and she does a great job of presenting what was recorded and proposing other plausible and logical possibilities.
For those who love history and want to understand more about our own society by reading of that which lead to our current standards, read this book!

Going Postal

I'm not sure what I think of this book. It started off funny and entertaining and then went downhill. I think I just got bored of the silliness. I just finished reading The Princess Bride and that was, well, silly, too. So, apparently there is a cap to how much I can read consecutively.
Perhaps another time I'll finish the book, but it isn't on my "urge to read" list at the moment. I probably need to give it back to my friend and then I can borrow it at a later date, but I'm into a sort of non-fiction stage right now.
Bad timing? I suppose. I'll give it another go in a couple months. But, for now, I'm going to leave the post. (...a shame, too...I only have about 100 pages left...)

The Princess Bride

After chatting with a couple of my friends, we decided that reading The Princess Bride this summer would be fun. Summer is a time to relax, refresh, and enjoy. And, that's how I kicked off my summer, by reading this book.
Hilarious story-telling. Just great fun! And, I have to disagree with people who say it is "exactly the same as the movie." NO IT ISN'T!! There are parts missing from the movie! You know so much more about Prince Humperdink by reading the book than just watching the movie. Now, if said persons meant that it reads very much like the movie, yes. The voice is the same. However, if you haven't read the book and have enjoyed the movie, READ THE BOOK!! You'll love it because you love the movie.
And, there is plenty there for literary analysis...voice, satire, etc. If I ever get to teach literature, I'd love to have this as one of the books we read. It simply illustrates so many of the literary terms one studies but in a very playful, lighthearted way.
Yes, I enjoyed it and I think you will too, so stop reading this, go find it at a library or book store and start reading it!!

The Handmaid's Tale

I picked up this novel over a year ago and never got to it. I think I may have opened it, but never got to read it before it was due. So, I returned it and never thought about it until a friend read and recommended it. I lazily got back around to borrowing it from the library again and read it this past week.
Umm...yes!! I really like this book. Granted, I wish I could edit it a little for some strong word usage, but really, it has a lot of thoughts behind it. There are so many discussion points that I can't even begin to delineate them here. Just take a breath, read and ponder.
I think I used to really enjoy historical novels. I still like them, but I find that I really am interested in dystopian novels. I can't think of one I didn't like. Of course, I've always been vaguely interested in politics...not the politics side, but the influence side of politics and decisions and governing. Dystopian novels allow you to look at things in your own society and question the purpose around them. It's just a different way of viewing things that opens your eyes to new understanding.
I think Animal Farm is better (as in milder) for a high schooler to read, but this is one that is going on my recommended reads list. Who knows, perhaps some day I will teach a class on dystopian novels at some unknown college. That'd be cool!