Category: Book Critic

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

2011 Steampunk Reading Challenge

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 2011 Steampunk Reading Challenge

Another book category which is slowly growing on me is the Steampunk reading genre.

Steampunk is a genre similar to my Victorian/Gothic favorites but with an emphasis on machinery and steam driving technology. Popular at the turn of the century this literary device has developed into a whole sub-culture. There are people who have Steampunk meet up groups and there are all kinds of Steampunk fashion lines among many other things.

I personally am not all into the fashion part of it, but I love the books. I would love to be able to wear all the Victorian clothing and jewerly and do all that other fun stuff that these people do but I think I would have to quite my day job if that were the case–not to mention I think my husband would say I finally went totally crazy–but nevertheless I am a fan of the style and reading genre. So when I saw this reading challenge I knew I just had to join though I promised myself no more reading challenges this year, I just couldn’t resist. So here I am signing up for another reading challenge. This one I am going to take it easy on though and only pledge to do the lowest catagory so I don’t over extend myself. So here you have it, this is the 2011 Steampunk Reading Challenge info hosted by Bookish Ardour:

Here is the direct link to the challenge and the info on the challenge is listed below:

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Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

2011 Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on 2011 Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge

I thought this would be a good way for me to add some eastern ‘flair’ to my reading lists for the year and it seems like Haruki Murakami is a very good writer so I am looking forward to this challenge. Just so I don’t over extend myself I am only going to read one book but who knows I might really like this guy and start devouring all his books!

All the info for this challenge is listed here and the book I am going to read is Sputnik Sweetheart (info on the book can be found here). If you are interested in joining the challenge or want to check out more info click here to see the blog and challenge info.

Here is the challenge info:

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Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

2011 Gothic Reading Challenge

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 2011 Gothic Reading Challenge

I have decided to add one more challenge this year, and only because I am an absolute Gothic Fiction fan…..I couldn’t resist. The challenge is being hosted by gothicreadingchallenge.blogspot.com.

Here is the info about their challenge which I listed below. Here is a list of classic Gothic elements and the list of books which are being used for the challenge.

I have read lots of these books already but since many are classics which I love and therefore I don’t mind reading them again and again…..that’s the beauty of classics…..I can read them over and over again but get something new out of them every time!

Check out the challenge and be sure to follow my progress as I will be posting my responses in my blog!

Here is the challenge info again or just check out the site here:

January 1 – December 31 2011

There is nothing better than a great Gothic read – crumbling old castles, mysterious legends, shadowy characters, supernatural beings and unexplainable events, make for some of the most haunting and captivating reading imaginable.

There are four levels of participation to choose from:

  • A Little Madness – Read just 1 novel with Gothic elements.
  • The Darkness Within – Read 5 novels with Gothic elements.
  • A Maniacal Frenzy – Read 10 novels with Gothic elements.
  • Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know – Read 20 novels with Gothic elements

For this challenge, I’m going for five books- The Darkness Within

I’ll be reading:

  • Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte or Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
  • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  • Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
  • The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  • And if I get really ambitious……I might even read The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Click here to join me if you’re interested!

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

I don’t even really know where to start with the review of the last novel I read, sometimes there are just no words to describe things and this is one of those times.

The novel Wetlands by Charlotte Roche was mentioned in Literature Monthly Magazine as a ‘top ten novels out of the mainstream’ and since I recently read Rooftop Soliloquy based on their recommendation I thought I would read Wetlands.

The novel was hugely popular in Germany and seems to have gained more attention in the literary world since it’s recent translation from German to English–though don’t ask me why.

I have to say, I have a pretty bad mouth and like to think of myself as fairly tolerant and as  ‘life experienced’…an open minded person and this book—-trumps any like of foul mouthed expression I could EVER think of. I mean, this book should have come with a disclaimer!

I mean it was raunchy–and when I say something is raunchy—its RAUNCHY! This book was SO bad as far as crude humor and smut I can possibly think of. Not many books should be considered XXX rated but this was defiantly one of them—this is like WELL above rated R and even NC-17. Not just based on sexual content, but the unsanitary nature of the character.

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, How it Ends by Laura Weiss. It is one of those that just captures you right away. It is a quick read and Weiss does a great job making interesting characters that readers can relate to.

I would classify the novel as having a split personality disorder meaning it could be classified as a Young Adult (YA) and adult book as one main character is a high school student and the other is an older woman.

Hanna (the high school character) is really engaging and captures the essence of a young teen struggling with the heart break of her first love. Every girl goes through that rude awaking moment when they realize their life isn’t going to turn out like a Walt Disney movie and Hanna does a great job of conveying those feelings of disappointment.

Her boyfriend, Seth, is such an asshole though that it’s hard to understand Hanna’s ‘love’ for him at some points, it made it more difficult to like him but at the same time, Hanna did a great job reminding the reader what attracts girls to guys like Seth in the first place at that age–at any rate Seth as a total loser and Hanna just can’t stay away from him.

One of the things Seth points out to Hanna is that she reads too much and lives her life in fiction. Everyone has a story (in most cases STRANGER than fiction) and some times it’s so easy to get lost in someone else’s reality. Being an avid reader I can sympathize with Hanna, it is sometimes hard to see the line between fiction and reality. Continue reading “Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess” →