Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for classics] 

Last week Ali challenged us to think about the classics. She gave us four questions, and allowed us to mix and match.

1) How do you feel about classic literature? Are you intimidated by it? Love it? Not sure because you never actually tried it? Don't get why anyone reads anything else? Which classics, if any, have you truly loved? Which would you recommend for someone who has very little experience reading older books? Go all out, sell us on it!

2) A challenge, should you choose to accept it: Read at least one chapter of a classic novel, preferably by an author you're not familiar with. Did you know you can find lots of classics in the public domain on the web? Check out The Popular Classic Book Corner, for example. Write a mini-review based on this chapter: what are your first impressions? Would you read further? (For a larger selection of authors, try The Complete Classic Literature Library).

3) Let's say you're vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into the hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don't find her a book, she'll never let you get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull off the shelf for her?

4) As you explore the other Weekly Geeks posts: Did any inspire you to want to read a book you've never read before—or reread one to give it another chance? Tell us all about it, including a link to the post or posts that sparked your interest. If you end up reading the book, be sure to include a link to your post about it in a future Weekly Geeks post!

Many people chose to answer the first and third questions, although every question did get answered. Some geeks love the classics, while others are a bit more apathetic. But everyone had something great to contribute to the discussion. Here is a sampling:

Both Chris Voss and hagelrat from Un:bound answered this week’s challenge. Un:bound is a team blog, and in a possible history making event, more than one team member participated. Very cool. I also love this line from hagelrat: “it's my pet theory that a girl who has nothing but classics on her bookshelves keeps nothing but mills & boon under the bed.”

In another potentially history making post, Weekly Geeks appears in Danish! Dorte kindly translated her post into English, as well. For which I am forever grateful. I did a double-take when I first saw her post, but then I noticed the helpful arrow for us English readers directing us to look below. Thanks for joining Weekly Geeks, Dorte!

Frances at Nonsuch Book included a beautiful mosaic of book covers in her post. All of the covers are from the same book, The Damnation of Theron Ware. Although I’ve never heard of the book, I found the first cover with the windows to be quite appealing. Frances also reflected on the role classics played in her own development.

Puss Reboots admits that “many of the books I read are older than I am.” She also talks about how she compares Don Quixote and Sancho Panza to Jay and Silent Bob. Dude! Awesome comparison. Go check out her post and enjoy the links!

I will confess to letting out a little woo-hoo when I read Terri’s confession that she feels “pretty inadequate about classic lit, considering I have a BA in English.” Sometimes it’s nice to know that English majors haven’t read it all. Terri also made a wonderful comment about comparing reading the classics to music…”it’s a bit like learning music theory and getting a good base of classical music before journeying off into other styles.”

Sassymonkey discusses how different the classics are from each other. She also mentions the required reading list she made for her boyfriend. Inquiring minds want to know…did he make it through the entire list?

Finally, a note about Aunt Myrtle. Poor Myrtle, I’m afraid we were a bit harsh on her. Although she did get plenty of good books out of the deal. I kind of want to be Aunt Myrtle, just to get the books.

********************

In other news…

At the end of each month we’re going to attempt to give shout-outs to the other Dewey-inspired events that are going on. Many of these events already have links over in the sidebar, but a little more linky love never hurt anyone, right?

Chris and Robin are hosting the Dewey Books Reading Challenge, complete with monthly mini-challenges and nifty prizes. This event lasts all year, and just happens to be dear to my heart because I’m participating and reading some incredibly good books. Go check out the blog for more info. Or this site to read some of the reviews of the participants. Betcha find a book you wanna read.

Jackie has started a new blog to continue the Bookworms Carnival. Info on the upcoming themes and hosts can be found at that site, The Bookworms Carnival. The 23rd Edition of the Bookworms Carnival will be held by Jessica over at The Bluestocking Society, where the theme is Books to Movies. Submissions are due by February 13th.

Also, Jackie has made mention of a Facebook blog network for Weekly Geeks and the Bookworm Carnival. Since I know squat about Facebook, I’ll give you the link and hope you all know what she’s talking about. :-D

There has been chatter about the continuation of Dewey’s popular Read-a-thon. As far as I know there are plans to continue (yay!) and the next Read-a-thon would be held in April. We will let you know more info once the planning starts.

Today's Memory Monday guest is Kate, who recently had her 1 year Blogversary over on her blog, Literary Explorations. We were initially going to swap guest posts and have them go live on the same day, but life gets crazy sometimes.:) So, here is a link to the guest post I wrote for her, about the amazingness that is Contemporary Fiction, and here is Kate, talking about one of her favorite books from childhood. And what do you know, it just so happens that this, is a book that's been banned/challenged numerous times over the years. Let's hear it for celebrating Banned Books Week!:)

Bio:

I'm Kate and I am currently working on my Master's degree in Middle Childhood Education. My favorite genres are historical and realistic fiction. Philippa Gregory, Sandra Gulland and Lauren Willig are just a few of my favorite authors. When I'm not reading or studying for class, I love watching classic films, discovering new wines, and swing-dancing.

Post:

I’ve always been an avid reader, but wasn’t often drawn to the classics. I felt forced to read them in school and even now I’m more likely to pick up the latest YA publication instead of a Jane Austen novel. Now I know there are some good classics out there and I have read my fair share of them, despite my initial hesitations. However most of the time I enjoyed the classics I stumbled on outside of class, the
only exception being To Kill A Mockingbird in 10th grade since I loved Gregory Peck’s role in the movie. Unfortunately this post is not about that novel, although it would have been very appropriate for Banned Books Week. Instead I’ll discuss the book that counted towards all my personal reading requirements in 8th grade English class, Gone With the Wind.

