Tag: reading challenge

Beowulf: The Script Book contains the original script for the Beowulf movie and the script that eventually made it to the screen with commentary by Roger Avary. For a variety of reasons, I was not expecting to stay up all night reading Beowulf: The Script Book, but that’s what happened. I love it when writers discuss their process, and I was fascinated by the differences between the two scripts and what Roger Avary went through to bring Beowulf  to the screen. I expected that reading two versions would be repetitive and possibly tedious, but I was quite wrong. Now I want to reread the original Beowulf and watch the movie. Maybe we’ll get more snow, and I’ll have extra free time!

Now for shelf #14

Because I’m indecisive, I plan to read two from this shelf: Woe from Wit by Alexander Griboedov and Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Woe from Wit was recommended by a former student and Transcendent Kingdom will take care of some reading challenge categories. 

Books I’ve read:

• The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
• The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
• The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
• Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
• The Firm by John Grisham
• A Time to Kill by John Grisham
• The Last Great Dance on Earth by Sandra Gulland
• The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
• Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe by Sandra Gulland
• Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
• Miss Kraft Is Daft by Dan Gutman
• Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

I’m a morning person, so even though we have a two hour delay, I was up at the usual time. I love having time to read and reflect in the morning, and I hate feeling rushed, so I’m enjoying every minute of this time. I finished Howards End yesterday morning, and I liked it more than I thought I would. It had a “rich people are horrible and ruin everything” vibe that made me think of The Great Gatsby, and Forster’s writing wasn’t quite as dense as other literature from that time period. Howards End was published in 1910, so it’s a bit past the Victorian era. For some reason, anything written in that time period has either been a massive struggle for me or a DNF. Even contemporary works set in that time period irritate me. I’m not sure why because I know there’s a lot of brilliant Victorian writing. It’s just not my thing. Howards End satisfies “published 100+ years ago,” “on your TBR 5+ years,” and “an unexpected inheritance” on the Beat the Backlist Challenge.

Now for shelf #13!

I’m sure people who know me well will be shocked that I haven’t read everything I own by Neil Gaiman, so I’ll get to work on that. I’m reading Beowulf: The Script Book because I’m in the mood for some classic fantasy, and I’ve always been curious about this adaptation. I’ve not seen the movie, so that will have to happen. This also satisfies a bunch of challenge categories!

Books I’ve read:

• American Gods 
• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman
• Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
• Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art Speech
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
• Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
• Stardust by Neil Gaiman
• Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
• The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman
• The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman
• Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
• Grendel by John Gardner

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe was entertaining but definitely a product of the 80s. I must have seen the movie because as soon as I started reading, I remembered the basics of the plot. What I found most engaging was the structure and how the multiple points of view across different time periods pieced the main elements of the plot together. For my reading challenges, this will count as a book with a door on the cover, on my TBR 5+ years, between 300 and 400 pages, and 3+ points of view, so it was definitely a good choice in that sense.

Now for shelf #12

I’m  not sure why I started reading Howard’s End by E. M. Forster, because I had a lot of options on this shelf. It checks off most of the boxes for a book that usually ends up as a DNF, but I’m over 100 pages in, and I’m completely invested in some of these characters. There are exceptions to every rule, right? 

Books I’ve read:

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• The Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Ben Franklin
• All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
• It Was on Fire When I Laid Down on It by Robert Fulghum
• Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
• An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
• Written in My Heart’s Own Blood by Diana Gabaldon

When I have time to reorganize my shelves, I’ll probably make a separate section for autobiography/memoir. I don’t like that they are mixed in with fiction. I have no idea why I did that.