Liv's Book Reviews

Ummm...

2009-08-22T22:10:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry for being so MIA as of late.
Life's just been getting the better of me.
I am still reading and I'll try and get some reviews posted but as an advance warning, I'm considering taking a little hiatus once school starts.
I need to get my life organized.
So yes, there will be a few posts to come.
Stay tuned.
And thanks for bearing with me.

Feet.3

2009-08-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

The last of 'em.

Bits 'n Pieces - Jill Alexander

2009-08-05T10:01:00.002-05:00

book // website // twitter

Coffee or tea?

Sweet tea – the thick kind with pure cane sugar.

Favorite movie?

Miss Firecracker (late eighties with Holly Hunter) and Edward Scissorhands. I love the quirky and off beat.

Have you ever sang karaoke?

Are fish wet? Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Beyonce – just to name a few I’ve covered. Currently on Rock Band, my alter ego Judy Nails has the high score singing Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On Prayer. My thirteen-year-old son pays me to stop singing in the car before we arrive at his school. I’m also not permitted to do the Mariah Carey spastic hand waving while demonstrating my vocal range.

Would you rather spend the day surfing the internet or the ocean?

I’m more of a channel surfer. CMT, The Bachelor, Ace of Cakes.

If you could have lunch with any three people (alive, imaginary, or dead), who would you choose and why?

I don’t really have a desire to break bread with dead people. Have you seen Beetlejuice? So I’d LOVE to do lunch with Kellie Pickler, Dolly Parton, and Harper Lee. Four generations of Southern women with stories to tell. It’d be like our own Ya Ya Sisterhood.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Whining. Really. Call the Wambulance because I just can’t tolerate it.

Where would you bury your treasure?

In a mason jar in a barn. True story: My grandfather buried mucho casho in mason jars in the dirt floor of his barn. When he began to develop Alzheimer’s, he took my mother to the barn, gave her shovel, and told her to dig.
But in further truthiness, I’d probably not *bury* treasure. I’d blow it, share it, and have a great time.

What are some of the little things you love in life?

To me, the little things are those precious, stolen moments like when I sneak in some quiet time to memorize the poetry of e.e. cummings, or the way my husband reaches for my hand under the table at snooty dinners. And those times when I speed, no, fly down a lonely stretch of highway – Elton John’s Rocket Man on blast. Yeah. Take me there.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be hot and sophisticated. As in sexy hot and in another location. I was a string bean country girl living in a rural town of four hundred people. Could. Not. Wait. To. Leave. Now, as a writer, it is the emotion of that girl in that time and place I find the most attractive.

Feet.2

2009-08-02T10:01:00.000-05:00

Booking Through Thursday #38 - Recent Funny

2009-07-30T21:27:00.002-05:00

What’s the funniest book you’ve read recently?

Maybe a Jessica Darling book? Those can be humorous. But I really don't know. I don't read funny books.

Wait! I have one!
And there's a story. So I was wandering around the teensy weensy town where my mom grew up and came upon this big semi-butt (what are the cargo parts of semi trucks called?) that was filled with rejects from their small-town library. It looked very inviting so I looked around for a bit and found a wonderful children's book called Olivia Kidney. I love books that are based on MCs that share my name. Olivia The Pig, anyone? And so I picked it up for 25 cents and have read the first page. I laughed out loud more than once. And she lives in New York City. How much better can it get?

"Olivia Kidney's new home was an apartment building made of maroon and yellow bricks on New York City's Upper West Side. It was twenty-two stories high, and it contained some of the most awful people you'd ever want to meet. They crabbed up the elevators with their cold, unfriendly faces. The people who lived above her stomped on the floor if she was talking too loudly, and the people below her hit their ceiling with a stick if she was walking too loudly. 'I'm a human being!' Olivia had dropped to her knees, cupped her hands around her mouth, and called down through the floor. 'I'm entitled to move! I'm not made of stone, you know!'"

Waiting on Wednesday #16 - The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

2009-07-29T10:01:00.001-05:00

A funny, poignant, uplifting, and truly authentic novel by National Book Award finalist author Deb Caletti.

As of now, that's the only summary out there. I'm sure something else will turn up in the near future but for now, this book will go on my "waiting for" just for the cover and title. Also, I haven't read a Deb Caletti book yet (what's wrong with me?) and this one looks like it might be funny, poignant, uplifting, and truly authentic. What else could a reader want? I do have her book, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart sitting on my shelf at home so hopefully I'll get to that one before The Six Rules of Maybe is released on April 20, 2010. Hopefully.

preorder

Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty

2009-07-28T10:01:00.001-05:00

Is the real world ready for Jessica Darling?
At first it seems she’s living the New York City dream. She’s subletting an apartment with her best friend, working for a magazine that actually cares about her psychology degree, and still deeply in love with the charismatic Marcus Flutie.
But reality is more complicated than dreamy clichés.
When Marcus proposes – giving her only one week to answer – Jessica must decide if she’s ready to give up a world of late-night literary soirees, art openings, and downtown drunken karaoke to move back to New Jersey and be with the one man who’s gripped her heart for years. Jessica ponders this and other life choices with her signature snark* and hyper-intense insight, making it the most tumultuous and memorable week of her twenty-something life.
(Summary from back of book)

I don’t think this measly review is going to succeed in summing up my immense love for this series. I adore Jessica Darling. These books have been some of the most memorable I’ve read in quite a while and possibly the only ones in recent reading history that don’t allow me to put them down. Literally. I was babysitting this past Thursday and Friday and could hardly stand to part from Marcus and Jessica’s story long enough to make mac ‘n cheese and take the push-bike to the park.

I’m surprised that I was so involved in this book out of all of them because it’s drastically different than the first three. The previous books are Jessica’s private journals – commentaries on the day-to-day events in her life. Fourth Comings was changed because this journal isn’t private, and less significantly but still importantly, Jess isn’t in school.

This one is a journal kept by Jess during the week after Marcus proposes to her in his dorm room at Princeton, until giving him her response seven days later. She’s all grown up and on her own in NYC. She’s got a much more realistic and depressing view of the world because she’s finally faced with providing for herself and living independently.

In Fourth Comings actually get to meet Hope, which I loved. In the previous three books she was alluded to and addressed indirectly through Jess’s letters and ramblings. Now there are conversations and conflicts and direct emotions. I liked it better this way. That’s the way stories about best friends should be.

I also enjoyed reading about Jess’s thoughts on personalities, relationships, and life in general. Even though I’m only around how old Jess was in Sloppy Firsts I feel like I’ve related to her more and more as the books went on. Maybe because she’s gotten better at putting words to her thoughts – something that I think I’m very bad at. And maybe because I only wish that I could experience what she’s going through. It’s a phantom world to me. I’ll get there soon enough though. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from reading these books, it’s to relish these years where I’m provided for and looked after.

Once again, McCafferty has succeeded in authoring a masterpiece of a novel. I don’t know how she’s hit these homeruns almost every time. The Jessica Darling series is on its way to becoming one of my all-time favorites. It’ll take a lot to remove them from that spot of honor. Because they really are phenomenal novels. I can only hope that Perfect Fifths, the conclusion to the series, doesn’t disappoint.

Another A+, of course.

*According to Microsoft Word, snark is not a word. I wish I could come up with a snarky comment about that.

Reviews of books 1, 2, and 3.

January 1, 2007 // Three Rivers Press // 336 pages
Goodreads // Amazon // IndieBound

Some R&R

2009-07-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

For these next two weeks I'm going to be a little in-and-out.

I left Saturday morning to spend the week at my cabin and will be back "in town" Thursday night only to leave Friday morning on a plane to Arizona.

I have a few posts scheduled but no reviews because I didn't read far enough in advance for that. I will not have that much access to internet this first week but I'll try and get a review or two scheduled during the one night I'll be spending near wifi. No promises though. And I'll also try to get a few things scheduled for the second week too during my short layover at my own house.

But while there's all this uncertainty please just bear with me. I promise there will be tons of good stuff happening when I get back online. Pictures from the Grand Canyon, footage of my screeching while I learn to drive a motorized vehicle, pretty pictures of the peaceful lakeshore, and of course about a bajillion reviews because what else am I going to do with my two unwired weeks but read?

So yeah. That's my little state of the union for you guys. See you soon.

Feet.1

2009-07-26T10:01:00.000-05:00

I never realized how many pictures I take of feet. Going through my photo archives I realized that there was an unreasonably large amount of photos focusing on those ugly appendages.

You guys might think this is totally weird but I'm going to do a few posts with the pictures here. I think it's interesting. I think the photos tell stories. And I think feet are pretty cool.

Exfoliation 3

2009-07-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

This week I really got into the cleaning/exfoliating spirit which is extremely rare. I re-organized some stuff in my room, filed papers, and through away a shopping bag full of random crap I had sitting around. I don't think the random crap really qualifies as a true exfoliation though so I also went through my dresser and decided to throw out five different shirts that I don't wear any more either because I just don't like them or I grew out of them. So ta-da.

I only bought one thing this week - a roughed up big brown leather belt but I gained a lot of life experience. I got a schmancy debit card, a driver's permit, and I submitted my first ever real job application. I feel like everything just changed so fast this week. Just seven days ago I was a young lass who used only cash, was toted around by her parents in the old station wagon, and whose sole source of income was babysitting and allowance. I'm growing up guys! *sniff*

Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty

2009-07-24T19:19:00.006-05:00

Things are looking up for Jessica Darling. She has finally left her New Jersey hometown/hellhole for Columbia University in New York City; she's more into her boyfriend, Marcus Flutie than ever (so what if he's at a Buddhist college in California?); and she's making new friends who just might qualify as stand-ins for her beloved best friend, Hope.
But Jessica realizes that her bliss might not last after she lands an internship at an uber-hip Brooklyn-based magazine. As she and Marcus hit the rocks, will she fall for her GOPunk, neoconservative RA...or the hot grad student she's assisting on a summer project...or the oh-so-sensitive emo boy down the hall? Will she even make it now that her parents have cut her off financially? And what do the cryptic one-word postcards from Marcus really mean?
(Summary from back of book)

I would call the Jessica Darling series my guilty pleasure series but it's not all that guilty. There's wonderfully fluffy parts and then there are parts that make me want to go running to my mother and cry for hours.

Something like this:
Jane was right about one thing: Marcus's T-shirts were a schtick. But so is everything we do when we exercis the free will that Kieran held so dear. And we're all guilty. We convince ourselves that these choices declare WHO WE ARE to whe world, and we hope that others - or just one person - will see these on-the-surface signs and somehow, suddenly understand WHO WE ARE down to the depths of our souls. But the cruel reality is that these choices serve a different purpose altogether. They act as cheery distractions from the only tragic Truth-with-a-capital-T that matters: We all die alone.

I think the thing that's most provocative about Jessica Darling is how much she seems like me. Everything she does, everything people tell her, every experience that she goes through resonates with me. And I think that's one of the most amazing things about these books. Because I know that I'm not the only one who sees a bit of myself in her. I think every reader does. She's a universal kind of gal. Everyone wishes they were Jessica Darling.

One of the things that still bugs me about this series though is how much I didn't like the first book. It just doesn't make any sense how the two next books could be so awesome. Maybe I just wasn't in the mindset of the books when I read that one. Because they do require a certain mindset - a type of mentality. Maybe it really was amazing but I didn't get anything out of it because I was too busy being cynical and teenager-y. I don't know. I guess all that matters is that I'm with it now. And I'm loving that I'm with it.

This third book had a different tone than the previous two. Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings took place in high school after Jessica's best friend Hope moved away. For those books she was really sullen and moody and sarcastic. She was also sort of big-headed. Graduating from high school changed her drastically. I don't know if it's "for the better" but it's a change for sure. Jessica grew up. In Charmed Thirds she's much more contemplative and humble. The real world smacked her in the face and she knows it.

The way that she changed might be one of my favorite things about the series so far. Megan McCafferty is able to write with a different tone in each book so that you can see how Jessica is maturing and becoming a different person. That takes some mad skill - to be able to adapt your writing style with a character through a course of almost ten years. Pretty fabulous stuff.

And the cherry on top of this already grand book? Marcus Flutie. *sigh* That is all.

So the rare A+ for this novel. I adored it. Thank god I have Fourth Comings sitting on my shelf staring at me with puppy-dog eyes, begging to be read. Expect a review of that one real soon.

Review of Sloppy Firsts
Review of Second Helpings

April 11, 2006 // Three Rivers Press // 384 pages
Goodreads // Amazon // IndieBound

Booking Through Thursday #37 - Preferences

2009-07-23T10:16:00.002-05:00

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers)

Reading something frivolous? Or something serious?
Serious

Paperbacks? Or hardcovers?
Paperbacks

Fiction? Or Nonfiction?
Fiction

Poetry? Or Prose?
Prose

Biographies? Or Autobiographies?
Autobiographies

History? Or Historical Fiction?
Historical Fiction

Series? Or Stand-alones?
Stand-alones

Classics? Or best-sellers?
Classics

Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose?
Straight-forward and basic please

Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness?
Stream-of-Consciousness

Long books? Or Short?
Long

Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated?
Non-illustrated

Borrowed? Or Owned?
Owned

New? Or Used?
Used

Bits 'n Pieces - Megan McCafferty

2009-07-22T11:18:00.005-05:00

books // website // blog

Mountains or beaches?

Beaches. Even after all those years working on the boardwalk.

Favorite music artist?

When I was 11, Michael Jackson. Then I hit puberty and got too fickle for favorites.

Have you ever gotten a tattoo?

No.

Would you rather end hunger or hatred?

Hunger. I'm a pragmatist.

What does your perfect day look like?

I like to believe it's in my future.

What movies could you watch over and over again and still love?

Dazed and Confused, Dangerous Liaisons and Sixteen Candles.

When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

I usually wore my spangly, sequined leotards from my dance recitals and said I was a Broadway star or princess or fairy or something sparkly like that. My mom always made me wear a turtleneck underneath which totally ruined the look.

What is the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you?

I can't tell you. But it involved a cappella.

If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

Barry Manilow. He was born Barry Alan Pincus. Look how well it worked for him.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

2009-07-20T08:25:00.000-05:00

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?
Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.
(Summary from back of book)

When I was in New York City last month I was lucky enough to be able to see the musical, Wicked on Broadway. It's roughly based off of this novel but I'd heard from a few of my friends who read the book that the two works have almost nothing in common. Ingtrigue.

I picked up a copy to see what all the fuss was about. Also, I just really like the idea of what people see on the surface not being the reality. How perceptions are often mislead and how people are often misunderstood. I like the thought of never being able to know the whole truth. Like there's always guesswork involved and it's all we can do to try and figure out at least some of the facts.

So with that said, even though it wasn't all that similar to the musical, I adored this book. It's much darker and more political and sexual than the play but that kind of stuff worked in prose form. It wouldn't have worked as well on stage. I don't think people would want to sit there and think all of this through but when they're reading, they have the time to do that. Having that little edge of controversy and dissention there really helped to add an urgency and a seriousness to the events in the book.

Also, the characters were so amazing. Maguire knows how to give characters layers and personalities so that you never know what's going to come out of them next. Elphaba and Nessarose and Fiyero were some of the most complex people that I have ever read about. It was honestly a work of art.

