Classics Spin #2

I missed out on Classics Spin #1, but this sounds like too much fun to pass up. Here are the instructions from The Classics Club Blog:

• Go to your blog. 
• Pick twenty books that you’ve got left to read from your Classics Club List. 
• Try to challenge yourself: list five you are dreading/hesitant to read, five you can’t WAIT to read, five you are neutral about, and five free choice (favorite author, rereads, ancients — whatever you choose.) 
• Post that list, numbered 1-20, on your blog by next Monday. 
• Monday morning, we’ll announce a number from 1-20. Go to the list of twenty books you posted, and select the book that corresponds to the number we announce. 
• The challenge is to read that book by July 1, even if it’s an icky one you dread reading! (No fair not listing any scary ones!) 

I've switched up the categories a little bit, adding five really long choices, and five shorter ones:

Five I'm hesitant to read/ am not sure if I will like:

1. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

2. The Europeans by Henry James

3. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

4. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

5. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Five I can't wait to read:

6. Possession by A.S. Byatt ***The Winner!****

7. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

8. Germinal by Emile Zola

9. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

10. One of Ours by Willa Cather

Hefty books:

11. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

12. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

13. Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

14. Villette by Charlotte Bronte

15. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

Books light enough to carry in my purse:
16. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

17. Brighton Rock by Graham Greene

18. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

19. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

20. The Reef by Edith Wharton

The Glass Castle

Author: Jeanette Walls
Published: 2005
Length: 288 pages
Source: Local Library

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4.5/5

First Line: I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.

I've avoided reading this for a while because I was afraid of it. From other reviews it sounded pretty gritty and traumatizing. I also don't really like memoirs.  I'm too mistrustful of memoir writers. I feel like they're lying to me or embellishing the facts or making themselves into heroes. I probably would have left it alone forever if it had not been chosen for a book club. It turns out that I either trust Jeannette Walls, or she told such a gripping account that I forgot to doubt her.

I suppose it's funny that I should be so believing of such an unimaginable account. It would make sense for me to insert here a few examples of the appalling situations Jeannette and her siblings find themselves in as a result of the unconventional lifestyle of their parents. But I figure those who have read it already know. And for those who haven't, I don't want to lessen the impact by sharing bits and pieces out of their proper order.  Walls unfolds her story perfectly, and the reader grows and learns and survives with her.

Walls withholds judgment of her parents in such a way that made me as reader need to compensate for it.  I was ANGRY with her parents.  Very angry.  I believe that Jeanette's parents threw off the burdens of parenthood and let them fall on the shoulders of their children.  They did this in the name of teaching their children self-sufficiency.  I'm all for teaching my children to be independent.  But in this case, it only served as a justification for their extreme selfishness.

Am I too harsh?  I wasn't able to go to the book club, so I don't know if others felt the same.  Both parents were clearly mentally ill.  Alcoholism and depression smothered much of what was positive about their approach to raising kids.  But I can't bring myself to excuse some of the things they did or allowed to happen. Am I a perfect mother myself?  Absolutely not.  But I have to say that reading this book puts my ugly moments into perspective.

Thankfully, Jeanette and her siblings were molded into strong and successful adults despite and/or as a result of their experiences.  What makes the memoir bearable is the survival story of these remarkable children. One thing I've learned about parenting is that one and one don't always equal two.  The equation is complex with too many variables to predict what the product will be.  But we still try to do our best with the tools we have, and love our children the best way we know how.  I suppose in some way, that's what the Walls parents did.  I'm just grateful that I have at least a few more "tools" than they had--food, shelter, and mental health (most of the time, anyway.)

On a somewhat related note--Happy Mother's Day!

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Literary Events of Early Summer

I think I'm blogging again. I'm reasonably sure enough that I am declaring my intent to participate in a couple of "events" in June:

Sign up at Roof Beam Reader.

I'm planning to read On the Road by Jack Kerouac for the simple reason that its been collecting dust on a shelf for a while now. 

&

Sign up at Délaissé.

There were several buttons to choose from.  I chose the above because of the smoldering look this guy was giving me...

