Sisterhood Everlasting

I'll be the first to admit it - I'm a huge fan of Ann Brashares' Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. In fact, I'm almost certain Brashares closely studied me and my best friends when creating Lena, Bridget, Tibby, and Carmen simply because they were so incredibly relatable. So, when I found out Brashares had written a sequel to the series, set ten years after the last book, I couldn't wait to read it.

The girls are ten years older, 29, and work, love, and life have taken them in different directions. Tibby has moved to Australia with boyfriend Brian, Carmen leads a fast-paced, glued-to-iPhone-life in New York as a TV actress, Lena teaches at Rhode Island School of Design quietly and contentedly, and Bridget is in California with Eric still as reckless and restless as ever. While their friendship lives on, despite hasty phone calls, few visits, and distracted lives, it's clear to them it's not the same. So, when the Carmen, Lena, and Bridget receive Tibby's invitation to reunite in Greece, they jump at the chance to see one another and relive their younger days.

This book isn't like the others in the series. It's not as lighthearted, as the girls have to deal with tragedy, loss, love, marriage, children, careers; real life. It's a must read by anyone who's grew up with the Traveling Pants as it's not only a tribute to the Sisterhood, but to real, honest-to-goodness friendship.

The Screwtape Letters

Today I finished reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. First published in 1942, the story takes shape in epistolic form - a series of letters written by a senior demon named Screwtape and addressed to his nephew, Wormwood, a young "tempter." The letters concern a human man, only referred to as the "patient." Screwtape advises and critiques Wormwood as he attempts to encourage sin and thus lead the patient away from the Enemy.

From this morally reversed point of view, individual benefit is the ultimate goal and non-sins are twisted into whatever will help lead the patient to Hell. Faith and prayer are alright as long as there is spiritual righteousness, and unselfishness is encouraged as long as the patient is acutely aware that he is, at that moment, being unselfish.

The book is dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien, who warned Lewis of delving deeply into the craft of evil. Lewis would later comment that though the end result was enjoyable, he would never write a "letter" again.

The copy that I read was given to me by a good friend, who was given to her by a friend. I think I'll pass this along to anyone willing, as it is a must read.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

I don't normally read books with covers that look like this.

I don't usually read books with titles like The Girl Who Chased the Moon.

...but sometimes it's nice to read about magical wallpaper and giants and whimsical baking. Just sayin'.

However, whether due to unrealistic expectations or what, I was disappointed with this chick lit. In this book, Allen tends to tell a lot instead of showing a lot, which drives me up a wall. If I get the feeling that a situation is awkward between the characters, I don't need an author to pipe up and say outright, "it was awkward." And another thing: there was way too many women freaking out and seeking comfort in a man/teenage boy's arms. I'm not buying into this idealistic, damsel in distress sense of romance. Seriously.


I also wouldn't normally tell you I've read more by this author. Probably because they're equally girly and cutesy, and not nearly as intellectual as Dostoevsky. But, in this moment of pure and utter honestly, I thought I'd let you know that this isn't as good as Allen's other work.


I hope this doesn't change your view of me too much. I'm still that feminist chick who read Bleak House. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

First of all:

DON'T PANIC.

Second of all, I recently finished reading Douglas Adam's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. For anyone who knows me, science fiction is not usually my usual go-to genre. However, I had seen the movie years ago and I've been told countless times that Douglas Adams is pure and utter genius. And, it turns out he is. In this Sci-Fi spoof, Arthur Dent travels through the galaxy with his alien friend, Ford Prefect, after the Earth has been demolished in order to make way for an intergalactic bypass. Aided by the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, they encounter planet builders, a depressed robot, and the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. The whole book is filled with Adam's clever wit and comedic dialogue, and I'm looking forward to eventually reading the rest of the series.

Jane Eyre

The quintessential Gothic romance, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre has been on my reading list for some time. I'm a fan of her sister's infamous work, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. Plus, with the new movie out, I had even more reason to start reading it.

