tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44482267865459759202024-03-05T09:27:55.669-08:00Penny's Tuppence'Rantings of an Overly-Opinionated, Admittedly Ridiculous, ADHD Havin', Book Devouring, Gen-X Latina', Or 'Why Book Blogging is the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread'Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-69087194893531707252012-08-16T10:20:00.000-07:002013-02-20T10:35:40.551-08:00Katya's World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXijMR_xjKnDPBvqfZiOoV_pGfoCW8oIwFpbf8PG8rZjenDk-zhb8y25WHjFIfK89Ga8FLdYnDhZ-sV26IM90NBWNcluiuUZdRHRwdu3a8a9mwP74K6yCa-n7KXwwseMlZTjFI5oVWwj1T/s1600/katya%2527s+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXijMR_xjKnDPBvqfZiOoV_pGfoCW8oIwFpbf8PG8rZjenDk-zhb8y25WHjFIfK89Ga8FLdYnDhZ-sV26IM90NBWNcluiuUZdRHRwdu3a8a9mwP74K6yCa-n7KXwwseMlZTjFI5oVWwj1T/s320/katya%2527s+world.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The distant and unloved colony world of Russalka has no land, only the raging sea. No clear skies, only the endless storm clouds. Beneath the waves, the people live in pressurised environments and take what they need from the boundless ocean. It is a hard life, but it is theirs and they fought a war against Earth to protect it. But wars leave wounds that never quite heal, and secrets that never quite lie silent.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Katya Kuriakova doesn’t care much about ancient history like that, though. She is making her first submarine voyage as crew; the first nice, simple journey of what she expects to be a nice, simple career.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">There is nothing nice and simple about the deep black waters of Russalka, however; soon she will encounter pirates and war criminals, see death and tragedy at first hand, and realise that her world’s future lies on the narrowest of knife edges. For in the crushing depths lies a sleeping monster, an abomination of unknown origin, and when it wakes, it will seek out and kill every single person on the planet.</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I had a difficult time rating this book. It's good. I like it. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">...BUT it's lacking. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">What is it lacking? More. It's lacking more. This story could be the beginning of an epic sci-fi series--for all I know it actually is--but from what I can gather it is a standalone. A frakking standalone! I find this frustrating because there is so much here, so much meaty goodness. There's enough here for a series and a couple different spinoff series, at least. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I want to know more! I want more! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">One thing. I'm a little disappointed in some of the characterization and—okay make that a couple things—some of the convienient events that took place in order for the author to wrap things up sooner rather than later. I was fully expecting for this book to end with some sort of cliffhanger, something to indicate this story would definitely be continuing. But, no, that did not happen. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Also, not that I mind it, this book has no romance of any sort. Again, this doesn't bother me because I'm not a fan of romantic plot lines, especially when a romance overshadows everything else. But I know the lack of romance will cause many a reader to pass up on this little piece of awesomeness. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">It's unfortunate because there is an amazing universe laying within the pages of this book. It has a lot going for it. 3 stars.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">A e-galley of this book was provided by Netgalley. My views are my own. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Update:</b> since writing this review I have learned from Goodreader, Amanda, that this is the first book in a trilogy. I am so excited to read the next book, Katya's War. </span></span><br />
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Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-54654839270960688642012-02-15T06:48:00.000-08:002012-02-15T07:48:24.845-08:00Review: Pure by Julianna Baggott<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYI44QU1d7rmA_UPgoYWt7DUZUKg3oBp1j6RU1W4HWtp0TcdPrhQxECig-GxOSOuqZWFt9DeBboAbTX2Nzg29i1PyQGBfzrUHIcJQktxKdpOp2belzJTYnm_H-IMgidxTBjMkePbBXOro/s1600/pure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYI44QU1d7rmA_UPgoYWt7DUZUKg3oBp1j6RU1W4HWtp0TcdPrhQxECig-GxOSOuqZWFt9DeBboAbTX2Nzg29i1PyQGBfzrUHIcJQktxKdpOp2belzJTYnm_H-IMgidxTBjMkePbBXOro/s320/pure.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText1146557821572845470"><i><b>We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . </b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span id="freeText1146557821572845470"><br />
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run. <br />
</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span id="freeText1146557821572845470"><b>Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . </b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span id="freeText1146557821572845470"><br />
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her. <br />
When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again. </span></i></div><br />
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<s>Wow. I don't even... </s><br />
<br />
<s>I mean, there's just so much to... </s><br />
<br />
<s>What can I say about this book that hasn't</s><br />
<br />
This book is so...<i>gross</i>. That's it, that's how I'm going to start this review: this book is gross. And frightening. It's everything <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9378297-anna-dressed-in-blood" target="_blank">Anna Dressed in Blood</a> wishes it was—disgusting and terrifying. I mean, homicidal ghosts? Pshh. That's child's play. But post-apocalyptic life with all the food shortages, diseases, no order, no normalcy, mutants—like really nasty looking mutant-y mutants—and horrible ways to die around every corner? Now that's what I call pants-peeing, nightmare-inducing, huddle-in-corner-crying-out-for-your-momma scary. As far as I'm concerned that's not a bad thing. <br />
<br />
Funny thing is, this cover did not in any way prepare me for the demented, never-ending county fair Fun House I entered. I mean, it looks so innocent, doesn't it? All pretty-like with a sophisticated font and gorgeous sapphire-blue butterfly. It looks like a fairly tame book about something fresh and...<i>pure</i>, am I right? Probably something about Soul Mates and rainbows and unicorns. You know, the sort of cutesy idealized thing that typically makes me want to chuck a book across a room.<br />
<br />
But it's not. <br />
<br />
I figured out there is a reason for that, by the way, the whole innocent-looking-on-the-outside-but-jacked-up-on-the-inside thing this book has going for it, but that's not something I'm going to discuss in this review.<br />
<br />
I want to give Pure more stars because, story-wise, it is pretty enjoyable, for the most part. And the gross-out factor is off the charts a-mazing, same goes for the scare factor. But did Julianna Baggott write a five-star worthy read? Not so much. I mean, sure, when it comes to recent YA genre dystopias/post-apocalyptic books Pure is sort of up there with The Hunger Games and Ship Breaker, beating out all of the other competition. <br />
<br />
But...truthfully? I wasn't so wholly invested that I was able to overlook all the <i>sciencefail!</i> and <i>believabilityfail!</i> And it's not like I'm one of those people who find it difficult to suspend disbelief. I read plenty of books with ridiculous and often impossible story lines and I'm able to believe those just fine. It's just, for whatever reason, there was much that didn't work for me because the author didn't sell it right or whatever. <br />
<br />
For example there is this one character that somehow knows everything about everything, even taught himself how to read Japanese. Keep in mind said character raised himself in a post-apocalyptic hellhole from the time he was nine years old. I mean, <i>come on!</i> The world as we know it has ended, death and destruction and scary mutants are everywhere. And you want me to believe some little kid, who is taking care of himself is like <i>"Gee, I sure miss everything. I think I'll teach myself how to read Japanese because it might actually come in handy some day. You know, since Japanese above all other languages is the one I'm most-likely going to need to know how to read."</i> No! I don't buy it. Orphan be learning how to fend for himself in a cruel every-mutant-for-himself world, not teaching himself how to read Japanese OR study nanotechnology in-depth. <br />
<br />
And at no point during this book did I learn how our world got from how things are today to some crazy-go-nuts uber-religous society that shuns modern feminism in favor of some brand of not-feminist feminism to eventually blowing itself to high hell. This bugs me. <br />
<br />
If I were to be completely honest, for whatever reason I couldn't stop thinking about one of my favorite children's books of all time while I was reading Pure. It's called <a href="http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail84.html">Everyone is Different</a>. If you don't know what I'm talking about <a href="http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail84.html">go read it</a>, I'll wait right here.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Are you done? Great book, right? <br />
<br />
Pure is pretty much the same as Everyone is Different. I mean, you know, <i>basically</i>. Maybe there isn't any squirrel-handedness going on in Pure but there sure is a lot of doll-head-handedness and bird-backedness going on. Instead of characters being fangoriously devoured by a gelatinous beast there's a lot of characters being fangoriously devoured by dust-beasts and other such mutants. There are weird names, like Partridge and Pressia and El Capitan. Some characters are tall and merciless. Some characters are about to be hit by cars and other characters who have rigged the "enemy base" with explosives. There may even be a point in which no two characters are not on fire. And yes, in this book everyone <i>is</i> different. <br />
<br />
I wish I could give this book four or five stars, but I can't. That said, I still do like it and I'm going to recommend it to anyone looking for a post-apocalyptic read. Three stars. </div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-7392822234309700722012-02-15T06:40:00.000-08:002012-02-15T06:40:32.155-08:00Review: Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYYs_t7S4QmhHfAZ-leLKO1icYt4FHb78zZN4jTagK4bpljrgAkzx04JaZkGzWvADl6WL2qkpAlhbS8b9XcosJSVGQoRBYv2zpZKXQDjGUcwBMJ2LNqchX6S1Lxkd7auCs8HfXhr-KZd-/s1600/girlinthearena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYYs_t7S4QmhHfAZ-leLKO1icYt4FHb78zZN4jTagK4bpljrgAkzx04JaZkGzWvADl6WL2qkpAlhbS8b9XcosJSVGQoRBYv2zpZKXQDjGUcwBMJ2LNqchX6S1Lxkd7auCs8HfXhr-KZd-/s320/girlinthearena.jpg" width="212" /></a></div> <b><span id="freeText572231711648291709">Lyn is a neo-gladiator's daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. <em>Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories.</em> And most importantly: <em>Never leave the stadium when your father is dying.</em> The rules help the family survive, but rules and the GSA can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn's seventh father, he also captures Lyn's dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of <em>The Hunger Games</em> and <em>Fight Club</em>, Lise Haines's debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence; a modern world that's disturbingly easy to imagine.</span></b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText572231711648291709">----</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText572231711648291709"> </span></div><br />
I want to give Girl in the Arena four--possibly even five--stars, because it has something few other books I've had the pleasure of reading has. Something I've been looking for, desperately, within YA fiction. Something that just...I don't know... Just speaks to me, I guess; feels true. I can relate to it, to the protagonist, how she feels. I understand her because, in a way, I was her. Maybe, from time to time, I still am her. <br />
<br />
To help you understand where I'm coming from I need to go back. Way back. Back to August 3, 2008, when I finished reading the flaming garbage pile that is called Breaking Dawn. As I closed the book, I sat back and contemplated what I'd just read. I was speechless at first, trying to pinpoint why Bella's picture perfect Happily Ever After made me angry beyond all reason.<br />
<br />
The next morning I called my friends, asked them what they thought of the book. And you know what? I was shocked--shocked!--to discover none of my friends were dissatisfied. So I ran to the internet--to GoodReads--and sought out others who felt the way I did. I discovered a little group of disillusioned Twilight fans and together we ripped Breaking Dawn to shreds. Upon doing so, I saw what it was that bugged me so much: EVERYTHING. The entire book.<br />
<br />
I especially hated how everyone was eating that piece of creeptastic wish-fulfillment up and begging for more. Listening to people refer to it as 'beautiful literature' was enough to stoke my fiery rage. I was embarrassed for every grown woman who referred to stalkerific Edward as the perfect man. I felt bad for the teens who thought Edward and Bella were the epitome of <i>twu wuv</i>--The ideal.<br />
<br />
<i>So stupid, the lot of them,</i> I thought to myself. <i>I'm glad my girls are too young to read the Twilight series.</i> It was then a bunch of horrible and very-much insane thoughts popped into my head.<br />
<br />
<i>Oh, holy crap! My girls--my babies!--will grow up and they might read this garbage and think it's romantic. What if they start wishing to be just like Bella? What if they allow their lives to revolve around "beautiful" and mysterious boys? What if they lose the best parts of themselves in pursuit of an unrealistic, bastardized version of romantic love? They'll become pathetic losers. Weaklings with no identities, no goals to call their own. No one will respect them! They'll die alone! In vomit-filled gutters! Oh, the humanity!</i><br />
<br />
Clearly I was being crazy, but can you blame me? Twilight mania had just set in--worldwide might I add. It was an ugly time in history.<br />
<br />
I was upset Twilight was this Really Big Deal, had such a massive following. I hated that no one could shut up about it--not even me! I kept wondering what I could do to insure my girls wouldn't grow up to be useless human beings like Bella Swan. And then it came to me: keep teaching them. Encourage them to be themselves, to be proud of who they are. Teach about setting goals and what steps to take in order to accomplish them. Encourage them to think for themselves, teach them self-reliance.<br />
<br />
There was a bunch of other things I resolved to do, but I couldn't figure out how to solve the pesky problem of the Twilight series and books that were similar. I was never going to forbid my girls from reading them, but I wanted them to be smart enough to see past all the glitter and not get too caught up in the fantasy. <br />
<br />
I came up with the idea of building a little library, a collection made up of the best books. I wanted it to be something my girls could enjoy, so of course it needed a killer YA selection. But what books would I put there? It would have to contain more than just the classics, that I was sure, but was there any contemporary YA literature that was worthwhile? At that time I just didn't know.<br />
<br />
And that, my fellow GoodReaders, is when I started reading everything YA in pursuit of awesome books with really great protagonists. Over the years I've read some heinous stuff, but I've also had the opportunity to read some truly beautiful literature. This book, Girl in the Arena, is, in some ways, among the best of the best. It contains a pretty solid message without being preachy. It brings up some legitimate questions, questions teenage girls should be asking themselves if they aren't already doing so. Questions I once asked, about who I was, what I stood for, how strongly I stood for it, what lengths I'd go in order to be true to myself, and whether or not I cared how my actions might affect family members and other loved ones. This book? Asks all those questions and more. It introduces some interesting ideas, too. Honestly, I got lost within the pages of Girl in the Arena. In some ways it was a really great, near ideal, reading experience. <br />
<br />
All of that said, this book is riddled with flaws. Errors of all sort, big and little. Glaring ones that made me want to give up on this book early on. The world-building is pretty weak in some places, non-existent in others. This book assumes I know exactly what's going on in the protagonists world. But see, I don't. I don't even know what year it's supposed to be. I was never sold on the Gladiator culture, why they all did what they did. I didn't understand why anyone would adhere to such stringent rules, rules that interfered/controlled their personal lives so thoroughly. Especially when religion was in no way part of the equation. Was the government involved? What happened to the government, exactly? Where were the protestors, the people who opposed gladiatorial battles to the death? Where was PITA? Why weren't they throwing buckets of blood at the gladiators who fought and killed animals in the arena? <br />
<br />
The writing style was enough to make me want to poke my eyes out (until I got used to it). Instead of using quotation marks to indicate dialogue, the author used em dashes. At first I wasn't always sure who was saying what. It looks like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>—Maybe we should stop eating meat. <br />