The other thing that I enjoyed about Wicked is how nothing ever turns out perfect. In the play there's always little light moments and everyone ends up relatively happy but in the book it's more realistic. There's death and danger and hatred and lies and the author shies away from none of that. It's all there laid out on the table for you to make of it what you will.

Gregory Maguire knows how to capture a reader's interest. He definitely captured mine. I would recommend Wicked to anyone who's seen the play or anyone who's looking for a little excitement.

This is a monumental book.

A

I interview you

2009-07-19T11:47:00.004-05:00

Questions from Ms. Steph Bowe

You can travel anywhere in the world instantly in a matter transporter. Where do you go?

GREECE. So I can live in a little white-washed house and swim in blue water and eat oranges and become raven-haired and olive-skinned.

You can read only one book for the rest of your life. Which book is it?

Either Wicked by Gregory Maguire or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I think they're both endlessly interesting. You could read them a bajillion times and still never pick up every nugget of awesome that the author deposited in there.

Do you believe in magic?

How else would Harry Potter have been able to defeat Voldemort?

You can combine any two animals into one creature. Which two animals do you choose and why?

A horse and a fish. Like this Neopet:Yeah. I still connect things in "the real world" to the marvelous world of Neopets. Don't judge me.

Zombie apocalypse scenario: You have about five minutes before a horde of zombies break down your door and eat your brain. Death – or zombification – is inevitable. You can make only one call. Who do you call, and what do you say? (For this question, you can imagine you have the phone number of everyone on the planet, including famous people.)

I don't want to answer this. It's too hard.
I'd probably call Barack Obama just because he's the voice I would want to have resonating in my head as I met my death. I'd probably do a lot of huffing and squealing. And tell him that I loved him. That would be a good way to die.

Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” Please include your email address.
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

You know you want to.

Exfoliation 2

2009-07-18T02:00:00.002-05:00

This week I decided to go through my horribly large magazine stack and weed out any thing older than six months. So now I have six magazines left. And a few newspapers. And some yearbooks. It's much better than it was. The trash pile is below...

I also went through the trashed mags to see if there were any fun pages. The ones that I liked, I tore out and folded into envelopes. So now anyone getting a letter from me receives it in style.

To counteract all of this cleansing and productive goodness I bought some stuff too. Bad me.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

2009-07-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear - part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer...to join "the real world."
There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file - a picture of a girl with half a face - that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.
(Summary from back of ARC)

After reading this review and basing my expectations off of that, I find myself slightly disappointed but still satisfied. Marcelo in the Real World wasn't the sort of edge-of-your-seat type of reading that I was expecting. It was more thoughtful and slow and deliberate. It was like an old classical piece of art as opposed to an Andy Warhol. Both beautiful, just in different ways. I think I relate more to the Andy Warhol-esque books but I still have a deep love for the classical ones. I just don't think they're as fun.

The best thing about this novel was how it was narrated. Marcelo has a mental problem that slows him down. His analyzations and conversations and reactions are all more thought out and perfectly executed than most normal people. He takes the time to make connections and figure out the best way to approach a problem. More people should be like him. I think there would be a lot less hate and a lot more love and appreciation if everyone took the time to sit down for a few minutes and think things through before acting.

I also liked how Marcelo affected the people around him. How their lives were improved and made better just by his being around. Like everything he touched turned to gold. Again, we need more Marcelos.

The only thing that didn't work for me was how slow it moved. And yeah, I realize that that totally goes against the point of the book. But to me, things are just more fun if they move fast and this book moved at a snail's pace. It took me a while to get used to. But I guess that just proves that I'm one of those people who needs to slow down once in a while.

So yeah, this was a pretty fine book. I think Marcelo will strike a chord with anyone who reads his story and cause them to take a step back and look at things from a different angle. Definitely recommended.

B

Booking Through Thursday #36 - TBR

2009-07-16T11:38:00.002-05:00

Do you keep all your unread books together, like books in a waiting room? Or are they scattered throughout your shelves, mingling like party-goers waiting for the host to come along?

I do keep all my unread books together. I have my main shelves for the books I've read and then the bottom shelf is devoted to books that I haven't gotten to yet. Both groups are organized alphabetically by author's last name. :) I'm just a teensy bit OCD like that.

A List - pro and con version

2009-07-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

The pros and cons of possibly, maybe, if I'm lucky, having a job during this school year.

Pro -

1. Money.
2. Good working experience.
3. Money.
4. Looks good on college apps. Apparently they look at job and working related stuff more now.
5. Money.
6. It's close so I wouldn't have to get a ride or take a bus. I could just walk/ride the bike.
7. Money.
8. It's across the street from a delicious and cozy coffee shop. I could befriend the cute baristas there. I could be one of those people that come in and have a drink already made for them because they come in on the same days at the same times and order the same things. That would be nice.
9. Money.
10. It's the public gathering place. I could see people I wouldn't normally see. It would be fun to be recognized.
11. Money.
12. Free popcorn and movie tickets.

Con -

1. It would be time consuming.
2. School is important to me. I like being good at it.
3. It would cut into my social life a little bit. Not that I'm much of a butterfly to begin with. But still.

You make the conclusion.

Waiting on Wednesday #15 - Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

2009-07-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Restless souls and empty hearts
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
(Summary from Amazon)

This book likes it'll be heavier than Lisa Schroeder's first two books but I think that it will turn out to be a positive improvement. Although if Nico and Brooklyn end up getting together then I might be a little turned off. Because hooking up with the dead boyfriend's brother is wrong. I guess we'll see.

Released February 9, 2010

A lightbulb's death

2009-07-14T06:00:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I wish I were a poet or liked poetry or wrote song lyrics because there are certain moments in life that I feel should be recorded not in prose but in swaying and sweeping phrases. Like it's a moment too beautiful to be over analyzed. Like you want to be able to go back and look at the sparse letters and words and remember with perfect clarity what happened even though there's little description. And have other people who weren't there be able to visualize it. So I'm going to use my nasty, teenager-y, valley girl prose to convey to you what I wish I could do through poetry.

The moment a light bulb dies.

There are some light bulbs that gradually dim and dim and dimanddimanddimanddim until you can't see them any more and the battery juice or the little metal filament just totally give out.

There are some light bulbs that decide not to turn on one day. They die in their sleep. No last words. No last wishes. Just graceful, eternal slumber.

And then there are the light bulbs that I like the best. The ones that go out with a flash and a bang.

I went to turn on the light that's in the lamp that's on top of my bookshelf tonight and it up and exploded on me and blinded me for a second and then disappeared completely.

It sort of reminded me of Tinker Bell from Peter Pan when she'd get all sparkly when she was happy but then also how when she supposedly dies her light goes out completely.

There was a little fairy inside my lamp and it performed its final spectacular show and passed on.

I think it was a happy death. I mean, how can it not be happy when it's all bright and shiny and awe-inspiring.

What better way to die?

Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

2009-07-13T08:53:00.001-05:00

Maus is the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and of his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father, his father's terrifying story, and History itself.
Moving back and forth from Poland to Rego Park, New York, Maus tells two powerful stories: The first is Spiegelman's father's account of how he and his wife survived Hitler's Europe, a harrowing tale filled with countless brushes with death, improbable escapes, and the terror of confinement and betrayal. The second is the author's tortured relationship with his aging father as they try to lead a normal life of minor arguments and passing visits against a backdrop of history too large to pacify. At all levels, this is the ultimate survivor's tale - and that, too, of the children who somehow survive even the survivors.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Graphic novels have always been a bit iffy for me. They don't seem to have the same amount of legitimacy as a novel with lines and lines of sentences and words and letters that have been put together artfully and thoughtfully and been rearranged a countless number of times. Pictures are so un-concrete almost light-hearted.

At least that was where I stood coming into this book.

Now I'm in a completely different place. Because Maus was amazing. Truly and seriously amazing.

The pictures are well done and the dialogue and narration fits in perfectly. Being able to see the expressions of the characters gave me a whole different perspective on the story than I would've had if it had just been written in prose. It was like watching a movie but one that was intelligent and creative and sort of monumental.

Maus tells the story of the Holocaust for goodness' sake.

I've mentioned my Holocaust obsession, right? I have one. It fascinates me. I can't get enough of it. Not the death or the horror but the knowledge. I feel like in order to be a world citizen I should be as educated and informed and horrified by the event as is humanly possible. Like it's my duty to understand the whos, whats, and whys. Please someone else say they feel this way.

Not only was this an outstanding graphic novel it was a moving illustration of what life was like for some of the Jews who were in hiding for months, trying to figure out what card the Nazis were going to play next.

The bad thing is that it left off just as the main character and his wife were being taken to Auschwitz. Which means I'll have to make a trip to the bookstore and get the second book.

So yeah, this is a phenomenal book. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. A must-read. Especially if you haven't read a graphic novel yet. This is a good way to start.

A

Exfoliation

2009-07-10T09:32:00.005-05:00

I have come to the realization that gradually this blog is becoming more and more personal. I still do reviews and interviews and other book-ish features but there are starting to be a lot of posts about random stuff that pertains more to my life and random rantings than to the literary industry. Do you guys think this is a good or a bad thing? I don't think it's my goal to have a completely book-related blog. But would you guys want it more book-related? Or is all of the personal crap at least relatively interesting? Let me know either way. I want some people to weigh in.

This post is going to be personal. Just saying.

So over at makeundermylife.com the girl who runs it does this thing called an End of the Week Exfoliation. She gets rid of one thing every Friday that she hasn't used for a while or isn't being loved enough. Sometimes she'll give it away to the first commenter who wants it. But I just like the idea of gradually cleansing myself from all the crap that I keep around so I think I'm going to participate in this. Maybe I'll eventually give away some of the stuff if anyone shows interest but a lot of it is going to just be junk.

This week's exfoliation comes in two parts. Cuts and cowboys.

I got a weird hair cut. Not sure if I like it yet. I'm going to wait for it to grow out and shag up a bit before I decide. I am liking the airiness though. I have extremely thick hair so having it long was not working so well. And in the second picture I'm wearing pajamas. So don't judge me on that. I was too lazy to change.

The real exfoliation was a cowboy hat spray-painted red for my school's homecoming this past year. I feel bad for the people that made them because they put hours of work into them but no one wore them. Eh. So it goes.

So there you go. Thumbs up or down on all of this personal business?

Booking Through Thursday #35 - Unread

2009-07-09T18:07:00.003-05:00

Give me the list or take a picture of all the books you have stacked on your bedside table, hidden under the bed or standing in your shelf – the books you have not read, but keep meaning to. The books that begin to weigh on your mind. The books that make you cover your ears in conversation and say, ‘No! Don’t give me another book to read! I can’t finish the ones I have!'

Oh boy. I'm doing this all out so get ready.
In no particular order, these are the books sitting on my "still to be read" shelf.

My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews
Seeds of Yesterday by V.C. Andrews
Melody by V.C. Andrews
If There Be Thorns by V.C. Andrews
Heaven by V.C. Andrews
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Getting Warmer by Carol Snow
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and The Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith
Are We There Yet by David Levithan
Glass by Ellen Hopkins
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson
Amigas and School Scandals by Diana Rodriguez Wallach
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Top 8 by Katie Finn
The Oath by Elie Wiesel
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Golden Girl by Micol Ostow
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
How To Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
How To Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson
TMI by Sarah Quigley
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Th Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
Twelve Long Months by Brian Malloy
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle
Vegan Virgin Valentine by Caroline Mackler
When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot
Marley and Me by Josh Grogan
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
Slant by Laura Williams
Wondrous Strange by Leslie Livingston
Bikeman by Thomas F. Flynn
Shine Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Kiki Strike Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
House of Dance by Beth Kephart
The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer
Dream Factory by Heather Hepler and Brad Barkley
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Yeah...

Bits 'n Pieces - Cyn Balog

2009-07-08T11:39:00.004-05:00

book // website // blog

City or country?

Country, definitely, cities make me claustrophobic!

Favorite coffee chain?

I don't drink coffee, so my favorite would be the one that charges people a lot of money so that I can sit there and laugh at them as they spend 5 bucks a day to feed their caffeine addiction.

Have you ever sang karaoke?

Nope, I think the world would explode if I did that.

Would you rather have stars in your eyes or eyes in the back of your head?

I would much rather have stars in my eyes and just be blissfully ignorant about everything. I look at my 2-year old and she is so happy because she doesn't understand what "taxes" and "work" and all those horrible things mean. I'd like to be like that-- always seeing the positive about life. People who have eyes in the back of their head are generally very negative-- how can you see all that and not be?

What does your perfect day look like?

I would just love to spend a nice summer day on the beach with my whole family, then go home and have a big pasta meal, some fun fruity mixed drinks, and maybe play some card games like Michigan Rummy or Seven and a Half.

What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

I love stupid movies like Dodgeball and Vacation, but I also love romances like 13 Going on 30. And I am BIG into Disney movies! But my favorite movie of all time is The Goonies. I saw it in the movie theater, and have watched it a billion times since then. I can recite every line to that movie by heart. I have the DVD and once watched it with Spanish dubbing, but translated it to my husband as it was going along. He thought I was whacked. But he can do the same thing with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and that's really messed up.

What is the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

In 4th grade we had this assignment where we had to write about a dream we had-- I had a dream about a kid in my class named John, so I just wrote about that, because random people always showed up in my dreams. Then my teacher read it out loud and everyone was like, "Ooooooh, Cyn and John, sittin' in a tree..." Puhleeze. He was a total goober.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer! I have been writing stories since I was 5 years old. I used to sit inside writing all these crazy tales while all the other neighborhood kids were outside getting fresh air. As a result, my growth was stunted and I am two feet tall. No, not really, but I thought this interview could use some pizazz.

If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

Stephenie Meyer.

A Summer List

2009-07-06T17:48:00.002-05:00

8 things I love about the summer.

1. Eating burgers and hot dogs and potato chips and potato salad and jello and and and.

2. Being able to get my belly tan.

3. Wearing flip flops on a daily basis. Especially the cheap Old Navy ones that mold to your foot after enough use. Yum.

4. Biking everywhere. Hearing the hushhush of the pedals and feeling the world rush by.

5. Listening to Christmas music.

6. Fruit smoothies!

7. The odor of sunscreen that emanates from everyone you pass.

8. Anticipating the school year. Twisted? Yes.

A Shakespearean Summer - Othello

2009-07-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

A summary by me:
This play follows a military guy named Othello. He's pretty high up and has control of a large number of troops and minions.
His right hand man/best friend is named Cassio. Cassio is a good guy through and through. He's content with his position and with his life.
Othello's standard-bearer guy is named Iago and Iago is Cassio's opposite. He's wily, selfish, conniving, and greedy but he's able to hide it and get people to trust him.
Othello is married to a lovely woman named Desdemona who adores Othello and is always faithful to him.
The big event of the play is that Iago wants to take hold of Cassio's position and will stop at nothing to get there.
He convinces Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio and much drama ensues including lots of death and lots of sexual innuendoes.
In the end, Othello stabs Desdemona and then kills himself once he learns that Iago's been lying to him all along. And that's basically it. No joke.