At first glance, Jane's life is inherently depressing. Orphaned at a young age, she's taken under the care of her uncle. However, he dies shortly after and his haughty, jealous, and mean-spirited wife, Mrs. Reed, plays the role of Cinderella's stepmother and altogether makes Jane's life miserable. The haunting account of the "red room" is vivid and disturbing, as is the terrible treatment received by her bratty cousins. Unlike Cinderella, unfortunately, Jane is not eventually rescued by a prince, but is instead sent off to Lowood Academy, and so her dreary life continues.

Were the story told by any other character than Jane Eyre, it would more than likely be way too depressing to read. But Jane's optimistic and heavenward view of life and human nature seems to mature through her pitfalls and obstacles. I have to admit, I was impressed by her sense of theology and overall sense of God. In particular, her response to Mr. Rochester stood out to me:


"A wanderer's repose or a sinner's reformation should never depend on a fellow creature. Men and women die; philosophers falter in wisdom, and Christians in goodness: if any one you know has suffered and erred, let him look higher than his equals for strength to amend, and solace to heal."


In addition, Jane Eyre is filled with allegory: from the lightning-struck chestnut tree to attempted arson, the abundant symbolism and imagery provide even more room for thought. 


If you haven't already, go read Jane Eyre. It's a classic for a reason, and there's certainly never a dull moment (or page). 

The Great Typo Hunt

Let me say firstly, this post is way overdue. I started and finished The Great Typo Hunt last month and while I enjoyed it tremendously, never got around to blogging about it. 

Secondly, Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Herson are my heroes.

The true account of two guys traipsing around the country in search of and correcting typos is the premise of this book, but it's also so much more. Before I get ahead of myself, here's the gist: Jeff Deck is a science fiction nerd (note: "nerd" is used as an endearing term) who decides one day, after being bombarded by spelling errors, punctuation gone awry, and article/noun disagreements displayed on public signs, businesses, and store fronts, that it's time for a change. He and Benjamin D. Herson traveled across the country fixing everything from restaurant signs to museums to National Park property -- where they meet friendly store clerks, stubborn cafe owners, and unhappy authorities. 

Deck and Herson discovered something very significant along the way: America wasn't just having trouble with grammar; our country was lacking in the communication skills department. After all, language is used to convey, transcribe, and send a message. If society doesn't have a firm grasp on the basics, how are we to thrive (both socially and economically)?

There you have it. The Great Typo Hunt is about more than just typos, it's about communication. I definitely recommend reading this one.

Bleak House

As of a little over a week ago, I finished Bleak House by Charles Dickens. My first college English professor  suggested I read it years ago, as it's regarded as Dickens' best work. I'll also have you know, it's regarded as his longest work as well (my copy weighed in at 965 pages - seriously, it's thicker than my Bible).

It's long.

Though it's composed of many side stories and characters, Bleak House revolves around Esther Summerson, an orphan with a dark past, whose life is well, bleak. Until she and two others: Ada Clare and her cousin, Richard Carstone, are sent to live with John Jarndyce. Jarndyce is involved in an long, ongoing Chancery Court case Jarndyce v Jarndyce. If successful, Jarndyce could win a great deal of money, but he's not hopeful and considers the case a burden more than anything else. Soon, Richard becomes involved in the case, eager to win some of the inheritance, but is dissuaded by his family and friends as he's known for being irresponsible with his finances. The case is a matter of disputed wills, and has run through generation after generation without settling. Not only is it seemingly pointless for Richard to become involved, but distracting from his love interest, Ada.

Bleak House is filled with numerous other characters, some are which described as his best ever: Lady Dedlock, Sir Leicester, Mr. George, and many others. Together, the characters and stories work to showcase some of the absurdities of 19th century English law and society. Dickens goes to prove that the legal system and those in it are corrupt and greedy and class divisions are not what they seem, with "do good" upper class attempting to fix the lives of others who have never asked for such help in the first place.


There are 40 illustrations in Bleak House, and all were done by Hablot Browne, better known as Phiz.

Remember the part about Bleak House being long? Well, it still is. But after reading it, I couldn't believe just how much Dickens fit into that one book. There are just so many interesting side plots and characters, that looking back on it, it doesn't seem as long as it could've been. But maybe this is just hindsight bias.

Overall, if you have a lot of free time (or even if you don't), read Charles Dickens' Bleak House.