When I set out on this Lifetime Reading List challenge, I planned on reading every book, no matter how much it sucked, to completion. Then, William Goldman’s The Princess Bride was in my hands, and I quickly abandoned that plan (see here). I figured that out of 100 books, perhaps 3-4 would be ones I … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: 1984 by George Orwell
I talk to one of my former teachers a lot, and as I’ve been making my way through this Lifetime Reading List (see post regarding To Kill a Mockingbird here), I’ve been talking to her about some of the “classics” that are typically assigned reading in high school/college. Yesterday, we were on the phone, and … Continue reading Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This year, many of the books on the Lifetime Reading List have included ones I was required to read in high school, such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, as well as one I chose to read in high school, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. After … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
One of the books I’d always wanted to read as a child was Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. However, neither of my parents ever really had the time to help me read it, and by the time I was old enough to read it unassisted, my copy was lost in the shuffle of my parents’ … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
As I said in regard to the placement of Romeo and Juliet on the Amazon/Goodreads Lifetime Must-Read List (see thoughts here), I don’t believe Hamlet by William Shakespeare should be included. While the story is spectacular, the original intention was of a performance, not a reading experience. The most profound central theme is the dynamic … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
As you may have gathered from my rambling praise (see post here) for the inclusion of Fahrenheit 451 on the Amazon and Goodreads Lifetime Reading List, I find this work of Ray Bradbury’s to be more than a five-star book (but unfortunately that’s all the stars I can technically give it). In a harrowing, possibly-not-too-far-away … Continue reading Book Review: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I think I slept through the classroom reading sessions of Romeo and Juliet my freshman year of high school. In college, I wrote an analysis of the work titled “Romeo and Juliet: The So-Called Love Story of Two Mentally-Vacant Teens” (you might say that I’m not a romantic). For the first eight years of my … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
When I first read The Great Gatsby in high school, I can’t say I actually read it. I think I skimmed it enough to get a general idea of what was happening, passed the quizzes, and forgot about it. But something made me keep my copy. Now, having read it as an adult, I think … Continue reading Book Review: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
There are four books by Judith Arnopp that have completely redefined how I view motherhood. The Kiss of the Concubine, a novel of Anne Boleyn, and The Beaufort Chronicles trilogy, detailing the life of Margaret Beaufort, matriarch of the Tudor dynasty. I read all of these books shortly after my son was born, and am … Continue reading Thank You, Judith Arnopp
Recently, I have been trying to expand my reading horizons. I tend to find myself immersed in a variety of Tudor historical fiction, often neglecting all other genres. Thanks to the Writing Community on Twitter, I’ve seen many excellent suggestions for self-published authors that I’ve been able to add diversity to my To-Be-Read List. Last … Continue reading Book Review: How Yellow Fades by Lana Lowe
The Pensive Bookworm 