Reading, Reviewing, and Looking Ahead
A review of the books I read this past year and the books I hope to read, with lots of objective insight.
This past year, I read some pretty great books. While I would like to give myself credit for choosing these books, they were forced upon me by my English professors. It is a bit embarrassing to say, but this past year was probably the first time in a while that I have finished a whole book. In the past, I have always struggled to stick with novels all the way through. Right now, there are about five books that I have read half-way through and never returned to. What is frustrating about this is that I can start out with a good reading pace, but one distraction can ruin it all. I have no explanation for why this happens but, I might have a solution.
I have realized that the best way for me to achieve my goals is with consistent documentation. When I have something I can write down, I feel like it makes a physical mark in my life that urges me to continue. This has proven successful through my newly developed cooking abilities, which was a goal I had for myself in the fall. Before setting this goals, I was very limited in my cooking abilities. I had attempted to cook various meals but always ended up frustrated and unhappy with the final product. When moving into my apartment, I started off cooking simple things. This included grilled chicken and vegetables, peanut butter sandwiches, and fettuccini pasta. After about a month or so, I figured it was time to switch it up. I started off by looking up recipes and watching videos online but was still getting overwhelmed and discouraged.
In contrast to me, my best friend back home would always send me pictures of her daily meals which were always some creative construction of flavors and ingredients. This is when the idea came to me. I could feel the same pride that my friend felt and motivate myself if I could document my progress in some way. I already journaled so adding a few pages dedicated to new recipes was an easy start. I envisioned each recipe page to be filled with the list of the ingredients used, potential improvements for the dish, my review of my work, future recipe ideas, all accompanied with a picture of the final product. So far, I have perfected four solid dishes, one of which I cooked for my family this past holiday. This week, I willingly will attempt to make my own pizza. Even if it goes poorly, I look forward to documenting it and seeing the progress of my cooking journey.
Understanding the growth I have seen thus far with my cooking, I am hopeful that through a bit of documentation and consistency, I can become what I have always hoped to be: a bookworm. To me, reading is one of the most important ways you can spend your time. Not only are you immersing yourself in someone else’s story, but you are gaining knowledge of different worlds, time periods, and people. You have the opportunity to learn about things going on in all different parts of the world and even read about eras you weren’t even alive for.
That being said, I want to review some of the books I read this past year and pave the way for new and better reads.
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë | Rating: 9/10
My first impression of this novel was a bit mixed. I had of course heard of it, but I clumped it together with other boring and typical books most people read in high school. While I had these thoughts initially, it did not take me long to fall in love with Jane Eyre. I found it very easy, not only as a person but as a women, to relate to Jane as she navigates 19th century English society. Starting her story as a young child, Jane displays her fiery spirit amidst a society seemingly against her. Even as a child, Jane recognizes that the source of the abuse she receives from others stems from her low status in society. She is often told that she and other poor orphan children are disliked by God and forever inferior to higher class levels, especially men. In an attempt to fight this ludicrous idea, she attempts to achieve success and status through her own means and efforts. The novel ends with a huge TWIST that left me wanting to read it all over to find more clues. Brontë does an incredible job of using Jane as a symbol of the tension between a feudalistic yet rapidly changing society. I loved this book for making me an expert on the many problems that plagued 19th century England and it was a great read.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong | Rating: 7.8/10
This novel was the most interesting and unique read this past year and ever. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is organized by a series of letters from a nameless Vietnamese-American who is writing to his illiterate and abusive mother. Although similar to Jane Eyre and other novels on this list, this text is more than just a coming-of-age, it was a profession of love. Reading this novel was like holding Vuong’s heart. With every story, metaphor, and line, you felt such a feeling in the pit of your stomach, like you where in the story watching a close friend experience real pain and love. Vuong’s novel is unlike any other novel in that the words and messages cannot be restricted to the pages they fill. What also made this book a unique read was that it was a queer love story. This was the first time I was reading a book that mentioned queer sexuality and the society that surround it. In high school, I had never been exposed to this genre of writing and enjoyed learning and gaining an open mind about different subjects. Overall, this novel was definitely one that was hard to put down. It reminded me of Perks of Being A Wallflower which I so deeply love. I might have shed a couple tears while reading but we will keep that to ourselves.
Phineas Finn By Anthony Trollope | Rating: a STRONG 6.5/10
Phineas Finn has two coinciding plots: a romantic and political plot line. The story follows Phineas Finn, a young middle class bachelor trying his luck for a seat in British parliament. Although set in 19th century English society, Trollope mocks Phineas for his lack of a backbone and no real experience in politics. In contrast to this weak male protagonist, Trollope elevates many female figures in the novel who cannot directly participate in politics but have enough influence to help Phineas climb the political ladder. Phineas’ absurdity is emphasized when he falls in love will all the women who help him excel instead of improving his political knowledge. It hurts me to give this novel such a low rating. I loved Phineas Finn because it celebrated women although it was written by a male author. I disliked it though, because all the political talk was too tough to get through. It felt like I was crunching on a gobstopper and the only way to finish it was by breaking through it layer by layer until I finally got to the end. I am ashamed to say, but I often found myself easily skipping over whole chapters and still understanding the main plot. It felt like Trollope expected the reader to have an advanced knowledge about 19th century British political as well as relevant political verbiage. Sadly, I don’t possess that kind of knowledge and I never will.