So what did I think?
I thought that it was an...um...interesting and sort of pointless play. It made me wonder how these works have actually stood the test of time. I guess a bunch of it was probably in the delivery. Also, I think there was a lot of satire and medeival naughtiness that I didn't get. Shakespeare was a pretty sexual guy. But I did enjoy some of the different passages and lines. There were deeper, more intellectual undertones in certain scenes that really stood out to me. Like when they talked about honesty and intelligence and worth. I think that Shakespeare offers something to everybody. He's able to please the cynic, the comdedian, and the intellectual all in one play. That takes skill. And while the plot might have been a little weird, I think that it was worth reading. Just to say that I did it.

What plays have you guys read for the challenge so far? And what did you think of them?

It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffman

2009-07-02T17:17:00.001-05:00

Zoe loves Henry.
Henry dumps Zoe.
Zoe wants Henry back - at any cost.
Zoe's two best friends come up with a plan to help Zoe get what she wants. The plan: make Henry jealous.
But the plan takes a surprising turn...
(Summary from jacket flap)

So I read this book a while ago and thought so little of it that I didn't want to write a review of it. I think it's probably worse that I'm doing it now because I remember almost nothing about the plot or the characters or really anything.

So basically, the thing I think I can say with certainty is that this book sucked. First of all it was too short to actually have any space in which to develop a story line or build any tension or emotions. Secondly, Zoe was completely pathetic and Henry was a loser and the other guy who Zoe decided to use and smooch around with was just as lifeless. It was like reading about the adventures of paper dolls.

I don't know if there's anything good to say. The cover's cute, I think. I like the little chicks and the spirals coming out of the red ones mouth. Very aesthetically pleasing.

But not memorable at all. Just a stupid book, IMO.

D - just for the cover.

I'm back. I hope.

2009-07-02T17:16:00.002-05:00

I promise to post at least 20 times this July with half of those being reviews. The end.

Neglection

2009-06-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

is quite profitable.

A little bit of what I've been up to while shirking my blogger-ly duties.

Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors

2009-06-27T19:10:00.000-05:00

Kyla is exactly the kind of girl Alex could never talk to in real life. She's a gorgeous, outspoken city girl who parties to forget about her absent father and depressed mother. He's a shy ballet dancer from the suburbs who's never been kissed. Luckily, when they meet for the first time it's not if real lift - it's in a chat room, where they can share how alone and misunderstood they feel far away from the conformity-obsessed scenes at their high schools and at home. Kyla and Alex quickly forge a friendship that's far from virtual...maybe they're even falling in love.
But what happens when you come face-to-face with the soul mate you've never met? Will that person be the same? Will you?
(Summary from jacket flap)

I think the coolest thing about this book is that it came out in Sweden eight years ago and was such a hit there that it's now translated to English. I don't know how often this goes on - translating a foreign book into English. I've never heard about it being done before. I guess because the American market is so hard to get into? Maybe? But I think it was an excellent decision to make the jump with this book.

The thing that worked the most for me was how pronounced and different Kyla and Alex's lifestyles were. They each were very unique which made it memorable and special when they finally met and were able to see the world through each other's eyes. I liked reading how two opposite personalities and lifestyles came together.

The other thing I liked was how the writing seemed like it came from a different place. Like, how real can an author's voice be if it's been filtered through a translator? I found myself wondering what the original was like and how the Swedish book might have been perceived differently than the English version. I felt like I was missing out on some things but it also made me feel connected to something outside of America's exclusivity.

There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way though. Like how fast the book moved. There weren't enough details and descriptions for my taste. I wish we could've seen Alex and Kyla's relationship evolve more slowly. Milk it for all it's worth, you know?

I also think that Kyla's character was a little awkward at some points. Like the author couldn't figure out how she wanted to portray her. My perceptions of different characters and scenes were messed with a little bit because it seemed like midway through a description the author would switch it up and decide to take it in another direction. That was kind of frustrating and confusing.

Also, when I posted about this book for a Waiting on Wednesday post a while back, I got some comments from people in Sweden who said that the English version of the book had been re-edited and that some of the dirtier parts had been taken out. Knowing that, while I was reading I kept thinking of how much deeper and edgier the book could've been if everything deemed "dirty" by the editors had been kept in. It just makes me mad knowing that I'll never be able to read the alternate version of the book. I feel sort gypped.

But other than that, I think this book came together nicely. It was a fun experience to read something that wasn't by an American author.

B-

*If you do decide to read this book, you should try and watch the movie afterwards. It's called Sandor Slash Ida and came out a little bit ago. I haven't been able to find it anywhere but I'm still looking. It looks like a fun movie.

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #35: Hot!

2009-06-25T22:15:00.002-05:00

On Saturday

Now that summer is here (in the northern hemisphere, anyway), what is the most “Summery” book you can think of? The one that captures the essence of summer for you?

Any one of Sarah Dessen's books. Seriously. Her books all seem to take place during the summer and even if they don't they're still super light and happy and just summery.
It's fitting that Along For The Ride recently came out, don't you think? I'm going to need to get myself a copy of that book...

L

2009-06-24T00:02:00.001-05:00

...is for Loser. That's me.

I know I haven't posted in a while. It's not because I haven't been reading or haven't had anything to post about it's just that life's gotten in the way for the past week or so. I promise that I'll be posting more in the near future. Just bear with me a bit while I get everything sorted out and back to normal.

Love ya guys. :)

Waiting on Wednesday #14 - Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn

2009-06-17T22:55:00.002-05:00

No description/summary yet...

Rachel Cohn's stuff has been very hit or miss for me in the past. I found her contribution to Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist to be quite enjoyable but I thought that You Know Where To Find Me was a pointless book.
Judging by the cover (yeah, totally horrible) I think this will be a "hit" book. The girl looks mysterious and the title is sort of circus, crazy-like.
So I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

Released January 12, 2010.

NYC - a list and pictures

2009-06-16T21:00:00.007-05:00

More pictures here.

10 things I did in NYC:

1. Bought just two books at The Strand. are u 4 real? by Sara Kadefors and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by...some guy and Jane Austen.

2. Explored this cute store and came out with my first pair of jeans that cost over $50. My my. They're pretty beautiful though so it was money well spent.

3. Also went to the Levi's store because I don't think you're a real American until you have a pair of Levi's. Mine are khakis so they don't have the little V on the butt pocket or anything but I love them all the same.

4. Walked through China Town. It was so weird because one block is normal and the next is an entirely different cultural group. Just like that. Had some great wanton soup there.

5. Took the Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island and back just to float by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I fell in love with the orange color scheme of the boat.

6. Went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They have the prettiest rooftop sculpture garden there which looks out over Central Park and all of southern Manhattan.

7. Walked over to the New York Public Library. Why can't all libraries be like that one? The reading rooms and the shelves and the tables andtheandtheandthe. Gah. So gorgeous and scholarly.

8. Felt like I was sort of at the center of the world at Times Square. Seriously. It's so loud and bustling and commercial.

9. Saw Wicked on Broadway. I saw a musical on Broadway. We had second row seats off to the side which only limited the view a teensy bit and still let us see everything super close off. I loved it so much.

10. Explored Yale University. We walked by the Skull and Bones tomb and saw all of the beautiful old buildings. It's a cute little town and a really nice campus. To think that I was just nonchalantly strolling the streets of one of the most prestigious universities in the world...yikes.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

2009-06-13T12:02:00.000-05:00

author // amazon // goodreads

The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.
(Summary from back cover)

This is the first nonfiction book I've read in a while and it reminded me of what I love about the genre. I do love fiction a lot but there's something reassuring and concrete about nonfiction books. They're provable and real and tangible. Reading this book, I felt like I was learning something that would benefit me later on and improve me as an individual. There are definitely many fiction books that can have that effect but a week after reading The Tipping Point, I've brought it up in conversation and recognized its different scenarios in my day-t0-day life which is something that can't be said about any fictional book that I've read lately.

The things I found most interesting about Malcolm Gladwell's research and analyses were the little factoids about humans' interactions and natures that were tucked into the book. Like how there are three influential types of people that are the kinds who make things happen and who wield a great deal more power than anyone else in society - the Mavens, Connecters, and Salesmen. He gave examples and descriptions of people that he knew who were examples of those three types and it made me realize how I know people like this but haven't realized how much they affect my life and also the lives of my social groups.

Another thing I found applicable due to the recent turn of events my life has taken (NYC) is how Gladwell explained why the New York crime rate had such a drastic decline several years ago in comparison to other cities across the nation. The NYPD used the "Broken Windows" effect/study thing. To improve the subway system, all they did was clean up the graffiti and arrest the people who were stopping up the turnstyles. They figured out that if the environment is clean and secure then fewer people will commit crimes. It's like the dirtiness and law-breaking that was previously going on acted to give permission for other crimes to happen.

Malcolm Gladwell was able to take these complex business and social theories and break them down into simpler terms so that a 15 year old girl was easily able to grasp it. His descriptions and narrations were both funny and intelligent and this book was simply a joy to read. I feel like I learned a lot and that I will remember and apply this book many years from now.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an easy nonfiction book. It's a memorable and fast read.

I will definitely be picking up another Gladwell book in the near future.

A+

Surprise

2009-06-12T21:08:00.002-05:00

I meant to post a review today and my little Booking Through Thursday thing tomorrow but that will not be happening because at 4 AM today my mother woke me up and informed me that we were going to travel to New York City for the weekend for a little golden birthday surprise.
After having spent the day wandering the city I can sufficiently say that my mind has been completely blown. And there's still two days left - Broadway (Wicked in particular), the museums, Central Park, cupcakes, and Yale.
Post with pictures coming later.
Excuse my absence.
:)

List #1 - Summer Camp

2009-06-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

8 reasons why I still go to summer camp:

1. I'm not actually a camper - I'm a junior counselor so I get to feel all big and important.

2. It's only for a month AND it's not one of those crazy overnight camps. Just a day thing.

3. The hour long bus ride there and back every day provides for some marvelous reading/sleeping time.

4. It looks good on college applications and resumes of any kind. Think about it. I'm a stereotypical nerd girl but here I am volunteering to tote around kids in the woods for a month. I am quite the well-rounded individual. Hire me/accept me/give me scholarships.

5. I get paid next year for five weeks. And it's not bad pay either. I am in desperate need of the money so volunteering this year gets me in the good graces of the people in charge of deciding next year's staff.

6. I get free food. We have cook-outs once a week and I don't have to contribute in any way. I show up and I get fed pizza-dillas, hunsies, smores, and tacos. Yum.

7. Little kids don't have to know anything about you to love you. I get a little boost of self confidence every day when all my campers scream my name when they see me. What's not to like about that?

8. It gets me away from my hectic city life. I tromp around in the woods rain or shine. There are horses, a climbing wall, an algae-filled lake, and lots and lots of mosquitoes. It makes me feel like I'm not so much of an out of touch city slicker. Yeah, maybe I am, but I'm pretty good at deluding myself.

Bits 'n Pieces - Sarah Ockler

2009-06-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

book // website // twitter

Dots or stripes?

Stripes. I have no idea why I said that, since my closet seems to show equal love for both patterns, but stripes is my final answer, and dots remind me of those candies from the 80s called, um, Dots (genius, right?) that came on little strips of paper that usually stuck to the candy when you tried to eat it, and stripes remind me of Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies which I used to wear on my pinkie like a delicious edible ring. Nomnomnom...

Favorite music artist?

I always say Radiohead when people ask about favorite bands, but when I really think about it, I have to say I have three favorites. Radiohead, Method Man (of Wu-Tang Clan), and Bob Dylan. I've obsessed over all of them -- I can't pick just one! But I also love hearing new music, so my next-favorites sometimes fluctuate. Right now I'm really into The Strokes, Fiction Plane, and Brandi Carlile. My husband just introduced me to Company of Thieves which I'm also digging. Then there are the old jazz and blues favorites... oh I could go on forever! :-)

Have you ever lived abroad?

No, but I've considered it. I'd love to do a year or 2 in Greece, Ireland, or Spain. Still might!

Would you rather be a deep sea diver or an astronaut?

Astronaut. How amazing would that be? I mean, I'm not up for the rigorous training and stuff, or the being away from everyone I love for like 5 years on a mission, but it would be incredible to see the world from that crazy distance. I supposed deep sea diving is a similar experience, other than the 5-years-away part. Hmm... this is a tough question! But I'm sticking with my space explorer answer.

If you could have lunch with any three people (alive, imaginary, or dead), who would you choose and why?

Jack Kerouac, Anais Nin, and Sylvia Plath. Their writing has affected me in profound ways, and I would love to meet them and talk with them over lunch. I of course wouldn't eat, because I'd be so nervous, so I'd just watch them eat and ask my questions and try really hard not to sound like a complete stalker fangirl. And since they're all dead, I might be able to answer some pressing questions for them, too. Important things like what people say about their work these days, what our nation has learned from history, and how Google and orange chocolate sponge candy have changed the face of the modern world.

What does your perfect day look like?

It involves a lot of orange chocolate sponge candy. :-) Also, it's sunny, I wake up somewhat early (here's where we know it's just a fantasy, since I'm such a vampire girl!), have coffee and breakfast (spinach benedict with one pancake on the side) with my husband, then sit down to write thousands of words on my work in progress, which will undoubtedly become a best seller because I wrote so diligently and passionately and avoided the primary evil distractions otherwise known as Facebook and Twitter. And if at the end of the night, there's some Indian food and a nice Malbec and maybe a movie waiting for me? Well I'm pretty much thanking the God of Shiny Happy Perfection for a day like that!
The beautiful thing is that I've actually had days like that. :-) Well, minus the best-seller stuff. We'll see how that part turns out. *Crosses fingers*

When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

My first self-selected costume was a spider web. Not the spider, just the web. Then I was Raggedy Ann for like a million years in a row. I kept winning costume contests so Mom just dressed me up in the same thing, oh aren't you adorable, and I was okay with it for a few years, but then one year out of the blue I was just *not* having it anymore. I cried and cried and told her I just wanted to be a ghost like the normal kids. So she took off my costume and makeup, threw a sheet over my head and cut out holes for eyes, and off I went. No one complimented my costume. No one was scared. No one cared. Ghost? Big deal. It sucked. I went back to the award-winning Raggedy Ann costume after that.
As I got older there was a whole lot of pop culture influence, including but not limited to Firestar, Cheer Bear (of Care Bear fame), Bat Girl, and like pretty much all girls who grew up during the 80s -- Madonna.
Lucky for you (har har!) I've attached a few pictures for your amusement and mocking pleasure!

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Negativity. I really try to fight it in myself and ignore or turn it around in others. It's not easy! But negative people, thoughts, comments, and attitudes really bring me down. That's not to say I don't have a bad day or I don't, like, totally freak out for no good reason (although I maintain that running out of orange chocolate sponge candy IS a justifiable reason for a freak out!), but I try to overcome it and focus on all of the great things in my life.