On a whim, I checked out this ginormous book from the library and had all 1,024 pages of it read within a few weeks. I can’t remember if I read the book first or saw the movie, but all I know is that it forever shaped my impression of what a historical novel should be. Rhett and Scarlett are still one of my favorite literary couples and I liked how the novel ended. I was horrified when the sequel Scarlett was published
because it just ruined a perfectly good story for me. The book has to end when Rhett says he doesn’t give a damn because that makes sense. Scarlett realized too late that she was in love with Rhett instead of Ashley and shouldn’t get a second chance to be with him in a sequel. I’m surprised that Margaret Mitchell’s estate
signed off on another book but I guess they just wanted the money from the book sales. Whenever I see Scarlett in stores I can’t help but point it out to whoever is with me just because it’s that horrible of a novel.

Even though the movie is 4 hours long, it still is a very condensed version of the novel. Rhett and Scarlett are the main focus and although it takes place during the Civil War, it’s more of a romantic drama than a war movie. If you’re looking for an accurate portrayal of the war, you won’t find it in Gone with the Wind. I signed up for a Civil War History class this quarter and so far neither Rhett nor Scarlett have shown up. In fact we have yet to study the actual war and it’s been three weeks, but that’s another story.

Gone with the Wind taught me a limited history of the Civil War, but most importantly I learned not to disregard certain books just because they were older and contained a ridiculous number of pages. The classics can be ok reads, but I still can’t help being picky about which ones I’ll give a chance. Since blogging I haven’t picked up any classic novels to read but I did buy a 1936 edition of Gone With the Wind at a used bookstore that I plan on re-reading and reviewing. I might even do a book to film comparison since I haven’t posted one in awhile and need to re-watch my Collectors Edition for my research paper about how the Civil War is portrayed through film.

Thank you so much Kate. I admit that I've never read Gone with the Wind, or seen all of the movie (although I have seen most of it). I started the book when I was around 12, and was shocked to read that Scarlet wasn't actually pretty, because I thought the actress in the movie was gorgeous! It's definitely a book that I've been meaning to actually read for a long time! Hopefully I'll be able to sneak it in soon!

This week at the Broke and Bookish we're talking about our top ten favorite book blogs. Since I was listed on their top ten I will definitely have to share the love! These are in no particular order.

1. The Broke and Bookish. I love the idea for this blog! It's great that they have multiple bloggers because each one has a different way of reviewing and reads different books. Lots of variety here!
2. Reading on a Rainy Day. Quite a few reviews of books dealing with India, which is different from other blogs out there. She really has eclectic taste and has reviewed some great books this year, including The Bell Jar which I love. I always come away with something I want to read.
3. 1330V. You can always count on this blog for really thoughtful posts about reading and great reviews on an assortment of books. Quite a few graphic novel reviews and lots of books I've never heard of before!
4. Sophisticated Dorkiness. A journalist and book lover blogs about mostly nonfiction. This is the only book review blog I can think of that focuses on nonfiction and that is part of the reason I love it. Since I found Sophisticated Dorkiness I have started to review more nonfiction myself because it's my favorite genre as well!
5. Sasha & the Silverfish. Sasha was one of the first blogs I read when I started blogging. Her posts are long but wonderful. It's like discussion in an English class, except you don't have to worry about getting a grade! Lots of great books here.
6. A Literary Odyssey. This blog attempts to read 250 classics and does multiple posts on quite a few of them. I like that about this blog because you get to hear so much more about her thoughts on a book than you would with just one post. With classics I think that works really well.
7. Drunk Literature. On a bit of a hiatus right now but still one of my favorite book blogs. Rebecca blogs about more than books, that includes art, music, and just what's she into at the moment. She has great taste!
8. A Guy's Moleskine Notebook. He reviews quite a few classics but also a lot of newer books so there is a lot of variety. The reviews are very thoughtful and specific, and he is great at starting discussions.
9. The Displaced English Major. Similarly to A Literary Odyssey this blog is trying to read a list of 100 books. I've been amazed at how patient she can be with books she doesn't really care for. She's read some fairly obscure titles so be sure to check out her thoughts!
10. Iris on Books. I didn't find Iris until this summer but it's quickly become one of my favorite book blogs. She reviews mostly literature and classics, but I really enjoy her posts about reading. She's funny too!

There are a lot more I'd like to list. Basically, check out any blog in my blogroll and know that I love what they do!

In the third Weekly Geeks of 2009, let's have fun with the classics. For our purposes, I'm defining a classic as anything written over 100 years ago and still in print. (If your memory needs jogging, see: Classic Literature Library for examples.)

For your assignment this week, choose two or more of the following questions:

1) How do you feel about classic literature? Are you intimidated by it? Love it? Not sure because you never actually tried it? Don't get why anyone reads anything else? Which classics, if any, have you truly loved? Which would you recommend for someone who has very little experience reading older books? Go all out, sell us on it!

2) A challenge, should you choose to accept it: Read at least one chapter of a classic novel, preferably by an author you're not familiar with. Did you know you can find lots of classics in the public domain on the web? Check out The Popular Classic Book Corner, for example. Write a mini-review based on this chapter: what are your first impressions? Would you read further? (For a larger selection of authors, try The Complete Classic Literature Library).

3) Let's say you're vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into the hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don't find her a book, she'll never let you get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull off the shelf for her?

4) As you explore the other Weekly Geeks posts: Did any inspire you to want to read a book you've never read before—or reread one to give it another chance? Tell us all about it, including a link to the post or posts that sparked your interest. If you end up reading the book, be sure to include a link to your post about it in a future Weekly Geeks post!

Do as many or as few of these as you'd like—and remember, you have all week! This is especially important for task #4, which is easier done after more people have responded.

Create your blog post, come back here and sign Mr. Linky with the url to the actual post, and feel free to leave a comment below. And don't forget that visiting other Geeksters and saying hello is part of the magic of Weekly Geeks!

