IN WHICH The Girl Broadens Her Horizons

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. I feel my posts have been a bit too list-centric lately, but I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in a while and this one seems fun: top ten books I enjoyed recently that weren't my typical genre or were outside my comfort zone.

This prompt is a little hard for me for a couple reasons. For one, I was just thinking that I haven't been branching out as much as I should lately. I become obsessed with certain genres and primarily focus on those books for a couple years at a time. Recently, that genre has been young adult fantasy/science fiction, so about 70% of the books I read are from one subsection of literature. On the other hand, there is very little I won't read. Since I read a little bit of everything, few books are outside my comfort zone. Therefore, this list will cover some books I've read in the last year from genres I haven't been partaking in as much recently or that are fairly new to me.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

One of the main reasons I wanted to do this particular list is because I was just saying yesterday how Blood Red Road took me in an unexpected direction. Clearly, I read a lot of young adult fantasy, so this book seems to fit right into my normal genre. However, Young writes a dystopian novel that reads like a western: characters journeying across deserts and mountains on horses with slingshots and arrows. I wouldn't normally say westerns are my thing, so I was surprised how much I liked this book. Young's descriptions are very cinematic, and the landscapes would make a beautiful film. The book is also full of action - and it's pretty thrilling action - with showdowns, cage fights, and even a Tremors-ish fight with a giant worm. I may find myself searching for more directly western-themed books in the future.

Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick deWitt

Another very recent read. On the surface, this also doesn't seem far from my comfort zone. Nevertheless, it is an adult book - so that in itself is a move away from my norm - and heck if I could tell you exactly what genre this is supposed to be. It's like an Arthurian romance in a 19th century Gothic setting with a quirky, modern sense of humor. Actually, the most unusual aspect of the book for me personally is the comedy. I can't say I read a lot of comedy, though I certainly should. Undermajordomo Minor is one supremely odd and captivating novel. What I loved most was the writing style, particularly the dialog, which is mostly done in a deadpan manner. It's brilliant and hilarious.

Paper Towns by John Green

Can John Green be considered his own genre? At this point, probably. I don't read nearly as much contemporary young adult as I do fantasy, but I've been branching out over the last couple months. I have found some gems, such as Anna and the French Kiss, but I didn't love Paper Towns, my first John Green novel. I've put off reading his work for a while now because of the hype and because I don't really want to read about kids with cancer. There were a few things here I liked, such as the interactions between Quentin and his two best friends and the ending. However, everything felt overly dramatic. I realize these are big moments in the characters' lives and they are self-actualizing or whatever, but I don't need ten different inner monologues about how people aren't how you imagine them in your head. And this is probably why I mainly stick to young adult science fiction/fantasy instead: I like the teen hormones balanced out by a fight against aliens.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

The genre I read the least is non-fiction, particularly essay collections. I try to read a few a year, but that's about all I manage. It's not that I dislike the non-fiction I do read; I just always crave story more than facts. I enjoyed this collection though. Gay looks at the connection between her personal experiences, pop culture, and social issues, particularly feminism, sexual violence, and race. The essays vary significantly in tone from funny, nostalgic essays about the Sweet Valley High books to heartbreaking essays about rape. Overall, I found the essays both entertaining and insightful. In the future, I would read these types of essays one at a time over a longer period of time, however, because it's a little overwhelming in one shot.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

I haven't read too many contemporary literary fiction novels recently, so this was a nice change of pace. It took me awhile to get into this book, but eventually found myself enjoying it. In a way, I still think Egan is trying a bit too hard to be unique - though it obviously worked as she won a Pulitzer - and some chapters, like the Powerpoint slides, are downright gimmicky. However, I found a lot of the narrative perspectives interesting and wanted to know more about the characters, particularly Sasha. The narrative structure here is kind of a game of "Tag! You're it!" The narrator (and sometimes the style) changes each chapter often based on someone mentioned in the previous chapter. Therefore, you get threads connecting the chapters, but often vague threads that jump all throughout time. I kept trying to guess who would be next. Overall, there is a common theme of how we can't escape the changes of time - that old goon - nor can we escape our previous selves.

