Does anybody read books here?

[Bad JuJu]

Currently re-reading some classics, which I'm teaching next semester in a class on belief and non-belief in Victorian literature: On the Origin of Species (OK, not strictly *literary* but important to the Victorian world view), Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Peter Pan, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and of course, my favorite Victorian page-turner: Dracula.

And I've been asked to write a review for a local paper on Carl Hiassen's Sick Puppy. Hiassen is an entertaining and inventive Florida writer who comes up with some wonderfully convoluted plots and characters, and who usually throws in an environmental agenda, underlying the twists and turns of action. I find his books great for downloading to the iPod for long road trips.

[snowtulip]

Absolutely addicted to books! After signing up at paperbackswap.com, I've opened myself up to other genres and I'm amazed at how much I love all types of genres.

Recent faves:

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova (loved it, couldn't put it down, loved all the travel, history, etc. I even passed on a ride to finish reading)

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell (a book I would have never read if I didn't expand my horizons, kept me completely captivated, looking to read the sequel next)

Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (took me a little while to get into, but then I was hooked, plus it's about a book!)

The Golden Compass - Phillip Pullman (ok, I've already read this a few times, but had to reread before the movie release).

[KnottedYet]

Reading "Communist Manifesto" right now.

It's my goal to read as many of the banned books available on the Free Books app as I can.

Granted the thing was written in the 1800's, but I was floored by the way women are assumed to be mere chattel, possessions to be shared in common among men. Here's this book, going on and on about upper class and lower class, and giving power back to the oppressed lower class... and they didn't even see the same "struggle" as it applied to women at the time. Women weren't citizens, they were means of production to be owned in common... like tractors.

One of Marx's arguments is that this would prevent prostitution. If men could have any women they wanted any time they wanted there would be no need for prostitution.

Ummm... but what if the woman didn't want that? Oh, wait, I forgot that she has all the rights to self-determination of a tractor.

Fascinating stuff.

At the same time I'm also reading the very dark set of short stories by Jack London "When God Laughs." Some of those stories can certainly be read as critiques of bourgeois society a century ago, and it's fun to see if one can apply the Manifesto to stories in Laughs.

I really like the Free Books app: http://appshopper.com/books/free-books The "banned books" category is full of good stuff.

[Red Rock]

I'm reading the Journals of Lewis and Clark.

Gosh, I really love their descriptions of the places they are going through. Independence MO-that is where they spent their first 4th of July. I think that is pretty cool.

Then all of the snakes, deer, elk and soon to come buffalo. Let alone all of the timber that must have been in the Missouri at the time. I wish I could transport myself back to the 1800's (or 1800-1840ish) to see what this country was like before it bacame an asphalt and concrete jungle. There is not a whole lot out there on the women and how they survived. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place.

After I finish this, there is an Indian account that was puiblished for the 100 year anniversary that I want to read. Then perhaps The Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail..etc.