Introducing Project Mount TBR

Hi All,

I am doing much better mentally and am reading to announce Project Mount TBR. Over the last week I have been busy cataloging all the unread books I have and am in process of making a database which I will share soon. I think that I've misplaced a list because I know the total is 107 and so far the database is stuck at 80...

I'm going to focus less on reviews and more on how I read and this personal project of mine. Eventually I plan on setting up a poll system where those of you that read this blog can pick a book from the pile for me to read in the next batch of books. I'm really excited about this new way of doing things!!

This is the first batch of books that I am going to read. (Note how most of them are library books). I've been slowly reading Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. (It's a great read, but the author doesn't use quotation marks when characters speak.) The other reads from top to bottom are:

It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn
On The Way To The Wedding by Julia Quinn (Sarah been patiently waiting for these)
The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose
Need by Carrie Jones
If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
Gone by Michael Grant

Once I'm nearly done with this stack I will put up a poll for a book to be included in the next batch. My friend Dan has suggested that I just "start from the top" and work my way down. I'm convinced that I have book ADD and have to be reading more than one book at a time.

Speaking of my friend Dan, he suggested a challenge between the two of us. We are racing to see who can read 1,000 pages first between the two of us. We decided that I have an advantage as I am allowed to read at work. So we decided to go with Dan's usual reading habit of two hours a day.

I've discovered that this may give Dan the slight advantage as I have been falling asleep on the couch after work lately. Though I do read faster than Dan does. This is going to be an interesting race. The winner gets a book of their choice from the other.

It's very exciting. Have anyone of you done a reading race with a friend?

Will keep working on the changes to the blog over the next couple weeks. Also expect to find a few posts on the summer reading programs we are doing at the library starting next week. I get to turn a table into a pirate ship for one of the upcoming events. (I love my job!)

Thanks for sticking by me, my wonderful readers!

Love, Jenn

Changes They Are A'Comin'

Hey all,
Those of you who read this blog regularly will notice that I have been rather silent as of late.

Part of this is due to my on-going battle with depression and anxiety. I am fine and perfectly safe. So no worries there. While I have wonderful and supportive family and friends around me and medications that help immensely, I realize that they are not miracle drugs. Sometimes I still have to struggle to find motivation to do basic things let alone blog. It will pass eventually. I just need to struggle through.

On the blogging front, I feel bored. I think that a revamp of the way I blog is in order. I'm not sure exactly how I want things to change, but I am excited about figuring out the new direction.

Thank you all for being patient and wonderful through all my struggling and indecision. I am so grateful that book blogging is more than a hobby, it's a community of wonderful people that support each other.

A new version of Booksessed coming soon....

Jenn

Review and Author Interview: Harem by Safia Fazlul

Book: Harem by Safia Fazlul
Published by TSAR Publications; October 2012
168 pages
Format: Ebook
Genres: Contemporary/Women's Rights
I received this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: How far would you go to be free?Humorous, though tinged with a sense of the tragic, at times risque, and utterly contemporary, THE HAREM, is a fast-paced novel about young Asian women and their quest for freedom.Farina has only one dream: to be free and move away from Peckville, a Muslim ghetto in a large city. She is eager to escape the clutches of her strict parents who will not let her drink, party or have any kind of contact with males. As soon as she turns eighteen, she sets her dream in motion and gets her own apartment. The only problem is that her minimum-wage job leaves her feeling anything but liberated. How can she resist when her ambitious best friend Sabrina proposes an infallible business idea? How harmful can running as escort agency really be? Will she finally be freed by her increasing wealth and independence, or will she remain enslaved by her increasing guilt?

My Review 

Harem wasn’t exactly what I was expecting based on the synopsis. I was expecting a storyline more based around girls forced into and trapped in a lifestyle of prostitution. I definitely wasn’t expecting to read a story about a group of women who willingly run a prostitution ring. Harem was also much more sexually graphic than I had anticipated. 

I really liked that most of the female main characters were very progressive in asserting their independence and started a business. While I may not agree with the how or what, I liked that they were taking control of their own lives and making their own choices rather than relying on others to make decisions for them. 

The cultural and religious differences between Muslims and their non-Muslim counterparts was pretty amazing and I think that it is safe to say that in that regard, Harem will definitely start a dialogue. 

