Whatcha Reading?

My name is KC, and I'm currently in the process of convincing everybody in my family and future in-laws the necessity of having a TARDIS on top of my wedding cake. And I am an Anomaly.

Hello, folks. So, I've been catching up on a lot of reading recently. I was never much of a reader when I was younger, but nowadays I've been devouring one book after the other. I thought I would just take a few moments to share with you what I've been reading, and thereby share with you what has been distracting me from writing Anomalous blogs. (I've missed you guys, by the way.) Let's just jump right in, shall we?

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins.
I generally don't have a lot of faith in the Young Adult section of the bookstore. Especially at the old bookstore where I worked, it's generally made up of books about bad boys/vampires and the girls that love them. So when a friend of mine recommended this series, I decided to trust her and pick up the first book. It's one of the few series that really got me excited to pick up the next book. The titles go in the following order:

1. Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. Mockingjay

The basic plot is a young, independent girl volunteers to take her little sister's place in an event known as the Hunger Games where she will compete with other children and teenagers. But here's the thing... the winner of the Hunger Games is the only left alive. It's violent, thrilling, thought-provoking, and a surprisingly quick read set in a dystopian world.

Chicks Dig Time Lords edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O'Shea.
A book by Anomalies for Anomalies. It's a compilation of essays written by women of the Doctor Who fandom. It's not just about why they love it either--the book includes works such as interviews with actors from the original series and audio dramas, scholarly looks at the importance of companions, comments on conventions and costuming, and so much more. It's so opinionated, and I highly recommend this book.

The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.
This is another one of the post-apocalyptic/dystopia books that I read. Parable is written in the form of a diary, narrated by a young woman who is determined to leave behind the terrifying environment her home has become and build a new life based on her philosophy called Earthseed. It was suggested to me by my fiance Kevin as I was searching for more sci-fi books featuring strong female characters. While it's not my favorite book of all time, it is definitely a good book and I would like to read more of Butler's other works.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Tolkien and I didn't start off on the right foot. It was nothing personal, but it didn't help that our relationship began with The Hobbit as an assigned school reading. Therefore, my eighth grade self rebelled against it and when I had to read it at the last minute, I could not get into it at all. Years later, I made it a New Year's Resolution of mine to give Bilbo Baggins and company a second shot. And you know what, I'm glad I did. I understand a lot more now than I did back when I was thirteen. Next on the list is the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which I've never read before, and I need to complete it by 11:59pm on December 31st. Eek.

And here's a freebie that's not necessarily geeky...

The Essential Feminist Reader edited by Estelle B. Freedman.
I love reading this book. It's a compilation of excerpts of some of the quintessential feminist essays and prose writings. It's so interesting to see the evolution of feminism from basic human rights, to education, to politics, and so on. Not a quick read at all, but it is one of my favorites at the moment.

So what have you been reading fellow Anomalies? Have you read any of the books above? If you have, do you agree or disagree with my brief opinions? Do you have any recommendations for me? Comment below!