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Post by anaritter on Dec 29, 2013 21:37:35 GMT
I'm not going to lie, I'm not reading anything of significant literary value over the break. NO THANKS.
My first book is Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates. My dad bought me this when I was around twelve years old and I didn't get very far into it because it really wasn't appropriate for me at that age, with a rape scene in the first few chapters and other themes my twelve year old self couldn't handle. But after we read "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" in class, I was intrigued because I liked Oates' writing style.
My second book is The Search by Nora Roberts. It was lent to me by a friend. It's complete trash and I love it. It's like binging on junk food.
My third book is Love Does by Bob Goff. To be honest, this book makes me feel so good. Amazon says it falls under the category of "Christian Living", whatever that is. The basic premise behind it is that you can't just allow a love or a care or a passion for something just be a thought within yourself, you have to make that love do something, whether it's for yourself or for others. But it's not written condescendingly or in a preachy way. A favorite quote is "Failure is just part of the process, and it's not just okay; it's better than okay. God doesn't want failure to shut us down. God didn't make it a three-strikes-and-you're-out sort of thing. It's more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so we can swing for the fences again. And all of this without keeping a meticulous record of our screw-ups".
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Post by stever on Dec 31, 2013 4:07:01 GMT
I'm starting to read "Dance Dance Dance" by Haruki Murakami. It's very interesting so far and I'm really excited to read the rest of it.
I'm also reading some plays (besides "A Doll's House") over the break. I'm in the middle of "Tribes" by Nina Raine and "Angels in America, Part Two" by Tony Kushner. I'm also doing some playwriting of my own over the break, which feels great because I have not had much time to write independently during the school year.
I'm also reading "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman, which is a pretty engaging book about human psychology.
I am also envisioning a trip to Powell's in the near future, so this list may soon expand...
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Post by sheridanf on Dec 31, 2013 8:20:48 GMT
While I was on vacation last week I got a lot of reading done, and I'm really excited about what I read!
1. I finished Dance Dance Dance. So ready for the book club. I don't want to say much about it now, but I definitely think it's worth to read, especially with the incentive of extra credit.
2. While I was in the Portland airport waiting for my flight, I bought two John Green books because 1. I haven't read much from him, and what I have read has been a beautifully tragic-comedic-romantic-thoughtful roller coaster and 2. one of the books I bought happened to be The Fault in Our Stars, which I've been trying to get my hands on for a while but always seems to be checked out of the library. I finished The Fault in Our Stars in one day, even though it was my first day in Disneyland and I could have spent the entire day at the theme park. It can be a fast read but it's definitely a worthwhile read.
3. The other John Green book I bought was Paper Towns, which I bought because 1. it was right next to The Fault in Our Stars and 2. it was on sale, so I thought, "Why not?" Also really great. Some of the characteristics of John Green's novels that I found in both Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars are fantastic and complex characters that all of us can relate to and the immense wisdom and thoughtfulness that exudes from the pages. They're also great sources of emotional roller coasters if you want to feel a bit more human this winter break.
4. Having read both the John Green books and Dance Dance Dance while in SoCal, and with a 2-hour plane flight ahead of me, I randomly bought The Girl who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow. I'm currently only half-way through it, but so far I've really enjoyed it. It's especially for those who enjoy themes of race and identity.
Have fun on your winter break literary journeys, everyone!
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Post by mattagritelley on Dec 31, 2013 23:43:24 GMT
I recently finished Dance, Dance, Dance and absolutely loved it. Although maybe less action filled than A Wild Sheep Chase, Murakami's sequel takes us on a riveting meta-physical and meta-psychological exploration of human existence. I found it incredibly thought provoking and actually quite genius (I don't toss that term around lightly). From the moment I began reading, I couldn't set it down. I implore everyone to read this, simply for the sake of reading it-- it's well worth it.
I'm hoping to get a chance to read The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, sometime this next week, as it was a gift from my uncle, who is an editor for a publishing firm in New York City.
To be honest, I've never been big on reading. TV and movies usually work just fine for me. However, after reading Dance, Dance, Dance, I realized that there is something inherently more intellectually stimulating about reading than any other medium. I hope to explore more literature in the near future, particularly after finals week, when the residual stress from college apps and first semester grades slowly dissipates.
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Post by abbylyons on Jan 1, 2014 5:24:29 GMT
I've been slowly working my way through Chinese literature--I finished The Joy Luck Club a month ago and I've been trying to get through The Art of War but it's incredibly dense. In the version I own, for every sentence Sun Tzu wrote, there are about seven different commentaries about that one sentence. And then I actually have to think while reading all of it. Who thinks during winter break, anyway?