Quirk Classics, the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

is coming out with a new book March 23, 2010 called Dawn of the Dreadfuls. It is a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and will tell how Elizabeth Bennett achieves the character in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I have not read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies so I am not exactly sure what to expect in the prequel but I am excited for it nonetheless. I am reading Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters though, so I know the kind of attitude to expect. These books are playful and fun, although they do move away from some of the main concepts in the originals.

There has been a lot of discussion about the Quirk Classics books. Many people feel that they are cheap because they are ripping off books that are already famous to secure their own success. Some people have said that they feel the books are thrown together and the insertions of zombies or sea monsters doesn't feel complete. I see the merit in these arguments, but I do like Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters so far, I feel like it's a nice break in my pretty serious and dense reading schedule. I'll say more about that in my review of the book next week, so check back soon!

Has anyone else read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or have strong thoughts on Quirk Classics?

My boyfriend and I have this thing we do every week, we make lists and compare them. Top ten places we most want to live, top five jobs we most want to have, etc. Last week it was our top five favorite books from childhood. Since both of us read a lot more chapter books as children we decided that we would only talk about chapter books.

My List

1. Anne of Green Gables
2. The American Girls Series (especially Molly)
   
3. Little Women
4. Saddle Club Series
5. The Royal Diaries

I was totally obsessed with reading as a kid and I still am, and some things never change. After all, I'm still wearing converse and skirts.

I made myself a new layout last night! I think it's much improved from my previous layout, which I never thought reflected me very well. This is closer to what I'm wanting, but I only have time to do a little bit on the layout every once in awhile. Luckily I'm ahead on posts for next week so that gave me some extra time to work on layout.

I've been tossing over what to do Sunday Salon about this week. It's not quite the end of March, so I didn't really want to do a March wrap-up post, but I did just reach 25 books which I think is something to celebrate! So I think I'll do a 1/4 year wrap up today, and next week I'll do a quick, more focused, March wrap-up. You can check out the full list of books I've read on my 2010 Reads page.

Books read in 2010: 26
YA Books: 5
Classics: 7
Graphic Novels: 3
Historical Fiction: 12
Romance: 2
ARC/For review: 4
My favorite: The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen
My least favorite: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Distributed grades: 10 A's, 8 B's, 6 C's, and 1 D.

I was actually really surprised by a few things on this list. For example, I thought I'd given out mostly C's this year, but I've actually read more A books. I think this is partially because I read a lot of C books at the beginning of this year and recently I've had a streak of awesome books. I was also surprised to see how many "Classics" I have read, since it seems like I haven't read that many. I was really surprised by how many historical fiction books I've read because I felt like I've read hardly any, although to be fair I counted graphic novels in that which I don't really consider historical fiction while I'm reading them. 26 books in three months means I should be able to read 100 books this year. This was never really a spoken goal of mine, but I thought it would be neat. I'm glad to see I'm on my way.

This week I posted a review of Dawn of the Dreadfuls and Aurora Floyd. I brought back Children's Book Thursday with a vlog about a great book called Library Lion. I shared my thoughts on Writing Classes and posted a review of the Moleskine Passions Book Journal. Also, don't forget to enter the contest to win a bag from Strand Bookstore in New York City! I will announce the winner next week so be sure to leave a comment on last week's Sunday Salon before next Sunday!

Today I found out about yet another great book challenge going around. It is crazy that I found out about Shelf Discovery today because I posted my favorite books from childhood. Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stop Reading is a book by Lizzie Skurnick. The challenge is to read this book as well as six classics from the list in the book. What a great challenge! It is also running for six months, so that only comes out to one book a month which makes it easy to include in all the other challenges. To find out more check out Booking Mama's blog here.

I have not read the book yet but based on the table of contents I will be reading the following six books:

My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews
A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett
Hangin' Out With Cici by Francine Pascal
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Are You there God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

The only book I have already read is Little House on the Prairie so this should be a great way to broaden my teenage horizons. Also, this is my last year as a teenager (two more months to go!) so this will be a nice farewell for me.

Before we get started with this week’s roundup, I’m happy to announce that Weekly Geeks has been nominated in three categories for Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW): Best Series or Feature, Best Challenge Host and Most Collaborative Blog. Last year, Dewey's blog won

in two categories – Best Community Builder and Best Challenge Host. She did much more than host Weekly Geeks, this meme that a group of us have kept going in her honor since the first of the year. (For those who don’t know, Dewey died in November of last year.) We’re proud to be nominated and acknowledged as carrying on this part of her legacy. Thanks to all those who participate in this unique meme!

The short list for BBAW will be announced September 7th and voting will take place between the 7th and the 12th. Be sure to check the BBAW website after the 7th and vote for your favorite blogs!

Now back to your regularly scheduled blog program. Last week’s Geek exploration was about Second Chances: Becky asked if we’d given up on a book (or movie or music) only to discover that it’s “lovelier the second time around.” (OK, I’m dating myself with Frank Sinatra songs.) Or have you contemplated giving a book or author a second chance? And if not, she challenged us to do so. Says Becky: “It is just very interesting to me how time can change tastes and perceptions. How subjective the reading experience is and always will be.”

There were a variety of responses to this challenge.

• Maree found Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin well worth a second read “…because there's always more to find..” Gautami gave up on The Blind Assassin at first, but then picked it up again after six months and now considers it one of her best reads to date. (Edited 8/22/09 after getting it so wrong!)
  

• another cookie crumbles finds it miraculous that she talks “about Anne Enright, Salman Rushdie and JK Rowling in the same post.” She’s given up on one of these and embraced the others after a second look. You’ll have to read her post to find out who and why!

• The Lord of the Rings showed up in several posts: Lahni at Nose in a Book went from being unable to finish it the first time to having it make her top ten favorites list. Kim at Page after Page thinks she’ll give the trilogy another try next year.

