March Book List

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
The last book of the Victorian magic trilogy (I don't know the official name). It was a lot darker and more "mature" than the previous two books, and went in directions I didn't see coming, but overall I enjoyed it. The very ending reminded me of the end of Titanic for some reason - let me know if any of you had the same feeling. :)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I had never read this, but now I see why it's such a favorite. There's nothing I can say about it that hasn't already been said. :)

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy*
I remembered this as the one book from senior AP English that actually interested me. So I re-read it. It is engrossing, but so depressing and filled with injustice. Basically Tess, a farm girl and milkmaid, is violated by a distant cousin and then forced to bear all the blame and consequences for the rest of her life. As an adult I agree that this book should be taught in AP English, because there's so much to dig into. But still. Tragedy from beginning to end.

Love's Abiding Joy and Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke*
I continue to re-read some good old pioneer fiction (see last month for further descriptions).

Some Trust in Chariots by James A. (Gene) Thomas
My dad's co-worker gave him this book (signed by the author!), and he loaned it to me. Gene Thomas is a former Launch Director for NASA, and he launched the Challenger. Yep. This book is a memoir of the events surrounding the tragedy and how he dealt with his grief and role in it. It also has a lot of information about NASA and how launches work. It's obvious that he's an engineer, not a writer, because the writing is not great. But the emotion behind it is what's important.

In review, this was kind of a downer month. I need cheerier material for April. Any recommendations?

Books for March: 6
2008 year to date: 22

March Book List

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
The last book of the Victorian magic trilogy (I don't know the official name). It was a lot darker and more "mature" than the previous two books, and went in directions I didn't see coming, but overall I enjoyed it. The very ending reminded me of the end of Titanic for some reason - let me know if any of you had the same feeling. :)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I had never read this, but now I see why it's such a favorite. There's nothing I can say about it that hasn't already been said. :)

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy*
I remembered this as the one book from senior AP English that actually interested me. So I re-read it. It is engrossing, but so depressing and filled with injustice. Basically Tess, a farm girl and milkmaid, is violated by a distant cousin and then forced to bear all the blame and consequences for the rest of her life. As an adult I agree that this book should be taught in AP English, because there's so much to dig into. But still. Tragedy from beginning to end.

Love's Abiding Joy and Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke*
I continue to re-read some good old pioneer fiction (see last month for further descriptions).

Some Trust in Chariots by James A. (Gene) Thomas
My dad's co-worker gave him this book (signed by the author!), and he loaned it to me. Gene Thomas is a former Launch Director for NASA, and he launched the Challenger. Yep. This book is a memoir of the events surrounding the tragedy and how he dealt with his grief and role in it. It also has a lot of information about NASA and how launches work. It's obvious that he's an engineer, not a writer, because the writing is not great. But the emotion behind it is what's important.

In review, this was kind of a downer month. I need cheerier material for April. Any recommendations?

Books for March: 6
2008 year to date: 22