The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo

Readers, are you familiar with "Murphy's Law?" Wikipedia gives this definition:

"Murphy's Law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

I have developed a similar "law" that I will call "Anja's Law," which states:

"If you assume things will go one way, they will actually go the opposite way."

This book is a case in point - a perfect example of Anja's Law in action. Let me explain.

So as you may have guessed by my constant references to my crazy TBR pile, I have a bit of a problem with finding way, way, way too many things interesting and bringing home books and sometimes other things that in reality I don't need. I also try to keep things neat around the house, but usually fail miserably. I'm not dirty, but I am messy and lazy and that leads to an untidy house. I have gotten a lot better (seriously, a LOT better) about not bringing so much stuff into the house, and I have in fact gotten rid of a lot of unused stuff, but I am still working on generally keeping things neat and getting rid of other stuff that I just don't need. So when I heard about this book, and what a sensation it was, I decided I should probably read it and see if it had some techniques I might find helpful. My library had a really long waiting list too (like, REALLY long) so I assumed (uh oh, here's the magic word from Anja's Law!) that I wouldn't get my hands on it until early 2016, so it wouldn't infringe on my late-2015 catching-up-on-all-my-challenges reading.

Whoops!

To be fair, I did place the request for this book at the library a while ago, and in fact I forgot I had even placed the hold at one point, so it's not like I was on the waiting list for only a few days; but I still got the notification that this book was ready for me much earlier than I had anticipated. But I didn't want to miss my chance to read the book, so I picked it up.

Luckily for me, it's a small book and took very little time to read. I'm glad I read it, because I think the author's method is something that could really work for me. I won't get into details but I will say that I was surprised that there was so much anthropomorphizing of inanimate objects. I'm someone who has a tendency to do this, so that aspect of the book really spoke to me. I did somewhat disagree with her assertion that when you mean to read a book "sometime" you are highly unlikely to ever read the book - the progress I have made with my TBR pile* is proof that someone who is determined enough can actually accomplish this, but overall, I do agree that in most cases it's unlikely. All in all I think I am ready to downsize things like books I have already read, clothes I never wear, and generally rid myself of possessions that don't spark joy, so I think this book will ultimately help me on my quest for a neat and tidy home.

*In reality, even though I complain about my TBR pile a lot, it's really shrinking. I started being a lot more careful about not bringing home any old book that seems like it might be interesting, and I have strategically used my reading challenges to help keep my focus on reading books from the pile. I've also avoided the library so that I don't load up on books that seem interesting at the expense of reading books that are gathering dust on the pile, etc. So I can in fact state that it might be possible to clear this pile once and for all in the very near future. Crazy, I know, but it feels good to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Giveaway: advance copy of This Is Where It Ends plus fun stuff!

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that there's a fun giveaway that you can participate in, to get an advance copy of This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp plus some other fun stuff! You can enter at this link: 

http://thisiswhereitendsbook.tumblr.com/extras

The giveaway includes an advance copy of this gripping YA book, as well as a chalkboard and some chalk. Sourcebooks Fire is asking readers to express their feelings after they finish the book, using the chalkboards, and then take a quick photo to share on Tumblr and other social media with #thisiswhereitends #sourcebooksfire tags. I couldn't put this book down, and I can think of a lot of things I would put on that chalkboard! 

You can also be one of the first to follow the Tumblr site for the book: http://thisiswhereitendsbook.tumblr.com/

The giveaway runs until November 1, so get over there and enter ASAP! 

I'm still working on my October reading, and I hope to have some reviews up soon! :) 

Blindness - José Saramago

Wow, readers, this is yet another novel that I have had on my pile for far too long and now wonder what took me so long to get to it. I can't lie, the actual writing style kind of put me off initially, and it can be a bit hard to read and confusing, but I got used to it after a while. Despite that, I was immediately drawn into the story and once I started reading I could barely put the book down. It's fitting that I read this book during October, as the story isn't technically horror, but much of the book is definitely horrific in content. I believe it was an accurate description of that might happen to the world in any kind of cataclysm though, which is frightening. Apparently there is a sequel; I might have to read that when I have cleared the TBR pile. All in all this is a book that will have you thinking about it long after you are finished reading.

Don't Look Now - Daphne du Maurier

Found this book on my office's book exchange shelves a few years ago, and assumed it was a novel, like Rebecca, which I read last year. So I was surprised to find out that this book is really a collection of short stories, most of them suspenseful. I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere of the title story, and "The Breakthrough" and "Not After Midnight" were creepy,  if baffling; I'm still puzzling over some of the events. "A Border-Line Case" was disturbing in an entirely different way, and had a relentless air of menace. In many ways, these four stories, despite differing on all the broad strokes, had a lot of little phrases and details that seemed to repeat, which I guess only makes sense, since they have the same author. I have to say that I enjoyed the final story, "The Way of the Cross," the best. I liked the shifting points of view and the different atmosphere that was more about the characters. All in all I think fans of creepy or macabre stories would like this collection.

A Beautiful Blue Death - Charles Finch

FTC Compliance Statement: I received a free, time-limited, electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review, which is provided below. I have not been otherwise compensated for this review in any way and my opinion is my own.

What an enjoyable mystery! I really liked Charles Lenox, amateur sleuth, and I'm a sucker for stories set in 1860s London. This was a charming series debut novel, with a mystery that kept me guessing and cast of characters that I am eager to learn more about. Great cozy-style mystery for those so inclined. 