<br />
—You better talk with Allison, I said. —The freezer is half cow. <br />
<br />
—We could give it away. <br />
<br />
—Before she gets home? I joked. <br />
<br />
He got another knife out of the drawer and began to cut up the tomatoes. <br />
<br />
—Sure, why not? he said earnestly. </blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
See what I mean? Really annoying. And really, who writes like that? <br />
<br />
There are other things that bothered me, but I don't care to go into all that, especially since I pretty much love this book despite all the flaws. I know it doesn't quite make sense considering how picky I can be. I can't say I completely understand why I feel the overwhelming need to overlook the glaring technical imperfections and give this book three stars, but I do. <br />
<br />
This book just speaks to me on multiple levels. And no, it's not because of some convoluted love story (although, yeah, there is the beginnings of a love story but that isn't a major element of the book). It's just about a girl trying to do the "right" thing, whatever that may be, and not lose herself in the process. She wants more than what her upbringing says she's allowed to have. <i>She wants to be more.</i> In the end she is and I can't imagine a more beautiful Happily Ever After than that. After all, that's what I want for myself, for my girls. <br />
<br />
Officially 3-stars. Unofficially 5-stars. <br />
</div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-91862785853860815192012-01-24T09:18:00.000-08:002012-01-24T09:18:33.022-08:00Video: The Joy of Books<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SKVcQnyEIT8?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" width="480"></iframe>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-33581357808041253672012-01-24T08:16:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:16:25.887-08:00Review: One For The Money by Janet Evanovitch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXgw_1zToJ-qKn53kcEFLsV6oGYJxbmZnCHjXaLrjZRX2obAfvL2yfqHTovynckxrLynIEd7Gv9_qOT1OPRS6WxlxT9HXOgrU3vXiD8S_VfEiny9wPnYB7TwImyfhmgiccq2bLkblMX_-/s1600/14themoney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXgw_1zToJ-qKn53kcEFLsV6oGYJxbmZnCHjXaLrjZRX2obAfvL2yfqHTovynckxrLynIEd7Gv9_qOT1OPRS6WxlxT9HXOgrU3vXiD8S_VfEiny9wPnYB7TwImyfhmgiccq2bLkblMX_-/s320/14themoney.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<i><span id="freeTextContainer13604137572581512895">Welcome to colorful Trenton, New Jersey, and the wild and wonderful world of Stephanie Plum. In <em>One for the Money,</em> rookie "apprehension agent" Plum may be a bit wet behind the ears, but nobody's gonna take it easy on her; especially her first skip, an ex-cop and murder suspect named Morelli.</span></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span id="freeTextContainer13604137572581512895">---- </span></i></div><br />
<br />
<i> </i>Honesty time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm among the 1%.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="the 1%, monty burns" border="0" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/monty-burns-1-percent.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>Whoa, folks. Not this 1% (although how awesome would <u>that</u> be? Owning attack hounds. Rocking a monocle. Wearing titanium shoes. Using fancy words like 'indubitably' and 'mustachioed'. I'd be the best billionaire evah.)</i><br />
<br />
I'm talking about the <i>other</i> 1%. You know, the people who read One for the Money and didn't like it. People such as:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/church_lady.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>The Church Lady</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/GrumpyOldMan.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>Grumpy Old Man</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/muppet.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>These guys</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/IMG_0958-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/th_IMG_0958-1.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>...Me...</i><br />
<br />
(I guess this means I'm officially old and boring or whatever.) <br />
<br />
But yeah, I totally do not like this book unlike 99% of the GoodReads population. As far as I'm concerned One for the Money is a dated, exceptionally lame version of The Jersey Shore in which everyone is sporting spandex, big hair, and sexist attitudes. <br />
<br />
So basically it's almost exactly the same as every episode of The Jersey Shore. Except with more guns.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="I'M IN JERSEY SHORE BIIITCH" border="0" src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss260/GorgeousxD/Ronnie_hulk.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>Not <u>these</u> guns...</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/1304712010-lots-o-guns.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>Now that's more like it.</i><br />
<br />
Exactly like the Jersey Shore with lots of real guns. And a really dumb grown woman who cannot be bothered to learn how to shoot a gun even though she's carrying one with her at all times. <br />
<br />
Why, you ask? <br />
<br />
Because she's being stalked by a rapist. A really violent, super-dangerous raping-rapist who totally wants to rape her. A lot. <br />
<br />
But that's not all, folks. There is also a really mysterious mystery. (A rape-y mystery.) <br />
<br />
This really attractive MENSA candidate wrapped in spandex who can't shoot a gun to save her life is named Stephanie Plum. Stephanie is trying to solve a mystery so she can help clear the name and reputation of <s>the guy who sexually assaulted her when they were children</s> the smoosh-worthy <s>skeevy man-whore</s> love interest. All so she can haul him into jail for jumping bail and collect the $20,000 bounty on his head, or whatever. <br />
<br />
In the meantime sexual tension is building between the two. They're tripping over all the innuendo. It's sexy and mysterious. And full of (dumb-)damsel-in-distress like situations. <br />
<br />
How could I not love this book, you ask? I just don't. Although, I think I just proved I'm old and boring. If you're not old or boring, and you really love the Jersey Shore, One for the Money might just be right up your alley. 1.5 stars.<br />
<br />
</div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-24848765066921104652012-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:002012-01-11T14:05:05.199-08:00Ravings of an Irrelevant Book Blogger: My Thoughts on Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Before Reading)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyaDXaBOBxxG9Ie1zQrtglj4guBCJ5wy3EG2xqyulA4X3doCgJOP_Lf2275aC0-BAOw3v5T0cfv_htYplWPVg6HphAOrpkaU8qMiav0RgvIf5hQdrzM0BkQRqqAElSP5Ysdgv7xIGw_pV/s1600/snowflowerandthesecretfan.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyaDXaBOBxxG9Ie1zQrtglj4guBCJ5wy3EG2xqyulA4X3doCgJOP_Lf2275aC0-BAOw3v5T0cfv_htYplWPVg6HphAOrpkaU8qMiav0RgvIf5hQdrzM0BkQRqqAElSP5Ysdgv7xIGw_pV/s320/snowflowerandthesecretfan.JPG" width="197" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyaDXaBOBxxG9Ie1zQrtglj4guBCJ5wy3EG2xqyulA4X3doCgJOP_Lf2275aC0-BAOw3v5T0cfv_htYplWPVg6HphAOrpkaU8qMiav0RgvIf5hQdrzM0BkQRqqAElSP5Ysdgv7xIGw_pV/s1600/snowflowerandthesecretfan.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Does Oprah still have a book club? Is it secretly running underground? Is the first rule Don't Talk About Book Club? I mean, how else would every woman my age know about this book? It seems as though all my GR friends over the age of 30, many of which are lucky to finish reading 12 books a year, have read or plan on reading it. I just heard about Snow Flower and the Secret Fan's existence yesterday. This is odd because regardless of what genres I prefer to read I'm usually up to date on what's the newest hottest thing in the literary world. <br />
<br />
That said, I tend to avoid this sort of literature like the plague, so it's no surprise that I likely walked past it countless times without taking a second glance. I mean, just look at the cover. It's bland as a bowl of plain oatmeal. Granted there are flowers on it, but I don't even like flowers all that much, or Chinese fans. Based on the title I can tell it's the sort of historical fiction that is chalk-full of horrors to woman-kind. The sort of writing rife with Emotional Porn. You know, the kind that will force you to collapse on the ground, snotting and sobbing and crying out for your momma. <br />
<br />
*rolls eyes* I really can't believe this is the sort of thing, statistically speaking, I should want to read. I mean, I am a woman. I am over thirty. This should be my bread and butter. <br />
<br />
But it's not. It's totally not. <br />
<br />
I've always known I was different, and not in a quirky, adorable way. Different because I snarl in the face of convention without even meaning to. I don't fit the mold. It's like I belong on the Island of Misfit <s>Toys</s> Women. <br />
<br />
Whatever. I'll read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I'll do it because I'm sick of being the only woman in the room that doesn't know all about whatever <s>crappy</s> new book all the Dignified Women are reading, especially when I'm the most well-read of the bunch. But if it contains something along the lines of 'You is kind, you is smart, you is important' all bets are off. <br />
<br />
P.S. I'm willing to bet Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is much less inspiring than Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. </div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-6794966494462710722011-12-06T20:00:00.000-08:002011-12-06T20:00:00.508-08:00Ravings of an Irrelevant Book BloggerI'm no fool, <i>I know</i> no one is watching. Google Analytics does not lie. But you know what? I find the fact that no one is watching ridiculously liberating. I could say just about anything and it wouldn't matter. I could admit that secretly love 'Stars Are Blind' by Paris Hilton, that I'm listening to it as I type this and no one would know. This blog is like the Carson Daily Show of the internet--does his show still exist, by the way? (<i>See?</i> See what I mean, self?) Hardly anyone is visiting my little book blog, not even my mother.<br />
<br />
Not yet, anyway.<br />
<br />
Oh, but they'll come. And they'll like it, too. I'll be like The Bloggess, except I'll talk about books and be a lot less relevant. It's going to be great. I'll have reviews and interviews and giveaways. People will subscribe, they'll love me. And then? When I finally win the internet the ARCs and galleys will come pouring in from all the major publishing houses. I'll be swimming in free books. A library of my very own.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNZ5i6fZ7JXbZEM9T4c1KmrikUXiXOPTpidSPTCmGnyvH5Ki1w-0IoAJlqH-IiAipMR5O52wRQWGY9SRTUIUyo9z4u6Goyt-Isef8gaiWl7XOhU0GQSLFkIGuuyWPBHdn7T4mhOH5i00M/s1600/STF+09+-+1323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNZ5i6fZ7JXbZEM9T4c1KmrikUXiXOPTpidSPTCmGnyvH5Ki1w-0IoAJlqH-IiAipMR5O52wRQWGY9SRTUIUyo9z4u6Goyt-Isef8gaiWl7XOhU0GQSLFkIGuuyWPBHdn7T4mhOH5i00M/s400/STF+09+-+1323.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
(Soon preciousss. <i>Soooooooooon.) </i>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-1179277306021884982011-12-06T08:43:00.000-08:002011-12-06T12:51:42.800-08:00Review: City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #3) by Stacia Kane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1lKAp66OeJ0f1pmuqC9Fr8_d7uQE_HuqXU7Vop1mHG6VLaYB795HF3NhmPRZyHmuejgQOu66-8Uo1KkAh2kCNChi2sImgDRnINsGG8mzapqXW1wczPVb55jMLDCJk4ogFnesyPVSwM0K/s1600/City-of-Ghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1lKAp66OeJ0f1pmuqC9Fr8_d7uQE_HuqXU7Vop1mHG6VLaYB795HF3NhmPRZyHmuejgQOu66-8Uo1KkAh2kCNChi2sImgDRnINsGG8mzapqXW1wczPVb55jMLDCJk4ogFnesyPVSwM0K/s320/City-of-Ghosts.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><i>(Hey everyone! If all goes well this will end up being an honest to goodness--traditional--book review. Before I get started I feel I should warn everyone I have ADHD and my medication is starting to wear off, also I dislike doing things the way they </i><i>should be done--did I mention I also have Oppositional Defiant Disorder? Because I totally do. Anyway, my point is, despite the fact that I'm attempting to write a legitimate review I might go off on a few tangents like this. Just thought I'd warn you.)</i><br />
<br />
<br />
When City of Ghosts begins our protagonist, Chess, is on medical leave, recovering from the events of the last book. Not only has her work life been put on hold, but her personal life is in shambles. The only friend Chess ever had--Terrible, enforcer to a powerful drug lord--wants nothing to do with her, treats her with disdain, and rebuffs her attempts to make things right. The other guy in Chess's life, Lex, is reluctant to walk away even after Chess tells him she's not interested. She wonders why she let anyone into her life to begin with; a solitary life was less complicated. Much drugs are had.<br />
<br />
Then it seems things start looking up for Chess. She's able to return to work, agreeing to assist the Black Squad on a particularly difficult case involving black magic. Bound by a powerful spell, Chess is unable to tell anyone what she's doing, why she's investigating a building near one of her dealer's properties. Because of this she is forced into working with Terrible once again--though, in all honesty, she craves Terrible's company, wants a chance to talk to him--and allow him to accompany whenever possible as she investigates so he can piece together what's really going on and report back to his boss.<br />
<br />
Duty bound, Terrible does as he's told--works with Chess--but <s>he is mercilessly cruel, says the worst things to Chess</s> he is less than happy about it. They discover there may be more to the case than originally thought: more players in the game, and a form of black magic Chess has never encountered before. To make matters worse the woman Chess is reporting to is condescending and just plain irritating to be around. Oh, yeah, and Lex keeps showing up. It's a disaster. <br />
<br />
I enjoyed this installment of the Downside Ghosts series. I wish I could say I loved it, that I'll be giving City of Ghosts five stars, but I can't. While I reveled in the relationship aspect, I sort of had to slog through the mystery/Chess's professional life. It's not that the latter was uninteresting, it's just that personal relationships have become a big part of Chess's life, key to her overall character development. Things between Chess and Terrible are so unbearably awful that it's difficult for Chess not think about it all the time. Even <i>I</i> spent way too much time being angst-ridden over the whole ordeal. I lost much sleep over it, walked around feeling like crap for a couple of days. True story. This isn't typical behavior; it's rare for a book to affect me so immensely. <br />
<br />
Because of my complete inability to relax until things were somehow resolved between Chess and Terrible, I could not focus on the mystery. This is pretty unfortunate as the details of this particular case were a lot more complicated than any of the other cases Chess has worked on. Which means I got a little confused from time to time and I was frustrated with myself and the book. <br />
<br />
Do I place the blame on Stacia Kane? In her writing? Her storytelling abilities, originality and timing? When it comes to this specific series I'd have to say no, I don't blame Stacia Kane. Sure there are aspects of the Downside universe that don't quite work for me, some of the details are a little fuzzy, and some grammatical errors (ironic I point this out, I know, seeing as I hardly ever edit what I say or write) but none of it stopped me from being so completely consumed by this series that I could do little more than think about it for a week straight.<br />
<br />
I mean, it's a dystopian urban fantasy about a drug addict who traps ghosts for a living. The characters are named Chess and Terrible. Other than Kane's talent for storytelling, for writing emotion in such a way that moved me on so many levels, there's no reason for this series to be among my favorites.<br />
<br />
But it is, it totally is. The Downside Ghost series by Stacia Kane is going on my 'favorites' shelf. And even though City of Ghosts probably only deserves three stars--<i>overall</i>--I'm going to go ahead and give it four because it ends on such a satisfying note. <br />
<br />
I recommend this book, this series, for lovers of urban fantasy or those looking for something new.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-53467133875580581522011-12-02T10:29:00.000-08:002011-12-03T22:35:09.341-08:00Review: Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) by Stacia Kane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifKAZOa2-xDeALuCu4NfM9JCoOdJ2bn7cEhyphenhyphen9WWS-jOjBELNkaYMY_LMxRG0dG0LuXzcnpaLqVfPgi8iOHgPA7vBLboiXyAtbbZ-O_uP6bt1Bi7YjtC8oQ8ODhmk4ZFqT4KkvKfRSJc_5/s1600/6557156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifKAZOa2-xDeALuCu4NfM9JCoOdJ2bn7cEhyphenhyphen9WWS-jOjBELNkaYMY_LMxRG0dG0LuXzcnpaLqVfPgi8iOHgPA7vBLboiXyAtbbZ-O_uP6bt1Bi7YjtC8oQ8ODhmk4ZFqT4KkvKfRSJc_5/s320/6557156.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><i> <span id="freeText696704939713143293">ENEMIES DON’T NEED TO BE ALIVE TO BE DEADLY.<br />
<br />
For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.<br />
<br />
Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire.</span></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText696704939713143293">---- </span></div><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3270188-kat-kennedy" target="_blank">Kat</a>, fellow Goodreader (and my favorite Australian) summed up this book best: gut-wrenching. This book ripped out my innards, tap danced all over them, unceremoniously shoved them back inside me, and sewed me up haphazardly. Sure, in the end, my guts were no longer all over the place but serious damage was done. And I liked it. Sounds like I'm being over-dramatic, I know, but <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user_status/show/9574772" target="_blank">you should see my Unholy Magic status updates.</a><br />
<br />
This book, Stacia Kane's writing, sent me on an emotional roller coaster ride from hell. Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad thing. I mean, <i>I do</i> love roller coasters. I love the sensation of plunging down steep slopes and shooting through loop-de-loops at eleventy-billion miles an hour. I love screaming like a maniac, thinking I might die any second (knowing I won't). But see, that's just a regular roller coaster ride. <br />
<br />
Unholy Magic, is more like a terrifying ride on a rickety old roller coaster that may or may not be missing some track. While being stark naked. Halfway through the ride you see that, indeed, there is a section of the track missing, and you realize you're about to die--<i>But, wait!</i> Instead of flying off the track and plummeting to a gruesome death, the roller coaster sails across the gap--<i>Speed</i> style--and lands on the other side, tracks lined up and everything. It's unbelievable.<br />
<br />
In the end you're still alive and you feel exhilarated and invincible and you want to do it again. You see that you can because, hey, there aren't many people in line. But as you prepare to get up you vomit in the lap of the stranger sitting next to you. Oh, and hey, you're still mysteriously naked. <br />
<br />
It's horrible, but in the best way possible. Does that make sense?<br />
<br />
Now you're probably thinking I don't like like this book--I mean, "horrible in the best way possible" doesn't sound like high praise, amirite? Well, you couldn't be more wrong. I enjoyed Unholy Magic despite all the feelings--some downright beautiful, some so cringe-worthy I wanted to crawl in a hole and die--it stirred within me. <br />
<br />
I don't know, I guess the best way to describe the experience is by saying Kane's writing is such that I felt as though I was there, within the pages of the book, watching everything play out. Not only that but I felt all of the characters emotions and it was amazing and terrifying and overwhelming all at the same time.<br />
<br />
It was great.<br />
<br />
I'll be reading Unholy Magic again, sooner rather than later, I just need a little time to recover. Four stars.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-28765292706604791922011-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:002011-12-01T10:18:05.006-08:00Review: Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #1) by Stacia Kane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5jp5YaW83wmp7eCuuEcrMAihMZaik0GaiPgWDZ2YR2zPZ8UB9kr5DuQiz3nFV33JilxHTuJX-8eyHsHU-JxEbMFoje1G7aKIEJ46edSXOlokIhk6b16u1gPYz0fKa4EECOpbpupfm93g/s1600/unholyghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5jp5YaW83wmp7eCuuEcrMAihMZaik0GaiPgWDZ2YR2zPZ8UB9kr5DuQiz3nFV33JilxHTuJX-8eyHsHU-JxEbMFoje1G7aKIEJ46edSXOlokIhk6b16u1gPYz0fKa4EECOpbpupfm93g/s1600/unholyghosts.jpg" /></a></div><i><span id="freeText162752535153770151">THE DEPARTED HAVE ARRIVED.<br />
<br />
The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.</span></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">----</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151"> I'm going to start this review off on a tangent--when do I not? As far as I'm concerned 2011 has been the Year of Meh. Television has been practically unwatchable. Movies released this year: heinous. The books were, at best, mediocre. Admittedly, there were a few notable exceptions but, for the most part, I'm disappointed. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">Over the past six months I've grown weary; struggled to finish most of what I've started, and, by the way, failing more often then not--you should see my pile of abandoned books. Because of this I've been feeling the need to take a step back, maybe not read so much. Maybe spend my money more wisely--it is ridiculous how much I spend on books and audiobooks. You know, take a break. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">2011 killed my love of books (and movies and television). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">That said, over the past couple of days I've fallen in love with books (and reading) all over again. I'm in love. Love I tell ya. Can't-get-enough-</span><span id="freeText162752535153770151">make-everyone-sick-can't-eat-or-sleep-</span><span id="freeText162752535153770151">head-over-heels in love. Me and reading? It's like we're on a second honeymoon. I have Stacia Kane and her Downside Ghost series to thank because of it. </span><span id="freeText162752535153770151"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">I know, I know--none of the books in the Downside Ghost series were published this year. It doesn't matter. What does matter is I love reading. Again. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">Funny thing, it's not like Downside Ghosts is The Best Series, Ever. And it has to be said: it's definitely not for everyone</span><span id="freeText162752535153770151">. However, as far as I'm concerned, <i>it is</i> compelling and addictive. It's good. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">So. Unholy Ghosts. Where to start? Twenty-five year old Cesaria "Chess" Putnum is a hot mess, and not in that chick-flick cliche can't-get-my-life-together-because-I'm-so-adorably-clumsy-and-I-wear-glasses-that-make-me-look-unfortunate-until-I-finally-remove-them-during-the-makeover-montage-and-that's-when-everyone-discovers-I'm-super-hot sort of way. I mean the sort of hot mess that's boozy and pops pills all the live-long day. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">I'm not going to lie to you. I avoided this series for that exact reason. Boozy pill-poppers just aren't my thing, or so I thought. The other day I was looking through my kindle bookshelf and I noticed that I had the sample of Unholy Ghosts--for the life of me, I can't remember when I downloaded it. Curious, figuring I had nothing to lose, I decided to give it a chance before I went ahead and removed it. Imagine my surprise when I realized I couldn't go the rest of my life without reading more. So I purchased it (FYI, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Ghosts-Downside-ebook/dp/B0036S4APY/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_2_5?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2" target="_blank">Kindle edition of Unholy Ghosts</a> is just 99 cents). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">The thing I like about Chess is, well, I pretty much like everything. Honestly, I don't even mind that she's a drug addict. Of course, most of her problems wouldn't happen if she wasn't addicted to pills, but if that were the case Unholy Ghosts wouldn't be so good. One of my favorite aspects of Chess's life her employment. She works for the Church of Truth as a Debunker, which is a person who goes around trying to debunk claims of hauntings. If she's able to then she gets a bonus and if she doesn't the homeowner will be compensated by the church and the debunker will rid the home of the ghost. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">Sidenote: Did I mention this is a dystopian urban fantasy? Because it is. Basically way back in the year 1997 ghosts escaped wherever it is ghosts go (or actually The City, as it's called in this series) and got all murdery, killing one-third of the world's population. At the time The Church of Truth was just a small organization but they succeeded in capturing all the ghosts. 25 years later The Church of Truth is the only religion. They pretty much run the government too. Worldwide. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">The church has vowed to keep people safe from ghosts, which is why homeowners are compensated if their haunting is real. /sidenote</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">Chess is good at being a Debunker and it's something she's proud of. She also loves the Church of Truth, despite the fact that it reigns supreme. I can't fault her for it because everything else in her life is crap--growing up being passed from abusive foster home to abusive foster home will mess you up, you know? And anyway the Church is the only place she's ever felt safe, the only thing that's ever given her life value. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">Anyway, things get really interesting when Chess's drug dealer blackmails her into working for him. <--and I'm stopping right there because I don't want to ruin it for you. Plus, this review is entirely too long. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151">This isn't my favorite book in the series, there are a few things that didn't exactly work for me, but I still like it. (Just so you know Unholy Magic, the second book in the Downside Ghost series is...um...<i>intense</i>. I'll be reviewing it soon). Three stars. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText162752535153770151"><br />
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</span></div>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-40416047575562742492011-11-21T10:37:00.000-08:002011-12-02T08:15:58.235-08:00Review: Anna Dressed In Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nq4McVmVc6ZPtExmlgQQAxrByGbhsSvGyqQ_ELBMUKnH2vcnPod7DwLNFeYoUM5FOZPEcr3doaEqH13eBOPGesrvkqUm1zC6hhwXH8bfw6va7JinHVQmw9HEsSp8bXUAH9m5RAoQ6uCH/s1600/51r55dne-kL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nq4McVmVc6ZPtExmlgQQAxrByGbhsSvGyqQ_ELBMUKnH2vcnPod7DwLNFeYoUM5FOZPEcr3doaEqH13eBOPGesrvkqUm1zC6hhwXH8bfw6va7JinHVQmw9HEsSp8bXUAH9m5RAoQ6uCH/s400/51r55dne-kL.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>First off, I feel I should discuss the cover art: I know, I know--everyone loves this cover. Unfortunately it doesn't do anything for me. Look, I stopped being <s>fooled</s> wowed by cover art after reading Fallen by Lauren Kate. That's a lie--the cover for the third Paranormalcy book makes me ridiculously happy, but at least I'm fairly certain I'll like that book since I like the first two books in the series. <br />
<br />
In my opinion the following would have made a better cover for Anna Dressed In Blood: <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="Carrie,Prom Queen,Anna Dressed in Blood,They're All Gonna Laugh" class="escapedImg" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/Decorated%20images/bloodycarrie.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Infinitely better, don't you think?</i></div><br />
Moving on... <br />
<br />
You know how Cake Pops are the newest, coolest thing in baked goods? And everyone's all "O mai, it'ss teh caaaaaaaake popssssssss!"? And you're standing there thinking, <i>sure they're cute but they're just little glorified cupcakes on sticks</i>? Well, let me start by saying: Anna Dressed in Blood is the Cake Pop of the publishing industry. Sure it's cute(-ish) but I fail to see what the big deal is. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="Ghostly Cake Pops" class="escapedImg" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/Decorated%20images/ghostpop-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Seriously, what's the big deal?</i></div><br />
I've read several reviews that claim this book is hilarious and disgusting and terrifying. <i>Plus!</i> <i>Awesome Characters!</i> <i>Weird Romance!</i> I was under the impression Anna Dressed in Blood was the YA version of Fargo, except with a Very Murdery Ghost instead of a woodchipper. And I was all, <i>sign me up!</i> <br />
<br />
My mistake was falling for the hype & actually believing the rumors. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>It's not laugh-out-loud funny</b> <br />
<br />
<blockquote><i>"Hey" he says, pulling up a chair. "Aren't you going to eat your Jell-o?" <br />
"I effing hate green Jell-o," I reply, and push it his way. <br />
"I hate it too. I was just asking." <br />
I laugh. "Don't make me hurt my ribs, you dick."</i></blockquote><br />
<br />
Bahahahahaha. So funny, right? <br />
<br />
Kidding! I'm not sure which parts were supposed to be funny, actually. Even during the 30% of this book I did enjoy I never laughed, not even in my head. I'd have settled for a "that's what she said" joke. I'm not too picky when it comes to humor. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>It's not terrifying. (Not even a little.)</b> <br />
<br />
I keep reading reviews that claim this book is scary. It isn't. Yeah, there's a ghost (a couple, actually). Yeah, Anna likes to make it look like her dress is dripping with blood. Yeah, she murders people. But it just so happens that none of that scared me. If there was a demonic clown in this book then I might have been a little frightened. But, alas, no demonic clowns. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>It's not a paranormal romance</b> <br />
<br />
As far as I'm concerned it's not PNR unless the romance is a major part of the story. Believe me when I say this: the romance is hardly even present. What little romance there is between Cas and Anna is forced and awkward. I only knew they were in love because I was told as much. There was no flirting. No longing glances. No blushing and looking away. No showing off. Now I can't even remember if there is any kissing. I think there might be a kissing scene, but the romance is so minor I just don't remember. The only things Cas and Anna had in common is both their fathers are dead and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4448226786545975920&postID=4041604757556274249" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer;">(view spoiler)</a>. Other than that, I can't think of anything else they might have in common. I would have loved to hear that they both liked the same subjects in school, read the same books, or even that they shared a deep passion for pie, but that never happened. Their conversations consisted of Cas questioning Anna about who killed her, the people she killed and how she feels about it, ghost killing, nightmares, and how to stop the gruesome murders happening in Thunder Bay. <br />
<br />
I don't know, maybe that's what passes for romance in Canada these days. <br />
<br />
The other romance is more interesting, in that it's an unconventional human pairing. I loves me an unconventional love story. That said, it's still another romance that's only present because we're told as much. Sure, Thomas the Nerd is crushing hard-core on Carmel, the hottest girl in school, but I fail to see why she might return his feelings. He's described as looking like a 12-year-old with unkempt orangey-red hair. He dresses ugly, he's awkward and he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder (which, by the way, conveniently disappears early on in the story). Yes, Thomas is nice to Carmel and worships the ground she walks on, but that's pretty much how everyone treats her. She's the hot girl, remember? So...what's in it for Carmel? I want to know that she finds him attractive on an intellectual level, or that it's his sense of humor and confidence that she finds irresistibly sexy (by the way, he's not funny <i>but he needs to be</i> because he is the plucky side-kick), or that she loves him because he really wants to be with her for her personality and not just her looks. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>It's not disgusting</b> <br />
<br />
I'm not going to lie to you. All the gory details are vague at best. So if you're not into that sort of thing, don't worry, you're pretty safe. That said, I feel I should warn you: yes, there is some dismemberment, and, yes, it is a little abrupt when it happens the first time, but other than that... *shrug* I've actually seen worse (on tv). <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="The Walking Dead gif" class="escapedImg" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/Decorated%20images/tumblr_luddcfIY5q1qglgtco2_250.gif" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>That. Just. Happened. Now please excuse me as I dry-heave for the next 30 seconds.</i></div><br />
Which brings me to my next point: <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>I need the characters to show some genuine emotion</b> <br />
<br />
Look, I know I just said that I've seen worse and that's why the gory descriptions didn't affect me. It's just that, had I seen someone dismembered <i>IN REAL LIFE</i>, I'd: 1) vomit 2) vomit some more 3) run away screaming 4) cry 5) dry-heave just thinking about it 6) have nightmares for the rest of my life 7) work it out in therapy. <br />
<br />
And that's what I'd do if I never even knew the person. <br />
<br />
These kids? Have never seen any real (read: not hallucinations) dismembered bodies, ever. So when they see it happen to people they actually know, I want them to do at least one of the following: 1) run away screaming 2) go into hysterics while standing there 3) go into shock 4) huddle in a corner 5) vomit 6) dry-heave 7) cry about it for more then a paragraph 8) have nightmares 9) call the cops 10) feel survivor guilt. <br />
<br />
None of that happened, which is why these teens seem so robotic. <br />
<br />
Also? I have a problem with the amount of time these kids spent on getting their stories straight. They spent more time working on alibis then they did thinking about the kids that died horrible, painful deaths. It's seriously disturbing how little they spent thinking about the dead kids or the dead kids' families. And don't tell me it doesn't really matter how they felt about the dead kids because they were bullies who deserved to die. <br />
