The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Long have I put off reading this book that tells of the creation of Middle-earth, but lately a desire to know beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings has overcome me. I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint me. I have been it's captive for some time now. I feared starting this novel because of how difficult I had heard the text reads, and I know this is not light reading for a casual fan.

Of the world's creation I liked the telling. How Tolkien chooses to explain it is also interesting, from the beginnings of the concept of Time to the beginnings of the Sun and the Moon. That the great Eru would begat the world through music is also an intriguing element to the story, but it should not come as no surprise really considering how much poetry and song one reads in Tolkien's other classics.

I have been wondering if all that Tolkien ever writes is tragedy. The Silmarillion is filled with tragic events and I often found myself quite depressed reading the stories within its pages. The way that the book is written also requires concentration because this is not light reading in either tone or prose style. However, I liked the challenge. I was kind of surprised to learn of Sauron being the lord of the werewolves under the reign of Morgoth. Lots of interesting stuff in this book! I have a copy of the novel The Children of Hurin that I plan on reading soon, but I think I need a light reading buffer right now before delving further into the doom of Turin.

I look forward to reading more of the books concerning the history of Middle-earth. I found this one to be enriching toward the experience of reading The Lord of the Rings again. I'd recommend it to fans of Tolkien's Middle-earth. If you thought that the War of the Ring was a dark tale, read about the War for the Silmarils, the gems holding the light of the Trees of Valinor. What is it with Dark Lords and their obsession with jewelry?

The Baker Street Challenge

I am looking forward to seeing the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey, Jr. This Baker Street Challenge is also a good excuse for me to finally read some in that Classic Illustrated Sherlock Holmes collection that's been sitting on my bookshelf for years.

Ends December 1, 2009

Reading Tier: The Sign of Four

Anticipated Books:

1.) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
2.) The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
3.) The Hound of the Baskervilles
4.) The Return of Sherlock Holmes

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights a can't wait to read pre-publication. It's hosted at Breaking the Spine.

My selection for this week is Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs. It's the second book in the Alpha and Omega series. I enjoyed the first book, and am looking forward to reading more of this series. I just hope it doesn't switch to being released as hardcovers in the middle like the Mercy Thompson books.

I think that Briggs's werewolf novels have such beautiful cover arts.


Mated to werewolf Charles Cornick, the son—and enforcer—of the leader of the North American werewolves, Anna Latham now knows how dangerous being a werewolf is, especially when a werewolf who opposes Charles and his father is struck down. Charles’s reputation makes him the prime suspect, and the penalty for the crime is execution. Now Anna and Charles must combine their talents to hunt down the real killer—or Charles will take the fall.

The expected release date is August 25, 2009.

A Letter for Dantes

I'm totally inspired by Phantom Inkheart's newest blog Letters to the Characters to compose the following entry of writing a letter to a character. Check out her blogs because both are worth reading. :)

To Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Dear Edmond,

I first became acquainted with you in the guise of that lovable reading dog Wishbone. Naturally the pup has good taste in books so I kept this fact in mind. It would be years later before I encountered you again in the first few episodes of the anime series Gankutsuou. Even if they turned your story into cyber punk and you into a blue vampire, I liked you.

When I was at a new bookshop in a nearby town I had picked up an abridged copy of your book without paying attention. Still I figured that if I could enjoy an edited version of a classic Dumas tale, I might as well get my money's worth and read your story. You captivated me. Your struggles and your triumphs ensnared me to the last page. I enjoyed your methods of deception and revenge, but squee'd at your happy ending. You stayed with me long after I finished the last page and as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Eventually I had to have an unabridged copy of your book so that I could read everything.

None of the film adaptations seemed to capture your story the way that I felt it should be. Usually I'm not this much of a book snob, but this is one story that I will not compromise much. And unless Haydee is present, forget it.

For a long time you were my literary love unlike any of the other fictional crushes that I ever had over the years. You were not perfect, but you were noble and risked much in order to save an innocent. A person can start over and love again.

Your not-so-secret admirer,
Moony

Book Blogs

I find that I am rather addicted to reading book blogs over the past few weeks. I've added quite a few lately to my watch list. But like Nabokov says, readers are not sheep and not every pen tempts them. One of my friends bought me a book journal for Christmas so I tend to record the title and author of interesting finds as I browse the blogging world.

