The Good Earth - Pear S. Buck

Title: The Good Earth
Author: Pearl S. Buck
Pages: 357
Published: 2004 (first published 1931)
Challenges: The Classics Club, Historical Fiction, OfftheShelf, Embarrassment of Riches
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: This tells the poignant tale of a Chinese farmer and his family in old agrarian China. The humble Wang Lung glories in the soil he works, nurturing the land as it nurtures him and his family. Nearby, the nobles of the House of Hwang consider themselves above the land and its workers; but they will soon meet their own downfall.

Hard times come upon Wang Lung and his family when flood and drought force them to seek work in the city. The working people riot, breaking into the homes of the rich and forcing them to flee. When Wang Lung shows mercy to one noble and is rewarded, he begins to rise in the world, even as the House of Hwang falls.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: It took me at least until the half-way through the book to get into the book and to actually understand the point of the book and see its importance in the modern literary canon.  Its almost as though the land is a part of Wang Lung, no matter how poor or wealthy he becomes; as though he is a nurturer of the land around him and sees himself as a steward for the earth, treating it in a manner that is respectful and honourable.  The book, in a way, could be a morality story on how to treat the land, in that if one treats the land well and with respect, it will in turn treat you well and with respect; almost an early form of environmentalism before the term was being used frequently.

Bottom line: I would probably recommend this book that enjoy books by the likes of Steinbeck, Hemmingway, and Faulkner.  It has the same sort of epic and literary quality that one can find with those authors (yes, I have read at least one piece of each).  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2013: 17,120

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

Title: Northanger Abbey
Author: Jane Austen
Pages 235
Published: 2003 (1818)
Challenges: The Classics Club, OfftheShelf, Embarrassment of Riches
Genre: Classics, Gothic, Literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

Description: Catherine Morland, an unremarkable tomboy as a child, is thrown amongst all the 'difficulties and dangers' of Bath at the ripe age of seventeen. Armed with an unworldly charm and a vivid imagination, she must overcome the caprices of elegant society, encountering along the way such characters as the vacuous Mrs Allen, coquettish Isabella and the brash bully John Thorpe. Catherine's invitation to Northanger Abbey, in her eyes a haven of coffins, skeletons and other Gothic devices, does lead to an adventure, though one she didn't expect, and her misjudgement of the ambitious, somewhat villainous General Tilney is not wholly unjustified. However, with the aid of the 'unromantic' hero Henry Tilney, Catherine gradually progresses towards maturity and self-knowledge. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Maybe it was due to the fact that I had read Sense & Sensibility not long before reading this one and the fact that I really I enjoyed that particular book or that I hit a reading funk just as I started the book, I don't know, but I just couldn't get into this particular Austen.  It kinda felt like it was an early book of hers (which upon further research it was actually one of the first that she completed) and probably therefore needs a re-read of the book before I make an overall judgment of the book (I have a bookclub meeting this coming spring that is focused on the book).  But in a way I can see the formula for her later and more beloved books being started.  That being said, it wasn't exactly my favourite and hence I struggled with the book, as it seemed choppy at times and her thoughts and concepts didn't feel as though they were coming from somebody like Jane Austen.  It was an enjoyable read and I will give it a re-read to formulate a more well-rounded opinion of the book. 

Bottom line: Like Mansfield Park and Persuasion, I would recommend the book to those that are more familiar with Jane Austen rather than those that aren't as familiar with her work. Recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages for 2013:  16,763

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Pages: 550
Published: 2007 (first published 2005)
Challenges: OfftheShelf, TBR Pile, Historical Fiction, Book Blogger Recommendation
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

Description: It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: There are a few times in which I have taken a few days to read a book and this is one of those times when no other book really mattered.  While I did listen to the audio while I read the book, it was no less amazing, in fact I think it added to the enjoyment of the book.  Reading the book while listening to the audio of the book made me feel like I was listening to a piece of poetry that was in prose format.  

I don't really know how to describe how much I enjoyed this book; it was almost like was too good at times and allowed me to feel as though I was really there seeing and experiencing what Liesel was seeing and experiencing.  And as I was getting closer to the end of the book, I could see why other readers have really enjoyed reading this book.  And yes, I understand the point of the dominoes, at least after reading it (and no I am not giving it away) and wonder why the publisher put the dice on the front cover (curious thought don't you think?) instead of maybe some books or maybe an accordion (read the book to understand why)...

Anyways I loved the book and am curious to see how the screenwriter for the film adapted the book and how much of the book is in the film and how they do Death, who is basically heard throughout the book.  Probably will become one of those books that I remember for a long time, even if I don't read it a lot, much like Jacob Have I Loved and Jane Eyre have become to me over the years.

