"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas

I finished! I finally, finally finished!!! It might be a miracle. I almost couldn't believe it when I ran out of pages. And the first thing I had to do was call my sister because this is one of her all-time-favorite books. Her first question was, "Did you love it?!"

The answer is . . . well . . . no. I didn't love it. But I did immensely enjoy the second half. The first half was so long and boring that I almost stopped reading, determined never to go back. However, the I-can't-leave-a-book-unfinished side of me resisted that temptation and started again a few months later. Confession: I may have read the first half in its unabridged form and the second half abridged. But that's ok. That may have been what it took to get me through. To be honest, though, I'm not 100% sure what I read. I read both halves on digital readers, but not on the same digital reader, so the editions were different. I didn't have the energy to go back and find the exact copy I'd been reading before and regardless, I still finished.

My greatest praise for this novel is that the ending is truly, truly satisfying. Having seen the movie many times, but knowing that the book was extremely different, there was still a part of me that was waiting for that movie moment to fall onto my page. It never did. The screenwriter of the movie took the bare bones of the novel and created something almost entirely new. But Alexandre Dumas created something better, something more realistic, something that only true adventure stories can give.

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This book was on my list for the year even before I heard the new movie was coming out. I think it was an assigned novel in one of my classes in middle school or high school, but I could not remember a single detail, so I don’t think I actually read it. Regardless, I’ve heard good things about Gatsby from many people and I’m happy to report that they weren’t all wrong. The book wasn’t at all what I expected, but I found that I truly enjoyed it. If for no other reason, Nick Carraway made it worth reading. His honest-to-a-fault attitude toward life and relationships reminds me a bit of myself. He doesn’t understand society’s apparent need to be false, but instead chooses to be honest with himself and with others. I love that. The story has its own unique tragic turns, but I can appreciate why so many people love it. The story is meant to entertain, but I’d like to think that Fitzgerald also wanted to make his readers think—to make them think of what they would do if they were in Gatsby’s shoes, or Daisy’s, or Carraway’s. And to think of how our own lives are so often filled with similar choices and tragedies, but we get to choose our own response. I've heard both good and bad things about the new movie, so I haven't decided if I'll see it or not. Anyone have an opinion one way or the other? I'm happy to hear it if you do!

"Dracula" by Bram Stoker

After years and years of thinking I would have absolutely no interest in reading the original story of Count Dracula, I proved myself wrong. I loved this book! I sometimes expect older books to be dull, dragging, and hard to get through. Dracula was definitely NOT one of those. I can't decide what I loved more - the story or Bram Stoker's writing style. The two go hand in hand, of course, but I really was blown away by Stoker's writing. It's funny and suspenseful and heartwarming all at the same time.

My one disadvantage with this novel was that I've seen more than one Dracula movie. "Dracula, Dead and Loving It" will always be my favorite and I've been itching to watch it ever since I started reading the book, but I think it would have been even more enjoyable to read if I didn't already know so much about the story. Yes, each movie takes its own liberties here and there, but they definitely stick closer to the original story than Frankenstein ever did!

My point is this: if you haven't ever seen a Dracula movie and you've never read the book, please read the book first! And then have some fun watching the movies and seeing how Bela Lugosi and Mel Brooks adapt The Infamous Count Dracula. I have a new favorite. My list is ever-growing, isn't it?

"Emma" by Jane Austen

It's only been a month since I finished my last book on "The List" but mostly because I picked up three at once. It's been a long time since I first intended to read Emma by Jane Austen and I'm glad I finally did. Have you ever seen the movie? It is my favorite of all the Austen movie adaptations I have ever seen.

I'll have to agree with my mom and sisters about the book, though. While it is wonderful, as all Austen novels are, it does drag on and on and on. Don't all Austen novels do that, too, though? As much as I love her as an author, my sister pointed out that during her time, authors were often paid by the word, which explains why so many English novels from that period are extremely wordy and drawn out. More time is spent on dialogue than anything else - lovely, charming, delightful dialogue, yes - which makes it difficult to keep your eyes open at times.

Regardless of the drawn-out-ness of this book, I would still recommend it. And then I will even more quickly recommend that you go watch the movie. Gwenyth Paltrow makes such a perfect Emma and all the most boring parts are left out, leaving just the sheer joy and pleasure of the novel behind.

No matter how many books I read, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for Victorian Novels. There is something so refreshing about the language and expressions of the characters in true English literature. I will always love it!