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Oh hi, regency romance, I haven't seen you lately! I used to read a lot of romance, but then my obsession switched to young adult - though clearly those often have romance as well - and I put these books on the back burner. I know many people look down on the romance novel, but I'm a fan. They are a light, quick reads that you know will have a happy ending. And sometimes on a bad day, you just want a damn happy ending. This particular book was cute and funny with a My Fair Lady inspired plot. Maybe I'll add some more romances to my line up - after I finish the ten books I already have checked out from the library.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Not only is Wild non-fiction, it's about the outdoors: hiking and camping and all sorts of things I avoid at all costs. Personally, I have no interest in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, so this didn't really seem like my kind of book. But it had good reviews and a movie, so I checked it out, and actually it was quite nice. The book is well written and Strayed effectively mixes her experiences prior to the hike with her experiences on the trail. It's interesting, emotional, and suspenseful. But man, the descriptions of her feet were so detailed and disgusting that it reaffirmed my desire to stay inside and read.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

Historical fiction with a LGBTQ main character. You don't see too many books in this genre, though luckily we are getting more fiction with queer characters recently, particularly in young adult. I found parts of this book interesting, but I didn't like it nearly as much as I hoped. Waters is an excellent writer and starts off the book with amazing historical details of post-war Britain and the slow burn of Frances' relationship. However, part way through it becomes a dramatic mystery that was somehow both over-the-top and boring. While I'd certainly like to read more books from this genre and from Waters herself, I was disappointed with The Paying Guests.

Watchmen by Alan Moore

I've only read a handful of comics/graphic novels in my entire life. I'd like to get into comics more, but it just seems so overwhelming. Some story lines include decades of issues. How do you catch up? Hence, I often read the more contained stories like Watchmen and Persepolis (and yes, a Buffy comic or two). Since I'm so used to reading words instead of pictures, it took some getting used to Watchmen, and I moved through it slowly. I'm also sure I missed many details the first time around. However, it was a lot of fun. Advice on how to enter the comic genre smoothly??

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

I get so caught up in the new releases that I tend to fall behind on the classics. I've been woefully negligent recently. I only read a few last year, including As I Lay Dying. While this is probably the easiest Faulkner book to follow (of the ones I've read at least), it was not my favorite. Oddly enough, it's a little too ridiculous. I prefer The Sound and the Fury and Absalom, Absalom! despite needing a road map to figure them out. Luckily, I have joined a Women's Classic Literature challenge. I'm being a bit slow with it though. I started Agnes Grey, which isn't the most exciting of books, and have switched it out for Anne of Green Gables at the moment. I'm halfway through it and liking it a lot. Hopefully, I'll be better about my classics this year.

Let's drink to trying new things! What new genres, styles, or books did you read recently?

IN WHICH The Girl Has Dolla Dolla Bling

Whenever the lottery reward reaches record heights, many people get swept up in the dream of suddenly rolling in the big money. I'm generally not a lottery player, but even I felt that need to put my two dollars in for a Powerball ticket. Unfortunately, I didn't get even one number right. At least give me the four dollar prize guys!

In the time leading up to the drawing, I did have a chance to play out multiple fantasies of wealth. Life with more than $10 in my bank account! Paying off those ungodly student loans! Food! A beautiful condo with a view! And books... books... books...

As a literary lover, I came up with several awesome things I could do with my millions. If you did happen to win the jackpot, here are some ideas:

Buy Things

Of course, now that I no longer need to worry about money, I can stop waiting on hold for the most popular books from the library. I can just buy them right away! What? That's crazy. I think I look at the library website every day to see if they have the new releases in yet. Yes, I know that I have a bazillion other books to read, but I want the pretty, new things. Plus, now that I won't need to work for a living, I will have all the time in the world to read all the books in the world.

But these are small potatoes. Why think about ten dollar books when you can think about ten thousand dollar books? Now is the time to start collecting rare books. For example, I could get a special first edition copy of Winnie-the-Pooh on Japanese vellum, signed by both the author and the illustrator for $51,941. 

Flickr/British Library

I'm a billionaire now - let's ignore the realities of taxes - so I can also try to get my hands on the most expensive books out there. Forbes list of the most expensive books ever sold lists the Codex Leicester of Leonardo da Vinci at $49.4 million and Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (1623), The First Folio by William Shakespeare at $8.2 million. Want to sell me that Codex, Mr. Gates?

