November Reading

This was not a typical reading month for me, because of NaNoWriMo. Time issues aside, I just don't like to read anything that requires a ton of investment while I'm working in my own made-up universe. So, I decided to make this month about two things: YA/children's lit, and re-reads.

His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman
   #1, The Golden Compass (2 stars)
   #2, The Subtle Knife (2 stars)
   #3, The Amber Spyglass (2 stars)
Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
   #1, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (4 stars)
   #2, Prince Caspian (3 stars)
   #3, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (3 stars)
   #4, The Silver Chair (3 stars)
   #5, The Horse and His Boy (4 stars)
   #6, The Magician's Nephew (4 stars)
   #7, The Last Battle (3 stars)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan
   #1, The Lightning Thief (3 stars)
   #2, The Sea of Monsters (3 stars)
   #3, The Titan's Curse (4 stars)
   #4, The Battle of the Labyrinth (3 stars)
   #5, The Last Olympian (4 stars)



His Dark Materials were the only new books I read this month. I've been meaning to read these for a while, and maybe it was the anticipation and expectations that did me in, but I thought they were only okay. The anti-religion themes didn't bother me, and there were a lot of ideas in there that I did find interesting. In the end, though, the story itself just didn't do anything for me.

The Chronicles of Narnia, on the other hand, is a series I've read countless times, though it's been a while since I revisited them (probably around the time the first movie was released). As a child I found the stories enchanting, and though as I got older I started to recognize some of the criticisms that others find in them, to me they will always retain their fairy tale magic.

I obviously didn't read Percy Jackson as a kid, but it's easy to see why they're so popular. I never suffered from ADHD or dyslexia so I don't have the personal experience there, but so many kids do, and I love how Riordan makes them into something fantastic. And, of course, Greek mythology is always a favorite subject with kids, and it's fun to see the gods and goddesses translated into a modern world. I don't think this is a series that I'll return to again and again, but especially with the theme this month was taking, I figured I was due for a re-read.

Next month I'll get back to working on the TBR list.

So . . . what have you been reading lately?