[penrosesword]

2021.07.27

Finished The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman today. 5 hour read, 7.5/10. I thought it was very witty and original, and the characters were each wonderfully, interestingly mundane in their own ways. There were quite a few scenes that moved me very strongly, and I liked the construction of the book, how each character's vignette tied in to a greater story.

[penrosesword]

2021.06.19

Just finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (again). Not quite sure how long it took me, but I'll wager about 3 hours. 10/10.

I noticed this time, in the beginning of the book, when Harry's Floo Transport mishap landed him in Knockturn Alley- wasn't the cursed opal necklace he saw that had killed over a dozen Muggles in the B & B shop the very same one Rowling used in book 6 or something when Malfoy tried to curse Katie?

Noticing that made me feel very pleased with myself.

[penrosesword]

2021.06.18

Just finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for, like, the 15th time (although, at this point, who's counting?). Took me about 2 and a half hours. 9/10, of course. Always makes me smile.

I docked a point because I realized during this read how much I would've liked it if Rowling went a little more into the finer points of the HP lore- for example, for the spell Wingardium leviosa (or however it goes), what's the limit? I mean, you can lift feathers, but what about a brick? Or a table? Or an entire horse? What about a house?

Also, does it matter if your wand is pointed exactly at the object you wish to impose a spell on, or is the intent behind the spell REALLY what counts? And if the latter is true (also considering many points throughout the story, like Lily's love for Harry that protected him from Voldemort's Avada kedavra! and many magical creatures' own magic), what's the point of wands?

Many questions are left unanswered by the HP series from my perspective, but that also may just be a reflection of how much I still wish I lived there.

[penrosesword]

2021.06.18

Just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray. 9/10. Took me 4 hours.

I really liked this one- especially the ending, which seemed to me almost fairytale-like in its simplicity.

My favorite character was Harry, Dorian's noble friend (the primary root of his corruption). Each line Harry spoke felt as if I was looking into a mirror of my own self. The similarity between my way of thinking and his is rather uncanny- although I should hope that I will never corrupt anyone to the extent that Harry did Dorian. (Honestly, I think it not possible, unless the ability to which I can articulate myself improves in the future. Should that occur, I suppose I could then be considered a proper danger to society.)

[penrosesword]

an observation about myself

I never feel more alone than when

I'm at a party,

surrounded by people who don't care about me

and who are content to drink,

do drugs,

and talk shit about others behind their backs.

[penrosesword]

2021.06.15

(Re-)read Shadow and Bone after watching a little bit of the first episode of the TV adaptation on Netflix with my family.

Honestly, it was a disappointment to me (albeit better than the TV version). The first time I had read it was way back in middle school, so I was essentially viewing it anew this time, since I didn't remember anything from my previous read.

Frankly, the plot lacks originality. It reads just like most YA novels, following the "Hero's Journey" template to a T -- heroine suddenly discovers new magical powers that make her super OP (surprise, surprise), is whisked away from everything she knows and loves against her will, is tasked with saving the world, BAM, love triangle between childhood friend and dark and mysterious stranger, attends wizard school, gets sage advice and special treatment, PLOT TWIST!, goes on the run, yada yada.

Very predictable.

Took me 1 hour, 20 mins to read. 4/10.

[penrosesword]

2021.03.07 (星期日）

Classical radio is my new favorite thing.

Just listened to the Ravel String Quartet. Liked it a lot. It was almost like a theatrical experience, but completely aural.

[penrosesword]

Game of Thrones Reading Journal

Since GoT is so long (estimated 80+ hour read), I've decided to journal as I go along. I'll be editing this post the more progress I make.

Heavy spoiler alert- if you have not read GoT, or don't want to know important plot details in the story, please, keep scrolling past this. Thanks :)

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Total loc: 62789

Loc 1446: Jeez. I had a gut feeling Bran was going to die, but I was genuinely not prepared. I literally felt my insides twist as I watched (well, not literally, but you know what I mean) him get offed. It's been a long time since I've had such a reaction to a fictional death. What a shame. I think I'm beginning to understand that whole trope in the literary community of "those fekin authors who kill off our favorite characters without mercy". And just when I was starting to get attached, too! What a shame.

Update: I was deceived. Thankfully.

Loc 8239: How satisfying. Finally, Viserys put in his place. He deserved it, one hundred percent. I'm glad Dany's position as khaleesi protects her from his abuse now.

Loc 25804: HOLLLLLLY FRICKKKKK... I was not expecting that plot twist. I wonder if it's meant to show how clever Theon Greyjoy is, his incompetence in not being able to find the boys, or an incredible folly in the "cover-up" he chose to disguise his incompetence with. Perhaps a combination of the three.

