Title: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Author: Washington Irving Year: 1819 Audiobook Length: 1.5 hours Main Characters: Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, The Headless Horseman First Line: "In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, and where they always prudently shortened sail and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they crossed, there lies a small market town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the name of Tarry Town."
I think the basic plot of Irving's short story is fairly well known. I even vaguely remember seeing the Tim Burton movie adaptation starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. That being said, I'm feeling kind of indifferent about the story itself. For me, this is one of those cases where the hype/cultural memory of the story is more exciting than the actual story. I honestly felt like the end was a bit anticlimactic.
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is written well. Irving provides some beautiful descriptions throughout the tale. I am glad that I listened to it, however, because looking up the first line to add to the beginning of this post made me see the length of Irving's sentences. I guess I didn't realize it when I was listening, but writing out just the first sentence made me a little twitchy. There is a lot of content in that thing!
I listened to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" as part of the Read-A-Thon.
I turned out to be the perfect length for the trip I had to take during
the event. I grabbed it at the library because I thought it would be
appropriate to read near Halloween. I would recommend "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" to those seeking a dose of spooky American short story.
I am supposed to get 4-8 inches of snow over the next 24 hours... What!?! It has been 30 years since it last snowed in October in Virginia, and that was apparently around an inch according to my local weather station.
I love curling up with a book and a blanket while watching the snow fall, but I'm just not sure I'm mentally reading for it yet! It's not even Halloween!
Although, I do love snow. So when it starts falling, I'll probably squeal like a small child. And be tempted to break my no Christmas music until at least after Halloween rule. It's a tough life. :)
Title: The Road Author: Cormac McCarthy Year: 2006 Audiobook Length: 6 hours 45 minutes First Lines: "When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before."
Let's be real. The Road is not a happy book. In fact, it is disturbing and terrifying. Certainly, it does not portray a world in which I ever want to live or contribute to creating in the future. The shear desolation depicted by McCarthy is remarkable. I could all too clearly see the images that he crafted and feel the emotions of the nameless father and son as they trudged along the road.
In McCarthy's post-apocalyptic world, the landscape is coated in gray ash that seemingly permeates every available space. As the father and son slowly make their way down the road towards the sea, they must remain vigilant against "bad guys" with cannibalistic tendencies, while battling starvation, sleep deprivation, and endless hopelessness.
The brightest spot of the entire novel is the father's love and devotion to his son. The boy does call his father "Papa," but we are never told any other names for either of them. I think McCarthy's decision to leave the father and son nameless is a deliberate attempt to prevent the reader from brushing off the possibility that this pair could be one's self or loved ones. This boy and his father represent all of us.
I actually picked up this audiobook on a whim at the library, even though the book had been on my TBR since its release. I wanted something for my commute the next day and grabbed it five minutes before the library closed. This turned out to be a happy accident, as I found that the gruff, grim tone of the narrator's voice enhanced the effect of McCarthy's words.
Finishing The Road did not leave me with any positive feelings about the future or potential solutions to prevent such a world from existing. It seems like most dystopian works have a sense of battling and overcoming the "bad" in some way. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. I did not feel that here. The Road is about the time in between the fall of one society and the rise of another. It is hopeless, frightening, and heart-breaking, but also worth reading.
I'm taking the advice of the more experienced and keeping a read-a-thon master post!
Updates 8:00 am - I woke up this morning and started reading Anna and the French Kiss. So far, so good!
10:30 am - I've been listening to David Sedaris essays while getting ready. So funny! I won't be back here until later this afternoon; hopefully, sooner rather than later. I will continue listening to audiobooks in the car!
6:30 pm - I'm back! I was gone for longer than I hoped, but such is life. I listened to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow during my drive and it made for another great Halloween themed read. It also turned out to be the perfect length as I listened to half on my way and half on my way back. A pretty day for a drive, too:
Okay. Time to pick Anna and the French Kiss back up. I got really into the part I read this morning!
9:00 pm - I'm around the halfway point in Anna and the French Kiss. I love it already. Anna reminds me a lot of myself sometimes, especially with all the old movies. The movie references in the book make me a little giddy because I know what she is talking about! I've been working my way through the American Film Institute's list of 100 Best Movies, so it's nice to see that pay off in a bookish way! I've also listened to another David Sedaris essay while making a snack and commenting on a couple of other blogs. Oh, and I also discovered that I won a prize in hour 8! How cool is that!?!
