Ohh I so can't wait to read this

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A Picture of Dorian Gray--Oscar Wilde

•                          Pub. Date: June 2003
•                          Publisher: Barnes & Noble
•                          Format: Paperback , 288pp
•                          ISBN-13: 9781593080259 
•                          Genre:  Gothic Fiction        
  

A Portrait of Dorian Gray was the only novel written by Oscar Wilde.  It was originally published in 1890.  

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The Windup Girl

(review under construction)

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We by Zamyatin

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (July 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-0812974621
• Language: Russian (originally)
• Genre(s): Dystopian Novel, Science Fiction

This novel was originally written by Zamyatin during 1920-1921, and paints an interesting picture of a dystopian totalitarian state. The tale itself centers around D-503, a cipher of the One State, and is written in almost a journal entry style.

The One State, a world where buildings are created of glass and the Guardians/Spies can watch every ciphers movement and behaviors. Daily life is regimented by a time table that clearly lays out how each Cipher is to expend their time in the most efficient way and is the most beneficial to the one state. D-503, as stated previously, is a cipher of the One State. He is a mathematician who is working on building the Integral, a spaceship designed to help the One State conquer the universe. The book is actually a record that he plans to send along inside the Integral during it's maiden voyage. During the course of the novel he becomes entangled with a female cipher who he develops an obsessiveness for and may or may not be his undoing.

I found the novel to be a quiet enjoyable read and rather intriguing, but as I have stated before I enjoy dystopian literature. Although at times the novel seemed a bit dry and the ending seemed a little forced and possibly even quite predictable I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Orwell's 1984.

The Windup Girl and next read

This is just a quick update, finished the WindUp girl on the 1st and started to type up the post.. That should hopefully be up by tomorrow. The next read is actually from the 1001 books to read before you die list and a selection for the shelfari group dedicated to that list. The book is We by Yevgeny Zamyatin.





If I get to read like I want to I should have this and Dorian Grey finished by the end of this week along with the posts related to them.


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Finally an update...ftw

Alright guys after a long sabbatical due to reasons I cannot explain thoroughly at this time I come bearing good news....



A new review and updated reviews will follow soon. This book was actually ordered and sat on my to be read pile for a bit. To my surprise it is a selection for my science fiction reading group's book of the month...along with a previously reviewed book The Hunger Games





You can see the review in a previous post. Also this is being turned into a movie with a tentative release date in 2013... And for Geek out purposes I would just like to share a Hot Topic find.




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Audio Books:....

I am still struggling with the notion of audio books, I had briefly listened to a few classics many winters ago while living in Nebraska, but as I've moved back to Ca..I find that I just don't listen to them.  I ended up getting an Audible account and to this day only downloaded one book.  So now i sit here with 7 audible credits that I'm trying to find books I'm willing to give a chance to.  I don't know why I cannot get through them.  

On a side note I have been reading but not been updating the blog.  A lot of it stems from my staying away from my pc.  I promise dear readers that I will get myself back on track...

autobiographies.. destroy the myth of heros in our mind..

Now I remember why I usually refrain from reading autobiographies about some of my favorite writers.  The myth and ideal of them I keep in my mind about them from their writing is always so much better then coming to terms with tragic faults of one's hero. Esp. in the context of Salinger and Kerouac... they go from being hero.. to their human roots when the myth of them is destroyed by the errors of their lives.. to be honest although it does change my opinion of them it does not make them any less my literary heroes ....

an abrupt end to a unexpected sabbatical

I know that there has been such an extended delay since my last update, due to a series of unfortunate events (no book pun intended),a result of  personal issues that had become all consuming in my life.  I have not been too distracted from my current reading habits but I was unable to harness the willpower to update regularly. So consider this another mini update.

Reviews to come:
The Devil and Miss Prym -Paulo Coelho
The Pilgrimage-Paulo Coelho
Eleven Minutes-Paulo Coelho
Off Magazine Street-Ronald Everrett Capps
Put the Book Back on the Shelf-Anthlogy
The Reincarnationist-M.J. Rose
Automated Alice-Jeff Noon
Pollen-Jeff Noon
The Unit-Ninni Holmqvist

I promise reviews on all these books and they shall be updated soon.  I am taking a personal vacation for three weeks starting in May.  There will probably be more books updated on the list prior to all the updates being added.