Where shall I sit while reading Shakespeare's first folio? Why in Pemberley of course! For a mere $12.5 million - less than that Codex you might note - I can purchase Wentworth Woodhouse, which may have inspired Jane Austen's version of Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice and is currently for sale. I've already started auctioning off the 300 rooms to friends. I'm generous. 

Wentworth Woodhouse                Flickr/Allan Harris

For my additional homes across the world, there are several houses associated with famous authors that I could purchase. How about this lovely $35 million estate in California that once belonged to Thomas Mann and was in Scarface. Here's a list of additional literary housing options as well.

Visit Things

Real Gabinete Português de Leitura   Flickr/Mathieu Bertrand Struck

Now that I am comfortably settled in my Austen-style mansion filled with books, I can start traveling. There are hundreds of literary destinations. I could take a world library tour, for instance, including the Liyuan Library in Beijing, China, which apparently is built with timber to blend into the forest and sits on a lake, and the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that is just darn beautiful. 

Liyuan Library Outside         Flickr/LiXiaodong Atelier

Liyuan Library Inside         Flickr/LiXiaodong Atelier

Or I could travel around to the literary museums. Did you know that there is Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem where you can view the Dead Sea Scrolls? Bustle has put together a list of several more. From here I also learned that The American Writer's Museum will be opening up in Chicago next year! Yay!

Shrine of the Book                         Flickr/Christyn

After all this museum and library hopping, I will probably want to sit back and take in a good play. I could then attend some of the greatest theaters in the world. There's of course the Globe Theater in England, but also the National Noh Theatre in Tokyo that is made out of cypress trees, the Minack Theatre that sits on a cliff in Cornwall, and the Palais Garnier in Paris where The Phantom of the Opera was set.

Palais Garnier                                 Flickr/Jonathan

Learn Things

In between my jet-setting, I might actually want to take some literature classes. Don't scoff! Learning is fun (says the teacher). With my winnings, I can pay off all my student loans and get as many degrees as I want - from as many schools that will accept me at least. I'd still love to get my Ph.D. Even if I don't want to get a full degree, however, I can now afford to take a random class here or there. I could even take one while traveling. Did you know Harvard has an online extension school? I could take American Dreams from Scarface to Easy Rider or Masterpieces of World Literature for $2,400, though it's unclear whether that is for the whole course or per graduate credit. By the way, they also have a bunch of free courses of which anyone can take advantage.

That was a nice trip through fantasy land. Well, these might not happen at this point, but life goals! Since I do still need to make a living, I suppose I should get working on those syllabi then.

What would you do with a jackpot win?

IN WHICH The Girl Becomes a Classic

Two of my reading goals for 2016 are to read more of the books I already own (I have a tendency to buy in bulk from used book stores) and to read more classics. To this end, I found the perfect 2016 reading challenge: The Women's Classic Literature Event hosted by The Classics Club.

Essentially the point is to read classic literature by women throughout the year and share your thoughts with other participants in the event. I perused my bookshelves and came up with these six books to get me started.

1. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
2. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
4. Sula by Toni Morrison
5. Persuasion by Jane Austen - Bonus: this one is on the book club list for this year too.
6. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

I think I'm going to start with Agnes Grey because I had actually pulled that one out to read soon anyways. Should I get through these books, I can always supplement my list with library books as well.

I'm looking forward to the event and a good reading year!

IN WHICH The Girl is an American

Hey look, I'm actually getting through my summer reading list. I finished Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah a couple days ago, appropriately leading up to our most American holiday. We are about to embark outside in our red, white, and blue to sing about freedom and celebrate independence. All good things. But Adichie's book is a useful reminder that America the beautiful will pretend our many faults don't exist on this and most other days.

One of the book's characters asks, “Why did people ask "What is it about?" as if a novel had to be about only one thing.” And Americanah certainly pokes at many issues - immigration, race, love, identity, hair. Adichie may even try to take on too many things at once, as the narrative becomes a bit long and cumbersome. However, the novel mainly tells the story of Ifemelu's emigration to America during college and return to Nigeria many years later. Adichie looks at both countries, particularly the United States, with a scathing critical eye. 