Update 2021.06.17: I've kind of given up on GoT. I might be in the 3rd or 4th book by now (who knows, since I'm reading a text file and not an actual, physical book) but I'm having a hard time staying invested in the GoT world.

[penrosesword]

2021.02.11

Finished reading Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia Michaels. Took me about 5 hours. 4/10.

It wasn’t a particularly good book, but neither was it particularly horrible. For me, it bore a very strong resemblance to the Wattpad novels that I used to consume by the ton as a middle-schooler. Not a very complex plot, with many cliches and overdone tropes, though it did make me squeal with excitement at times (but that was simply because the cliches were used properly).

[penrosesword]

2021.02.09

Finished reading Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam. A very good read, 8/10. Took me maybe 5 hours.

I particularly liked how the book humanized the medical profession. All too often, I think people tend to treat doctors as all-knowing encyclopedias of information when, in reality, they’re all human and every single one of them is pursuing constant betterment.

After these past few months, I’ve observed that I tend to read books written in the modern fashion much faster than those written in more archaic fashions.

[penrosesword]

2021.02.06

Finished reading Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. Took me about 10 hours. 3/10.

Honestly, I couldn’t find much to like about the book, although it was definitely a well-told story. It’s true that Emma was taken advantage of and was indeed a victim of society and of circumstance, but I believe most of her own problems were self-created (to a certain extent, you know, as one can’t help to whom and where one is born).

From my perspective, she was a pretty foolish main character. Constantly burning through money with no regard for her future, looking to others for validation instead of searching it within the confines of her mind, chasing after baubles and trends... although, to be fair, perhaps if she had not lived her life in the time period and place that she did, perhaps she would’ve had a more rational head on her shoulders... although that, in itself, inspires the perpetual question: nature vs. nurture? Was Emma inherently a foolish character?

I’m not sure nature and nurture can even be considered mutually exclusive. It’s impossible to separate one from the other.

[penrosesword]

2021.01.24

Finished Hercule Poirot: the Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie. Probably would rate it an 8/10... but holy frick, it felt like I was reading the Bible with how long it took me to read. Maybe around 30 hours? 40, even? Then again, it is over a thousand pages, so I guess that makes sense.

Being a longtime (and when I say longtime, I mean a long time; I grew up proudly lugging a 5-pound edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes everywhere I went during elementary school) fan of Sherlock Holmes, I started reading the book with what was, quite frankly, an undeservedly warped perspective on Poirot.

During the first couple short stories, it was difficult for me to view Poirot objectively because of my fondness for Sherlock. Several superficial details really stuck out to me- for example, Inspector Japp vs Inspector Lestrade, the fact that they seemed to both prefer armchair musings to active detective work (but then again, I would say this is true for many intellectuals), a sidekick of lesser intelligence to feed their egos and highlight their own genius by stark contrast (Hastings vs. Watson)- who both, coincidentally, happen to be formerly military men, both the detectives’ bases of operation being London apartments... and a few other points besides.

However, the longer I continued to read, the more I grew to appreciate the differences between Poirot and Holmes. I liked how open Poirot was to communicating with other people. Sometimes, with Holmes, because of his sociopathic tendencies, he seemed to have a very consistent contempt for the intelligence of most others besides himself (with, perhaps, exceptions in the cases of The Woman, Moriarty, and his brother Mycroft). It was refreshing to read Poirot, a detective who treated others with respect and a rather gentlemanly courtesy.

Even more distinctive of Poirot is his theatrical flair. Of course, Holmes has a flair for the dramatic, as well, but Poirot is so unabashedly himself and unapologetic about his abilities that I think it’s quite a lovable trait. Then again, I suppose the reason the same traits aren’t lovable in others is usually because their boasting usually isn’t exactly on par with the genuine article. (However, in Poirot’s case, the abilities of which he brags of are by no means understated, ergo his likability.)

I thought it was overall a good read, but I don’t suppose I’d like to go through it again. I personally still prefer Holmes much more, but I can appreciate why many people love Poirot so much.

[penrosesword]

random thought... but why did my choir teacher assign me to soprano in choir?

I mean, sure, I can sing high. My range is from D3 to E6. A soprano’s range is usually from C4 to C6. However, a contralto’s (the lowest female voice type) range is usually from F3 to F5. So, although my voice is clear in the soprano range, it’s also clear in the contralto range.

My speaking voice is also pretty low (in my opinion- I mean, speaking at around a G3 pitch-wise is low compared to the soprano range, right?). So why did she pick me to be a soprano? Why not alto? I think, perhaps, I should ask her about it the next time I see her.