I'm not sure what it says about me that I don't have any 18th Century English Lit on my shelf.  I have Clarissa downloaded onto my phone.  I will finish it someday, but not this summer.  If someone asks me next September, "So what did you do over the summer?" I really don't want the answer to be, "I read Clarissa."  If I could answer, "I read Clarissa on the beach in Hawaii," maybe I would consider it.  More realistic choices for me are:

I'm beyond excited!  Now I just need to find a readalong to attach myself to.

Hello and Help!

I have been missing a couple of things very much lately.

One of those things is blogging.  What was supposed to be a two-to-three month break has stretched into almost a year.  Going back to school has been more challenging than I thought it would be.  There's a lot of reading and writing.  Which sounds a lot like having a book blog.  But it's not.

The other thing I've been missing is this guy:

I know I can watch Doctor Who on Netflix anytime.  And I know he's in a whole lot of other stuff. And Matt Smith is pretty good. But nothing is quite like David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Needless to say, I'm excited about 50th Anniversary happenings. 

So I was already missing these things, and then I decided to check out some blogs I haven't visited in a while, and Google Reader is GONE.  I heard that it was going to die somewhere in between studying the French Revolution and reading the Communist Manifesto, but I guess I didn't take note of the date. 

Dear Readers, (if any of you are even subscribed to me, I don't even know!!!), how do you read blogs without Google Reader? I'm lost. I think I missed the opportunity to import my feeds to another reader.  I would research this problem but really right now I'm supposed to be studying for a mid-term and writing a paper. (Yes, the fact that I'm even posting anything at all right now is just one form of procrastination I'm resorting to.  Pinterest may seriously endanger my GPA.)  Any recommendations on a new reader or a how to read other blogs in an organized way?

P.S. - Thank you Book Blogging Community At Large.  Without your many recommendations, I may have never even watched Doctor Who, and my universe would be a much smaller place.

P.P.S. - I keep making the image of David Tennant larger.  Did I overdo it?

***Update:  I discovered the cutoff date is July 31, and I used Google Takeout to download stuff and then I think I take that and upload it somewhere.  So I'm still looking for recommendations on readers. And still not doing my schoolwork. ***

The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells

Author: H.G. Wells
Origianlly Published: 1897
Length: 208 pages
Source: Library
Challenge(s): 1001+, Classics Club


Personal Enjoyment Factor:3/5

Ambition--what is the good of pride of place when you cannot appear there?  What is the good of the love of a woman when her name must needs be Delilah?  I have no taste for politics, for the blackguardisms of fame, for philanthropy, for sport. What was I to do?  And for this I had become a wrapped-up mystery, a swathed and bandaged caricature of a man.

When it comes to the magical objects of the Harry Potter world, the Time-Turner tops my list for most coveted items.  The Pensieve is high on the list as well--my brain could use a thorough decluttering.  But I have to admit that the Invisibility Cloak would be pretty cool.  I have no nefarious purposes for it in mind--I don't want to steal or cheat, I have no authority figures I need to hide or run from, and I do NOT want to know what people are saying about me behind my back. No, I just want to use it to go on errands with messy hair and pajamas without fear of ending up in a People of Walmart video.

Why does Griffin, our brilliant scientist who discovers a formula to make himself invisible, want to be unseen by the world?  In current movies and books, we have gotten used to sympathizing with the villain,  trying to figure out how he got to be the way he is, finding excuses for him, hating his behavior but wanting to give him a big hug.  In The Invisible Man, you just want to give the guy a good slap in the face.  Sure, he is an albino when visible, which might cause the reader to try to make some sort of psychological analysis about how he may have been ignored by his associates for being different, and his obsession with his experiments was a way to prove himself and be valued by society.  But this sliver of sympathy is grossly overshadowed by the fact that the guy is a textbook psychopath.  He never takes responsibility for his actions, cares nothing for the feelings of others, and has no feelings of guilt for the crimes he commits.  So what does he actually gain from being invisible?  Well, he gets a cold, and the side effects of the drugs are remarkably similar to a bad case of PMS. 

