inr_ainbows

Here, I have a list of all the books I've read since May 2005. :)  They are in alphebetical order by author, and than by title. There will be reviews for each and every one of these books (hopefully) sooner than later. :)

I also have a huge list of manga that I'd like to put up, but I'm still debating how I should sort it.


---A---
Adderson, Caroline: A History of Forgetting, April 2006, 0.5/5
Alcott, Louise May: Little Women, January 2008, 3.5/5
Anonymous: Go Ask Alice, September 2007, 3/5
Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia: Hawksong, May 2006, 3.5/5
Atwood, Margaret: The Handmaid's Tale, December 2007, 3.5/5
Atwood, Margaret: The Penelopiad, April 2007, 2.5/5
Austen, Jane: Emma, August 2008, 4/5
Austen, Jane: Mansfield Park, September 2008, 3/5
Austen, Jane: Persuasion, October 2008, 3.5/5
Austen, Jane: Pride & Prejudice, July 2007, 3.5/5
Austen, Jane: Sense & Sensibility, December 2008, 3.5/5

---B---
Bach, Richard: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, January 2008, 5/5
Barrie, J.M: Peter Pan, January 2008, 2/5
Barrie, J.M: Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, January 2007, 2/5
Bell, William: The Blue Helmet, January 2008, 3/5
Bennett, Holly: The Bonemender, April 2007, 2.5/5
Black, Holly: Tithe, August 2007, 3/5
Blume, Judy: Forever, September 2007, 3/5
Bradbury, Ray: Fahrenheit 451, January 2008, 3.5/5
Brashares, Ann: Forever in Blue, April 2007, 5/5
Brashares, Ann: Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood, December 2006, 4.5/5
Brashares, Ann: The Last Summer (of You & Me), October 2007, 1.5/5
Brashares, Ann: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, November 2006, 4.5/5
Brashares, Ann: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, November 2006, 4.5/5
Brenna, Beverly: Wild Orchid, April 2007, 2/5
Brennan, Caitlin: The Mountain's Call, February 2006, 1/5
Bronte, Charlotte: Jane Eyre, December 2008, 4/5
Bronte, Emily: Wuthering Heights, February 2008, 4/5
Brown, Dan: Angels & Demons, September 2006, 3.5/5
Brown, Dan: The Da Vinci Code, January 2006, 3/5
Buffie, Margaret: Out of Focus, July 2007, 2/5
Burnett, Frances Hodgson: A Little Princess, July 2008, 4/5
Burnett, Frances Hodgson: The Secret Garden, January 2008, 4/5

---C---
Cabot, Meg: The Mediator: Ninth Key, February 2007, 2/5
Cabot, Meg: The Mediator: Shadowland, December 2006, 2.5/5
Carroll, Lewis: Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, July 2008, 2.5/5
Chalifour, Francis: After, April 2007, 2.5/5
Chbosky, Stephen: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, August 2006, 5/5
Cleage, Pearl: What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, January 2006, 3/5
Clement-Davies, David: The Alchemists of Barbal, November 2005, 3/5
Clement-Davies, David: The Sight, December 2005, 3/5
Cole, Stephen: Wereling: Prey, April 2006, 4/5
Cole, Stephen: Wereline: Ressurection, 4/5
Cole, Stephen: Wereling: Wounded, April 2006, 4/5
Coupland, Douglas: Eleanor Rigby, December 2007, 3/5
Coupland, Douglas: Girlfriend in a Coma, September 2007, 3.5/5
Coupland, Douglas: JPod, September 2007, 4/5
Cousture, Arlette: Ces enfants d'ailleurs, October 2007, 2.5/5

---D---
Dickens, Charles: A Christmas Carole, December 2008, 3/5
Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations, December 2008, 3/5
Dickens, Charles: Oliver Twist, December 2008, 3.5/5
Dickens, Charles: A Tale of Two Cities, January 2009, 3/5
Dostoevsky, Fyodor: Crime & Punishment, January 2009, 3.5/5
Douglas, Sara: Enchanter, May 2006, 4.5/5
Douglas, Sara: Starman, May 2006, 4.5/5
Douglas, Sara: The Wayfarer's Redemption, February 2006, 4.5/5
Dyer, Hadley: Johnny Kellock Died Today, April 2007, 2.5/5

