Rose's Books

Time Traveler's Wife: the Movie >>>SPOILER ALERT!!!<<<

2009-09-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this movie yet, WAIT AND RENT IT! Just trust me on this one!

>>>SPOILER ALERT!!!<<< >>>SPOILER ALERT!!!<<< >>>SPOILER ALERT!!!<<<

Okay, who else saw this mediocre movie?

They left out most of Claire's childhood, her friend that almost sees Henry at the party, Henry's friend with AIDS, etc. By far the most annoying thing left out was when Claire wakes up because she hears a shot in the woods and Henry witnesses/almost witnesses his own death. The movie didn't have enough detail to be viewed without previous knowledge of the book. Claire's hair is only occasionally red and Henry's crazy ex-girlfriend is completely left out with the exception of the lipsick Claire finds after the first date.

On the flip side, the actors did the best possible job with the script. It still had that magical feel I associate with Autumn. Eric Bana was crazy hottt. (Should I bullet point this paragraph since it sounds like a list?)

miraculously on track!

2009-03-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

As of today I am still on track. I'm a little surprised by this, to be honest. I'm started to fall behind however, so I need to step it up. As soon as I clear this week I will have more time. This week has been kind of crazy and I haven't read much. Next week I'll need its calming effects since I have my first three tests of the semester. Reviews to come at a later date. Right now I'm on my way to see The Vagina Monologues.

Review: The Shack

2009-01-31T22:41:00.000-08:00

This book was given to me and I've been told by many that its great. Honestly? I think I would connect to the storyline better if I had children or had suffered my own Great Sadness. However, this is book isn't bad. I really liked the conversations between Mack and Papa! They were amazing! I could read the conversations over and over because they weren't about the storyline necessarily. They were relevant (unlike Napoleon) but they are the types of conversations you've always wanted to have with God or with a friend about God. They aren't just nourishing and balm-like because of the subject matter but because the author does a superb job at relaying unconditional love in every word spoken by Papa. At the end of the day I give the book as a whole a 4 out 5 stars. The dialogue though? 10 out of 5!

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

2009-01-31T22:38:00.000-08:00

So good! Tense feelings, confusion, greed, ignorance, obsession, love, fear, confession, guilt, its all here. The ending had me on the edge of my seat! I'll be trying to re-read this year!

Review: Prep

2009-01-31T22:34:00.000-08:00

I didn't technically finish this book. To be honest however, I wish I hadn't read as much as I did. It was boring. The entire book was from the perspective of a teenage girl who prefers to avoid human interaction for no real reason. There isn't a whole lot of interesting situations a girl like that can get into. In fact, all she thinks about is how to talk to a boy she likes and how to get out of talking to everyone else. Maybe I'll finish someday when I'm bored but it isn't likely.

Review: The Green Dwarf

2009-01-31T22:27:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe this was a Charlotte Bronte! Any Bronte, really. It was slow, there were no peaks, no valleys, no real emotion. It only took about an hour and half to read which was a blessing because it was a long hour and half. The main characters have no substance. The best part of the book happens to be the most random. There's a small bit of an invented story about Napoleon Bonaparte that is quite interesting but has nothing to do with the book. The ending is dull, the middle is dull, the beginning would be dull without Napoleon. But it's impossible to have a good story without discussing Napoleon.

Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2009-01-31T22:18:00.001-08:00

What can be said? Its Harry Potter so it encompasses the right amount of action with the perfect skill of J.K. Rowling. The ending was a bit gut wrenching, in a good way. Harry is growing up as are Ron and Hermione and Ms. Rowling has a tactful way about the crazy things we do at that age while under the influence of our hormones. To be honest I was a bit concerned when I started reading them that she would glaze over their growing up to keep it a kids' book but the blending of the adult and innocent is perfect. And, hell, who doesn't love a good story about magic every now and then?