• One genre that showed up in several posts was the classics. Melissa hasn’t broken out in hives yet rereading The Grapes of Wrath. Michelle had a more negative reaction to Gone with the Wind on a second read; her life experience affected how she felt about it. She’s curious what her reaction will be the next time she reads it.
  

• Classics guilt (which many of us suffer from!) drove Coversgirl to give Dickens a second chance after her inability to get past the first page earlier in her life. Now she “can foresee a lifelong literary love ... proving that stubbornness pays off.” Suey tried Dickens’ Great Expectations again after experiencing an 8th grade nightmare. "I felt very sorry for my 8th grade self and all that she missed during that foggy first reading," says Suey. Now Great Expectations is one of her alltime favorites.

• Some contemporary authors have come under the axe: Tricia has decided to try Atonement by Ian McEwan again; maybe she’ll have the same experience as Care did and come to love it.

• Gigi blogged about Alice Hoffman. “She's an author I'm forever giving another chance to - not always with good results.”

• After a 2-year hiatus Ali is finishing A Prayer for Owen Meany. Here's her Twitter message:
  Went to bkstore to buy #Owenmeany. Reread a few pages & couldn't do it. ... I'd forgotten how Owen grated on me. I can hear his voice all too well and it's like fingernails on a chalkboard.
  And though Ali came to like it, she’s not inclined to give John Irving another try.
  

That's what happened to University at Buffalo faculty member Philip Kiernan, who heard a rumor from a UB alumnus in 2010 that the UB Libraries housed the rare coins. Three years later, Kiernan, an assistant professor of classics, channeled his inner Indiana Jones and journeyed to the depths of the UB archives to find them.

The collection, he was shocked to learn, was real: 40 silver Greek coins, three gold Greek coins and a dozen gold Roman coins -- one from each era of the first 12 Roman emperors, from Julius Caesar to Domitian. They range in date from the fifth century B.C. to the late first century A.D.

Not your usual find.

"I must have been the first person to touch them in almost 40 years," says Kiernan, who brought in two experts to verify the coins' authenticity last semester and is now developing a graduate course to examine the items' history.

It's the first time the coins will be extensively studied, and Kiernan and his class will publish their findings.

Within the collection is a "remarkably rare" coin of Roman emperor Otho, who reigned for a mere three months. The Greek coins were struck by some of the most powerful city-states and rulers of the ancient world, such as Athens, Corinth and Alexander the Great.

The coins were donated in 1935 to the UB Libraries Special Collections by Thomas B. Lockwood as part of a larger collection of rare books. However, it wasn't until Kiernan examined them out of curiosity that the currency's rarity and value were realized.

Kiernan focuses much of his research on ancient currency and antiquities, and the experts he brought in to examine the coins were numismatists -- people who collect or study currency.

The coins are one of the many treasures stored in the UB Libraries, which also hold original works by James Joyce, Dylan Thomas and William Shakespeare.

"Libraries are becoming museums," says Michael Basinski, curator of the UB Libraries Special Collections. "Everything is going digital, but we remain tied to the physical objects."

Lockwood's collection includes more than 3,000 books, medallions and additional coins from early America and England. Other notable items include a medallion of Napoleon Bonaparte and 36 British gold coins, including one of Queen Elizabeth I.

Lockwood, an avid reader and collector of rare and special books, purchased the items to supplement his personal collection. Accruing relics and art was common practice among affluent men in the early 20th century.

"For book collectors, owning such extraordinary objects connects them to the history that's recorded in their books," says Kiernan. "They could read about the Emperor Augustus and then examine a coin with his image."

Most of the coins are in excellent condition, despite remaining in their original 80-plus-year-old casing. A few of the silver coins require conservation treatment. The collection's casing also will be improved.

The UB Libraries will open the collection of coins to members of the campus and local communities pursuing relevant research.

Author: Marcene Robinson | Source: University at Buffalo [March 11, 2015]

Suey came up with a fantastic topic this week:

Many of us have had an opportunity to interview an author, mostly through email, but perhaps even on the phone or in person. In fact, many of you have become experts at author interviews. So this week, let's pretend that we can get in contact with one of our favorite characters and interview them. What would you ask Mr. Darcy if you could send him an email. What would his answers be like? What would you say if you could just call up Liesel or Rudy from The Book Thief and ask them anything? How would they answer your questions? What if you could invite Jo March or Anne Shirley to lunch, what would the conversation be like?

This has been a slow geek week, but don't forget you can answer this at any time! Personally, I had a blast. So don't be shy...call up a character and invite them over for coffee. Or lunch. Or heck, have a dinner party and invite a whole book over.

Children's characters turned out to be popular interview subjects. In fact some of them (like Pigeon) practically forced themselves on the interviewer (in this case, pussreboots). Others, like the Gruffalo, were a bit shy. We're hoping Farm Lane Books can finagle a second, in-depth interview.

Meanwhile, over in the mystery section, Kerrie was lucky enough to interview the ever-so-gracious (but slightly green) Monsieur Poirot, while Margot spent some time knitting and chatting with Miss Marple. J.C. Montgomery tried to crack the enigmatic Raven. And gautami tripathy happened upon Mr. Paul Drake in India, of all places! Rumor has it he might be moving...

A couple of bloggers were adventurous and travelled to meet with their subjects. Between the Covers travelled very far indeed to interview Ned Henry, while Gavin journeyed to Shiraz to talk to Sheherazade.

To represent the classics, Jo talked with a reflective Tess and Rebecca pulled a James Lipton with Owen Meany.

And Erika Lynn went a different route and linked to Sue Grafton's interviews with her own character, Kinsey Millhone.

Then there was the group of intrepid bloggers who went above and beyond. Bookworm interviewed the vampire Lestat (or does he prefer the capitalized The Vampire Lestat?) and Ariel faced Death (who actually looks like a nice Goth girl). Even Cthulhu generously consented to an interview. The brave blogger at It's Dark in the Dark (Cthulhu must've felt right at home) faced the evil one and came out unscathed. We think.

