Popcorn Reviews // last summer's books

I promise I've been wanting to blog more. So I dove into my drafted posts and found a list of books I was supposed to review. . . last summer.

Oops.

Apparently, I don't do light fluffy, contemporary summer reads. It's against my religion or something [to be more accurate, the thought makes me gag internally]. So here's an odd summer list for you and an unrelated popcorn pic.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

Once upon the many times I wandered through a library, I spied a spine of maroon color that read "Mystery" combined with the very interesting name of "Edwin Drood." Obviously, I picked it up and after realized it was written by Charles Dickens. I've never actually read any of his books, mostly because, to me, his name is synonymous with tomes the size of frost giants and writing that inspires yawns. The only thing I actually know about him though is 

1) he's English

2) he wrote a Tale of Two Cities

3) he wrote Oliver Twist, and 

4) he's known for something or another about characters, but this didn't come to me at the time. 

Really, I was just surprised to find such a short, bite-sizable book by him. I'd been wanting to try more classics, so this seemed a good easing introduction to Dickens. Also, I'm notorious for picking up library books just because of the title.

I loved it.

Loved, loved it.

But it is certainly not for everyone.

You have to be in the right frame of mood to read Dickens and enjoy him. In this book at least, he wanders around, bumps against a character, gives a wonderfully picturesque sketch of said character, then, on a whim, has tea with them.









Really, that's what happens. I often wondered, "Ok, Dickens, this is beautiful and all, and I love these people. They are real people. And the scenery is amazing; I want to live here. But where is the plot? What are we doing here having tea and nice chat? Where are you taking me?" 

Dickens seemed to be more interested in the journey than the destination.

Despite the shorter length, it is a book that takes longer to read. It meanders at its own pace without care for plot. But the writing style, while slow, is beautiful. I love the classical style sometimes but also hate it? The reader can envision everything. It's amazing how he uses words. But it's also cumbersome and slow. Just before reading this book, I had finished a couple of fast-paced books, so reading at a leisurely stroll was refreshing at the time. I'm not sure if all Dickens' books are like this [I have a hunch they are], as I've only read one, and I later found out that this is one he actually didn't finish, which might explain why it's so short.

[I seriously want to know the ending though!]

If you want a book that's the equivalent to a walk in the park [they do a lot of that. . . walking in the park], this is a good one to pick up.

Bedford Square by Anne Perry

Years ago, I would occasionally pick up one of Anne Perry's Thomas Pitt mysteries. These books lean on the larger side, buuuut I'd been wanting a mystery set in Victorian/Industrial England. I also missed the characters. So I nabbed a shorter one from the library. 

Returning to the series for a book was . . . disappointing? I did like the book. The ending was interesting. But it wasn't how I remembered. I didn't like the writing style. I nearly didn't finish it except that I just like the characters and the flavor of the historical background too much. That is one thing that Perry masters well in her Thomas Pitt series. The historical background, what was going on socially, the style of clothing, people's mindsets, everything is so spot on. That time period had so many changes going on, perfect for a murder mystery.

I think my big pet peeve is just that she stops to talk about clothes too much. XD Like I don't care what exact print or style they're wearing. I don't know different clothing types anyhow, so none of that matters to me. I realized though that a lot of people who read this books are probaby women, and most women, with the exception of me, tend to be fashion suave.

One of the things I do like is that Thomas and his wife's relationship [her poor name escapes me, apologies]. I love how she sleuths and how Perry writes it. Thomas is a detective; he's not an amateur. His wife likes to help, not in a nagging overbearing sort of way. Mostly, she's just concerned, and she more often gets involved when someone she cares about becomes involved. She always helps out via her social status and will find out details through her social connections, details that Thomas would have more difficulty learning with a badge. Basically, she sleuths in a way that's acceptable for a woman of her time. She uses a lot of intuition. And I love that. She's smart and still feminine. Also, what she does learn is always detrimental to the investigation. And her husband is not patronizing nor does he downplay her role. Basically, Thomas needs her, and she supports him as a wife and partner but is also wise enough to try her best not to get herself or Thomas in a tight spot [not always successfully because, well, it is a mystery book]. I love their relationship. She's not an idiot, and she'd never think to be ashamed of her femininity, which is refreshing and rare [even in historical fiction where it's realistic for the time period]. I really like Thomas and her dynamic. They make a great team as well as a great couple.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Who hasn't heard of this book? I honestly wouldn't have given a thought to this book if a friend of mine [*waves* allo, friend!] hadn't influenced me. We tend to like some of the same things, and she bragged heavily on it. So. I gave it a try.

This actually counts as a light summer read. It's so hilarious! It plays with fairytale tropes, and the characters are just amazing and memorable and funny. [I've not seen the movie though.]

I would definitely reread this. I'm honestly not sure what to say about it though. Just thinking about this book makes me happy. I laughed so much! I probably read it within two or three days, which is unusually fast for me. The world of the story is great and so imaginative and creative. Even without the amazing characters, I would've still loved it for the world-building.

If I were to describe the feeling that it gives me in one word I would say

Colorful.

Not that there are colors in the book.

The character of the book is colorful.

Ivanhoe by Walter Scott

This book shyly peered up at me from the shelf of a secondhand bookshop during my need-to-read-classics phase. It needed a good home. So I adopted it.

This was, of course, another slow read like Dickens. What I loved about this book is that it gives off high fantasy vibes since it's set in the Medieval Age. I loved the setting. Although Scott wanders even more than Dickens [a difficult feat], it's such an adventure story.

[Pst, Robin Hood is important to the plot. I totally read it for Robin Hood.]

The plot is dramatic and rather classical.

Again, it's a laborious read, but I don't regret it. It was good fun all the same. 

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

So another friend loves a quote from this book. After she shared it with me, I had to read the whole book. I really enjoyed it. It's a nonfiction collection of letters that Rainer Maria Rilke wrote to someone who also wanted to be a poet. It's a book about writing (poetry in particular, but I think it can apply to any writing or even any art form). It's about creativity and becoming an artist. I mostly enjoyed the first half, but I'll admit some of the latter half lost me a bit. It's a thought-provoking short read with very quotable sections. 

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin

I found this book in the secondhand bookshop tucked away with a bunch of fantasy classics. I'd never heard of this book, but the cover was amazing. I've been wanting to read some fantasy classics (outside of Tolkien), so this looked like a good start. It's just over 200 pages which suits me fine. 

I fell in love with this book. The world of the book is fantastic. I love the concept behind the dragons and the magic system. Earthsea is one book world that I would feel right at home in if I could go there. I've finished the trilogy actually (still can't say which is my favorite book). The overarching theme of the whole trilogy is balance and equilibrium. I've always found that fascinating. 

There's a lot of good bits that you could get out this tiny book. The characters are fun as well. It's a quick read although it can go deep. If you read only one book from this list, read this one.

I also read this book the last time I was in Texas, the last time I could go home before my parents moved. So it has an even stronger home feeling for me. 

What have you been reading this summer [*cough* or last summer]?