WWW… Wednesdays!

I found this reading meme. I thought it was neat and plan to be involved with as, it allows me to show what I am actually reading and asks these three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish?

What do you think you’ll read next?

My answers
What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading "Gretzky's tears" by Stephen Brunt. I just started it and its an interesting view of the NHL and hockey culture in the last 30 years surrounding the NHL and hockey in Canada and the United States.

What did you recently finish?

I finished "The White Queen" by Philippa Greggory. Excellent book. I really liked how the book was narrated. Highly recommended.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Anything on the side bar of my blog; more likely I am going to be reading "The Secret" by Beverly Lewis.

The White Queen

I requested this book with absolutely knowledge as to what the book was about and simply because of the author and also because I had seen the book in a local bookstore and also because I didn't want to spend the $34 CDN for the hardcover and for a book that I probably wouldn't pick up for at least a year or more.

In any case, I really enjoyed it. What I liked about the book was that not only was it very lyrical, but I found it rather enjoyable, especially since it is about a period in English history that was filled with upheaval. I have no prior knowledge of the period about the War of the Roses, except that it was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster and that it involved a family called the Pastons. So basically I went into this book with very little knowledge of this period of English history and having not read any of Gregory's books.

But after reading this book over the past 2 weeks has made me want to know more about this period of English history and I can't seem to find anything that is worth reading from this time period. I would love to know more about this particular Queen Elizabeth and her role in English history.

So basically I was driven by the fact that I wasn't willing to spend the money for the book and I can't wait for the next book in the series, which apparently is called the White Princess, at least that is what I have read that is going to be, but I could be wrong.

I really liked the book and if you like historical fiction and like Greggory's writing style, I would highly recommend it. I haven't read any of her other books, but that being said, its a good book and is something that is good for the ride home on the bus/train/subway or for a period of time that you have a lot of time to read.

Christmas Reading Challenge

Don't have a book chosen yet; will post it as soon as I have a choice or two. I have to see what I can get through a library until about Christmas or whatever I can find at home.

Why I love reading

I was reading a book on the way home from work today and I started to think about why I love reading. There are many reasons why I love reading but I suppose the main reason is that I enjoy escaping to a different time and place; to be transported to a place or a time that doesn't exist in my own world, that is a part of my daily routine. I sometimes love being transported to a warm, summer's beach on one of the many cold and rainy evenings during the fall and winter. I like being transported to a time that I couldn't possibly even go back to and to a place that I can only dream of visiting. I sometimes get a little sad when I have to part with characters that I have grown to love and cherish, almost as though they are a part of my own family and circle of friends.

Books and Libraries

I love reading, don't get me wrong, and I love libraries and exploring them and I have found gems that I wouldn't have otherwise have found had I not explored the bookshelves of my local library (if you can count the online catalogue as bookshelves, but I have found books by just picking them up from the library). Anyways, it seems that whenever I step into a library or a bookstore, I can't help but come out with a bunch of books in my hands. I know that I am taking more than I can possibly read, but some of them are so good that I don't want them to slip from my hands. I suppose you can call me a book whore and maybe I should try to control my urges to get my hand on a new book. I guess this isn't the time of day to decide.

Additions to 2010 Books I want to read before I die

There are six books that I want to add:

• Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
• The Russlander by Sandra Birdsell
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• Unless by Carol Shields

Hopefully I will be able to read them

Books I want to read before I die for 2010

Here are the books I wish to read for the challenge, Book I want read before I die for 2010:

• The Reason for God by Tim Keller
• Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
• The Devil wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
• The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels
• Marie Antoinette: the journey by Antonia Fraser
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover
• Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
• Life of Pie by Yann Martel
• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

First Post

This is a blog about the books that I read. I will likely link to my LiveJournal account, where I have also posted about the books I read. If I post there, I will post a link here and vice versa.