If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

Something with a Z, like Zahara or Zafirah or Zoe. Z names are infinitely cool. The only time I ever had the opportunity to actually change my name was senior year of high school when we had pictures taken for student IDs. There weren't any teachers around and we had to fill out our own forms for the ID cards, so I just wrote the name Chicago Benetti on mine (I don't know, I guess I was in my gangster phase). The picture came out of the machine and the photographer laminated it on my form without reading the name and senior year, as far as my ID was concerned, I was good old Chicago Benetti, suburban badass with big hair and an even bigger attitude. Or was that horrible hair, horrible attitude? Hmm.. ;-)
Now I'm over Chicago and all about the Zs! Hey, how do you like Zahara Benetti? Nice ring, no? ;-)

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

2009-06-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown asks her to burn a bundle of secret letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers the letters reveal the grim truth behind a murder.
(Summary from back cover)

Mattie Gokey izz mai heeroh 4evah babee.

Yup. It's true. Love that girl. I'll even venture to say that she's one of my favorite literary heroins thus far in my reading career. She's that awesome.

The whole synopsis of the book is sort of misleading because you go into it expecting a semi-chilling Laura Ingalls Wilder-esque mystery thing - which it's not. The whole murder takes a backseat to Mattie's story. It really only acts as a reference event to build off of - a turning point in Mattie's life. You don't learn that much about Grace or the events of the crime but those details aren't sorely missed. The characters are good enough to have the book to themselves.

Like Mattie's dad, for example. He's portrayed so many different ways. As a strict and over-bearing father, a mournful widower, a tender and loving parent, and a harsh disciplinarian. You get to see all these different aspects of the same man which adds depth to his character. I felt as if he could have been real - he had flaws and issues but he was also compassionate and misunderstood.

The other great thing about this book was how it centered around Mattie's schooling and learning, literature in particular. She gets away from her northern woods life through the different novels and anthologies that she reads. Her teacher opens up the world to her and encourages her to chase after her dreams.

I liked that nothing came easy for her. She had to work for what she wanted and there were often enormous obstacles in her way. That she was able to overcome all of the bad stuff that was thrown her way was inspirational and heart-breaking at the same time.

Jennifer Donnelly knows how to pull the readers' heart strings in all the right ways.

This is a thoughtful and subtle book that speaks volumes about growing up as a girl and reaching for the stars. I loved it.

A-

My apologies

2009-06-07T22:33:00.001-05:00

This is what kept me from posting these past few days. An early birthday cake and a trip to the cabin. Don't hate me.
I'll try to get back on track with my reviews and posts so look for a flood of stuff this next week.

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #35: Sticky

2009-06-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

On Saturday

This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

The Lovely Bones
Harry Potter
Thirteen Reasons Why
The Hunger Games
Twilight
The Year of Living Biblically
The Tipping Point
The Outsiders
Uglies
The Book Thief
Elsewhere
Right Behind You
Life of Pi
Prep
Looking for Alaska

Waiting on Wednesday #13 - Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd

2009-06-03T21:42:00.003-05:00

Memories of mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school, and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blond locks she feels transformed. She’s not Holly anymore, she’s Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the supersharp talk. She’s older, more confident—the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland, and find her mum. The kind of girl who can face the
world head-on. So begins a bittersweet and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self and unlocking the secrets of her past.
(Summary from Amazon)

The cover is sort of boring and colorless but the summary sounds quite cute. With all those "mum"s and whatnot. How can you not like a book set in Ireland?

Released October 13, 2009.

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

2009-06-01T17:27:00.003-05:00

Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-riden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can't seem to excape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica's parents won't get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister Bethany's pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.
(Summary from jacket flap)

I've been converted.

I never thought it would happen after the disappointment that was Sloppy Firsts but I'm glad I stuck it out and read the second book in the series. With this book I really think Megan McCafferty found her groove and finally figured out who she wanted Jess to be.

In the first book almost nothing worked for me. It was boring, the characters were distant, and it all seemed rather haphazard and "sloppy". Ha. I think McCafferty had a good idea - the journal of an obsessive teenage girl who has no real friends and who is falling for the totally wrong guy, but the execution was icky. Blah. Meh.

BUT. It was all stepped up a notch in Second Helpings. I found Jess to be entirely relatable and deliciously blunt. She has a way of looking at the world that I think almost anyone can identify with.

She's actually really self-centered and single-minded and what's funny is that while you're reading the book, you're drawn into that way of thinking. You're converted to her point of view because she's the one feeding it to you.

Towards the end, one of the characters points out the flaws in her perceptions and how she's been walking through her life with blinders on. As the reader, I was struck by that scene because it made me realize that it's so easy to fall into that. I wasn't concerned for certain aspects of the story if Jess wasn't. I didn't care about certain characters if Jess didn't. It made me feel sort of used and manipulated but it also made me stand back and take a look at how that proves that this is a really great narrative. That I was able to surrender myself to the story and to a character like that is a mark of greatness, I think.

So yeah, against all expectations, I'm singing the praises of this book. I read it in a day and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's sort of baffling how there could have been such a huge turnaround from the first book, but I'm not complaining. I think I've found a new series to love. We'll see if it sticks.

And hey, the more Marcus Flutie I get, the better.

A-

Sarah Quigley Signing/Last Day of School

2009-05-31T02:00:00.002-05:00

Hate that picture. Grossgrossgross. I look slightly pregnant. I'm not.
But it's the only one I took so I guess I'll have to deal.

Sarah Quigley is the adorable author of the newly released YA novel, TMI. I haven't read it yet but according to almost every review I've read, it's awesome. Of course it is. It's set in Minnesota.

So let's start at the beginning.
Friday was my last day of school. I had to take two finals and then was released from prison at 11:30. It is so great to have your last day be only two and a half hours long. I love it. I got to walk to the neighborhood cafe, drink tea spritzers, eat grilled cheese that tastes like grandma's, and get sunburned while sitting at the park. I also saw the movie New In Town for $3. It's hilarious and Minnesotan and it has Harry Connick Jr in it. I think I can just leave it at that.

After all that fun, my friend and I headed over to The Red Balloon Bookshop to meet Mrs. Sarah Quigley. The Red Balloon is the definition of indie. It's aimed mostly at kids but it does have a section of YA and some adult stuff too. It's also pretty teensy. Before Friday I hadn't been in there for a year or two which is a tragedy.

I don't know what I was expecting, but when I walked in I was a little shocked because it was all old people. Like adults. Not old old. Just in comparison to me. There were a few younger girls there but my friend and I were almost the only teens.

What's so cute about it is that all of the adults were family/high school classmates/college classmates that came to see her. Awww.

So she talked for a little bit - about the book, about her background, about how she got her gig as a writer, etc, and then she read an excerpt and then we got our books signed and...that was it.

It was fun.

Although I do have a confession. I didn't introduce myself as a blogger or anything. I was too scared of all the old people and of being like, "Yeah I'm a blogger and you're book is about how one girl gets in trouble for all of the stuff she posts on her blog and I'm just like her and I need attention, blahblahblah." So yeah. I don't think Sarah knew who I really was. I've even emailed her. How pathetic am I? Sarah, if you ever read this, I was the blonde one in the striped dress. Don't hate me.

Shakespeare

2009-05-30T17:41:00.003-05:00

This is just a quick reminder about the Shakespeare challenge that I'm hosting for the summer.

It's sponsored by Lisa Mantchev.

It's not that hard.

It'll make you smarter.

There already about 12 people participating which is so so great but I'd love to have more! The more the merrier, eh?

You can read the post with all of the info here. Hope you'll join us!

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #35: Unread

2009-05-29T23:33:00.004-05:00

On Saturday

Is there a book that you wish you could “unread”? One that you disliked so thoroughly you wish you could just forget that you ever read it?

Oh have I got a story for this.
So back in the day when I was a young and innocent second grader, I was very into the chapter book series like The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, etc.
I walked into the school library one day and headed over to the section that housed those type of books and decided to try something new. I picked up a Mary-Kate and Ashley mystery book. The Case of the Missing Mummy.
I went home that night expecting it to be like a crappy Nancy Drew book or just entirely fluffy and superfluous. What I didn't expect was to be scared out of my mind. I stayed up super late to try and finish it but had 20 pages left by the time I had to go to sleep. I had the worst nightmare that night and had to wake up my mom and get her to finish the book with me so I would know how it ended and hopefully sleep soundly from then on.
But that didn't happen. For the next two years I couldn't go down in the basement by myself and before going to bed each night I had to check in my closet and in the crack between my bed and the wall to make sure that there were no mummies hiding there.
It was seriously the scariest book I've ever read and it scarred me for life.
Curse you Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg

2009-05-29T10:01:00.001-05:00

Bobby Framingham is the star quarterback at Durango High School and one of the most talented high school football players in California. He's waiting on scholarship offers from big schools and hopes he'll go pro after college. On the field, his teammates are like his brothers. But off the field, he knows he's different - Bobby is gay.
Can he still be one of the guys and still be honest about who he is? And even more, if people knew, could he still get that scholarship? Bobby's not sure. After all, there are no openly gay male atheletes in any of the major college or pro sports. Can he help change that? He doesn't want to be a hero or a poster boy for gay rights - he just wants to play football - but how he handles his istuation will send a big message.
Just like in football, once Bobby's forced out of the pocket he'll have to make a play. He'll have to deal with the changing dynamics of the team and his changing relationships with his friends an family, and accept that his path to success might be more difficult, and more public, than he'd hoped.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Out of the Pocket is a surprisingly readable and relatable take on homosexuality in high school.

And I say "surprisingly" because I'm a cover judger. It looked like it might be a little too boy-ish and manly for me based on the football player and the sky and the black but it wasn't at all. It could appeal to anyone and I think that's the point. How anyone should be able to pick up a book like this and enjoy it.

I actually like the fact that the cover is marketed at guys because I know a guy or two who could stand to read a little more about homosexuality.

One of the things that really impressed me about Out of the Pocket was how realistic it was. Bill Konigsberg wasn't afraid to tackle all of the stupid stereotypes and idiot high school jock guys head on. Jokes, slurs, and crudeness, all included. It added personality and "real-ness" to the football guys and made it even more dynamic when Bobby came out and had to deal with their crap. Nothing was sugar-coated or brushed over. It was all laid out on the table and dealt with in a methodical manner.

I also like the statements that some of the characters made to Bobby.

"Bobby, you're a cool guy. Who cares if you're gay or straight? It's all the same, I mean, either way you love someone. That's all there is to it."

And amen to that.

There were a few tiny things that could have been improved about the book. I wish there had been a little more depth - I would've liked to hear more of Bobby's opinions and thoughts about the events. There wasn't enough of that. I also think that a few of the side characters, like Carrie, would've been fun to learn more about. Their backgrounds and personalities could've been hashed out more.

But overall, I think that this was a solid novel that dealt with a real life issue in a way that's simple and understandable. I applaud the author for that.

B

The Lake

2009-05-28T12:20:00.004-05:00

Memorial Day weekend at the cabin. It's officially summer.

Bits 'n Pieces - A.S. King

2009-05-27T22:19:00.007-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, today I present to you the new, improved, and more readable than ever version of my interview feature, Bits 'n Pieces. It's great.

book // website // blog

Cooking or eating out?

Oh cooking--by a long shot. Though authentic Mexican food is a favorite that I'd go out for. Take out food is a nice treat once a week, though where I live the selection is pretty limited.

Favorite guilty pleasure?

Mike & Ikes.

Have you ever gotten a tattoo?

Yes. My first was 20 years ago this month.

Would you rather be the sand castle or the wave?

Castle. No wave. No wait. Castle. No. Wave. Hold on. I have no idea.

If you could have lunch with any three people (alive, imaginary, or dead), who would you choose and why?

My husband, Kurt Vonnegut, and my old friend David. Why? because we'd have a really great chat for hours and all of us would get something out of it. Plus, KV is my writing hero & I miss David. I mean, I could've chosen Prince & Stevie Wonder or John Cleese and Woody Allen, or Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix or Ben Franklin or David Bowie or George Orwell, or Ayn Rand. And meeting all those people would be cool, but I think I might be awed a bit too much to enjoy myself and relax. So, to have a really great and memorable lunch? Me, Topher, Dave and KV. Or Walt Whitman. Or Jack Yeats, the painter. Or Tony O'Malley. Ooo! No. Me, my friend Krista, Topher and Jimi Hendrix. Oh this question tortures me. Final answer: I have no final answer. I really hope I never have to make this choice in real life.

What are some of the little things you love in life?

Fleece socks. Walking in light snow. Swimming laps. Corn on the cob.

Where would you bury your treasure?

In a hole someone else has dug. (I've shoveled enough in my life.)

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Negativity. People who have nothing positive to offer perplex me, and simultaneously make me very happy to not be them. 

When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?
I have no idea. Let me go look. Looks like 1973 I was Bugs Bunny and 1974, I was the Devil. Sweet.

A Little Bit of Skin

2009-05-26T10:01:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Little Brown Pen to alerting me to this masterpiece of a music video.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

2009-05-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way - thin, thinner, thinnest - maybe she'll disappear altogether.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Let's start out with a few choice quotes from the book, mmk?

"The snow drifts into our zombie mouths crawling with grease and curses and tobacco flakes and cavities and boyfriend/girlfriend juice, the stain o lies. For one moment we are not failed tests and broken condoms and cheating on essays; we are crayons and lunch boxes and swinging so high our sneakers punch holes in the clouds. For one breat everything feels better."

"We held hands when we walked down the gingerbread path into the forest, blood dripping from our fingers. We danced with witches and kissed monsters. We turned us into wintergirls, and when she tried to leave, I pulled her back into the snow because I was afraid to be alone."

And that right there is the novel summed up in a few sentences. Dark, haunting, sick, and still hopeful. It messes with your mind.

Laurie Halse Anderson really knows how to write. I actually think that Wintergirls would've worked really well if it was written in prose. The way the words are put together is almost poetic, but not quite. It's a different kind of writing style than I'm used to and it helped to lend an air of surreality to the story. I liked it.

The other thing that was great about the book was that it dealt with a harsh problem in a harsh way. There was no sugar-coating anything. How could there be when it's told through the eyes of a girl who's starving herself to death? Lia was brutally honest and seriously messed up, but she was convincing.

People exist that do things like this to themselves. It's horrible. I think that Wintergirls did an oustanding job of portraying something that's usually shoved into the closet because people are too scared to face the reality of it. But this is real. Girls like this are out there. They just need to be seen.

The only teensy thing that I took issue with was that this book actually didn't leave a huge impression on me...? Which is strange. Maybe it's just me. It was a great book but I think I read it at an inoportune time.

So a B+ for this one. Heavy stuff here.

Look! I'm Special!

2009-05-25T17:12:00.002-05:00

An interview with me just went up today over at Across the Pond. Check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday #12 - We Were Here by Matt de la Pena

2009-05-20T20:11:00.002-05:00

The story of one boy and his journey to find himself. When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home—said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face. Any home besides his would be a better place to live. But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting to the border to where he could start over. Forget his mom. Forget his brother. Forget himself. Life usually doesn’t work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you’re running from.
(Summary from Amazon)

Sounds like a pretty good guy-ish book, right? If done right, I think that the character development and analysis could turn out to be awesome. And breaking out of jail? That's right up my alley.

A conspiracy

2009-05-19T18:19:00.001-05:00

Jordyn is having a count down to the release of 20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. My post went up today. Enjoy.

A Shakespearean Summer

2009-05-17T21:56:00.013-05:00

photo credit

Shakespeare.

1564-1616.
One of the most influential and renowned authors of all time.