I'll admit, I would have been cranky too.  Griffin may have unlocked the secrets of invisibility, but he has no clue how to make himself visible again.   He either has to wrap himself up with bandages and don a curious outfit, or walk naked in the cold.  I'm sure he would have appreciated a good invisibility cloak!  But the world Wells creates is not magic, it's scientific.  He gives such a detailed and believable description of how Griffin's formula works, that the reader is able to suspend disbelief.  Now I just need to suspend my mental image of a naked albino.

Taking a Break (And picture of Dan Stevens. Your welcome.)

Yes, it's come to that point once again in which I need to ban myself from the blog in order to finish some non-book related projects.  I'm thinking maybe around 2-3 months.  As usual, I'm making it official with a post for my own sake so that I will stick to it.  But I wanted to tie up a few loose ends first for the sake of peace of mind, and express my agony over a few things I'll be missing.

1.  The Foundation Trilogy Readalong hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings has now ended, and what a great experience it has been.  I loved the books, and the discussion has been wonderful.  I had to take the book back to the library, and my memory has been especially bad lately, so my plan is just to read other posts but not do one of my own.  I realized that I forgot what happened in two complete (and significant) chapters for the last group of questions, so who knows what I've wiped from my mind this time!

2.  I will continue reading Clarissa as part of a year-long group read.  I hope to jump back into the discussion  by summer.

3.  If I've been a good girl and have gotten enough done, I plan to join in on the Bloggiesta fun, March 30-April 1, hosted by Suey of It's All About Books and Danielle of There's a Book.  I'm pretty behind in updating my book directories and sidebars, and I MUST figure out why Disqus is not showing a link to comments for each post on my home page.  (I switched to Disqus for threaded comments, and now Blogger has them too, but from what I can tell, if I switch back to Blogger, all of the comments I've gotten through Disqus are gone.  I need to decide if I'm okay with that or not.  Right now that idea horrifies me!)  I also usually try to learn one new technological-ish  thing each time there's a Bloggiesta.  That's a great weakness of mine.  Baby steps...

4.  There are couple of readalongs I'm sad about missing.  I know there were others that were quite tempting, but these are the ones I put on my calendar, which means serious business.  Check them out if you're interested:

Cloud Atlas

Midnight's Children

5.  I've been tagged!  It's been a few years since I've uttered that phrase.  How fun! I'm sure you've seen this going around, and these questions are from Melissa at Avid Reader's Musings.

1. What's your favorite souvenir you've bought on a trip?

I bought a world globe ornament when I was in Seattle last year that I love.  I love globes and maps, and it's just cool looking.

2. How many times have you moved?

Nine times.  All in Southern California.

3. What movie should win the Best Picture Oscar this year?

I'm really out of it when it comes to the Academy Awards.  I usually have only seen like one movie that is nominated for Best Picture.  And this year I'm not even sure what was nominated.  But I think I know which one won.  The Actor, or something like that.  Am I right?  Something about a silent film. 

4. Do you have a dream job? What is it?

Making movie previews/trailers.  (Wow, I just realized how wrong that sounds after just saying I don't know anything about the big movies this last year.)

5. Favorite Girl Scout cookie?

Samoas (or whatever they're called now.)

6. Guilty pleasure TV show you watch?

I'm going to have to go with Downton Abbey.  Total high-brow soap.  Especially Season 2 (which I'm not done with, so don't say anything about the end of the season!!!) It's uber-dramatic, all over the place with the writing, but just give me a quick shot of Dan Stevens, and all becomes magic.

7. What question do you hate it when people ask you?

This is a common one among book bloggers I think:  "How do you have all that time to read all those books?"  These days, I get in about an hour of reading a day, plus whatever audio book I'm listening to while I do various tasks.  That doesn't sounds too excessive, does it?  I know some people who don't even have time for that, but I also know people who watch a few hours of TV a day.  And there's nothing wrong with that.  But for some reason I never hear people asking each other, "How do you have all that time to watch all those TV shows?"

8. Your favorite pet you've ever owned?

My German Shepherd Rootbeer that I had growing up.  

