Lovebirds Challenge
First of all, I'm sorry I haven't been very talkative for a very long time. It's been a wild year, but I won't do a long, tiresome 'guess what I did last indefinite-time-period' post for you, I promise.
Instead, I wanted to let you know, Amanda and I are doing a little challenge together. Of course, I imagine you all already know that, since you posted it on her blog already, here. But I'm telling you again. So there.
Amanda and I have WILDLY different tastes, at times, so picking lists for her was somethign of a challenge, my sense of defeatism tells me she'll probably hate the two books I shouldn't have put on there... :D. But, I am excited about the ones she chose for me! I am so horrible about reading anything contemporary, it's fun to have someone push me into it in spite of myself. So I will be reading:
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi - I've heard from everyone and their dog that this book is wonderful, so I'm looking forward to it. I really don't know that much about Iranian history, either, so it will be good to brush up.
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn - I honestly, intended to read this anyway. Word play, parable, semi-dystopia, epistolary, messages about what language means, cleverly funny title...
Plain Kate by Erin Bow - It's a fairy tale retelling, with a talking animal, that Amanda liked. Honestly, this is a confluence of factors so rare as to make the book valuable with no further explanation.
Little Children by Tom Perrotta - I don't know a lot about this book, but I do know it has a pedophile that is apparently an actual human being instead of a soulless monster, and it has Kate Winslet on the cover... I like Kate Winslet. She just seems like such a wonderful person.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - The only one of Mr. Neil's books I've ever read is Blueberry Girl, and one book of Sandman comics. Mr Pratchett, I only know that Ms Nymeth loves him to death. And this book plays unshrinkingly with Christian Eschatology, which is awesome.
So, we'll see. I'm MORE worried Amanda will be coming to me in March, going 'Oh God, Jason, do I HAVE to finish this challenge?" ;P
7 comments:
Believe me, I'm just as worried that you'll hate all the books I picked for you...
Good Omens is one of my favorite reads, so I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.
On a side note, I loved loved loved Lotus, and re-read it after the appropriate chapter in They Odyssey!
This is such a lovely idea! David doesn't have a blog, but I'm still tempted to try this in our house as well.
I haven't read any of Amanda's suggestions for you, but if you're a Kate Winslet fan, have you seen the episode of "Extras" featuring her? It convinced me she must be a very good sport in real life since she plays "herself" as a total jerk...but in a pretty hilarious way. :-)
Amanda - Really? I felt like you had an advantage - these are all books you've liked that I've said pleasant or interesting things about. It probably helps that you talk about what you read mroe than me :D.
Ms Trisha - That's very kind of you :). I am trying to write a little more regularly, now, and actually at least mention what I read...
Ms Emily - Thank you! I think if nothing else, it will be nice to sort of have a glimpse into the things Amanda likes that I don't understand as well as her. Of course, 'things Amanda understands better than me' is a pretty broad subject, and the converse would leave me selecting only, say, computer programming manuals for Amanda...
Ms Emily - Oh! And, no, I don't even know what Extras is :D. I'm kind of an ignoramus. I'll have to look it up :)
I'll be interested to hear what you think of Ella Minnow Pea. If you hate it, you'll have saved me reading it. It's one of those books I've been sidling up to and dancing away from again for the couple of years I've been reading positive reviews of it on book blogs. Concept books make me extra skittish; when they succeed they are some of my favorites; when they don't . . .
Ms Trapunto - I will certainly let you know, and I understand what you mean about concept books - the line between 'fascinating' and 'full of itself' can be a bit fine... I am looking forward to this one, hoping it lives up to that!
Post a Comment