Hundreds of years after being written, Shakespeare's works are still read and adored by millions of people. And with good reason. They provide the basis for modern literature - everything from comedy to tragedy. There's no storyline out there that's not tainted by Shakespeare's influence. Tragic love, selfish rulers, magical and conniving creatures. It's everywhere.

The sad thing is, is that more and more our generation is passing Shakespeare off as too hard to understand, too old, too cliched. My own first foray into his works was just a few weeks ago and then only for school. I just didn't even consider reading Shakespeare an option for me. I thought it was above me.

How wrong I was.

It's perverted. It's hilarious. It's romantic. It's witty. It's great.

I need some more of it. The cool thing is that it's not meant only for the snooty literary types. It's meant for everyone.

And it's now a summer goal of mine. To read some Shakespeare. See what all of the fuss is about.

I think you guys should join me on this little adventure. It wouldn't hurt you. Shakespeare doesn't bite. And you'll get to feel a little more sophisticated and knowledgeable by saying that you've read a few of his works.

So onto the rules.
1. You must read three plays by Shakespeare between June 1st and August 31st. There's a list of all of his stuff toward the bottom of this page.
2. After you've finished reading one, do a post about it on your blog. Link back to this original post in your own post so people can see what it's all a part of.
3. If you don't have a blog, leave your thoughts in the comments of this post so there's some sort of documentation.
4. The Sparknote versions of the plays can count. Because yes, Shakespeare is hard to understand and sometimes we might need a little help along the way. I know that I'll be reading some Sparknotes.
5. Have fun.

And to make this all even better, this challenge has a sponsor! Doesn't that sound official?

spon-sor -noun:
a person who makes a pledge or promise on behalf of another.

Lisa Mantchev is that person. She is making a pledge on your behalf.
Her book, Eyes Like Stars, is coming out on July 7 and is centered around the theater and magic and all sorts of other fabulous things.

All her world’s a stage.
Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.That is, until now.
Enter Stage Right
NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.
COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.
ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.
BERTIE. Our heroine.
Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.
(Summary from Amazon)

Doesn't that sound delicious? And quite appropriate, no?

Lisa's pledge to you is that if you fully participate in and complete this challenge, you will be entered into a drawing to win
1. a signed hardcover of Eyes Like Stars
2. a fabulous prize, TBD
3. an invitation to do a guest post on the series' website, Théâtre Illuminata.

So...yeah. You should participate. Because not only will you get to read some of the greatest literary works of all time, you might also win some awesome swag from Lisa.

Sign up, spread the word, and enjoy some Shakespeare!

^ a little picture/icon for your use ^

Leave your link to enter!

A concert

2009-05-17T12:01:00.001-05:00

*** These are not my pictures. They were taken by my dear friend Rachel. :)

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #34: Gluttony

2009-05-16T18:53:00.002-05:00

On Saturday

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

YES, my eyes are bigger then my belly.
No. I don't buy books. Or at least very rarely. Too much money for a broke high school student. Although I do mooch a lot of books, if that counts.
I'm hoping to stop getting books for the summer - library, bookstores, bookmooch, and review copies included, because I need to read what I have. Thankfully summer's coming up so I'll have more time to read. I'm hoping to make a pretty big dent in the pile in the three months of delicious freedom that are coming up. Because what else is there to do but read?

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay

2009-05-16T17:42:00.003-05:00

Maggie Leigh just wants to be a normal teenager, but when German bombs tear apart London during World War II, her ultra-religious mother sees the destruction as divine punishment. She sends Maggie to a remote boarding school in coastal Wales, supposedly to keep her safe, but also to keep her in line. The school is creepy, the headmistress is a lunatic, and the students range from spoiled rich girls to speechless trauma vitims. But when a tragic accident happens on the beach, Maggie and three friends are forced to flee the school, plunging into the nightmarish world of Europe during wartime. Now every decision Maggie makes is fraught with danger, and living to see another day depends on how quickly she can think and act...and how far she's willing to go.
(Summary from back of book)

To be blunt, this is one of the worst books I've read in a long time. Seriously.

I usually try and find something good to say about not-so-great books that I read but I can't with this one. It was all just weird and implausible and creepy and bad.

Gah.

I guess it was a quick read? If that's a good thing? Once I sat down to read it, it didn't take me very long to get through it.

But besides that, it was not good at all. The characters were seriously messed up, the ending was horrible, and basically, I didn't see the point to this book. Was there even meant to be a point?

I don't even know what to say.

D

I Tried

2009-05-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

...to type something interesting and intelligent and coherent for today but that didn't work and so this is just going to be a random, word-barf post. Like a diary except not so revealing because, hey, this is the internet.

1. Spring allergies are killing me. Mentally, physically, emotionally, everything. I'm dying here. It's like this feeling that nothing's going to get better. Like my eyes are going to be nasty and blood shot for the rest of my life. Like summer's never going to come. Like I'm never going to have fun ever again. Seriously. I'm that congested and moody. The only thing that makes me feel better is watching this:
It's just so happy. Expect a post about this when the Pilot comes out. Probably lots of fangirling.

2. Can I just reiterate how congested I am?

3. I hate having to make decisions. My options for this summer were to either find a job or to resign myself to a month of volunteering to watch little kids scream out in the middle of the woods. The job thing was basically an impossibility as I am going to be out of town for two and a half weeks for various trips and whatnot, so I'm doing the volunteering thing which sucks. Because I was expecting to get paid for it this summer but because of budget cuts, they took away the paid positions. Next year I'll get paid for five weeks but this year it's all volunteering again. But then two months of relative freedom which should be nice. I just have to endure a month of sunburn and mosquito bites first.

4. If I lick my arm, I smell like chlorine. Yum.

5. No school tomorrow because of teacher workshop/prom. So I'm having a picnic and going to a concert. Maybe that'll lift me out of my allergy induced bad mood.

6. I really love when it's windy outside and you have your hair down and it blows around like you're a model with a big wind fan turned on you. I always imagine that I've got this perfectly windswept 'do when in reality I look like Medusa. But while all the hair swooshing is going on, I feel lighter than air.

Bits 'n Pieces - Deborah Kerbel

2009-05-13T16:48:00.006-05:00

Deborah Kerbel's debut novel, Mackenzie Lost and Found, came out last November and since then has received tons of glowing reviews. Her next novel, Girl on the Other Side, is due out this coming November. You can visit Deborah's website here. Enjoy the interview!

This or that:
Rain or shine?
Shine! Rain makes me sleepy…and then I end up napping instead of writing.
iPod or mp3 player?
iPod – but my husband and I share it and somehow I only get my turn when the battery needs charging.
Movies or TV?
Well I love movies, but they’re expensive since my husband and I need to hire a babysitter every time we go. So I’ll have to say TV by default (but usually I’d rather be writing).
City or country?
City to live…country to visit.
Mountains or beaches?
Beaches – as long as I’m in the shade (I burn to a crisp when I’m in the sun).
Dots or stripes?
Um…neither.
Dogs or cats?
DOGS! Cats freak me out!
Cooking or eating out?
Eating out – I’ll do anything I can to avoid cooking dinner!
Coffee or tea?
Both – I must absolutely positively have a hot drink on my desk when I’m writing! I don’t usually care what it is, as long as it’s hot.
Books or magazines?
Books, baby! Magazines make me nervous – they’re so much about nothing.

Favorites:
Book -
Such a hard question! But I’d have to say Fugitive Pieces, by Anne Michaels
Book store –
Sorry, I plead the Fifth!
Movie –
Probably Sense and Sensibility…I love anything Jane Austen.
Music artist -
The Beatles (Paul fan here).
Website -
Ha! www.deborahkerbel.com -- of course!
Designer –
Um…who’s designing for Old Navy these days?
Coffee chain –
Deb’s Café (where I make my fabulous home-brewed cuppa)
Guilty pleasure –
I’m secretly and hopelessly addicted to America’s Next Top Model. Oops – guess it’s not a secret anymore.
Restaurant -
Mata Hari – a fabulous Malaysian restaurant in Toronto
Color -
Pink

Have you ever:
Lived abroad?
Yup – I was born in London, England and moved to North America when I was two.
Gotten a tattoo?
Never – I’m petrified of needles!
Stayed up for the midnight release of a movie or book?
No – nothing keeps me from my 8 hours.
Disliked your job?
Yes – before I became a writer.
Cried during a movie?
Definitely! IMHO, the best movies are the ones that make you cry!
Sang karaoke?
Once…under intense pressure…with a group of people…hating every second!