Bottom line: I really liked this book and probably would recommend to those readers that enjoy historical fiction YA books, but I think its also a book that general readers of fiction would also enjoy.  I think that this is a book that probably would appeal to a number of readers and not just one specific type of reader.  Highly Recommended.

Rating: 5/5 (would probably rate it higher, if I was rating books higher)

Pages for 2013: 16,176

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

Title: Moby Dick, or The Whale
Author: Herman Melville
Pages: 640
Published: 1998 (originally published 1851)
Challenges: Back to the Classics, Chunkster, The Classics Club, Embarrassment of Riches, Off the Shelf
Genre: Adventure, Classics, Fiction, Literature
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Personal


Description: Over a century and a half after its publication, Moby-Dick still stands as an indisputable literary classic. It is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopedia of whaling lore and legend, Moby-Dick is a haunting, mesmerizing, and important social commentary populated with several of the most unforgettable and enduring characters in literature. Written with wonderfully redemptive humor, Moby-Dick is a profound and timeless inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I first became intrigued with the book on TLC's Great Book series and after reading it, I have very mixed thoughts about this book.  While I enjoyed the narrative of the journey of the Pequod and the story of the men on the ship, the musings of Melville almost made me want to not finish the book.  I understand why Melville may have gone on and on about the physiology of the whale (which he does spend several chapters talking about the physiology of the sperm whale), but there really is no need to spend time philosophizing about things that have nothing to do with the story and the only reason that I finished the book was due to my interest in the narrative, which seems to be very little of the story.

Bottom line: If you have an interest classics and really like reading classics, I would probably put this on your TBR list.  Basically I wouldn't rush out to read it and it probably is a book that you can skip, if you have no interest in the book. And its probably something that I won't reread, but one never knows.  Sure its an interesting book in that you can see elements of the modern novel in this book, in fact its referred to as the first modern novel, even though its put in the classic category. Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2013: 14058

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

Title: A Game of Thrones (Song of Fire and Ice #1)
Author: George R.R. Martin
Pages: 837
Published: 2011 (originally published by 1996)
Challenges: Off the Shelf, Chunkster, Embarrassment of Riches, Tea &  Books, TBR Pile
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I started with this book back in March 2012, but gave up on it after about 200 pages as I was getting more and more confused. But after a bit, I decided to give it a try again.  And I am glad I did, as I found that I got into the world that exists in the book, I actually began to get really into it.  I felt as though I became a part of that world and as though it became a part of me.  There was also a moment about half-way through the book where I started see scenes from the TV series in the book and I could see why people have gotten into not only the TV show, but also the series.  I am just waiting for the boys on Big Bang Theory to talk about the series at length, if at all (they seem to be more Sci-Fi than Fantasy fans).

Bottom line: I really liked it, more than I feel I can express.  When I love a book, like this one, I just love it and there really isn't an explanation for it.  Mr. Martin hit upon a certain formula in such a way like J.K. Rowling did with the Harry Potter series that makes this series so enjoyable not only watch on my screen but also something that I enjoy reading.  While I really did enjoy the book, I would probably recommend this for readers who liked the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Harry Potter series

Rating: 5/5

Pages for 2013: 11553

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

Title: The Prince
Author: Niccolo Machiavelli
Pages: 160
Published: 2008 (first published 1513)
Genre: Classics, Non-fiction
Challenges: The Classics Club, Back to the Classics, Embarrassment of Riches, Off the Shelf
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: The first modern treatise of political philosophy, The Prince is one of the world’s most influential and widely read books. Machiavelli reveals nothing less than the secrets of power: how to gain it, how to wield it, and how to keep it. Ruthless, cunning, and amoral, The Prince is a controversial analysis of manipulation and an essential guide for anyone interested in conquest, self-defense, or observation of dominance and control.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I think this is a book one needs to examine more closely when reading and is not a book that should be read quickly and therefore any sort of comments that I may impart on others would be inadequate.  At least I can say I have read the book.

Bottom line: I would recommend this to individuals who have an interest in political philosophy and those who just have an interest in how to gain power.

Rating: 2.725/5

Pages for 2013: 5974

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Title: Crime and Punishment
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Pages: 720
Published: 203 (first published 1866)
Genre: Classics
Challenges: Book Blogger Recommendations, Chunkster, Embarrassment of Riches, Off the Shelf, Tea & Books
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: 'Crime? What crime?...My killing a loathsome, harmful louse, a filthy old moneylender woman...and you call that a crime?'