Congratulations to all of this week's geeks for their impressive round-up of interviewees!

Terri led the Weekly Geeks in exploring the genre format of graphic novels this week:

Do you read graphic novels or memoirs? Who are your favorite authors? Which books do you recommend?

If you haven't read any, why not?

Some people have the impression that graphic novels are glorified comic books, are unsophisticated or don't qualify as "serious" literature. What do you think? If you track your book numbers, do you count a graphic novel as a book read?
Some folks are fans of the graphic novel and some aren't - this topic definitely brought out the fans!

Erotic Horizon of E.H. on Books and More reads them often and is participating in the Graphic Novel Challenge.

First-time Geek Jenn from Once Upon a Time... (welcome, Jenn!) is also a fan of the format, and made some solid recommendations to read (and to avoid).

Gautami Tripathy at everything distils into reading has been reading graphic novels since they were mostly known as comic books.

KT of Literary Transgressions is a self-described "graphic-novel nut", recommending such genre classics as Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and Alan Moore's Watchmen.

At Biblio File, Jennie reminds us that graphic novels are a "format" and not a "genre" - almost any story that can be told in words alone can be told in a combination of pictures and words.

Thanks to all of this week's participants for sharing your thoughts on graphic novels, and be sure to check back tomorrow for a new Weekly Geeks topic!

Since I forgot about doing a What I'm Reading Monday post yesterday I figured I'd make up for it today.

Finished
Lady Audley's Secret

is a Victorian sensation novel. I posted a review yesterday which you can read here.

Still Reading
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

is a Quirk Classic edition of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I should finish it in the next couple days.

Started
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere

by Jan Morris is a travel novel about the city of Trieste. Trieste is in Italy, but it has the cultures of many countries in it because it has kind of been passed between surrounding countries. Morris mostly discusses the "nowhereness" of the place.

A Little Princess (Unabridged Classics)

by Frances Hodgson Burnett is my first read for Shelf Discovery.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a mystery I'm reading for Barnes and Noble's Literature By Women Book Club.

This week Suey had us all visiting each other's blogs wracking our brains for answers to a variety of literary trivia. There are some very creative gamesters among us!

• Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise did an All Agatha game - ten trivia questions relating to Agatha Christie, beginning with her first novel and ending with her last posthumously published novel. She had some real stumpers there!
• Jackie at farmlanebooks showed us the covers of seven classics and challenged us to come up with the titles.
• Guatami tried to beat the heat at Everything Distils Into Reading with a variety of trivia questions about authors, books and definitions.
• You'll find a YA theme over at Bart's Bookshelf. (Do you know who Miss Miriam Forcible, Miss April Spink, & Mr Bobo are?)
• We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. Any idea what book that line is from? You can guess that and other literary first lines at The View from Sari's World.
• And if your brain isn't completely worn out yet, head over to It's All About Books, where Suey has ten literary questions for us.

Enna from Squeaky Books has returned this year to offer up another awesome Fairy Tale Fortnight post! Seriously folks, Enna is one of my favorite blogging people, and her posts always pretty much rock my face!:)

Hello fellow fairy-tale enthusiasts! My name is Enna Isilee from Squeaky Books and I'm SO excited to be back with FTF this year! Last year I posted about how fairy tales changed my life, and my top 14 fairy tale retellings. This year I'm back to talk to you about the 10 fairy tales that I haven't read and I just can't WAIT to get my hands on! Many of these have already been featured in Misty's "From the Vault" and "Coming Attraction" posts, but I'm going to put my spin on them AND give you a chance to win your choice of any of these books!

Let's start with some classics and then move into newer releases, shall we?

East
by Edith Pattou Release Date: 9/1/2003
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:I know, I know! How can I call myself a fairy-tale fan when I haven’t read East ? I ADORE Sarah Beth Durst’s Ice and I guess I have some kind of deep seated fear that one won’t be able to measure up to the other. I do plan to read this sometime soon, though. I need to get my hands on a copy for my library at least.

The Looking Glass Wars
by Frank Beddor Release Date: 9/26/2006
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:So Alice in Wonderland isn’t your typical fairy tale, but I’m still including it because I’ve heard this series is AWESOME (also, Once Upon a Time included Alice in Wonderland, so it totally counts). I got this book for Christmas, and hope to get around to reading it this summer.

A Curse Dark as Gold
by Elizabeth Bunce Release Date: 3/1/2008
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:I started reading this a few years ago, but wasn’t in the right mindset. The world and prose is really deep, and it’s certainly not a book you can read with half a brain. I’m afraid during the school year I have barely a quarter of a brain.

Sisters Red
by Jackson Pearce Release Date: 6/7/2010
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:For some reason I managed to check this out from the library, and forget about it until it was nearly due. I managed to read 20 pages and would have kept it past the due date (naughty me!) but my mother returned it! Since then I have purchased my own copy, but haven’t yet delved into it. I can’t wait! It’s about time that fairy tale heroines started kicking some werewolf.

A Long, Long Sleep
by Anna Sheehan Release Date: 8/9/2011
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:This one hasn’t been getting very positive reviews from what I’ve seen, but I still really want to read it. I mean, fairy tales IN SPACE?! Need I say more?

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer Release Date: 1/3/2012
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:Technically I’ve already read this book. BUT I’m still including it in this list because I LOVED it and I can’t wait for the next three books in the series. Scarlet (2013) features Little Red Riding Hood in France, Cress (2014) features Rapunzel on the Moon, and Winter (2015) features Snow White in the Sahara Desert! Awesome!

Princess of the Wild Swans
by Diane Zahler Release Date: 1/31/2012
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:What is it that makes swans so fitting for Fairy Tales? I just recently got my hands on this guy, and it seems like a short, sweet read. Perfect for a rainy day (I hope!).