I have six large assignments (projects, essays, etc.) due after the break (thank goodness no college apps), so I don't really have time to read anything else. However, I recently found out that my swim coach, Mr. Branam, thinks Catch 22 is amazing. He expects me to read it by the end of the swim season, preferably as soon as possible. So if I can find the time, that's what I'll be reading.
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shanejohnson
New Member
"Kindness is the only investment that never fails." - Thoreau
Posts: 15 
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Post by shanejohnson on Jan 3, 2014 19:17:05 GMT
I tried not to set my “reading-goal” very high for this break as I knew in advance it would be pretty hectic and not allow for much down-time during which I could read. I planned in advance to not be able to pick up any of the books on my “To-Read” list. For anyone interested, that list (which is only in a rough order beginning with my higher-interest novels) includes Native Son, Infinite Jest, various Vonnegut novels I have yet to read, Life and Fate (a book with a very interesting history behind it), the newest two books in the “Pals in Peril” series (I’m not joking here - these are young adult books but very sharp and funny genre knock-offs), one of Jonathan Tropper’s books, and maybe The Good Lord Bird or Life After Life (both of which were published this year). At my current rate I may get through that list in the next four years or so… In reality, I had even less “personal time” than planned and have not yet been able to pick up Dance Dance Dance . We’ll see what the next three days have in store, but it looks like it will be joining the other novels in my above “To-Read” list, as I enjoyed Murakami’s writing greatly. That said, I have done small amounts of reading in non-novel form so far over the break. I read through a of a small collection of Richard Brautigan’s early work titled The Edna Webster Collection of Undiscovered Writings which he left with a friend before moving from Eugene to San Francisco. The collection displays both Brautigan’s sense of humor and also his ability to write creatively yet seriously on topics such as love and death. There was also a particularly moving longer-form piece from the perspective of an individual being put into the state insane asylum called ‘I Watched the World Glide Effortlessly By’. Following Amy’s example, here are two selections: I also found myself back reading through “Prufrock” another time while I was in the anthology reading A Doll’s House. There’s still something about the way Eliot captures very raw and relatable (for me, at least) human emotion as well as his choice of words that intrigues me in a “They is” sort of way. Some of the reviews that the anthology included also provide unique perspective to the poem, particularly “Will There Be Time?” by Maud Ellmann. Finally, I spent about 45 minutes during my ever fleeting free time beginning to read the screenplay that goes with Childish Gambino’s new album because the Internet. I had already heard the album in its entirety and enjoyed it, but reading it with the screenplay (which the music is meant to accompany much of) provided much more meaning to the music, especially songs I wasn’t as fond of. Both components compliment each other nicely and even explain each other. Certain radical shifts in tone within the album and even within songs became something I appreciated after reading the context of the scene. An excellent example of this was brought up by a music critic who wrote, “[one song] begins as a blippy trap number and takes a hard left on a found-sound fight sequence before landing on a psychedelic chamber jazz coda all because of a club night gone wrong in the [screen]play’s first act.” While the format of a screenplay places certain restrictions on the artfulness of the written word, the combination of mediums got me thinking about our critical perspectives. When I first heard the album without the screenplay (I did not find out about the screenplay until a friend who is in college mentioned it) I enjoyed portions of the album but found myself unsure of and even disliking other portions. The quality of the album was good but some of the artistic choices seemed too odd for me to get my head around. During that listen I was focused mostly on lyrical and musical elements of the songs. I would equate that to a Formalist perspective. However, the work itself found greater meaning when placed within the context of the “outside knowledge” that was the screenplay. I thought this experience was very similar to reading with a historical or other background to provide context to the author’s choices. Additionally, the things within the album that I found myself paying attention to changed with the screenplay. I found myself thinking about how my own lens (political) changes what a reader/critic finds to be important in art and how the other technical components become a means to further some idea that may not even be directly present in the work. For those of you interested, the screenplay (which has a few other multimedia components) can be found online at becausetheinter.net but you’ll have to find the album whatever way you choose on your own - I’m pretty sure you can stream it for free various places online. Also, Hannah I’m very glad you’re enjoying Tom! Diving into his work was a nice surprise last year and I think that Cowgirls is a nice place to start. He is a very, very witty writer and I honestly never got bored of the narrative ‘tangents’ he would get off on. You might be interested to know that he is an extremely meticulous writer - going over each individual sentence many times and choosing the words he uses very carefully. Well that’s about all I have to say! Hope you all have been enjoying your break. Shane
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Post by Jason Parris on Jan 3, 2014 22:06:05 GMT