As an immigrant, Ifemelu can see and discuss our flaws, particularly race, more clearly than most native born Americans. Race in America both fascinates and repels her, so she starts a blog called Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black. The novel and its blog reveal what America looks like to outsiders, and it's not always pretty. One of the biggest conundrums Ifemelu witnesses is how Americans try so hard to appear politically correct and open minded, to the point of claiming race is no longer an issue here.

“The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America. When you are black in America and you fall in love with a white person, race doesn’t matter when you’re alone together because it’s just you and your love. But the minute you step outside, race matters. But we don’t talk about it. We don’t even tell our white partners the small things that piss us off and the things we wish they understood better, because we’re worried they will say we’re overreacting, or we’re being too sensitive. And we don’t want them to say, Look how far we’ve come, just forty years ago it would have been illegal for us to even be a couple blah blah blah, because you know what we’re thinking when they say that? We’re thinking why the fuck should it ever have been illegal anyway? But we don’t say any of this stuff. We let it pile up inside our heads and when we come to nice liberal dinners like this, we say that race doesn’t matter because that’s what we’re supposed to say, to keep our nice liberal friends comfortable.It's true. I speak from experience."

Despite the harsh truths her characters spout, you can still feel a love for America peeking out from the novel's corners. America becomes one more piece of Ifemelu's identity by the time she moves back home to Nigeria. Sometimes reading Americanah can feel a little more like attending a lecture than reading a novel, but it is an enjoyable lecture. So for this 4th of July, keep your eyes clear and your hearts full - as Coach Taylor would say.

IN WHICH The Girl Beach Reads

Sadly, I'm not actually going to a beach, unless you count the lake shore beach here in Chicago. But whenever I think of summer reading, I think of beach books. Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in which they provide a weekly top ten list topic. This is my first go at the list. This week's topic is Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR List.

I'm always making a plan for what to read, but I get off track very quickly. Maybe making my list public will actually push me to read the books I intended to this summer. Since I know I will probably read 20 young adult fantasy novels, I'm mainly focusing on my other reading goals on this list. Here are ten books I hope to get through before September. 

1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I have been meaning to read this for a while now as it has excellent reviews. This will be my first novel by Adichie, though I am a big fan of her TED Talk "We Should All Be Feminists." Plus, I finally got it from the library, so I can start reading this one shortly.

2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Beyond being at the top of the bestseller list right now, this just seems like the perfect summer mystery. I haven't read a good mystery in awhile, so I'm looking forward to deciphering clues.

3. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I need to lighten the mood after a thriller with some comedy. I recently borrowed this book from a friend, so I suppose I ought to read it soon. It's also set in New Orleans, which I just visited for the first time. 

4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Since I plan to use this for a class in the fall, I need to actually read the book. You would think we teachers planned a little more ahead than that, but no. We are going to compare the book to its movie version, Blade Runner. As I've been so interested in science fiction lately, it will be good to read one of the genre's classics.

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Magic! Parallel universes! London! Need I say more? 

6. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

I don't actually know much about this one other than the incredibly positive reviews it keeps getting from people whose book interests are similar to mine. I also like the black and white of the cover. Yeah yeah they say never judge a book by its cover, but you know we all do.

7. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Adding one non-fiction for diversity. I rarely read non-fiction, and I need to start making up for the deprivation. Plus, once I read this particular book, I can watch the movie.

8. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

I lied. Here's one more non-fiction book. I try to sneak in books actually related to my job every once in awhile. I hit up my grammar requirement earlier this year with Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Stephen King's background and prolific career should make for an entertaining read.

9. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Often called the Harry Potter for adults, I'd like to see what this series is about. Also, Syfy plans to produce a television series based on the books next year.

10. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

Let's add one classic. I loved the trailer for the recent movie version but am trying to hold off on seeing the movie until I read the book. Never hurts to knock one off the bucket list of classics as well.

Extra Extra 

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas 

This book doesn't technically get released until September 1st, so I'm not sure I count that as a summer read. However, I'm dying to read this continuation of the Throne of Glass series. I would trade all the other books to get this one sooner.

I need to get reading folks! Happy summer!