11:00 pm - I have about 100 pages left of Anna and the French Kiss. I realized I hadn't moved in a while and was starting to get a little tired. So I just listened to "Ooh La La" by Goldfrapp and "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele in an attempt to wake myself up a bit. I also saw the origami heart bookmarks posted in the hour 16 post on the read-a-thon blog. Super cute! I will be making some in the future. Even pinned it to my DIY board so I wouldn't forget. Love Pinterest! Alright, on to finish this book!
1:00 am - I've finished Anna and the French Kiss. It was just as delightful as everyone said!
Next morning - Oops. I seem to have fallen asleep sometime after 2 am. I listened to another essay and then tried to start Rebecca... and then it was morning. My bad. It's probably for the best as I need to be well rested to face the work week. I am pleased with my first read-a-thon experience, even though I would have liked to have been here for more of the day yesterday. I'll just have to try it again next time!
Total Time Reading: 7.75 hours Completed Readings:
4 essays from When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (audiobook)
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollows" by Washington Irving (audiobook)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Introduction Meme
1)Where are you reading from today? Virginia
2)Three random facts about me… My dream job would be to work for HGTV. I've kept movie tickets for as long as I can remember and turned them into a unique piece of art. I love blueberry Greek yogurt. Yummy.
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? Eight - I forgot to list The Book Thief in my previous post.
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books,
number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I just want to get some reading done! I'll take as much as I can get!
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? This is my first read-a-thon, so I'm hoping to learn from others!
Mid-Event Survey
1. What are you reading right now? Anna and the French Kiss
2. How many books have you read so far? I haven't finished any full length books since I was gone for most of the day, but I have finished The Legend of Sleepy Hollowand three David Sedaris essays.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
After I finish Anna and the French Kiss, I'll probably start reading Rebecca, A Walk in the Woods, or The Sea of Monsters.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
I honestly thought I had arranged for myself to have the whole day free, but then something came up that took me away from about 10:30 to 6:00. Whoops.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Interruptions haven't been a problem while I've actually been here reading.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? I staring to feel like I maybe don't read as fast as I thought. lol. I was also super surprised to discover I had won a prize during hour 8! Awesome!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope. Seems like everything is running great!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Since this is my first read-a-thon, I'm just trying to get used to the process. I've commented on a few other blogs, but I haven't quite mastered that part yet. I think by next time I will learn more about being a cheerleader and balancing all of the aspects of the read-a-thon.
9. Are you getting tired yet? Not any more tired than usual. I've also consumed a lot more caffeine than usual...
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something
you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? I'm clearly a novice, but I think having a couple of audiobooks on hand is extremely beneficial. I was able to listen in the car while driving, which helped make up for some of my time away. I've also been listening to essays when I have to get up and do something, like accidentally burn some popcorn...could there be a worse smell? :)
Can You Sing? Mini-Challenge
Now, I'm from Virginia, not West Virginia, but this song emits such a sweet sentiment and reminds me of growing up in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. This particular youtube video has gorgeous photographs. They are not fake. I am lucky enough to live in place that looks like this!
End of Event Meme
1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Apparently the hour where I fell asleep, which I believe was hour 18. lol 2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I read Anna and the French Kiss this time and it kept me engaged. If someone hasn't read The Hunger Games series, they could zoom through that for sure! 3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing! 4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I don't have another read-a-thon to compare this one to, but I liked the option to do the mini-challenges. 5. How many books did you read? I only finished one full-length book, but I also read 4 essays and a short story in the 7.75 hours I spent reading. 6. What were the names of the books you read? Anna and the French Kiss, essays from When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 7. Which book did you enjoy most? I loved Anna and the French Kiss. It was a perfectly engaging choice!
8. Which did you enjoy least? The Legend of Sleepy Hollow didn't live up to my expectations. I guess I've heard the story so many times that is has become embellished from the original. 9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I wasn't a cheerleader, but I certainly appreciated everyone's encouraging comments! 10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I definitely want to participate again. Hopefully, next time I can actually be here reading all day. I would also like to comment on other people's blogs more.
I'm still planning on devoting as much time as possible to reading tomorrow. Something has come up, so I have to be away for a while during the day. However, I plan to listen to audiobooks in the car in order to make up for some of the lost time. I will try to post progress updates when I'm actually here reading.
Now for the fun part. Here are the books I've laid out for myself to pick from tomorrow:
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (library) Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (library) Emma by Jane Austen (owned) A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (owned) Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (owned) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (audiobook-library) When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (audiobook-library)
Good luck to everyone participating and happy reading!
Title: Dracula Author: Bram Stoker Year: 1897 Audiobook Length: 15 hours 24 minutes First Lines: "Jonathan Harker's Journal. 3 May. Bistritz.--Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late."