Questions:
If you were on a desert island, what 5 things would you bring with you?
Sunscreen, a notepad, a pen, my husband, and our (shared) iPod.
What’s on the list of things you have to do during your life?
Swimming with dolphins – which I did a couple of years ago. It was fantastic!
If you could have one super power what would it be?
Flying, for sure!
What’s your perfect music playlist?
I look for the same thing in music that I look for in books – something that stirs my soul and carries me away.
What’s the one food you could eat day after day and not get sick of?
Mint chocolate-chip ice cream on a sugar cone.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
To Africa for a safari.
What moment in history do you wish you could’ve experienced?
Hanging around Florence during the Renaissance would have been pretty cool!
What does your dream library look like?
One of those old English, dark wood libraries with bookcases stacked up to the ceiling and a tall ladder on wheels to access the highest shelves. Of course, each shelf would be filled with all of my bestsellers (hey, this is a dream…right?)
When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first?
I motor to the YA section to check out all the cool new covers…and to turn my book face out for everyone to see.
If everyone had to read one book, what would you have it be?
My book! Because, if everyone in the world bought a copy of Mackenzie, Lost and Found, I could finally get my own freakin’ iPod!

~~~

Thank you sooo much Deborah!
I have to agree with you on the Old Navy thing. That store is pure genius.

ALSO. This interview marks the last one of its kind, at least in this format. From now on, they're shorter, there's more variety, and there may be some Halloween pictures. So yeah, be on the lookout for that. :)

One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin

2009-05-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

Fifteen-year-old Finn has always felt out of place, but suddenly her world is unraveling. It all started with The Party. And Adam Porter. And the night in September that changed everything. The only perosn who knows about that night is Audrey - Finn's best friend, her witness to everything, and the one person (under thirty) Finn trusts implicitly. So when Finn's childhood friend Jersy moves back into town - reckless, beautiful boy Jersy, all lips and eyes and hair so soft you'd want to dip your fingers into it if you weren't careful - Finn gives her blessing for Audrey to date him. After all, how could she possibly say no to Audrey?
With Audrey gone for the summer, though, Finn finds herself spending more and more time with Jersy, and for the first time since September, for the first time in her life maybe, something feels right - absolutely, stunningly right. But Finn can't be the girl who does this to her best friend...can she?
(Summary from back of ARC)

Ahhh...can I decline to do a review on this one please? That would be great.

Because I adore C.K. Kelly Martin and I wouldn't want to say anything less than glowing about her book. But I think I kind of have to with this one. It wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be.

The biggest thing that bothered me about One Lonely Degree was how passive it was. Her first book tackled a big issue in a big way (teen pregnancy from a guy's perspective - it doesn't get much better than that) and this book just didn't. I guess you could say that the whole Adam Porter thing was the event that was supposed to add a little bit of tension and edginess to the book, but I didn't see that at all. Nothing really jumped out at me or made me take a second look.

The other thing that bothered me was Jersy. On the surface he was the cute, idealistic guy, but, at least to me, he was a complete man ho (don't laugh at my terminology). He hooks up with Finn's best friend. Like hook-up, hook-up. And then once she's gone, he turns around and tells Finn that it was really her all along. While reading, I was just like, seriously? Really, Jersy? Because if any guy did that to my best friend or to me, I'd slap him across the face and walk away. Not okay in my book. Jersy was just a big ol' slime ball.

Other than that though, this book was quite good. After I realized that there weren't going to be any big controversial events, I resigned myself to reading it like I did Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. Like it was a fun little account of a teen's life. I listened to the voice instead of any underlying hints and meanings that there might have been. And once I got into that, I decided that the book wasn't half bad. Finn had a really great voice and the way she described things and reacted to different twists in her life struck a chord with me. She reminded me of myself.

I also loved the ending and the openness of it all. Because, really, in real life, nothing turns out perfectly. It's about finding the silver lining and making the best out of what's put in front of you.

One Lonely Degree wasn't a book about some big issue that needs to be confronted or some star-crossed romance, it was a book about life.

And I loved that.

So thanks C.K. You really can do no wrong in my mind.

B

SEARCHING

2009-05-10T20:42:00.002-05:00

...for someone who reads/has visited my blog who DOES NOT have a blog of their own.
I know this is a shot in the dark because, for the most part, bloggers read other bloggers' blogs and they're the ones who leave the comments and what-not, but.
If you do read my blog and you're just a random person on the street without your own blog, pleasepleaseplease leave a comment here.
Also, an email address is preferable? Or you could just email me at livsbookreviews@gmail.com
Please.
I'll love you forever.
And I don't bite, I swear.

My Baby

2009-05-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

This Monday, I came home to a wonderfully large and bulky package sitting on my front doorstep.
My dog took quite a liking to it...

Ah yesss...

My favorite part? Click to enlarge.

I've been click-clacking away all week. And while typing on my laptop keyboard, I already go to "shift-8" for the apostrophe. *palm-forehead*

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #33: Graphic

2009-05-09T20:10:00.002-05:00

On Saturday

Last Saturday (May 2nd) is Free Comic Book Day! In celebration of comics and graphic novels, some suggestions: - Do you read graphic novels/comics? Why do/don’t you enjoy them? - How would you describe the difference between “graphic novel” and “comic”? Is there a difference at all? - Say you have a friend who’s never encountered graphic novels. Recommend some titles you consider landmark/”canonical”.

1. No, I do not read graphic novels. Yes, I do read some comics if the newspaper counts. And even then, only the Sunday ones. I do enjoy comics quite a lot because they're basically just funny pictures. What's not to like?
2. In my mind, the difference between a graphic novel and a comic is that a graphic novel is a story that, instead of being written in prose, is written in pictures. Comics are just comical illustrations of everyday occurences.
3. Can't answer that. Sorry, I suck. :P

Layout

2009-05-09T16:15:00.002-05:00

New header...yay or nay? Please let me know.

EDIT: So after 3 changes, I think this is it for now...I kinda like it. We'll see.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

2009-05-08T19:04:00.006-05:00

*This post is a part of the first Traveling To Teens book tour*
_____

CAROL LYNCH WILLIAMS, a four-time winner of the Utah Original Writing Competition and winner of Nebraska’s Golden Sower Award, grew up in Florida but now lives in Utah with her husband and seven children. She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and helped develop the conference on Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers at Brigham Young University.

_____

Family or freedom? She must choose.
Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters. Or at least without questioning them much - if you don't count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her sixty-year-old uncle - who already has six wives - Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family.
(Summary from back of ARC)

Please don't stone me or dunk me in a tub of ice water, but I didn't think this book was as great as everyone else is making it out to be. I'm not saying that it was horrible or anything, I just don't think that it fully deserves all of the praise it's been getting.

Complaint #1: The writing isn't so nice. Although I guess this isn't that bad as it is told from the eyes of a thirteen-year-old who's grown up away from society and doesn't really know how everything works, but I still thought it was a little dry and flavorless. There was nothing there that would even make you want to like Kyra. She was just a boring girl. Maybe if her feelings of escape and rebellion had been a little stronger and more exciting I would've been satisfied but I thought it was kinda...meh.

Complaint #2: The book was too short! If you're going to take on the topic of polygamy then you have to make it really convincing and juicy. I would've loved to hear more about what went on at the camp, what the other families there were like, how Kyra intereacted with her siblings, etc. Out of the 20 siblings that she has, we only really encounted three of them and we never see any other families at the compound except Hyrum's briefly, and Joshua's. More of everything would've helped.

Complaint #3: The ending was too open for my tastes. I wish we could've seen how Kyra acclimated to the new world she was living in and how she changed, both for the better and for the worse. To be able to view our world through the eyes of someone who's never been there and has scorn for it built into her at a young age would've been fun to read about. We did see a little of that when she and her mothers went into town once, but there wasn't enough of it.

Positive #1: The topic was genuinely unique. I've never read a book about polygamy before - never even heard of a book about it, so for Carol Lynch Williams to tackle it was ground breaking. There's a Q&A with her in the book and it sounds like she did a lot of research and learned about what life is like on a compound and about who the people are. That thoughtfulness showed in the book through the characters and their personalities. Kyra's mothers were really intersting to me, both in their passivity and also in their drive to live. The detail that was there seemed well thought out and organized.

Positive #2: The influence of books in Kyra's life was super fun. Maybe I'm biased, but I liked the idea that the book mobile was the thing to save her and help her shed her past and move on. It demonstrated that yes, books have the power to do great things. I also just like the idea of a Book Mobile. I want one.

To sum it up: This was a decent book. Nothing amazing, but still a good plot and a unique topic. I learned a lot about something that I don't think many people know very much about and I liked getting to see behind the curtain to what really happens at a compound. I'd recommend this book if you're looking for a quick and educational read.

C+

Laurie Halse Anderson Signing

2009-05-07T02:00:00.001-05:00

This Monday, the greatly lauded YA and children's author Laurie Halse Anderson came to The Loft Literary Center for a reading and signing. She's written books such as Fever 1793, Speak, Twisted, Catalyst, Prom, Chains, and Wintergirls. She writes both light and heavy books and has received numerous awards for her work. Needless to say, I was extremely excited that she was coming and even got a few of my friends to come with me. Gotta spread the love of reading, eh? :P

Surprisingly, there weren't that many people there. My friends and I were the oldest teens in the audience, I think. Which is odd because we're really not that old (see above photographed immaturity). There was a big group of fifth graders there with their English class. They had read Chains for school and so, since they were basically the majority of the crowd, a lot of the talk focused on that book which I'm definitely not complaining about because it was really interesting. I have yet to read Chains but it's in my pile.

Laurie was really peppy and entertaining and it was definitely a fun event to go to, in general.

I have a fondness for author events because it takes these people that I normally put on a pedestal and shows them how they really are. They're just like everybody else. It's kind of a fun thing to see. This is my fourth author event that I've been to, with another one coming at the end of the month.

I love all you author people out there. Come to Minnesota. :)

Waiting on Wednesday #11 - Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

2009-05-06T17:50:00.002-05:00

You only hurt the ones you love.

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.
(Summary from Amazon)

Oh my goodness gracious, this looks like a weird but interesting book. I don't quite understand the circumstances yet, just from the summary, but I'll definitely be picking this up to see what the deal is. The edginess and the unique topic are a huge plus.

Released October 13, 2009.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

2009-05-04T22:17:00.003-05:00

Lee Fiora is an intelligent, observant fourteen-year-old when she leaves her family behind in Indiana to attend the prestigious Ault School in Massachusetts. Over the next four years, her experiences at Ault - complicated relationships with teachers, intense friendships with other girls, an all-consuming preoccupation with a classmate who is less than a boyfriend and more than a crush - coalesce into a singular portrait of the universal pains and thrills of adolescence.
(Summary from back of book)

What to say about this book? I honestly don't know where to start.

There's a book every now and then that's legitimately real. Where the author knows the teenage brain backwards and forwards and is able to express that knowledge with wit, respect, and honesty. Where the teens who are reading the book find themselves inexplicably relating to the main character even though they have almost nothing in common. Where the author is able to get everyone who picks up the book to remember it, think about it, and be scared by it. Prep is one of those books.

Don't let the incongruous title and cover mislead you. This is a book about much more then a prep school and a confused, rejected girl. It's a book about growing up and dealing with all of the crap that's shoved in your face along the way.

One of the things I appreciate the most about this book is how realistic and true-to-life Lee is. She's the character that has a little bit to offer everyone. She's not entirely likeable but you can't hate her either. No one's purely angelic or purely demonic. There's a little bit of both in everyone and Curtis Sittenfeld was able to show that through all of her characters, especially Lee. They had their flaws, yes, but they were all able to live with them and make the most of what was handed to them.

That's the beauty of the human race, I think. That each of us is a little different than everyone else. No one is perfect. I find comfort in the fact that other people have survived experiences like mine. That so far, people have turned out okay. That even though each person's life is unique and different, we can relate to each other in a broader way.

Besides that, the writing in Prep was great. Lee's voice really stood out to me. I like the way Sittenfeld wrote the book - as Lee looking back on her life years later and being able to compare where she is now to where she was then. It was as if I was listening to my grandmother or my mother tell a story about their childhood except much more detailed and personal.

And how can you not love a book with quotes like these?

"The knowledge, unfortunately, wasn't much help - I still couldn't say what I wanted to becuse it was lodged inside me like a bowel movement and all that was coming out was hot stuttering air."

"And so everything has to turn out somehow, and other things happened to me - a job, graduate school, another job - and there are always words to describe the way you fill up your life, there is always a sequence of events. Although it doesn't necessarily have a relationship to the way you felt while it was occuring, there's usually some satisfaction in the neatness of its passage. Some anxiety too, but usually some satisfaction."

Prep is a thoughtful, sincere, and heartfelt portrayal of teenage life. It takes one seemingly simple girl's experience and turns it into something to be learned from and something to be appreciated. I highly suggest this to anyone who's looking for a book that will change the way they look at themselves and even how they look at everyone around them.

A

Discouragement and Desperation

2009-05-03T13:58:00.003-05:00

GAH.

That right there is 41 books that I own but haven't read. It's horrible.
I kind of feel like a failure right now.
The only salvation I can see is the coming of summer.
I'm doing almost no reading for the rest of the month because of stupid school and finals. Why can't it just all be over already?
Why can't I read faster?
Click to enlarge the picture and tell me what my priorities should be? Just don't look at my feet.

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #32: Worse?

2009-05-02T18:13:00.004-05:00

On Saturday

Which is worse? Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?

It's like Would You Rather! I love Would You Rather!

First of all though, I think it's basically impossible for an author to write both a fantastic book and then a horrible book. It just doesn't work. I don't think their editor would let them publish a let down of a book. Just saying.

But that aside, I'd have to say that reading a disappointing book by an author that I love would be the "worser" of the two.

I tend to obsess over authors I love. I put them up on a pedestal and make little shrines to them in my closet and I write embarrassing letters to them that I horde away in my file drawers. So having one of my very revered author idols write a bad book would basically ruin my world.

Thankfully it hasn't happened yet. My sanity is in tact.

It's OVER (#30)

2009-04-30T16:52:00.002-05:00

BEDA is over. It's officially done/moot/complete.

And can I just say, THANK GOD.

I think people basically hate my blog now due to how much crap I posted this month. I read only 6 books so that means that there were 24 other completely random and meaningless posts. But thankfully people were able to ignore those posts and only comment on the ones that actually had substance. Or at least, that's what I'm concluding because all of the stupid posts had pretty much zero comments. So I commend your intellect. Good job readers.

Some stats:

Pageviews = 3,580

Visits = 2,248

Most viewed post = "I looove You Iowa (#3)" (which I think is pretty much because Steph linked to it and all of her bajillions of readers clickied on it)

Most searched keyword that brought people here = "Liv's Reviews" which makes me happy! People are actually wanting to find me! :)

Fun = I posted about Sara Kadefors' soon to be released book back in March, which was originally published in Sweden, and I got an abnormal number of visits from Sweden this month and three comments on that post from Swedes who think that the American version of the book is going to suck because they took out all the "dirty" sex stuff. I just kinda liked that.

Disappointment = Didn't reach my 150 follower goal, which is not surprising. But thank you to all my current followers!

And basically, I'm just super relieved that this is all over. From now on, I'm going to try to stick to a little schedule.

Monday - Review
Tuesday -
Wednesday - Waiting on Wednesday/Bits 'n Pieces, switch every other week
Thursday - Weekly Randomness
Friday - Review
Saturday - Booking Through Thursday/Saturday
Sunday - Pictures

So hopefully six posts a week which isn't even a full guarantee because I haven't read eight books in a month ever, this year. But we shall see. I like the idea of some sort of structure.

And that is all from me. Thanks for sticking with me this month, through all of my random horrible-ness. My apologies.

Bits 'n Pieces - Tara Altebrando (#29)

2009-04-29T16:03:00.005-05:00

Tara Altebrando is the author of the YA novels, The Pursuit of Hapiness and What Happens Here. I read What Happens Here a month or two ago and completely fell in love with it. It was one of the best books I've read this year, by far (review). You can visit Tara's website here and purchase What Happens Here on Amazon. Enjoy the interview! :)

This or that:
Rain or shine?
Shine
iPod or mp3 player?
Ipod
Movies or TV?
Movies on TV
City or country?
City
Mountains or beaches?
Beaches
Dots or stripes?
Stripes
Dogs or cats?
Dogs
Cooking or eating out?
Husband’s cooking
Coffee or tea?
Coffee
Books or magazines?
Books

Favorites:
Book-
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
Book store-
Um. Amazon. Because it is the only bookstore I can get to easily with any regularity. [I would love to support my local independent but it is smelly and un-alphabetized. ]
Movie-
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Music artist-
Flaming Lips
Website-
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
Designer-
I’m not that fancy.
Coffee chain-
I’m not that addicted.
Guilty pleasure-
Crime dramas
Restaurant-
Hmmmn. I have a LOT. I’ll say Tournesol, which is a French bistro in Long Island City, Queens. I tend to end up there on special occasions.
Color-
Green

Have you ever:
Lived abroad?
Yes. In Dublin for a year and a half.
Gotten a tattoo?
No. I once thought about getting an 8-ball but then realized I wasn’t really THAT good at pool.
Stayed up for the midnight release of a movie or book?
No. Though I did go to a very late, very sold-out showing of the Blair Witch Project on day two, maybe?
Disliked your job?
Yes, but I’ve never actually worked full-time anywhere, so I can’t really complain too much.
Cried during a movie?
All the time. I am a weeper.
Sang karaoke?
Hell’s yeah. And badly.

Questions:
If you were on a desert island, what 5 things would you bring with you?
1) A hammock; 2) a bucket for building sandcastles; 3) sunscreen 4) a bottle in which to maybe send a message on a piece of (5.) paper.
What’s on the list of things you have to do during your life?
I really want to get to Asia and to Australia but right now is not really the time, with my daughter so young. I would like very much to go swimming in those phosphorescent pools somewhere, maybe Bali?
If you could have one super power what would it be?
X-ray vision. I want to know what all that thumping in my daughter’s room is.
What’s your perfect music playlist?
I’m not much of a playlist person. I’m more of an album listener.
What’s the one food you could eat day after day and not get sick of?
Pasta.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Iceland. It looks like another planet.
What moment in history do you wish you could’ve experienced?
I would have liked to have gone to Coney Island when the big amusement parks of the early 1900s existed. I think I would have liked taking a spin on the human roulette wheel.
What does your dream library look like?
The opposite of my current library, which is in storage bins in my garage.
When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first?
Usually new fiction, then YA, then books for littler ones like my daughter.
If everyone had to read one book, what would you have it be?
The book I’m writing now. Stay tuned!

~~~

Thank you Tara!

I'm Scared (#28)

2009-04-28T22:04:00.002-05:00

Of the world.

It's a big scary place out there and I don't feel like I'm ready for it.

Granted, I'm still a freshman in high school but that does mean that I've only got another year or two before I have to make some big decisions. I'm also learning to drive this summer which is big and scary. And I'm hoping to get my first real, paying, job this summer as well. And all of that is scary to me.

It's scary not only because I'm afraid I'm going to mess it up but also because there's no turning back. I can't go back to the innocent days of elementary and middle school where all I had to worry about was what time my dad was going to pick me up from practice or who to sit with at lunch to keep myself from looking like an out-of-place loser. Those days, while hated at the time, look really good right now.

Things are starting to matter and count towards my future. The grades I get, the extracurriculars I participate in, the groups that I'm a part of, all of that is counting either for or against me. What I do this year and the next and the next is going to affect what colleges I get into and whether I'll actually be able to attend those colleges ($).

It's just seriously nerve-wracking. I don't want to mess up. I want people to like me, I want to do well, I want to have everything come easily. But that's not going to happen all of the time and I think it's about time for me to wake up and smell the flowers. I need to start working harder, caring more, and being more focused and concentrated.

I'm aware of every second that passes, knowing that it's taking away a little more of my childhood that I'm never going to get back. While typing this, I lost about 15 minutes. Each night I lose about 6 hours. I'm just getting older. With that comes knoweledge and experience, yes, but that isn't necessarily a good thing, I don't think.

I wish I could stay in a state of perpetual childhood. How nice would that be?

But there's also a beauty to growing up. It's a graceful process. While I'll never be the same person I was five mintues ago, I'm moving towards a bigger and better me. It depends on the way you look at it.

With school, driving, and aging, comes new wisdom and insights. The way that I use that wisdom and knoweledge is going to be the thing that matters in the long run.

I just hope that I make the right decisions, that I become a good person, that I work hard and am able to reap the benefits.

But nothing's for certain.

I'm doing the best that I can.

I hope it's enough.

5 Things... (#27)

2009-04-27T23:24:00.004-05:00

...that have made me happy this past week.

1. Heavy duty long underwear
2. Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies
3. Steaming hot saunas
4. Sitting on top of monkey bars
5. Morning coffee escapadesAmen for the simple things in life.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom (#26)

2009-04-26T23:50:00.002-05:00

Eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. As the park has changed over the years - from the Loop-the-Loop to the Pipeline Plunge - so, too, has Eddie changed, from optimistic youth to embittered old age. His days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret.
Then, on his 83rd birthday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his - and then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever.
One by one, Eddie's five people illuminate the unseen connections of his earthly life. As the story builds to its stunning conclusion, Eddie desperately seeks redemption in the still-unknown last act of his life: Was it a heroic success or a devastating failure? The answer, which comes from the most unlikely of sources, is an inspirational glimpse of heaven itself.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Whew, that was a long summary.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is a warmly confusing book. If such a thing is possible.

After first finishing it I was left dissatisfied. It seemed like there had been too much plot for too little book. The writing seemed sparse and unemotional, and the events were logistically improbable.

But after sitting on it a while and letting my thoughts work themselves out, I've come to the conclusion that this is a really wonderful piece of literature.

The prose that I first thought was bare now seems to be simple and effortless, helping to get the story across plainly and effectively. And the improbable events just added a nice dream-like quality to the novel.

