Bout of books 10: Challenge 1: If you like X, try Y

So, here is my recommendation to the first challenge of the readathon:

If you like Dracula, try The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. 

More information to participate in the challenge: http://thebookbarbies.blogspot.mx/2014/05/bout-of-books-challenge-if-you-like-x.html

Bout of books 10.0

I have decided to participate in this readathon! Since it is my first week of summer vacation, this is a great way to start them! I have still work, but school is done :) so I will be having lots of extra time to read. This is the second time I participate in one of bout of books readathons, they are tons of fun.

The Bout of Books 10.0 will start on May 12th -so in a couple of hours for me now- and is going to end on May 18th at midnight. Here is a much more broad explanation of what it involves:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

The books I am planning to tackle this week include:

*the last 400 pages of The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov (this is my priority, since it is a library book and I need to return it)
*Cuentos Completos I de Julio Cortázar (I've been reading this for like a month and a half, and I really need to finish it)
*Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
*Saeculum by Ursula Poznanski

I realize it is an ambitious goal, but I will push to get through it.

Join the readathon, it is so much fun!
Have a very productive reading week!

For more information: http://boutofbooks.blogspot.mx/p/welcome.html

<div align="center"><a href="http://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/" title="Bout of Books" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiAIA4EGcZVmgLY0Flx0aqR_rqGgYMvzrXw3vPmZFEFs1J2sNMRyItL8Bzq8s0M643uYnlY1jSTHvl5dDjgabMJMnB0dQKqAi7qNMeG8_f8VKClB2dwlPPIJrwsnUrlB3JRMcDo_mZ6s9/s200-no/BoB10-200x200.jpg" alt="Bout of Books" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

My thoughts on: Looking for Alaska

So, Looking for Alaska was my first John Green book. This is what I thought of it: 

• This book reminded me a lot of Catcher in the Rye, especially at the beginning. I really don't know why or what elements of the novel reminded me of that but I remember it did, way before I knew Green's favourite classic is indeed J.D.Salinger's most famous book. I guess, the influence is quite evident. 
• I found Alaska annoying. She kepts complementing Miles for anything and then saying "too bad I love my boyfriend" and stuff like that. I mean, I question -quite frequently- whether she really loved her boyfriend. I did not appreciate that she played with Pudge's feelings. I know that is supposed to be her character and the way she is, all cool and stuff, but I do not know, I really did not like her much. 
• By this time, I had already seen -several times- The Perks of Being a Wallflowe -but I hadn't had read the book- and I remember that I thought the movie also had some similarities -in tone- with Looking for Alaska. Nevertheless, now I have already read The Perks, and cannot found anything remotely similar now. But, I guess it was the feeling of the movie, I do not know. 
• 50 pages in, I was really enjoying this book. 

*SPOILER PART*

• Before I read this book, I haven't had being spoiled at all. So, I was trying to figure out all the lose items in the novel. For example, I was hardly suspecting that Alaska was the one that ratted Maryn and Paul. Turns out it was true. 
• In the first chapters I have not decide if I liked Alaska or not. Because I liked a few features of her, but I abhorred another ones. For example, I liked that se seemed liberal, and feminist, and completely loved the portrayal of her room with all those books. But was not quite sure about her sex freedom positions -not pun intended-. I'll explain this. I think she was trying so hard to go against the patriarchy of society that she was actually contradicting her own principles. For example when she says that men should not treat women as objects, but then says she enjoys watching porn -which in general, portrays women as objects-. I realize, she then says that "as long as the woman enjoys it too", but how often those that happen in porn? Also, many times porn movies are made with trafficked women.
• Since I was not spoiled, I first thought "before" meant before they made out, then I thought before the prank. 
• But when I arrived to that part, I really felt the sadness and my mouth was bitter. I really got invested with Miles, especially, and his pain was almost tangible. 
• Something I would like to highlight is the way I found surprising how well Green changes the mood. From "poor Alaska" to "that bitch". But I guess that is how it is when something that hard happens to everyone. You are sorry and sad and then your think how selfish of them to leave you like this. I think that was really accurate human behaviour. 
• I remember I thought -before I knew really, of course- that was Alaska lost their way in life? 
• I do not if this was intended but I think that if it is, then it is really symbolic how Chip was pennamed "Colonel" and Alaska's fav book was "The General in the Labyrinth". Colonel in Labyrinth. 
• I found really good that the book starts 136 days before and ends 136 after. Changing everything, but closing cycles, as well. 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Even when it was not what I was expecting, I still like it very much. I recommend this book. 