---E---
Ewing, Lynne: Daughters of the Moon: Goddess of the Night, June 2005, 3.5/5
Ewing, Lynne: Daughters of the Moon: Into Cold Fire, September 2005, 3.5/5
Ewing, Lynne: Daughters of the Moon: The Lost One, November 2005, 3.5/5
Ewing, Lynne: Daughters of the Moon: Night Shade, September 2005, 3.5/5
Ewing, Lynne: Daughters of the Moon: The Sacrifice, November 2005, 3.5/5
Ewing, Lynne: Daughters of the Moon: The Secret Scroll, October 2005, 3.5/5

---F---
Fagelin, Adrien: The Big Nothing, May 2007, 2/5
Farmer, Nancy: The House of Scorpion, February 2008, 4/5
Feist, Raymond: Talon of the Silverhawk, 1.5/5
Fielding, Helen: Bridget Jones' Diary: The Edge of Reason, December 2005, 4/5
Fitch, Janet: Paint it Black, January 2008, 3.5/5
Fitch, Janet: White Oleander, April 2006, 5/5
Fitch, Sheree: The Gravesavers, February 2007, 4/5
Flaubert, Gustave: Madame Bovary, January 2009, 2/5
Follett, Ken: Pillars of the Earth, March 2008, 4/5
Friesen, Gayle: The Isabel Factor, April 2007, 3.5/5
Funke, Cornelia: The Thief Lord, February 2008, 3.5/5

---G---
Garden, Nancy: Annie on my Mind, September 2007, 4/5
Gardner, James Allen, Vigilant, June 2005, 2.5/5
Garwood, Julie: The Gift, November 2005, 1.5/5
Geddes, John: The Sundog Season, April 2007, 1.5/5
Gibbons, Kaye: A Virtuous Woman, December 2006, 1/5
Golden, Arthur: Memoirs of a Geisha, August 2006, 4/5
Golden, Christie: In Stone's Clasp, May 2006, 3.5/5
Golden, Christie: On Fire's Wings, May 2006, 3.5/5
Grahame, Kenneth: The Wind in the Willows, July 2008, 1.5/5
Gratton, Liliane: Si cet endroit pouvait parler!, June 2006, 2.5/5
Gregory, Philippa: The Other Boleyn Girl, April 2008, 4.5/5
Gruen, Sara: Water For Elephants, November 2007, 3.5/5

---H---
Halvorson, Marilyn: Blood Brothers, November 2006, 3/5
Hamazaki, Tatsuya: .hack//AI Buster, October 2005, 2.5/5
Hamazaki, Tatsuya: .hack//AI Buster 2, July 2006, 2.5/5
Hamilton, Jane: The Book of Ruth, January 2006, 1/5
Hardy, Thomas: Tess of the D'Ubervilles, January 2009, 3.5/5
Hatch, Robert: The Hero Project, May 2007, 4/5
Hauf, Michele: Gossamyr, July 2006, 2.5/5
Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter, February 2009, 1.5/5
Hayden, Elizabeth: Rhapsody, September 2006, 3/5
Henighan, Tom: Mercury Man, January 2007, 1.5/5
Henrichs, Lienna: The First Vial, May 2006, 3.5/5
Hopkins, Ellen: Burned, April 2008, 3.5/5
Hopkins, Ellen: Crank, September 2007, 5/5
Hopkins, Ellen: Impulse, June 2008, 4/5
Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner, October 2007, 5/5
Hosseini, Khaled: A Thousand Splendid Suns, October 2007, 5/5
Hunter, Bernice Thurman: The Girls They Left Behind, April 2007, 2.5/5
Huxley, Aldous: Brave New World, January 2008, 3.5/5