It was the way that it was written, the way everything fit together so nicely, that made it all work. Now, I can definitely see why this is a book that has been remembered.

This is the first book of Mitch Albom's that I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me think about things in a different way. It was well-written, graceful, and just an all-around good book.

B

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #31: Symbolism (#25)

2009-04-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

On Saturday

It does seem like modern fiction just “tells the story” without much symbolism. Is symbolism an older literary device, like excessive description, that is not used much any more? Do you think there was as much symbolism as English teachers seemed to think? What are some examples of symbolism from your reading?

*points to Life of Pi post*

Life of Pi was published in 2003, I think, and it is chock-full of symbolism. It's got symbolism a plenty. As does The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

But yeah, I do agree that modern fiction just tells the story. It uses the character and the plot to explain and illustrate its meaning rather than having the reader decipher what that picture of a daffodil on the wall could mean.

And I do think that symbolism is slowly dying out. An author here and there still uses it but it's not as prevalent as it used to be.

Growing up on "modern literature" I wasn't really trained to look for and to try to interpret symbolism. When it's present in books I totally miss it. Which I guess is what English class is for.

For the most part, I think the teachers are right on in the symbolism that they see in books. It all makes sense to me. But I wouldn't have seen it myself so I don't think I can really criticize them for how they interpreted the book because they obviously did far better than me.

I do like symbolism. It's a like a treasure trove of hidden stuff waiting to be unearthed. :P

The Decline of Literature (#24)

2009-04-24T12:01:00.000-05:00

I am writing an opinion piece for my school's newspaper about the decline of literature. *insert ominous music here*

I'm actually quite excited about this as it is a topic I'm very passionate about.

I love books. I love reading. I love literature in general. Therefore, it saddens me that so many people are turning to video games, movies, music, instead of books.

I have nothing against movies and music (video games, maybe). I am an avid movie fan. I go to our little local theater almost every other week. And I have an enormous iTunes library. The only dirt I have with them is that they're replacing books.

Books have messages. Books have meaning. Books have actual content that you can hold in your hands. They have shaped human civilization for as long as anyone can remember. Literature is the building bock of society.

But more recently, people's minds have been turning to this:Books are seen as just another form of entertainment. And why read? Why use your brain when instead you could be decimating evil villians with one swish of your Wii remote or listening to Taylor Swift sing about her elusive romeo?

But books are not just another form of entertainment. That's where people's perceptions go awry. While yes, books can be very entertaining, they also have a lot more to offer. They have perspectives and opinions.

The problem is that while America's literacy rate is slowly inching upward (it is, I did my research), the number of books that are being picked up is slowly inching downwards. Does this make any sense? No. Nonono.

Why are people so dumb? Why can't they just go out to their local indie bookstore and pick up the first appealing book that they see. Sit down and read it and see where it takes them.

Now I have some questions for you...(comment please?)

What do you think about all of this?
What does it mean for the future of our society?
What does literature mean to you?

Clippings (#23)

2009-04-23T23:29:00.002-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday #10 - Touch by Francine Prose (#22)

2009-04-22T23:40:00.003-05:00

What really happened at the back of the bus?

Did they, or didn't they?

Did she, or didn't she?

Something happened to fourteen-year-old Maisie Willard—something involving her three friends, all boys. But their stories don't match, and the rumors spin out of control. Then other people get involved . . . the school, the parents, the lawyers. The incident at the back of the bus becomes the center of Maisie's life and the talk of the school, and, horribly, it becomes news. With just a few words and a touch, the kids and their community are changed forever.

From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes an unforgettable story about the difficulties of telling the truth, the consequences of lying, and the most dangerous twist of all—the possibility that you yourself will come to believe something that you know isn't true.

Could be awesomely edgy. Could be a disaster. But I like the cover and I think I'm going to like the book...we shall see. Hopefully the "back of the bus" incident doesn't disappoint.

Released June 16, 2009.

ALSO: followfollowfollow. 41 more followers in 8 days? yikes.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (#21)

2009-04-21T23:43:00.000-05:00

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding tis breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing ooks from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.
(Summary from back of book)

I have a strange fascination with the Holocaust. That human beings, my own species, are capable of something so horrendous is just beyond words. My interest in it, now that I've thought about it, stems from a need to do the memories of those people justice. I've watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and sobbed through the whole thing, I've spent over two hours at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and I've read books like this one. I know it sounds petty and naive, but experiencing that kind of stuff makes me feel better about what happened. It makes me feel like I'm one more person whose eyes have been opened.

I finished this book about thirty minutes ago so I'm probably not qualified to give an opinion. Let me sum it up in a few quick sentences.

This is a book everyone should read.
It's a book that displays the best and the worst of human beings.
It's a book that will tear your heart out.
This is a book that makes you feel like you really can be a part of something greater.
It's a book that shows that death may not be that scary after all.
And most of all, it's a book of hope.

A+

Little things... (#20)

2009-04-20T17:49:00.008-05:00

In my journalism class we had to read and take notes on a packet that was about how you should write a review. There were some pretty fun quotes in there I thought you guys would like. I think they definitely fit.

Those who comment on the arts...Regardless of the level at which they perform, have several things in common. First and foremost is an innate love of the arts. The reviewer wants to go to the theater or concert hall or gallery. Reviewers will admit privately that they have the best job in the world. Second, the reviewer genuinely wants the object of his interest to be successful. This again flies in the face of popular misconception. Any reviewer would rather write good things than bad things, and would rather see (read) good things than bad things.

Also, yes, I'm still reading The Book Thief. It is one looong but good book. I'm really enjoying it. It's full of great description like this -

Yes, it was white.
It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow. Like it had pulled it on, the way you pull on a sweater. Next to the train line, footprints were sunken to their shins. Trees wore blankets of ice.
As you might expect, someone had died.

Another little tidbit - I think that I mentioned that if I got to 150 followers by the end of April then there might be a surprise. Well. That surprise now entails a copy of Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian, a $5 starbucks giftcard, and...other stuff. SO. If I do get to 150 followers in 10 days (which I find highly unlikely) there will be some fun stuff going on. I'm pretty skeptical that I'm even going to get close, but hey, a girl can wish. Plus, if you post about my plight on all of your lovely blogs you might be a teensy bit more likely to win the surprise. Just saying.

And some personal, non-literary news:
I bought the typewriter that I linked to in my last Booking Through Thursday post. I am so excited to get it and, if I do say so myself, it's completely adorable. The bad part is that I'm a horrible money manager so I had to get my brother to loan me money to buy it. And he's charging interest...

Life of Pi (#20)

2009-04-19T23:21:00.002-05:00

When my teacher announced that we were going to be reading this in class I was a little skeptical. It's a really hyped book and I thought it was a little weird that we weren't dedicating our time to F. Scott Fitzgerald or Shakespeare. But once I started reading I began to realize why my teacher had picked this book for us to read.

I don't usually write about the books we read for school, but I have to break that unwritten rule for this book. Because, simply put, Life of Pi was amazing. And I'm really glad that I read this in school because there's actually a ton of symbolism that I wouldn't pick up on if I read it by myself.

For example; when Pi's on the boat, everything is orange - the tiger, the life jackets, the whistle, the tarp, etc. Had I been reading this alone, I wouldn't have realized that orange was the only mentioned color. And that in fact, orange is representative of the second Hindu chakra which in turn represents relationships, violence, basic emotional needs, and pleasure. And that Richard Parker himself is sort of the embodiment of the second chakra. Yeah. That's the kind of crazy symbolism stuff I'm talking about.

Also, I learned that Richard Parker's name isn't a coincidence or just some random thing Yann Martel came up with off the top of his head. In Edgar Allan Poe's only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, published in 1838, Richard Parker is a mutinous sailor on the whaling ship Grampus. After the ship capsizes in a storm, he and three other survivors draw lots upon Parker's suggestion to kill one of them to sustain the others. Parker then gets cannibalized. In 1846, the Francis Spaight foundered at sea. The survivors resorted to cannibalism, with seaman Richard Parker being the victim. In 1884, the yacht Mignonette sank. Four people survived, drifted in a life boat, and finally killed one of them, the cabin boy Richard Parker, for food (thank you Wikipedia).

Edgar Allen Poe's fictional book was published 40 years before the canibalism of the first Richard Parker. Poe's character had the same name and was in the same predicament as a real life man 40 years later. That is just plain freaky if you ask me.

So I think Yann Martel was pretty stinking smart to name his tiger that. It only makes sense.

But that wasn't my favorite part of the book. My favorite part was the ending, where you're presented with all of this stuff and left to decide for yourself what to think. But for me, that wasn't the point. I think the point of the book was to prove that it doesn't really matter if those events happened. Is the reality of the story really what matters? Isn't it the story and its meaning that actually matter? It's all about what you perceive to be reality and how you react to things based on that.

So basically, this book is amazing. Read it if you haven't.

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #30: Windfall (#18)

2009-04-18T11:44:00.002-05:00

On Saturday

What would you spend an unexpected windfall on? Say … $50? How about $500?

Okay. You guys are going to laugh at me. But I am so broke that I have an ongoing wish list of stuff that I keep on my computer and add to continuously so that when a time comes that I actually have money, I have priorities and know what I want to spend it on. Pathetic? Yes. But I have to keep track of this kind of stuff. It's the hidden OCDishness in me that's coming out.

Some of the stuff on this wishlist=
A vintage typewriter like this baby. SO CUTE. The clickety clack of the keys just calls to me.
Brightly colored Keds for the summer. Yum.
This tote.
An Orangina poster.

And some other stuff...I'm shamefully materialistic. Sorry. But that $50 or $500 (if I even payed taxes) would be put to good use for sure. :P

A Song for Spring (#17)

2009-04-17T23:05:00.005-05:00

Breathe and I'll carry you away into the velvet sky

And we'll stir the stars around and watch them fall away
Into the Hudson Bay and plummet out of sight and sound
The open summer breeze will sweep you through the hills
Where I live in the Alpine heights
Below the northern lights I spend my coldest nights alone awake
And thinking of the weekend we were in love
(The weekend we were in love)

Home among these mountain tops can be so awfully dull
A thousand miles from the tide
Put photos on the walls of New York shopping malls
Distract me so I stay inside
I wish the rocket stayed over the promenade 'cuz I would make a hook
And I fish them from the sky
My darling she and I were hanging on so take us high
To sing the world goodbye

I am floating away lost in a silent ballet
I'm dreaming you're out in the blue and I am right beside you

Awake to take in the view
Late nights and early parades
Still photos and noisy arcades
My darling we're both on the wing
Look down and keep on singing and we can go anywhere

On The Wing - Owl City

MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com

*** I apologize for all the non-book posts...I'm trying to come up with an idea for a new, book-related feature. I'm also trying to read faster. Sorrysorrysorry.

Personalities/Classifications (#16)

2009-04-16T16:07:00.002-05:00

In one of my classes at school, our teacher had us take these personality surveys. They were pretty typical questions and at the end they gave you a label - a four letter sequence. Turns out I'm ISTJ. We then received a packet with information about our types. It seems weird that the essence of your personality can be contained on a piece of paper doesn't it? And weirdly enough, almost everything that was supposedly typical for an ISTJ person matches me, which kind of makes me feel less unique/original. The fact that my little quirks and passions can be predicted like that is rather disturbing.

"ISTJs are characterized by decisiveness in practical affairs, are the guardians of time-honored intstitutions, and, if only one adjective could be elected, dependable would best describe this type."

"They perform their duties without flourish or fanfare; therefore, the dedication they bring to their work can go unnoticed and unappreciated."

"Often this type seem to have ice in their veins, for people fail to see an ISTJs vulnerability to criticism."

"ISTJs have a distaste for and distrust of fanciness in speech, dress, or home. The clothes of an ISTJ tend to be practical and durable rather than in the latest style or luxurious."

That totally describes me. Although, I have to say, I do like a little bit of fanciness. :) I'm not a bland person.

There were some other pieces of the article that I was skeptical of. Like, it says that I will marry an irresponsible person and our relationship will be more parent-to-child than adult-to-adult. And that that irresponsible person will be an alcoholic...uh-huh, no.

This personality thing really made me think though; can everyone be classified like this? Are humans and their personalities really this predictable? Are patterns like this that evident?

While there might be definite patterns, it makes me uncomfortable to think that people are that alike. I like to think of myself as unique and different. And while only six percent of the population has the same type as me, I don't think any of those people are exactly like me. I almost don't think that people should be catagorized and labeled like this. I don't know...maybe I'm just confusing myself.

What do you think? And have you ever taken a survey like this?

Bits 'n Pieces - Robin Brande (#15)

2009-04-15T16:10:00.004-05:00

Robin Brande is the author of the young adult novel, Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature (review here) and the upcoming book, Fat Cat, to be released this coming fall. She's one of the nicest authors I've met so far, and her answers to my questions are quite awesome. Enjoy!

This or that:
Rain or shine?
Shine, for sure. I don’t know how people live under gray skies or where it’s cold all the time. Brrr.
iPod or mp3 player?
iPod, and I only just got it a few months ago as a gift from my best friend because she was sick of me not having one!
Movies or TV?
Hm, that’s a tough one. I’m going to go with movies, but there are certain TV shows I love, too--Lost, Top Chef, Project Runway, and Masterpiece Classic in particular.
City or country?
Country, please. Love the mountains, the streams, big tall pine trees—very relaxing to be around.
Mountains or beaches?
See above. I’ve never been a fan of beaches because I’m a pasty-skinned girl who either freckles or burns. Also, I’ve never been quite comfortable around the ocean since seeing Jaws when I was a young girl. You understand.
Dots or stripes?
Never thought of this! Um, stripes? More uniform and easy on the eyes.
Dogs or cats?
DOGS!!!!!! My mother wouldn’t let me have pets when I was a kid, so I always had an imaginary dog (do not laugh). That dog was awesome. He’d always bark at my piano teacher when she was being mean to me. Of course, she couldn’t hear him . . .
Now that I’m an adult I’ve had a series of dogs, and they make me happier than I can say. My dog right now is a big black Lab named Bear—a dog some people might recognize from my novel Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature.
Cooking or eating out?
I love to bake—breads, cookies, etc.—but I’m not real big on making the main course. So I have a few places I love to go for takeout—Ethiopian and Vietnamese food in particular. Otherwise I’ll just whip up some bean burros at home. I keep it pretty simple.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee, and Starbucks in particular. My day doesn’t really start until I’ve got some of that in me.
Books or magazines?
Books. I need to stop subscribing to so many magazines, because I never keep up with them and they just pile up around the house. But they’re great for taking along when you know you’ll have to wait someplace. But mostly it’s books. I have multiple ones going at the same time, and read them at different parts of the day—I have a coffee book, a lunch book, a bedtime book, and usually also a book I’m reading for research for my next novel. Some days it’s a little hard to keep all the plots straight in my brain, but at least this way I get to read most of the books I’m dying to dive into.

