Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge: Reflection

Summer is officially over so I thought it high time to reflect on my Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge. Sadly I did not complete it but I did learn a few things. Here is the result.

Good as gold:- The Casual Vacancy by J. K Rowling

~~The Book is Better:- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt~~

~~On the bandwagon:- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Attwood~~

~~Short and sweet:- The Turn of the Screw by Henry James~~

~~Actually want to read:- Jaws by Peter Benchley~~

Not from around here:- Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

In a friend zone:- The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

~~Wheel of format:- Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare~~

~~Past love:- Matilda by Roald Dahl~~

Armchair Traveler:- A Room with a View by E. M. Forster

First of all I spent way too much time on a book I really regret reading which was The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, I really wish I had just stopped reading it because I did not enjoy it and wasted a great deal of my free time reading a book I found tiresome. This is a lesson I keep telling myself to learn from but sadly I don’t, maybe this time I will.

The second thing I learned was I hated having a reading list! I want to read these books eventually and I had options but I found myself regretting the choices and wanting to read other books which I did and so did not complete the challenge in the allotted time. I think from now on I will avoid challenges and just choose whatever I want to read when I want because I really did not enjoy the challenge. I loved choosing the books but not feeling like I had to read them.

However, doing the challenge has taken a few books off my enormous TBR list, so it wasn’t all bad.

What does everyone think of reading challenges? Yes or No? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Happy reading.

Friday Poetry: Eve Merriam

Happy Friday!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend planned.

Today’s poem is by a new poet for me, Eve Merriam. Eve Merriam was an American poet and writer.

Thumbprint

On the pad of my thumb

are whorls, whirls, wheels

in a unique design:

mine alone.

What a treasure to own!

My own flesh, my own feelings.

No other, however grand or base,

can ever contain the same.

My signature,

thumbing the pages of my time.

My universe key,

my singularity.

Impress, implant,

I am myself,

of all my atom parts I am the sum.

And out of my blood and my brain

I make my own interior weather,

my own sun and rain.

Imprint my mark upon the world

whatever I shall become.

Eve Merriam

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (Review)

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

About the author

Margaret Atwood born 18th November 1939 is a Canadian author, poet, essayist and literary critic. She has written numerous fiction and non-fiction books, books of poetry and children’s books. She has won the Giller Prize in Canada, Premio Mondello in Italy and the 2000 Booker Prize. She was also awarded the Asturias Prize for Literature in 2008.

Blurb

The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire – neither Offred’s nor that of the two men on which her future hangs.

Review

This has been on my TBR pile for a very long time and this summer I put it on my reading challenge to make sure I read it. Now please bare with me on this review because I think it might prove controversial.

I did enjoy the book and found the idea of it rather terrifying at times but I must admit for me it did not have the WOW factor. The main reason for this I think is the way it was written, at times I found it frustrating how it kept flitting from past to present all the time. I would have much rather had more of the present rather than the past because I found the bits from the past broke the narrative up for me. I understand why Atwood did this but for me it really did not work.

I enjoyed the story and the concept was good and well thought out but I just can not understand what all the hype is about. I was left underwhelmed and wondering if I had read the same book as everyone else. However I was left wanting to know more at the end of the book so I am very pleased that I have purchased the sequel and will be starting to read it now, I just hope it will be a better read.

I liked the characters but I would have liked more from them, I just could not connect with them and I just felt frustrated and wanting more. I must admit this book took me a long time to read because some days I just could not be bothered with it and for me that is never a good sign and why I only gave the book 3 out of 5 Dragons. The reason it did not get lower was because I was left wanting more. However I do not think I will be reading this book again.

Purchase Links

WWW Wednesday 2/10/2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and a share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

What I am currently reading:-

Girl in Trouble by Stacy Claflin

On Monday I made the mistake of going to work without my book for my lunch break but thankfully I remembered I had a few books on my phone from Apple Books and started reading this. So far it is really good but I do wish it didn’t have so many chapters.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I really can not put this book down, I am really enjoying it and at this rate should be finished soon.

What I recently finished reading:-

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Just finished this and review will follow soon. I will be honest I did not enjoy it as much as I am enjoying The Testaments.

Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard and John Henderson

Read as part of the preparatory work for my course, was an excellent introduction.

What I plan on reading next:-

I have a feeling a lot of my future reading will be course related but I am hoping to go for some fun stuff as well. I might read a Victorian classic next but I am not entirely sure.

Please drop me a link if you are also taking part in WWW Wednesday or want to chat about any of the books I have listed.

Happy reading.

Mid Week Quote: Rosenbach

Happy Wednesday!

So far I have been getting quite a bit of reading done and it is only the 2nd October. Fingers crossed it continues.

The quote today is by Abraham Rosenbach who was a scholar and book seller based in Philadelphia.

“After love, book collecting is the most exhilarating sport of all.”

Abraham Rosenbach 1936.

Happy Reading

September Wrap Up

Ok everyone, I admit September for me was a complete and utter right off. I only reviewed one book and hardly blogged at all. Going back to work and trying to finish my final assignment for my diploma all became too overwhelming and I hardly read anything at all. This probably added to my stress because reading helps me unwind but sadly my brain just could not take in the words I was reading. October I am hoping for much better.

Books or should I say book that I read.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Pages: 101

Total pages this year: 11651

Friday Poetry

6/9:- Brian Patten

13/9:- Tolkien

20/9:- Robert Louis Stevenson

27/9:- Rachel Field

Mid Week Quote

4/9:- Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand

11/9:- Bede

18/9:- Sima Qian

26/9:- Phaedrus

Book Tags

Down the TBR Hole #15

ABC Book Challenge: H

Anticipated Releases Book tag

WWW Wednesday

So that is my September wrap up, as you can see rather disappointing. Fingers crossed for a better October!

Friday Poetry: Rachel Field

Well the weather is starting to upset me, I want it to be summer again. I really dislike getting up in the morning and it is dark and coming home from work in the dark and when the clocks go back at the end of October it will be even worse.

So todays poem is about migrating birds. I must admit I am rather envious of the Wild Geese following the sun.

Something Told the Wild Geese

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go.

Though the fields lay golden

Something whispered, – ‘Snow.’

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries, lustre-glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, – ‘Frost.’

All the sagging orchards

Steamed with amber spice,

But each wild breast stiffened

At remembered Ice.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly, –

Summer sun was on their wings,

Winter in their cry.

Rachel Field

Happy reading.