Hello Friends! I've really enjoyed reading your posts about your reading, so I thought I would join in as well. I recently finished The Goldfinch, a novel published this year by Donna Tartt. It's a long, deliberately Dickensian novel, the kind wherein the plot twists keep your eyes both rolling and glued to the page. I was prepared for an overly sentimental denouement (is there any other kind?), but instead got a strikingly beautiful, ambiguous ending that also served as an unobtrusive treatise on the transcendent nature of art. So, score. I'm also reading Speedboat, by Renata Alder, a strange (which I mean as praise) novel that reminds me, in the way that it dispenses with traditional narrative structure, of a Trout Fishing in America for the late 1970's. Both Flesh and Not, a gift from my dad, is David Foster Wallace's third collection of essays and is currently burning a hole in my book bag while A Doll's House is burning a hole in my heart. Of course I'm Dance Dance Dancing as well. We'll have a party to chat about it after finals. Amy C.- I'm definitely going to check out some Derrick C. Brown. What I've read reminds a little bit of Charles Simic. Natalie- I can't find my copy of Working! And it was a gift from a good friend! I will put my hands on it, though. Scout's honor. Shane and Hannah- I think Villa Incognito is my favorite Tom Robbins novel, but Jitterbug Perfume is aces as well. Everyone- You inspire me and make me actually want to come back to work next week. Happy New Year! P.S: Beyonce's new record is the bee's knees. P.P.S.:  That's the painting The Goldfinch is based upon. |
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Post by naomiporter on Jan 5, 2014 2:26:05 GMT
I have not been reading a lot this break, but I went to Powell's today and probably read more sci fi today than I have in the last few years combined. It was mainly comprised of Isaac Asimov (I Robot) and a few short stories by Philip K. Dick. Other than sci fi, I reread some of my old favorites, including The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. I highly recommend this book; it is a combination of philosophy and mystery and is very compelling!
Also, I am finally rereading The Lord of the Rings, one of my all time favorite series. Since my brother and I had an LOTR marathon the other day, and yesterday was Tolkien's birthday, it was kind of necessary. Here is everyone's favorite poem (well, mine anyway) from the Fellowship:
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
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rishi
New Member
Posts: 38
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Post by rishi on Jan 5, 2014 5:33:01 GMT
I have never been the biggest reader, and for the longest time, I couldn't get myself to love books the way many of my friends do. Back in elementary school, I wrote a list of things I wanted to accomplish by the time I graduated high school, and one of my goals was to enjoy reading. Of course I wait until my senior year to pursue that goal.
I saw Winter Break as a great opportunity to read more books and to discover why everyone loves them so much. Now, I'm not saying that this break has been a life-changing experience for me, but I think that I am starting to appreciate the value and enjoyment in reading that I had discounted for so many years.
The first book I read was Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. If you've ever heard of the 10,000 hour rule and have wanted to know where that rule came from, this is the book for you! If you've ever desired a rational explanation for bizarre coincidences, this is the book for you! I tend to find the most value in writing that I can either relate to or apply to my life, and Outliers has both. Reading this novel, I learned to further appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities given to me because that, along with a little bit of luck, is what it takes to become successful.
Additionally, I really enjoyed Gladwell's anecdotal style of writing, something that I did not expect in a nonfiction novel. This made the story a lot more enjoyable to read. Now that I have finished Outliers, I plan to read another one of his novels, Blink, really soon.
Speaking of the luck and coincidences addressed in Outliers, like Naomi, I also went to Powell's over the break and spent a while there. I also read sci-fi while I was there. I also bought an Isaac Asimov book! He is sooooo interesting, but maybe that is just because I am a science person. Currently, I am reading The Gods Themselves which is a cool novel not only because it's about saving the world, but also because it weaves three seemingly independent plot lines together to explain how the world (or maybe I should say "worlds") is/are saved. It's dope.
Lastly, I plan on reading Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami. Everyone is saying how exciting it is, so I really am looking forward to reading it.
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Post by jennyxu on Jan 5, 2014 5:42:03 GMT
Winter break, sadly, did not allow any time for me to explore any new literature, so I will have to save that for summer break.
But I did get the chance to (finally) finish the Harry Potter series, as I read Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows over the break. (Yes, most of you probably finished the series years ago.) I look forward to trying some of your suggestions when I have the opportunity.
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Post by robertxu on Jan 5, 2014 19:59:19 GMT
I am currently reading Dance, Dance, Dance, but I just finished reading How Capitalism Will Save Us: Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer in Today's Economy by Steve Forbes. What I really enjoyed about the latter was that it gave me another perspective on the topic of economics. I'm a pretty hardcore demand-side guy, so it was nice to see someone make arguments for supply-side economics. The novel discussed the Great Recession, tax policy and the healthcare industry. The novel was really enjoyable to read because of the way it supplemented statistics with anecdotes and simple logic. I find that a lot of people who are opposed to trickle-down economics represent the other side using straw man arguments, which was why this novel had such a profound effect on me.
