Week 8

    
    My first impression of the characters was fairly negative and the plot didn't seem particularly inspired, yet for some reason I just couldn't put the book down. Gaiman manages to evoke a really interesting world despite telling what is at first a pretty ordinary story with unremarkable characters. My opinion of Gaiman has gone up by witnessing this first hand. In addition to the engaging tale, it's also quite funny! By the end of the book I was ready to praise it. The characters really evolve before your eyes and the story takes off. I'm glad I read it despite my initial hesitation. Anansi Boys is set in the same universe as American Gods, but it is a completely different style of story. The only things these two books share is the way gods, magic, and spirits are portrayed, and the character Mr. A. Nancy, also known as Anansi. The main premise is, quite simply, that gods are real and hanging out on the Earth. They have great powers or miracles that they can use to change things according to their nature. These gods are generally secret with respect to most of the world, but certain cultures or groups of people are more sensitive to their spiritual natures and know about the gods and magic.  This book, as well as the two others I've read, have convinced me that Neil Gaiman is an excellent writer and one to keep reading. I personally found the book to be more accessible than American Gods and would recommend it over that one. Despite the initial hesitation given the main character, things quickly sped up and became very enjoyable.

week 7

    So when I was a kid I didn’t enjoy reading one bit so I missed out of the crazy hype that came along with this book. I just was afraid of the size of the books because they appears to be too long and I was not interested. Looking into it now the read was very easy of course but had to admit it was good. I can read this book over and over again. From the very beginning until the end J.K. Rowling has me gripped! There is never a dull moment, whether it's battling with trolls, a three-headed dog, or Harry facing Lord Voldermort. I would definitely recommend this book because it keeps you reading without ever wanting to put the book down. By the end of the book you come to love the characters and you want to read more. You won't be disappointed because the second book in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is just as great! If you haven't read any of the Harry Potter books. I started reading the second one and I probably will read the rest.

Week 6

    This is one of the most freshly original and delightfully imaginative books for children that have appeared in many a long day. Like "Alice in Wonderland," it comes from Oxford University, where the author is Professor of Anglo-Saxon, and like Lewis Carroll's story, it was written for children that the author knew (in this case his own four children) and then inevitably found a larger audience. n interesting book, and a sadly disappointing one, in a Harry Potter kind of way. The book seems to drag on and parts of it seem pointless, useless even, and adds little to the story line or the characters. Though there were attributing parts of the of the story that makes it more bearable to read. For example, at the beginning it was quite humorous in a way that today’s readers might find funny, rather than being old-fashioned. Though, I guess this is almost always exactly the same in all of Tolkien’s work. The Hobbit is one of the longest short books I have ever read in my life, because though it is relatively not that long it feels very long and over drawn. When reading this book it can feel difficult because of all of the facts. Definitely not the best book I have ever read and has many flaws and issues but is still a good piece of well structured writing and does deserve some credit at least.

Week 5

   At first, Aunt Maria seems to be a demure old woman, cuddly as a teddy bear and oozing forbearance and patience. But there is a hard, iron side to Aunt Maria that can hardly be believed at first because it is cushioned so sneakily between layers of fluff and sweetness. But gradually the Lakers realize that they are expected to keep house, look after Aunt Maria, and provide the cakes (home-made, not store-bought, mind!) for the tea parties that Aunt Maria has every day with other women from the village. Aunt Maria is not very exciting or riveting; it’s mostly dull with a few bright spots here and there. I think Jones’ point ran away with her a little bit and really just overshadowed the entire book. Mig’s mother was fantastic, though. It’s better than a lot of other Middle Grade stuff out there, but Jones has written better books. The whole male/female magic thing was just…weird. It was all, “No, men and women are the same, really! It’s when they’re treated as different that things go wrong! See, look, we shut away all the men’s virtue in this box because that’s not manly! And all the women dress like they’re from the Victorian era because patriarchy rant rant!” First, that’s just a bad way to make that argument. Second, it really just overshadows the entire book. Third, what do the characters even learn from this, anyway? Nothing! Everything remains the same. If you want to make the point this obvious, then at least show some change.

Week 4

    American Psycho was a weird book overall for a read. I will admit I have read this before and this is my second read because I wanted to go back and see what I may have missed the first time reading it. If American Psycho has a thesis, it’s that certain types of people are so obsessively set on outward perfection that they miss the real substance of being human. Money and beauty insulate these people from regular needs but create a hypertrophied rivalry over status: the novel’s characters boast of paying more than they really did; they seek relationships for show rather than companionship. When Bateman continues his exhaustive detailing of designer clothes while tearing apart the body of a sentient human being, he’s showing us where a culture of vanity takes us: to a place where the label matters more than the person. This would thematically justify the violence as a ruthless way of showing how little other human beings matter to the type that Bateman represent if the novel didn’t provide this perspective already. But it does: on every single page this culture is mocked in thoughts and dialogue that have little need of physical manifestation. In one scene, Bateman listens to his friends guffaw about how “the only girls with good personalities who are smart or maybe funny or halfway intelligent… are ugly chicks.” He then spoils their fun by referencing someone else who also had a highly reductive view of women: he quotes a serial killer who says he wants to do two things when he sees a pretty girl.

Week 3 Asian Horror

By far one of the weirdest books I have ever read which is not a shocker coming from Kafka. The author tends to pick topics that are strange and very out there. The strange star mark sheep has the ability to take possession of people’s mind in order to control social and political power in the world. What makes the novel so appealing I believe is the authors ability to strike common chords between the modern Japanese and American middle classes within the younger generations. The book has its moments were I question the political system taking places in the locations and the ability and affect it has on the younger generation. While some have called A Wild Sheep Chase a fable or a myth, I would never regard it as such. Murakami uses the surreal to underscore what is wrong with reality. He is very much the critic, and everything he puts in his books is a comment on Japanese society and culture. The namelessness and blandness of many of the characters is part-and-parcel with Murakami's critique on Japanese uniformity and work-a-day lifestyle. Indeed, the protagonist's life prior to the beginning of his adventure is very much a prison--he goes to work, comes home, eats, sleeps, and repeats the process, simply passing time. The pointlessness of his existence demands the reader to ask if the man is simply waiting for death. Instead, Murakami delivers a Campbellian call to adventure, and the hero leaves to discover just how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

Week 2 Vampire

    The book “Interview with a Vampire” starts with the main character Louis the vampire. After conducting a interview with a mortal boy it changes Louis life forever. With twist and turns throughout the novel he faces betrayal amongst his own kind. With a road of immortality ahead of him Louis soon figures out its best to be alone. Louis struggles with feeding off others to survive and wishes that he didn’t have to. He later gets a companion named Lestat. Lestat has a different outlook on life compared to Louis. She wants to explore and enjoy her immortality unlike Louis who usually complains or thinks a negative aspect. Most of the time he reflects on life and only sees the bad when she doesn’t. When Lestat causes issues with Claudia things take a turn for the worst in the book. The drama between the characters goes back and fourth sticking the main four and how they choose to live out there endless lives. Drama, revenge, and loyalty are all main factors in this book. Overall not a book I would read again because of the topic. I was never a fan of vampire novels or the hype that was brought upon by Twilight and many other books. This was one of the better ones that I have read but again lacking in interest made if difficult to read and fully enjoy.