<br />
It's called empathy. Look it up. <br />
<br />
<br />
(2 stars)<br />
<br />
<br />
(I have so much more to say but I don't know if I'll be able to finish this review before next week. I'm posting it now as a sort of early Thanksgiving present for everyone. You're welcome. <br />
<br />
Happy Thanksgiving!)Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-68735084490439160002011-10-05T10:47:00.000-07:002011-11-29T10:56:23.955-08:00Review: Dead on the Delta (Annabelle Lee #1) by Stacey Jay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiId5vCtlL2UVTWr0yVG8Laj4EgGfsOqbuBxa-SNzMhNF3cbEppf_Nk05sl32iac1gi1S4CZBgu2AxiueQ7qEmItse0dKIm9ELXTUICc7FNATxrj2a_8gRB1tIIlqAWZDfTrbpsv88GrF4r/s1600/51I1asLAhGL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiId5vCtlL2UVTWr0yVG8Laj4EgGfsOqbuBxa-SNzMhNF3cbEppf_Nk05sl32iac1gi1S4CZBgu2AxiueQ7qEmItse0dKIm9ELXTUICc7FNATxrj2a_8gRB1tIIlqAWZDfTrbpsv88GrF4r/s320/51I1asLAhGL.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><span id="freeText7795061019205409130"></span><br />
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<i>Once upon a time, fairies were the stuff of bedtime stories and sweet dreams. Then came the mutations, and the dreams became nightmares. Mosquito-size fairies now indulge their taste for human blood—and for most humans, a fairy bite means insanity or death. Luckily, Annabelle Lee isn’t most humans. The hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, bicycle-riding redhead is immune to fairy venom, and able to do the dirty work most humans can’t. Including helping law enforcement— and Cane Cooper, the bayou’s sexiest detective—collect evidence when a body is discovered outside the fairy-proof barricades of her Louisiana town.</i><br />
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<i>But Annabelle isn’t equipped to deal with the murder of a sixyear- old girl or a former lover-turned-FBI snob taking an interest in the case. Suddenly her already bumpy relationship with Cane turns even rockier, and even the most trust-worthy friends become suspects. Annabelle’s life is imploding: between relationship drama, a heartbreaking murder investigation, Breeze-crazed drug runners, and a few too many rum and Cokes, Annabelle is a woman on the run—from her past, toward her future, and into the arms of a darkness waiting just for her. . . .</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText7795061019205409130">---- </span></div><br />
<span id="freeText7795061019205409130"></span>This is the third book written by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1691206.Stacey_Jay" title="Stacey Jay">Stacey Jay</a> that I've read. The first one--YA Fiction--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3965854.You_Are_So_Undead_to_Me_Megan_Berry_1_" title="You Are So Undead to Me (Megan Berry, #1) by Stacey Jay">You Are So Undead to Me</a>, was a fun and entertaining read. So enjoyable, in fact, I was glad that I took a chance on an author I'd never heard of before. The second--also YA Fiction--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9972882.Juliet_Immortal" title="Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay">Juliet Immortal</a>, was decidedly not so entertaining. Or fun. Or imaginative. Or worthwhile. Heck, I'm almost done reading it but I just can't muster the strength to finish--I just don't care what happens anymore. <br />
<br />
So why did I buy this book which, by the way, was purchased while I was in the middle of forcing myself to slog through the pages of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9972882.Juliet_Immortal" title="Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay">Juliet Immortal</a>? Because it was marked 60% off at Borders, that's why. Also, like I said, Stacey Jay's first offering was quite good, so I was willing to give her another chance. I'm so glad I did. <br />
<br />
Dead on the Delta is a new UF series--not YA--that isn't horribly original. Meaning there is a Kick-A Protagonist who has some sort of special ability or power. This Kick-A Protagonist? Has--you guessed it: a troubled past, intimacy issues, and a drinking problem that goes hand in hand with her tendency to pop pills. Did I mention this story is set in Louisiana? Because it is. Also? This book has killer fairies. <br />
<br />
That's right. Killer. Fairies. <br />
<br />
So why did I like Dead on the Delta despite the fact that it doesn't seem to have anything new to bring to the table, you ask? The protagonist, a 20-something FCC employee/former debutante/med school dropout by the name of Annabelle Lee, is a loveable, albeit prickly, character that I couldn't help but root for. Also her "special power"--immunity to poisonous fairy saliva--is actually not all that special, though only about 5% of the population is immune. So it's not like she's an all-powerful (read: unbearable) Mary Sue. <br />
<br />
Anyway, if you're looking for a new UF series to pick up I suggest you give Stacey Jay's Dead on the Delta (book #1 in the Annabelle Lee series) a try. <br />
<br />
(4 stars because I was genuinely entertained by this book despite the fact that there were a few things that didn't quite work for me. I will be reading the next book in this series).Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-59721792910105235942011-09-13T11:08:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:16:35.574-08:00Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNL8hj2BQGXwEHpv1AnyuCcFRF0s4wxSA-ptSMhKYxCjfQV0qkkHubv8Pr7s2dUuonxkInI0wtlqMY82IkIoMBbR84mEd2GcNm7uAIusverGG7gSXiAMRrWGb-gbHoSl5TZUuL4x3eVQj/s1600/6936382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNL8hj2BQGXwEHpv1AnyuCcFRF0s4wxSA-ptSMhKYxCjfQV0qkkHubv8Pr7s2dUuonxkInI0wtlqMY82IkIoMBbR84mEd2GcNm7uAIusverGG7gSXiAMRrWGb-gbHoSl5TZUuL4x3eVQj/s320/6936382.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<br />
<i><span id="freeText4683745675298729246">Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.<br />
<br />
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?</span></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText4683745675298729246">----</span></div><br />
<span id="freeText4683745675298729246"> </span>I wasn't going to read this book. Really, I wasn't. The title of this book alone is enough to make me run screaming in the opposite direction. And the cover art? Is even worse--I'm not your stereotypical girl in that I don't dream of visiting Paris, for any reason, ever. Though I can't help but admit that all positive reviews from trusted Goodreaders did make me a little curious. I mean, it sounded like this book was a really fun YA romance. But for me YA & Romance are never a good match. The vast majority of YA romances are gag-worthy and cause me to sigh with frustration and/or roll my eyes a lot until I finally chuck them across the room because I've got a migraine. <br />
<br />
This past summer I was vacationing with my stepdaughter and she was looking for a fluff-tastic read. Knowing I read quite a bit she asked if I had any suggestions. Since I don't really do fluff I couldn't think of anything besides <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7488244.Unearthly_Unearthly_1_" title="Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand">Unearthly</a>, which she promptly gobbled up and begged for more. Then I remembered a number of my GR friends seemed to like this book and I figured it would be right up her alley as well, so I purchased it. <br />
<br />
That was way back in July. And my stepdaughter never got around to reading this book because she was suddenly too busy text messaging her stupid ex-boyfriend (I'm not kidding. The guy is a freaking moron, though I digress). Since then my copy of Anna and the French Kiss has been gathering dust because I didn't get around to returning it before the 14-day grace period for returning books to Barnes & Noble was up. <br />
<br />
Then the tenth anniversary of 9/11 snuck up on me and I fell to pieces--I mean, completely freaked out. See, I typically prepare myself for this time of year, make a point to avoid footage or pictures from that day. But, yeah, without really thinking things through I decided I was ready, that I would be okay. Now that the tenth anniversary has come and gone, I'm fairly certain I'll never be ready for any of <i>that</i>, ever. <br />
<br />
Anyway, by Sunday night I was in the midst of having an nasty anxiety attack that was only increasing in it's severity. I needed something--<i>anything!</i>--to divert my attention, so I found refuge within the pages of Anna and the French Kiss, the fluffiest novel I own. I'm not going to lie to you, it helped. <br />
<br />
Right away I could tell I was probably going to like it. The first paragraph sucked me right in because it reminded me of a cheeky little game my husband and I play where we name every stereotype we know about other countries (we're lame, I know). I liked the opening paragraph so much I then read it to my husband and it brought a small smile to his weary face as well. <br />
<br />
Check it out: <br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>"Here's everything I know about France: <i>Madeline</i> and <i>Amélie</i> and <i>Moulin Rouge</i>. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is. Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and a lot of kings named Louis. I'm not sure what they did either, but I think it has something to do with the French Revolution, which has something to do with Bastille Day. The art museum is called the Louvre and it's shaped like a pyramid and the <i>Mona Lisa</i> lives there along with that statue of that woman missing her arms. And there are cafés or bistros or whatever they call them on every street corner. And mimes. The food is supposed to be good, and the people drink a lot of wine and smoke a lot of cigarettes. <br />
<br />
I've heard they don't like Americans, and they don't like white sneakers."</blockquote><br />
<br />
That's just awesome, right? My husband and I particularly loved the bit about mimes. We even added to the list--"Black and white striped shirts", "red scarves", "Berets", "people gnawing on baguettes Regina George style" (see: Mean Girls. And yes, we totally made this one up because we amuse ourselves in the most idiotic of ways), "people pretending they don't speak English", "Escargot!" and so on... <br />
<br />
After we finished proving our ignorance to one another I read on. <br />
<br />
All-in-all Anna and the French Kiss was a pretty good read. It's not the sort of book I usually pick up, or enjoy, but I liked well enough. It's kind of fun to be inside Anna's head because she's got a quirky personality. Her exchanges with St. Clair are, for the most part, fairly amusing and remind me of the sort of silly and/or ridiculous conversations my husband and I have when we're alone. <br />
<br />
That said, I did feel like the story was a tad bit disjointed. The first half of the book is written in such a way that I continuously forgot I was reading a fluffy YA romance, which I really appreciated. The second part of the book is pretty much all fluff, which was alright(-ish). I mean, I could have done without some of the angst (most of which was unnecessary, by the way), and I didn't particularly care for the fact that Anna pretty much becomes a mental patient for the second half of the story, nor did I care much for <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4448226786545975920&postID=5972179291010523594" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer;">(view spoiler)</a> <br />
<br />
The ending was pretty good, though, which I appreciated. It even has a sweet message, ends on a positive note. <br />
<br />
Anyway, because Anna and the French Kiss provided a much needed escape when I needed it most, and because it's much better then most (or even all) fluffy YA romances I've read I'm going to go ahead give it four stars, even though it probably only deserves three. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good fluffy YA romance and/or a quick escape from reality.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-55666923338376292932011-06-15T10:30:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:17:15.439-08:00Review: Deadline (NewsFlesh #2) by Mira Grant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauw8_vQEhYGylcSH_2yqlaC0nhjeppgS6aEOMwM_rAUQxcU6Ya1zN1n7Fu2JSJRsJz_j20C2HFvPQsqKMNvFG-Arpl3RkYs8KrR00WcEwDUtI1L5bx8s4_YTTMDJGsTNpTyyySYKLza48/s1600/8429687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauw8_vQEhYGylcSH_2yqlaC0nhjeppgS6aEOMwM_rAUQxcU6Ya1zN1n7Fu2JSJRsJz_j20C2HFvPQsqKMNvFG-Arpl3RkYs8KrR00WcEwDUtI1L5bx8s4_YTTMDJGsTNpTyyySYKLza48/s320/8429687.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><br />
<b>***Warning: this review contains spoilers for <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/169756.Feed" title="Feed by M.T. Anderson">Feed</a>***</b> <br />
<br />
I really don't know what I can say about this book besides how disappointed and frustrated it left me. Not that I was expecting something incredible mind you. I mean, it's not like <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/169756.Feed" title="Feed by M.T. Anderson">Feed</a> left me begging for more so I have no idea why I gave Deadline the time of day. <br />
<br />
Actually I do know. <s>I'm not too bright.</s> I was going to purchase <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9666870.The_Demon_s_Surrender_Demon_s_Lexicon_Trilogy_3_" title="The Demon's Surrender (Demon's Lexicon Trilogy #3) by Sarah Rees Brennan">The Demon's Surrender</a> on Tuesday June 14th, because that's when it was released, but for whatever reason the audiobook was not available for sale at audible. So I wasted a precious audible credit on this ridiculously long piece of trash. How long is this audiobook you ask? 15+ hours. <br />
<br />
Yes, more then 15 hours of what amounts to a really long episode of The Incredible Hulk, featuring zombies and the magical world of news blogging. Except to make things extra fun <s>The Hulk</s> <s>Bruce Banner</s> Shaun, our main character, has his dead sister's voice stuck in his head running commentary on everything he does. And he talks back to that voice. Vocally. Like, all the time no matter who is around. <br />
<br />
When people encounter Shaun's strange behavior and make the mistake of asking if he's feeling okay, <s>Bruce</s> Shaun looses his crap and <s>'splodes out of his clothes in a fit of rage, turns green and goes on a punching spree. And he's all <b>'HULK MAD! HULK SMASH! HULK KILL!'</b></s> starts acting like a massive douche-canoe--like, way more douche-y then he usually acts--and threatening to punch the crap out of whoever had the nerve to ask him about the state of his mental health. <br />
<br />
See, that wouldn't be such worrisome behavior if he were some crazy urine-soaked hobo who lives out of a refrigerator box. But see, Shaun is the head blogger at this massive news blog he and his (dead) sister started a few years before. He has a ton of employees all over the world. <br />
<br />
Mr Crazy Pants is in charge. <i>Really.</i> <br />
<br />
And that's where my first issue with Deadline springs up. Who in their right mind would put up with that crap? The answer is no one. Not even people who are supposedly friends with said crazy person. Especially when that person has not contributed ANYTHING worthwhile to the blog in over a year. A person who doesn't even make any real decisions anymore. A person who does little more then show up and carry on conversations with <s>the dead sister living in his head</s> himself and threaten to punch people, occasionally carrying out those threats and breaking noses in the process. <br />
<br />
We're supposed to believe that his employees are that loyal and/or so stupid they'd be willing to stick around and take that sort of abuse. Bloggers who are at the top of their fields and could go to a number of other news blogs or easily start their own. <br />
<br />
One could argue that he just lost his sister and these people are just trying to be understanding, but here's the deal: his sister died a year prior to the events in Deadline. Plus, they live in a world where zombies run free. Every last one of them have lost close friends and loved ones yet none of them act like him. <br />
<br />
So...what makes Shaun so special? <br />
<br />
Nothing. He's not special. Which is why I grew weary of this book almost from the get go. But I kept reading because I thought he was going to calm down and pull his act together. Don't want to be all spoiler-y but it needs to be said: that never happens. In fact his behavior worsens yet NO ONE takes a cattle prod to his crazy ass; no one throws him to the zombies. <br />
<br />
There is a whole lot of other stuff that happens which, I'm sorry, doesn't really matter because <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4448226786545975920&postID=5566692333837629293" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer;">(view spoiler)</a>. To be honest, I feel there is little of importance that goes down in this book. It's all a bunch of happenings that don't amount to anything in the end. If you've read Deadline and you don't agree with me, that's cool. Just do me a favor and ask yourself this: what, if anything, happened in this book that wasn't made so completely pointless by the way the book ended? I bet your answer is along the lines of 'nothing'. <br />
<br />
And then there's the plot holes. So many plot holes. Gigantic ones. One in particular that is so infeasible, so massive you sort of want to write Mira Grant hate mail while reading it. Or maybe that's just me. <br />
<br />