Current lack of any real update

My current lack of any real update these day hasn't simply been because of any lack of reading, I've completed like 3 books since finishing Pandemonium. Paulo Coelho and books revolving around Gnosticism have been topics of interest that I have been reading lately. .. I promise and update soon. I've been enduring some personal issues that have caused a bit of a drop my enthusiasm or desire to do this. I promise,mainly to myself here, that I will be returning with reviews soon.

Pandemonium-Daryl Gregory

Pandemonium

Daryl Gregory

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st Edition/1st Printing edition (August 26, 2008)
• ISBN-13: 978-0345501165

    Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory is this authors first full length novel.  The novel centers our Del Pierce, who was possessed at the age of 5 by a demon called the "Hellion" who never left his body although had been believed to have been exorcised. Del embarks on a dangerous journey to free himself of this demon. His world is plagued with demon possessions, an appearance by Philip K. Dick. and Jungian Psychology...Metaphysics..and an a conclusion that leaves you hoping for a sequel.

     Where to start the review, I had been contemplating this most of all after I completed the novel last night during work. I didn't have horrible things to say, and I have a huge habit of gushing over the novels that I absolutely love. This falls into the latter category of course.  Gregory's fast paced prose and wonderful story line intrigue the reader almost instantly and lead the reader to devour the novel as quickly as possible because you have to know what happens. The novel reads fast and I definitely wouldn't consider this a "snack" book because as you read this you're left questioning you own ideas of Possession, Psychology, and even Mental Illness. Unlike most possession novels there aren't very overt religious overtones, no "power of Christ compels you", this one centers  a lot around psychological aspects of possession and that's what had sucked me in. Would I recommend this novel to anyone? Hell Yes. It's a quick great sci-fi read that I think most would enjoy.  My only real disappointment with the book was in the format, for those of us who like the format, the publisher only released this in paperback. I would have loved to have it in Hardcover.

-you may now return to your regularly scheduled programming-
GeekybookGirl

from the shelf to a mountain of books

Organizing and cataloging have turned into a bigger endeavor than I had originally anticipated. I had purchased the book cataloging software from Collectorz.com, it utilizes the Cuecat scanner to scan barcodes on books and then upload all the ISBN information into their software creating a wonderful and easy to use database. I love this software and definitely recommend it to anyone who has a large library.

Yesterday afternoon, I had decided to scan the few volumes I had on my small 3 shelf bookshelf. I hadn't planned on so many volumes, I had wrongly assumed that since most were paperbacks/trade paperbacks that there wouldn't be so many. I had already scanned most of the volumes previously but as I continued it was 200 volumes that I had scanned as the afternoon progressed into night. Unfortunately now most of these volumes are neatly stacked in piles on the floor until I can go through and rearrange the books by genre, the alphabetize them. Yeah I'm hardcore like that. :).

As I was going through the volumes I did notice that I need to get hardcover volumes of the paperback volumes that I own, only because of the fact that I'm partial to them simply because of how they look on my bookshelf. I still have my large bookshelf to conquer but I think that will have to wait till a later date or at least till my vacation. The task is turning into a bigger venture than I had planned.

The Loss of A Literary Giant

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_on_en_ot/us_obit_salinger_12

Today .... BookGeekism.. Mourns the loss of a literary Icon.. J.D. Salinger Passed away today at the age of 91. My condolences go out to his family and friends.. His fans will miss him dearly. He has inspired so many of us with his novels, Catcher in the Rye, Nine Stories, Raise the Roof Beam High/Seymour-an introduction... Pieces of fiction which inspired me to read more, and to study in depth English and American Literature. As a fan, I cannot explain the sense of loss--at this tragedy...

The Huger Games-Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 14, 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0439023481

Okay so here is my very delayed review of the Hunger Games, I finished this book almost 2 weeks ago. Bad I know, especially since I am already 3/4ths of the way through the 2nd book and have already pre-ordered the 3rd book. Hopefully that gives you a clue as to how much I love this series thus far. Once again we are delving into another young adult book that resides in my favorite genre, post-apocalyptic, dystopian etc..