Ana: I can completely relate to you! My parents used to give me all these books as a 10-12 year old that had really inappropriate scenes. I mean I don't blame them titles/covers can be really deceptive. There should be a warning label on books that include sex or violence. However, it's really interesting to revisit those books and see the contrasting reader response between then and now. Once I go into the depths of my subconscious and sift through my repressed memories, I will find the title of the book I'm thinking about and post it here.
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Post by samwerner on Jan 5, 2014 22:02:28 GMT
Earlier in the year, we were asked to finish that sentence describing how we define a master work of literature. I responded with something about pure aesthetic joy, or conversely, something that gets my mind racing and forces me to challenge prior beliefs. I had the privilege of reading from both sides of the dichotomy this break. First, I read "The Storm," by Clive Cussler. When I think of a book that brings me pure enjoyment—is both gripping and easy to read—Clive Cussler is the first person to enter my mind. At that certain age in middle school where being able to say "Nahhh, I don't read," became the cool thing to do, my dad kept reading fun for me by giving me Clive after Clive. I can honestly say it is because of the intense joy I got from reading his books that I was able remain in love with reading. The first week of my break was spent sunbathing in Scottsdale, taking a break from critical thinking and delving deep into both an interesting adventure book, and the pool that I was lying next to.
After the first week, I was ready to start up my brain again, and bought "Dance Dance Dance." I'm not quite finished with it yet, but I love it. It has immediately earned a spot on my list of master works because it prompts me to be analytical at the flip of each page, while still having an interesting enough plot to keep me engaged. I'm looking forward to having an after-school discussion about this book because it has raised many points of interest that reflect some of the main topics we have focused on this year. One of my favorite parts so far was on page 69, when the narrator states, "It left me wondering how the ancient Egyptians filled their days, what little pleasures they enjoyed as they whiled their wear way to death. Learning to swim, wrapping mummies. And the sum accomplishment of that you call a civilization." It led me to think what few things our society will be remembered for once it's long gone.
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Post by shannonfender on Jan 6, 2014 0:19:08 GMT
My grandma gives me a Barnes and Noble gift card every year, so my mom and I bought a ton of books at the beginning of winter break. There is something oddly satisfying about buying books, so I (admittedly) went in way over my head. Regardless, here is my winter break reading list!
Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution Mr. Koepping gave this one to me to read for Con Law. It's by a University of Kansas professor named Forrest McDonald, and it is a very dense read. Koepping's annotations are helpful, but I can only make it through a chapter or so before becoming either bored or confused. To Mr. McDonald's credit, it is a very informative text, but I find it quite boring. I'm also only 3 chapters in, so my opinion may not be very valid.
East of Eden: I'm in the middle of reading East of Eden. Everyone loves this novel and I had never read it. I really love John Steinbeck's writing, so when I saw this at Barnes and Noble I decided to give it a go. Sorry Mr. Parris that I hadn't read this book until now.
"Gift of the Magi": My dad gave me a copy of "The Gift of the Magi" when I was a little kid and I read it every year around Christmastime. It's a classic, and takes maybe 5 minutes to read.
Stuff from Summer:
I had a few novels that were 90% finished from summer, so I read the last few chapters of an unfinished read. I finished The Help, and it was fantastic.
I haven't even started the other books I bought, but I'll maybe post an update when I get around to them. Most aren't super academic in nature, but I tend to be drawn to that sort of stuff. Thanks for sharing guys!
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Post by danyhong55 on Jan 20, 2014 22:16:23 GMT
I wasn't aware that this was a thing until just now. Um... the things I read this break was: - Caves of Steel
- Foundation
- Robots and Empire
All by Isaac Asimov, a very prolific science-fiction writer.
I also took the time to read Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. Have fun! |
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Post by yongkim on Jan 23, 2014 8:11:51 GMT
I just finished my book that I started at the end of Winter Break... finally! I read Raj Patel's The Value of Nothing, which sheds light on future plans to reshape the market society in the United States and redefine democracy. The book addresses an observation made by Oscar Wilde that “nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” The most intriguing topic that Patel discussed was the externalities of high profit corporations like McDonald's and other fast food restaurants. What we don't know is that corporations like McDonald's are profiting off of US consumers in other ways than just buying their food. In order to reduce its costs, McDonald's destroys our environment by causing eutrophication (which consumers in the US pay with their tax dollars) and receives subsidies from our federal government through the fattening of the beef on subsidized corn. The solution I, along with my Econ class, found was to have McDonald's pay for their negative externalities. This would force them to own up to their problems as well as decrease the US population's dependency on fast food, resulting in a healthier lifestyle. This is the first book about economics that I have ever read; however, I really enjoyed reading about the hidden facts of corporations as well as new, innovative ideas to reshape our current market society. If you're looking for a different read, I would highly recommend The Value of Nothing.
I am also in the middle of reading Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami!
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