Well, I finished The Search for WondaLa and I enjoyed it very much! It was imaginative, exciting, and for a sci-fi, very believable! Eva talks and acts just as I'd picture a twelve-year-old girl acting, which is neat because a lot of those type of heroines seem to act old for their age. The overall message was great, and the ending was very touching. I can't wait for the sequel!

All this talk about Leviathan made me want to reread it so badly! So I am. Actually, I've finished with Leviathan and I'm in the middle of Behemoth at the moment. I love those books...every time I see an illustration coming, I get all excited.

Behemoth has already been released? I didn't know that. *heads to the library*

I'll be sure do that!

I thought the movie was great, but that might just be because I haven't read the book. What did you hear about it that made you not want to see it?

(And it's okay to run down a rabbit trail once in a while . . . Doesn't Beastly look aweseome? I'm so excited!)

I'm sure that's the reason - I've just heard how different it is from the book - okay, this book is the best in the world!! And to make a movie adaption is really impossible, but to ruin it . . AGH! . . oh .. I could rant all day.
Yes! It looks so amazing!

I just started The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha this afternoon. Its fairly good so far.
And I finished Going Postal last night. It was good. I kept cracking up at Vetinari's humor.

A quick update on my recent reading.

-Beauty by Robin McKinley. Dee had borrowed it from the library and I was bored so I picked it up, not really knowing what to expect, but I really, really liked it! The Beast was such a great character, and it was very easy to sympathize with him. And I was drooling over the library!!! A library of books that haven't even been written yet?? Ack! *dies*
-The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History. This book is awesome. Period. Every American should read this book, in my opinion.
-Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. My first time reading it, and it was an excellent book! I would recommend it to just about anyone.
-Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. Another excellent book, and I definitely admire the Harris twins for what they are doing. I would recommend this to anyone.
-I started Persuasion for the first time yesterday, and it's pretty good so far. I'll have a more definite opinion after I'm done.

On my 'to read/re-read' list...

-The Narnia series
-The Attolia series
-Jane Austen (I have several of her books that I have never read, and I'm trying to remedy that)
-Manalive
-I'm due for a re-read of Peretti's Darkness series.
-My parents have been wanting me to read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, so I'll probably try to do that soon.
-Annnnd, I think I'm itching for a re-read of The Virginian already.

--- flambeau

Elanor: 3 DAYS!!?? How is that even possible? You must have done nothing else! I think that book took me about half a year.

I read Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. It's a very interesting book, written in the 1st person plural "we" point of view. It's sort of an existential book version of The Office. The way that it's written is very interesting and fragmented in a way that really fits the plot. My complaint is that it went on way too long.

I know there was some interest in my thoughts on Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated. There's a lot to say and I don't really know where to begin. Foer really corners the market in innovative novel writing. The book is written in 3 formats that alternate. The first is the voice of Alex, Jonathan Safran Foer's (the character JSF, not the author) Ukrainian interpreter on his journey to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the nazis. Alex tells the story of their journey. The 2nd is the novel that JSF (character) writes about his ancestors who live in Ukraine. He basically makes up very strange histories for them. (This part actually got cut from the movie). The 3rd is also Alex's voice, but in the form of letters he sends to Jonathan after JSF returns to America.

Alex is hilarious. He butchers the English language in such a comedic way, but it eventually becomes old news and his letters and narrative become sad and philosophical. The portions that are JSF's book are the largest portion. They are very explicit in content, but interesting in other parts. Overall, I would say that Everything is Illuminated walks a very fine line between profound and pretentious. There are definitely parts that are just too "cute." For example, he fills an entire page and a half with the words "We are writing..." over, and over, and over. There are moments when I know he was reaching for greatness and he fell flat on his face. The critics mostly love EII, and I can see why, but I think maybe Foer was trying too hard. (And much of the content is VERY objectionable).

-Beauty by Robin McKinley. Dee had borrowed it from the library and I was bored so I picked it up, not really knowing what to expect, but I really, really liked it! The Beast was such a great character, and it was very easy to sympathize with him. And I was drooling over the library!!! A library of books that haven't even been written yet?? Ack! *dies*

Aw, I loved that book, and I need to read it again! It's so sweet and cute, and yes, that library! How awesome!

-Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. My first time reading it, and it was an excellent book! I would recommend it to just about anyone.
-Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. Another excellent book, and I definitely admire the Harris twins for what they are doing. I would recommend this to anyone.

Both of those are awesome books as well! I love all the Harris Book's I've read.
And what great books on your to-read list!! I read the first two Attolia books again, a few days ago, and I need to order The King. It's the only one Denny doesn't have.

Elanor: 3 DAYS!!?? How is that even possible? You must have done nothing else! I think that book took me about half a year.

When a book is that amazing, I couldn't have read it any slower if I'd have tried! I wanted it to taker longer, but I couldn't stop myself! And I'm a really quick reader.

I just finished rereading A Hat Full of Sky and started rereading Wintersmith. I think the Tiffany Aching stories are my favorite of the Pratchett I've read. (I've only read the first three of them) Still on A Wizard of Earthsea.
And I agree about Beauty. Its just such a nice comfortable book.
And I'm still on The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha. I love Lloyd Alexander novels.

I've only read Beauty by Robin McKinley once, and I didn't like it. The reason is because I feel as though she very strictly adhered to the original fairy tale. She made the story chapter-book length, but did not take me, as a reader, beyond the story. She didn't make it her own, and the girl (Beauty) was annoying to me, and weak, too. She was indulgent with adding future books, and the reason for the Beast's enchantment (that I remember) was really weird.