--I---
Inoue, Makoto: Fullmetal Alchemist: The Abducted Alchemist, May 2008, 2.5/5
Inoue, Makoto: Fullmetal Alchemist: The Land of Sand, April 2008, 2.5/5
Inoue, Makoto: Fullmetal Alchemist: The Ties That Bind, May 2008, 2.5/5
Inoue, Makoto: Fullmetal Alchemist: Under a Faraway Sky, May 2008, 2.5/5
Inoue, Makoto: Fullmetal Alchemist: The Valley of White Petals, May 2008, 2.5/5
Irving, John: Widow For One Year, March 2006, 3.5/5

---J---
Jordan, Robert: New Spring, December 2006, 4/5
Jordan, Robert: The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World, January 2006, 4.5/5
Jordan, Robert: The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt, March 2006, 5/5

---K---
Katayama, Koichi: Socrates in Love, April 2008, 2/5
Kawasaki, Miu: .hack// Another Birth: Infection, September 2006, 2.5/5
Keneally, Thomas: Schindler's List, October 2006, 3/5
Kingsolver, Barbara: The Poisonwood Bible, December 2005, 3.5/5
Kinsella, Sophie: The Confessions of a Shopaholic, July 2007, 3/5
Kipling, Rudyard: The Jungle Book, July 2008, 3/5
Kipling, Rudyard: The Second Jungle Book, 3/5
Korman, Gordon: Born to Rock, April 2007, 3/5
Kostova, Elizabeth: The Historian, June 2008, 3.5/5
Krinard, Susan: Shield of the Sky, November 2005, 2/5

---L---
Lawrence, Iain: B for Buster, February 2007, 3/5
Lawrence, Iain: The Convicts, February 2007, 2/5
Lawrence, Margaret: The Stone Angel, October 2007, 1.5/5
Lawson, Julie: No Safe Harbour, July 2006, 3/5
Lawson, Mary: Crow Lake, March 2007, 4.5/5
Lee, Harper: To Kill a Mockingbird, October 2006, 5/5
L'Engle, Madeleine: A Wrinkle in Time, August 2007, 3/5
Leroux, Gaston: Phantom of the Opera, October 2006, 1/5
Letts, Billie: Where the Heart Is, December 2005, 5/5
Lewis, C.S: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse & His Boy, August 2008, 3/5
Lewis, C.S: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle, August 2008, 3/5
Lewis, C.S: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, July 2008, 3/5
Lewis, C.S: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, July 2008, 3/5
Lewis, C.S: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, August 2008, 3/5
Lewis, C.S: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, August 2008, 3/5
Lewis, C.S: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, August 2008, 3/5
Lint, Charles de: The Blue Girl, February 2007, 3.5/5
Little, Jean: Orphan at my Door, June 2006, 3/5
Little, Jean: Brothers Far From Home, July 2006, 3/5
Lowry, Lois: The Giver, December 2006, 5/5
Lowry, Lois: Number the Stars, August 2007, 4/5

---M---
Marsden, John: Tomorrow, When the War Began, April 2008, 3/5
McCaffrey, Anne & Margaret Ball: Acorna's Quest, June 2005, 2.5/5
McClintock, Norah: Not a Trace, April 2007, 3/5
McEwan, Ian: Atonement, June 2008, 3.5/5
McKay, Sharon E.: Esther, March 2007, 4/5
McNamee Graham: Acceleration, February 2007, 3/5
McNaughton, Janet: The Secret Under my Skin, July 2007, 2.5/5
Meyer, Stephenie: Breaking Dawn, August 2008, 1/5
Meyer, Stephenie: Eclipse, April 2008, 1.5/5
Meyer, Stephenie: New Moon, April 2008, 1.5/5
Meyer, Stephenie: Twilight, March 2008, 2/5
Michaels, Kasey: The Illusions of Love, January 2005, 2/5
Moloney, Susie: A Dry Spell, January 2006, 2/5
Montgomery, L.M: Anne of Avonlea, October 2006, 4/5
Montgomery, L.M: Anne of Green Gables, October 2006, 4/5
Moore, Christopher: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, December 2007, 5/5
Myracle, Lauren: TTFN, April 2007, 3/5
Myracle, Lauren: TTYL, July 2006, July 2006, 3/5

