Book 4: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
My rating: ****
Stay tuned.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Still Truckin...
Book 3: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
My rating: ****
I decided that for my next several reads I'm going to read the Chronicles of Narnia series. Believe it or not, I've never read the entire series before. I remember reading The Magician's Nephew several years ago, but I didn't remember hardly anything about it. And of course I've read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe many times - who hasn't? :-) At any rate, I think instead of blogging about each book I'm going to write about the entire series when I get done reading.
Has anyone read the Chronicles of Narnia? What were your thoughts?
Disclaimer: My plan is to read and enjoy the books as fiction, not to dissect the allegories they may or may not contain.
My rating: ****
I decided that for my next several reads I'm going to read the Chronicles of Narnia series. Believe it or not, I've never read the entire series before. I remember reading The Magician's Nephew several years ago, but I didn't remember hardly anything about it. And of course I've read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe many times - who hasn't? :-) At any rate, I think instead of blogging about each book I'm going to write about the entire series when I get done reading.
Has anyone read the Chronicles of Narnia? What were your thoughts?
Disclaimer: My plan is to read and enjoy the books as fiction, not to dissect the allegories they may or may not contain.
Friday, January 15, 2010
We bury our sins here. We wash them clean.
Book 2: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
My rating: ****
This book was actually my plan B. When I was at the library I was looking for the book "Shutter Island" also by Dennis Lehane, but as luck would have it - the library didn't have that one. I wanted to read Mystic River anyway, so it worked out OK.
I actually saw the movie of this book a few years back. I picked it up at a discount store in Springfield, OH for $2 or something like that. I don't often pass up movies that are that cheap, and this one had a pretty good cast (Tim Robbins - whom I love, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney). I really enjoyed the movie and was floored by the sheer...grittiness of it - the picture of the realities of life. It wasn't a feel-good, happy ending type of movie. And neither is the book. In fact, the book was really depressing at times - probably because of the hopelessness so many of the characters experienced.
The story centers around 3 boys/men - Jimmy, Sean, and Dave. They spent a lot of their childhood together until Dave was abducted and held captive by child molesters. When Dave escaped 4 days later he was a completely different kid. 25 years later, after growing apart and going their separate ways, the 3 men are reunited in the midst of a tragedy. This tragedy brings many emotions, character flaws, and secrets to the surface of each of these men's lives, which they in turn suppress and hide so the true nature of who they are isn't exposed, which is the symbolism of the Mystic River that runs outside of their town.
Jimmy made a comment at one point in the book that life is a series of threads, and when you pull one all the others are effected. In his own life he said that if he would've gotten into that car with Dave then he wouldn't have been so ballsy as a teenager, and he wouldn't have asked out a beautiful girl that was way out of his league, and they wouldn't have fallen in love, and they wouldn't have gotten married, and she wouldn't have given birth to their daughter Katie, and she (Katie) wouldn't have gotten murdered. He was reflecting on the fact that one life being different changes the entire outcome of everything. I couldn't help but think about this in regard to my own life. A lot of times people talk about how they would do things in their past differently if they could. At this point, I don't know that I would change anything about my past. Sure, I've made some bad decisions and had some serious struggles that were hard and I have still yet to entirely overcome, but if it weren't for those things I wouldn't have learned the things that I have - and that's something I wouldn't want to change. Like - I think sometimes, "What if I wouldn't have gone to Word of Life?" I think my life would be...so different than it is now. I wouldn't have met some of my best friends who have challenged me in some very deep ways. I wouldn't have ended up at Cedarville and gone through a series of things that God used to guide me into a deeper and more fresh understanding of what the Gospel's all about. Sure, my life would be different, but I'm not sure that I want it to be.
At any rate, I'm not sure I can say that I enjoyed this book in the same sense that I enjoy a book that has a bit more...happiness in it. But I liked it. And the movie did a great job of keeping with the integrity of the book. I would recommend it only if you can handle language and an ending that isn't wrapped up neatly.
My rating: ****
This book was actually my plan B. When I was at the library I was looking for the book "Shutter Island" also by Dennis Lehane, but as luck would have it - the library didn't have that one. I wanted to read Mystic River anyway, so it worked out OK.