Kill Me Softly
by Sarah Cross Release Date: 4/10/2012
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:I have just been LUSTING over this book for MONTHS. I’m on a very strict book-buying-ban right now, or else I would have this guy in my hot little hands instead of waiting for my library to finish “processing” it. We’ve heard of Urban-fantasy and Urban-paranormal books, but this is urban-fairy tales. I’m so there.

Shadows on the Moon
by Zoe Marriott Release Date: 4/24/2012
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:Also another book I’ve “technically” read, but I read the UK version. According to the author, the US version has some new haiku and things changed for authenticity! I have the audiobook for this one and I’m dying to dive in!

Princess of the Silver Woods
by Jessica Day George Release Date: 11/13/2012
Goodreads |Amazon
My Thoughts:Jessica Day George is a standard go-to for fairy tales. I loved the first book in this series (Princess of the Midnight Ball) and I’ve heard the others don’t disappoint! I’ve also heard you can read them out of order, but I could be mistaken. We’ve got a while to wait for this one, hopefully long enough for me to read Princess of Glass.

Giveaway time!
Since this giveaway is hosted by me, it'll be through rafflecopter and not the usual FTF form. Hope y'all don't mind! It just makes my life a little easier! Just follow the instructions below and enter to win! This giveaway is open INTERNATIONAL!

Psst! You have to actually come to the site to enter. You can't see the rafflecopter in a feed reader.

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All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

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So, I'm actually doing a winners post!! I know, right?! I'm terrible at actually getting these things up.: P

First, I had a giveaway from Jill Alexander for a signed copy of her book The Sweetheart of Prosper County. I read and (mostly) enjoyed Paradise, so I'm jealous of this winner! And — it is:

MARY!!
I've already heard back from Mary and will get her book mailed as soon as I hear back from the read-a-thon winners! (So be fast peeps!)

Alright — So... This contest was WAY harder to judge than I thought! I thought I was being all awesome, deciding to pick my favorite recommendation as a winner, but it was hard!! Like, really hard!! So... I'm really sorry if I didn't pick you. There were just WAY too many!

Also, I think random.org is MAGICAL!! I SWEAR!! Because while I was struggling to pick one favorite, random.org picked the recommendation that had my favorite line. That's pretty awesome!

So — The random winner is: UPDATED

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books actually already owns each of the books I was offering, so the new random winner is:

Raelena @ Through the Haze She has been emailed!:)

My favorite rec winner is:

Momo @ Books Over Boys
Why did I pick this one? Because Momo took two books that I didn't previously have any interest in reading and made me WANT to read them. Which is unusual for me. And, really, isn't that the point of a book recommendation?! To match a reader with something they might have overlooked? So, yay for Momo! I'll have to see about finding copies soon!:)
Rather than put full recommendations in this post, I do want to give a shout-out to some of my favorites by including my favorite lines from their recs so here are my top favorite lines: All names will link to their posts.

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books said of The Near Witch:

It's like a bedtime story come to life... Ya'll know how I feel about fairy tales, yes?

Usagi @ Birth of a New Witch said of Wasteland:

I emotionally connected with the characters and I’m sure you will, too. And I have the heart of a Vulcan. Or maybe no heart at all, I’m not sure. But I felt like I had one while reading this book. Hahaha! This seriously had me laughing. And it made me want to give Francesca Lia Block another try even though I was so not impressed with the one I've read.

Jenna @ Jenna's Blog said of The Book Thief, regarding Death (the narrator):

Any author who can make me feel emotion for a personified abstract noun writes extremely well. Umm. This is truth. Plus I also just really love that book!

Zoe @ A Corner of My Bookshelf said of One Night that Changes Everything:
It was a quick, fun read that was cute and catchy. (Kinda like a Disney movie, but who's asking anyway;) ) Because who doesn't love Disney movies!?: P

Rachel @ Endless Reading said of Les Miserables and The Counte of Monte Cristo:
Les Mis is all about redemption and love and war. Just phenomenal. Monte Cristo is about betrayal and revenge being best served cold. These are two of my very favorite classics and I love that her recs for them are short, to the point and definitely peak my interest.

There were SO many more that I could have chosen quotes from and tons that came close to be favorites! I have tons of new books to add to my tbr now! Thank you to everyone who participated!!: D

I was introduced to the lovely Mary Elizabeth Braddon when I read her novel Lady Audley's Secret last semester. I was interested in her first novel that I decided to take a classic all about sensation fiction just so I could read more books by her. And I'm glad I did, because I found Aurora Floyd to be vastly superior to Braddon's first novel. While Lady Audley's Secret is fabulous because of its strange characters and intense plot, Aurora Floyd won for me because of its concentration on minor characters. I also felt the plot wasn't wrapped up as quickly as the plot in Lady Audley's Secret. Aurora Floyd is about a woman whose name is, you guessed it Aurora Floyd. She pursues and is pursued by a clean soldier, but after she is rejected by him for her inability to share a dark secret she moves on and finds a new love interest. While this is simple enough, Aurora is still haunted by her secret which she refuses to share with anyone.

Aurora is a complicated character. She is beautiful, though not conventional. She is honest, but secretive. She is charitable and caring, which makes it difficult for the reader to suspect her of any wrongdoing. But then, what is her secret? She also has a love for gambling and horses, which makes her challenging as a Victorian woman. So basically, Aurora is a woman to love. And I fell in love with her very quickly. My love for her pushed me to the end of novel, because obviously I had to find out what her secret was. A word of caution, DON'T read the back of the book if you get the Oxford World's Classics version. It will ruin it for you.

