Weekly Geeks – Catching Up (Is Hard To Do)
From this week’s Weekly Geeks:
This week, I’m going back to a classic Dewey topic–#12 to be exact. I chose this for several reasons–one, it’s one of my favorite weekly geeks topics–but more importantly I saw it would work well with two very important bloggy events going on this week.
1. In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s) you hope to finish this week. (Be sure to leave a link to this post either in the comments of this post, or in the Mister Linky below.)
2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. (Most likely, people who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.)
3. Later, take whichever questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book. Link to each blogger next to that blogger’s question(s).
4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them some questions!
What are these other bloggy events? One is the June Mini-Challenge for Dewey’s Reading Challenge. Kailana is asking folks to list the books they’ve completed (but not reviewed) for either the Dewey Reading Challenge or Carl’s Once Upon A Time III challenge. Her due date is Saturday, June 20th. All the details are on the post about the challenge. The second is Natasha’s Bloggiesta. On June 19th and 20th, Natasha is encouraging bloggers to catch up on their blogs. Included in this is reviewing!
Presently, for the year 2009, the review of three books are pending:
- Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale
- Alice Walker’s The Color Purple
- Robert M Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence
All three were read while commuting, at a time I was working well over twelve hour days, and didn’t really have the time or energy to review them. Two more books were read at the time, Homecoming and The Plot Against America, but reviewed them over the past two weekends.
Also, I do want to review some of the below sometime soon, so if you have any you’d like reviewed, please let me know. They were all read in my pre-blogging days, but I thought the world of all of them*, so…
- JD Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye
- Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead
- Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials
- JK Rowling’s Harry Potter
- JM Coetzee’s Disgrace
So, over to you guys now. Feel free to ask me a question on any of these books (or any other books I’ve reviewed here). I’ll be happy to answer them as well, and as soon as possible. Thank you! Appreciate it much. :)
Happy Weekly Geeks, and have a great weekend.
*Barring the last two Harry Potters.
Filed under: Weekly Geeks | 21 Comments
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The Color Purple. Did you enjoy it? Would you recommend it? Is it easy to read or more intimidating? Have you seen the movie? If you have, which did you prefer the book or the movie? Did you have a favorite character? How about a favorite quote? Will you be seeking out any other Alice Walker books?
The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the best books I have read. What did you think of it? Do you think it is possible? Can you see a future like that? Did it scare you?
Disgrace: what is it about? Do you recommend Coetzee to your readers? Is it your first by that author?
What do you think of Rand’s philosophy? Does it work here in The Fountainhead?
BTW, here is my post:
WG: Review Catch up
I loved The Handmaid’s Tale – did you find it scarily possible?
Happy Weekly Geeks
I have a slight fear of reading Margaret Atwood again – she’s so revered in Canada that it’s intimidating. Talk me into why I should read the Handmaid’s Tale :o)
I love Catcher In the Rye but some people think that it’s very overrated. How do you feel about it?
Here’s my Weekly Geeks post: http://undercoverbooklover.blogspot.com/2009/06/weekly-geeks.html
You’ve read some classics while commuting! I must admit I read all three of them a long, long time ago. Looking back, The Handmaid’s Tale still stands strongly, The Color Purple is of course ‘a must’ too, but Zen etc. has lost its importance as far as I’m concerned. What do you think? Is Pirsig still a read for today’s people (why)?
Did you also see the movie of The Color Purple and do you think it’s true to the book?
I tried reading The Color Purple a few months ago, but could not find head nor tail in it. I only read a couple of pages. Should I have kept it and continued (as in “it will all become clear a few more pages into the book)?
Do you think Catcher in the Rye should STILL be on a bannned books list, even though it was probably provocative when it first came it, surely, it shouldn’t be in 2009?
I felt like Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series got weirder and weirder as it went along, and maybe not in a good way. Did you have that experience?
My Weekly Geeks assignment: Edward Gorey – Glorious Nosebleed
Read the color purple and cathcer in the rye years ago. These might be interesting to read about. Also the HP books. Happy Sunday!
I have same questions about The Color Purple as some of the other commenters. I’ve only ever seen the movie but I thought it was great, and it’s a movie that stands up over time. It was just as good a couple years ago as it was when it came out in 1985. Have you seen the movie and how does it compare to the book? If not, does the book stand up over time?
The Handmaid’s Tale haunted me for weeks after I read it. I loved it and don’t think I’ll ever forget it, but I know that not everyone feels that way. What was your reaction to it? Did you find it believable and frightening or too futuristic and extreme? How would you describe it in 1 or 2 sentences to someone who’s never heard of it before?
I don’t plan on reviewing books from my pre blogging days. It would be a Herculean task. My post is here.
How does Catcher in the Rye compare to Salinger’s short stories? I love those, but I’m worried that at 23 I’m too old for Catcher…would I just be rolling my eyes?
Did you find The Color Purple difficult to read? I’m not super-good with books written in dialect, so I’m a little afraid of it. But I enjoyed Their Eyes Were Watching God earlier this year; if you’ve read that one, how do they compare?
Wow! That’s quite a list. And the questions look quite fun. Am quite looking forward to answering them Tuesday, or Thursday.
Leaving the comments open for now, in case anyone has any more questions! Feel free to question away. :)
I’m a little bit late, but here goes…
Which if the Dark Materials books was your favorite? Why?
Which characters did you like the most in The Colour Purple? How did you feel about Mr by the end of the book?
Why do you think so many dystopian novels set in the future find women subjugated once again? What did you think of the rich women’s complicity in the other women’s fate in The Handmaid’s Tale?
Thanks Jodie, and Kim. Unfortunately, I’ve been working too hard, and am knackered at the moment :(
Will get it done on Saturday!
Sorry. :)
People seem to either love or loathe Fountainhead, and Rand’s writing in general. Since I’m one who hasn’t yet read Rand, why should I do so or not? Either way, I’ll be reading some Rand, but I’m curious about your thoughts.
After all the religious flack that the movie of Pullman’s the Golden Compass received, it’s on my “possible reading” list. I want to know more about the hub-bub’s basis. What do you think of his writing and have you read Compass?
This isn’t a tit for tat comment, I’d have asked these questions anyway, but maybe you can come up with a question for my unreviewed list.
I did Fountainhead earlier on. You can read my thoughts about it here. Rand played a big part in shaping my personality, I think. I still worship the ground Roark, the protagonist of The Fountainhead, walks on.
I’m re-reading His Dark Materials in the next couple of months, so, I’ll pick this up then. I did enjoy Northern Lights/Golden Compass, and was itching to read the rest of the trilogy. Am curious to see how the second reading goes.