Passing by Nella Larsen | Rating: 9.5/10
Passing is a novella set during the Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro movement, which was a movement celebrating black people and eradicating old negative stereotypes inflicted on black Americans by white society. Irene Redfield, an African American women and the protagonist of the novella, is an uncomfortable character. She lives in constant fear that if she does not fulfill a specific role in society her security will not be ensured and she will ultimately suffer. To maintain her security she adheres to the New Negro movement and is loyal to the black community. While all seems well, Clare, an African America women passing for white, enters Irene’s life wanting to learn more about black culture and dip into Irene’s world while under the facade of a white women. Clare not adhering to a specific racial group disrupts Irene’s view of security and frustrates her to no end. The novel keeps you on your toes from the first page to the very last. It is so eerie and uncomfortable yet so profound and demands further questioning. After finishing Passing, I watched the movie version which was equally amazing and thought provoking. Good read and good watch!
5. Bleak House by Charles Dickens | Rating: 12.7/10
This book is my greatest accomplishment. I read and annotated every page of this book all the way to the 900th or so page. Yes. It is 900+ pages, but I love every page with my whole heart. A murder mystery, social commentary, coming-of-age, and love-story all combined into one. I loved this book so much I gifted it to a friend for Christmas (not my version of course. I could never.) I found myself audibly gasping when reading this book and staying up late just to find out what happened to Esther Summerson next. The thing that is crazy to me is that Dickens was writing this book in the 19th century. There were no computers or advanced technology to edit his work or revise it, he was just casually handwriting a 900 page novel by hand. I can just image him in a dark room with a couple burning candles and a fountain pen, just writing away. I’m just in awe of this. Dickens might easily be the greatest of all time. There is not a summary that would perfectly embody what this book is about but a good fact to have going in is that it follows a court case called Jarndyce and Jarndyce. That is all I can tell you. Better get started to find out the rest.
6. Fences by August Wilson | Rating: 5.5/10
The question this novel poses is how things change generationally. Whether this means opportunity, racial problems, or family values, Fences addresses it all. Set during the beginning stages of the Civil Rights Movement, Troy Maxson, an African American male and the protagonist, earns his living as a garbage man under the thumb of white supremacy and racial discrimination. His son, Cory Maxson, however sees the world in a whole different way. He yearns to play football for a professional football league and gets frustrated when his father pushes him to put his head down and do hard labor instead. As a reader, you grow to hate Troy for the way he treats his family and himself. At the same time, you soon come to understand why he acts the way he does. He is a father supporting his family while society and other responsibilities continue to add weight to his metaphorically already broken back. The fence in this novel by the end of the text becomes a symbol for what lies ahead versus what is worth saving. Similar to Passing, this novel demands you to think about morality in a way that will challenge readers to think deeper than what they have previously. My rating wasn’t high for this play/novel only because I had already watched the movie, which I think hurt me from developing my own ideas about the characters.
7. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens | Rating: 4.5/10
I’m giving this one an awful rating but I think it is ultimately my own fault. I have watched the Disney rendition of this movie so many times that I think if you asked me I could probably quote it. Usually you get further details or context when reading the book, even if you read it after watching the movie but I felt like there wasn’t much more to gain from reading it. The novel is only around 140 pages so I suppose it wasn’t hard for the movie to recount the tale exactly how it was written. Again, I felt like I ultimately hindered this reading experience because when I was reading the book all I thought about was how accurate the Disney production was. With everything I read, I had an image from the Disney production that matched almost exactly with little to no differing qualities. Overall, it was a bit of an underwhelming read, but I feel like it is so notorious it will never go out of style. Or possibly it already went out of style because it reached its’ peak. Also, after experiencing the masterpiece that is Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, my expectations were too high for this short novel.
After reflecting on all the books I have read, these are the books I hope to read in the future. Most of them have either been sitting on my book shelf for countless months or are already half-read.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
This one is half-read. I know it is a good read and I will be glad to have it in my completed collection. I am just having a bit of trouble getting through it and I’m not sure why.
Never Grow Up by Jackie Chan
This is a book I’ve had my eyes on for a while! I haven’t read many biographies before but I’m a huge Jackie Chan fan. Did you know his birthday is one day before mine? Pretty cool. This book was a Christmas present and one of my favorites at that. It might be my first read to start.
Franny & Zoey by J.D. Salinger
I’m not really sure what this one is about. I love J.D. Salinger’s writings but he doesn’t make his books very descriptive on the outside. I think it all part of the mystery which I actually love. I am always one to go into movies or book having no prior thought or knowledge about what I’m getting into. It really helps you take everything you see for how you see it, not through someone else’s eyes.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
At first, I was really excited to read this book. But after reading A Christmas Carol, I feel like I might have the same feelings. It has been on my shelf for a while though so I will try it out.
Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka
This one was kind of a shot in the dark. This was another Christmas present that I put on my list last minute. I saw the movie which might have been a mistake, but I felt like the movie was a bit out of my comfort zone and so I want to give the book a chance. The only thing I worry about is that the book is translated from Japanese to English which means some things might have gotten changed a bit. I am hoping that it still has the good qualities in English that it does in Japanese.
Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
This book is more of a casual read. It is a guide detailing simple ways you can improve your writing at any stage in the game. This book is more than half-read and would most likely take me less than a day to finish. In small ways, it has already helped me to improve my writing and I want to continue to learn.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Another book that is half-read! I really like this book so far. It was my beach read this past summer and even though I watched the movie, the story is still so riveting. A pretty light-hearted and funny read I hope to pass the time with.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Ah! What a lovely story. I am also very excited to read this one. I feel like it aligns with the classics that I enjoy while also having some modern ties. The only thing that bothered me is that the cover is the cover of the released 2019 Little women movie. I can overlook this though.
A longer post from me today! Exciting! If you made it to the end I appreciate you very much and hope you enjoyed! I have many more writings and ideas to come and look forward to sharing more. Thanks!
the Phineas Finn review was too real.