Brief news and plans

I haven't been here for some time, and there were reasons for it. First, it was the end of the semester, and you know what that means =) Then, my notebook got broken, the keyboard didn't work, and it felt very stupid to write on a separate keyboard. And finally, I came home for Christmas (it is not celebrated here, but I do not choose time for holidays) and I've been spending a lot of time with my family and my boyfriend.

This doesn't mean I haven't been reading, however. I've finished 3 books during this crazy period, and as I'm in no mood to write proper reviews, I'll just make a short summary here.

1. Hotel by Arthur Hailey
This I didn't like at all. I started it as a light reading to help me relax during the end of the semester, but I was disappointed. I remember how gripping was Hailey's Airport, I just couldn't put it down, but in Hotel the focus is too much on the descriptions of how it all works in a hotel, characters' stories all seem too tragic to be real and the love line is uncertain and unconvincing. So I dragged through the book for more than a week and didn't really enjoy it. What surprised me in the book is the segregation. Were African Americans really refused rooms in certain hotels even in 1965? Terrible.

2. The Stranger by Max Frei
My second attempt to relax was far more successful, which was quite predictable, as this book was a re-read, and not the first one. I'm not sure if this book is known outside Russia, but if it's not, it should be. Seriously, it's the coziest book ever! It is a mystery/fantasy/detective novel set in a small dream-town, where the hero comes from our world to work as a Night Face of the Chief Detective of the Secret Police (in my own poor translation). All the characters are cute and funny, and everything ends well after a lot of curious magic, and everybody chew something all the time =) This book has a bit of philosophy in it, and the detective part is very interesting too. This book always brings me in an optimistic mood, so I return to it from time to time, and I highly recommend it to everybody!

3. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

I'll write a proper review later, as it is in my Let's read Plays and The Classics Club lists. But briefly - quite an enjoyable comedy!

About some events I am participating (or am supposed to participate =) ) now:

1. Dickens in December is in full swing now, but I'm only 1/4 through my first (and I guess the only) novel, The Old Curiosity Shop. Too many distractions around! Tomorrow will be A Christmas Carol read-along, and I hope I'll be able to participate!

2. Moby Dick Big Read is not going quite as planned, I'm now ~25 chapters behind, as I was concentrating on other books. But I'm planning to update myself before New Year, and I will!

3. The The Hobbit  Read-along is the only thing I'm keeping on with. Maybe it's the book, and maybe it's lively discussions.... Anyway, it just perfectly slow for my suddenly-so-crazy life!

So that's pretty much everything, and I hope you'll see more of me soon =)