My thoughts on: Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre was my first read of 2014, because of the nature of the book, the few next arguments may seem all over the place and without a clear order, but just because I found particularly difficult to make up my mind about this book. Anyway, this is what I thought of it:

*I remember the first thing I noticed of the book was the writing style. In the first chapters or so, for me it was like a poetic reading in verse, which I really liked, and thought it was great.

*I admire Jane's bravery as a girl, I thought that it required a lot of bravery to be able to stand up to the people who were mistreated her, even though they were the only thing sure for her.

*One thing I noticed is that at first it really gave me a hard time, cause I fall kind in a reading slump while reading this. I was not making any progress and was reading so sloely this book, I think it took me almost two months. And it was not until chapter 25 or so, that I began to actually enjoy the book.

*I did not fall in love with Mr. Rochester, I felt -at first- he was so weird about his feelings, like he did really liked Miss Ingram, and I couldn't help feel like he was just messing around. I foundh him a little bit too confusing.

*Sometimes the reading was fast-paced, and then some others were really descriptive and even boring.

*Something I really liked was the way Jane planted herself and her terms and values. Her dignity above the situations, although it was interfering with her really deep feelings for Mr. Rochester. I also liked that she was not happy of changing her nature, her name or her looks.

*I thought Mrs. Fairfax represent the close-minded time of the 19th Century (in the sense that she was nt completely agreeing with Jane being with Mr. Rochester).

*I also liked that Jane wanted to earn her own money and be independent and worthy of the things she has, to be able to buy her own stuff. But I also appreciate that she prefered relations over money.

* Jane is certainly not as any other woman, she defiaced customs and the way the women were at that time.

*The book has surprised me a couple of times, in the sense that I did not expected to happen, which was great.

*Overall I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars in Goodreads.

My reading statistics: 2013

I know is March and is already too late to think about a year wrap-up, but I thought I needed to do this, so I made some graphics. Let's see how I did in terms of diversity in 2013:

*I read 23 books in 2013
*From those 23 books, I read:

Author's nationality	Number of books
Mexico	4
Argentina	3
Spain	2
Italy	1
US	6
Hungary	1
Germany	1
Great Britain	1
Brazil	1
France	1
Australia	1
South Corea	1

Author's gender	Number of books
Men	19
Women	4

Books' language	Number of books
Spanish	18
English	6

Even though I read a lot of authors from different parts of the world, it is quite obvious that my major influence the past year in terms of literature was from US authors, which I am not quite pleased with, I need more diversity. Also, without counting Australia I read 12 books of "Western authors" and 11 of authors from anywhere else. And to be honest, I am not doing any better this year, from the 5 books I had read so far, they all are US or British authors, so I have a little bit more than 9 months to change that, let's see if I make it.

In terms of gender, I am quite worried about, because I am not being equal enough, since 19 of the books I read were written by men and 4 by women. That is just terribly sad, and something I really need to start working on.

Finally, I read 18 books in Spanish and 6 books in English, this year though, I think I might be reading more in English.

I hope I can improve my reading statistics for this year, we'll find out next January.

Libros adquiridos: Febrero 2014

Este  mes obtuve 4 libros:

En El Sótano había promoción de 3x2 en libros de la editorial Punto de Lectura, así que compré 3:

*62/Modelo para armar de Julio Cortázar. 

*Nocturna, de Guillermo del Toro y Chuck Nogan. (Originalmente iba a comprar los 3 de la serie, pero pensé que si no me gustaba sería un desperdicio, así que probaré primero con Nocturna). 

 *Cuentos Orientales, de Marguerite Yourcenar. He escuchado muchas cosas grandiosas de esta autora y nunca la he leído, así que pensé que era una buena oportunidad para leerla.

 Además, compré este hermoso libro en Gandhi:

*Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Este libro es el primero que Austen publicó, por lo que estoy ansiosa de conocer su primera obra.

Libros adquiridos: Enero 2014

A principios de este mes visité una Gandhi en el centro de Coyoacán y me encontré con una grata sorpresa:

Después de casi 7 meses de buscar y querer estos libros, por fin los encontré en inglés en México:

*Looking for Alaska

*The Fault in Our Stars

Además, más tarde en el mes recibí un hermoso paquete de The Book Depository, con un libro que había ganado en un giveaway en noviembre, del canal de Elli, The Bibliophile (vean su canal aquí: http://www.youtube.com/user/bibliophilereads/videos).

*Politics and the English Language fue lo que me gané :)

Y finalmente, adquirí
*Repensar la pobreza, para una clase de la universidad