Speaking of holes, am I the only one that thinks the answer to the zombie problem, should a zombie apocalypse ever occur, is the Grand Canyon? I mean, it's a massive hole in the ground, right? All we'd have to do is round up and herd all the zombies to the Grand Canyon. We could walk them in at ground level and then brick them in, or just let them walk over the cliffs (this option is rather inhumane but, hey, it's flesh-eating, disease-carrying zombies we're talking about not adorable puppies and kitties). I'm also willing to consider using Carlsbad Caverns, as it is also a massive hole in the ground and I'm not a huge fan of New Mexico. <br />
<br />
Also: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" class="escapedImg" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/tumblr_lsgx3pcOkf1qdf54xo1_500.jpg" /></a> <br />
<br />
/tangent <br />
<br />
Don't even get me started about Shaun's (not at all thought out) motorcycle ride <s>of karma</s> from zombie hell. I'm sorry but who is that stupid? Why would anyone let anyone else ride a motorcycle into a place so insanely infested with zombies? I kept wondering why they couldn't strap that thing to the back of the van, or, I don't know, LEAVE IT BEHIND. Hell, even if there really wasn't room left inside the van, Shaun could have easily strapped himself to the roof, or (call me crazy) strap some of their equipment to the roof of the van in order to make room for him. Either way, he would have been safer. <br />
<br />
One last thing: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4448226786545975920&postID=5566692333837629293" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer;">(view spoiler)</a> <br />
<br />
I will not be reading the third book in this series. One-and-a-half stars.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-48985835241049275062011-05-27T08:43:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:18:07.437-08:00Review for Beauty Queens by Libba Bray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TqI44rb7nTKMXXGlyurOyNPY7Sr_cjiieRlbSVvnS-cgl9Z9SLjl3MdaLnNtKjAp_PvlC46hgeBRbrb1JRvMK_O90odQ2wvSxPijKFvfI322NwgDhZOwwA9Z_xY5xK-fu2nQVOu_CzJH/s1600/beauty-queens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TqI44rb7nTKMXXGlyurOyNPY7Sr_cjiieRlbSVvnS-cgl9Z9SLjl3MdaLnNtKjAp_PvlC46hgeBRbrb1JRvMK_O90odQ2wvSxPijKFvfI322NwgDhZOwwA9Z_xY5xK-fu2nQVOu_CzJH/s320/beauty-queens.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><i><span id="freeText6132105717476590689">From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.<br />
<br />
Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.</span></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span id="freeText6132105717476590689">----</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview159114249">Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the plots from Drop Dead Gorgeous, Austin Powers, Mean Girls, Lost, and Lord of the Flies. Whip until nice and fluffy. Stir in equal parts Bollywood, Boy Bands, Pirates, An Evil Corporation, Crappy Parenting, Reality TV, Miss Teen USA pageants, and commercials aimed at teens. Next add 4 cups Teenage Sexuality (all types), 2 cups Feminism, 1/2 cup Identity Issues, 1/2 cup Self-Esteem Issues, 16-Teenage Beauty Queens (all types. Just make sure one is much more intelligent then the others), a handful of henchmen, a handful of open-minded hot guys with British accents, one hot eco-"terrorist", one crazy-go-nuts dictator, copious amounts of satire, and 1-20 oz. bag of Sarah Palin. Stir until well blended. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Pour into cupcake pans (cuz cupcakes are all the rage, yo!) Bake for: 35 minutes. Let cool. <br />
<br />
Frosting: Mix equal parts Sunshine, Love, World Peace, Sparkle Ponies, Sequined Dresses, Cute Shoes, Makeup, GRRRRRRRRRL POWER! a handful of sand, one Lesbian makeout session, and one Sex Tape. Whip until creamy. <br />
<br />
Frost cupcakes then sprinkle with way too many unnecessary footnotes. Top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry that has been laced with an organic hallucinogen. <br />
<br />
Take those cupcakes and dumb them down. Dumb them down again. A little more... <br />
<br />
One more time... <br />
<br />
Stop! <br />
<br />
Okay, there you have it: the recipe for Libba Bray's Beauty Queens (in cupcake form). Enjoy! <br />
<br />
2.5 stars. Real review to be posted after the weekend. <br />
<br />
--- <br />
<br />
I spent the weekend thinking about what I would say in this review, how I would explain my beef with this book. I want to make it clear, I don't hate <i>Beauty Queens</i>, nor do I like it. <br />
<br />
It was okay, overall. I mean, sure, it did have it's moments. Not that Beauty Queens caused me to laugh out loud--because it didn't, especially not after the novelty of the "helpful" footnotes and commercial parodies wore off. They were fun for the first few chapters, then they became an irritation. <br />
<br />
Also, I don't particularly care for Libba Bray's brand of satire. At times it was so overdone it only inspired sighs of frustration, eye-rolling and thoughts of, "that would have been funny if" or "that could have been more powerful if" from me. I felt as though I was watching one of those really bad (read: not funny) movie parodies, like Dance Flick, or Epic Movie. <br />
<br />
Yes, at times Beauty Queens is that much of a punishment, and then some. <br />
<br />
But that's not the worst part. My major problem has to do with the fact that Bray's story had a great foundation. I mean, just read this: <br />
<br />
<i></i></span></span></div><blockquote><i>“I’ve been thinking about that book about the boys who crash on an island,” Mary Lou said to Adina one afternoon as they rested on their elbows taking bites from the same papaya. <br />
<br />
“Lord of the Flies. What about it?” <br />
<br />
You know how you said it wasn’t a true measure of humanity because there were no girls and you wondered how it would be different if there had been girls?” <br />
<br />
“Yeah?” <br />
<br />
“Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one’s watching them so they can be who they really are.” <br />
<br />
There was something about the island that made the girls forget who they had been. All those rules and shalt nots. They were no longer waiting for some arbitrary grade. They were no longer performing. Waiting. Hoping. <br />
<br />
They were becoming. <br />
<br />
They were.</i></blockquote><br />
<br />
Sure, it's all a little contrived, but still it's a great jumping off point. Instead of doing anything worthwhile with it, Bray took that idea and made it into a Very Special Episode of The Facts of Life, except way more condescending and a ba-zillion times more preachier--it's not like the main message Bray is pummeling her audience with is new. Girlfriend is preaching to the choir the entire time. And at no point does this book challenge one to think. Beauty Queens thinks for you, <i>because thinking is hard, y'all. </i> <br />
<br />
You wanna sell me on something? Give me a chance to think for myself. Show me both sides of the argument. Present me with questions that don't necessarily have an easy answer. Let me draw my own conclusions. Don't incessantly beat me upside my head with your answers, your way of thinking. See, when that happens I tend to lose interest in what you have to say--even if I happen to agree with you--because you clearly think you're superior, that I'm not intelligent enough to come to the right (read: your) conclusion. Do. Not. Like. <br />
<br />
And don't even think of telling me that some teenage girls need a book to do their thinking for them, that they need to be force fed the messages contained within Beauty Queens because their parents, their peers, the media has damaged them, tricked them into thinking otherwise. Even if that is the case with some teenage girls, I fail to see how shoving a message down their collective throats--be it negative or positive--is the way to go about building up self esteem, or fixing identity issues. <br />
<br />
Moving on... <br />
<br />
I don't fault Libba Bray for wanting to make this book funny, because Beauty Queens would have bombed royally had it taken itself too seriously. But like I said earlier, she took the satire, the tongue-in-cheekiness, way too far. Beauty Queens is obnoxious. Beauty Queens is that know-it-all girl that you sort of want to punch in the face because she isn't as clever as she thinks she is; someone ought to bring her down a few notches. <br />
<br />
Anyway, because of Bray's lack of control every character has been reduced to a cardboard cut-out of a stereotype. Beauty Queens has two really stupid blondes from the south, a really slutty girl from the midwest, a super sexually repressed girl from the upper-midwest, two minorities, a crazy pageant-head from Texas, A stereotypical lesbian, and a girl who is hearing impaired. Even Ms New Hampshire, whom, might I add, is this story's Marysue, is feminist to a fault, goes around feeling superior to the other girls on the island because she's "enlightened" and they're just a bunch of stupid fools. <br />
<br />
There were a few others who had even less going for them. Ms New Mexico, for example, had a tray table embedded in her skull. That was her only defining quality throughout the entire book. I kid you not. *headdesk* <br />
<br />
The only character that I found interesting, that had any sort of depth, was Ms Rhode Island. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4448226786545975920&postID=4898583524104927506" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer;">(view spoiler)</a> She's the only character I truly liked; seemed to have her crap together. She's probably the only reason anyone should read this book. Really. The rest of the ladies? Were really irritating and irrational and totally rubbed me the wrong way--go figure. <br />
<br />
You know how every chick flick has at least one painfully ridiculous cringe-worthy scene? The sort of scene that makes you wonder how stupid Hollywood thinks women are. The sort of scene that makes you vow to never see another chick flick again, like that random musical number with synchronized dance moves in My Best Friend's Wedding. Or the 'Bend and Snap' scene from Legally Blonde. Or the entire length of the movie Mama Mia? Yeah, this book has that. It ENDS with one of those scenes. <br />
<br />
Read this book or not. It's totally up to you. I didn't like it, clearly, but I'm not pleased with a lot of books these days. <br />
<br />
P.S. Why is it books meant to inspire and empower women to be proud of who we are, to stop aiming for an an unattainable level of perfection in the looks/weight/personality department, always have MCs that fall in love with men who are perfect in every way? Like, especially their bodies are super beautiful, and the MC can't shut up about how physically beautiful her love interest is. How come female MCs don't fall in love with guys who have great personalities but are lacking in the looks department? Why can't it just be about a meeting of minds? Why do looks ALWAYS play a part in books written for a female audience? Especially when we go around telling ourselves that looks shouldn't matter, to anyone (especially men). Isn't that more then a little hypocritical? <br />
<br />
Oh, yeah, I forgot. No one wants to read about ugly people falling in love. At least one of them (*cough* the guy *cough*) has to be super hot. <br />
<br />
<br />
P.P.S. I'll have you know, starting when I was 12 years old, my parents sent me to a girls camp in Colorado--five summers in a row. No electricity. No cabins. No toilets or showers or mirrors. No boys. Just a bunch of girls forced to sleep in tents with a bunch of other girls their same age. Wanna guess what THAT was like? Hell on earth. Friggin' WWIII broke out every single year! I hated it. Adolescent girls are mean. Like, ridiculously mean, especially when civilization isn't present. You think Lord of the Flies is insane? Take those boys and replace them with teen girls and you'll have a massacre on your hands. At the very least there would be a few violent cat fights. I'm just sayin'.<i><span id="freeText6132105717476590689"> </span></i>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-56706087118283360042011-05-10T10:22:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:18:30.615-08:00Review: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdjMxjL2Hj9CN-mf8fmgCoQCM13c5U7yrADx49CGHhnzo4rOwRXhIC49eiX525YgRf10f0QpJeGNacSck1hliCq-UIpT7Bd5cc2lKj2OHnV86M5bm1H1t011oE8DO0yRBQirrw2iC82cz/s1600/7157310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdjMxjL2Hj9CN-mf8fmgCoQCM13c5U7yrADx49CGHhnzo4rOwRXhIC49eiX525YgRf10f0QpJeGNacSck1hliCq-UIpT7Bd5cc2lKj2OHnV86M5bm1H1t011oE8DO0yRBQirrw2iC82cz/s320/7157310.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>This is what I learned from reading Rot & Ruin: <br />
<br />
1. Zombies iz people too. So they should be treated with respect, yo. (more about this later) <br />
<br />
2. Books containing zombies can be really irritating and boring. <br />
<br />
You see, I didn't know this was a possibility. I mean, it's zombies we're talking about here. How could zombies be boring? Turns out all you need to do is add a lame teenage romance and BAM! What really matters (ZOMBIES!) gets shoved onto the backburner in favor of the not-so-important (love story??? Who invited <i>that</i> guy? Alright, I'm out!). <br />
<br />
It needs to be said: if I wanted a romance novel I'd waste my time reading the likes of Nicholas Sparks. And that would never happen. Ever. Besides, I picked up a zombie book because I wanted to read a zombie story. Horror, Violence, Decapitations--<i>oh my!</i> <br />
<br />
Maberry's story has these things, but not enough to hold my interest. Most of the time we're being preached to by Tom Imura, Benny's older brother. See Tom Imura is a zombie slayer for hire. One of the best. You'd think a katana-wielding slayer extraordinaire would liven things up a bit. But no. No, he doesn't. He just waxes philosophical about how zombies are people too. <br />
<br />
The treating-zombies-with-respect-by-not-killing-them-unless-you-have-to thing? Ruined this book. Basically the argument defending this school of thought goes a little like this: <br />
<br />
Tom Imura: Pretend you're at a loved one's funeral and suddenly someone you don't know shows up and like defecates on your loved one's corpse. Wouldn't that anger you? Wouldn't that be disrespectful to your loved one and everyone who ever cared about them? <br />
<br />
Me: HECK YEAH! Let me at that disgusting jerk! <br />
<br />
Tom Imura: These zombies are other people's loved ones. <br />
<br />
Me: I totally agree. So sad. :( <br />
Go on. <br />
<br />
Tom Imura: Okay, so when you go around decapitating random zombies who are in no way bothering you you're pretty much doing the same thing as that filthy stranger that took a massive dump on your love one's corpse. <br />
<br />
Me:... <br />
<br />
Tom Imura: So basically you should just leave all those walking corpses--you know, the ones that totally want to eat your face and make you a zombie--alone. Because if you don't that's the same is defecating on a dead body. Or something. <br />
<br />
Me: *laughing hysterically* er...what??? I fail to see the connection. Your analogy is shoddy at best. <br />
<br />
Tom Imura: No really, think about it. Zombies have feelings too, as do their loved ones who may or may not be alive after the zombie apocalypse happens. Just leave all those innocent flesh-eating zombies alone, k. Promise? Unless, of course, a family member of a specific zombie hires you to hunt down said zombie for the sole purpose of decapitating them. <br />
<br />
Me: Uhhhh...no. If a zombie apocalypse happens I'm going to decapitate EVERY ZOMBIE I SEE. Wanna know why? Because I'm thoughtful. See, if I'm ever unfortunate enough to become a zombie I hope someone would be thoughtful enough to decapitate me and burn my remains to ash. <b>As far as I'm concerned it would be incredibly disrespectful to do otherwise</b>. <br />
<br />
I certainly don't want to walk the earth for an indefinite amount of time, rotting away and eating other people. What if I end up being one of those naked zombies? No one wants to be a naked zombie. I'd rather be <i>dead</i> dead then be a naked zombie, or a zombie of any sort for that matter. <br />
<br />
Also? Zombies carry disease. A freaking plague. Why <i>wouldn't</i> I want to stop that from spreading? <br />
<br />
I have zero desire to finish Rot & Ruin despite the fact I've got only 25 pages to go. Like I said earlier, there is a laaaaaame teenage romance that pretty much hijacks the plot. I probably would just bite the bullet and finish the book if I hadn't had to force myself to get this far. So no, <i>I can't do it Cap'n.</i> <br />
<br />
Jonathan Maberry is totally going be among the first to die when zombies attack. Mark my words. Two stars.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-31429964197108373412011-04-17T05:50:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:08:16.380-08:00Review: Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms #1) by Kristin Cashore<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5iNqaJR5FV6wG5LmGy7lYyOZIaoXkLl91zom1gjPLo0IftAFqc5vu_IERUfab3nJRzS46ib0gZLzBEAA7gLx-GYGYsxvhqwbRl5FE8EixVAVEafZDMkVU-FRntyGmlZKeWp4lR6fybOt/s1600/3236307.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5iNqaJR5FV6wG5LmGy7lYyOZIaoXkLl91zom1gjPLo0IftAFqc5vu_IERUfab3nJRzS46ib0gZLzBEAA7gLx-GYGYsxvhqwbRl5FE8EixVAVEafZDMkVU-FRntyGmlZKeWp4lR6fybOt/s320/3236307.jpg" width="212" /></a><span id="freeText4599604609738982166">Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. </span></i><br />
<i><span id="freeText4599604609738982166"><br />
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.</span></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText4599604609738982166">---- </span><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295"> </span></span></div><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">I read Graceling over a year ago and i feel it necessary to say: I don't like this book. The romance is incredibly unromantic and the rest of the story is some (crazy man-hating version of) feminist propaganda. <br />