End of January Update

2009-01-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

All's well that begins well. Right? Well, something like that. ;) The end of month one is here and I am in excellent shape! My January commitments were as follows:

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
The Green Dwarf

I read:

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
The Green Dwarf
Prep
The Shack

Yes, folks, that's a February book and an alternate. I thought it would be difficult, maybe even involve sleep deprivation or anti-social behavior to do this but it didn't. I'm enriching my mind in about hour and half (sometimes two hours) a day. That's it! The Shack only took today to read. I could not be more stoked at how easy it has been to get ahead! Tuesday I'll be at home waiting for the cable guy so my goal is to start Sense and Sensibility tomorrow and finish on Tuesday. By then, I'll be three weeks ahead of schedule. Which, considering how small The Communist Manifesto is, I'll about three weeks to read The Tea House Fire.

Reading List 2009

2009-01-01T18:46:00.001-08:00

This may seem like a hefty list but since I read about 30 books last year as well as my school reading I feel like this isn't a big deal. So here is my 2009 reading list.

January

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Green Dwarf by Charlotte Bronte

February

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin
The Tea House Fire by Ellis Avery
The Communist Manifesto by Fredrich Engels and Karl Marx
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

March

Northanger Abbe by Jane Austiny
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Cyrano De Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

April

Emma by Jane Austin
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Marie Antoinette the Last Queen of France by Evelyne Lever and Catherine Temerson

May

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

June

About a Boy by Nick Hornby
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
1984 by George Orwell

July

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Walden by Ralph Waldo Emerson

August

Civil Disobedience by Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

September

Mansfeild Park by Jane Austin
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Odyssey by Homer

October

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Artemesia: A Novel by Alexandra Lapierre and Liz Heron
Dracula by Bram Stoker

November

The Transformation by Catherine Chidgey
Cultivating Women, Cultivating Science: Flora's Daughters and Botany in England, 1760 to 1860 by Ann B. Shteir
We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

December

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

Alternates

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder and Paulette Moller
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
The Shack by William P. Young (This one I know I'll be reading while reading the other I just had no where else to put it.)

Frankenstein

2008-10-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

I started reading Frankenstein first. I'll get to the La Guin. Its kind of fitting that I read Mary Shelley right now. I'm getting sick and 19th century Gothic literature is just what I need right now. The Left Hand of Darkness will be good for while I'm recovering. I'm also gradually reading Cure for the Common Life. Not so much because I feel like I need a cure or because I feel like I'm worthless but I really like it. Its not just for "losers", its also a good way to remind yourself that your talents are not your own and you should be using them to further God's kingdom.

My October Books

2008-10-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

So I've kind of given up on my old list. Some of them I started and just couldn't get into, others I just am choosing not to read right now. Oh well. There is a new list though. October is here and that means scary movies, too much candy, and dark books. I'm gradually making my way into the "scary" books. Here is my list in order of how I will read them:

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Leguin
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

I'm looking forward to this month. I like darker literature.

srsly straying! hard core straying!

2008-09-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

I couldn't do Courtesan. I'm sure it's great but with this wonderful weather we've been having (its srsly feels like Fall) I had to read Time Traveler's Wife. The reason this is such serious straying is because I've already read this book. But honestly, I had to. And that's final. lol. It just works so well with the weather. I needed a little bit of a love story anyway.

Straying From the List

2008-09-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

I just finished Emily Griffin's Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I had a hard time getting through the first half of Something Blue because it was so hard to like the main character. As she changes the book gets easier to read. Now I'm on to Courtesan by Diane Haeger. Its Historical Fiction so it should be pretty amazing. We'll see.

Henry David Thoreau

2008-09-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself than this incessant business.

Henry David Thoreau

That is all.

Its Been A While

2008-09-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written in a while. I actually forgot the password to this blog. lol. I'm back now. I have strayed. I've been reading things that are not on my list. Oh well, I guess. At least I'm reading. Of the things I've read, Eat, Pray, Love is my favorite. Please read it. Its amazing! It will change your life. Seriously.

Persuasion- more side tracks

2008-07-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

I talked to Anika and she encouraged me to read more things that pertain to my life and less novels. I checked out a few books at Borders and came home and found them on Amazon. I just finished Persuasion and it got me in a Jane Austen mood so I'm reading Sense and Sensibility while I wait to get Eat, Pray, Love and Cure for the Common Life. Brianne recommended The Irresistable Revolution so I'm going to read that one, too. I'll keep you posted.

The Public Library

2008-06-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

The other day I picked up a new library card, since I haven't had one in almost a decade!

That is all.