---N---
Nickel, Barbara: Hannah Waters & the Daughter of Johanne S. Bach, November 2007, 3.5/5
Niffenegger, Audrey: The Time Traveler's Wife, October 2007, 5/5

---O---
Oates, Joyce Carol: We Were the Mulvaneys, March 2006, 3.5/5
O'Neill, Heather: Lullabies For Little Criminals, September 2007, 4.5/5
Oppel, Kenneth: Airborn, March 2007, 3/5
Oppel, Kenneth: Silverwing, January 2006, 3.5/5
Oppel, Kenneth: Skybreaker, November 2006, 3.5/5
Orwell, George: 1984, November 2007, 3.5/5

---P---
Palahniuk, Chuck: Fight Club, September 2007, 4/5
Paperny, Myra: The Greenies, November 2006, 3/5
Pascal, Francine: Fearless #1: Fearless, June 2005, 3/5
Pascal, Francine: Fearless #2: Sam, June 2005, 3/5
Pascal, Francine: Fearless #3: Run, October 2006, 3/5
Paterson, Katherine: Bridge to Terabithia, January 2007, 5/5
Patterson, James: Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, September 2007, 3/5
Patterson, James: Maximum Ride : School's Out -- Forever, September 2007, 3/5
Pattison, Caroline Rennie: The Whole, Entire, Complete Truth, May 2007, 2/5
Payne, Rob: How to be a Hero on Earth 5, April 2007, 3/5
Perrota, Tom: Little Children, December 2007, 4/5
Pierce, Tamora: Beka Cooper: Terrier, August 2007, 3.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Circle of Magic: Briar's Book, August 2007, 4/5
Pierce: Tamora: The Circle of Magic: Daja's Book, August 2007, 4/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book, July 2007, 3.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Circle of Magic: Tris' Book, July 2007, 4/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Circle Opens: Cold Fire, August 2007, 4/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Circle Opens: Magic Steps, August 2007, 4/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Circle Opens: Shatterglass, August 2007, 4/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Circle Opens: Street Magic, August 2007, 4/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Immortals I: Wild Magic, August 2006, 3.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Protector of the Small: First Test, May 2005, 4.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Protector of the Small: Lady Knight, July 2005, 4.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Protector of the Small: Page, June 2005, 4.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Protector of the Small: Squire, June 2005, 4.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Song of the the Lioness: The First Adventure, January 2006, 3.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Song of the Lioness: Into the Hand of the Goddess, April 2006, 3/5
Pierce, Tamora: Trickster's Choice, November 2006, 4.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Trickster's Queen, November 2006, 4.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: The Will of the Empress, August 2007, 3.5/5
Pierce, Tamora: Young Warriors, December 2006, 4/5
Pullman, Philip: His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass, September 2007, 4.5/5
Pullman, Philip: His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, September 2007, 4.5/5
Pullman, Philip: His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife, September 2007, 4.5/5

---Q---

---R---
Robillard, Anne: Les chevaliers d'Émeraudes: Les dragons de l'Empereur Noir, May 2007, 3/5
Robillard, Anne: Les chevaliers d'Émeraudes: Le feu dans le ciel, May 2007, 3/5
Robillard, Anne: Les chevaliers d'Émeraudes: La princesse rebelle, May 2007, 3/5
Robillard, Anne: Les chevaliers d'Émeraudes: Pièges au Royaume des Ombres, May 2007, 3/5
Rodda, Emily: Quest For Deltora, May 2005, 3/5
Rowling, J.K: Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, July 2005, 5/5
Rowling, J.K: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows, July 2007, 4.5/5
Rowling, J.K: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, July 2005, 5/5
Rowling, J.K: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince, July 2005, 5/5
Rowling, J.K: Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone, July 2005, 5/5
Rowling, J.K: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, July 2005, 5/5
Rowling, J.K: Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, July 2005, 5/5
Rowling, J.K: The Tales of Beetle the Bard, December 2008, 3.5/5