Another aspect of this novel I loved was the used of, as mentioned before, minor characters. This novel truly plays with servants and makes them threatening to the seemingly powerful masters. I loved how Braddon made this characters evil yet somewhat understandable... similar to Lucy Audley in Lady Audley's Secret. They might have bad motives, but they're basically just a product of their environment. Check out this passage:

"Why is it that the dependants in a household are so feverishly inquisitive about the doings and sayings, the manners and customs, the joys and sorrows, of those who employ them? Is it that, having abnegated for themselves all active share in life, they take an unhealthy interest in those who are in the thick of the strife? Is it because, being cut off in a great measure by the nature of their employment from family ties and family pleasures, they feel a malicious delight in all family trials and vexations, and the ever-recurring breezes which disturb the domestic atmosphere? Remember this, husands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, brothers and sisters, when you quarrel. Your servants enjoy the fun." (177)

This novel earned an A.

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Okay, so I know I said no more challenges, but this isn't an actual challenge really. It's more of a personal goal and growth challenge. The Reading Resolutions Challenge is hosted by Jenny Loves to Read. I was going to wait to post this until it was closer to new years, but since I have finished signing up for challenges now seems like a good time. I am a new blogger, English Major's Junk Food has only been around for three months, but I have been a reader for a long time and every year I say I'm going to do certain things and stuff (friends, school, life) gets in the way. Hopefully publishing it for all of you to read will help keep me on track.

In the short amount of time that I've been blogging I have really seen a change in how I read. I read a lot more for one thing, mostly because I feel like I have a reason to read. I want to thank everyone who has helped me learn the ropes and get involved in the community. It's been a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the upcoming year!

My first resolution is to keep reading often and posting often. I have started a few blogs in the past and usually they only last a week or two and I quit. I don't want that to happen to this blog because I am loving it.

My second resolution is to get out of my historical fiction and classics box even more. I posted about the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and mentioned that I want to read different kinds of historical fiction that I haven't read before. I would like to do that in general all year. I'm okay with staying inside my preferred genres but I really want to try some new things out. Specifically I would like to try out some more YA novels. There are some great ones out there but I never really pay attention to them.

My third resolution is to post more about the children's books I've been reading. On average I read about four-five children's books per week. I probably won't post about the meh ones, but ones that I really do not like or do like will be spotlighted on this blog.

My final reading resolution is not exactly a reading resolution, but we'll go with it. I want to start keeping a journal again. I used to be an avid journal writer but when I came to college I quit. I'd like to keep a journal to write about what I am reading and my life in a way that I really can't on my blog.

Finally, here are a list of all the challenges I am signed up for:
Shelf Discovery hosted by Booking Mama.
Reading Western Europe hosted by Samantha's Reading Challenge.
18th and 19th Century Women Writers hosted by Becky's Book Reviews.
All About the Brontes Challenge hosted by Laura's Reviews.
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews.
First in a Series Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews.
Second in a Series Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews.

EDIT
I couldn't resist this one: You've Got Mail Challenge.

Today, our Memory Monday guest is Jennifer Sommersby. I've been chatting with Jenn on Twitter for a while now, I absolutely love reading her blog and she is just so much fun to talk to. I was so excited when she told me that she liked my Memory Monday posts and that she would be willing to participate! So, her she is folks! Here's Jenn!

Bio: Jennifer Sommersby's first book, a YA urban fantasy about a circus-dwelling, 17-year-old girl who learns that she is heir to a 3000-year-old magical book, is called Sleight: Book One of the AVRA-K. An American ex-pat, she lives in the Great White North (western Canada) with her family and collection of pets.
Memories: When Ashley so graciously invited me to write a piece for Memory Mondays, my mind was set aflutter. Talk about a book that made an impact on me as a kid? There were so many! I decided, rather than to break it down to just one, that I would cover a few with relating anecdotes to illuminate the joy that books brought to me as a wee, word-hungry ankle biter.

We all love Dr. Seuss (and if you don’t, you might want to see someone about that). Who doesn’t have a special place for the man who was first credited with use of the word nerd? I mean, GENIUS, people! Despite the fact that Seuss had a decades-long affair outside of his marriage, a tryst that eventually led to his wife’s suicide and his nuptials to his lover a year following his wife’s death, Seuss was a wordsmith of unmatched prowess. He understood words and sounds in a way that has revolutionized the learning-to-read process for generations of kids. My favorites? The Lorax and The Sneetches. And for my thirty-eighth birthday, my BFF bought me Oh! The Places You’ll Go. Perfect present for ALL occasions, especially for
high school and college graduates. Oh, and people turning thirty-eight. It’s so inspiring, though be warned—it can trigger wanderlust.

My mom bought me the coolest set of science books (nerd alert!), the series called “Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science.” Did you guys have those? I don’t know how many were published, but I had at least a dozen—and I still have them on the shelf in my son’s bedroom. Titles such as A Drop of Blood, Flash Crash Rumble and Roll, and Your Skin and Mine survived through my childhood, that of my little sister (who is now twenty-seven), and all of my kids, inviting us to investigate topics that aren’t otherwise covered in novels or TV shows or, nowadays, video games. I spent endless hours going through these books, feeling very smart because I learned how a scab formed and about the mechanics of thunderstorms and why some kids had darker skin than me (not tough considering I have had a sickly pall to my skin pretty much my entire life). I was a know-it-all as a kid. That continues until today, thanks to these books.

And on to fiction. I seem to have an affinity for it. But it’s sort of funny how it started, beyond my obsession with my sister’s sky-blue Smith-Corona electric typewriter. (“Clickity-clicky — click!” went the keys…). I had this thing for small books. Not the page count, necessarily, but the actual physical size of the book. The smaller, the better. I liked small things: closets that could be made into hideouts, picnic tables covered in blankets to make my own house, that cabin Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer stays in with Yukon Cornelius and the elf who wants to be a dentist. The Audubon Field Guide to North American Birds, Western Region, while not fiction, was narrow and thin and fit in a pocket, perfect for field work. Did I read it? No. Did the size make me happy? Yes. Well, that and its awesome orange vinyl cover.