I've been away and I went way off course

2008-06-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

So I actually went on to read The Saffron Kitchen instead. I loved it. Its not in my top ten but its worth picking up a copy, especially if you love Southwest Asia as much as I do (I've decided to stop calling it The Middle East- that's not really what it is...). It took me longer than expected to read it because I've been too busy. (As a result I know have a ridiculous infection.) Natali let me borrow her copy of The Kite Runner. When I'm done with it I promise to get back on track. I also picked up a couple more books today: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LaGuin so that I can have a better knowledge base of Science-Fiction and The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis which is the first book of the Chronicles of Narnia series. I want to read them again but the only copy I have contains all of them bound together and its huge and not easy to carry around. I also helped Rachel pick out a couple books for her fishing trip this next week. She bought Memoirs of a Geisha and Salem's Lot. That's all for now. I'll try to keep you better updated.

Amazon? Amazon.

2008-04-24T12:58:00.001-07:00

People ask me all the time where I find my books and how it is that I get my text books at such great prices. Amazon. "Amazon?" Yes. Amazon. I love finding old editions of text books (usually the only things that change are the chapter organization and the number of editors) at ridiculous prices. You know what else I love? Wish List. I'm not sure who thought of this wonderous thing first but God bless them! I have talked before of my Border's Syndrome and this eleviates a lot of the pain I feel in my wallet. I always feel a fear that if I don't buy a book the moment I see it I will forget about it and that is a great loss. But- there is the wish list. I don't always buy my books on amazon (I want to save the books stores! I love the book stores!) but I can look through my wish list before heading to Border's or Barnes and Noble for a better idea of what to buy. I love that I can edit the wich list at any time and tell them what I already own. I love recommendations, as well. Books that otherwise would never have heard of or seen are now available to me. I love Amazon. Partly for the huge savings on text books (I once got a $70 history text for $5!) and partly for the wish list/recommendations.

DONE!

2008-04-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the Pink Carnation. I'm glad that's over! ONWARD! Tonight or tomorrow I intend to begin reading Persuasion. Next week is Spring Break so maybe I can get a little more reading done then, too.

Book Sales

2008-04-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know a good place in Riverside County, Ca, to sell used books?

Another Example

2008-03-31T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yet another example of books bringing people together. (Okay- so I admit, that sounds cheesy.) I went to Borders today to read the missing pages of the stupid book I'm reading and ran into Matt Cash. It was interesting running into a fellow Sandals attendee while out and about. Yeah- I'm a little passionate about reading. (I blame Reading Rainbow.)

The Supreme Annoyance

2008-03-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today I encountered every reader's nightmare. I'm reading a book that I think is a bit dumb (despite being written by a Harvard Grad School student) but I still want to know what happens. I set page goals for myself to get through this book quickly. At one point I realized that about 120 pages gets repeated in the middle of this particular edition. Whatever. I can skip over it. It bothers me but, oh well. Then I get to page 262. I get to the end of the page... and... then... what? That doesn't work with what she just said! You can't randomly interject people into a seen if they weren't there before! Entrance is needed! Dear God! Then I look up to the top of the page. 327? No. No! NO!!! Yes.... 65 pages of my story are GONE!!!!!! Poof! Not included. Why do you need to know what happens? Ugh! I was so wanting to get through this book and onto the next one. Now I have to go to the library and hope they have this book. And I can't take it back to Borders because I don't have the receipt and I took the sticker off of the back. GRRR! Onto another book for the weekend. The Pirate book is short so maybe I'll with that one since I can most likely finish it before going to the library on Monday.

Reading List Revised and Update

2008-03-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'm already ahead of the game. I am really happy about this. The pusher in me, though, is forcing me to add to the list. Here is the list of books I wanted to finish this year along with the add-ons and new additions.

Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton
1984 by George Orwell
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Wellig
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists & Pirates! In an Adventure With Ahab (2 novels, 1 volume) by Gideon Defoe
The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther
The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery
Persuasion by Jane Austin
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants By Ann Brashares (re-read)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3 (I can't remember the secondary title now) by Ann Brashares
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares
The Mask of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
The Deception of the Emerald Ring By Lauren Willig
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
Mansfeild Park by Jane Austin
Emma by Jane Austin
Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Floral Books

2008-03-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

I started reading The Secret History of the Pink Carnation last night. I definitely feel that pull to read more of it and find out how things will play out. I love, love, love that it goes back and forth between the modern era with the story of Eloise Kelly and the past time of spies from the English government evading the French authorities and all the adventures that go along with it. One thing: I can already tell that I will completely annoyed with the way that the author has the 18th century characters speaking. They use modern language and sentence structure. I know its nit-picky but I do like this book. That one thing is annoying me though. After this I plan to continue with the series that this book is in. I might need a break from the weird speech, though. We'll see.

That Was Then, This Is Now

2008-03-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was addicted to it and finished in two days. Did I like it? Nope. I was annoyed by it. It resolved nothing! I like a book that ends. I know that may sound odd but its true. By the end Bryon is still unsure of everything. It feels like the middle of the book, not the end. I hate that. Ugh. Well, at least I'm on track now. 12 books, 12 months. 3 months into the year and 3 books into the list.

Finally Finished

2008-03-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished Atonement today. It took way too long. I kept losing it. (The actual book, not the story line.) I chose not to read the last section so that I can live out my blissful "ignorance." I've already seen the movie so I know how it ends really but I like it better this way. I'll be reading That Was Then, This Is Now next. Its short so hopefully I can finish this weekend. We'll see...

Philosophy-11

2008-03-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

I love picking apart sentences but that class is just too slow for me. So I read in my philosophy class. I love it. I'm finally to the third section of Atonement. Hopefully, I'll finish it this week and can get going on my reading list. I love this book but I need to get a move on.

Books Can Bring Us Together

2008-03-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

I have a two hour gap between classes this semester and have made a habit of getting coffee and a chicken wrap for lunch then going up to the quad to sit outside my philosophy class. I sit out there in the arcade reading and drinking tea. Its very nice. Today a guy approached me and asked me how I liked Atonement. I'm not a fan of strangers but he seemed nice so at first I humored him. Then we got to talking about books. We talked for about an hour. It was great! I love getting to talk about things I love and its a rare experience that someone will listen to my opinions. He even wrote down a few suggestions I had made. Sometimes strangers can make you feel better about your day.

Border's Syndrome

2008-03-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

Every time I go to the plaza, I have to stop at Border's. Or really, anytime I see a book store, I have a very strong desire to go inside. Even worse is the compulsion to buy every book I see that has a remotely interesting cover or blurb. Sometimes, I want to buy everything I see. I call this Border's Syndrome.

Last night I was at Border's with James and I saw all these amazing books. I really need to save money so I can't afford to buy every book I see. Its funny but I can see thousands of beautiful clothes or just about anything really but books and music are so hard for me to pass up.

Atonement is coming along nicely. I'm hoping to have it finished in the next few days. Its nice to savor a book but I've been reading this book for over a month now. I saw the movie so I know what's coming which I think is kind of slowing me down.

Joy Luck

2008-03-07T00:26:00.000-08:00

So I started and finished Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club last weekend. I loved it! My favorite thing about it is that even though the circumstances are different, I totally understand the "my mother is crazy and you have to watch what you say around her" syndrome. I also enjoyed the look at Chinese culture. (I love foreign countries; I want to live in one someday.) It helps that it was written by a Chinese woman. I think she knows a little more about living in the culture than most people.
I also found my copy of Atonement. Natali is reading it right now as well. Its like a momentary book club! :o)
Speaking of a book club... Anyone interested? I've always wanted to be in one but never knew anyone else who wanted to do it. Barnes and Noble offers them online but somehow that seems fake.

Reading List 2008

2008-03-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of the books I want to finish this year:

Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton
1984 by George Orwell
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Wellig
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists & Pirates! In an Adventure With Ahab (2 novels, 1 volume) by Gideon Defoe
The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther
The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery
Persuasion by Jane Austin

I also want to reread the second Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants because the movie comes out this summer. More about my progress later.

Great Idea!

2008-03-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

So I have decided that I need a blogspot blog because otherwise I cannot comment on blogs. But what to blog about since I already have a personal blog and an art blog. BOOKS!!! So that's what I am going to do here.