Monday, July 9, 2018

1. Read all the books on the list of Goodreads 100 Books You Should Read In A Lifetime Pt. 4

I've really started to pick up steam on getting through this list - here are mini-reviews for 10 more!:


Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - Of course this was going to be sad. But damn... it was sad. The saddest part was how optimistic she was the entire time that they were all going to be fine, which of course I knew that wasn't true. Also, I made the mistake of reading the reviews on Goodreads when I was done and discovered that Holocaust deniers really are a thing...

Jane Eyre - This one was a slow-starter. I made it through the first hundred pages without having any idea what it was about. It turned out better than I expected though, and I love that she was a strong, independent woman who didn't need no man... mostly. I could have done without the entire St. John storyline, and it's weird that she just sort of forgives Mr. Rochester for being married and not telling her about it... There are some holes in the story for sure... But it was entertaining at least.

Night - One of the best parts about reading books on this list is that I don't know what many of them are about until I sit down and start reading. I had no idea this book was non-fiction about the Holocaust, and just like Anne Frank, it was incredibly depressing. Both of these books definitely got me thinking about that period in history though, and now I'm seeking out more and more information on it.

The Holy Bible: New King James Version - Yes, I did it. I read the entire Bible, cover to cover. And I did it in a month. I knew if I didn't impose some sort of arbitrary time limit on myself I'd never finish it... I was not raised in a religious household, and Bible study was not a thing I did as a child. I learned SO MUCH while reading the Bible, but here are some of the biggest takeaways I have:

1. For the time it was written, it's a fairly liberal document.
2. I can see why Jews and Christians did not get along for a time - "So yeah, all that stuff that guy Moses said? You can just ignore it because I'm here now and I'm going to tell you how it should really be."
3. Things I've heard from supposed Christians around me throughout my life turn out to be, a lot of the time, a gross misinterpretation of The Bible. I'm not sure if it's organized religion who touts these lies or if it's their parents or whatever, but I was astounded and how NOT angry The Bible made me compared to how angry religious posts on Facebook make me. That by itself was incredibly frustrating.
4. So much other literature alludes to The Bible, and I was missing out on so much by not being educated in the topics in it.

I can't believe how much I enjoyed reading it, honestly. That sounds crazy, and people thought I was crazy while I was reading it. (I literally carried it everywhere with me for that month.) I feel like reading it filled a huge gap in my knowledge that I've always had, and it was extremely fulfilling.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - First, I hate when books that have a huge following turn out to be as good as everyone says they are, which this one did. I have no idea why I hate this so much. Second, I was really hoping this book wouldn't make me want to read the entire series, but it did of course. Third, Swedish names are super hard to pronounce, and I'm pretty sure I read them all wrong in my head the entire time.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - This one was a slow-starter too, but I really ended up enjoying it. It's a coming-of-age story, which aren't typically some of my favorites, but this one was good. The fact that it took place in NY helped, I'm sure, because I feel a sort of attachment with it due to Rich being from there. One spoiler though - I cannot believe Lee just abandoned Francie. That made me so mad.

In Cold Blood - This is another one of those that I had no idea about the plot line before I started. I didn't know this was a true crime novel until right before I started reading. It actually read like a fiction novel, so I had to keep reminding myself that it was non-fiction. I read some articles about the story that said Truman Capote took liberties with a lot of the stuff in the book, and that makes me sad. I wish it were more facts and less embellishments.

Water for Elephants - I really liked everything about this book except the love story. The circus parts were great. The love story was wildly unbelievable. There was absolutely no tension between the protagonist and his love interest; they were just... in love. Just like that. It was odd.

The Raven - So this is not a book. It's a poem. It turns out this poem is really only published in books with a bunch of other poems. I just do not get poetry. The Raven is actually a good poem, because it has a plot. Sort of. But some of the others in this book I read of Poe's works made my brain bleed. I really wish I did "get" poetry though... maybe some day.

And Then There Were None - I read this entire book in one sitting. It was so good. Of course, Agatha Christie is the "Queen of Mystery", so I should have expected nothing less. But I really had absolutely no idea who the killer was in this book until the epilogue told me so. I was afraid the plot would be confusing with so many people involved in the story, but it was incredibly easy to follow and very enjoyable.


I'm now almost 50% of the way through this list, and I'm so proud of myself! I'm having a really good time with this, even if I haven't loved all the books on it.