I read parts of Dracula on my Kindle and listened to the rest as a great multivoice audiobook from the library. Truly, I am surprised by how much I enjoyed Dracula. I also freely admit that I apparently had no idea about the book's actual plot.
This is what I knew about Dracula before I started:
Dracula is a vampire.
Dracula is a bad vampire (aka he probably doesn't sparkle in sunlight).
Yup, that's pretty much it.
The first part of the book, when Jonathan Harker is in Transylvania with Count Dracula, represents my preconceived notion ofthe plot. Much like I want to yell at people for entering creepy houses in scary movies, I wish I could have told Jonathan to leave the castle or even listen to his own skepticism. A few examples:
Dracula: "Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own free will!" (Me: Clearly, not a normal greeting, buddy!)
In Jonathan's journal: "It is strange that as yet I have not seen the Count eat or drink. He must be a very peculiar man!" (Me: Peculiar is one way of putting it.)
At first I didn't understand how the book could be so long since Jonathan's stay at the castle seemed to move at a pretty good pace. Thus, I was delighted to discover all of the other characters. The prominence of Mina Harker throughout Dracula pleased me. I did not expect such a strong female role in a book written by a man in 1897.
I also liked Dr. Seward's patient Renfield. Yes, he ate bugs, but he also made me laugh (I'm not sure if this was the intended reaction. Maybe I'm just weird). My favorite lines from Renfield: "I saw the mist stealing in, and I grabbed it tight. I had heard that madmen have unnatural strength. And as I knew I was a madman, at times anyhow, I resolved to use my power."
Although I usually don't like to read books that are written in the form of letters or journals, I thought that Stoker used this approach to his advantage. Hearing from the various characters enhanced the suspense of the story. Stoker developed such a unique voice for each of them that I felt like I could tell their words apart by the end.
Reading Dracula reminds me of reading Frankenstein in high school. I kind of dreaded reading both, but ended up really liking them. Dracula has been an excellent "themed" read for October. I highly recommend giving it a chance!
Title: Tuesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson Author: Mitch Albom Year: 1997 Length: 199 pages First Lines: "The last class of my old professor's life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays. It began after breakfast. The subject was The Meaning of Life. It was taught from experience."
Tuesday with Morrie is by no means a recent or unknown book. It has received a lot of press throughout the years and been made into a movie. Yet, every so often I find myself perusing its pages, skimming through Morrie's often simple truths. As a short book (barely 200 pages in the 2007 reprint), Tuesday with Morrie could easily be devoured in a single sitting. This time around, I read a chapter here or there over the course of a few months.
Despite the obviously sad overall theme, Tuesdays with Morrie is a book that makes me smile. My background is in public health education and gerontology. I spent most of my time in college with older adults, not exactly common for someone in my generation. I have seen first hand the kind of impact a little quality time can have in the life of an older adult, especially those in assisted living or daycare facilities. I am an advocate for intergenerational relationships, like that of Morrie and Mitch, and cannot stress enough the benefits to both age groups.
You do not have to have any special training or skills to have a great impact on the life of another person of any age. If you are willing to give a bit of time, a little of yourself, you can make a difference. For me, that is perhaps the greatest message of Tuesdays with Morrie.
In Morrie's (and Mitch's) words (pages 126-127):
"There's a big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need," Morrie said. "You need food, you want a chocolate sundae. You have to be honest with yourself. You don't need the latest sports car, you don't need the biggest house. The truth is, you don't get satisfaction from those things. You know what really gives you satisfaction?"
What?
"Offering others what you have to give."
You sound like a Boy Scout.
"I don't mean money, Mitch. I mean your time. Your concern. Your storytelling. It's not so hard. There's a senior center that opened near here. Dozens of elderly people come there every day. If you're a young man or young woman and you have a skill, you are asked to come and teach it. Say you know computers. You come there and teach them computers. You are very welcome there. And they are very grateful. This is how you start to get respect, by offering something that you have. There are plenty of places to do this. You don't need to have a big talent. There are lonely people in hospitals and shelters who only want some companionship. You play cards with a lonely older man and you find new respect for yourself, because you are needed. Remember what I said about finding a meaningful life? I wrote it down, but now I can recite it: Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. You notice," he added, grinning, "there's nothing in there about a salary."
I signed up for Dewey's Read-A-Thon on October 22nd! I've never participated before, but it is one of the first big events that I remember hearing about when I originally discovered book blogs about two years ago. Now seems like as good a time as ever to dive in and dedicate a solid chunk of time to reading. I will start reading at 8:00 AM here. I can't promise that I will stay up all night, but I will certainly give it my best effort. I plan to post a potential reading list next week.
Anyone else joining in on the fun? You can sign up here.
