Off The Shelf

After completing my last final exam on Friday, I can officially say that summer has started. Not only does the arrival of warmer days and longer hours mean it is time to re-read and re-watch Harry Potter, but to finally check out those books that I have been adding to my "To-Read" list all year long. Here is what I plan on reading over the next few months: 1. Daisy Miller , Henry James 2. Bad Feminist , Roxane Gay 3. Saint Anything , Sarah Dessen 4. Attachments , Rainbow Rowell 5. The Poisonwood Bible , Barbara Kingsolver * 6. How to Read Literature Like a Professor , Thomas C. Foster * 7. Beloved , Toni Morrison * 8. Unbearable Lightness , Portia de Rossi ** 9. The Return of Martin Guerre , Natalie Zemon Davis *** 10. Paper Towns , John Green *Required Reading for AP Literature **Required Reading for Women's Studies and Literature ***Required Reading for AP Modern European History

Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays - eating lots of gingerbread and spending lots of time with family. Today, I will be wrapping up my "Best of" posts for 2014. So far, I have posted my Best Nonfiction / Memoir / Autobiography  books and my Best Historical Fiction books of the year.  In 2014, I read a total of 26 books, or 7,876 pages. I gained several new favorites this year, including Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald and The Catcher in the Rye .  I re-read several books this year before seeing their movie adaptations on the big screen. The Fault in Our Stars and Mockingjay Part 1 were just two of many Hollywood blockbusters of 2014 that were based on novels. This past year I was also selected to attend a five-day creative writing program at Alfred University, and became the Editor-in-Chief of my high school's literary arts magazine.  2014 was a great year for books and for me...so without further ado, here are my top 10 Fiction novel...

The Things They Carried Tim O'Brien 233 pages “Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story.”    (page 36) In Vietnam, Tim O'Brien and the other members of Alpha Company carried dog tags, two or three canteens of water, and love letters. They carried pocket knives and canned peaches. Plastic ponchos and comic books. An M-60 machine gun and an illustrated New Testament. Grenades and M&Ms. They carried fear, they carried each other. They carried what they could bear, and then some - including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried  (page 7).   The Things They Carried is a fictional story based on O'Brien's experiences during the Vietnam War. The novel is broken into short story-like chapters, with titles ...

   Over the course of 2013, I read a total of 25 books, or 8,108 pages. Of those 25, I gained several new favorites, including The Great Gatsby , and Between Shades of Gray - novels that I feel have made an important impact on my life.   Several books were also made into movies during 2013, including Gatsby, Catching Fire , The Host, and Safe Haven . The film industry has seem to found a new jackpot in YA novels! 2014 promises to be a year of more books-turned movies as well. I am looking forward to Divergent in March, The Fault in Our Stars in June, and Mockingjay Part 1 in November!   Not only was 2013 a year of great books, but a year of some of my best accomplishments. I  was published in my school's literary arts magazine and became Literary Editor of the magazine for the 2013-14 school year a few days later. My travels took me to  Cape Cod , Sugarbush, VT ,  Columbia University , and Strand Books.   I do not plan ...

Dear John Nicholas Sparks 335 pages Dear John, There's so much I want to say to you, but I'm not sure where to begin... John Tyree was a lost, rebellious teenager during his high school years, and upon graduation, he enlisted in the army. Soon after basic training, he was stationed overseas in Germany and thought he had finally found the place where he fit in. But in the summer, back home in Wilmington, North Carolina on leave, John meets Savannah. The two fall in love in two short weeks, but are forced to separate when John must return overseas. Over the course of several years, John and Savannah write dozens of letters back and forth, only seeing each other occasionally, and their love is put to the ultimate test. But no one can foresee that 9/11 is about to change the world, along with John and Savannah's relationship forever. Nicholas Sparks ( Safe Haven, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, The Last Song ) must have something against happy endings. After now r...

Happy Summer! With school winding down in the next few days, I have found myself looking forward to the season with much anticipation.  The following is a list of novels I hope to read in the coming months. Whether you are seated comfortably on the couch at home, at a picnic table or in a beach chair with sand between you toes, I hope the summer brings you fun, sunshine, and of course, good books! 1. This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald 2. Flowers in the Sky, Lynn Joseph 3. Every Day,  David Levithan 4. On the Road, Jack Kerouac 5. In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez * 6. Saturday, Ian McEwan * 7. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak 8. The Silver Star, Jeannette Walls 9. Threads and Flames, Esther M. Friesner 10. The Distance Between Us, Kasie West  *Assigned summer reading for Honors English 2013-2014

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald 180 pages I don't feel I have the credibility to really write a review of the novel, therefore I would like to use the opportunity of this 100th post to discuss what is said to be the greatest American novel of all time: The Great Gatsby . The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.   - page 68 New York, 1922. The Jazz Age is in full swing, and with World War I at a close, the American people are restless, alive with post-war excitement and opportunity. Nick Carraway has just moved to Long Island looking to get started in the "bond business", and winds up buying a home next door to the grand and mysterious Jay Gatsby. After being invited to one of his neighbor's lavish parties, Nick soon learns of Gatsby's secrets, and the love he is desperately trying to find again. The following are some of my favorite p...