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: So glad that this book is done!!  I first started this book about a year and a half ago for a bookclub that I belong to and I wasn't able to finish the book, no matter how much I tried to get the book completed.  I don't know what it was, but it probably had to do with the fact that I was running out of time to complete the book at the time and I was at the point when Raskolnikov was at his lowest and the novel was at its darkest.  But when Wallace at Unputdownables put it up for a readalong, I knew I had to do it.  I always knew it was a matter of not if, but when I would complete the book. 

And quite honestly, I was glad I did read the book.  True a lot of the book is about Raskolnikov and his descent into madness, but it also about how those around Raskolnikov are affected by his descent and how his health deteriorates as a result of his descent.  And quite honestly it is a book that I can rest to bed and may pick up later, but I highly doubt it.

Bottom line: Its a long and dark book and if you aren't into that type of book, I would probably avoid it, but if you like books that are dark and deep, I would recommend this to you.  You may want to quit reading the book and feel like you are descending in the same way that Raskolnikov does and that is quite natural, but it is an interesting study on the human condition and how sometimes just the smallest thing can set a person off.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2013: 5814

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley

Title: A Red Herring Without Mustard
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 416
Published: 2011
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Challenges: Historical Fiction, Off the Shelf, TBR Pile, Embarrassment of Riches
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal Collection

Description: “You frighten me,” the old Gypsy woman says. “Never have I seen my crystal ball so filled with darkness.” So begins eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce’s third adventure through the charming but deceptively dark byways of the village of Bishop’s Lacey. The fortune teller also claims to see a woman who is lost and needs help to get home—and Flavia knows it must be her mother Harriet, who died when Flavia was less than a year old. The Gypsy’s vision opens up old wounds for our precocious yet haunted heroine, and sets her mind racing in search of what it could mean.
 
When Flavia later goes to visit the Gypsy at her encampment, she certainly doesn’t expect to find the poor old woman lying near death in her caravan, bludgeoned in the wee hours. Was it an act of retribution by those who thought that the woman had abducted a local child years before? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how can she prove this crime is connected to the missing baby? Did it have something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites?
 
While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon a corpse—that of a notorious layabout and bully she had only recently caught prowling about Buckshaw. The body hangs from a statue of Poseidon in Flavia’s very own backyard, and our unflappable sleuth knows it’s up to her to figure out the significance. Pedalling her faithful bicycle, Gladys, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers secrets both long-buried and freshly stowed—the dodgy dealings of a local ironworks, the truth behind the Hobblers’ secret meetings, her own ancestor’s ambitious plans—all the while exhausting the patience of Inspector Hewitt. But it’s not long before the evidence starts falling into place, and Flavia must take drastic action to prevent another violent attack.  (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: As one could well imagine, I also loved this one again.  While there is more of Flavia's chemistry wizardry in this book, it isn't as much as the first two books, but you do get is more of her curiosity about the world around her and how she will do anything to get at the truth, even if it does meaning having to lie from time to time in order to solve the crime.  Once again I could hardly get myself away from the book and finished the book in less than a week and somehow I am eagerly anticipating reading the next book, but I do have other books to read.

Bottom line: While it is a part of a series, you can read the book as a stand-alone and still enjoy it just much.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2013: 5094

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Pages: 435
Published: 2002 (originally published 1813)
Genre: Classic, Fiction
Challenges: Classics Club, Pride & Prejudice bicentenary Challenge
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description:  When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited, while he struggles to remain indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts:  I quite enjoyed the book and liked how the miniseries incorporated so much of the book into the miniseries.   Sure this is my favourite Austen book and yes, I have compared each one to this book, but there is something to be said for Austen sort of rebuking the way husbands were acquired by those in certain classes at that time, of course in her own way.  I can't really say what I liked about the book because there was so much that I did like about the book.  Its honestly one of those books that there is so much that one likes about the book that you really cannot pinpoint what you liked the most.

Bottom line:  Recommended for those that haven't tried her or who have read her other later books, but    would like to give her another chance.  I would also recommend the book to those that have read her earlier books.  And I would also recommend it to those that need a lighter read, but is still considered to be a classic.

Rating:  5/5

Pages for 2013: 3136

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

Title: The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Pages: 389
Published: 2012 (originally published 1937)
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Challenges: 2013 TBR Pile Challenge, Classics Club
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal library

Description: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End.

But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon… (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: Before I give my actual thoughts of the book, I have to confess something.  The cover that I am showing here isn't the one that I read from.  I lost that particular copy of the book and am not sure where that particular copy has ended, so I bought a new copy of the book and I am basing my stats on the new copy, not the old one.

