Book Talk

I've been reading non-stop it feels, even more so than usual! It's school reading, though...not to say it's uninteresting reading! Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman by Marjorie Shostak has been particularly interesting, probably since it focuses a lot on one specific person, Nisa, and her story, versus generalized observations of her culture. I also had to re-read "Beowulf" and some other epic poems like "Sir Gawain" for a literature class (though I hope/expect the readings to turn to more unfamiliar texts). Then there are the PDFs for a very interesting anthropology class on sex and gender that I have to read, plus Freakonomics.

My favorite readings, though, are for my Japanese literature cass. I finally get to read "The Tale of Genji," even though it's just an excerpt. At least for sure I know now that I will read it fully once I get the chance. Our text book is Anthology of Japanese Literature, and I am adoring it so far. We started with Man'yoshu, an ancient collection of beautiful poems that I heartily enjoyed. I am excited to keep exploring the history and progression of Japanese literature.

Also, I stopped reading Freedom. I reached a new section and disliked it even more than the first part, which was boring enough already. With so much else to read on my plate, I'll stick to other books. So, why not start with Lord of the Rings?

As much of an avid reader as I many be, there are plenty of classics I am missing out on. LOTR is one of those and probably the most disgraceful one! How have I not read this Tolkien masterpiece?! In all honesty, I have tried. I read The Hobbit on my Kindle a little while back, but (I'm ashamed to say) I got bored in the end. When I first set up this blog way long ago, before I ever even posted, I bought a sweet edition of the LOTR series that I hoped to read, finally having gotten through The Hobbit. Sadly, I got disinterested again, though this time in the early parts of the book. Actually, this then kept me from starting the blog! Alas, I never picked it up again...until yesterday!

Perhaps it's not a good time to start Lord of the Rings, what with all my other literary "distractions," but oh, well! I am excited! Thinking of LOTR reminds me of my dad; he always talks about loving the series when he was young, staying up all night to finish them. I love the idea of reading something that meant so much to him!

I still have some more book talk before I go! First of all, I wanted to mention a book that has been dear to my heart for a good amount of years now. Rose Daughter is the name of it, and I fear it is not as well known as it should be. The reason I randomly bring this book up, apart from it being absolutely enchanting and beautiful, is because I saw Beauty and the Beast remastered in 3D recently. Rose Daughter is a re-telling of the fairy tale that is Beauty and the Beast, only more lovely. That is a bold statement, but I have to admit that watching Disney's version, I kept comparing it to Robert McKinley's novel, and it kept falling short. Now, I read this book originally when I was young, but I have reread it many times since (even had to buy a second copy when I left one on a trip!) and would recommend it to someone looking for a quick, nice read.

Last thing! Has anybody heard of The Wind Through the Keyhole? If you haven't, but are a Dark Tower series fan, you better Amazon.com/books it up! Stephen King is coming out with a stand-alone Dark Tower novel this April! Set chronologically in between two books, it doesn't add more to the conclusion nor give insight on events prior to The Gunslinger. A letter from Stephen King online makes it clear this was a little tryst for King and Mid-World, a way to let fans back into the wonderful place of Mid-World. Thankee, indeed, Mr. King! And thanks to my mom for telling me about it yesterday!

Till later, readers!