<br />
I happen to like books which feature feminist heroines and are light on the romance. So I should like this book, right? Yeah, but I didn't. First of all, Katsa acts like a petulant child throughout the entire book, not some feminist poster child. Also, I felt like the author spent too much time trying to sell us her agenda: dresses are the worst, femininity is wrong, men don't respect women, commitment ruins relationships, marriage is a tool of the devil, and so on. <br />
<br />
Look, I understand that some women feel that way, and I'm completely cool with it. I'd be lying if I said I've never thought some of the same things once or twice. That said, I hate how the author shoves her views down my throat instead of telling me a story that causes me to think. To me it's clear Cashore strongly believes women need to act like men in order to be legitimate. Not just men but men who have intimacy issues. <br />
<br />
Every other woman in this book is portrayed as weak and dumb. So basically, in the Seven Kingdom universe, unless you're an angry, dress-hating, man-hating woman with an aversion to commitment there is something wrong with you. <br />
<br />
News Flash: femininity isn't anti-feminist. I'm sorry but it is possible for independent, intelligent and stable women to embrace their femininity without losing credibility. And anyway, isn't that the point of the feminist movement? Gaining equality without having to act like 'one of the guys'? <br />
<br />
I could have handled Katsa's aversion to relationships if she hadn't had any feelings for Poe, or if she knew she wasn't emotionally ready to make that sort of commitment. But no, the whole thing was built up do be some great personal strength of hers. In the end it just felt like she ('she' being Katsa. Or Cashore. <i>Kat-Shore</i>?) was trying to prove a point or something, like "look at how independent I am. I'm not a barnacle. I don't <i>need</i> a man...except for when I needs teh sex. Poe, I'm sorry you lost your sight and all, but never fear, my lover, I'll prolly be drunk-dialing you in the future, cause I am comfortable with my sexuality. kthanxbai. *sob* Walking away is way hard, which is why I am <i>so</i> strong. *sob* Grrrrrrrrrrrrrl Powerrrrrr!" <br />
<br />
Yeah, because being a loving, trusting, equal and committed relationship isn't a sign of strength. Strength can only be had by <s>loners who don't like to commit because doing so will supposedly lower their self-worth</s> ...ummm....I mean..."independent" people. <br />
<br />
Also, it has to be said: The love scene grosses me out as much or more than the sex scene in Titanic and/or Avatar. Some people just don't know how to write a love scene. James Cameron and Kristin Cashore are among that group. <br />
<br />
Two stars because the concept was cool. Too bad it was poorly executed.</span></span><br />
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<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Update 12/02/11:</b></span> my feelings about this book have not changed but I feel the need to correct something. Ever since reading <a href="http://www.thebooklantern.com/2011/03/morals-values-and-other-capitalizations.html" target="_blank">this guest post over at The Book Lantern</a> written by Katya of Readers United I've been feeling the need to come back here and take back a couple of my comments. Katya points out authors are not their characters and I agree, they aren't. They don't necessarily have to share their characters viewpoints or values. </span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">Kristin Cashore is not Katsa. It was wrong of me to say so. </span></span><br />
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</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">That said, I really wish Katsa had grown to appreciate the fact that femininity is not a bad thing. She didn't need to start loving dresses or anything, but I wish she'd have come across a character that was feminine <u><b><i>and</i></b></u> strong, or married <u><i><b>and</b></i></u> equal to her partner. I wish she'd have realized that it is possible to be an intelligent, independent woman without having to lash out all the time. I'm not saying Katsa needed to change her lifestyle, but I would have liked to see her acknowledge that not all women are helpless morons. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">She despises all other women, does not seem proud to be a woman. In fact, I'd say she's ashamed. HOW IS THAT FEMINIST!? It would have been great to see her trying to inspire others instead of look down on them. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">And anyway, I got the impression the only reason every man (except Po) took Katsa seriously is because she could kill just by touching another person, not because her work ethic, intellect or independence. </span></span><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">It's not like anyone would actually try to stop her from doing whatever the hell she wanted to do. It's not like she actually had to fight for anything she wanted, unlike every other "stupid" woman in the seven kingdoms. I fail to see how she's </span></span><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">some feminist poster child.</span></span><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295"> U</span></span><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">nless of course having the ability to kill others at will (because supposedly that's the only reason anyone would ever take a woman seriously) is requisite to being a card-carrying feminist. If so, we're all screwed. </span></span><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295"></span><span id="freeTextreview161733295"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview161733295">Also? All the angry lashing-out did not add to her credibility, if anything it took away from it. Having a chip on your shoulder doesn't make you feminist. I mean, yeah, some feminists do have a chip on their shoulder, but so do lots of people. The two are not mutually exclusive.</span></span>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-38411856502706829732011-03-11T06:21:00.000-08:002011-12-02T08:18:52.177-08:00Review: Rage (Riders of the Apocalypse, #2) by Jackie Kessler<i><span id="freeText16098236022589980991"></span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6bWrC3HQPwanvOQ9ndVIFtV6OzGIterd3yi8DpC6Cd_oJR95HQ8ZBsJDYINN8WJzoztgzzEjbNQokAbyehfIoI18kHbBMw9lZEX2_qmd7MYpPWYI8NBPZhsoE1ETjbDMY28vXmgl9SOI/s1600/7670661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6bWrC3HQPwanvOQ9ndVIFtV6OzGIterd3yi8DpC6Cd_oJR95HQ8ZBsJDYINN8WJzoztgzzEjbNQokAbyehfIoI18kHbBMw9lZEX2_qmd7MYpPWYI8NBPZhsoE1ETjbDMY28vXmgl9SOI/s320/7670661.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different.</i><br />
<i> That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control.</i><br />
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<i>A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, <i>Rage </i>is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">----</div><br />
<br />
Melissa Miller is not okay.<br />
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For starters her home life is a joke. Her parents are hardly ever available--emotionally or otherwise--because of their demanding careers so they think all is well on the home front. They have no clue that Melissa and her sister loathe each other, want nothing to do with one another. They don't know that Melissa is deeply troubled, in desperate need of help. <br />
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School is no better. Melissa's been a social outcast ever since her ex-boyfriend told everyone her big secret: she's been cutting herself for years. As she drifts from class to class she hears the lowered voices, the laughter. The name calling. "Melissa Miller is an emo dyke. Cutterslut. <i>Freak.</i>"<br />
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The cherry on top? She somehow caught the attention of Death himself. During their first meeting he brazenly informs Melissa it's only a matter of time before she really messes up--cutting herself too deep and in the wrong place, bleeding out. He tells her the act will look intentional. Horrified by this revelation Melissa battles with the urge to cut and is successful for a few months despite the temptation. <br />
<br />
It is when she is targeted by her peers, becomes the victim of a mercilessly cruel prank, she loses her resolve to not cut herself, accidentally taking things too far. In her most desperate moments Death appears to her once more, offering a deal: die or wield the sword of war; become a horseman of the apocalypse.<br />
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Sounds dark, heavy and a tad bit silly, no? Before I go ahead and answer that I want to explain my feelings about YA books that deal with serious issues.<br />
<br />
I'd be lying if I said I haven't purposely been avoiding YA novels that deal with hard hitting issues like eating disorders, drug addiction, rape/sexual abuse, prostitution, suicide, and drunk driving. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I find such topics offensive--because I don't. It's because I don't want to submit myself to what <i><b>might</b></i> amount to a novel-length public service announcement.<br />
<br />
I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I saw every Very Special Episode of Growing Pains, Different Strokes, Family Ties, Saved By the Bell, and Full House. Every single one of those Very Special Episodes were ridiculous and entirely too heavy-handed in their delivery. Besides I already did my time. I survived adolescence. That's why, for the time being, I've chosen to forgo reading most YA novels dealing with hard-hitting issues, regardless of how good they may or may not be. <br />
<br />
That said, I've always wanted to understand cutting. Understand why people do it, what the fascination is. Cutting wasn't a common practice while I was a teen, or--<i>and I think this is most likely</i>--wasn't ever talked about. There were no After School Specials about cutting for us Gen-Xers, thank you very much.<br />
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So, back to the original question: is this book dark, heavy, and a little silly? My answer is yes. And no. <br />
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Horseman of the apocalypse storyline aside, the subject matter is quite dark but it's honest, it's real. Jackie Kessler holds nothing back, doesn't sugarcoat a thing. It's clear she did her research and I appreciate it. (How do I know? After I finished reading Rage I did a little research on cutting). Far too often cutting is downplayed in the media, made to look like it's just a thing teenagers do to get attention and/or fit in. Another common misconception: all cutters are emo or goth. Kessler's character, Melissa, isn't emo or goth. She's just a girl who feels entirely too much but doesn't have a healthy way of dealing with her emotions. Melissa turns to cutting because it's a release of sorts. <br />
<br />
Though I was somewhat skeptical at first, I ended up liking the whole horseman of the apocalypse storyline. Gimmicky or not it's a new, interesting and creative way to write about some of the serious issues teenagers deal with. It does not take away from the positive messages within the story. <br />
<br />
Rage is the second book in the Horseman of the Apocalypse series. The first is Hunger, about a girl with a severe eating disorder who becomes Famine. In Rage the main character becomes War. At first I was unsure exactly what the connection was, why a cutter was chosen to become War. Why not a crazy violent rageaholic instead? Now all is said and done I believe Kessler made the right decision and was successful in making the connection. In fact I'd say she pretty much hit it out of the park. <br />
<br />
As far as Kessler's writing goes: it's good, solid. I quite like Kessler's style of writing. It's clean. Every word has a purpose. Though this story deals with serious subject matter it doesn't take itself too seriously (example: Death looks an awful lot like a certain deceased alternative rock star). Everything plays out rationally, there are no cop-outs. Rage ends on an honest note, something I appreciate in YA fiction far more then anyone could imagine.<br />
<br />
So, yeah, I'm going to go ahead and recommend Rage by Jackie Kessler. Four stars. <br />
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(My advanced copy of Rage was provided by Netgalley.)Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-560762305241412562011-02-09T11:00:00.000-08:002011-12-02T08:19:16.848-08:00Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgbPAZSC-ha9QTlC_A5Tywlxha9FElaImSfl7oEH1i4INx0_fLcXU6IvOVwubJEGnyKQ-9yyLxBqUdf3C30pz1d-wIxxu_2xaAGIIWLWTREtz86zm_Ya3ZaGzbAcaJduv4iDPG6F__4dG/s1600/parttimeindian-jacketpb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgbPAZSC-ha9QTlC_A5Tywlxha9FElaImSfl7oEH1i4INx0_fLcXU6IvOVwubJEGnyKQ-9yyLxBqUdf3C30pz1d-wIxxu_2xaAGIIWLWTREtz86zm_Ya3ZaGzbAcaJduv4iDPG6F__4dG/s320/parttimeindian-jacketpb.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
<i><span id="freeText12994296060760521803">With his first foray into teen literature, acclaimed author Sherman Alexie packs a punch in this absorbing novel about a Native American boy searching for a brighter future. At once humorous and stirring, Alexie's novel follows Junior, a resident of the Spokane reservation who transfers out of the reservation's school -- and into a nearby rich, all-white farm school -- in order to nurture his desire to become a cartoonist. Junior encounters resistance there, a backlash at home, and numerous family problems -- all the while relaying his thoughts and feelings via amusing descriptions and drawings. Having already garnered a National Book Award for Young Adult Literature, this moving look at race and growing up is definitely one to pick up.</span> </i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">----</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>On vacation right now (in Hawaii--Aloha) but this book is so amazing I had to take a little time away from playing on the beach so I could rate this book. Five stars. <br />
<br />
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is short but it took me four days to get through. Mainly because I'm in Hawaii so reading isn't on the top of my to-do list. But still, had this book been less then amazing I wouldn't have continued reading it after my plane landed in Honolulu. There were several times I had to put the book down in order to really think about what I'd read. Even more times when, after finishing a chapter, I'd reread the same chapter outloud to my husband and we'd discuss it. <br />
<br />
Sherman Alexie has a way of telling the most tragic stories and somehow making it funny or at least putting a positive spin on it. I love how he writes. He's talented in a way that makes me weep. <br />
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I'd like to write more but the beach is calling my name. I hope to update this review when I get home. Mahalo. <br />
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P.S. if you haven't read this book yet, you should seriously consider doing so, even if you don't think it's something you'd like--to be completely honest I didn't think I'd like this book, which is why I didn't pick it up until now. Just saying. <br />
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P.P.S. <br />
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" class="escapedImg" src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j127/dpbitner/0208111744c.jpg" /></a>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-74415491645231650502011-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:002011-12-02T08:19:34.986-08:00Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C_5hagYLaa0bhdULVeczSVP9ZmY2R3rb0Lo5tPCPfrNs12jyTZRPmq5Ue5zTPgB4LefVr2wx45CmDUJogQMcP-OS8QRgqWCIjZbTT71IwLP2ED_bTstZTJXL5oyW969EDamxvIkAD2Up/s1600/51qCOvlcJPL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C_5hagYLaa0bhdULVeczSVP9ZmY2R3rb0Lo5tPCPfrNs12jyTZRPmq5Ue5zTPgB4LefVr2wx45CmDUJogQMcP-OS8QRgqWCIjZbTT71IwLP2ED_bTstZTJXL5oyW969EDamxvIkAD2Up/s320/51qCOvlcJPL.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
When I saw that one of my favorite goodreaders, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2250020-tatiana">Tatiana</a>, gave this book four stars I thought she'd gone insane. I mean, it's a YA book featuring angels for crying out loud! Surely it can't be good let alone worthy of four whole stars from Tatiana, so clearly she lost her mind. But I purchased the audiobook anyway because it was January 13th and I was anxiously awaiting the release of [book:Shadowfever|7304203] which was still five days away at the time. Plus it didn't hurt that this audiobook was reasonably priced at Audible. <br />
<br />
Initially I was a little irritated with Unearthly. It starts out with a dream/vision that the main character has--is it just me or do too many of these books start out the exact same way? But I kept with it because I paid for it, <i>dangit!</i> Fortunately it didn't take too long for my initial irritation to wear off--I'd say no longer then the first few chapters. <br />
<br />
For the next several chapters I didn't have much of an opinion. Not that the book was bad, because it wasn't. The writing was fine, good even, but I refused to make an official judgment call. Too many times I've fallen in love with a book only, in the end, to hate it more then poison. I wasn't going to get burned. Nope. Not me. Not again. <br />
<br />