Overall, I thought it was pretty decent and because I read it while listening to an audio version of the book, I was able to catch most of what I had somehow skipped over the first time I read it (I quit reading about 3/4 of the way through).  I did find the story a tad boring at times and while I liked the visuals that the movie gave to the first third of the book (yes, I am planning on seeing the next two Hobbit movies), as it gave me a sense of place, I did find that for the most part it was rather dull and thought that the ending was a bit of a cop out, but maybe I will think better of the ending later on.

I suppose it didn't help that I read the book at the end of the day and maybe I couldn't enjoy it as much as I probably could have.  I did enjoy the book, but it just felt that it was more of a chore than an enjoyable read.

Bottom line:  I would recommend this book to those that enjoy fantasy fiction and have enjoyed the Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin.  I think I will tackle the three books in LOTR series at some point, but I need a bit of a break and maybe once I have finished those books, I will have a different view of the book.

Rating:  3.5/5

Pages for 2013:  2701

Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Title: Anna Karenina
Author: Leo Tolstoy (translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky)
Pages: 838
Published: 2004 (first published 1871)
Genre: Classiscs, Fiction
Challenges: The Classics Club, Embarrassment of Riches, Off the Shelf,
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: This book is a book that I have wanted to read for quite sometime (almost 10 years) and I finally got through it.  While it took me a while to get through, it was well worth getting through.  True by the end I just wanted it read and completed and realized that I could have finished this book much quicker than I went through it.  I can see why this book is venerated and cherished by friends of mine who have read the book in the past and this definitely a book that is probably going to be re-read.  The only complaint I have with the book is that the book is more about Levin than Anna and it seemed that Tolstoy enjoyed writing that aspect of the book than writing about Anna, who seems to be more of a secondary character.  And yes, when I think of Anna, I think of somebody who maybe is in the vain of Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary on Downton Abbey) than Kiera Knightly, who seems a little too waffish to be Anna.  If there is a complaint about the book its that Part 8 seemed to be a little too drawn out and could have easily been at least half of the length that it was.  Highly recommended.

Bottom line: If you enjoy reading long classics and have read book like Les Miserables, The Count of Monte Cristo, et al, you will find this a breeze.  Just a warning, Tolstoy tends to be long on exposition in places in the book.  And I would recommend getting a good translation of the book.

Rating:  3.725/5

Pages for 2013: 998

Off The Shelf Challenge 2013

BA’s 2013 Off the Shelf Reading Challenge

About: The Off the Shelf Reading Challenge is probably the most popular challenge there is on BA. The goal? To read books on your shelves that have gone unread for far too long. Selecting books from the year before (in this case, 2012 and before), read as many of the unread ones as you can. It’s up to you if you want to keep them or give them away afterwards, the main goal is to turn those unread books into read ones.

The Finer Deets

• The Main Rule: Do not include books acquired during 2013, it defeats the purpose, read those books from before 2013 started.
• Running dates for all 2013 challenges: 1st of January – 31st of December 2013
• Sign-Ups are accepted until the 16th of December 2013.
• Formats: All BA Challenges are eBook, audio, short story, and graphic novel friendly.
• Crossovers: You’re welcome to crossover with BA’s challenges. Include as many books across all the challenges as you can, I always say.

How To Sign-Up and Join In

1. Choose Your Level: Choose a challenge level listed below.
2. Sign Up Post: Create a post on your blog, in a group, or on a forum (where possible) to let others see what you’re aiming for (a predefined list of books is optional).
3. Grab The Badge: Download or grab the badge and place it in your sign up post. Then link back toBookish Ardour.
4. Link Up: Grab the direct URL to your sign up post, not your blog, click the Mr Linky graphic and enter your link.
5. Blogless? Don’t worry, you can sign up with your social network profile (YouTube, Twitter, GoodReads, Shelfari included), just make sure you link to your review list, shelf, tweet, or category. If you don’t have any of those feel free to comment.
6. Your Reviews: Reviewing is optional! But if you do review it would be great for you to share them by submitting them on thereview page.
   
7. Finished: When you’re done it’s completion post time and you can share these on the completion/wrap-up page.
   

Challenge Levels

1. Tempted– Choose 5 books to read
2. Trying – Choose 15 books to read
3. Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
4. On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
5. Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read
6. Hoarder – Choose between 76-135 books to read
7. Buried – Choose between 136-200 books to read
8.  
9.  

Since I am doing this in conjunction with a couple of other similar challenges, I am going to aim for the Trying level.

Progress:
1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
6. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
8. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
9. The Book Thief by Martin Zusak
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.