 

 I think that Ali was the character that I rooted for the most and could really identify with, and ultimately was the most disappointed by. I was a little surprised that he was my favorite characters as he was one of the few men that had a significant part in the novel. I also really appreciated that despite all the defiance and struggles, things come full circle. I wasn’t left feeling like the story was lacking. 

Harem was a thought provoking and quick read and I would be open to reading more from this author. 

                                                                       
                                                                         Interview

How did you come up with the idea for The Harem?

I’ve always spent my free time writing and I was working on a story when I took a job as a receptionist for one of Toronto’s most popular high-end escort agencies during my first year of university. What I thought would be an innocent part-time job turned out to be something much more different and interesting. So I threw out my other story and begin to write The Harem!

Is there a deliberate connection between the religious and sexual oppression of women?

Yes, I wanted to show how religion and secular ideology can both be used to exploit women and thus it’s not fair to judge religious cultures exclusively as inferior with respect to gender equality. The example in The Harem is clearly Islam and the exaggerated false ideas about it that Farina, the main character, has internalized. She blames her unhappiness, low position in society, and basically everything else that’s wrong in her life solely on her Islamic upbringing – and yet she can’t find the freedom she seeks when she enters “the other side”.

Does it make a difference if the oppressors are women rather than men?

No, because the gender of the oppressor does not ultimately affect the damage done to the exploited (and it’d be a blatant lie and wishful thinking to say that women have never oppressed women). So what I find interesting about today’s sex industry, and try to demonstrate in my book, is how feminist views are often twisted to lure women into the field. Many agencies are owned by men but advertised as being “female-owned”. Wives or girlfriends do the interviewing and assure potential employees that they know how they feel because they’re women too and that it’s a truly “empowering career”. In the book, Farina’s friend Sabrina does exactly this; she justifies her actions by cramming feminist ideals down Farina’s throat when in reality it’s all completely irrelevant.

Did you do any research for The Harem? If so, how?

Fortunately, I was still completing my major in sociology while writing the book so there was a good amount of reading material readily available to me. However, empirical data just doesn’t reflect the complicated lives and emotions of sex workers so I based my story and characters on people I had met during my time at the agency – I guess you could call it “field work”. I also interviewed friends I had and still have in the industry.

Was there ever a different ending to The Harem?

No, I knew from the very first chapter what I wanted and needed the ending to be.

Was The Harem intended to be an "issue" book or to start a dialogue?

I think all books have the ability to start a dialogue, whether it’s intended or not. Knowing this, my intention with The Harem was just as much to bring real-life issues to light as it was to pose a deep-thinking question. Ignoring the sex industry part of the book, there are several problems pertaining to the South Asian immigrant experience (or any immigrant experience for that matter) that I felt were important to write about: alienation, culture clash, tensions in the family due to external stress, discrimination in the workplace, and so on.

What is your next project?

I’m working on a story about a seemingly successful Canadian woman who returns to her humble Bangladeshi village to deal with an old trauma. I don’t want to give away too much, but I will say it has nothing to do with disobedient teenage girls!

Mini Review: Mozart's Letters, Mozarts Life complied and edited by Robert Spaethling

Book: Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life compiled and edited by Robert Spaethling.
Published by W.W. Norton & Company; 2005
496 pages
Format: Paperback
Genres: Letters/memoirs/autobiograhy
I bought this book
This book counts towards my Classics Club List.
Synopsis via Goodreads: "Mozart's honesty, his awareness of his own genius and his contempt for authority all shine out from these letters."—Sunday Times  (London). " In Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life, Robert Spaethling presents "Mozart in all the rawness of his driving energies" (Spectator), preserved in the "zany, often angry effervescence" of his writing (Observer). Where other translators have ignored Mozart's atrocious spelling and tempered his foul language, "Robert Spaethling's new translations are lively and racy, and do justice to Mozart's restlessly inventive mind" (Daily Mail). Carefully selected and meticulously annotated, this collection of letters "should be on the shelves of every music lover" (BBC Music Magazine).

I love biographies and classical composers, Mozart being one of my favorites so I couldn’t wait to read this.

I would definitely say that this autobiographical collection of letters is more suited for die-hard Mozart fans especially, but that even the die-hard fans will be a little surprised. For example, had I not read it myself, I would never have believed that Mozart included fart jokes in letters to his sister! 

It is clear from the letters that he was especially close to his mother and sister despite the many months he spent away from them trying to establish himself as a composer throughout Europe.

