Get Lost in Literature

Today's Top Ten Tuesday was listed as Freebie so I decided to go with my favorite fantasy stories. This was much harder than it sounds because GoodReads says I've read 147 of them and I know that's a low count because I was reading way before I used GoodReads to keep track of my books. Here's my Top Ten: 1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I must have read these books a thousand times (this was before we found out JKR was a loud and proud bigot) and even though the author has lost her popularity with her flapping mouth, I stand by the series. Harry Potter is one of the best 'chosen one' characters that was ever written. 2. The Daevabad trilogy by S.A Chakraborty. This is a fairly new addition to my favorites list, but I loved the story from book one. The setting and characters are vibrant, the plot thick with magic and intrigue. There's a touch of romance but not so much that I would consider it romantasy.  3. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Thi...

"But once you sense that vastness, once something reveals it, hope emerges, whether you want it to or not, and it clings to you as stubbornly as lichen clings to rock." This is the story of Nora Seed, who is unbelievably depressed. After trying to commit suicide, she winds up at the Midnight Library where there are an infinite number of books filled with an infinite number of possibilities. Each book contains a life for Nora based on the decisions she could have made but didn't. The librarian tells her she can take each one for a test drive, and when she finds the life that makes her happy, she can stay there. When this book came out there was almost nothing else in my Good Reads newsfeed. I normally don't pay too much attention to over-hyped books, but this one caught my eye. I'm going to start by saying I liked how realistic Matt Haig was with Nora's depression. As someone who has had it, it does feel a lot like being a failure at everything, it feels lonely...

Book Beginnings on Fridays by Rose City Reader -  Share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now. "Nineteen years before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat in the warmth of the small library at Hazeldene School in the town of Bedford." The Midnight Library by Matt Haig I hear great things about this book, so I'm hoping it lives up to the hype. I found that the first line pulled me in, the warmth of the library contrasting with the cold decision to die... Based on the beginning, I'm hoping for a happy ending, but based on the beginning I don't know if I'll get it. Book Blogger Hop Q:    What are the top five books on your TBR (to-be-read) list right now? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer) A:    These are not listed in the order I'll read them, but these are the five on my list I'm most eager to read...

 I'm writing this post as I wait for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to start. And while I've seen posts this week denouncing Thanksgiving for political reasons, I firmly believe it isn't a bad thing to have one day a year where we stop and reflect on what we are grateful for... One day where instead of thinking about what we want, we give thanks for what we have. This year I'm so thankful for the following things: my family, my job, my horse, my health, and my home. There are people spending their holiday season without these things, and I can't help but think how very fortunate I've been to have them. The things I want pale in comparison to the things I have. The things I have are beautiful. I hope that each and every one of you has a beautiful day, filled with laughter and love and warmth and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Today's Top Ten Tuesday was listed as Thankful Freebie and decided to go with books that I was thankful for, for they have influenced both me as a reader and have encouraged my love of reading. Some of these books are repeat offenders, that is they've appeared on numerous lists, but they wouldn't have appeared there if I didn't love them so much. 1. Call of the Wild by Jack London . The first classic I truly enjoyed, I actually acquired my copy at a Scholastic Book Fair in elementary school. And though that time was long ago, I still love revisiting the story. 2. 1984 by George Orwell . This is a recent addition to my book list, having only finished it last week, but I found it to be a beautifully written story about dystopian future. 3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling . I can't tell you how many times I read and re-read these books; each time a new one came out, I couldn't wait to get back on the train for Hogwarts. JKR's political views are offensive to me...

"The past was dead, the future was unimaginable. What certainty had he that a single human creature now living was on his side?" Let me start by saying that a portion of my readers are not going to like my review as I plan to compare it to certain current events. Some Democrats (mostly online) have dramatically compared the current Administration to the government that exists inside this book. After reading the book, I think the comparison is a bit extreme, but they're not completely wrong about there being similarities. Winston Smith starts this dystopian classic by writing a diary, an act that is punishable by death. He lives in the totalitarian state of Oceania, where free-thinking is forbidden. As stated above I can't help but draw parallels between our current day world, and the world depicted in 1984 . Everyone in Oceania is under surveillance; their movements and conversations constantly videoed and recorded by telescreens and monitored by the Thought Police. T...