To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee 376 pages I few years ago, I read Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. Looking back now, I can say that I was too young to fully understand this timeless novel. At that time, I was baffled by words like cynical , amiable , and chiffarobe - words that were key to the story and its meaning. Now, four years later, this book has been given much more meaning for me. And I'd like to share that with you. Introduction To Kill a Mockingbird tells the unforgettable story of a sleepy southern town, in the years post  - Great Depression. It tackles the common issues of growing up, and doing what is right, although that action may not be the easiest. Atticus Finch, and his children see the effects that hatred and bias have on their town first-hand, and through the eyes of young Scout, the reader will experience it too. Characters My favorite character from To Kill a Mockingbird is most certainly Miss Maudie Atkinson, the wido...

  On Friday night, a few friends and I went to see the film adaption of Nicholas Sparks' novel Safe Haven  starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel.   The theater was filled mostly with teenage girls, most of whom were clinging to tissues and each other by the time the credits started rolling. Here is my brief introduction to the story from a previous post: After traveling from place to plate for several months, Katie Feldman has finally settled down in Southport, North Carolina, the classic small town where everyone knows everything about everybody. But Katie has a secret, something she has worked to keep hidden since she left Boston. Just when she thinks Southport is not the place for her, Katie meets Alex - a kind, widowed store owner with two young children. As Katie struggles with her private knowledge, and her feelings for Alex, she comes to discover that love is the only true safe haven.   Now here's the thing about reading the book first, ...

Safe Haven  Nicholas Sparks   340 pages “I've come to believe that in everyone's life, there's one undeniable moment of change, a set of circumstances that suddenly alters everything.”   After traveling from place to plate for several months, Katie Feldman has finally settled down in Southport, North Carolina, the classic small town where everyone knows everything about everybody. But Katie has a secret, something she has worked to keep hidden since she left Boston. Just when she thinks Southport is not the place for her, Katie meets Alex - a kind, widowed store owner with two young children. As Katie struggles with her private knowledge, and her feelings for Alex, she comes to discover that love is the only true safe haven. This was my fourth read by Nicholas Sparks ( A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, The Last Song  ), and out of all four, this is the only one threw which I did not cry. Sparks is known for his emotional endings, but in ...

Happy New Year's Eve! For book bloggers, the last day of the year is a time for reflection. As of today, I read a total of 35 books this year which included 11,171 pages. That is a good dozen less than last year, but I realize I read longer novels this year, therefore my total count would be smaller.  From that number I have chosen my top 12 to share with you. The authors I read the most of this year were Stephenie Meyer and John Green. Each of their writing styles are very different from each other, but I think that is what drew me too them. So, if you are in need of direction I would point you there. Thank you all for reading for another year. And I can't wait to see what challenges and events 2013 will bring! By clicking on the title or author in blue, you may view and read my review of the book. Top 12 Novels of 2012 12. Pride and Prejudice , Jane Austen 11. My Sister's Keeper , Jodi Picoult 10.  Looking For Alaska , John Green 9.  If I Stay , Gayle F...

Continuing my series of posts entitled The Best of 2012, Friday brings me to my favorite characters of the year. When I was first deciding what I wanted my lists to consist of, I hadn't thought of characters right away. I then realized that characters are really the most important - their point of view moves the story along, and sets the tone for the entire book. Each one is unique, crafted by the author to send a particular message. My favorite characters are sometimes quite different then myself - for example, Bella Swan was so clumsy, yet so brave, I sometimes wondered what I would do in the situations that were tossed at her. Would I be that courageous? That strong? But in the time that I read The Twilight Saga, I got to be her - I got to be in love with a vampire, best friends with a werewolf, and a mixed up teenager all at the same time - and it was so darn cool. This list is compiled of both major and minor characters and does not include re-reads or series where previou...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows 274 pages It is January 1946, and World War II has left its scars across the world. Writer Juliet Ashton, is looking for her next book subject when she receives a letter from a man named Dausey, who lives on the island of Guernsey off the coast of England. Soon, the two become friendly correspondents, and within the course of their letters, Juliet learns about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. This unusual and charming book club was created at the spur-of-the-moment during the German occupation and is made up of everyone from farmers, to wood carvers, and amateur cooks, but all have an excellent taste in books. Captivated by their stories, Juliet sets sail for the island, and what she finds there will change her forever. Schaffer and Barrow's  unique and uplifting novel is written entirely in letters. Some to Juliet, some from Juliet, but all give an original perspectiv...