So I guess I'll start by giving you my back of the book blurb. In the not to distant future, Katniss (our wonderful heroine) lives in District 12,the area formally known as Appalachia. The whole of what is probably North America divided up into 12 districts all answering to the Capital. So the Capital decides that in order to continue to maintain control of the populous, they have installed severe rules with even more severe punishments, and also the Hunger Games. Where each district must offer up 2 tributes through a lottery system and all 24 tributes must battle it out till there is one survivor standing. During the lottery, Katniss' sister is originally picked up and Katniss volunteers to take her place. Katniss and Her Male tribute partner, Peeta, are shipped off to the Capital to endure training and preparations for, and eventually the Hunger Games themselves. This first installment of the series deals with the events of the Hunger Games themselves, with the Capital and the relationship between Katniss and Peeta. With an ending that will leave you going.. OMGWTFBBQ (sue me couldn't resist that one :) )

If you have not guessed it already, I loved this book and devoured it. Yes it is also another young adult reading selection, (I have a tendency to look at the books while I wait for my younger sister to make her selections). This novel does follow in the footsteps of other dystopian literature-1984, A Brave New World, etc-and in her own way Collins does illustrate the problems of our modern society in the behaviors of the Capital residents. From her opinions on a Totalitarian State, The Have's vs Have Not's and society's own grotesque interest in violence for the sake of violence. Collins' style of writing is definitely clear, concise and her descriptions of the world draw you in to the Capital and District 12 as if you had seen them all your life. The love story in the novel is also a cute portion of the story that softens the harshness of the narrative. I would easily recommend and give this book to anyone, it's an enjoyable read. The story is engaging and draws the reader in almost immediately. Truth be told I couldn't put it down and only did when it couldn't be helped, for work and for sleep. So if you're reading this, and this rather biased opinion of mine piques your interest in the book, go order it from amazon, or barnes and noble and read it.. and Love it.

-Geeky Book Girl
read,eat,read,sleep,read, live..

Hardcover or Paperback: My Elitism....

Maybe because I am an aspiring book collector (even though my financial means prohibit this severely) , or maybe it is because I prefer the heft of a hardcover book in my hands, I prefer hardcover novels to their lighter more manageable siblings the paperback. Although for someone who tends to carry their books around with them one would suspect that I am prone to paperbacks just for their sheer portability, but that is a negative. I own many paperback books and look at them in dismay longing for leather bound (yes... leather bound.. sorry I can only take my tree hugging bunny loving non animal cruelty self so far) hardcover editions. God forbid anything happen to any of my hardcover books, I would probably have an aneurysm, a coronary, and a small personal apocalypse if I ever lost one of these precious volumes and the memories associated with them.

Granted none of these books are probably collectors items, no real worth other than the price on their book jacket. But they each hold some form of memory. There is only one paperback, that was in my collection, that holds such a similar sway over my memory. The piece is no longer part of my collection, as I had gifted it to someone who meant..means... quiet a lot...(excuse me for saying this with some sort of sadness or apprehension.. this individual has currently removed themselves from my life......I'm digressing.) As cliche as it might sound the one book that held so much meaning and was read till it was falling to pieces and bound together with tape, was a brown covered tattered copy of JD Salinger's Catcher In The Rye. ( One might ask why I would part with such an important part of my collection... to this I will only answer.. that is between me and it's new owner who I don't know if he will ever read it or not, but it is with someone who I believe knows it's personal value to me.)

Except for my Salinger paperbacks, most of my paperback purchases these day are only books that only partially spark my interest, maybe something about their story has piqued my curiosity but not drawn me in enough to want to make it something that is a part of my personal collection. One such paperback that I can recall is The Road-Cormac McCarthy, this book, although praised so highly by many was pure drudgery to get through. It was far easier to get through The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, but still, it fell under quick classification of books I simply did not like. Those who know me know I do love my fair share of dystopian and apocalyptic tales but that book will not become permanent collection and has been relegated to paperback land.. a desolate shelf near the desk, holding books that may find themselves quickly loaned out or given away.

