A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nash Part 1

This is one of those books that you find out about after you've seen the movie. In most cases, people would say that the book is better than the movie. Others say that whatever came out first is better or which ever one was popularized first. Well, at this point, I'm liking them both. A Beautiful Mind is a biography of John Forbes Nash, Jr., the schizophrenic Nobel Prize winner in economics in 1994. It is a challenging book so far given the content, but I really like it. I had high hopes, too since I loved the movie so much. I know what I'm in for already. This book differs from the movie because it goes through a lot of facts and way more detailed explanation about every little thing. This is good most of the time, but sometimes it is an overload of information at least for my brain. Because of the fact that it's a non-fiction book with so many sources needed, it reads like a text book at some points with stories in between, but I'm only in the beginning so far so I'm not sure what to expect next. I find the story interesting though, and I hope to continue to read this and enjoy it.

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift Part 1

Imagine yourself surrounded by tiny, tiny people (about 6 inches high) for just a second (because that's all you need to think of such a ludicrous thought). And then imagine thinking that you're the odd one and that they are normal-sized. Crazy, right? This is exactly what Lemuel Gulliver encounters on his travels. He first ventures to Lilliput which, like the name suggests, is a funny place; people six inches tall occupy this realm.

This satirical and classical piece of literature by Jonathon Swift struck me as very odd at first, and I didn't enjoy it. Now, that I think about it, it's because I didn't really read it that well. This is the kind of book that would be read in class. It has so much symbolism and historical context. Reading it freely, without the hassle of daily analysis and tedious homework makes it all the better. Gulliver is a very gullible person and he's an unreliable narrator who tells of his journey to four places including Lilliput. I think it's a good book, but I've decided to drop it.

The Blogging Experience (First Quarter Blogging Review)

Looking it Over:
Looking over all my blogs, I do notice a unifying theme: I usually talk about the title or cover of the book. It's no wonder though because I really do judge books by their covers (and titles for that matter). Experience has taught me that the books, movies, and articles with the most interesting and thought-provoking covers and titles happen to be the best. No, it doesn't have to have the flashiest cover or such a tongue twister of a title that you can't even read it. It just has to be simple. Simply creative. Okay, the correlation between title/cover creativity and the actual likability of whatever I read/watch is so scattered, but those few movies and books that I will forever remember just happen to have the most creative and though-provoking titles and covers. I mean, who wants to read a book called This Girl Died and I'm Trying to Find Out How (Looking for Alaska sounds a tad better) or I'm in the Adult Psychiatric Hospital Because...(It's Kind of a Funny Story sparks my interest just a little more) and I don't think I'd be compelled to read a book with a black and white cover with small lettering saying that the book is about economics (Freakonomics' apple/orange is pretty cool). I think that the title/cover thing will be a recurring focus in blogs to come, so be ready!

Besides that trend, I found myself being critical of all the books in some way, shape or form. That was surprising because I usually see the good side of the book rather than the bad, but through these blogs, I was able to express the tiny hints of discontent that I don't think I would have been able to express otherwise. This blogging experience has proved to be a good one albeit a little tedious.

Goals for the Future:
As a blogger of my reading experiences, I hope to let the word out about these books to my peers. I would improve my descriptions a little more because they seem to be lacking. For the most part, they are clear, but the detail is not as full as is necessary to convey to readers whether the book is worth the read. I actually am interested in what I have to say, but sometimes it varies on what book I am blogging about. I try to make it more interesting than the black-and-white "This is what happens" by mentioning those little tidbits of my reading style (titles/covers). I want to make connections, inferences, predictions and point out symbolism in blogs to come.

By the way:
Congrats to the 2009 World Series Champions (27 all time :))