i cannot live without books.

One thing this semester has been absolutely fantastic for, outside of beautiful landscapes and a great craic, is books.  At home, between work, co-op, and school, it's terribly difficult for me to find the time to read for fun.  Before I left for Ireland, knowing I had a long flight and probably long bus/train rides awaiting me, mom took me out and we bought a few short books, enough, I thought, to get me through the whole semester.  I think you all know that didn't happen.  Thank God for Charlie Byrne's Bookshop.

Anyway, since I'm procrastinating (when am I not?) and I really enjoyed all the books I've read, here is a list with a short description of the books in case any of you are curious with a bit of free time on your hands.


Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith (the name makes me cringe, but it's a good book, okay?) is a plucky orphan who calls the magical Théâtre Illuminata home, but when she's essentially evicted, she needs to find a way to make herself invaluable otherwise be thrown out into the real world where players from all your favorite Shakespeare (and more) plays don't randomly accost you in the props room.  It was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm really glad I read it.  It's thick, but the font is big and it goes quickly.


4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie
Mrs. McGuillicuddy is a harmless, sweet, well-meaning old woman, but when she is the only witness to a murder on a train and no body can be found, she turns to her good friend Miss Jane Marple, who is despite all appearances, much less harmless than her friend.  Rutherford Hall is the target of Miss Marple's sleuthing, but could the Crackenthrope family really have something to do with the murder?  A really good mystery that keeps you reading until the crack of dawn.  Another good friend recommendation.

Equal Rites by Terry Prachett
Women can't be wizards.  It's just a fact of life.  But when a dying wizard prematurely passes his powers onto a child being born, and that child turns out to be a girl, what then?  I've been in love with Terry Prachett and Discworld ever since The Color of Magic and this book did not disappoint.  It's satirical, silly, and just plain fun.  Definitely recommend it!

Nemesis by Agatha Christie
Miss Jane Marple receives a mysterious letter from a dead acquaintance, setting her out on a mission, but with no further instructions as to the nature and purpose of said mission.  One I picked off the shelf at Charlie Byrne's for 2 euro and it's good for a lot of reasons.  Lots of characters (which means lots of suspects), a few chilling moments, and some interesting insight into Miss Marple's character.  But it's also not something I'd recommend for a lot of reasons.  It tended to drag at times and Agatha Christie really lets loose on her views about rape and female roles, which are old fashioned and a bit...unsettling.  I can usually overlook things like this in such an old book from such an old author, but it just wasn't working for me this time...


Welcome to my World by Johnny Weir
Johnny's self-written (you can tell because sometimes his grammar is complete crap) autobiography that follows his figure skating career as well as a look into his childhood and adolescence (I still don't consider him an adult, sorry).  For anyone interested in him, I'd definitely recommend it, but advise that it be taken with a grain of salt.  While a lot of it is endearing and loveable, just as much of it seems like a spoiled little brat causing trouble.  It's interesting, though, because he actually admits to being a spoiled brat most of the time.  He's very reflective and self-aware.  I quite enjoyed it, anyway.


The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell
Written by a contributor to NPR's This American Life, it's a very entertaining read.  It's essentially just a series of personal vignettes that take you through a bit of Sarah Vowell's American life and examine patriotism and some recent (and some not-so-recent) events in U.S. history.  Being a history nerd myself, I quite enjoyed it, even though I think I'm a little more optimistic than her most of the time.  A good recommendation from a friend from Oberlin.  Thanks!

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
It's the second in an amazing series that I didn't know was a series until about half a year ago.  I'd read the first book (The Thief) when I was in fourth grade and it's been a favorite ever since, so when I saw this on the shelf at Charlie Byrne's, there was no question.  I was getting it.  It's basically Gen getting into more trouble and having to find new ways to get out of it with the added bonus of really strong, interesting female characters.  I'd definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves or has kids who love YA fantasy.

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
Can you tell that my semester has followed a bit of a trend?  When one man at a party turns up dead one morning and seven alarm clocks are found on his windowsill, all the signs begin pointing to foul play.  More bodies turn up, secret societies are uncovered, and nothing is as it seems.  I absolutely loved this one.  It keeps you guessing until the end and it is just fabulous.  I would definitely recommend it!

TBR [to be read]: Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl by Kate McCafferty and Schlacthof 5 by Kurt Vonnegut (except it's in German)

 the coral beach at carraroe, where we spent the afternoon yesterday and soaked up the sun.