Bonjour, Tristesse

So, I have decided to continue my blogging even though it's no longer required for class since I'm now a GRADUATE! It's rather a strange feeling no longer being a student, but I'm hoping that it will allow for me to read more as well as give me the freedom to choose any books I want (not based on required reading). How exciting!

And now, I will give my first review as a college graduate. The book is Bonjour Tristesse, meaning in French "Hello Sorrow." It was written by Sagan at the tender age of 17 and published by the time she turned 18. Despite her youth, Sagan produced a well-written, somewhat existential work about a 17-year-old French girl named Cecile and the carefree life she leads with her widowed and rich father.

Then Anne, an old friend of her mother's, comes into the picture and steals Cecile's father's heart, causing him to leave his young mistress (of which he's had many) and decide to marry Anne. This leaves Cecile confused as she thought that she and her father would continue with their "not a care in the world" lifestyles forever. She begins to plot with her summer love Cyril and her father's jilted mistress Elsa on how they can subtly get rid of Anne. Too late though, Cecile realizes that she has gotten herself too far into something that she can't turn back from now.

At about 180 pages, this was a very quick and enjoyable read. The plot intrigued me, despite being fairly predictable (at least to me). Every once in awhile, I would read a line and think to myself, "I can't believe a 17-year-old wrote this." Sagan grew up in almost identical conditions to Cecile, which is probably the reason why her characters are so believable. She convinces her readers thoroughly in the way she portrays Cecile's thoughts and motives that this is a girl who honestly just doesn't know what she wants. And who can say they've never experienced the same thing? The harsh yet universal truths about mankind and its selfishness are portrayed perfectly in this book and are what has made it into Sagan's most successful novel out of the thirty-plus she wrote.

Marriage Books

 Today is the one month mark until my wedding! It's so crazy! I still can't believe that in four weeks I will be marrying the sweetest guy in the world who is also my best friend.

I've been reading a few books about marriage, but so far have not been very impressed. They all state what seems to me very obvious truths about relationships and men and women in general.

This book Each for the Other was recommended to my fiance and me by the associate pastor of our church. I'm ordering it on Amazon today and am hoping to be impressed!

Sick Day

Yes, I got sick my last few days of Thanksgiving break. Coming back to school has been even harder than usual because of this. I really wish that I could just lie in bed all day reading a good book and/or sleeping. But there is work to be done!

When I was younger, my favorite sick day book was Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. It's a fun, quick read that is still one of my favorites. If you haven't already read it, check it out today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving, the time to spend with family and friends stuffing yourself full of lots of good food!

There are so many things I love about this holiday, but (besides taking time out to be thankful for all I have) my favorite part is eating! My grandma always made some wonderful food when we went to her house for Thanksgiving, but this year, my family is staying at home. That means we have to cook ourselves!

Any favorite Thanksgiving cookbooks? I'd love to hear what your family makes each year for the holiday!

Stumped!

Alright, it's that time of the year where I am completely unmotivated and braindead. This makes it hard to come up with original ideas for my blog. Is there a certain topic you think I should bring up, or a particular book you'd like me to read and review? I'm open to suggestions! Heck, I might even subject myself to reading a Twilight series book if you asked me to.

Anyone out there?? Please help me!

Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?

Today, I want to highlight one of my favorite book bloggers, Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? She always has interesting posts and reviews lots of good books, which, of course, she reads a lot of (64 so far in 2009). I'm waiting for her review of "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro, which she recently tweeted that she loved. It was shortlisted for the 2005 Booker Prize so it must be pretty good!


But one of my favorite of Trish's posts didn't actually have to do with books, but with "bookish" wedding invitations and business cards. They are absolutely adorable! I love my wedding invites, but if I had had tons of cash/time to spend, I would have really enjoyed having invitations like these. Check out the post and let me know what you think!

So Many Books, So Little Time

What title better evokes the feeling of voracious readers everywhere than So Many Books, So Little Time?

Sara Nelson's work is a book about books, one of my favorite genres. This is a wonderful read, not only because she recommends some amazing novels, but also because she relates the books to experiences in her own life.

Nelson's writing is relatable and funny. Reading "So Many Books" is sort of like talking to a friend about favorite books as well as literature in general.

I have it on my shelf and will definitely be reading it again some time. It's that enjoyable.