---S---
Sachar, Louis: Holes, February 2008, 5/5
Sachar, Louis: Small Steps, March 2008, 3.5/5
Salinger, J.D: The Catcher in the Rye, October 2006, 4/5
Sanchez, Alex: Rainbow Boys, April 2006, 3/5
Sands, Lyndsay: Single White Vampire, November 2005, 2/5
Sands, Lyndsay: Tall, Dark and Hungry, March 2006, 1.5/5
Scrimger, Richard: From Charlie's Point of View, March 2007, 3/5
Sebold, Alice: The Lovely Bones, October 2007, 4.5/5
Sewell, Anna: Black Beauty, July 2008, 3.5/5
Shelley, Mary: Frankenstein, February 2009, 4/5   
Shreve, Anita: The Pilot's Wife, December 2005, 3/5
Shuler, Linda Lay: She Who Remembers, February 2006, 2/5
Simmons, Dan: The Fall of Hyperion, June 2007, 5/5
Simmons, Dan: Hyperion, June 2007, 5/5
Slade, Arthur: Megiddo's Shadow, April 2007, 3.5/5
Smith, L.J: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, March 2008, 2/5
Sobat, Gail Sydonie: A Winter's Tale, March 2007, 1.5/5
Sparks, Nicholas: A Walk to Remember, September 2006, 2/5
Spinelli, Jerry: Stargirl, August 2007, 5/5
Spyri, Johanna: Heidi, July 2008, 3.5/5
Stevenson, Robert Louis: Treasure Island, July 2008, 3/5
Stoker, Bram: Dracula, February 2009, 3/5
Swift, Jonathan: Gulliver's Travels, March 2009, 3/5         NEW!

---T---
Toews, Miriam: A Complicated Kindness, April 2007, 3.5/5
Toten, Teresa: Me & the Blondes, September 2007, 3/5
Trembath, Dom: Rooster, March 2007, 3.5/5
Trottier, Maxine: Three Song For Courage, 1/5
Tullson, Diane: Blue Highway, March 2007, 3/5

---U---

---V---
Vailly, Corinne de: Celtina: La lance de Lug, December 2007, 2/5
Vailly, Corinne de: Celtina: La terre des promesses, November 2007, 2/5
Vailly, Corinne de: Celtina: Les treize trésors de la Celtie, November 2007, 2.5/5
Vailly, Corinne de: Celtina: L'Épée de Nuada, December 2007, 2/5
Vizzini, Ned: It's Kind of a Funny Story, September 2007, 4/5

---W---
Walker, Alice: The Color Purple, April 2006, 3.5/5
Walters, Eric: Shattered, April 2007, 3.5/5
Walters, Eric: We All Fall Down, April 2007, 3/5
Wiess, Laura: Such a Pretty Girl, August 2007, 3/5
Wilson, John: Four Steps to Death, April 2007, 4.5/5
Wilson, John: Red Goodwin, April 2007, 2.5/5
Wyndham, John: The Chrysalids, April 2006, 4/5

---X---

---Y---

---Z---
Zettal, Sarah: Camelot's Honor, November 2005, 1.5/5
Zettel, Sarah: In Camelot's Shadow, November 2005, 3/5


TOTAL:  259 books

Title: Sense and Sensibility
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: General Fiction, Classic
Rating: 3.5/5
# of pages: 272
Date read: December 2008

Sypnosis: For Elinor Dashwood, sensible and sensitive, and her romantic, impetuous younger sister Marianne, the prospect of marrying the men they love appears remote. In a world ruled by money and self-interest, the Dashwood sisters have neither fortune nor connections. Concerned for others and for social proprieties, Elinor is ill-equipped to compete with self-centred fortune-hunters like Lucy Steele, whilst Marianne''s unswerving belief in the truth of her own feelings makes her more dangerously susceptible to the designs of unscrupulous men. Through her heroines'' parallel experiences of love, loss, and hope, Jane Austen offers a powerful analysis of the ways in which women''s lives were shaped by the claustrophobic society in which they had to survive.

