Books from July to December (Music, comedy, erotica, Russian greats)

07 Monday Dec 2015

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era: 19th century, era: 20th century, era: ancient greece, reading: brainless bedside books, reading: challenges (2015), reading: far and wide, reading: fun book reviews, reading: stunning, text type: drama, text type: non-fiction, text type: novel, writer: contemporary, writer: dostoevsky, writer: euripides, writer: tolstoy

Yup, this post is looooong overdue. Over these past few months, I’ve read the following funfunfun books:

18. Vikram Seth – An Equal Music (11 July)
19. Stephen Fry – The Liar (2 Aug)
20. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – The Communist Manifesto (3 Aug)
21. Leo Tolstoy – Resurrection (7 Aug)
22. Fyodor Dostoevsky – Netochka Nezvanova (9 Sept)
23. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees (18 Sept)
24. Kit Rocha – Beyond Shame (30 Nov)
25. Miles Jupp – In and Out of the Kitchen (3 Dec)
26. James A. Grymes – Violins of Hope (6 Dec)
27. Euripides – Electra and Other Plays (7 Dec)

An eclectic selection, perhaps, but books are books are books. ♥

Reviews: January classics (Nesbit, Gaskell, Aeschylus)

03 Tuesday Feb 2015

Posted by Samantha Lin in Booktastic

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era: ancient greece, era: victorian, reading: challenges (2015), reading: fun book reviews, reading: stunning, text type: drama, text type: novel, writer: aeschylus, writer: gaskell

January wasn’t anywhere near as booktastic as I would’ve liked, but the three I’d finished were all very enjoyable. I had decided to start working on the Classics Reading challenge first, and now I’m finding it hard to put down those lovely old books!

1. E. Nesbit – The Story of the Treasure Seekers (3 Jan)
2. Elizabeth Gaskell – Mary Barton (16 Jan)
3. Aeschylus – Prometheus Bound, The Suppliants, Seven Against Thebes, The Persians (trans. Philip Vellacott) (31 Jan)

As always, I’ve included cover images of the version I’d picked up. Some of them were a little difficult to find, so please pardon the poor image quality!

Reviews: July to October, with quite a bit of YA (and some “classics”)

06 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by Samantha Lin in Booktastic

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era: ancient greece, reading: blahtastic, reading: challenges (2014), reading: far and wide, reading: fun book reviews, reading: stunning, text type: novel, text type: philosophy, writer: contemporary, writer: young adult authors

Hihihihiii from Belfast! I know it’s been aaaaaages since I’ve posted, but things have been rather hectic with the move from Sydney back to the UK. In addition, I had quite a few writing projects going on during August (hence no books were read then!), and I’m now back to my PhD, which comes with its own set of eyeball-killing books… Anyway, here’s what I’ve been reading over the last few months–some amazing titles, and some awful ones (unfortunately).

39. Lauren Oliver – Delirium (2 July)
40. Elizabeth Harrower – In Certain Circles (17 July)
41. Alice Munro – Dear Life (31 July)
42. Kim Harrison — Dead Witch Walking (12 September)
43. Natsume Soseki – Kokoro (trans. Meredith McKinney) (14 September)
44. Lois Lowry – Gathering Blue (20 September)
45. Lauren Willig – The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (28 September)
46. Classical Literary Criticism (3 Oct)
47. Cath Crowley – Graffiti Moon (4 Oct)
48. Anne Bishop – Written in Red (10 Oct)
49. Claudia Carroll – A Very Accidental Love Story (25 Oct)

Reviews: A little semi-mid-June update (with 3 YA books!)

22 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Samantha Lin in Booktastic

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era: ancient greece, reading: challenges (2014), reading: far and wide, reading: fun book reviews, reading: stunning, text type: drama, text type: novel, writer: aeschylus, writer: contemporary, writer: young adult authors

I’ve been sitting on this update for aaaaaages, and, it being a Sunday evening, thought it’ll be a good idea to post this before a new week begins. I’m the lead (read: only) writer for Regency Love, a Regency-set iOS game/interactive novel, and have been working on new content for the app. It’s great fun, but significantly cuts down my reading time!

30. Gabrielle Zevin – The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry (19 May)
32. Amanda Hocking – Wake (1 June)
33. Annie Proulx – The Shipping News (7 June)
34. Jo Riccioni – The Italians at Cleat’s Corner Store (15 June)
35. Lois Lowry – The Giver (18 June)
36. Aeschylus – The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides (trans. Robert Fagles) (19 June)

(In case you’re wondering, 31 was The Theban Plays, about which I’ve already posted.)

Ancient May-hem: Sophocles’ Theban Plays and Wrap-up

02 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Samantha Lin in 2014 Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge, Booktastic

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era: ancient greece, reading: challenges (2014), reading: fun book reviews, text type: drama, writer: sophocles

Alas, I was unable to get through as many Classics as I would’ve liked in May, and only managed to finish one more book after the Aristotle. But hey, just because the month is over doesn’t mean the Ancient Awesomeness has to stop!

31. Sophocles – The Theban Plays (trans. E. F. Watling, Penguin) (23 May)

Ancient May-hem: Finishing Aristotle’s Ethics

23 Friday May 2014

Posted by Samantha Lin in 2014 Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge

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era: ancient greece, reading: challenges (2014), reading: stunning, text type: philosophy, writer: aristotle

I finished the Nichomachean Ethics over the weekend, and have continued to process it throughout the week. It’s just such a tremendous work, and I can see myself revisiting it quite regularly in the future. I’ve already recommended it to a whole bunch of my friends, and I hope they—and you—will give it a go, because it’s really quite eye opening!

So, after the stunning introduction in Book I, Aristotle goes on to talk about the virtues of character and virtues of thought, and gives a very good idea of what each is and does.

Ancient May-hem: A Stunning Start with Aristotle’s Ethics (Book I)

06 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by Samantha Lin in 2014 Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge

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era: ancient greece, reading: challenges (2014), reading: stunning, text type: philosophy, writer: aristotle

Almost a week into the Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge, and I have an announcement to make: I am crawling through the challenge at a reeeeeally sloooooow paaaaaaaace.

No, seriously.

So far, I’ve only managed to get through Book I of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (more commonly known as the Ethics). That’s not a lot of reading being done. However, there’s been a lot of thinking being done, and that has been incredible. Need a distinction between quantity and quality? Look no further.

I decided to make this special post because I was so inspired by what I’ve read and learnt so far that I wanted to share it with you, and because, oh boy, my mind has been blown, and I feel my life is about to be changed.

Seriously.*

2014 Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge – Introduction & Sign-up

27 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by Samantha Lin in 2014 Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge

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era: ancient greece, era: ancient rome, reading: challenges (2014)

This year, because I have a bit of leftover brainspace for nerdtastic things, because it’s my birthday month, and because I simply can, I shall declare May to be one of Ancient May-hem! Essentially, I plan to read as many texts from Ancient Greek and Rome as time allows, and then post about each after I’m done. I currently only have a rather vague list containing the works of Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, and Plutarch, but I’ll have this consolidated by the beginning of May. In any case, I’m hoping to indulge in a great deal of Ancient May-hem!

I know it might be a little late to make this a “proper” reading challenge, but I’m going to try to hold an “improper” one anyway (whatever that means). If you’re interested in joining me, please sign up using the “Add a Link” thingy below—participants who read at least one text will be in the running for a book prize at the end of the month!