It is very interesting, isn't it, how there is a very fine line between charming and indulgent. I really enjoyed Beauty, but I can see how it was very adherent. It was the first and only retelling of the story I have ever read and my only experience with the story is the Disney movie, so I enjoyed the new setting, the fact that Beauty wasn't actually a beauty and the rich storyland setting.

Flam: I'm glad you liked Do Hard Things. It wasn't written that well, but I've actually found their ideas very helpful in the past week or so as I've been taking on a new challenge. It has been comforting to know that through the challenge and difficulty I'm being stretched and honoring my Heavenly Father! They definitely have some good things to say about the laziness of our generation.

Oh dear. I don't think I'll be able to catch up. I really should post in here more often. Anyhow since I last posted I have read/re-read:

The Lord of the Rings--it's still as awesome as the first time I read it. The differences between the book and the movies stick out a little bit more after a fresh reading, but the movies were still good movies even if they didn't always get everything right.....

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones (I think that's how it's spelled)--I loved it. I saw the movie ages before I read the book, but I am overall pleased with both. The characters are amazing.

Away from the Vicarage by Noel Streatfeild--not bad. It certainly isn't her greatest work but it isn't her worst either. I was mostly interested in it because it is part of her autobiographical trilogy of books.

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett--Vimes is awesome. I liked Thud! better, but it's still a neat book and faster-paced then some of his other ones. And I'm reading Pratchett's books out of order. Oh well.

I just started rereading The Last Unicorn today. I love that book.

Reading this thread makes me want to read so badly! I'm having slow going with the books I'm reading though:

Reading:

Competent to Counsel by Jay E. Adams
Started Sept 22, 2010
Excellent book though. Very, very good, especially if you're interested in psychology and counseling and such. It points out the difference between Biblical counseling and "how you're feeling and blah blah blah".

Spiritual Depression by Martin Lloyd Jones
Started Sept 22, 2010
This one's really, really good too. A lot of applicable things. Really good, but it's going a little slow... I just have to sit down and concentrate. This book focuses on the problem with unhappiness and depression in Christians, etc. I mentioned this book was on my reading list a few months ago... And I'm still chugging through.

Do You Think I'm Beautiful? by Angela Thomas
Started this yesterday or Sunday, a friend is lending it to me, so I'll probably finish it sooner so I can return it. So far I'm not too far into it, but it's okay. I guess I don't really relate a lot to the subject... I mean, it's written mostly for girls and women who have always felt plain and how they're beautiful in God's eyes. (At least I am assuming that's what it's about from what I've read so far.) Maybe there's more to it.
I'm sure it'll probably be good, but I don't know if it'll really "hit me"...

Read:
Um... Uh... wow. I really can't think of much.
Oh, okay, here's my reading log:

In a Heartbeat by Leig Anne and Sean Tuhoy
If you've seen "The Blind Side" it was somewhat about that, but a little more detail and background and "afterwards". I really enjoyed this. It was fun to read, and I was through it in a day.

Bridge to Terebithia by... someone.
I didn't really like this book. I had a few theology problems, IMO. *laugh* Okay, so it's a children's book. But they can have good theology too.
It had a lot of blasphemy in it, IMO. :/ I'm surprised it's such famous literature. It was okay, but I just thought it was plain weird.

The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
I've enjoyed other Artemis Fowl books more. I can't say this one really stood out. It was sort of lame in a lot of parts. A lot. *repeat* I didn't really like it that much, but... yeah. Anyways...

Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Legh DeMoss
I really liked this book. There were a lot of things that stuck out. Now I just need to work at changing. But I thought it was pretty good.

To Read:

A lot. I NEED to start a reading list. Can't believe I haven't done that yet. Ugh! And I'll need to read through this thread to get ideas. I miss reading.

So, I finished The Search for WondLa. It was impressive, and I admire the effort that was put into it... but as a story I kind of failed to care. It was very put-down-in-the-middle-able.

I also re-read The Edge on the Sword and read Far Traveler. I enjoyed both of those very much. I think that makes three or four reads of The Edge on the Sword and even though I remembered some of the characters and ideas, I didn't remember what happened in the story. So it was a little bit like reading the story for the first time...

Lastly, I'm reading the last two books in The Squire's Tales. (And going back and re-reading my favourite: The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf because the Arthurian age is ending and so I need a bit of comfort after all the sadness.)

^ Yeppers, those Tingle books deserve to be better known than they are!

Since last posting I finished Behemoth. My overall opinion was that the action and plot were better in the first book, but I did like the characters better. And I was surprised not to be annoyed by Bovril - because that kind of small-but-genius character usually gets on my nerves. I guess it's too cute not to like. Though I'm wondering what a creature that intelligent entails theologically... Exactly how smart is a perspicacious loris?

Also recently read All But My Life. This is an amazing book, the autobiography of a young woman who lost her family in the Holocaust and spent several years working in forced labor camps. The author, Gerda Weissmann Klein, is very honest about her own faults and feelings amid the horrors. Emotionally piercing sometimes, the story still carries a feeling of hope. She notices the rare good around her more than dwelling on the evil, and dreams of a happy future with a family of her own. This is the best book I've read in a long time.

And I'm now reading Operation Drumbeat, this humongously thick book about the WWII German U-boat offensive off the coast of the USA. The material is presented in an easy-to-understand and interesting manner, but it still gets a touch boring at times!