The Curse of The Slow Reader

I know this blog has been a little barren in regards to how often I put up reviews.  This reflects the amount of reading I have been doing lately.  I can only read so many books in a span of time, and if possible I only read one at a time.  I like the concept of being completely engrossed in a book and I think that reading multiple books at a time takes away from that a little.

All this being said, I am a slow reader.  I like to take in every single detail and dive in as far as possible.  That means I can get through a 300 page book, depending on the pace, usually in a week, but sometimes it takes me longer.  The people that can read multiple books at a time and in a week are incredible.  Lots of times they are just as absorbed as I am.  I am so jealous of that cool ability.  I wish I had it, alas I do not.

I guess all I'm saying is that I am reading as fast as I can.  I will post them as I finish, but I can't promise I will have a review every week. I am going to work to make this blog the best it can be.
I hope that you enjoy it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer TBR

hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.

This list is going to be very similar to the list I did a couple of weeks earlier, because I've decided it's time to catch up with the book blog community in terms of books that I have been putting off for a while.  My list of books to read: here are 10 that I will definitely read this summer.

In no particular order:
1. Divergent by Veronica Roth (also, Insurgent)

2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (I'm reading it with Nerdfighteria! Whoot Join us!)

3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (I'm going to read this as part of a book club.  I'm super excited to read and discuss this one.  I've hear nothing but good things about it!)

4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (as well as the rest of the series.  It's time to start, yeah?)

5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

6. Matched by Ally Condie (I picked up a copy while I was working in New York and now it's begging me to read it.)

7. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (I also found this while working in New York.  I had never heard of it before but the cover intrigued me so now it's on my list.)

8. Legend by Marie Lu

9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

10. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (This has been on my list for over a year now.  I just need to read this series.)

Runners Up:
11. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
12. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (also, Lola and the Boy Next Door)
13. Paper Towns by John Green
14. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Although they didn't make the top ten they will definitely still be read this summer! :D

The Scientists

by John Gribbin
Published: Random House, 2002
Pages: 647

It's an "Eclectic Reader 2012 Challenge" book :D

To be perfectly honest, I had to read this for school otherwise I probably would have never picked it up.  And by probably, I mean definitely.  I have never been a huge fan of science, which is slightly ironic because one of my favorite genres is science-fiction.  I just never found the facts of science all that interesting or understandable.  That being said, I was pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed this book. 

The full title is The Scientists: a history of science told through the lives of its greatest inventors.  Rather than this book being full of facts and information that is hard to understand, John Gribbin took a different approach.  He gave the readers a history lesson.  The readers get a little biography of each scientist that is introduced, making it read more like narrative than a textbook. 

I will be honest, because I had to read it for class I had to read it in two weeks, which is a task giving the obnoxious length.  I read most of it, not all but most.  However, what I did read was very engaging.  There were points when I had to force myself to read, but as soon as I began I was intrigued with the history of the scientists.

The voice of the book was entertaining mostly because at times it seemed rather informal, telling the reader "I'm not going to discuss this because it's not really important but well maybe I'll tell you about it later."  Honestly, these inserts probably are not necessary but they are funny and I got a kick out of reading them. 

The best part of the book was not the discussion of the science that was developed, but the discussion of the life of the scientists.  It is much more interesting to know the life of the scientist because then the reader gets an understanding of who the person was when they discovered their incredible sciences.  The book starts at the very beginning with Ptolemy and his model of the universe and it ends with the future of science as we know it.

There is a section in the book about Marie Curie and her discoveries with radioactivity.  It really is fascinating to reflect on her work as one of the first female scientists to be recognized for her work.  She won two Nobel prizes and paved the way for women scientists after her.  It is weird to think that at one time she was not allowed to work in the labs with men because she might cause too much sexual arousal.  Little things like that just make the history of science better.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Essential reading...tells the story of science as a sequence of witty, information-packed tales...complete with humanizing asides, glimpses of the scientist's personal life and amusing anecdotes."
         - London Sunday Times

"A magnificent history...enormously entertaining."
         - The Daily Telegraph

Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks topic is Books that I would recommended as beach reads.  Well, I think most books are good beach reads, that is I would read any genre book at the beach.  I just love the sun and the beach with a good book.  I even read 1984 at the beach last year so my books might be a little weird but stick with me. :D

1.  First off, The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling are great beach reads.  I read parts of the last three books on a beach.  BUT remember to wear sunscreen, you might regret reading them when you are really burnt because you got sucked into the book.

