Can I Read That?

I was sitting on the subway on my way to work this morning, listening to my iPod and reading as usual. I like to balance my iPod, purse, book, mug-o-coffee, and sometimes other odds and ends all on my lap. It's a talent I'm perfecting. Anyway...a nice lady sat down next to me, balancing her backpack on her lap and started writing in her journal.

After a while I noticed that she had stopped writing and was reading my book along with me. I actually don't mind people reading "over my shoulder" so to speak. After about five pages and getting close to my stop to get off, I took off my earphones and let her see the cover. She was all smiles, wrote down the title in her journal, said, "Thank you, I'll have to read that book". That kind of made my day.

In case you're curious, the book was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and I had just started reading it this morning.

Question: Where do you get ideas of books you want to read?

Umm..yeah

So I recently got a request from a lovely blogger named Bree at The Things We Read to post more photos, etc. from when I lived in Alaska. And I guess more of NYC. I've definitely enjoyed and am enjoying living in both these places.

So I was busy scanning some photos from back in the day when I waded in the Arctic Ocean...and then it happened. My computer got drunk. Ok. That's sort of a lie. Amanda being the lovely klutz that she is decided to pour a whole glass of wine over her computer. The computer still has a hang-over. So hopefully soon the computer will recover from this head-ache...possibly with a little help from AA (or Best Buy) and will be back on its feet in no time.

Until then, please enjoy this photo of me and The Bear (a.k.a. Anna Bear) in Chugach State Park near Anchorage, Alaska.

Book Update - The Last Summer (of You and Me)

A little while ago I won a contest held by The Book Club Girl. Her blog is a great resource for all things book. I won a copy of the book The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares. It's the perfect summer "beach" read and it even came with a beach towel :)

I've been quite tired in the mornings for some reason so I've been needing a light read to keep me awake on my subway commute to work. So I picked up this book. I would have never have read this book if I hadn't won it but I am so glad I did. What a perfect touching summer read.

The plot is simple and sweet but what really draws you into the story is the writing. I really like how Ann Brashares describes people and the setting. The story is set on Fire Island near New York City. Fire Island is a long thin strip piece of land off Long Island. Every summer since they can remember, sisters Riley and Alice have spent their summers on Fire Island with their next door neighbor Paul. Riley and Paul are the same age and are best friends. Alice is three years younger and has always tagged behind Riley and Paul.

Now the three friends are in their early twenties, back on the island for summer and in that perfect "in-between" stage of growing up. Of course this is a story about families, about sisters, of tragedy, and about first love. While not too original themes, the way the authors depict the characters, the emotion, and the setting is what makes this book. I also have to admit that I liked this book too because I liked the sisters. Since I have an older sister I totally related to the relationship between Riley and Alice. Riley reminded me of my sister and of course I identified with the younger sister Alice.

The author Ann Brashares is the author of the popular teen series, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which was also made into a movie. This is Ann Brashares first adult book. While it's not a huge literary piece of work, it is the perfect light summer book.

Also reviewed by:
The Book Club Girl
Muse Book Reviews
The Written Word

Completed - 1% Well-Read Challenge

I finally finished the 1% Well-Read Challenge.

The challenge was to read 10 books on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list in 10 months. I completed the challenge in just a little over two months. Yay!

You can check out my list of the books I chose to read below and they are linked to my reviews of the books.


Amanda's 1% Well-Read List

1. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood (Finished May 20, 2008)

2. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy (Finished May 22, 2008)

3. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (Finished May 30, 2008)

4. The Light of Day - Graham Swift (Finished June 01, 2008)

5. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins (Finished June 10, 2008)

6. The Colour - Rose Tremain (Finished June 20, 2008)

7. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks (Finished July 09, 2008)

8. Sexing the Cherry - Jeanette Winterson (Finished July 12, 2008)

9. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston (Finished July 15, 2008)

10. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (Finished July 24, 2008)

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11. Summer - Edith Wharton (Finished July 31, 2008)

12. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon (Finished August 5, 2008)

13. The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje (Finished August 21, 2008)

14. Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel (Finished September 14, 2008)

15. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen (Finished September 19, 2008)

16. The Turn of the Screw - Henry James (Finished October 06, 2008)

17. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde (Finished October 21, 2008)

18. Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut (Finished February 06, 2009)

19. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote (Finished March 04, 2009)

