Picnic at Hanging Rock

 

This was a pretty cool Australian book about a few girls who disappear at a picnic. The novel is more concerned with the aftermath that it has on the other characters and the town. The author leaves it a mystery. Apparently, Joan Lindsay gave away the secret in one of her sequels, but I don't care to read it. Somethings remain best a secret. The movie is an awesome adaptation and is a classic in its own right.  

I used to live here once

 

This was a pretty good biography of the writer's life. It talks about her Caribbean childhood which inspired Wide Sargasso Sea then goes about her relationship with Ford Madox Ford who discovered her and also used Jean. I think it's cool, that Jean wrote her masterpiece in her old age and then her old books were rediscovered. The only problem that I had with the book is that I felt like the writer was making fun of the squabbles Jean had with her neighbors when she was elderly. I felt like it could have been done with more compassion. 

Philosophers

 

This book which has the biographies of several philosophers has mixed opinions on goodreads but I liked it. People wanted more to know more about the philosophers' ideas. I liked just getting the gist and reading about their biographies. There's a lot of people who got exiled here and some eccentrics too. I was also surprised at the number of mathematicians and scientists among the thinkers.  I was pleased with the contribution of female thinkers. I especially found the story of Heloise and Peter Abelard intriguing. There's also plenty of paragraphs written about minor philosophers. I enjoyed reading this.  

The Tempest

 

I tried reading this a few years ago but got confused. Then I tried again this week. It's good but I wouldn't say this was one of Shakespeare's best. This was one of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote himself. I've heard rumors that Francis Bacon wrote his plays. But something tells me the guy was a genius and people are reluctant to give him all the credit. This play concerns a magician who raises a tempest and leaves a group of people shipwrecked on an island. There are many themes within the play like family for example Miranda, Prospero's daughter and Prospero's own family. Another theme is revenge with Prospero wanting to get revenge on his brother Antonio for taking over his position. It's too bad the movie with Helen Mirren is supposed to be bad. 

Mexican History: A Captivating Guide to the history of Mexico

 

I'm trying to broaden what I read. Since I could be more informative about history, I've been adding some nonfiction book. This book on the history of Mexico was enough to capture my interest throughout. I learned some about the Aztecs and the Mexican Revolution. Now I know the roles that Pancho Villa and Zapata played in the Mexican revolution. I would have liked the book to have more pictures but aside from that minor complaint it was all right. 

Anne of Green Gables

 

I just finished watching Anne with an E on Netflix and I decided it was time to return to the original source. I didn't read Anne of Green Gables until I was an adult. As a kid it was always a book I kept putting off. I've read it a few times as an adult and I also read three other books in the series.  But nothing is like the original book. I liked Anne as an adult but there was something about her as a child. I think it was her precociousness that won me over. There is a reason why this is a classic. The orphan wins over your heart. I'm pretty sure in another 100 years there will be many retellings of Anne of Green Gables.  It's the kind of thing that demands to be retold over and over again. 

My Marriage

 

This wasn't fun to read. It's about the downfall of a marriage as it turns into divorce. Neither character is likable. The guy's unfaithful but you start to even get on his side after her misuse of his money. This was semi-autobiographical, and you can tell. It was published after the writer's death. It was done well but it was exhausting. Still, I am curious about Jakob Wassermann's career as a writer.