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The Classics Club – Year One
As of March 23rd, I’ve been in The Classics Club for one whole year. I can’t believe it’s been a year already, but I’m happy to say I’m well ahead of schedule. The goal I set was fifty books in five years, the minimum requirement, as I wasn’t sure how I’d adjust to reading more classics. I’ve now reviewed fifteen books, and I have another one waiting to go. There are still quite a few classics I find daunting, Dickens and anything Russian come to mind, but I’ve found that this has been much more of a pleasure than a struggle. It’s possible my view of what a classic is…
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The End of the Affair
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene Published: 1951 Narrated By: Colin Firth I’ll start this off by saying I pirated this book. I usually buy all of my audio books from Audible, but The End of the Affair isn’t offered in Canada. Licensing issues I’m guessing, which is something that occasionally plagues us here. I’d been itching to read a Graham Greene book for quite some time, and the chance to have Colin Firth narrate it was too tempting to pass up. I blame Canadian licensing restrictions for forcing me into a life of crime. Maurice Bendrix is a writer in London during the Second World War. While…
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A Dance with Dragons
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin Published: 2011 I finished it! Good lord, this one took me a while. The middle of a George R.R. Martin book is not the place to hit a reading slump. It’s funny, I went through a period where I read long fantasy novels almost to the exclusion of everything else, but these days anything over 400 pages gives me pause. I guess I just don’t have the attention span anymore. There was too much material in the last book, A Feast for Crows, so half of the characters’ stories were moved into this book. They both begin at the same time, but…
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That’s What Bilbo Baggins Hates
Listen below to hear J.R.R. Tolkien sing That’s What Bilbo Baggins Hates. It’s neat to hear it from the man himself. Note: this might not show up on RSS feeds. [via] Chip the glasses and crack the plates! Blunt the knives and bend the forks! That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates— Smash the bottles and burn the corks! Cut the cloth and tread on the fat! Pour the milk on the pantry floor! Leave the bones on the bedroom mat! Splash the wine on every door! Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl; Pound them up with a thumping pole; And when you’ve finished if any are whole, Send them down…
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Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Published: 1966 Narrated by: Jeff Woodman I somehow managed to completely miss this book growing up. I only became aware of it in the last few years. I see it spoken of as if it’s The Outsiders at times, so I’m guessing it must be part of school curriculum for some, but I knew absolutely nothing about it. In fact, I thought it was a classic fantasy novel when I picked it up. I suppose Algernon sounded fantasy-ish to me, and I hadn’t heard of Algernon Charles Swinburne, the poet that inspired the name. There’s a bunch I don’t know, it turns out. Flowers…
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Bossypants
Bossypants by Tina Fey Published: 2011 Narrated by: Tina Fey I started watching 30 Rock this last fall (I’m way behind, I know), and as everyone probably does after they start watching, I’ve become obsessed with Tina Fey. I’d heard rave reviews of her new book, the audio version of which was nominated for a Grammy, so I knew I had to read it. To say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair. It’s a fairly quick tour through her life, keeping it fun and humourous. It begins in her younger years, growing up awkward, and continues through to her…