The Gilmore Girls Challenge

 So, I recently found this on Buzzfeed:

How Many Books From Gilmore Girls Have You Read?

My Result?

A measly 36.

There's a total of 334 books! Plus 5 more that I found out were missing from this list. 

A little back story: Gilmore Girls is one of my all time favorite shows. As a reader and a self-diagnosed bookworm, I've always identified with Rory. Plus, my mom is young and cool and we've always had that kind of mother-daughter relationship. 

So when I saw this list and my horrible, disappointing result, I just needed make this one of my life reading goals. 

Anyway, I've compiled the entire list in my Gilmore Girls Challenge page. 

I'll be updating that page with links to thoughts on those books. I've already read 36, but some were so long ago (when I was in high school) that they warrant a re-read. 

You can see the first post for this challenge, my review of Daisy Miller by Henry James.

How many have you read?

WWW Wednesdays: No. 1

Hello! 

I'm excited to get involved with all the fun challenges and memes across the book blogging community. 

The first one up is WWW Wednesdays hosted by Should be Reading.

How to Play: Just answer the following three questions on your blog and leave a link in the comments!

1. What are you currently reading?

The Help by Kathryn Stockett {Goodreads Summary} 

Just started this last night and I'm a couple chapters in. So far, so good. 

2. What did you recently finish reading? 



Yesterday, I finished reading Daisy Miller by Henry James.

I rated it ★★★. You can find my review here .








3.  What do you think you'll read next?

I finally got my hands on Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former Secretary of State and former First Lady.  {Goodreads Summary}

I'm looking forward to tackling the massive hardcover edition.

I'd love to hear what you're reading!

GG Challenge: Daisy Miller by Henry James (#53)

Title: Daisy Miller
Author: Henry James
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Released: December 18, 2007
Originally published in 1878

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Summary: {Goodreads}

Henry James' 1878 publication that brought him international fame. "Daisy Miller" is subtitled "A Study in Two Parts." The plot centers around a Europeanized American man named Winterbourne, who meets a nouveau riche American woman going by the name Daisy Miller. A short novel, James wields the sword of fiction to craft a "study" of the roles of men and women, social relationships, cultural intersection, the allure of money, foolishness and wisdom, the responsibilities of parents, and the impact of one's life upon others. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I read this as part of my Gilmore Girls Challenge. You can find my progress here.

Frederick Winterbourne is an American who has settled down in Geneva. While visiting his aunt in Vevey, he meets Daisy Miller, a pretty, young American girl travelling through Europe. Winterbourne is immediately smitten, but he quickly finds that there is much more to Ms. Daisy Miller. 

Henry James first published this little novella in 1878. An American in Europe himself, in Daisy Miller, he tackles the difference in social norms and customs between the two regions through the characters of Mrs. Costello and Daisy Miller. Winterbourne, like James, is stuck between these two worlds. 

Mrs. Costello, Winterbourne's aunt, is very traditionally "European". She follows traditional European customs to a "t". 

Daisy Miller, on the other hand, represents everything that Europeans believed about Americans. She is naive, outspoken, and a little too forward. 

Winterbourne believed Daisy Miller to be, "completely uncultivated... But she is wonderfully pretty, and, in short, she is very nice."

Mrs. Costello, however, said things like:

"They are very common," Mrs. Costello declared. "They are the sort of Americans that one does one's duty by not-not accepting."

"They are hopelessly vulgar," said Mrs. Costello. "Whether or not being hopelessly vulgar is being 'bad' is a question for the metaphysicians. They are bad enough to dislike, at any rate, and for this short life that is quite enough."

The Good: 

Henry James is a wonderful writer. Like many of his 19th century peers, he has a certain style to his writing, his descriptive language, that makes it easy to really imagine the 19th century environment. It's beautifully descriptive and that alone made me enjoy reading it. 

The Bad: 

I did have some issues with the characters. 

1. Frederick Winterbourne - I felt like his character lacked depth. I didn't know enough about him to really care about his comings and goings or his relationship with Daisy. 

2. Daisy Miller - For a title character, I really, really did not like her. In fact, she annoyed me the entire time, which makes it hard to care about what happens to her. Winterbourne describes as "innocent" many times, but I thought that it was simply immaturity. Innocence is one thing, but immaturity is annoying. Here are some examples of what I mean:

"That's all I want - a little fuss!" And the young girl began to laugh again.

"I don't want you to come for your aunt," said Daisy. "I want you to come for me."

"I've been telling Mrs. Walker how mean you were," the young girl announced.

Overall, it's still considered a classic, and since it is so short, it doesn't hurt to take an hour or two to read it. Personally, it was just OK.

** Review also found on Goodreads here.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Title: Persuasion

Author: Jane Austen

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Date Released: March 27, 2003  

Originially published in 1817

Rating:  ★★★★★

Summary: {Goodreads}

At twenty-seven, Anne Elliot is no longer young and has a few romantic prospects. Eight years earlier, she had been persuaded by her friend Lady Russell to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a handsome naval captain with neither fortune nor rank. What happens when they encounter each other again is movingly told in Jane Austen's last completed novel. Set in fashionable societies of Lume Regis and Bath, Persuasion is a brilliant satire of vanity and pretension, but, above all, it is a love story tinged with the heartache of missed opportunities.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Urban Dictionary defines book hangover as ”when you've finished a book and you suddenly return to the real world, but the real world feels incomplete or surreal because you're still living in the world of the book.”