Favorites:
Book-
It’s a tie: The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Both are just masterpieces.
Book store-
Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe, AZ
Movie-
Lord of the Rings (technically three movies, but they’re all my favorites)
Music artist-
John Mayer
Website-
megcabot.com. She’s so funny, and posts such hilarious stuff.
Designer-
Levi Strauss
Coffee chain-
Starbucks
Guilty pleasure-
Going to a movie alone in the middle of the day. It’s one of the perks of being a writer!
Restaurant-
Candle 79 in New York City
Color-
Blue

Have you ever:
Lived abroad?
No.
Gotten a tattoo?
Never. So many hygiene issues my mother beat into my head—I’m lucky I’m able to take showers in hotel rooms without wearing sandals.
Stayed up for the midnight release of a movie or book?
Yes—the second Lord of the Rings movie, The Two Towers.
Disliked your job?
Oh, yes. I used to be a trial lawyer. We’ll just leave it at that.
Cried during a movie?
Uh, when do I not cry? I’m the biggest blubberer I know. I have to fight hard not to make sounds.
Sang karaoke?
No, thank you. Having a big brother has cured me of wanting to make a public spectacle of myself—plenty of ridicule at home.

Questions:
If you were on a desert island, what 5 things would you bring with you?
A lighter, lighter fluid, matches, flint (for lighting fires—see a concern here?), and a solar still for converting salt water to regular water. As long as I had fire and water, I could figure out the rest.
What’s on the list of things you have to do during your life?
Learn to drive stick shift (I know, one of these days), swim with dolphins (despite my Jaws paranoia), visit New Zealand (mostly to look at the places where they filmed Lord of the Rings), write a book or screenplay that gets made into a movie (I’d like to do this more than once), and read all the books I’ve ever wanted to read (that list keeps growing faster than I can keep up with it).
If you could have one super power what would it be?
Invisibility. Definitely. Okay, or maybe flying. Both if you’re being generous.
What’s your perfect music playlist?
Bits of John Mayer, Michael McDonald, Chaka Khan, Kenny Loggins, the Beach Boys, the BeeGees—lots of old school, mellow music. Perfect for playing in the background while I write.
What’s the one food you could eat day after day and not get sick of? Salsa. It’s like part of my bloodstream.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
New Zealand. I really want to see the beautiful country they used for Lord of the Rings.
What moment in history do you wish you could’ve experienced? What a great, but hard, question! I can’t even answer it, it’s so hard. The choices are endless. Sorry to cop out, but you just busted my brain.
What does your dream library look like?
A big, deep couch where I can read/nap with my dog on one end; every wall covered by floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with everything I should read, want to read, will want to read (it replenishes itself every month with the best books that just came out). I would also have a spare brain and several spare sets of eyes in there so I could actually read everything I need to read in this one lifetime. It just seems impossible.
When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first?
New releases in the adult section, then I head straight to young adult.
If everyone had to read one book, what would you have it be?
Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by the ancient philosopher Epictetus.
Thank you so much Robin! And you should all definitely read Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature - it's the perfect summer read.

Mid-April Pollage (#14)

2009-04-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

poll by twiigs.com

Want to add anything? Tell me your loves/hates in the comments. If you need to, do it anonymously. I just wanna KNOW.

Willow by Julia Hoban (#13)

2009-04-13T10:01:00.004-05:00

Seven months ago on a rainy March night, Willow Randall's parents drank too much wine at dinner and asked her to drive them home. But they never made it - Willow lost control of the car, and both of her parents were killed.
Now seventeen, Willow has left behind her home, friends, and school - numbing the grim reality of her new life by secretly cutting herself. But everything changes when one of Willow's new classmates, a boy as sensitive and thoughtful as she is, discovers Willow's secret and refuses to let her destroy herself.
(Summary from back of ARC)

The rule of thumb for professional reviewers and critics is to not read a review of something that you yourself are going to review before you actually review it. It messes with your brain and screws with your opinions. I don't really follow that. I like to see what other people think. And how weird would it be for me to be friends with all of these bloggers and just not read what they have to say? Yeah, it would be bad.

But I really wish I would've refrained from reading other reviews of Willow. With each shining and worshipful review that I read, I got more and more excited about reading this supposedly phenomenal book. And when I actually sat down to read it, I was slightly disappointed. I think I had also sort of hard-wired myself to look for flaws and imperfections in the book - to prove those other reviews wrong. Which is sad. I didn't let myself just sit back and enjoy the book.

The major thing that irked me about the book was how one-dimensional and flat the characters were. All the characters were like that. They only had one side to them. The author tried to add a little spice and a little more dimension to some of the characters here and there but her efforts fell short. While reading, I felt like I'd never meet these kind of people in real life. They'd never have these kind of personalities and they'd never act like this. They were all just unreal and sort of lifeless.

I don't know if there's anything else that was bad about Willow, but if you have bad characters, the book's already doomed, I think. It would take an amazing plot and some flawless writing to save a book like that. And I do think that Willow had that. It was definitely the story line and the execution that saved it.

I haven't read a book about cutting before. Ever. So that in itself was a plus for this novel. It's the first time I've ever experienced this subject matter so I have nothing to compare it to. But in my opinion, the topic was treated with honesty and openness. It's definitely a delicate subject and I think that Julia Hoban treated Willow and her story with respect which was nice. Also, the scenes in which the cutting takes place are amazingly well written. While reading I actually felt myself getting a little bit queasy and beyond that, I just felt so bad for Willow. I was impressed that Ms. Hoban was able to instill those emotions. In a way, it made me happy.

Also, the other thing that worked with Willow was how the book didn't focus just on cutting it also dealt with a plethora of other issues: romance, murder, being an orphan, sibling relationships, etc. This book really packed a punch.

So maybe this book wasn't as fabulous as everyone else has said, but it still deserves a spot on your reading list.

Thanks to Khy for the boook. You're awesome.

Easter (#12)

2009-04-12T19:56:00.005-05:00

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #29: Numbers Game (#11)

2009-04-11T21:28:00.002-05:00

On Saturday

Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…

1. Are you currently reading more than one book?
If books for school count, than yes.
2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?
Two. Dos. Tvo.
3. Is this normal for you?
Eh. I prefer not to read more than one personal book at a time because I just confuse myself then. But we're never NOT reading a book in English, so I've got my personal read and then my school one. So pretty normal, but not really by my choice.
4. Where do you keep your current reads?
On my bedroom floor. No joke.

A Video (#10)

2009-04-10T16:14:00.004-05:00

Song = The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 7 - Neutral Milk Hotel

Also. If I can get to 150 followers by the end of April, something special might happen. I'm not sure what yet, but it will definitely be special. So get all your friends to follow my blog. And I'll love you forever.

Scratchings (#9)

2009-04-09T16:43:00.005-05:00

Click for bigger version. Enjoy. :)

Waiting on Wednesday #9 - The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd (#8)

2009-04-08T20:24:00.005-05:00

A little weekly/everyotherweek meme in which I get to pine for books that aren't out yet. *sighs* Started by Jill.
It’s Dade’s last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a “boyfriend” who won’t publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade’s shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away. Then he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid. Falling in real love finally lets Dade come out of the closet—and, ironically, ignites a ruthless passion in Pablo. But just when true happiness has set in, tragedy shatters the dreamy curtain of summer, and Dade will use every ounce of strength he’s gained to break from his past and start fresh with the future.
(Summary from Amazon)

A promising plot, an awesome cover, and an intriguing title? I think that that'll add up to a pretty great book.
Released May 14, 2009

Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande (#7)

2009-04-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

Your best friend hates you. The guy you liked hates you. Your entire group of friends hates you. All because you did the right thing.
Welcome to life for Mena Reece, whose year is starting off in the worst way possible. She's been kicked out of her church group and no one will talk to her - not even her own parents. No one except for Casey, her supersmart lab partner in science class, who's pretty funny for the most brilliant guy on eart.
And when Ms. Shepherd begins the unit on evolution, school becomes more dramatic than Mena could ever imagine as she is caught up in a controversy involving science, religion, freedom - and a heart-racing, blush-inducing, can't-stop-thinking-about-him crush.
Now Mena's own life is about to evolve in some amazing and unexpected ways...
(Summary from jacket flap)

I'm going to try to keep this short because lately it seems like all my reviews have been amazingly and drearily long. So. Mini-review:

I have mixed feelings about this book.

Bad: Lots of Christian bashing. Yes, the main character is Christian but the author used basically any and all stereotypes out there and made Christians seem like the most cruelly single-minded group of people ever. Badbadbad. If a book is going to incorporate religion, it has to be extremely well thought out and respectful. No stereotypes allowed in my book.

Good: This book is quite readable. I finished it in just a few days which is saying something for me. I've turned into a very slow reader as of late and this actually moved quite quickly.

Bad: Predictable to the extreme. Except for the big drama part. I didn't see that one coming. And when it was finally revealed, I was like, seriously? another stereotype? But yeah, pretty predictable on all other fronts.

Good: Fluffy romance = happy me. Casey and Mena made me coo (funny word). They hade nice chemistry for a nerd book couple.

Bad: Most characters were pretty one-sided. Not a lot of dimension to them. No digging under the surface was done. It all felt sort of empty.

Good: Mena had a nice, solid voice. She was a great narrator and I liked how she grew throughout the book.

Good: I agreed with Ms. Shepherd's views on evolution/science/religion. So yay!

And that's it. I'm proud of myself for being concise. Overall? EMOFN (I'm obsessed with acronyms right now) was a fine book. Nothing astounding, but readable and light and fun.

Maybe save it for a possible summer beach read?

Everything's Better in Black and White (#6)

2009-04-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

except this...

Just another random "Liv" post. Deal with it.

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King (#5)

2009-04-05T13:49:00.003-05:00

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with the dust of one hundred dogs, dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body - with her memories intact. Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.
(Summary from back of book)

I really don't know where to start with this one. It's a book unlike any I've ever read. It's strange, compelling, and confusing. And at times I wanted to throw it against the wall. I don't think it's a YA book. But it's not adult either. It's in its own class, I guess? I'm screwing myself up just trying to analyze it.

The Dust of 100 Dogs was like this enormous jigsaw puzzle. My strategy for solving puzzles is to find all the edge and corner pieces first and complete the entire outline first. Then you get the basic outline and layout and you can move on from there. Which totally applies to D100D. An enormous chunk of the book was just set-up.

Another interesting thing about the book was that it switched between three different narrators - Saffron, Emer, and Fred, which got sort of hectic. When I first started reading I was really mixed up about what was going on. Maybe I'm just dumb (actually, most probably I'm just dumb) but I couldn't figure out what was going on in the beginning. The prologue really threw me off and I didn't catch on that the story (at least Emer's) was going back in time for about 50 pages. Which I think is dumbness on my part. But still. The beginning would have been better if a little excitement or clarity was injected.

It all connected in my brain eventually though. And that's when it got good. The main story (leading up to the big climax which was actually partially told about in the prologue) is being told by Emer while at the same time Saffron is moving towards her own climax that has roots Saffron's story. It was all very cool. The puzzle outline that you got in the beginning began to make sense and everything began to fall into place.

My least favorite part of the book? Fred's poor dog. I flinched every time I read about that. I am a complete dog lover so reading about that tore my heart out. I almost considered skipping a few pages. It was just so vivid.

But THEN, you get the big twist at the end which I totally didn't see coming and the whole sad dog/perv guy stuff makes oh so much sense. I felt like slapping myself on the forehead. Because all the pieces were in plain sight, but I didn't make the connection until Saffron did. Which is a good thing because I guess it shows I was sucked in.

Towards the end when everything began spiralling in on itself I got completely caught up. And I think that that was because of the characters. Amy's character development was flawless. They all have their own little quirks and flaws and each has something different to add to the story. Emer especially stood out to me. She was the kind of character that you remember. For me, the mark of a bad book is too many characters with too few pages to tell their stories in but Amy packed it all in and packed it in well. I loved the characters.

I think the only part of this book that I'm able to complain about is the slow beginning and the dog beating. That's really it. Everything else is amazing.

But what's interesting about this book is that it's the kind of thing that you have to put aside and let marinate for a while. Directly after finishing, I wasn't as ecstatic as I am now. There's just so much going on, so much crowding your mind after you finish the book that it's almost impossible to form a coherent opinion.

So after a night of sleep and a few hours of thinking, it's safe to say that I loved this book. It was intelligent, clever, and compelling.

Definitely recommended.

PS. Sorry that this is a totally craptastic review. But my mind's spinning around in circles right now and, honestly, I don't think that a review of a book like this is going to get any more coherent. Plus, I just wanted to get this up today. My apologies. :)

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #28: Library Week (#4)

2009-04-04T02:00:00.001-05:00

On Saturday

I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

1. Well. I used to be a regular patron at my local library. At least two times a week, I think. But now, I've got about 30 books that I own or that have been sent to me waiting to be read so I'm not checking any more books out. I need to actually get through what I have available, you know? But I do still use the library for CDs...

2. I don't think the coffehouse/bookstore has replaced the library! Libraries are FREE. People are definitely still using the library here, especially in these sucky economic months. You can get books absolutely free there whereas in bookstores, the prices have gone up.

3. I went to the library as a child all the time. My parents would take me and we'd check out piles of picture books and chapter books. I loved it there.

4. I do have good memories! My local library used to have this hideous orange carpet all over it and then it had these white plastic egg booths with orange vinyl seats that you could sit in to read your books and I would sit in a booth for hours. Well maybe not hours because my parents were busy. But quite a long time. How can you resist plastic egg booths?!

5. My local library (how many times have I said that in this post) got remodeled a few years ago so now it's got huge glass windows and these wonderful metal rafters and a really open and sleek design. The old one was dark and orange and scary. So I didn't like that version of it. The new one's definitely better. But I do like the old libraries with the cozy wooden architecture and floor to ceiling bookshelves. They make me feel studious and artsy. But I think the more modern library actually makes people more comfortable about reading, weird as that sounds. So while the old libraries will always hold a place in my heart, I kind of like the sleek ones better...

I looove you Iowa (#3)

2009-04-03T18:01:00.003-05:00

Our responsibility, however, is to protect constitutional rights of individuals from legislative enactments that have denied those rights, even when the rights have not yet been broadly accepted, were at one time unimagined, or challenge a deeply ingrained practice or law viewed to be impervious to the passage of time. The framers of the Iowa Constitution knew, as did the drafters of the United States Constitution, that "times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress," and as our constitution "endures, persons in every generation can invoke its principles in their own search for greater freedom" and equality.

It is true the marriage statute does not expressly prohibit gay and lesbian persons from marrying; it does, however, require that if they marry, it must be to someone of the opposite sex. Viewed in the complete context of marriage, including intimacy, civil marriage with a person of the opposite sex is as unappealing to a gay or lesbian person as civil marriage with a person of the same sex is to a heterosexual. Thus, the right of a gay or lesbian person under the marriage statute to enter into a civil marriage only with a person of the opposite sex is no right at all. Under such a law, gay or lesbian individuals cannot simultaneously fulfill their deeply felt need for a committed personal relationship, as influenced by their sexual orientation, and gain the civil status and attendant benefits granted by the statute. Instead, a gay or lesbian person can only gain the same rights under the statute as a heterosexual person by negating the very trait that defines gay and lesbian people as a class--their sexual orientation.

-Excerpt from the Iowa Supreme Court opinion, which just today legalized gay marriage in their state.

And AMEN to that.