Review: This was a really great look into the lives of women, and what it was like trying to get married back in Austen's time. She really is great at writing satire, and this book shows it the best. I liked both Dashwood sisters and found myself rooting for them and feeling disappointed with them. Austen's great at making likable characters. This wasn't my favorite Austen book, but it's still good and I still recommend it to anyone who's interested in the classics.

Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: General Fiction, Classic
Rating: 3.5/5
# of pages: 272
Date read: July 2007

Sypnosis: Austen''s perfect comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.

Review: Everyone knows about this novel. This is easily Austen's most celebrated one, especially after the 2005 movie. Actually, it's that very movie that prompted me to start reading Austen, and to start with Pride and Prejudice. It was the first "classic" novel I ever read, so I had a bit of a hard time following what was going on because of the language, but it was a good thing I had seen the movie first, as it really helped to keep me coordinated. The characters in this are of course, wonderful. I love the independent and strong heroine, and Elizabeth Bennett fits that bill perfectly, and the brooding, mysterious Mr. Darcy is just as sexy in the book. I gave it a lower mark than Emma, because when I remember, I didn't enjoy it as much as the latter, but I think if I were to re-read it any time soon, this wouldn't be the case. So, I might read this one again, just to see how I feel about it now, after having read a lot more classics.

Title: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: General Fiction, Classic
Rating: 3.5/5
# of pages: 224
Date read: October 2008

Sypnosis: Twenty-seven-year old Anne Elliot is Austen’s most adult heroine. Eight years before the story proper begins, she is happily betrothed to a naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but she precipitously breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. When later Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain, he finds Anne’s family on the brink of financial ruin and his own sister a tenant in Kellynch Hall, the Elliot estate. Al the tension of the novel revolves around one question: Will Anne and Wentworth be reunited in their love?

Review: I didn't enjoy this one as much as Emma, but this is still a great read. It's short, but sweet. Anne is a wonderful character and I found myself rooting for her the entire time to get back together with her old love. The ending is really cute too. Not much else to say about this. It's your typical Austen: an observation on the people of the time. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in reading Austen.

Title: Mansfield Park
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: General Fiction, Classic
Rating: 3/5
# of pages:
Date read: September 2008

Sypnosis: (from Chapters.ca) Dependent on the benevolence of her aristocratic relatives, young Fanny Price develops into the moral center of a family gone astray and restores the tranquility of her adoptive home. Written in the full flower of Austen''s maturity, this work offers an entertaining study of the interplay between manners, education, and ethics.

Review: I read this after Emma and I did not like it quite as much. Fanny, the protagonist kind of annoyed me with her wimpyness, but she was also the only character who had any brains, so I liked her a little bit. But I was still missing my strong, independent and spunky Emma. The main love interest, Edmund, was a pretty good character too. Other than that, I actually don't remember too much about this one. It was still a good observational piece of Austen's society though, which is always cool. I mildly recommend this to anyone with a penchant for classics, or Jane Austen. But if you're just getting into Jane Austen, I wouldn't read this one first.

Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: General Fiction, Classic
Rating: 4/5
# of pages: 384
Date Read: August 2008

Sypnosis: Beautiful, clever, rich—and single—Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen’s most flawless work.

