Summer Reading: The Kazam Chronicles

The short version of this review: these books are by Jasper Fforde, so they are great.

Those of you needing more persuasion…

Summer Reading: This Book is Over Due

Confession time: I’m terribly tempted not to return the book, have it become over due, just so I can have this conversation with the workers at the library:

Me: Can you tell me what books I still have out?

Worker: “This Book is Over Due”

Me: I know, but can you tell me which one?

It’d be a riot. Anyways, about the content of the book…

Summer Reading: Beach Books

Since I went to the beach, I plowed throw a number of books. Rather than do several different posts (and because I am lazy), I’m just combining those in this one post with abbreviated reviews.

Summer Reading: All’s Well That Ends Well

If this play’s title had a subtitle, it would be “…But Does It Really?” After my first reading, I remember being thoroughly confused, frustrated, and disgusted at the trite simplistic ending, where perfect Helena ends up with the seemingly unrepentant scumbucket Bertram.

However, coming back to it several years later (and I’d like to think moderately wiser, at least in terms of Shakespeare), this play intrigued me. It really is such a bizarre little thing, that I don’t know how to articulate what it is or exactly how I feel about it, aside from perplexed.

Summer Reading: Searching for Sunday

Reading the introduction, this book scared me. Within the opening pages, Rachel Held Evans captured my doubts, fears, and hurts regarding church and God more succinctly and confidently than I ever could.

Reading this book has held a mirror up to my own life (spiritual and secular), and while I have not always liked or understood what it has shown me, it is a reflection I need to examine.

Summer Reading: Two Gentlemen of Verona by Shakespeare

Despite popular belief, there are a handful of Shakespeare plays that I have neither read nor seen–that is changing this summer in preparation for my upcoming adventure at Mary Baldwin College.

First on that list is Two Gentlemen of Verona. Coming into the play, I had some minor knowledge about the plot–something about love and betrayal–and had used one of Speed’s monologues as an audition piece (I know, bad form to take a monologue out of context and fail to get the whole story, oh well).

Summer Reading: Contested Will by James Shapiro

First book of the summer down! And what a lovely, gripping book it was!

Ever since my first introduction to Shakespeare in middle school, I have been aware of the authorship question. However, the topic never intrigued me quite enough to do significant research. I knew who the big contenders were–Earl of Oxford, Marlowe, Bacon–and why they were candidates–educated, intriguing, established. I could have a superficial conversation, but not much else.

Summer Reading 2015

At home and surrounded by boxes, which means it must be time for MARY’S SUMMER READING CHALLENGE!