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy

I loved this book! I have seen the movie many times, but my sister Kimberly made me promise that I would read the book this year and assured me that it was even better than the movie. Well . . . of course she was right!

Knowing the basic premise of the book made it a little bit difficult for me to get into it at first, but I read 3/4 of the book yesterday, so I guess that means it drew me in at some point. I can't help but love the character of the Scarlet Pimpernel. In the movie he is lovable and intriguing, but in the book he is so much more.

For those of you who may not know the story already, I won't spoil it for you. Just know that this adventure set during the French Reign of Terror is one that will make you laugh and have you on the edge of your seat with suspense.

Thanks for the suggestion, Kim! This was the perfect start to my 2013 Year of the Books!

Books to Read: First One!

The first book I read from my "list of books to read before the end of 2013" was The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is very short, only about 70 pages, so technically it would be classified as a novella.

I loved it! The musical stage version is the only version of Jekyll and Hyde that I've ever really been familiar with, so it was fun to read the original text and see where the story came from. I love the musical, but there is so much added to make it exciting and dramatic - extra characters and situations - that are not in the original story.

Does being a Hyde obligate you to read this book? Well . . . I always felt like it did. Any book with your last name in the title should probably be on your list of books to read, right? Well it only took me twenty years, but I finally did it. I think it was worth the wait.

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

I remember reading "Frankenstein" in high school and being so bored that I couldn't finish. But reading it again for a college class was a much better experience! I LOVED it! The book is so well-written and the actual story is so much better than the Hollywood version that we automatically think of when we hear about Frankenstein's monster.

Mary Shelley was the daughter of two famous English writers, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. She married Percy Shelley, another famous writer, and wrote "Frankenstein" as part of a ghost story contest with Percy and some other big writers of the time. It's amazing to me that THIS is what she came up with. The story is beautiful and tragic and horrifying all at once.

Definitely read it if you haven't already. And I'll leave it up to you to decide who the real monster is: Victor Frankenstein or his creature.

"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe

What can I say about Uncle Tom that hasn't already been said? I don't know why it took me so long to finally read it, but I'm so happy that one of my professors assigned it this semester. I read it in one week (over 500 pages!)

The story of Uncle Tom is both tragic and beautiful. Stowe portrays American slavery realistically, drawing on many factual sources for many of the incidents told throughout the book. But she also uses different characters as symbols of slavery as a whole or as symbols of religion. You can't help but love Uncle Tom so much for his goodness and dignity, and loathe and pity his oppressors for their cruelty and ignorance. Humanity can be just as ugly and oppressive as it can be beautiful and loving. Stowe shows that so vividly in this book. After reading it, I felt as though Tom were a dear friend. Not every writer can create a character so real and beloved!

This book has been described as "the single greatest work of propoganda ever to be published in this country." That is a true statement! If you haven't read "Uncle Tom's Cabin," please don't put it off as long as I did!

"Middlemarch" by George Eliot

Did I really forget to write about this?!

I read Middlemarch in one of my English classes last semester and absolutely fell in love with this story, its characters, and George Eliot.

George Eliot is actually Mary Ann Evans writing with a male pen name. She is brilliant and this story is beautiful. All about the people living in the English town of Middlemarch, Eliot somehow offers an intimate view of everyone, rather than just one or two characters. The book is over a thousand pages long, but I promise you it's worth the time and effort.

Of all the classics I've read... THIS is my favorite! Eliot blows Jane Austen out of the water. Sorry all you Austen fans (I happen to be one myself), but I personally believe she does. I hope you enjoy her style and depth as much as I do.

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte

We read "Jane Eyre" for my Literary Criticism class this semester and even though I had already read it (a few years ago), I really enjoyed it the second time through.

I like to think of Charlotte Bronte in the same terms as Jane Austen. Their books come from the same time period and although I've only read this one Bronte in comparison to several of Austen's, they have so many similarities.

"Jane Eyre" is romantic and captivating. Jane plays the role of "every woman" which is what I think makes her so appealing to female readers. She's a classic heroine and has bits of wisdom that I think I should apply in my own life. Like striving to be honest at all times and living according to a clear conscience. It is also a love story and a pretty powerful one at that!

I will admit that the Old English writing style can be a bit boring at times. I had a hard time getting through the first 100 pages or so the first time I read this one, and struggled the entire way through the second time since I already knew the ending and wasn't driven forward by the suspense. But if you haven't read it, give it a try. And don't give up if you're a little bored in the beginning. It gets better and hopefully you'll love it!