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is always on my beach read list.  I LOVE this book almost more than I love Harry Potter.  (Did I just say that?)  I never get tired of feeling the wind when I read about it in this book.

3. Nicholas Sparks tends to be a nice quick read for the beach occasion.  Something like The Last Song, The Notebook or A Walk To Remember are always good.

4. The Princess Bride by William Goldman is a really good book to take to the beach.  It's fun, it's romance, it's adventure.  This book is full of wonderful humor and great characters!

5. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt.  As with Gatsby, reading this book at the beach enhances the story.  The wind in the story is a character in and of itself, so reading it where you can feel one of its characters is just unbelievable.

6. Janet Evanovich, her Stephanie Plum books are just ridiculously hilarious and a perfect light read for a sunshiny beach day. One for the Money

7. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg is so great.  There is nothing like a good tall tale to make a good day great!

8. Sarah Dessen books are always good light and fluffy reads for the beach.  Some of the really good ones have been Keeping the Moon, Dreamland, Lock and Key.

9. I have a feeling that a good mystery novel would be the perfect companion to a beach day.  In that case, how can I not recommend Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.  Mystery and clever explanations, it's a great way to spend a day.

10. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.  It's the story of how Peter Pan became Peter Pan.  Need I say anymore?

Top Ten Tuesday: Book That Everyone Except Me Has Read

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Rewind!  I didn't get to do this topic but it feel so relevant right now.  I feel like there are so many books/series that I need to read to catch up with everyone.  (That's what I get for becoming stuck in a book list that over 500 books long.)  So here are my top ten Book that everyone else has read.

1. The Stephanie Perkins books Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door.  I have seen so many reviews recently that I just need to find the time to read these two books.  Luckly, I've just bought Lola, so that will be read soon.

2. The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.  The covers alone make me want to read these books!  Also, you everyone has said I need to read these books.  I feel like a fool.

3. Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.  I'm not sure I want to read this series, mostly because it's so long, but it looks really good.  Also, his name makes me feel as though it should be placed next to other highly respect authors with initials in their names: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling.

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth.  This also has been on my list for ages.  Well, not ages exactly.  I just found out about it in January, so six months.  But that's a long time.  Now its sequel has come out and now I feel incredibly behind.
 
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  The internet tells me to read this book.  My aunt tells me to read this book.  Someone compares it to J.K. Rowling, which means I have to read this book (although I am skeptical.  The last book that someone compared to Rowling in order to get me to read was the Twilight series.  And well, we all know how accurate that comparison is.)  However, everyone seems to really enjoy it, so it goes on my list!

6. Paper Town by John Green.  I have read everything else John Green has written because I LOVE him and his writing.  I have no idea why I haven't read this one yet.  I own it for Pete's sake!  Really, Alex?  So this is probably going to be nextish on my list.  Oh John Green, please continue to write wonderful books for the next rest of my life.  Thank you.

7. Delirium and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver.  This one has been on my radar for only a short time, but again everyone has read this!  Why am I so completely oblivious to potentially really good books?

8. Maggie Stiefvater.  All her books, but in particular The Scorpio Races.  Her name has been floating around my universe for a while now.  I think it's time to just pick up this book and figure out if I'm going to like this author.  (If I've heard correctly, it will be a yes.)

9. Anything by Neil Gaiman.  I've only read one of his books, Stardust.  And after watching the episode of Doctor Who that he wrote, I just really should most definitely continue to devour his writing.  Oh man, is everything he touches amazing? 

10. There are a lot of classics that I should have read by now.  I'm going to name a few of them.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  There are so many more on this particular list.  I will get to them eventually. right?