I actually saw the movie of this book a few years back. I picked it up at a discount store in Springfield, OH for $2 or something like that. I don't often pass up movies that are that cheap, and this one had a pretty good cast (Tim Robbins - whom I love, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney). I really enjoyed the movie and was floored by the sheer...grittiness of it - the picture of the realities of life. It wasn't a feel-good, happy ending type of movie. And neither is the book. In fact, the book was really depressing at times - probably because of the hopelessness so many of the characters experienced.
The story centers around 3 boys/men - Jimmy, Sean, and Dave. They spent a lot of their childhood together until Dave was abducted and held captive by child molesters. When Dave escaped 4 days later he was a completely different kid. 25 years later, after growing apart and going their separate ways, the 3 men are reunited in the midst of a tragedy. This tragedy brings many emotions, character flaws, and secrets to the surface of each of these men's lives, which they in turn suppress and hide so the true nature of who they are isn't exposed, which is the symbolism of the Mystic River that runs outside of their town.
Jimmy made a comment at one point in the book that life is a series of threads, and when you pull one all the others are effected. In his own life he said that if he would've gotten into that car with Dave then he wouldn't have been so ballsy as a teenager, and he wouldn't have asked out a beautiful girl that was way out of his league, and they wouldn't have fallen in love, and they wouldn't have gotten married, and she wouldn't have given birth to their daughter Katie, and she (Katie) wouldn't have gotten murdered. He was reflecting on the fact that one life being different changes the entire outcome of everything. I couldn't help but think about this in regard to my own life. A lot of times people talk about how they would do things in their past differently if they could. At this point, I don't know that I would change anything about my past. Sure, I've made some bad decisions and had some serious struggles that were hard and I have still yet to entirely overcome, but if it weren't for those things I wouldn't have learned the things that I have - and that's something I wouldn't want to change. Like - I think sometimes, "What if I wouldn't have gone to Word of Life?" I think my life would be...so different than it is now. I wouldn't have met some of my best friends who have challenged me in some very deep ways. I wouldn't have ended up at Cedarville and gone through a series of things that God used to guide me into a deeper and more fresh understanding of what the Gospel's all about. Sure, my life would be different, but I'm not sure that I want it to be.
At any rate, I'm not sure I can say that I enjoyed this book in the same sense that I enjoy a book that has a bit more...happiness in it. But I liked it. And the movie did a great job of keeping with the integrity of the book. I would recommend it only if you can handle language and an ending that isn't wrapped up neatly.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
1 down...51 to go!
Book 1: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: ****1/2 out of 5
Catching Fire is the 2nd book in a trilogy called The Hunger Games. I finished The Hunger Games (the first book) on Christmas day (Merry Christmas to me!) but unfortunately could not continue the series as I didn't own the 2nd book at the time. And if you know me very well...I hate having to wait to find out what's going to happen next when there are cliffhangers. I LOVE cliffhangers (when done well), but I hate waiting. Story of my life. So when I saw Catching Fire for $12 at Walmart this past Sunday I regained my composure after doing a slight victory/happy dance in the book aisle then began reading it that night.
Collins does not disappoint, that's for sure. One of my favorite things about reading a good book is when the author has the superb ability to create fantastic mental pictures by simply using her words. From page 1 of The Hunger Games I have become attached to the characters and felt as if I were a spectator of all the events taking place in these books. Catching Fire picks up at the victory tour that Katniss and Peeta are a part of as the champions of the annual Hunger Games in Panem. Throughout the tour, Katniss and Peeta witness unrest among the 12 districts and rumors of an uprising against the Capitol are becoming more truth than rumor. On the wings of the tour is an announcement by President Snow that this year's Hunger Games will be comprised of past victorious tributes - an All-Star Hunger Games if you will. Katniss and Peeta inevitably enter the arena once again, however the stakes are much higher this time. They are both aware that President Snow seeks Katniss's life as retribution for her actions that have spurred the districts' rebellion against the Capitol. There are plenty of cliffhangers and twists in Catching Fire, but I don't want to give too much away because really...you should read these books! Unfortunately, the 3rd book isn't out yet so I find myself having to wait once again. Perhaps I should wait to read a book series until it comes out in it's entirety (like I did with Harry Potter). :-)
Something I find interesting is how many book plots focus on an oppressive/dictatorship style government. These books beg the question, "Is blind allegiance to government an acceptable way to live?" When a government hoards power and uses it to wield unrelenting allegiance from its subjects it is only natural that there will be rebellion among the people as Catching Fire illustrates. But where is the line between autonomy and obedience to government? Is this an issue worth fighting for and giving your life for? These are some of the questions Katniss has to wrestle with and things that I was challenged to think about.