The Last Song Nicholas Sparks 390 pages "Life, he realized, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile ." page 376 Veronica "Ronnie" Miller has not spoken to her dad in three years, since her parents' divorce. She was always just too angry to speak with him whenever he called, or even when he came to visit them in New York City. Now, three years later, Ronnie is being forced to spend the summer with him in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Ronnie expects this summer to be a painful one; one full of bad memories and forced conversations. Instead, she finds things she hadn't expected: second chances, and Will Blakelee. The Last Song is written mostly from Ronnie's point of view, but occasionally, a chapter will be written with regards to Will or her father. This gives the reader a more vivid idea as to the b...

On Saturday night, I sat down and watched the movie adaption of Nicholas Sparks' novel,  A Walk to Remember . The movie was released in 2002, and is rated PG. As the novel was fairly short, several scenes were added to the movie to give the story more dimension. For example, the movie opens up with Landon and his friends out after their curfew, therefore letting the viewers know that he is not a well-behaved kid. As the movie progresses, you see his change in character more profoundly than in the book. An example of another added scene would be one where Landon names a star after Jamie. This scene shows the viewer that he really cares for Jamie, and that this is not just some short-lived high school relationship. No matter how "cheesy" that might sound, it was a great addition to the story. To watch this scene from the movie click here. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie, maybe even more so than the book. (which is usually quite rare) A Walk to Remember is defin...

The Notebook Nicholas Sparks 214 pages It is 1946, World War II has ended, and Noah Calhoun has come home to New Bern, North Carolina. After being deployed overseas to Europe, his life has returned to normal. He works from dawn till dusk, only stopping to read poetry. Everything is normal, until Allie Nelson shows up in his driveway. Like a drive back into the past, Noah is soon caught up in feelings and questions he had felt and thought once before. And the most important question is, What is true love? On a normal trip to the library, I would not have checked out The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. But at a recent get together with friends, I got the whole "You've never seen The Notebook? Oh my gosh, that is like the best movie ever! And Ryan Gosling's in it!" Before they could persuade me into watching it right then and there, I stated my philosophy of "book before movie".  And so, I went to the library last week to check it out. Honestly, I don...

A Walk to Remember Nicholas Sparks 240 pages In 1958, Landon Carter was in with the popular crowd, although he didn't know why. He  didn't play football, he was not the Senior class President. Landon didn't question his status though, he just lived it. Jamie Sullivan was the daughter of  Beaufort's Baptist minister, and she always carried a bible with her school books. She was shy and kept to herself, and the last person Landon thought he would fall in love with. A Walk to Remember   is written through Landon's unique teenage voice. Landon changes and grows as a character the more the story evolves, and I can honestly say, I found myself wishing I was Jamie over and over. Over and over. My favorite quote from the book is the following: Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but del...

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 368 pages When Elizabeth Bennett first meets Mr. Darcy, a noble and esteemed bachelor, she finds him conceited and ill-mannered. She dislikes him even more when she finds he has been trying to squash the relationship between her sister Jane, and his friend Mr. Bingley. To make matters even worse, they seem to be running into each other everywhere they go. In the humorous, and dramatic events that follow, readers will be transported to early 19th century England with style and grace. As Pride and Prejudice is one of the world's oldest novels, it has been read and loved by so many that I find it is not my place to criticize or review it. The author is long deceased, so no edits or changes can ever be made. However, I will just say this, everyone should read this book at least once in their lifetime. As this was my first time reading it, it took me a while to get through. I had to keep looking up words like "vexatio...

The Book of Tomorrow Cecelia Ahern 310 pages Tamara Goodwin was born into the lap of luxury, until the abrupt death of her father which leaves she and her mother swmming in debt. The two move in with a mysterious aunt and uncle with secrets Tamara hopes to unveil. But when she finds a book with no title or author, and a rusty lock, things start to go from boring to magical. When she finally prys open the lock, Tamara finds the diary is written in her own handwriting, and the enteries are dated for the next day. There is certainly no doubt that Cecelia Ahern is an amazing writer on many levels, but The Book of Tomorrow was a bit hard to get into for me. Although the first chaper was strong with deep description and metaphoric passages, I was not in love. I guess you could say that the plot builds slow and long in this book, as the last few chapters really unravel all of the up-in-the-air questions with high speed. I do not particularly care for that style of writing, but I ...

Just a quick shout out to all of you who have taken the time to read, glance at, or check out what I've posted here on Off The Shelf. I hope you've found something worth your visit! As summer draws nearer and nearer, I've decided to post what is on my summer reading list for this year. 1.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky - The movie version of this book, starring Logan Lerman ( Percy Jackson and the Olympians ) and Emma Watson (Harry Potter films) will be coming to theaters this September. 2.  Looking for Alaska, John Green 3.  Paper Towns, John Green 4.  The Fault in our Stars , John Green 5.  Thin Wood Walls, David Patneaude 6.  The Red Umbrella , Christine Gonzalez 7.  The Book Thief, Markus Zusak 8.  Between Shades of Gray , Ruta Sepetys Many classics have also found their way on to this list... 9.   Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen   10. Emma, Jane Austen 11.  The Summer of M...