Review: I just want to start this by saying, I really did enjoy this book. A lot. It was funny, and cute and just a joy to read. It really was. I think it's my favorite Jane Austen novel. I was skeptical when I first started reading it because a friend told me that all it was was tea parties. But I beg to differ! The characters in this story were so great, and a I loved them all. The twist at the end too was wonderful and honestly took me by surprise. The misunderstandings that ensued from Emma's trying to make everyone happy were really funny. I just loved it. My only quip with this book is that at times I found the descriptions to be a bit too long, but that's just me. It's really actually wonderfully written, and Austen's style only reflects the time it was written in. I recommend it to anyone who likes classics at all, and especially to those who have liked Austen's other works, because this one is arguably the best. :)

Title: The Penelopiad
Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Parallel Novel
Rating: 2.5/5
# of pages: 216
Date read: April 2007

Sypnosis: (from Chapters.ca) Margaret Atwood’s Penelopiad is a sharp, brilliant and tender revision of a story at the heart of our culture: the myths about Penelope and Odysseus. In Homer’s familiar version, The Odyssey, Penelope is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes to fight in the Trojan Wars, she manages to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son and, in the face of scandalous rumours, keep over a hundred suitors at bay. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters and sleeping with goddesses, he kills Penelope’s suitors and–curiously–twelve of her maids.

Review: This really actually seems like a lot better of a book than I give it credit for. I just gave this score based on how much I enjoyed the book when I read it. And a lot of the reason I didn't like it THAT much was because I had no idea what the Illiad, Odysseus, or Penelope were. I knew pretty much zilch about greek mythology. I feel that now that I know a lot more than I used to when I was seventeen (and stupid), I would probably enjoy this A LOT more than I did then. Stuff I did like about it when I first read it, was that it was written in the form of a play at parts. That was interesting. And also, I liked the story, I just didn't understand some stuff that was going on because I didn't know the WHOLE story. So, this is one I plan on re-reading in the future, to see how my perspective on it changes after getting a little educated.

Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Dystopia, Science-Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
# of pages: 324
Date read: December 2007

Sypnosis: In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies?

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable.

Offred can remember the days before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now....

Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.

Review: I had to read this book for a 12th grade english literature paper, and I really liked it. I'm a bit of a fan of dystopian fiction, so this was definitely my cup of tea. Atwood's dystopian future is one that could still very well possibly happen, which is part of what makes it so good. The reason I don't give it a perfect score is partly because of the way it's written. I know this was probably a good way to write it, but I had a hard time getting used to the lack of quotation marks. It was okay after awhile, but I found it hindering. Overall though, it's a great book and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone, especially people with a penchant for light sci-fi and dystopian fiction.

Title: Hawksong
Author: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 3.5/5
# of pages: 256
Date read: May 2006

Summary: Danica Shardae is an avian shapeshifter. She is a princess of her people who, like the birds they become, is reserved and disciplined, yet full of passion. Her people have been at war with the serpiente, a people who shapeshift into serpent forms, for so many years that no one remembers how it all started. The hatred and bloodshed have taken a heavy toll on both sides, and Danica and Zane Cobriana, a prince among the serpiente, are determined to stop it, at any cost. He is the last of his line as is Danica and so he proposes that the avian and serpiente royalty meet at a neutral place and seek mediation to end the war. The mediator proposal-that Danica and Zane marry-is so crazy and repugnant a plan that both parties leave immediately. The young people, however, consider it in spite of the apparent lunacy, for it would mean an end to the fighting. But can they pull it off? And can they keep the dissenters among them from destroying this shred of a chance for peace? This book takes the Romeo and Juliet angle to new heights and is dealt with in a completely original way. It's a love story and a plea for peace, and an intriguing look at a world that is teeming with tension and danger and beauty.

Review: A fun fantasy take on the 'Romeo & Juliet' romance. I enjoyed it, but I think my hopes were a little too high, because before reading it, my friend raved about it. I still really enjoyed it though and plan on buying it and the rest of the series soon enough. I really liked the whole shape-shifting idea too.. that was really cool. It's nice, fairly light, and touches on the subjects of war and prejudice but in a cool way for teens. Also, the author was only 16-17 when she wrote the book, so that's pretty impressive as well! 

Title: Go Ask Alice
Author: Anonymous
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 3/5
# of pages: 214
Date Read: September 2007

Summary: (from back of book) With over a million copies in print, Go Ask Alice has become a classic of our time. This powerful real-life diary of a teenager's struggle with the seductive -- often fatal -- world of drugs and addiction tells the truth about drugs in strong and authentic voice. Tough and uncompromising, honest and disturbing -- and even more poignant today -- Go Ask Alice is page-turning and provocative reading.