I was surprised that it was his father that seemed more driven and ambitious than Mozart himself. I really liked that as the letter’s continued throughout his life, you could tell that though he matured, and that he truly had a gift for music, he didn’t take himself too seriously and remained a bit cheeky in his correspondence.

After finishing this collection of letters I love Mozart a little bit more if that is possible. Though he was impulsive and a bit flighty, and died far too young, his charm may actually outweigh his vast talent in my opinion.

Incoming/Outgoing #1

Let's start with incoming books. I definitely raided the YA room at work. The only title I got that was not YA is the top book.

I hope to get through some of these for #boutofbooks which starts soon! Woohoo!
Titles bottom to top are:

• This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
• A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
• Shift by Charlotte Agell
• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle
• Need by Carrie Jones
• Bewitching by Alex Flinn
• Everyday by David Levithan
• Gone by Michael Grant
• If He Had Been With Me by Lauren Nowlan
• The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose
  
  
  Incoming Mail! (Though I do prefer the term "Post". Why don't we say that in the States?)
  One of my lovely penpals Reannon sent me the cutest Hello Kitty themed letter.
  
  
  
  
  Outgoing Post:
  
  
  Left to right, top to bottom:
  Letters sent to my friends Jatta in Finland, Jessica in France, Tessa in the Netherlands and Irina from Russia.
  The back of the letters look like this:
  

Today I sent out two more letters to penpals after stocking up on crafting supplies. First I sent a reply letter to Reannon:

Lastly I sent a letter to Verena in Germany.




As you can see I love getting and sending letters. I especially love pretty stationery and decorating the envelopes. I do get some funny looks from the post office staff sometimes but that's okay. I love wandering through craft stores and feeling inspired. I may continue with this theme for awhile as I went a bit overboard at the store. Oops.

#BoutofBooks Master Post

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

All my updates will be posted on this page and I will also be updating my twitter feed as well. Hope you all participate! BoutofBooks is one of my favorite events of the year!!

Also, I am officially an expert when it comes to #boutofbooks (thanks, ladies!) So if you have any questions about #boutofbooks please let me know!

Time Devoted to Reading

I will try to read each day for a minimum of an hour. The only day that could be problematic would be Saturday. I have to work that day followed by a visit to Gram's.

My Goals

• Read 4 books minimum
• Participate in at least 2 tweet chats
• Comment on 5 new to me blogs each day.
• Handwrite reviews as I go along.
• Read outside at least once.
• Finish up one box or sample of the many teas I have around the house.
  

Books to Read

 

• This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
• A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
• Shift by Charlotte Agell (DNF, wasn't really digging it).
• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle
• Need by Carrie Jones
• Bewitching by Alex Flinn
• Everyday by David Levithan
• Gone by Michael Grant
• If He Had Been With Me by Lauren Nowlan
• The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose

Updates

Monday
Number of books I've read today: 1/3 + 20 pages.
Total number of books I've read: 0
Books: Shift. Wasn't feeling it so gave up on it and read the first 20 pages of A Wrinkle In Time.

Tuesday
Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 0
Books: Still working on A Wrinkle In Time.

Wednesday
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Finished A Wrinkle In Time, started Bewitching.

Thursday
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 2
Books: Read Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn. So Good!
*I also switched to reading review books so I'd feel less guilt and seem to be having more success. This was a good call on my part*

Friday
Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 2
Books: I started reading Born of Illusion. Very good so far.

Saturday 
Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 2
Books: Still reading Born of Illusion. Snuck in some reading at work but was too tired by the time I got home to finish.

Sunday
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Monthly TBR #8 May 2013

Recap:
Books read during the month of April

Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Macbeth by Shakespeare
Hamlet by Shakespeare
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Haerm by Safia Fazlul
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Die For Her by Amy Plum
Call the Midwife: Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth
The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony
Love and Other Perishible Items by Laura Buzo
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Night School by CJ Daughtery

Total books read: 13. I'm really proud of this number. That's pretty much a book every other day. Not too shabby at all.

Bottom to top:
Two Rings by Millie Werber and Eve Keller
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (Thanks, Sarah)
Every Day by David Levithan (library book)
Gone by Michael Grant (library book)
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (book club pick)
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn
On The Way To The Wedding by Julia Quinn

Ebooks not pictured:
Reboot by Amy Tintera
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
Double Click by Lisa Becker
The Lady In The Tower by Alison Weir (library book)

I also have 3 or 4 library holds that could come in this month as well. I will be busy this month.

What are you planning to read this month?