The content of this blog is the creator's own thoughts and does not represent the views or opinions of the Peace Corps or the United States Government. I would also like to apologize for all my spelling and grammatical errors... there will be a lot.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

While you wait... Read a book!

So while this wait between medical clearance and placement feels like forever I have to remind myself that I am already a year into my application. And I've noticed what helped pass the time best, was good books so here is a list of some of the books I have read (some re-read) in the last year that you might want to check out... Oh its also on a 1-5 scale (5 being AMAZING GO BUY THIS NOW!!!!!11!!1!)




Currently reading:

White Oleander - Janet Fitch: ***** One of my old favorite books. If your interested in a poetic and emotional book this is a good one. The first time I read it I was 14 and I was so captivated by it that I literally would skip meals and sleep to read more. Its look into the relationship between mothers and daughters, at its core level. Be warned it's fairly sexual and very heavy material but you'll remember it.
 





Galapagos - Kurt Vonnegut: **** I'm a huge Vonnegut fan first off so I will recommend a lot of books by him. I think this book is set apart from his others because of how concise it is. The book takes a look into all that is flawed in human beings, and all that is great in them. I love the theme of evolution in the novel and though I wont say its my favorite book of his, I'd say its worth a look at.





Finished:



Catch 22 - Joseph Heller:   ** This one is difficult, I REALLY wanted to like this book. By all logic I should have liked this book. Its satirical, its witty, it had a unique voice, and for me... it was boring. I really hate to say it. I just was disinterested after the first 50 pages, and it took effort for me to actually read it all the way through. I loved the ending, but aside from that I don't think I'd read it again. Honestly I believe it has a lot to do with the writing style something about it just didn't thrill me.



American Gods - Neil Gaimen: **** Wonderful book! I always like Neil Gaimen. As usual the story and characters were interesting and I wanted to keep reading. However, as usual with his books the ending was a bit weak/ too ambiguous. Thats pretty standard for him, but I greatly enjoyed this book.







Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips: ***** Awesome. This was hilarious! Nice light, humorous read. I read the whole thing in one sitting. If you want a book to keep you happy while your are trying not to look at your phone this is it.











Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut: ***** I think Vonnegut was out of his mind when he wrote this, which made it great. The book seemed to be a series of odd thoughts in his head, kinda relating to a story. I was very entertained. My favorite part was about Germany and the creation of the beetle cars. The drawing were wonderful, I laughed the whole way through.





Slaughter House Five - Kurt Vonnegut: ***** Can you tell who one of my favorite authors is? I loved this book. The whole disjointed storytelling was captivating, I wanted to always know more. I was instantly intrested in the characters and the story. After Cat's Cradle I knew I need to read this story and I have to tell you it lives up to the hype.







War of the Flowers - Tad Williams: ***** I had always heard good things about Williams fantasy novels but this was my first time reading one. Don't let the cover fool you, this is a well written and interesting book. Though it follows a lot of the classic "fantasy" plots it still manages to feel original and thought out.







The Wyrd Sisters - Terry Pratchett: *** After reading Good Omens last year I needed to find out about this author who's voice was so obvious against Neil Gaimens. This book was a mix of reactions for me. I loved the humor and I loved the characters, but I disliked the lack of chapters and the occasional run on joke. This being my first disc-world book it was impressive to read and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.






Choke - Chuck Palahniuk:  *** Unexpected is the best way for me to describe this book. I wasn't blown away but I was often shocked. If your a fan of Palahniuks writing you'll know what I mean. This book can be a bit overpowering with the details and can make you feel uncomfortable if someone is reading over your shoulder. But over all well written and interesting.






I'll think of more later. How is everyone else spending there waiting time?

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