Waiting for the Barbarians by James Coetzee

Here is another Coetzee book. I just finished this one last month. It was set in some abstract anywhere colony, could have been anywhere. I like real locations, but that didn't really matter. The book is about colonization. It's about the colonizer and the colonized. It's about politics, ethics, disgrace, violence, and confusion. There is some interesting role reversal. The question this book leaves you with is, "who are the real barbarians?"

Disgrace by James Coetzee

This book won the Booker Prize, and this author has won numerous awards. He's from South Africa where this story takes place. It's a story of disgrace, obviously. It's not a happy story in any way but it sure does make a person think. I read this book two years ago and I still think about it often. I did like it because it is well written. It is about politics, ethics, violence, exile, and disgrace.

Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Poor green little Elphaba. She was an odd child and grew up to become the Wicked Witch of the West. I loved this book! I can't wait to read more Maguire novels. And I would love to see the play too.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Cute farm animals, power and politics, it's all in there. This book is one that nearly all school kids end up reading at some time or another. Good thing it's a good book!

Ophelia Speaks by Sara Shandler

This is a great book! Very eye opening and gives a parent a bit of perspective. This book is a keeper!

1984 by George Orwell

The first time I read this was in 1980. I read it again recently and it didn't have the same effect, but it was still a good book. It's weird how this book was written so long ago and so much of it is true today!

Welcome to my Book Blog!

Here I am creating my second blog! My original blog was created with randomness in mind and it will remain that way. This one is more specific. I intend to use this blog as a book review, reading log, and personal catalog of reading thoughts.

I am a literature major at Cal State University, returning to college mid-life to finally get that BA that I've always dreamed about. Since I am a college student, much of my reading is assigned reading and not fun beach novels. But I've really been enjoying the deeper more meaningful texts. I do squeeze in some fun reading from time to time too.

Thanks to my return to college, I'm being exposed to a lot of different genres of reading. So my book reviews are all over the place including epics, classics, westerns, post-colonial, post-modern, English, American, and much more. Mostly fiction though. I will throw in some parenting books too and some children's literature on the side.

It might take me a while to build my book blog, but I'll get my readings blogged as I go back and record what I've read in addition to what I'm reading. Keep checking for more book reviews!