Review: Please note that I read this book as purely fiction. Some people (still) believe that this is a true diary of a young girl who became addicted to drugs.. but I'm not one of those people. Anyway, I enjoyed this book for what it was when it was published; an edgy, out of the ordinary work for the 1970s. I was 17 when I read and going through a "phase", so at the time, I really liked it, but as I've read other books, I've come to realize that while this is good.. enough.. it's not as good as I thought it was before. So, it's a good read for younger teens to see the horrible effects drugs can have on someone's life. That's about it.

Title: Little Women
Author: Louise May Alcott
Genre: Family, Drama, Coming of Age, Comedy, Children's Classic
Rating: 3.5/5
# of pages: 464
Date read: January 2008

Summary: (from back of book) Little Women is one of the best-loved children's stories of all time, based on the author's own youthful experiences. It describes the family life of the four March sisters living in a small New England community. Meg, the eldest, is pretty and wishes to be a lady; Jo at fifteen is ungainly and unconventional with an ambition to be an author; Beth is a delicate child of thirteen with a taste for music and Amy is a blonde beauty of twelve. The story of their domestic adventures, their attempts to increase the family income, their friendship with the neighbouring Laurence family, and their later love affairs remains as fresh and beguiling as ever.

Review: This book is just too cute. I can see why it's a children's classic. The characters are very endearing and you learn to love most of them. What's interesting about each March girl is that, almost any girl or women who reads this book can associate with at least one of them. They're all unique; there's something good about all of them, but there's also room for improvement for all of them as well. While I love all the trials and tribulations that the family goes through, I found this book a little too long. But, that's just my personal opinion and it's one of the only thing that bothered my about this book. Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. :)

Title: A History of Forgetting
Author: Caroline Adderson
Genre: General Fiction
Rating: 0.5/5
# of pages: 352
Date read: April 2006

Summary: (from Amazon.com) Malcolm Firth is an aging hairdresser whose partner, Denis, is wasting away from memory loss. Malcolm works at a zany Vancouver hair salon where he trains Alison, a young ingenue from the suburbs, amidst a staff of eccentric urbanoid hair stylists. Their clients include a troop of old people, one of whom is a Holocaust survivor. It is this old woman who provides innocent Alison with her first glimpse into the depredations of the human race. When one of Alison's gay friends is brutally murdered by skinheads, she is soon propelled on a harrowing journey of sorrow and the getting of wisdom. Haunted by the death of her friend, she wanders the rings of a psychological and spiritual inferno, bringing the slowly dissipating Malcolm with her. Her obsession takes them to post-communist Poland where they struggle to reconstitute the past in the killing grounds of Auschwitz. How do we remember our history? Why are the same cruelties repeated through time? These are the urgent questions that underpin this powerful first novel from one of Canada's most emotionally daring young writers. Rich in its emotional ground, beautifully pitched, and written in a refined and assured prose style, A History of Forgetting is a most compelling book. Caroline Adderson is a virtuoso conjurer of the human condition.

Review: It's been a long time since I read this book (almost three years), but I don't remember anything about it (except one disgusting scene that no one should ever have to read), and that I absolutely hated it. I found it slow, and boring, and I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. I didn't even feel bad for the guy with the aging partner who had Alzheimer's. That, and most of the time, I didn't really know what was going on. Maybe it's because the book didn't catch my interest, so I just didn't really try to understand what was going on.. but that almost never happens to me. I also remember the narration bugging me at one point. It was odd how it was written and I found it really awkward. I picked it up because it mentioned the Holocaust (a subject that held my interest at the time), but when I was reading, it felt like the book had little to do with it, except when two of the main characters go to Auschwitch at tbe end, and there's reference sprinkled throughout the book. Anyway, this is one of my least favorite books of all time. Maybe I'd like it better if I read it again, but I doubt it.