Readalong | Ardent Reader

Drood by Dan Simmons

October 22, 2014 by Christina

Fiction — audiobook. Read by John Lee. Books on Tape, 2009. 29 hours, 49 minutes. Library copy. The British author Wilkie Collins serves as the narrator to Simmons’ novel, and he begins the tale by wagering that the reader has never heard of him let alone read one of his books or seen one of his plays performed. Thanks to the book blogging community, I can assure poor, forgotten Wilkie Collins that is not the case and, thanks again to […]

Categories: 2014 Reads, Audiobook, Chunkster, Europe, Fiction, Readalong, United Kingdom • Tags: Dan Simmons, John Lee

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (Part Two)

September 30, 2014 by Christina

Fiction — print. Villard, 1996. 408 pgs. Library copy. Within the final two pages of the novel, Russell finally informs the reader as to the source of the title for her novel (quoted below) offering up the closing thought on religion in this science fiction novel. I stated in my thoughts on the first half of the novel that Russell is “in no way is Russell preachy or suggestive about how religion should play a role in the life of […]

Categories: 2014 Reads, Fiction, Readalong, Religion • Tags: Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (Part One)

September 15, 2014 by Christina

Fiction — print. Villard, 1996. 408 pgs. Library copy. I read twenty-five pages of The Sparrow and then nominated the book as a possible selection for my book club’s October meeting. Yes, it really is that good and if I had not been fighting a cold this past week, I probably would have stayed up all night to read the whole thing in one sitting. I went into reading this book knowing nothing about the topic or the content, and […]

Categories: 2014 Reads, Fiction, Readalong, Religion • Tags: Mary Doria Russell

The Stand by Stephen King (Part Three)

June 22, 2012 by Christina

Fiction — print. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006. 532 pgs. Library copy. Note: Spoilers are fair game in this post. I have so many conflicting thoughts about this book that I am unable to discuss it without spoiling. The final section of King’s gargantuan novel, “The Circle Closes”, is apparently included only in the uncut/expanded edition. I tried discussing my feelings about this section with my parents — no dice. The novel for them ends with the nuclear explosion whereas […]

Categories: 2012 Reads, Chunkster, Fiction, Mountain West, North America, Readalong, United States • Tags: Stephen King

The Stand by Stephen King (Part Two)

June 15, 2012 by Christina

Fiction — print. Signet Books, 1991. Originally published 1978. 1,141 pgs. Received from PaperBackSwap. Note: Spoilers are fair game in this post. I have so many conflicting thoughts about this book that I am unable to discuss it without spoiling. Reading this book with a cold adds a whole new dimension to the reading experience. I would look around with a kind of suspicious or worried look on my fave every time I coughed and sniffled or one of my […]

Categories: 2012 Reads, Chunkster, Dystopia, Fiction, Mountain West, North America, Readalong, United States • Tags: Stephen King

The Stand by Stephen King (Part One)

June 8, 2012 by Christina

Fiction — print. Signet Books, 1991. Originally published 1978. 1,141 pgs. Received from PaperBackSwap. The problem with this book being my bus buddy is that I’ve now forgotten to get off the bus twice because I was so engrossed with King’s apocalyptic tale. It’s a good thing the bus terminates at my place of employment in the mornings ergo I would be late for work almost every morning. This massive chunkster begins with a military man gathering up his wife […]

Categories: 2012 Reads, Chunkster, Fiction, Mountain West, North America, Readalong, United States • Tags: Stephen King

The Stand…Along

May 30, 2012 by Christina

Over the next two months I will attempt to read Stephen King’s brick of a novel, The Stand. The book has been repeatedly recommended to me by both of my parents so I’m looking forward to reading the novel for myself. In order to encourage said reading, I will be joining in Trish of Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity‘s read-a-long of the novel, cleverly titled “The Stand…Along”. I’m so glad I won’t be suffering alone! I have the […]

Categories: Bookish Notes, Readalong

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part Four)

December 30, 2011 by Christina

Fiction — eBook. Translated from the Russian by Constance Garnett. Project Gutenberg, 2010. Originally published 1877. 1,441 pgs. Free download. I finished Anna Karenina! I am both elated and relived as I managed to tackle a fear of Russian literature and finish a classic piece of (translated) literature spanning 1,441 pages. What a way to end 2011! This post covers Part Six to the end of the final section, Part Eight, and will include spoilers because I cannot resist discussing the […]

Categories: 2011 Reads, AP Literature, Audiobook, Chunkster, Classics, Europe, Fiction, Readalong, Russia, Russian, Translated • Tags: Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part Three)

December 17, 2011 by Christina

Fiction — eBook. Translated from the Russian by Constance Garnett. Project Gutenberg, 2010. Originally published 1877. 1,441 pgs. Free download. Trying to read Tolstoy’s tome on a bus at 1 a.m. was not my brightest idea and thus I fell off the read-a-long bandwagon back in November at Week Five. When I fall behind, I fall behind. I spent this past weekend catching up and I am now at the start of Part Six, which was supposed to be the check-in […]

Categories: 2011 Reads, AP Literature, Audiobook, Chunkster, Classics, Europe, Fiction, Readalong, Russia, Russian, Translated • Tags: Leo Tolstoy

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

December 16, 2011 by Christina

Fiction — print. Borders Classics, 2004. Originally published 1850. 203 pgs. Purchased. The first time I read Hawthorne’s novel was in ninth grade. It wasn’t assigned reading for my class but rather I was intrigued by another student’s project on the book hanging in my English teacher’s classroom. Hawthorne’s novel was never assigned as required reading and I doubt it will be assigned in any of my classes this or subsequent semesters. The language of this novel makes it difficult […]

Categories: 101 Great Books, 2011 Reads, AP Literature, Audiobook, Classics, Fiction, New England, North America, Readalong, United States • Tags: Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Part Two)

December 7, 2011 by Christina

Fiction — audiobook. Read by Roger Rees and Rosalyn Landor with John Lee and Judy Gleeson. Blackstone Audio, 2009. Originally published 1859. 25 hours, 26 minutes. Library copy. Please don’t take my delay in finishing and posting about Collins’ novel as a lack of interest. It’s entirely due to a lack of time. It was the perfect audiobook for the gym but, alas, school work took over my life and prevented me from going to the gym. I had to […]

Categories: 2011 Reads, Audiobook, Chunkster, Classics, Europe, Fiction, Readalong, United Kingdom • Tags: John Lee, Judy Geeson, Roger Rees, Rosalyn Landor, Wilkie Collins

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Part One)

November 18, 2011 by Christina

Fiction — audiobook. Read by Roger Rees and Rosalyn Landor with John Lee and Judy Gleeson. Blackstone Audio, 2009. Originally published 1859. 25 hours, 26 minutes. Library copy. Collins’ novel exploded onto the blogosphere a few years ago and it seemed liked everyone whom I followed at the time named it one of their favorite novels of the year or a favorite. Period. For me, though, it became one of those novels I put on my TBR list and left […]