Now all is said and done I'm going to go ahead and say Tatiana isn't crazy. This book is good. In fact I'm going to go ahead and give this book four stars because I really like it. Though, in my heart, it will always be a five-star read because it's one of few YA paranormal romances that doesn't make me want to go on a stabbing spree. Also? Unearthly is the only published YA novel featuring angels that doesn't make me want to hunt down the author so I can punch him/her in the face repeatedly. <br />
<br />
I know the last few sentences make me seem violent beyond all reason, but believe me I have plenty of reason. Just read every other YA paranormal romance featuring angels and you'll agree. And anyway, when I say 'stabbing spree' I really mean 'write a scathing review and/or weep for all the trees destroyed in order to publish such atrocities'. And when I say: 'hunt down the author so I can punch him/her in the face'? ...well, I actually mean that*. <br />
<br />
Moving on...<br />
<br />
Seeing as most publishers have been saturating the market with badly written, ill-plotted out, basically retarded series about some supernatural something falling in love--twuuuuu wuvvvvv--with a vapid human I'd begun to believe there was no such thing as a good, or even great, YA paranormal romance. Especially when angels are involved. But Cynthia Hand changed my mind with her debut novel, Unearthly. <br />
<br />
It's funny, but Unearthly doesn't contain some magical new concept or some amazing innovative plot twist that will make your head explode. It's just good. That's it. Turns out Cynthia Hand's "secret" is actually no secret at all. She employs the method of showing her audience, not telling. That's right, Cynthia Hand doesn't assume her audience is mentally-challenged. Also? Her main character, Clara Gardener, doesn't have the mental capacity of a boy-crazed, unmedicated ADHD 'tween hopped up on pixie stix. She's normal. And by normal I mean Clara's just a regular, well-adjusted, non-angry, non-emo, non-cutting teen. Although, yeah, she has angel blood pumping through her veins, but she's incredibly easy to relate to nonetheless. <br />
<br />
What I love: Clara doesn't do what every other protagonist in this genre does: inform you she's super intelligent "'cuz she likes calculus-n-stuff", only to prove otherwise as she dithers about like a blind slack-jawed yokel the duration of the novel. She's better then that. Also? She has a healthy yet realistic relationship with her mother. They actually talk to each other and are, for the most part, honest with one another. It's quite refreshing actually. <br />
<br />
Clara isn't the the world's only, most speshul angel-blood evuh. She's actually one of many, though at first she doesn't know of any others beside her mother and her younger brother. She also isn't super good at everything she does. Clara doesn't have every boy falling for her, at least no more then your average teenage girl. And like all teenagers she manages to make a fool of herself every once in a while. Like I said: refreshing. <br />
<br />
What I really love (skip this if you plan on reading this book as it is <i>sort of</i> spoiler-y, albeit hardly): <spoiler>the romance. It's a <i>real</i> (more importantly healthy) teenage romance wherein the characters actually talk to one another, get to know one another before falling in love, or even liking each other for that matter. <br />
<br />
The guy in this book? Is normal. He acts like a normal teenage guy. He's not unintentionally feminine or too-good-to-be-true. But he's not over-the-top alpha male either. He's just that one guy you went to school with. You know, the guy everyone liked <i>not</i> because he was the hottest or richest, in fact he probably wasn't, but because he was funny, charismatic and just overall likable despite his flaws (though, yeah, it didn't hurt that he was good looking). Yeah. That guy. <br />
<br />
And when Clara gets together with him, well, they aren't obnoxious. No gazing into one another's eyes talking about how unworthy they feel. No waxing-poetic about perfect Adonis-like bodies and angel-like faces. Their relationship contains actual substance. </spoiler> <br />
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What I don't necessarily care for: This book contains a love triangle. Sort of. I mean it's hardly even present. And the protagonist isn't playing both guys for all they're worth. And there isn't any cheating going on, not even in Clara's heart. BUT it's still a love triangle of sorts and I'm afraid it might end badly for all involved because of various reasons I won't go into here. <br />
<br />
That said, even if over the course of this series the triangle does play out the way I don't want it to, I think I'll be okay. Clara has free will and I am confident she will take the time to think things through rationally. She can choose between one or the other regardless of the consequences (good and/or bad). In fact she pretty much makes her decision <i>in this book</i>. <br />
<br />
So yeah, I recommend Unearthly.<br />
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<br />
*Disclaimer: I would <i>never</i> actually hunt down and assault any author. No matter how much they deserve it (Smeyer, James Frey, LAUREN KATE, Becca Fitzpatrick... I could go on). There are times in which I am sorely tempted to but I wouldn't. I'm passionate about literature but NOT insane.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-56376827952458183222010-10-19T09:35:00.000-07:002011-12-03T22:27:45.840-08:00Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOH16a_MPdu5h5Pwv_C8TYnoZizjb0T9ySfdiKlugPJa6HVOXa36CUGRJr3gb3VF165wgfem2ekrHyp9gmvcdqVQEmurDqSGPP1UqgQn0qThqHm-ON6y59e08apyN7OmWcuhAWe5J0K-t/s1600/August262010436pmTheDUFF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOH16a_MPdu5h5Pwv_C8TYnoZizjb0T9ySfdiKlugPJa6HVOXa36CUGRJr3gb3VF165wgfem2ekrHyp9gmvcdqVQEmurDqSGPP1UqgQn0qThqHm-ON6y59e08apyN7OmWcuhAWe5J0K-t/s320/August262010436pmTheDUFF.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview121873437">Alright ladies, I've got a question: say you're at a scummy dance club that your friends all but forced you to go to. You're not having a good time. In fact, you're pretty miserable and can't wait to go home. As you sit at the bar nursing your Cherry Coke, a good-looking guy comes and sits next to you. <br />
<br />
That would be nice, right? A good way to pass the time until your friends decide they've had all the man-handling they can take (for the night). <br />
<br />
Well, say the hot guy in question turns out to be the village bicycle--<i>"everybody has had ride!"</i>--the infamous man-whore of your school/town. You're disgusted this vile creature is in your immediate vicinity, don't want him around. So you tell him to go away. And he doesn't. He tells you he needs your help because, in his words: <br />
<br />
"You, darling, are the Duff. Designated. Ugly. Fat. Friend. No offense, but that would be you. Hey, don't get defensive. It's not like you're an ogre or anything, but in comparison..." <br />
<br />
He proceeds to tell you that he's talking to you, the Duff, so your über hot friends will think he's a nice, sensitive guy. He's hoping this will up his chances of getting into <i>their</i> pants. <br />
<br />
How would you react to that? <br />
<br />
If this happened to the person I am today I'd totally laugh in the a-hole's face and walk away. Because, really, I couldn't care less what a (most likely) STD-infected man-whore thinks of me, regardless of how ridiculously hot he might be. I'm an adult. I stopped caring what other people think of me. All that matters is what I think. (for the record: I'm happy with the way I look). Besides, I'm married. <br />
<br />
But if that happened to me fourteen years ago... well, let's just say it would have destroyed--I'm talking completely pulverized--what little self-esteem I had at the time. Back then I was--comparatively speaking--the Duff among my circle of friends. I didn't get attention from guys when I was with my unintentionally hot friends (seriously. And they didn't even know it. They were all long-limbed, willowy, girl-next-door beautiful. I was the average height ethnic girl). <br />
<br />
What's my point? My point is I can see why teenage girls would want to read this book. Like I said, I've been there. I get it. <br />
<br />
BUT what I fail to appreciate is the way this story plays out. <br />
<br />
Bianca Piper, the Duff in question, is a seventeen-year-old girl finishing up her senior year in high school. She has two good friends who really care about her. Parents who, dysfunctional marriage aside, love her. She's intelligent, witty, and successful--for the most part. <br />
<br />
Bianca only real major downfall is she is much too cynical, especially when it comes to love, though I can't say I blame her. Bianca was only fourteen when she had her heart stomped on by an upperclassman. <br />
<br />
It is her wit and cynicism that comes to her aid the night she's told that she is The Duff. She insults the man-whore, Wesley Rush, and throws her Cherry Coke in his face--**plus twenty points for Bianca, am I right?**--and walks away in a dignity-at-all-times manner. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately Bianca doesn't walk away completely unscathed. She is unable to get over the fact that she's the so-called "ugly fat girl" among her friends. It starts eating away at her self-esteem. <br />
<br />
And to make matters much worse, her home life begins to crumble. <br />
<br />
Instead of dealing with her problems, Bianca masters the art of escapism. Totally understandable. I've been there. But instead of losing herself in a good book, movie or yogalates, she loses herself in the bed of...(wait for it)...Wesley Rush, resident man-whore. The guy she hates with the intensity of a thousand suns. <br />
<br />
Oh, it gets better. He lovingly nicknames her 'Duffy'. That's right, as in The Duff. And Bianca has a bevy of insults to hurl at Wesley whenever it pleases her. Neither of them them pretend their relationship is based on anything other then sex. Call it what you will: escapism sex, hate sex, cheap sex, a hook-up, sex buddies, booty call...I could go on. Regardless of the label, this is where the author starts to lose me. <br />
<br />
I hope I'm not coming across as 'holier then thou', because, seriously it's not like I was an angel when I was a teenager. I had a wild streak back then, I made mistakes. Lots of them. It's just my mistakes involved less sex. Okay, sex was never involved. Neither was nudity. But I kissed (read: had total make-out sessions with) a bunch of guys. Sometimes with the sole intention of getting my mind off my problems. So really, I understand Bianca's motives. I even understand how in a twisted way she felt pretty, more desirable afterward. <br />
<br />
That being said, I can't understand why/how she's able to repeatedly hop into bed with a guy who makes her skin crawl. She's with him as much as five times a week. Not that I'm a sexpert (see what I did there? I combined sex and expert. Hee.) but I'd wager to say that's a lot of sex for a couple of teenagers who are using each other. Especially considering how cheap and dirty Bianca claims to feel afterward. <br />
<br />
While reading this novel I was all, "Stop it. Stop having sex with the guy you hate. Just STOP! Go talk to your friends or a counselor. You need help." But clearly, she didn't stop. It wouldn't have been so bad had she felt more guilty or ashamed afterward. And I could understand her need had it been described as some sort of an addiction. Or perhaps the author could have described Bianca's home life much worse, making her incessant need to escape that much more plausible. <br />
<br />
But yeah, my point is: I just couldn't relate. Not entirely. And so this story fell apart for me. Okay, that's a lie. It didn't fall apart--the story was still in one piece when I finished this book, but just barely. <br />
<br />
The only real redeeming thing about The Duff is the conclusion Bianca comes to near the end of the novel, about what it means to be a Duff. And she realizes how stupid she and Wesley were by having so much sex, regardless of how much protection they used (for the record: condoms and the pill). <br />
<br />
And though it pains me to do so, I'll admit that I'm sappy enough to like how this book ended. (Kill me.) It wraps up so neatly with a giant bow on top, Pretty Woman style. Three stars but just barely, and if I were I being totally fair I'd have to give it just two stars (waaaaaaaaay too much swearing going on in this book. It's completely out of control). But I liked this book, despite all it's faults, so yeah, three stars.</span></span>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-90492528376010333402010-10-04T09:10:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:20:50.640-08:00Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOqLoMW1kn7_opavZFZN91QZ0VjYSqmBiad-qavZKZ6XiK07azV8rFgudeRHH58y40CRJLsHBc1seTHXUdiQX44sm7pqHM4r89zJfNa9Tl_4Y8eSwiLm05rUXNlkjoPCZOwmalY-rwvwU/s1600/mockingjay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOqLoMW1kn7_opavZFZN91QZ0VjYSqmBiad-qavZKZ6XiK07azV8rFgudeRHH58y40CRJLsHBc1seTHXUdiQX44sm7pqHM4r89zJfNa9Tl_4Y8eSwiLm05rUXNlkjoPCZOwmalY-rwvwU/s1600/mockingjay.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i><b> </b><span id="freeText2190166154963557274">Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Kattnis, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.</span></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText2190166154963557274">----</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText2190166154963557274"> </span></div><i><b>Updated!</b> Further thoughts/explanations as to why I gave this book five stars at the end of the original review. <b>Warning: addendum contains some spoilers.</b></i> <br />
<br />
I've thought long and hard as to how I should review this book. For starters I feel I need to say upfront, this book is not for everyone. Mockingjay is the darkest book of the Hunger Games trilogy, containing excess violence, brutality, and ugliness. People die. It would be naive to expect otherwise in a book dealing with war.<br />
<br />
If you're all about puppies, kittens, rainbows, unicorns, and disgustingly sweet happily-ever-afters don't bother reading this book. Faint of heart need not apply, I mean it. <br />
<br />
This story isn't told by Katniss, The Girl Who Was On Fire. It's told by Katniss, the quiet girl from District 12 who unintentionally inspired a revolution through one simple act of defiance. Needless to say Katniss, ever weary of the roles she's been forced to play, is reluctant to officially step up, to be the Mockingjay, to lead the revolution against the Capitol. <br />
<br />
President Coin, leader of District 13, makes it clear from the start she is no fan of Katniss, saying they should have saved 'the boy' first. Katniss agrees with President Coin here--Peeta was always better with words, had a way with people--but otherwise Katniss does not trust the woman. Life in District 13 isn't all that it's cracked up to be. <br />
<br />
Though Katniss doesn't desire the spotlight and never wanted power she finally agrees to take on the burden of leading a rebellion. Hoping that in doing so she might save Peeta's life and finally put an end to President Snow's. And so, with Haymitch, Gale, Beetee, Finnick, and her old prep team backing her up, Katniss becomes the Mockingjay. <br />
<br />
So much happens in this book, so much I didn't expect. That being said, I love this book. I love this series. Mockingjay is a hauntingly-beautiful conclusion to an enjoyable, thought-provoking series. This series will always have a home on my bookshelf, and I hope that one day, when my girls are old enough to read it, they'll appreciate it as much as I do. <br />
<br />
P.S. And it needs to be said: even though the Peeta-Katniss-Gale love triangle is very much present in this book, it's not the focal point of the story. It never was. The Hunger Games series is about so much more then teenage angst, or romantic love. <br />
<br />
P.P.S. The epilogue is what finally pushed me over the edge, made me cry.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
Further explanation/thoughts about why I think this book is amazing (contains some spoilers):<br />
<br />
I didn't cry with either of the major deaths in this book, though I felt more when the first one happened, probably because I felt more connected to the first character then I did the second. The second death was tragic and senseless. But I don't think the second death undermines the whole series, like many critics of this book have said. Nor does it make the story pointless.<br />
<br />
Many have said that they felt detached from the story while reading this book. I felt that detachment too, but I genuinely feel that is what Suzanne Collins was hoping for. Here's the deal, my father went to Vietnam and experienced a lot of senseless violence, lost a lot of friends and acquaintances. In all my life I've only heard him speak about it, in a candid manner, once. Otherwise he speaks about it in a detached way, as if he read about it or watched some footage of it instead of actually experiencing it himself. I feel it is his way of coping with it, which is kind of sad.<br />
<br />
I feel that Katniss, by starting that book about everyone she knew who died, was doing what my father needs to do (although, as far as I know, he probably has done something like that. Like I said, he doesn't ever talk about it). She was finally facing and working through the all the grief and pain. My point is, the reason we felt detached from the story is because Katniss was already so detached. She was so messed up by all the senseless violence that she'd already checked out emotionally. And when reality threatened to take over, she took drugs to make it all better.<br />
<br />
