*In order of what was read first

2. Don’t Die, My love (256 pgs.)

By: Lurlene McDaniel

3. I’ll Be Seeing You (208 pgs.)

By: Lurlene McDaniel

4. The Picture of Dorian Gray (22 of 367 pgs.)

By: Oscar Wilde

 

5. The Red Tent ( 198 of 321 pgs.)

By: Anita Diamant 

Total Pages Read: 917 pages (33 pages/per day)

Before I begin, I just wanted to apologize for not posting the books I read for the past five months. I know it’s a lame excuse, but my semester was extremely packed and I didn’t have the time to update. Although the blog was neglected, I did try to read as much as I could.  Some of the books, plays, and short stories I completed are: Memoirs of a Geisha, I Am the Messenger, The Book of Negros, A Midsummer Nights Dream, A Streetcar Named Desire, Me Before You, Jane Eyre, The Painted Door, Horses of the Night, and The Guest. 

As for this month, I am slightly unsatisfied with my reading progression. The plan was to finish The Picture of Dorian Gray; however, I could not complete it. My reading schedule was also pretty scattered and inconsistent; nonetheless, I did manage to complete a few books.

The Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of Tracey Chevalier iconic pieces written on the bases of Johannes Vermeer’s famous painting of the girl in the pearl earring. When young Griet was hired as a servant into Vermeer’s household, it seemed that there was nothing but trouble that followed from there on. The increasing attraction between the Master and the servant created tension in the household, especially with the Lady of the house. I really enjoyed reading this eventful story which demonstrated themes of innocence, the loss of innocence, dependency, love, passion, and unconstrained desires. Despite the context and historical background, the read was fairly simple and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good short read.       

The next two books, Don’t Die My Love and I will be Seeing You, are written by the same author: Lurlene McDaniel. I have read many of her other books and her stories were very teary and emotional painful to endure. Most of her stories are based on sick patients – particularly those with cancer or strokes. She paints a raw picture of the pain and difficulty that individuals suffer from their sickness and the paths they take after become victimized with such pain and loss. The first novel is about two high school sweet hearts, Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower, that were quite content and exciting about their future together. But when Luke’s ‘harmless’ fever worsen and a lump formed near his neck, their future plans and happiness begins to slip away. Luke’s battle against cancer becomes a life threatening situation and Julie can only hope that life wins over. Although the content of the novel was powerful, I did not quite enjoy it for the reason that it had an expected ending.      

I haven’t read much of Dorian Gray; therefore, I am going to save the review for next month. The Red Tent  is not yet completed either; however, I have read enough to testify that it will most certainly receive a five out of five! Having attended Sunday School and growing up in a Christian family has made me very familiar with the biblical story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the decedents of Israel. Often times the Bible is written in the perspective of the males; thus, we don’t see much of the women in society. However, Anita Daimanti did an excellent job in crafting a story from an otherwise minor character. 

As for next month, my goal is to finish The Picture of Dorian Gray and continue with more AP literature to prepare for the final exam in May. I also hope to follow a very strict and consistent reading pattern (mandatorily reading at least 20 mins a day)