DVDizzy Forum

I forgot to mention that I gave up on the Game of Thrones books a while ago as they were very boring (and the binding on the books are terrible, making it hard to read them).

Jonathan Swift, “A Modest Proposal”
Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer
Aphra Behn, The Rover

Will be reading Beowulf, Macbeth, and The Canterbury Tales "Prologue" and "Pardoner’s Tale" (again) in the coming weeks for my student teaching.

Right now, in English 200, I'm reading In The Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of O'Brien. When my junior class in high school read The Things They Carried, I was one of the few (or possibly only) who didn't like it. I'm liking In The Lake more than TTTC, but it's still not one of my favorites. I doubt I'll read O'Brien in the future unless he writes something that isn't about Vietnam.

Now that I've actually started the teacher training course, I have slowed things down a bit, at least with regards to chapter books (and also with posting on here - but what do you expect? ). However, I have managed to still read quite a few titles. Once again, excluding poetry, non-fiction texts and picture books, here are some of the books I've got through these past two months:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
Esio Trot (Roald Dahl)
George's Marvellous Medicine (Roald Dahl)
The Twits (Roald Dahl)
The Witches (Roald Dahl)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Kate DiCamillo) *currently reading*
Comet in Moominland (Tove Jannson)
Oranges in No Man's Land (Elizabeth Laird)
I Was A Rat! (Philip Pullman)
Spring-Heeled Jack (Philip Pullman)

Currently reading the sci-fi novel Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson (released June 7, 2011). It's intense. Jurassic Park/Michael Crichton intense. Not surprised that Spielberg is heading up the forewarned film adaptation.

I'm currently reading Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead; it's not my favorite, but there are quite a few hilarious scenes.

I recently picked up the reprints of Sailor Moon and Sailor V. I haven't started reading them because I am out of town, but I am going to when I get back, and I'm excited. Even though I have almost all of the first U.S. printing of Sailor Moon (and all of Super S), I have never gotten around to reading them. Still need to get the rest of those, just to complete the set. I believe there were two more I'm lacking (10 and 11) and all of Sailor Stars (3 books, I think).

After receiving it as a present yesterday, I've just finished Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which is beautiful in the storytelling style, the interesting and likable characters, and the detailed black-and-white illustrations. I most definitely recommend it. I do slightly prefer Scorsese's film adaptation of it, but the book is a bit more focused.

I'm also approaching the end of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and plan on starting another Brian Selznick book called Wonder Struck as well as The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.

I plan on starting 11/22/63 by Stephen King tonight (as I got my copy in the mail today).

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.

Loving it so far!

Oh, Poe. How I love you so.

Most recently read 'The Second Book of General Ignorance', one of several book tie-ins to QI. I'm not much of a reader, but I can take down non-fiction when I get it.

Finished The Hobbit yesterday. First time read. I heartily enjoyed it. My sister's going to be in a theater production of it (she plays Bard) and I wanted to prepare with her...And The Hobbit trailer got me excited.

Currently reading Sketchy Behavior. It's about an artistic high-school girl who unexpectedly discovers she has a knack for criminal profiling. This helps the local police catch a wanted murderer, but quickly she goes from the town heroine to the next target.

1984 - Even though this is only my second reading, I am certain that this is one of my favourite books. The bits of irony scattered throughout are simultaneously horrific and funny, especially the three party slogans (which make an odd sort of sense when looking from the Inner Party's viewpoint). Winston Smith remains to be one of the most relatable and likable literary characters I have ever come across, Orwell's detailed descriptions of the world of Oceania/Eurasia/Eastasia paint a very vivid picture, and the veracity of how we could potentially react as humans to Big Brother is clear when looking at realistic characters like Parsons. Also, even though I haven't reached this part for the second time, I still can't believe that Mr Charrington was a member of the Thought Police.

The God Delusion - Funny and enlightening brilliance; Dawkins' ideas, concepts, phrases and arguments are memorable and put forth remarkably well, and after reading merely a few chapters of this excellent work, I had never felt prouder to be a teapot agnostic.

Fahrenheit 451- Absolutely fantastic! I loved every page of it. I think it's message is especially important in today's time.

I've finished 1984 - what a fantastic, fantastic book. Unlike with my first read however, I've considered: could the Proles rebel against the Ingsoc government after all? The Newspeak appendix talks about Oceania in the past tense, and at one point it's said that the sentimental song about lost love outlived the Hate Week song with the Proles. Then again, it also says that the most intelligent and dangerous Proles are vaporised by the Thought Police...

I finished 11/22/63(finally!). by Stephen King. Overall, it was an enjoyable time-travel yarn, with some slow spots here and there. It may have taken me over a month or so to finish it, but so what?

I plan on starting The Hunger Games today. It's my second read through, so I'm hoping it'll be as good as I remember.

Shakespeare on Toast (Ben Crystal) - A funny and fascinating book that make Shakespeare's plays more accessable, by going into the history behind them and explaining the dated terminology they include.

Ad Nauseam: A Miscellany of Latin Words & Phrases (Lorna Robinson) - A humerous and interesting historical look at Latin and it's influence on English. Nowhere near as boring as I've made it seem.

I started Catching Fire a few days ago; I remember it being my favorite of the three novels and I really like it this time around. I doubt I'll be able to read Mockingjay, though, since it took my way too long to read The Hunger Games.