I don't always write the best reviews. However, my new commitment to reviewing everything that I read and seeing how others choose to review books may inspire me to become a better writer when it comes to reviewing books. In truth, I cannot wait to review The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien.

And I made a visit to my local public library again (I just can't help myself). One of the books that I had requested through inter-library loan was Annette Vallon by James Tipton. I had noticed it in the clearance sale at the Barnes & Noble website, but rather than give in and buy more books that I may or may not like, I decided to take advantage of my library. For once I'm going to do the sensible thing and keep a hold upon the pursestrings instead of buying every book in sight.

I think I'd get a lot more reading done this summer if I wasn't torn between the desire to read and the desire to play video games...

Prejudice Against Jane Austen

I'm not sure exactly why I should have such animosity towards Pride & Prejudice... I think it may have been the poor victim of overhype for me. Girls swooning on message boards over Mr. Darcy and hearing how wonderful the story is. I felt disappointed when I read it. I was more entertained by the banter between Elizabeth's parents and the violence of Mr. Collin's affections. I had been reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre at the same time. I kept comparing Rochester to Darcy and found Rochester to be much more appealing. I loved Bronte's novel, but I feel I'm more inclined to gothic romances anyway...

But I've been told that I should give Persuasion a chance. And due to some madness that overcame me in a small bookshop near my home, I purchased a paperback copy of Sense & Sensibility not too long ago. I seen the film adaptation for it when it was on Turner Classic Movies one time. I liked Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon. I took the novel with me during my summer vacation last week, but I only managed to accomplish two pages between all the shopping and site seeing. So I guess I'll just have to read it during some other time. It's part of my tentative list for the Classics Reading Challenge so it will be completed in the next few months at any rate.

I might enjoy Pride & Prejudice better with another reading. It happens.

Bone Crossed, by Patricia Briggs

Mercy is still recovering from her rape when her old friend Stefan arrives in need of feeding. Soon it becomes clear that the vampire mistress of the Tri-Cities seethe knows that it was Mercy who killed one of her right hand vampires and Mercy must live in fear that her loved ones will be hurt. Accepting an offer to leave by helping an old college friend with a ghost problem gives her a chance to get away, but it becomes clear that vampire problems follow Mercy everywhere when she meets a vampire nicknamed the Monster. Can Mercy survive this or will her coyote nature for attracting trouble finally be her undoing?

As always I enjoyed the latest adventure of Mercy Thompson. I don't much care for most urban fantasy that I've read up to now, but I've always liked this series by Briggs. I think what attracts me to Mercy is that she's a shapeshifting creature, a coyote, and something you don't seem often (at least not that I'm aware of) in a genre that seems littered with vampires and werewolves. She's a tough narrator who is aware of her limitations, but still very much in possession of a reckless nature where she seems to come out alive by good luck.

It was nice getting to see Stefan again in the series since his last appearance in Blood Bound. I really like the character of this vampire. And I liked that he and Mercy could move their relationship on again as friends since the incident of their last encounter.

Although I thought that Mercy's mother might have a bigger role in this novel, it was still a good read and I didn't notice anything that bothered me much to point out glaringly negative elements of the novel. I don't think that fans of the Mercy books will be disappointed in this installment of the series.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

As young and handsome Dorian Gray poses for his portrait, he makes a terrible prayer that comes true. As he ages and becomes corrupt, his portrait will bear the burden of his sins rather than him. However, is there redemption in Dorian?

I have to say that the most entertaining aspect of this novel is the character of Lord Henry. I found many of his comments to be humorous and entertaining as he influences Dorian's character away from the innocent that he was in the novel's opening. I'm starting to wonder if Lord Henry is the reason this book is a classic because readers enjoy his character so much? Well, it's a thought.

I love Oscar Wilde's quotations, but I found this novel to actually be a difficult read to get through. I liked the message that it puts forth, yet overall I think that it's kind of a boring read. I was really hoping that I'd have enjoyed this particular book, too. I guess we can't all like certain books, right? Even when it comes to books that are classics.