[penrosesword]

2021.01.23（星期六）

Beethoven: Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1 (Peter Takacs, piano)

Beethoven: Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 (Scott Cuellar, piano)

Beethoven, Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7 (Haewon Song, piano)

Out of the 3, I liked Sonata No. 2 the most. It was so cheerful and bouncy, full of vitality. Cuellar’s playing brought out a lot of the piece’s character. If the piece were a person, I would probably want to be friends with them.

I also liked the last movement of Sonata No. 1; however, I wonder if that might just be because it’s familiar to me. For me, I feel most classical pieces are acquired tastes (at least, in terms of how much I enjoy them upon the first listen).

[penrosesword]

2021.01.12

Finished Stoner by John Williams. Tentative 9/10, solid 8.5 out of 10. A 6 hour read.

Honestly, I went into the book with a fairly mild expectation that it was going to be about a weed addict, but that idea was overturned as soon as I read the introduction. I didn’t have a lot of respect for the main character, Stoner, at first. As a 20 year old, he seemed boring and lacked principles- kind of like one of those shapeless fuzzy figures in the back of a painting. As I traversed the book’s duration, however, although he was never a “perfect” human being, nor a literary hero in any sense of the term, I gradually grew to like, sympathize with, and respect him.

I think the reason I liked Stoner so much was that it gave me (what seemed like) total transparency on the life of someone who, in reality, never would voluntarily tell their life story to another human being. My preference there reflects a lot of my number one pet peeve: I hate when people can’t just explain themselves and be unreservedly honest with each other. 

Stoner made me laugh aloud- especially in that one part, where Stoner yells at the heads of the university, “Begone, you insufferable Gauls!” (or something along those lines). I’ll confess, for the first 70% of the book I was one of the readers McGahern warned about in the introduction- all I did was pity Stoner for the terrible things that happened to him. His inability to see that the woman he wanted to marry could barely stand him, the soon-to-be university dean successful in his corruption despite Stoner’s efforts to prevent it, his wife waging war on him through his poor daughter, his love affair destined to doom- how could I not pity him? 

But towards the end of the book, I think I gained a kind of awe for the man that had been born from all of those tribulations, despite his flaws.

[penrosesword]

2021.01.09

Finished Blindness by José Saramago. I think it took me about 6 hours or so? I would rate it a 7.5 out of 10.

It was a terrifying read- not in that horror-film sense where you get jumpscared with supernatural and inexplicable occurrences- but in that sense where it was so close to the nightmares I’ve been having ever since the COVID quarantine started. I wondered, in the beginning of the COVID pandemic, if the beginning of 2020 would mark the apocalypse. In fact, what I pictured happening, back then, was eerily close to what Saramago wrote in Blindness.

I think one of the things I liked most about Saramogo’s writing style wasn’t that he waxed on and off eloquently (well, because he didn’t do that at all, haha), but rather that his dialogue and the entire book, really, despite missing quotations to mark who was speaking when and paragraph indentations to mark where one part ended and the next began, was really quite clear. Visually, his writing appeared a mess, but I think it takes a very smart writer to be able to so well convey different peoples’ identities and dialogue despite not having “proper” formatting. (Like I’ve seen on reviews for the book, the lack of formatting might be a metaphor for the confusion of what it’s like to be blind, how everyone seems to blend together, and to emphasize how much humans use our vision as a crutch to navigate the world. I’m not sure.)

[penrosesword]

2021.01.06

Finished One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, which was introduced to me by my friend Joonho. 9/10. I think it took me about 15 hours to read, perhaps longer. (This is in comparison to my average reading time of a 500-700 page book being about 5 hours.) I think, at times, I had to read slower than usual in order to really grasp the substance of Márquez’s writing.

I thought it was a great read altogether. At the beginning, I’ll admit, I didn’t exactly understand the hype behind it being a “landmark” novel and all (and probably would’ve given up after the first chapter if not for the fact that it had  been highly recommended by a friend). But what really drew me in, after I continued past the first chapter, was the extremely well-done magical realism and how incredibly detailed a portrayal Márquez wrote of an entire seven generations of a family. SEVEN GENERATIONS. To me, whose usual reads usually cover the span of a year or two chronologically and the main character counts of which usually only go up to about a half dozen people, One Hundred Years of Solitude was impressive.

I liked, too, how the magical realism was never overstated. If a person passed away or something incredibly unbelievable happened,  Márquez never dwelled on it and would move on with the book as if it were normal. Which, I guess, should be expected, because normalizing the fantastical is kind of the definition of magical realism. Anyhow, because of that, I felt the book’s pace was almost never dragged down by its length.

I was surprised by how quickly I moved through the last quarter of the book- and pleasantly surprised by the ending and how neatly the conclusion tied the entire novel together.

I would definitely recommend it to a like-minded bookworm friend, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who’s daunted by the prospect of a long read.