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Saturday, October 25, 2014

Last & Lingering: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I haven't done well about blogging after reading--especially after audio books because I don't take time to preserve quotes like I do with print. Even so, I have read and listened to a lot of books in the last 10 months and I have only written a couple posts. I haven't done much in terms of reviews on my Goodreads which is where I mostly keep track of reading lists.

While some books I just don't think will ever warrant a review on the blog, others I at least have something to say, so I ought to say it. That is the point of this blog, and all. In light of this, I introduce to you: the Last & Lingering. If the book warrants comment but not a full-length post, then I'll give you three takeaways from my reading experience, whether that be final thoughts, character concerns, ideas for future research, or lingering questions.

To commence this new system, let's start with a book club pick I just finished on vacation: The Night Circus.

1. I liked the structure quite a bit. The alternating chapters from different perspectives, instead of one linear tale, especially mixing the two opponents experiences, was a nice way to read through the challenge, but also experience the characters once their relationship to one another became known. It also helped make the importance of other characters (like Bailey) slowly become more evident. 


2. I really liked the choose-your-own-adventure-like nature of the super sort chapters intended to see you feel like you were experiencing the circus. However, it just didn't get there for me. They didn't have much of a plot or description, and they didn't clearly "define" the previous or following sections of the book for me.  Perhaps if I went back and read it I would find a clearer connection between the tent experiences and the surrounding text. Since I don't plan to do that, I wonder: Could some of the general chapters' descriptions of tents gone into these little breaks to become meatier and more involved for the reader? Could there have been clearer movement between the tents when in these passages? 


3. These two illusionists winning it all and bring together in some weird state? Totally didn't buy it.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Book For Every State

I just came across this link from Brooklyn Magazine, called "Literary United States: A Map of the Best Book for Every State." What an idea! I kind of like the thought of reading your way through the USA, particularly when you're stuck in a Midwestern winter like the one heading my way in the far-too-near future.

I've read 9 of the 53 books on the list. Looks like I've got some work to do this winter.