I am not sure why I prefer hardcover books to paperbacks, it's most likely because they look better on the bookshelf, maybe it is nothing more than aesthetics, maybe it's something more.. durability...endurance (shakes head).. no.. that is not the word... the give me.. something that seems far more tactile and persevering to leave behind than paperbacks....


-This has been another wonderful ramble of jumbled thoughts from the GeekyBookGirl Herself--

Edga Allan Poe-Happy Birthday Our Dearly Departed Poet

As any Poe enthusiast knows, for years there has been an unknown person who has gone to Poe's grave-site and left behind Cognac and a Rose. The Huffington Post reported today that this Unknown individual had not shown today. Upon reading this I almost cried, although this iconic poet has many followers and admirers to this day, it was disheartening and it almost like this unknown individual abandoned our poet.

My most formal introduction to the poet and his classic the Raven, was in my freshman english class in high school. My instruction of my AP English class, gave us each a candle, on our desk, lit it. and then he began to read it with the lights in the class room dimmed. This is my most vivid Memory of Mr. Boutin. He is what inspired me to become an English teacher, what pushed me to see the beauty in the written word. At that moment, hearing the words, seeing them on the mimeographed pages that lay before me on those uncomfortable desks at 6th period. I saw the beauty of the written word, I saw the power of the English language. I always like to say Salinger was the one who lead me down the path of loving the written word, but in all truth, I am sure Poe was just as strong as of an influence.

So my dearly deceased poet, I wish you a Happy Birthday, thank you for your inspiration... and the inspiration and horrifying wonderment you have given us all..

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Genesis
Bernard Beckett

• Hardcover: 150 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (April 20, 2009)
• ISBN: 978-0547225494

So where do I start in my review in this novel. I came across the title while surfing other personal book review blogs and was intrigued by the readers review of the novel. At 150 pages it was a very quick read and I finished it one day and thoroughly enjoyed the quick read. The novel is considered a Young Adult piece of work but I think even most adults will find the subject matter interesting enough to get sucked into the work to the point you can not and will not want to put it down till you finish it.

A post apocalyptic novel centers that around Anaximander, in the novel she is being examined for her entrance into the prestigious "The Academy" who are the Philosopher Kings who run the Republic. During the examination she is presenting her take on a portion of their history, specifically relating to an Adam Forde and his imprisonment and interaction with an advanced ai android created during their time. During the examination we learn about Anax, the Republic, Adam Forde and his history and Anax's connection to Adam. with a chilling ending that will leave you in shock.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone, regardless of your preference for science fiction. The author has created a world and story that draw you in and keep you spell bound till the very end. There is also an amazing tie in to Plato's Republic and the question of progress and it's costs seems to be an underlying theme as well. I do not believe I can gush more about this book than I have to people I have told about it in person. All I can say is Read it!!! :)

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold

I offer up a prayer to the patron saint of Bookgeeks--Looks like the closest I'm going to get is Saint Jerome, the patron Saint of Librarians.. I cannot get through this book. Maybe it's because I'm not a fanatic for spy novels. I have tried and tried to read this book but I cannot get into it, I feel like I am limping along with a mortal wound and this book is driving the sword further in.. I don't know what it is. It is a well written novel, and an easy read but the material does not interest me. I was even shocked when the book group even wanted to compare it to Ian Flemmings 007. I'm not sure what to do next, Lady Chatterley's Lover is the next book for the group and I honestly look forward to that more than anything else. I currently have cast aside LeCarre's "masterpiece" and picked up something not so renowned Genesis by Bernard Beckett. I will be offering up the review of that novel on Monday instead of LeCarre's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold....

The Book and The Reader

I meant to post this yesterday but lack of sleep and the beginning of my work week prohibited me from soon so. So January's reading list has been only slightly difficult to pick.. The 1001 book selections were picked by the shelfari group and they are, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by Le Carre... Lady Chatterley's Lover by Lawrence... I have had to pick to other selections for this month and hopefully a 5th. I have selected another R.K. Narayan.. Which is picked from a collection given to my by Dearest H. And the other I am considering is a history of Indian literature in English.... Or the myths of Mexico and Central America..

I am loathe to say that the intro to Le Carre's novel has yet to grab me or lead me to believe it is a page turner...

I fear this book may find itself tossed back on the shelf if it doesn't become more engrossing...