Seldom does a book affect me so much, make me feel so deeply, whether it be rage or sadness or adoration, even confusion, that for a few hours I’m no longer just me. Instead, I’m a character. I live in this world; I know their stories, feel their pain, witness their love. It happens, but not often.

It’s a lot like falling in love. It wasn’t sudden. In fact, it began a bit slowly. You get to know each other, you wine and you dine, and at some point… You just know. You know that it’s love.

Persuasion did this for me. Jane Austen did this.

Now, I’m no stranger to Ms. Austen. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice. I’ve read Sense and Sensibility and I’m slowly working my way across the rest of her works (in no particular order). They’re both great pieces of literature, but neither had a great effect on me. Somehow, I just figured I would pick up Persuasion next and I’m so glad I did.

Here, we meet Anne Elliot - an exquisite heroine. She is one the most mature, self-aware female characters that I’ve ever encountered. One of my greatest attractions to her is my own reflection in her character. She is a reader, very intelligent, and, as an introvert, quite socially outcasted from her family. She is surrounded by people who value wealth and rank over pureness of character, yet she has managed to learn to love one man (our dear Captain Wentworth) with so much emotion, over many years, despite the opinions of others. That is the great testament of this novel. Love conquers all.

I could go on and on about the plot, the characters, or Austen's criticisms of social norms, but for once, I’ll leave it at that. There are plenty of reviews that can critique and expand on all that. Here, I just want to express my own thoughts upon finishing this novel. If you’re looking to get your spirits lifted, to witness the strength of deep, true love across many years, the beauty of forgiveness, and a happy ending… just read.

** This review is also found on Goodreads here.

The GQ Candidate by Keli Goff

Title: The GQ Candidate

Author: Keli Goff

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: July 5, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out 5

Summary: {Goodreads}

After a sex scandal brings down a local politician, Luke Cooper finds himself catapulted into the Michigan Governor’s mansion, making him one of the few black and—by virtue of adoption—Jewish elected officials to hold such an office. His national celebrity is increased when he heroically saves the life of an avowed racist, and his good looks and charm earn him the nickname “The GQ Candidate.”

One day Luke stuns his inner circle by informing them that he has decided to run for president. His friends offer to help but a fundraiser, hosted by one, and a major scandal involving another, become the subject of negative gossip that threatens the campaign. Meanwhile, Luke’s wife is ambivalent about her husband’s political aspirations, and grows wary of life in the spotlight especially after a surprise from their past inconveniently reappears during his historic run.

The GQ Candidate gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at what happens in the lives of candidates, and the people closest to them, when the cameras aren’t rolling. In addition to the story of the campaign, the novel also follows the lives of Luke’s tight knit circle of friends and reveals how his amazing race changes their lives forever.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I'm giving this 3.5 stars, but I'm hesitant to round up for a couple of reasons.

"GQ magazine named him to its list of "Political Power Players," noting that 'the handsome governor is known so much for his debonair suits that some in the Michigan statehouse have been known to refer to him as Mr. GQ.'"

The Good:

As someone who studied politics in college and even worked on a couple local campaigns, I was excited with the premise of following Luke's presidential campaign behind-the-scenes. And on that front, it did not disappoint. Goff made it a point to show us a lot of what goes on. Fundraisers, stump speeches, media, scandals. All of it. I even appreciated several of the "media clippings" she inserted throughout the book.

Also, let's give it up for some strong female characters! I was a little worried that with Luke as a candidate, we'd be stuck with a bland carbon-copy Stepford wife. Instead, we got Laura! I loved Laura's character as Luke's wife. I think out of all of them, she was the most interesting as an educated, ambitious, and supportive wife and mother. Then we also had Brooke - Laura's best friend, who as a successful publicist, is great in her own right, but she's also a very supportive friend to Laura through the whole process. Finally, there's Esther, Luke's adoptive mother. She was a civil rights activist in her youth and still has a feisty, protective attitude towards Luke and her other sons. These three ladies on their own are interesting and strong characters, but their relationships with their husbands make them even better because they have positive relationships built on equality, mutual respect and support, and unconditional love.

The Bad:

Too many characters. Seriously, the first 100 pages or so are spent introducing characters in depth and, frankly, only about half of them are very important. I think at my last count I was at 11 - and it certainly didn't stop there. I thought that spending so much time on the back stories of the minor characters took away from proper development of the plot.

Which bring me to...the ending. I was a little disappointed at the end. It felt rushed and a little incomplete. Just when it had started to get exciting and the story was moving forward, it was all rushed to the end. It felt like some of the characters and some aspects of the story needed closure.

Finally, a special mention to Brock, one of Luke's best friends from college. Brock, you're an asshole. I'm sorry you had a tough life; I'm sorry you were poor and unpopular. However, that is no excuse to be a misogynistic pig! You made it in life. You're a big-shot attorney, you have a gorgeous ex-model wife, and two twin boys. What's wrong with you? There's no need to be so condescending and insulting to your wife. Talk about abusive relationship... I hated his character.

Overall, it was a good read. I enjoyed all of the campaign staff and I was surprisingly happy that it dealt more with the personal effects of a presidential rather than the issues. If I wanted tor read about the issues, I'd stick with non-fiction. It definitely took me a while to get through the first third of the novel (all those characters!), but once the campaign got underway, the story sucked me in.

** This review also found on Goodreads here.