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Back to the Classics Challenge 2015 Wrapup
One of the two challenges I took part in this year was the Back to the Classics Challenge, in which the participant had to read books that matched twelve pre-set categories. There’s a $30 Amazon.com prize on the line: Complete six categories, and you get one entry in the drawing Complete nine categories, and you get two entries in the drawing Complete all twelve categories, and you get three entries in the drawing I only finished eight of the twelve books. Technically, nine of the books, but I just finished the The Metamorphosis and haven’t had a chance to do a write-up on it. Despite failing somewhat, it was still…
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Without Feathers
Without Feathers by Woody Allen Published: 1975 Length: 224 pages This has been on my shelf for years now, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up. I love Woody Allen’s humour, but sometimes I need a little push to pick up short story and essay collections. Thankfully this was on my TBR Pile Challenge list this year. This is a very random book. There are essays, two single-act plays, excerpts from fictional journals, and alternative histories. You never know what you’re going to get as you start each piece, which makes for an exciting read. Even the title, a take on Emily Dickinson’s poem “‘Hope’ is the thing…
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A House of Pomegranates
A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde Published: 1891 Length: 162 pages This is Oscar Wilde’s second collection of fairy tales. The particular edition that I have is a 2011 recreation of the 1914 edition, which includes the original colourful illustrations by Scottish illustrator Jessie Marion King throughout the book. I bought this new and mine smells weirdly strong of glue, which is a odd note to start a review with, but seriously. It was distracting. This contains four stories: The Young King The Birthday of the Infanta The Fisherman and his Soul The Star-Child I really didn’t like the first story, The Young King, and I was worried the…
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The Magician’s Nephew
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis Published: 1955 Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh Series: The Chronicles of Narnia #6 (#1 in Chronological order) Length: 03:57 I’m actually not sure how many of the Narnia books I read when I was a kid. I had a collection that I stole from my sister, and I think I read through most of them, but I remember so little from any of them. If only I had been writing down my thoughts on books back then. Oh, the insights I would have now. I imagine I’d mainly be comparing them with The Hardy Boys and punctuating my thoughts with ‘psych!’ and ‘not!’. So really,…
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November in Review
Books Acquired: None. Books Read: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde Without Feathers by Woody Allen A couple of the books I picked up to read this month were to finish up the 2015 TBR Pile Challenge, which I was lagging behind on a bit. I’m currently in the middle of Stephen Fry in America, which will finish that off. I’ve decided to only go for nine of my classic picks for the Back to the Classics Challenge this year, so I’ll be finishing that up…