9. What's the first book you remember reading?

Did anyone else learn to read from the I See Sam series?   I read through those when I was 3, so I guess those are the first.  A picture book that stands out to me from a young age is Millions of Cats.  First obsessive series--Chronicles of Narnia. 

10. What's your favorite drink?

Right now, Diet Coke Lime.  I also love Sparkling Apple Grape Juice.  

11. What's one thing on your Bucket List?

I still have yet to make an official one, but I do have a chance to be in a Zumba flash mob, and I thought that sounded like a Bucket List item, but I wondered if it counted if I didn't really have it on my list first?  I also don't know if I'll do it because I hate crowds.  Which is kind of the whole thing of a flash mob.

One of the reasons I haven't made a list yet is because when I think of things to put on the list, I just think, "Oh, I'd be okay if I didn't do that before I die." And so I never get anything down on the list.  Wow, I'm boring!  I guess I'd like to get my Bachelor's Degree, and maybe a Masters.  And I'd like to serve in a soup kitchen. There. Three things on my list.

I'm trying to not let it bug me that I have numbers within numbers here on this random post.  There's just something very wrong about that, but it is what it is.  And I'm sure I've forgotten something important.

Have a great Spring everyone, and if I'm missing anything exciting, don't tell me about it!!! I have no willpower.  

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

Author: Margot Livesey
Published: 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers
Length: 464 pages
Source: From Publisher via TLC Book Tours

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

A modern retelling of the beloved Jane Eyre? I was both intrigued and nervous when I began this novel. There's a certain audacity in such an attempt that prompts the reader to mentally dare the author to prove that they are somehow worthy of such task.  "Have you got what it takes, Ms. Livesey?  Can you justify this reincarnation of the irreplaceable Jane into the 20th century?"  There was, of course, only one way to find out.

The story begins with an air a familiarity for those who have read Jane Eyre--an orphan unloved and mistreated by her aunt and cousins, the transition to an austere boarding school, the death of her only friend, employment taking care of a lively young girl.   It's so familiar, that it's almost hard to remember that we're in Scotland in the Sixties rather than 19th century England.  But once Gemma makes her way to the Orkney Islands, the setting becomes distinct (and breathtaking), as the story becomes something all its own.

(Photo source)

Gemma Hardy also becomes a distinct character from her Victorian counterpart.  The power of Jane Eyre lies in a heroine that takes control of her life on her own terms, in contrast with the prevailing attitudes towards women at the time.  While the contrast isn't as strong in our modern-day heroine, Gemma also becomes a woman directing her own course in life.  Her own personal code of morality is formed throughout the novel, as secrets are revealed and questions about her origins are answered.  In this moral code she sets herself apart from Jane, with a more modern viewpoint, of course, resulting in a somewhat different outcome.

This outcome and the events leading up to it lack the deliciously Gothic intensity of the original Jane Eyre, but they were suspenseful in their own right, and warranted some vigorous page-turning.  If I could ask for something more from the novel, it would be a stronger presence from Mr. Sinclair, Gemma's employer-turned-love interest.  I also would have liked for the author to have delved more into the mysterious, supernatural aspects of the story.  I expected something more. But perhaps she meant for them to remain ambiguous.  

In the end, do I feel that Ms. Livesey proved that she could accomplish the feat of reinventing one of my favorite novels of all time?  Well, the book entertained me, swept me away to a different place and time, and made me think about my own moral compass.  I would call that a success.  Although I've tried really hard to keep this review serious, I can't help but end with an apt food comparison.  (What can I say?  Food and books.  Is there anything else to life?)  I love both store-bought Chips Ahoy cookies and homemade chocolate chip cookies.  When I want to enjoy a satisfying crunch with minimal effort, I'll grab the Chips Ahoy.  If I want warm, gooey, right-out-of the oven cookies, I'll take some time to gather the ingredients, mix up a batch, and wait that ten minutes for them to bake.  The Flight of Gemma Hardy is like those fabulous Chips Ahoy cookies, and Jane Eyre is more like homemade.   Very different, but delicious.  And no calories.

For more reviews of The Flight of Gemma Hardy, check here.