1. Best book(s) I read in 2013: "Dust and Shadow" by Lyndsay Faye, "August Frost" by Monique Roffey, "Up and Down" by Terry Fallis, and "Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide" by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn.
2. Most disappointing book of 2013: I would say "Vampires in the Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell except that it was so disappointing that I didn't finish it. Of the ones I actually finished, it would be "The Museum's Secret" by Henry Chancellor.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013: "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion...I was surprised at how funny this book was.
4. Books I recommended most to people in 2013: "Up and Down" by Terry Fallis
5. Best series I discovered in 2013: The Coldwater Springs series by Jenn Roseton
6. Favourite new author(s) of 2013: Jenn Roseton
7. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2013: "Dust and Shadow" by Lyndsay Faye
8. Book I most anticipated in 2013: "Tempest Reborn" by Nicole Peeler
9. Favourite cover of a book I read in 2013:
10. Most memorable character in 2013: It's a tie between August Frost ("August Frost") and Don Tillman ("The Rosie Project")
11. Most beautifully written book of 2013: "The Snow Child" by Eowyn Ivey
12. Best book that was out of my comfort zone or was a new genre for me in 2013: "Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide" by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn
13. Book that had the greatest impact on me in 2013: "The Unapologetic Fat Girl's Guide to Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts" by Hanne Blank
14. Book I can't believe I waited until 2013 to FINALLY read: "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
15. Book I read in 2013 that would most likely be reread in 2014: "August Frost" by Monique Roffey
16. Book that had a scene in it that had me reeling and dying to talk to someone about it? (A WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. No spoilers!): "Dust and Shadow" by Lyndsay Faye
Some fun stats:
Books completed: 127
Books by male authors: 34
Books by female authors: 93
Fiction: 95
Non-fiction: 32
Children's books: 11
YA books: 3
E-books: 57
Longest book title:
Longest book: "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Big fat books (more than 500 pages): None, my longest book was 496 pages long.
Shortest book: any one of the BBW romance ebooks I read
Re-reads: 2
Although I didn't fully accomplish my Goodreads Reading Challenge, 127 out of 150 isn't bad (that's 10.5 books a month). Even though I don't like that I couldn't finish it and thought I wouldn't do the challenge again this year, I've decided to put my challenge goal lower than last year. Knowing that I have intentions to do more adventurous stuff outside of reading, I think 100 could legitimately be a challenge. I got an iPhone in September and so I now have the Kindle and iBooks apps to take advantage of any unplanned reading time (like waiting for cabs to arrive) and it also gives me access to more e-books than before. Having whittled down my TBR, I have high hopes for my 2014 reading. I hope 2014 brings you much great reading too!
Read on,
Paula
Synopsis: Part history, part cultural commentary, part memoir, The Roots of Desire is a witty and entertaining investigation into what it means to be a redhead.
A redhead rarely goes unnoticed in a crowded room. From Judas Iscariot to Botticelli's Venus to Julianne Moore, redheads have been worshipped, idealized, fetishized, feared, and condemned, leaving their mark on us and our culture. Such is the power of what is actually a genetic mutation, and in The Roots of Desire, Marion Roach takes a fascinating look at the science behind hair color and the roles redheads have played over time. She discovers that in Greek mythology, redheads become vampires after they die; Hitler banned intermarriage with redheads for fear of producing "deviant offspring"; women with red hair were burned as witches during the Inquisition; in Hollywood, female redheads are considered sexy while male redheads are considered a hard sell; and in the nineteenth century, it was popular belief that redheads were the strongest scented of all women, smelling of amber and violets. Redheads have been stereotyped, marginalized, sought after, and made to function as everything from a political statement to a symbol of human carnality. A redhead herself, Roach brings candor and brilliant insight to the complicated and revealing history of redheads, making this a stand-out narrative and an essential tool in understanding the mechanics and phenomenon of red hair.
My review:
As a natural redhead, I was drawn to a book about this rare trait. Approximately 4% of the world's population are natural redheads. I enjoyed learning about the cultural and historical ways that redhead has been viewed. One of the interesting things I learned from this book is that there are a lot more historically prominent redheads like Cleopatra and Henry VIII. And yet the media do not portray them as such. The iconic image of Cleopatra is Elizabeth Taylor and her long black hair. The modern version of King Henry VIII is Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his brown hair.
I also enjoyed reading the genetics of red hair so that I now understand how my two dark-haired parents had two red-haired children. Growing up, people had a love-hate relationship with the colour of my hair: the adults loved it and the kids hated it. Having been picked on in school because of my red hair (there were three of us out of 300 students), I knew why Anne of Green Gables would try to dye her hair. This being my first encounter with the idea of changing my hair colour, I was just as traumatized when hers turned green. Although I wanted to change my hair colour to fit in, I never tried because I was afraid it would turn green. But now, red hair is so acceptable that it's the top colour of hair dye sold in North America. As an adult, I love my hair colour and no longer want to dye it.
If you are a redhead or know and love a redhead, I would recommend this book.
And I'm adding "attend Redhead Day" to my bucket list.
Read on,
Paula