My rating: ****1/2 out of 5
Catching Fire is the 2nd book in a trilogy called The Hunger Games. I finished The Hunger Games (the first book) on Christmas day (Merry Christmas to me!) but unfortunately could not continue the series as I didn't own the 2nd book at the time. And if you know me very well...I hate having to wait to find out what's going to happen next when there are cliffhangers. I LOVE cliffhangers (when done well), but I hate waiting. Story of my life. So when I saw Catching Fire for $12 at Walmart this past Sunday I regained my composure after doing a slight victory/happy dance in the book aisle then began reading it that night.
Collins does not disappoint, that's for sure. One of my favorite things about reading a good book is when the author has the superb ability to create fantastic mental pictures by simply using her words. From page 1 of The Hunger Games I have become attached to the characters and felt as if I were a spectator of all the events taking place in these books. Catching Fire picks up at the victory tour that Katniss and Peeta are a part of as the champions of the annual Hunger Games in Panem. Throughout the tour, Katniss and Peeta witness unrest among the 12 districts and rumors of an uprising against the Capitol are becoming more truth than rumor. On the wings of the tour is an announcement by President Snow that this year's Hunger Games will be comprised of past victorious tributes - an All-Star Hunger Games if you will. Katniss and Peeta inevitably enter the arena once again, however the stakes are much higher this time. They are both aware that President Snow seeks Katniss's life as retribution for her actions that have spurred the districts' rebellion against the Capitol. There are plenty of cliffhangers and twists in Catching Fire, but I don't want to give too much away because really...you should read these books! Unfortunately, the 3rd book isn't out yet so I find myself having to wait once again. Perhaps I should wait to read a book series until it comes out in it's entirety (like I did with Harry Potter). :-)
Something I find interesting is how many book plots focus on an oppressive/dictatorship style government. These books beg the question, "Is blind allegiance to government an acceptable way to live?" When a government hoards power and uses it to wield unrelenting allegiance from its subjects it is only natural that there will be rebellion among the people as Catching Fire illustrates. But where is the line between autonomy and obedience to government? Is this an issue worth fighting for and giving your life for? These are some of the questions Katniss has to wrestle with and things that I was challenged to think about.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Now that I have your attention. (Shame on any of you who entertained other ideas about the subject material of this blog...) :-)
Normally I don't make New Years resolutions. The majority of resolutions I suppose I could make (be a better person, not worry so much, eat less chocolate...) seem to revolve around giving more power to my will - and THAT is not something I need at all. Not that this is necessarily a New Years resolution, but...maybe kinda sorta. I've decided that, in my attempts to become more well-read, I'm going to read a book every week this year. Daunting, I know. But doable. I hope.
Someone suggested I blog about the books I read throughout the course of the year, so blog I will. It seems to be the trendy thing to do anyway. And I happen to be a trendy person. At any rate, hopefully this is an entertaining read for those of you who are crazy enough to digest my musings about the books I choose to read in the next year. We'll see how this goes...
Normally I don't make New Years resolutions. The majority of resolutions I suppose I could make (be a better person, not worry so much, eat less chocolate...) seem to revolve around giving more power to my will - and THAT is not something I need at all. Not that this is necessarily a New Years resolution, but...maybe kinda sorta. I've decided that, in my attempts to become more well-read, I'm going to read a book every week this year. Daunting, I know. But doable. I hope.
Someone suggested I blog about the books I read throughout the course of the year, so blog I will. It seems to be the trendy thing to do anyway. And I happen to be a trendy person. At any rate, hopefully this is an entertaining read for those of you who are crazy enough to digest my musings about the books I choose to read in the next year. We'll see how this goes...
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