Under similar circumstances I think every normal person would shut down emotionally. If Katniss had continued to function normally after going through all that, we'd have a sociopath on our hands. Like Peeta said, when you kill someone you lose a part of yourself, you're killing a part of your soul. Suzanne Collins did a fantastic job illustrating that.<br />
<br />
Katniss triumphs in the end because, even though it took time, she confronts the pain, works through it. She lives <i>her</i> life, no longer the actress, the puppet, the victim. I especially love that she does what she vowed to never do. She has children. The best part is, her children, everyone's children for that matter, won't ever know the horrors of Reaping Day and the Hunger Games.<br />
<br />
I feel she ended up with with the right man. And no, I don't think she settled for him. I knew she truly loved him when she started fighting for him, not only for his life but for all those lost memories, for his love.<br />
<br />
I also feel Katniss is a romantic person, just not in the traditional sense. The girl kept the pearl, would take it out when she was thinking of him! Carried it with her into battle. Didn't even throw it out when he rejected her, tried to kill her (on more then one occasion)! Speaking of, talk about the ultimate rejection. I think my heart broke on Katniss behalf when that happened. <br />
<br />
P.S. I might add more thoughts throughout the next few days.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-41508228819525450712010-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:21:22.989-08:00Review: Before I Die by Jenny Downham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Ke2tFfglFWb-qqL87QPq-mJyG1rSZj9a2hQfLjAH7b4d6A-xoCLuE7DZAQ_9a2A0sc7Now-PxU1DnDvIdS3ABRso5skJ28p71y9TFVfwU_gDpR7t0bO2mJxKJ4g4_KQ86dx94LsZbYZ/s1600/1935234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Ke2tFfglFWb-qqL87QPq-mJyG1rSZj9a2hQfLjAH7b4d6A-xoCLuE7DZAQ_9a2A0sc7Now-PxU1DnDvIdS3ABRso5skJ28p71y9TFVfwU_gDpR7t0bO2mJxKJ4g4_KQ86dx94LsZbYZ/s320/1935234.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><i><span id="freeText13491591457683031181">Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of ‘normal’ life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallised in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.</span></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span id="freeText13491591457683031181"> </span><span id="freeText13491591457683031181">---- </span></div><br />
<span id="freeText13491591457683031181"> </span><span id="freeText13491591457683031181"> </span>I feel like a jerk for not giving this story more stars. I mean, it's a book about a sixteen year old girl trying to live life to the fullest before dying of cancer. I keep thinking only a heartless baby-eating monster would give this book less then four stars. <br />
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Well, I suppose I am that monster, minus the whole baby-eating thing.<br />
<br />
It's not like the premise failed to pull at my heartstrings--as I read this book I genuinely felt for the girl. And it's not like the author went out of her way to manipulate her audience. This book never crosses the line into full on manipulation, though there are times I feel it comes close, but not enough to bother me. <br />
<br />
My problem lies with the protagonist, Tessa. <br />
<br />
Yeah, you read that right. I don't like the main character, a teenage girl dying of cancer. <br />
<br />
Before you start throwing things let me explain. Like I said before, I felt for Tessa, because her situation is incredibly tragic, but, I'm sorry, she sucks. I know she's dying but that doesn't give her an excuse to manipulate everyone around her into doing what she wants them to do. Dying young isn't some "get out of jail free card" you can wave around when your actions have negative consequences that you'd rather not face. <br />
<br />
Here's the deal: Tessa has a list of ten things she wants to do before she dies. Sounds good, right? Well, the majority of the things on the list are reckless or selfish or illegal or just plain stupid. Sometime a combination of all four. And you know what? That's not so bad, doesn't necessarily bother me. Teenagers do stupid, selfish and/or illegal stuff. Tessa wants to sow some wild oats before dying. I get it. <br />
<br />
What bothers me is the fact that she believes the rules shouldn't apply to her because she is dying--she can do whatever she wants, damn the consequences. <br />
<br />
What's worse, Tessa demands a lot from her friends and family. At times she asks them to do things that, even under the tragic circumstances, are too much to ask. When they seem reluctant to comply she tells them that whatever it is she's asking happens to be on her list. Most of the time these things were not on her list until, conveniently, they were. It's her manipulation that really gets to me. I hate that she resorts to manipulation to get whatever she wants. <br />
<br />
At one point Tessa throws a monumental fit (I mean, off the charts huge) because she doesn't get what she wants when she wants it--to make love with her boyfriend. Don't get me wrong, I knew her her freak out had more to do with the fact that she's dying so young, before she's old enough to really do anything, be anyone, then anything else. But still, she took it a little too far, I think.<br />
<br />
In the end I got the idea that she had a full grasp at what was truly important in life. But for me, Tessa's understanding came too late in the game. It happened so late, that I, heartless monster that I am, had already spent some time wondering when she was going to "just die already". Yes, this really did go through my mind, more then a few times, near the end of this book--if this weren't a total work of fiction, I'd be going to hell for that, I'm sure. <br />
<br />
I know I'm a monster for not giving this book more stars, unfortunately I'm unable to give this book more then the two stars I've given it. <br />
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P.S. Because I'm unable to recommend Before I Die to anyone I'm going to go ahead and recommend <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6482837.Before_I_Fall" title="Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver">Before I Fall</a>, which is another YA book which deals with death and is, in my humble opinion, infinitely better then this book.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-71066884938962762682010-06-01T09:15:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:21:58.002-08:00Review: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRSnhCcivJT0f1_E7u0OaETeSQUHzPMVYyI9VU_Scs_VmVMdDisPUybRQWnzEH8Pxcxvne0Nj5MC4HkhA4_KsjVEIZCL6cAsJK2hcCGh-BxI1gyyl-rZOrqAOo4SMq08zT4l5DIYheSaW/s1600/200px-Sisterskeeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRSnhCcivJT0f1_E7u0OaETeSQUHzPMVYyI9VU_Scs_VmVMdDisPUybRQWnzEH8Pxcxvne0Nj5MC4HkhA4_KsjVEIZCL6cAsJK2hcCGh-BxI1gyyl-rZOrqAOo4SMq08zT4l5DIYheSaW/s1600/200px-Sisterskeeper.jpg" /></a></div><i><span id="freeText10906439280294256100"></span></i><br />
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<i> Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. </i><br />
<i> <i> </i></i><br />
<i><i>My Sister's Keeper</i> examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in <i>My Sister's Keeper,</i> Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span id="freeText10906439280294256100">---- </span></i></div><br />
<i><span id="freeText10906439280294256100"></span></i><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview58520746"> </span><span id="freeTextreview58520746">Anyone who has a kid has probably, at one point or another, battled with them at bedtime. That's what I do, every night. There is much yelling, crying, begging and pleading. It's horrible. <br />
<br />
Kid #3 is out like a light, so she's not part of the problem. Kid #2 puts up a good fight, whining and tantrum throwing, but eventually she succumbs to her sleepiness. Kid #1, however... well, she's another story altogether. <br />
<br />
At night, she's afraid of everything and feels that if she sleeps something will get her. But she's not invincible, she has to sleep sometime. So after being assured that she's safe, she'll lay down and relax--this can only happen in the master bedroom, because in her mind the master bedroom is safe from everything. <br />
<br />
Once she's been lulled into blissful unconsciousness either me or my husband will move her to her room. Typically this goes off without a hitch. But every once in a great while she wakes up and totally freaks out, because she realizes she was tricked. By her own parents, no less. She feels betrayed. She doesn't believe us when we swear that we won't move her again (because we will and she knows it). And so, because of her her general mistrust, her fear of everything, not to mention all the sobbing, she is awake for another couple of hours, at least. The whole situation is very dramatic and it totally sucks. <br />
<br />
How does this relate to My Sister's Keeper? It doesn't--not exactly but I do have a point. Let me explain. I spent years avoiding Jody Picoult's books like the plague. They frightened me. I don't know why. Perhaps it's the fact that every woman over thirty can't stop raving about Jody Picoult books, which means they're probably not my 'cuppa tea'. It may even have something to do with the fact that the woman has the ability to crank these insanely thick books out like she's some sort of writing machine from hell. I don't know, it just doesn't seem natural. Besides, no author is capable of writing so fast. At least, no good author can do such a thing, amirite? <br />
<br />
But finally, after being assured that Jody is actually quite talented, that her books are intriguing and worthwhile, I relented and picked up Nineteen Minutes. And you know what? It wasn't horrible. Actually, I kind of liked it. Alright, I admit it--I liked it a lot. It wasn't the best book ever, but it was the sort of book that makes you think, stays with you after you're finished reading it. *shrugs* I happen to like that sort of thing. <br />
<br />
So I immediately picked up My Sister's Keeper. And I liked it too. In fact, I was only half way through the book when I was positive I'd be giving it four stars. Sure the sub-plot about the lawyer and the child advocate falling in love was incredibly stupid, but could I blame Jody for throwing it in? No. I'm sure her target audience expects that sort of thing to be in every book they ever read. So I was willing to forgive it. I even forgave all the cheesy cliches. <br />
<br />
Because sometimes I'm able to ignore stupid subplots, ridiculous cliches, irritating characters (and by irritating I mean 'so monstrous they deserve to die a horribly drawn-out and painful death'. Yes, I'm talking about the mother in this book), formulaic--that's a word, right?--writing and even the lack of good editing when a story has peaked my interest. It happened when I was reading Twilight and it happened while I was reading this book. <br />
<br />
Besides, I'd already come to the conclusion that I'd like this book because I liked Nineteen Minutes. I even had visions of myself adding Jodi Picoult to my list of favorite authors, adding the whole of Jodi Picoult's published works to my TBR list, happily reading said books on the beach over summer break--<i>it was going to be so awesome!</i> <br />
<br />
But then, when I was nearly finished with this book, Jodi Picoult went and ruined everything. EVERYTHING! I don't even have the desire to finish this book. I feel manipulated, betrayed, lied to, cheated, and totally violated! I also feel incredibly stupid for thinking that Jodi Picoult was a good writer. Because she's not. She totally sucks and I hate her. <br />
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So. Even though I've wasted hours of my life reading, and thinking about, Jodi Picoult novels, it hasn't been all bad. I've learned two things from this whole experience. First, I should trust my initial instincts when it comes to books. Second, I'm an a-hole for lying to my kid. It's no wonder she doesn't trust me, and she'll probably need years of therapy because of it. I wouldn't blame her if she threw me in a really bad nursing home someday. <br />
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I gave this book two stars because it isn't horrible until the end. That's when Picoult whips out the most manipulative, unnecessary twist, and thus ruins the whole experience. <br />
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Now let us never speak of this again. </span></span>Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448226786545975920.post-27442354989801311552010-05-13T10:25:00.000-07:002011-12-02T08:22:19.119-08:00Review: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9FHvVM8zcxFwGbLT_X1VEhOmoy-YNQDUkJ6YUmE6mJC56rg5kv1KZFS9rubgCdxd94X5yENCDcegTQ4h0zldkQEVerg_cBv2nQ6qhNrRTnhhHomzNy6Aub-uZ8KL6kxWhLz0usKgrNm1/s1600/8908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9FHvVM8zcxFwGbLT_X1VEhOmoy-YNQDUkJ6YUmE6mJC56rg5kv1KZFS9rubgCdxd94X5yENCDcegTQ4h0zldkQEVerg_cBv2nQ6qhNrRTnhhHomzNy6Aub-uZ8KL6kxWhLz0usKgrNm1/s320/8908.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Five stars. I know what you're thinking. "Five stars for <i>this</i> book? Why???" <br />
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If you've been following my reviews then you know I tend to stress over how many stars to give a book, and I'm not one to hand out five-star ratings willy-nilly. I'm usually quite cautious when it comes to handing out that all-important fifth star. I'm stingy. That being said, every once in a while a book--that may or may not be amazing--comes along and wows me. <br />
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And now you're (probably) thinking: "But Penny, it's a book about zombies. <i>Zombies!</i> Disgusting rotting corpses that stumble around, looking to sink their teeth into any living thing. How--how could that sort of thing wow you? Are you, like, smoking crack???" <br />
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First things first: No--I'm not smoking crack. Everyone knows crack is cheap--I much prefer the real thing*. Now that I've cleared that up, lets move on, shall we? <br />
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So. World War Z. I really enjoyed it, which was a surprise because I didn't think I would. This book is not something I would've picked up on my own. Had it not been for a couple of really nice Barnes & Noble employees who practically shoved this book in my hands while gushing about its supreme awesomeness, I definitely wouldn't have purchased it. But since they didn't have the book I was looking for (Storm Front by Jim Butcher), and since I'd already been bitten by the zombie bug over a year ago (The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan) I took a chance and purchased this book. <br />
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Despite the fact that Max Brooks used to write for SNL, and also happens to be Mel Brooks son, this book isn't funny, nor is it meant to be. Max Brooks tells this story through a series of interviews given by survivors of The Great Panic, or World War Z (the Z stands for Zombie, in case you didn't, you know, put two and two together...). <br />
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The interviewees come from different parts of the world and they tell their accounts of what happened to them, what they thought when they first heard of what was first referred to as "African Rabies", what happened when the Great Panic started in their part of the world. A lot of these stories are sad and/or terrifying, but mostly I found them incredibly intriguing. <br />
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Before I go on I need to add that I totally geek-out over documentaries, and this book--were it in movie form--would be a documentary. I'm one that appreciates the method Max Brooks uses to tell this story. <br />
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To me the beginning of this book has more to do with the way things are done in this world--politics wise--then anything else. Of course, as the book goes on and more and more governments are collapsing due to the fact that zombies are basically taking over the world, we get a good look at human nature during times of crisis. I found the whole thing interesting. <br />
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Hardcore zombie lovers need to know that this isn't a book that follows one set of characters--though some interviews have been broken up, and so a few characters are featured in this book more then once--rather it is one story told by several different people. There is continuity in the order in which the stories are told to us, and sometimes one survivor's account answers a question that was raised by another survivor. <br />
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That being said, there is quite a bit of zombie slaying action. Lots of blood and guts and gore. We get to learn how best to stop a zombie--and let me assure you, there are many ways. We also learn about newest in improvised zombie killing weaponry and effective warfare techniques to decimate a raging-out-of-control zombie population. <br />
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But seriously, I loved reading it--everything in this whole entire book. Me. A church-going mother of three. Although, yeah, I'm not your typical church-going mother of three. But still... <br />
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P.S. I'd have finished this book a long time ago had it not been for my husband, who kept stealing this book away from me so he could read it too. He's really liking it, btw. <br />
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*To those who have zero sense of humor, it must be said: I'm kidding, I don't do any drugs, and you need to chill.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0