Tag: death

A happy birthday to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and an elementary review

On By Kristan @ Lit ListeningIn Fiction, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

To those who follow days of literary importance, you’ll already know today is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday. Writing him off as simply an author would be a great understatement. Conan Doyle was a man of many faces, which makes him memorable enough for me to be talking about him almost 83 years after his death.

I could go on an on about his exploits, but I’m here to talk about his lasting contribution: Sherlock Holmes. The original Holmes collection is made up of four novels and 56 short stories, but it has since become so much more than words on paper. These tales of mystery and deduction are regarded as some of the best works of crime fiction of all time.

Continue reading “A happy birthday to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and an elementary review” →

Review of “Hidden” by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

On By Kristan @ Lit ListeningIn Fiction, Reviews1 Comment
I always prefer these books without their dust covers — more simplistic than teen models with bad temporary tattoos on their foreheads.
I always prefer these books without their dust covers — more simplistic than teen models with bad temporary tattoos on their foreheads.

I’m back! Sorry for the long absence — life happens. And this time around I read a book that had been on my shelf for a while, part of a series that I’ve also been following for a while.

If you follow trends in YA, you’ll know that the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin has had almost unprecedented success. The writing duo have managed to write 10+ books in about five years, most of which made it on The New York Times best seller lists.  Nevertheless, just like any type of media, keeping the popularity going for so long is difficult. If Goodreads reviews are to be trusted, many people have lost interest in the series. Continue reading “Review of “Hidden” by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast” →

Review of “This is Where I Leave You” by Jonathan Tropper

On By Kristan @ Lit ListeningIn Fiction, ReviewsLeave a comment

This is where i leave youI bought “This is Where I Leave You” by Jonathan Tropper for three reasons:

  1. I had $4 left on a gift card to Books-a-Million and the book had an attractive $3 sale sticker on the cover.
  2. I liked the aforementioned cover
  3. That aforementioned cover said New York Times Bestseller on it.

Reading the book a few weeks later I find that it’s about a dysfunctional family — my favorite. Judd Foxman’s dad has just lost his battle with cancer, which bring his family together for the first time in years. And when I say “together,” I mean in vicinity (definitely not emotionally). Continue reading “Review of “This is Where I Leave You” by Jonathan Tropper” →

Quotes from “This is Where I Leave You”

On By Kristan @ Lit ListeningIn QuotesLeave a comment

My review of “This is Where I Leave You” will be up tomorrow. As always, here are a few quotes that I liked from the book.

I blame Hollywood for skewing perspectives. Life is just a big romantic comedy to them, and if you meet cute, happily ever-after is a forgone conclusion.

Love made us partners in narcissism, and we talked ceaselessly about how close we were, how perfect our connection was, like we were the first people in history to ever get it exactly right.

Childhood feels so permanent, like it’s the entire world, and then one day it’s over and you’re shoveling wet dirt onto your father’s coffin, stunned at the impermanence of everything.

Phillip is the Paul McCartney of our family: better-looking than the rest of us, always facing a different direction in pictures, and occasionally rumored to be dead.

You could fill an airlift to Africa with all the food generated by one dead Jew.

That last one is because I find it funny that I coincidentally read this book during Passover.

-K

Quotes from “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

On By Kristan @ Lit ListeningIn Quotes1 Comment
Wi-fi is out at my apartment so your post comes to you via my local library
Wi-fi is out at my apartment so your post comes to you via a campus library

I actually finished a book, you guys!

Granted, it’s not “1Q84” like I had originally planned — my library loan expired, but I’m back on the waiting list — but I’ve wanted to read “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” for a while now. I hate watching the movie and not knowing how it compares to the book.

Anyways, here are some of my favorite quotes from the book.

I’ve thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it.

You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.

Everything that’s born has to die, which means our lives are like skyscrapers. The smoke rises at different speeds, but they’re all on fire, and we’re all trapped.

My full review will be posted tomorrow

-K