20. Rabbit, Run - John Updike (Finished March 12, 2009)

21. If on a winter's night a traveler - Italo Calvino (Finished March 25, 2009)

22. 1984 - George Orwell (Finished April 15, 2009)

23. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad (Finished June 07, 2009)

24. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Finished October 11, 2009)

25. The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Charles Dickens (Finished October 20, 2009)

26. Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys (Finished October 23, 2009)

27. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway (Finished October 30, 2009)

28. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (Finished December 4, 2009)

29. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (Finished December 10, 2009)

30. Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll (Finished December 22, 2009)

31. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Path (Finished December 23, 2009)

32. Persuasion - Jane Austen (Finished December 28, 2009)

33. Eugénie Grandet – Honoré de Balzac (Finished December 31, 2009)

34. Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf (Finished February 08, 2010)

35. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (re-read) (Finshed February 17, 2010)

1001 Book Update - Jane Eyre

I finally got around to reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. While I am a fan of Jane Austin, I never really delved into any Bronte books. As you probably know, the Bronte sisters: Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Each was talented at writing and produced a few classic books. I read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in high school and really didn't like it. I think I will have to go back and re-read it though. After reading Jane Eyre and having LOVED it, I am going to check out more Bronte books.

Jane Eyre is the story of an un-loved, plain, poor, and parent-less girl. The book does a great job describing her painful growing up years. After her parents die, Jane is left in the hands of a loveless aunt who sends Jane off to school at the age of ten. Jane become a talented educated young lady, but unfortunately never a beauty. After eight or so years at school, Jane manages to get herself a position as a governess.

I always assumed that the novel ends there...she meets someone, falls in love...yadayada. But no! This is not your typical romance story. Jane is plain but good. Her hero Mr. Rochester is not handsome and a bit gruff. And the servants are hiding a huge secret that could drive Jane and Mr. Rochester apart.

I apparently thought I had read this book because a while back I had seen a 1996 movie version and, honestly, it didn't impress me too much. Jane was a little too mousy for me. I don't think I even watched the whole movie because the second half of this book totally caught me off guard. I can see now after reading the book how hard it would be to portray Jane and Mr. Rochester in just the right way.

The book was much much better. I totally felt for Jane and thought she was an amazing character. She eventually gains happiness but she only does it on her terms. Again and again she was tested and could have chosen the easy path, but she didn't. While Mr. Rochester isn't my favorite male lead...by the end of the story I really liked his character.

There is a newer version of Jane Eyre which was recently aired on PBS which is supposed to be pretty darn good. I also have to say I want to watch it because the character of Mr. Rochester is played by Toby Stephens who does an amazing job as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby.

Just a question: For those of you who have read Jane Eyre or watched the any of the movie versions, what are your opinions? Do you like the book better? Did the movie turn you on or off the story of Jane?

P.S. I read Jane Eyre on Google Books. A great resource for reading books online that are past the copyrighted protection. Make sure you search the "Full-view" only for the book in its entirety.

This is the 1996 movie:

This is the newer version which aired on PBS this year:


Also reviewed by:

Things Mean a Lot
Bookworms and Tea Lovers
Ticket to Anywhere
Book Nut
Books Love Me
Becky's Book Reviews
At Home With Books
Nothing of Importance
Jazzster Reviews

Books by the Season

I finished up reading Charlotte Bronte's classic novel Jane Eyre. You may know Charlotte by her sister, Emily Bronte who wrote Wuthering Heights.

I was sitting at home talking to my husband and pondering upon my next "classic" book to read. I mentioned that I was thinking of reading a Charles Dickens book since I've never read his work before. "NO!" my husband stated. I looked at him stunned. "Why not?" I asked. "You CAN'T read Dickens in the summer." This seemed logical.

So I am reading Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte, sister of said Charlotte and Emily.

So do you read books according to the season? If you do...what books/authors can you only read in certain seasons? And why?

UPDATE: I decided that Agnes Grey felt a little to, well, grey for me for a sunny summer day. So I took some fellow book lovers advice and have switched to reading Summer by Edith Wharton. Now this seems like a book I have to read during the summer :)

Thanks to Chris and Lisa!! And thanks to Heather, Steinbeck will probably be next on my list.

Van Gogh + Movie Star

So I LOVE Vincent Van Gogh. His paintings, his sketches, his writing.

I also am going to see the Dark Knight movie this weekend and am pretty excited.

So what does Van Gogh and Christian Bale have in common? Go to the Van Gogh's Chair blog to find out.