These are the books I've read recently. I like to keep track so I know which ones are worth reading again.
Title: High Fidelity
Author: Nick Hornby
Synopsis: A musically obsessed, list-making 30-something record shop owner rehashes past relationships in an attempt to understand and come to terms with his most recently failed attempt at love.
Thoughts: Right away, I love the guy. Anyone who loves music, loves making lists, and loves making lists about music is OK in my book. He's kind of self-centered, kind of an ass, but ultimately is a pretty OK guy. I love all the supporting characters. Because I saw the film first, no one is English in my head. Every character looks and sounds like the actors who portrayed them in the film. But that's OK, because I feel like I'm getting backstory on these characters that I love, particularly Joan Cusack, who's fucking hilarious in the movie. P.S. "Bullocks" is always replaced by "bullshit" for me. I see they changed a lot of the references in the book to stuff Americans would get more for the film. One of my favorite lines from the film ("I have to say, my favorite book is still Johnny Cash's autobiography
Cash by Johnny Cash.") was not in the book in any form. All good. J'adore. I'd read it again.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Title: Hard Times
Author: Charles Dickens
Synopsis: A loving but "eminently practical" father raises his children in a life with no imagination, no fairy tales...no fun. He loves facts. His son grows up selfish and defiant, his daughter confused and almost completely lacking in emotion, willing to forfeit her happiness for the comfort of her brother. The book shows what can happen to a family when the parents don't allow kids to be kids.
Thoughts: The reason Dickens is my favorite author is his ability to write these utterly depressing stories, in miserable locations, with dispicable characters, and still have me LOLing throughout. Although a lot of the main story is painful to read in its bleakness, the supporting characters are hilarious. Despite the book being written in a time I can hardly fathom living in, these side characters have attributes of people we all know. Reading Dickens always reminds me of the fact that People Don't Change. There are always going to be Bitzers and Bounderbys and Sparsits and Harthouses in the world, like it or not. They might not be pleasant, but they certainly do add spice to life...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Title: The Last Of The Mohicans
Author: James Fenimore Cooper
Synopsis: This white guy has to bring this other guy's daughters (one of whom he's in love with) through the woods to his camp (the father is a general or some shit, and they're in the middle of war; great time to go visiting). He stupidly trusts in one of them
bad Indians, who promptly gets them lost (on purpose!!) for whatever reason. They meet this other white guy who has these two Indian friends, and they agree to help the dude and his charges to the father. Hijinx and scalpings abound as they traverse the big, scary woods.
Thoughts: This book was really difficult to get into. I stuck to it, however, and ended up really enjoying it. I love the elder sister, and the scout. His unique friendship with the Mohicans is wonderful. I feel like the book builds up for ages, and the end just jumps up out of nowhere. A lot of older books are like that, I've noticed. They tend to end very suddenly, which is strange. P.S. The end is depressing as hell, so don't get too attached.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Title: Northanger Abbey
Author: Jane Austen
Synopsis: The story follows a girl with an overactive imagination as she vacations in Bath with a family friend. She falls in love with the only male character in the book who isn't a moron or insane, and falls in with a gang of idiots who attempt to ruin her life on several occasions.
Thoughts: Although I got a lot of enjoyment out of the overwhelming variety of stupid encountered in this book, I don't really feel any compassion for this character. She's kind of annoying in her willingness to ignore her own instincts to follow what others instruct. I'm not great at analyzation, so I can only hope Jane Austen wrote this as an enormous feminist statement. Otherwise...her character sucks. No backbone at all, right up until the end. LAME.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Title: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen
Synopsis: This woman fell in love when she was younger. The young man proposed to her, but she turned him down because she has the most idiotic father to have ever lived. Her sister sucks equally. Years later, when she's lost the bloom of youth (and, apparently, her attractiveness...), they're thrown in each other's paths. The story follows her various emotional ups and downs as she's forced to acknowledge her own feelings and attempts to decipher his.
Thoughts: This was a first-time read for me. This might be a new favorite. I love the lead character and her love interest, and pretty much hate everyone else in the story. They all suck.
Rating: 4 out of 5
