Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries! This week's Library Loot is at Claire's. These two books will be the last few I plan on reading in 2011. I have a specific list of books I want to read by the end of the year in order to meet a couple of Reading Challenges. I'm going to be cutting it close, but I think I can do it! Among the last few books I hope to read in 2011 are these two books I recently borrowed from the library:
Translated by Jay Rubin
After the Quake is a collection of six fictional short stories set in Japan after the devastating Kobe earthquake in 1995. Reading this book will meet the challenge to read one of Murakami's works in 2011 as per the Haruki Marakami Reading Challenge I joined back in February. After much internal debate, I had finally decided to read Sputnik Sweetheart--partly based on the story premise, partly on the length of the book and partly on which book was currently available at the the library! As I was about to reach for Sputnik Sweetheart on the shelf, I spied this little book right next to it and decided straight away that it was an even better choice for me. A collection of short stories in under 180 pages would give me a sampling of Murakami's style without the commitment to read one of his longer, more involved novels. I understand 1Q84 comes in at 925 pages! I'm looking forward to reading After the Quake and am curious to find out if I'll enjoy Murakami's writing.
Plain Text version
Script Adaptation: John McDonald
Character Designs & Original Artwork: Jon Haward
Coloring & Lettering: Nigel Dobbyn
Inking Assistant: Gary Erskine
et. al.
My 16 year old is reading Shakespeare's Macbeth right now in Honors Brit Lit and while I recall having read it myself when I was in high school, I remember very little of the play. Reading the Classical Comics' graphic novel version of Macbeth will be a quick and fun way to refresh my memory of the play and invoke some Shakespearean discussion with my daughter.
Other Classical Comics graphic novels I read in 2011 include Jane Eyre and Frankenstein.
I HAVE to see if my library has the Macbeth graphic novel! I love Shakespeare and it's looks good.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you'd read Jane Eyre. I read the book years ago and am wondering what your of it was.
Hope your week is going well. Wishing good things for you and yours!
I hear you. I've 3 books to finish for the TBR challenge. It's going to be close but I will read them all before the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteSince I read Jane Eyre this year I should pick up the graphic novel.
I wrote a sci-fi interpretation of Macbeth for my senior year of high school, and I'm pretty sure I studied it in Elizabethan studies at university.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth as a graphic novel? that sounds like it's made of win!
ReplyDelete=) thanks for the heads up!
Mmm... I don't think I'll check out the murakami, his books always seem so massive to me.
;P
LOL
Still, I hope you enjoy it!
Hi there! I stopped by because last year at the end of the year you did a 'My Life According to the Books I read in 2010' summary link up. It was so much fun - I wanted to know if you'd be doing it again this year? If so, i definitely want to play!
ReplyDeleteBrandy,
ReplyDeleteI hope your library has the Macbeth graphic novel. The one my library has is plain text, not original text, but that's fine with me this time around since I'm pressed for time. My daughter picked it up and read parts of the graphic novel today and something in the pictures actually helped her understand a scene better! :)
I reviewed the Jane Eyre graphic novel on goodreads, I think... I liked it, but I thought Rochester was a creep for being dishonest about his wife and would have married Jane if she hadn't figured it out! That's despicable! Maybe that would have been understandable and forgivable in that time period? Because I'm thinking no way.
Linda,
Only three? You can do it!!!
I've been so busy the last few days.. I'm already falling behind. I'll cry if I'm one or two books short come Dec. 31!
I'd be curious about your thoughts on the Jane Eyre graphic novel if you pick it up!
Sean,
A sci-fi interpretation of Macbeth? Very creative! Did you get a good grade for it?
Alex,
My library has Shakespeare's Henry V, too. Maybe I'll read that one next! Classical Comics publishes a few other Shakespearean titles too. I'd be thrilled if my library got them all.
That's why I chose After the Quake over the other Murakami titles--this one is short! :D
Lisa,
Hi! Aw, you remembered that fun meme I did last year? I LOVE that meme. And yes, I DO plan on doing it again this year--it's become a tradition for me to post it on December 31. --but I didn't have a link up for it. I just posted it and encouraged other readers to do it on their blogs, too. Maybe I should do a link up? It might be a nice way for people to find each other's lists. They're so FUN to read!
My Life According to the Books I Read in 2010
My Life According to the Books I Read in 2009
I have it partially filled out already for this year... but have a few more books that I'll hopefully read in the next week+ and maybe be able to use those titles in my answers. I hope!
I think it was better received than my Dances with Wolves inspired piece
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAll the best with finishing the reading challenges by the end of the year!
ReplyDeleteA British literature class? Interesting. Is there an American literature class as well? (Sorry...we just have English here [or at least we did when I was a t school *grin*], which pretty much covers...well...everything :)
There’s a Jane Eyre graphic novel?! That’s kind of crazy, although I think it’s an ingenious way to make the classics more approachable to people and it’s better than say “I watched the movie instead of reading the book”, although I totally watched the movie because Hello! Michael Fassbender *drools* *drools* *drools*…
ReplyDeleteI was part of the TBR Challenge and it was a total fail, I think I only read three books, which is ridiculous because I have a huge TBR pile, but oh well, maybe next year I’ll join again and we’ll see how it goes!
Did you read The Rose Garden by Susana Kearsley? If you didn’t may I suggest you add one last book to read this year? That was the best book I read this year, what an amazing story and her voice is so beautiful and compelling, lovely book!
Interesting choices, Christine :) So, will you make your goal? :) a bit less than 2 weeks to go!
ReplyDeleteorannia, thanks for the good wishes regarding my challenges. I'm working on it... but it's going to be VERRRY close!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, there is both American lit and Brit lit in the high school... at least at the Honors level. I suppose there are enough classics out there written by American authors to do so and tie those works to the history/progress of the nation and its culture. Maybe?
Brie, YES! There is a Jane Eyre graphic novel! It's published by Classical Comics and is very good! I read the 'original text' version, so as the name implies, all the text in the comic is authentic, not paraphrased. [The Macbeth comic I am reading is paraphrased into 'plain text.'] Like you said, the graphic novel is an ingenious way to make classics more approachable. Perfect for teens in high school who may struggle with reading--especially more complexly written literature such as Shakespeare.
I can relate to TBR challenge failure! LOL! I specifically join challenges that do not require reviews. I'm more likely to keep up if that pressure is eliminated, you know?
I did not read The Rose Garden, but you are not the first person to highly recommend it, so it is going on my TBR list! Thank you! :)
nath, I just finished my 95th book. I need to read 5 books in 11 days. Quick! Pass me all the novellas you've got! LOL! ;)