1. The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins
Wow. I breezed through each of these books. It was physically painful to wait for the next one to come out. I wish I could have savored them instead of reading them like a maniac. I have reread the series twice now without stopping to read them slowly. Fail.
2. The Little House on the Prairie (series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I was obsessed with these books growing up. OBSESSED! I wanted to be Laura. I remember making the lemonade recipe in the Laura Ingalls Wilder cookbook and taking it to school for a project. I still have my box set of the books. I also may or may not still have a VHS tape where I recorded the Laura Ingalls tv movie in 1999...
3. Persuasion by Jane Austen
I wish I had realized how much I loved this book sooner than I did while reading it. It tops P&P for me. Two words: Frederick Wentworth. "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope." Sigh.
4. One for the Money (series) by Janet Evanovich
I feel like I know Stephanie Plum. This is the book that started a crazy/beautiful (fictional) friendship. It's hard to believe One for the Money was first published in 1994. And now Katherine Heigl is trying to ruin my life the movie is coming out in January. I'm trying to be positive about it. Really.
5. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
I remember being surprised by this book in high school. With so much predictability in entertainment these days, it's nice to read something a little unexpected.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This book receives a lot of press. I have only read it once. I want to read it again without the pressure of having to read it in grade school.
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (series) by J.K. Rowling
It would be kind of fun to go back to a time when Harry Potter was not a household name, when a few of us read about a kid with a weird scar and some eclectic friends.
8. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I think this is one of the first dystopian books I ever read. I used it as part of a thesis in high school English. I'm not sure I ever truly understood the implications of what I was reading. It would be interesting to read it now, given all the changes that have taken place in my life and my reading since then.
9. The Giver by Lois Lowry
I loved this book the first time I read it. It stuck with me for a long time.
10. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I read The Help quite a while before its bright yellow cover lined all the shelves in stores. I remember thinking how different these women's lives were from mine, yet also how I felt like I had been transported back in time. I wish I hadn't sped through the second half of the book the first time around.
Title: Room Author: Emma Donoghue Year: 2010 Length: 321 pages First Lines: "Today I'm five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra."
Room has been somewhat difficult for me to read. I'm really not even thinking about the overall subject matter when I write this, even though the premise of the novel is troubling and all too real in our world. I actually found it difficult to get into Room because of the language.
Room is narrated by 5-year old Jack, who has lived his entire life in an 11x11 foot room with his Ma. Because the objects within this tiny room are all that Jack knows, he thinks of them in the same way that I would think of other people. I had a hard time reading the personification of Room, Rug, Table, Wardrobe, and so forth. Donoghue presents an entirely different way of thinking that ended up being a barrier for me; however, it was easier to read as the book progressed.
I can't say that I "liked" Room. That would seem strange to me. I appreciated the originality. I found Room both challenging and thought-provoking. The characters frustrated me, but I also felt empathy towards them. Jack's innocence offered a refreshing perspective at times. I'm glad that I read Room, as it forced me to think about the way in which I view the world.
Today marked the first day of my local library's fall Used Book Sale! Woohoo! Despite getting up before the crack of dawn to commute into the city for a meeting today, I summoned the energy to peruse the rows of cheap books this evening when I got back. (True story: I just typed beaks instead of books. Weird. Did I mention that I'm tired?)
I controlled myself pretty well I think. I only bought seven books, five hardcover and two trade paperback. Granted, I don't really have a shelf to put them on... Buying another bookcase is on my list of things to do. Probably I should just donate some of my books to the used book sale. I digress.
Here are my finds in no particular order (actually this is how they are currently stacked on my coffee table):
Juliet by Anne Fortier (hardcover) - I really liked this book when I read it earlier this year.
Blessings by Anna Quindlen (hardcover) - On my TBR
Bleachers by John Grisham (hardcover) - On my TBR
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (trade paperback) - On my TBR
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (trade paperback) - I haven't read anything by Gregory before, but I have seen this movie. For a buck, it seemed like a good escape read for the future.
Finding Peace: God's Promise of a Life Free from Regret, Anxiety, and Fear by Charles Stanley (hardcover) - I really enjoy Stanley's teaching and I haven't read this particular book.
Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey (hardcover) - I haven't read any Yancey yet, but I've heard good things.
Many other books caught my eye. However, I was 99% sure I already owned them, so I didn't grab them up. Clearly, I have a problem.
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
This week's teaser comes from the novel Room by Emma Donoghue.
"If I had my head out of Wardrobe, there'd be Door opening, I bet I could see right into the stars and the spaceships and the planets and the aliens zooming around in UFOs. I wish I wish I wish I could see it." (page 47)
Title: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" 
