May 15, 2018
“ ‘When I read a book it feels like real life and when I put the book down it’s like I go back into the dream.’ ”
- “Then She Was Gone” by Lisa Jewell
seen from China
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from South Africa
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from France
seen from Canada
seen from Pakistan
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Yemen
seen from Peru
seen from Peru
“ ‘When I read a book it feels like real life and when I put the book down it’s like I go back into the dream.’ ”
- “Then She Was Gone” by Lisa Jewell
“ ‘I was selfish to wish for you,’ I said. All I’d ever thought about was how much I wanted him. Needed him. I never thought of what it would mean for him.”
- “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things” by Bryn Greenwood
“I mostly liked high school. I liked learning things. How numbers worked together to explain the stars. How molecules made the world. All the ugly and wonderful things people had done in the last two thousand years.”
- “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things” by Bryn Greenwood
“You made people interested in you by keeping secrets, not by passing them out like candy at Halloween.”
- “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things” by Bryn Greenwood
“ I nodded. It was safer than talking. Words were complicated and you had to open your mouth.”
- “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things” by Bryn Greenwood
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel dives deep into the exploration of different kinds of relationships and love: love between siblings, love between a man and woman, love between two people, love between parental figures and children, love between a husband and a mistress. Love is love is love is love. How do you express love? How do you receive love? How do you perceive love? Told through letters written to God and written to (and from) her sister, the main character narrates using African American Vernacular English (AAVE). From a linguistics and cultural standpoint, I am so fascinated by AAVE; it’s use, it’s rules, it’s meanings. AAVE is a celebration of black culture in America and is a means of passing on history, but is often misunderstood as “broken” or “illiterate” English. Contrary to popular belief, AAVE is a dialect of English that has it’s own grammar rules and patterns. It is a topic that I LOVE learning about. This book is rich in culture, dialect, and diverse family dynamics, with strong female characters at the helm.
Similar to: The Bluest Eye. [request: please PLEASE recommend other books you feel are similar to these 2 two, or written in AAVE, as I am searching myself!]
[5/40 books read in 2018]
Everyone, I would like you all to meet Bob (response, “Hi Bob”).
My 2018 New Year’s Resolution is to drink more water, eat healthier, blah blah blah... and last but certainly not least (the most important actually) I have a goal of reading 40 books this year. This seems like a daunting task, even for an avid reader like me, but God-willing I’m going to try my hardest to do it. I have had a love affair with books practically since I learned to read. I was the girl in school who carried her personal book on top of all of her school books and displayed it proudly, and neatly, on the corner of her desk. I am a 21 year old college student who wears the same prescription reading glasses her dad does, for God’s sake. I am a reader. However, I recently found myself falling out of love with reading, mostly because I thought I couldn’t make time for it, and that bothered me a lot. My goal of finishing 40 books in 2018 is my way of apologizing to one of my first loves, reading. I solemnly swear to never forget about this beautiful passion ever again, and I will devote some time every day in 2018 to personal reading.
So, back to Bob. I recently discovered a book by Pamela Paul (who works for the NYT Book Review), called My Life with Bob, which (long story short) is about her B.o.b. (Book of Books) where she has recorded every book she’s read since she was 17. WOW. I want to be her when I grow up. This little black book you see in the picture above is my personal attempt at recording all the books I read, starting now (or actually a month ago), my own personal Bob. [To be honest, I cheated a little and made lists of the books I read in high school and the first 3.5 years of college before getting my Bob, just because I read some really great books that deserve to be in there, and it’s not the books fault I wasn’t cool enough to keep track until now.]
On this blog, I plan to share most of my entries in my Bob, in the hopes of inspiring others to read more this year and to also hold myself accountable to my goal of 40 books in 2018. I will always post a picture of each book when I finish it, along with quotes, my take on it, and other recommendations. Every Thursday I plan to post a TBT about a book I have already read.
If you ever have any questions or book suggestions (please please PLEASE!) reach out to me in whatever way is easiest. My genre of choice is fiction (historical fiction, especially WWII) or mystery; but, honestly I am open to anything! Thanks for taking the time to read this super long post, and if you ever need a good book recommendation, you know where to find one!
Welcome to the blog of my book of books, enjoy.
The Book of Books, a place to record your reading story. Designed around a system that helps you remember more. A place to imprint the you were with the literature that helped to shape you. Available now www.archleys.com . . . . . #bookofbooks #archleys #christmaspresentsideas #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Fk4gSlZIt/?igshid=11k2vls9jga1x