September - This Month in Reading

September turned out to be a much better reading month for me - I read a total of 14 books, most of which were for challenges. As always I was hoping to read a few more, but after a summer of not as much reading as I wanted, this is a great result.

Speaking of challenges, since September marks the end of the 3rd quarter of the year, I'd like to do a quick check-in on all of my challenges:

Back to the Classics Challenge - 7/12 books, and I have plans to finish the rest ASAP, so this one's looking good.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge - 30/60 books, so far; I would like to be farther along, of course, but I am confident I can summit again this year. Or make it all the way back down from the summit, which I reached last year.

Read It Again, Sam - 9/12 rereads completed, one per month as planned, this one is looking great.

TBR Pile Challenge - 9/12 TBR Pile books and 1/2 alternates completed so far. I am confident that I can complete this challenge again this year.

Diversity on the Shelf Challenge - My goal was the category that allowed for 7 - 12 books and so far I have listed 15, with more to come, so this one's good.

Color Coded Reading Challenge - 7/9 books read, and a plan for the last 2, so I'm confident about this one too.

Books in Translation Reading Challenge - I've posted 10 books and I had planned for 10 - 12, so this one is basically finished, with more on the way too.

Banned Books Challenge - I've posted 6 books and had planned for 3 - 5, so this one is basically finished, but I suspect there will be a few more to come.

French Bingo 2015 - I still haven't gotten Bingo but I have more books on the way, so who knows. I may or may not actually get Bingo, but in any case it's fun to read the books, so I'm happy just to play this one.

LGBT Reading Challenge 2015 - I had planned for 3 - 10 books and I have 8 plus a short story, so this one's basically finished, although there may be more to come.

Harlem Renaissance Reading Challenge - For this challenge, I had planned for 6 - 10 books and so far I only have 4. I'm not worried, I have time to complete this challenge, and I look forward to doing so.

So there you have it... Coming in to the 4th and final quarter of 2015, things are looking OK for a strong finish to all of my reading challenges in 2015. How's your fall reading looking?

Le Petit Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Ce très petit livre, un des livres les plus célébrés au monde, défie toute description. C'est comme un conte des fées, mais c'est beaucoup plus - c'est aussi un chef d’œuvre. C'est une histoire qui semble très simple, mais on peux la relire beaucoup de fois et chaque fois trouver quelque chose de nouveau là-dessus.

J'étais très contente de trouver ce livre, en français, à vendre dans la petite << boîte bouquiniste >> dans ma bibliothèque. C'était un vrai plaisir de le lire en français. Je crois que le petit prince est plus sympa en français, et la rose est plus vaine.

Je l'ai lu pour le première fois il y a plusieurs années. Maintenant, je suis une adulte, mais j'espère que j'ai gardé un peu l'esprit du prince.

September Reread - The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This tiny book, one of the world's most famous, defies a review. What can I say about it that hasn't been said a million times already? It's one of those deceptively simple books that one can read again and again and see something new each time.

I was inspired to use this for my September reread book because last year around this time I found a copy in the original French on the Library Sale shelves (that will be the next review, en français). I had, of course, read this book in the English translation years and years (and years) ago. In fact, I somehow managed to hold on to my original copy, which it was my pleasure to remove from its dusty spot on my bookshelves and rediscover along with reading the French version in a quick readalong.

As I've noted in the past, having a bad memory can sometimes be a good thing. In this case, it allowed me to come back to this book in a "fresh" state, since it had been so long since I originally read it I basically remembered nothing about it. The story was probably even more moving and affecting for me now, well into adulthood. And I feel obligated to quote the famous lines:

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." 

Highly recommended. 

The City & The City - China Miéville

I have been wanting to read a book by this author for a while, but I got the impression that his books are sort of mind-bending and baffling and difficult, so that put me off a bit. I did get this book from the Library Sale shelves, but I still avoided it a bit until I decided to make it a priority with the TBR Pile Challenge and just take the plunge already. 

As usual, I feel like a ninny for waiting this long to read this book. I will say that the story is definitely one part detective story and one part mind-freak, but the writing is great and the stranger parts of the story are well done. I also grew to love the protagonist, and his narrative voice. In fact, I had trouble putting this down once I took in the central premise. And what a premise it is. I'd love to see the setting in the way the author sees it in his mind's eye. In the hands of the right director, this could be an amazing-looking film; in fact, I heard that someone is filming a version for the BBC, but I didn't see any details on when we might expect to be able to see that. I hope it's soon, and well done. 

If you're a fan of sci-fi/fantasy, and/or detective stories, you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. Recommended. 

O Pioneers! - Willa Cather

Willa Cather is quickly becoming a favorite author for me. Once I started reading this book I found it impossible to put down and I read it all in one sitting. As with My Ántonia, the characters fairly leap off the page they seem so real. That isn't to say I like them all, just that they seem very alive to me. The writing is beautiful, and I feel like it influenced John Steinbeck's descriptive writing, although that's based on sort of a gut feeling more than any hard evidence. There's some wonderful foreshadowing that I'd love to have written a paper about; maybe someday I'll win the lottery and become the nerdy, studious version of Van Wilder and do just that. And once again the author has captivated me with descriptions of the wild Nebraska prairie that make me truly understand why some of the characters are so attached to their land. I can't wait for next year's Back to the Classics Challenge so I can read another one of Cather's books. Highly recommended.