Sorry. Digressing again. My mom—she was never stingy with buying me books—picked up a series of classics in paperback form, and the dimensions of the books themselves couldn’t have been more than 4x4 inches. They were these little squares of literary history, and I read them because…I liked their shape. Around the World in Eighty Days was my favorite, although Little Women came in close second. (Oh, don’t even get me started on how my BFF Beth Ann and I would act out the parts from Louisa May Alcott’s ageless tale—she was Meg, the well-mannered, polite, always proper young lady; I was, and am to this day, Jo—feisty, word — loving, dreamy Jo.) I read Gulliver’s Travels and Treasure Island and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and all as a side effect of my attachment to the shape of the books. Weird, I know. If anyone’s good with past-life regression or Jungian psychology, perhaps you have a theory about my affection for small things.

No discussion of influential childhood books would be complete without a shout-out to Beverly Cleary. The elementary school I went to, Alameda Grade, in Portland, Oregon, was situated in the very neighborhood where some of Cleary’s stories were set. I used to ride my bike and roller skate up and down Klickitat Street, just like Henry Huggins, as my house was only a few blocks away. I must’ve been nine or ten when Cleary visited our school for Literacy Day (Ezra Jack Keats of The Snowy Day fame visited one year, as well). The whole school dressed up as characters from any one of Cleary’s novels and marched through the
neighborhood with Mrs. Cleary our Mistress of Ceremonies for the day’s events. It was a big to-do, obviously. Thirty-odd years later, I’m still talking about it. Thank you, Beverly, for being such a big part of my childhood!

And my last mention for Memory Monday—I would feel disloyal if I didn’t pay homage— Judy Blume. Need I say more? For those of you born in the late ’80s or the ’90s, maybe you haven’t discovered Blume’s genius. She wrote whimsical, fun stories for younger readers: Superfudge, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Freckle Juice. Her books for older readers (Deenie, Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret, Blubber, Forever) told stories in which the characters asked and answered questions I was too embarrassed or afraid to address. Her protagonists faced real-world hardships that were engrossing and often heartrending. I read and re-read many of her titles as I went from that tomboy climbing trees and riding BMX bikes to the pre-teen and teenager who cared about Guess jeans and what Mickey S. thought of her new haircut.

It is still amazing to me, the influence that books have had on my life. They’re like a good friend, always there waiting to be called upon, and as cliché as that sounds, books don’t care how bitchy I am or if my hair is a mess and in need of a color, or if I’ve filed the taxes for the year or unloaded the dishwasher. Books don’t judge if I didn’t donate enough to the food drive or if I screamed at that stupid woman in traffic (she totally deserved it…just sayin’). The consumption of books, and now the creation of my own books, are constants in a life that is forever in a state of flux. Life won’t be nearly long enough for me to get my fill of good
stories. I’m guessing you feel the same way, or you wouldn’t be here visiting Ashley’s terrific blog. Thanks for the chat. Now, go READ something!
Thank you so much Jenn! I loved this post! So much! If any of you readers are interested in guest posting for Memory Monday, in my blog!

This week's Booking Through Thursday is all of these questions!

1. Favorite childhood book?
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes was my favorite picture book. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was my favorite chapter bok.

2. What are you reading right now?
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Best American Essays 2008, and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

4. Bad book habit?
Putting them down on the table with the spine up.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
The Catcher in the Rye, About a Mountain by John D'Agata, Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farguharson, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Yes, I have a nook.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several, although lately I've been focusing more on one at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Oh yeah, I read a lot more and I'm more conscious about what I think while I'm reading.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Genres I know I can count on like literary nonfiction, graphic novels, young adult series, and classics.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yeah I do it all the time.

14. Favorite place to read?
Outside as long as I don't have the sun to my back.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I'll lend to anyone I'm friends with.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I used to but now I use bookmarks and sticky notes.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Often.

18. Not even with text books?
Still do it here.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English though I can read some French.

20. What makes you love a book?
Strong female characters, strong characters of any kind, detailed description but not flowery language.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I come away from a book thinking it either changed the way I look at something or helped me learn a lot about a subject or life.

22. Favorite genre?
Literary nonfiction.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Current literary fiction.

24. Favorite biography?
Wild Child: Life with Jim Morrison by Linda Ashcroft.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I've read fitness walking books and study books.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Popcorn or oranges.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I think I expected too much from it.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Depends on the critic. I usually agree with book reviews from the Believer. Bookmarks is more touch and go.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I feel that I always give reasons for why I don't like a book so I don't mind giving negative reviews. I try to find something good even in books I dont like.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Dutch.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Middlemarch by George Eliot.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

35. Favorite Poet?
Emily Dickinson.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I didn't have a library card until last week (I know, I know!) but including the university library I would say about 3 or 4.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Frequently when I was younger, which is why I didn't get a library card again until last week.

38. Favorite fictional character?
I have way too many! One I always remember fondly is Marcus in About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Lydia Gwilt from Armadale by Wilkie Collins.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Some literary nonfiction and historical fiction.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Three or four months probably.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Most recently I have been very challenged by Surviving Paradise. Not sure if I'll finish it or not.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Noise, other conversations, my own nagging thoughts.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Jane Eyre! The PBS version.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I wasn't too fond of The Lightning Thief.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Oh boy, no clue. Definitely upwards $150 dollars.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not that often, surprisingly.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Boring plot.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I like to keep them on shelves, but in no particular order.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I prefer to keep them.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Gone With the Wind, even though I said I'd read it by the end of the summer.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I can name an essay that made me angry. Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
I wasn't sure if I'd like Candy Girl by Diablo Cody and really enjoyed it.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Luxe series.

Did any of my answers surprise you?