Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts

Thursday, August 6, 2015

The 2016 Reading Challenge

Election day is just over 450 days away, and if you're like me, you still don't have your candidate picked quite yet. As a Conservative, I have an ocean full of fish to pick from. The Democratic candidate is not quite decided yet either, despite what the Clinton Camp would like you to believe.
 
I am an avid reader. I always have been, and I always will be. I love books, and I think they can reveal so much about the author, the muse, and the reader. Because of this, and because I'm at a loss for what else to read, I am going to spend the next 450 days reading books written by 2016 presidential candidates. I want to read for myself what these candidates think, and about their life experiences, and take each with a grain of salt. Then, I will decide which candidate I will support. Below is a little graphic for the challenge that I made. Feel free to print it out and play along. Many of the candidates have multiple books to choose from. Very few candidates are not published authors, including Graham, Christie, Gilmore and O'Malley.  That leaves me with 18 books to read by Election Day.
 
Wish me luck.
 


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Pride and Prejudice Never Dies



Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is now over 200 years old, and still one of the most beloved books ever written. It has been reprinted countless times in countless languages, and Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy repeatedly rank high on the list of favorite fictional characters of all time. Of course, Pride and Prejudice has inspired millions around the world, including many authors who would later let Pride and Prejudice inspire their works. Countless books play on the courtship plot that Austen perfected, and create their own versions of Elizabeth and Darcy. Some of those attempts fair better than others, and I have ranked some of the most well-known Pride and Prejudice inspired novels. Some of these are not so obviously Pride and Prejudice inspired, while others hit the nail on the head immediately. Take your pick of these novels, and revisit the wonderful world of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice

Bridget Jones Diary
By Helen Fielding
Rating: 4 Stars


Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
By Seth Grahame-Smith
Rating: 3 Stars


Austenland
By Shannon Hale
Rating: 5 Stars


A Weekend with Mr. Darcy
By Victoria Connelly
Rating: 4 Stars



Death Comes to Pemberley
By P.D. James
Rating: 4 Stars


Pemberley: or Pride and Prejudice Continued
By Emma Tennant
Rating: 2 Stars


Midnight in Austenland
By Shannon Hale
Rating: 4 Stars

The Jane Austen Academy: Fall For You
By Cecilia Gray
Rating: 3 Stars



Prom and Prejudice
By Elizabeth Euberg
Rating: 3 Stars

Prada and Prejudice
By Mandy Hubbard
Rating: 3 Stars