Book # 14: Once an Angel (Teresa Medeiros)

Reading time: 4 days
Pages: 405
Genre: Historical Romance

So now it is winter break! And I am trying to read as much as I can! Unfortunately, work and school applications eat reading time. :P

OOooOo. So one time, I read a book by Teresa Medeiros that was my faaaav ever because it screamed Pirates of the Caribbean but combining the best of Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, and written in the 90's long before the actual movie. WIN. Anyway, trying to find a novel that is of the romance genre that fits everything-action, love, mystery, well written. I hate the lovey-dovey ooze.

Once an Angel didn't come close to "Thief of Hearts." The first novel I've ever read that took place in Australia however, so that was at least interesting... not so much. Australia in the 1900's wasn't really happening except for some natives that speak a bit of English, thanks to our hero Justin Connor. A little bit "A little Princess" all grown up + attitude - dad = Emily, the heroine. I wasn't really thrilled with her rebelliousness, since it's all manipulation for her. A bit predictable, they fight, they deny their feelings, they fight, they kiss, he wants to marry her but alas! Just inherited his father's estate and must return to England. Sprinkle a little mystery with mistaken/hidden identity (she is actually his ward who he thinks is still a little girl! OOPS).

So is it worth your time? Eh, maybe. Especially if you could read it in less than 4 days. Then you can have other days to do something else.

C-

+Unique setting? Australia mate!
-Kind of predictable plot. Basically entirely predictable.

Book # 13: The Help (Kathryn Stockett)

Reading time: 3 weeks
Pages: 464
Genre: Fiction

I caught on the train a little late of this popular book, but it's popular for a reason. Skeeter Phelan (Eugenia) comes home from college, without a husband, to discover her family's help and the woman who basically raised her, has been fired but no one will tell her why. Skeeter gets to know Aibileen in order to write a cleaning column in the newspaper when she begins to realize the injustices taking place around her.

Stockett I think did an excellent job getting into the shoes of these women. I found I suddenly had time to read a book during my busy life! HUGE PLUS.

Aibileen is a great character from the start, having the experience and wisdom the other maids may not have gained, but Minnie has the spunk you want from the underdog. Their parts were almost more entertaining than Skeeter's. And, let's not forget Miss Hilly Hilbrook. Hilly is that girl of girl each of us knows, the popular and loved, but loved because she's feared. Hilly will ruin you like the mob, ruin  your reputation, your social life, without laying a finger on you. However, Hilly does get some come-upance and drives the book in a sort of blackmail.

Overall: A
+GREAT characters
+Had a hard time putting it down...
+Although fictional, it does give a good picture of a time not too long ago, but long ago in that I hope we have come a long way since then.
-IS THERE A SEQUEL BECAUSE I WANT ANOTHER ONE.

OH. And the film was pretty darn good when compared to the novel. The only difference I felt was strong was the fact that the book takes longer while the movie makes time go by way faster.

Book # 12: Vanity (Jane Feather)

Reading time: ~3 months
Pages: 432
Genre: Romance

I started reading this on my week off in the summer and got to the last 50 pages and just had a hard time going the rest of the way. Vanity's main theme of the same title, gets it from the antagonist Philip. At a young age, Cullum is blamed for his elder brother's death by his twin brother Philip, eventually flees their home and becomes a famously feared highway man until he can get his revenge. His leading lady, Octavia, had her estate swindled away under her father's nose by greedy investment schemes. Cullum uses this to entwine Octavia in his plan--she will seduce Philip to obtain his family signet ring while he swindles the investors. She gets her estate back, he gets his his revenge.

Of course the plan goes awry, and they fall for each other. He's definitely got the bad boy thing, and she's got a rebellious streak for a lady. Enough said.

Grade: C

I'm still mad I haven't read a good Jane Feather novel since "Virtue," GAH. I thought a lot felt forced drama, like Feather was trying to hard to make dialogue or a scene happen a certain way. PROBABLY why I couldn't bring myself to finish the last chapters. Bleh. Big sign it ain't so goood.

+Misunderstood bad boy, aw
-Convient situations, over and over and... really?
+somewhat entertaining? Meh
-somewhat entertaining.

Probably could pass, go for Virtue instead.

Book 11: Slave by Cheryl Brooks....giggle.

Reading time: 2 days
Pages: 314
Genre: Sci fi / Romance

I know I've sort of fallen off the page with reading books, but if you count reading my biology and nutrition books, then I have been extremely proliferate in my accomplishments. And so the cycle of school begins again. I was foolish to believe I could squeeze a book a week while going to school part time. BAH! So this is what happens to your brain on academic hyperdrive: you want to read stupid books when you're done cramming for bi-weekly accelerated midterms. Hence why "Slaaaave."

To summarize, "Slave" reminded me of some kind of closet-book written in secret by someone who never left 8th grade and hasn't gotten any lovin' in many moons. Jacinth is on a mission to rescue her younger sister who' was kidnapped and taken across the galaxy. It's distant future so space travel is the norm and she's got her own ship. Her search leads her to a planet where women are enslaved by men, so to enter this planet she will need a male to pretend to be her master... leading Jacinth to purchase a cat-like man from an alien marketplace somewhere else. With a long foreign name, he's nicknamed "Cat" by Jacinth (original no?) and of course he's tall, dark, handsome, with slit cat eyes, and endowed like... I don't even know. But if one could imagine a species that was designed for pleasuring one another--bingo. And a little odd...... Once they've established not betraying each other, Jacinth starts to execute her plan and rescue baby sis. All goes well, love, love, find sis but wait---she LIKES being captive? And secretly all the women run the planet, not the men? Yes, they've all figured out how to selectively breed in hopes of making their kids less violent and aggressive than the previous generation, but the men have no clue. I don't know which is dumber. Oh well. Everyone's in love. The end.

Grade: Errr..... D+?

+...Interesting... as in weird?
-Jacinth acts like someone from the 21st century while acknowledging no one acts like her. By doing that, you've automatically ruined the characters/society. If the author hadn't written that way, I've never.... ok I probably would still have rolled my eyes at all her quirky sayings that, let's be honest, are corny and CLICHE. And cliche is a sin in writing.
+It was funny, solely because of the premise (cat-man who's the lion king in bed). Seriously, you have to laugh at that.

Book 10: In Great Waters (Kit Whitfield)

Reading time: 2 weeks
Pages: 401
Genre: Fantasy/Alternate historical fiction

Ok, I didn't technically finish this one but I will get to that.

In Great Waters follows two main characters, Will and Anne, both descendants of 'deepsmen' (aka mermaids). While Anne is a princess on an uneasy throne, Will a bastard abandoned on land.  Whitfield describes how many years earlier during a war, the deepsmen fought with men and aided them to win. The beautiful Angelica married into royalty and now most courts are inbred and the deepsmen/human crosses are weak. Will is being raised to take power and seize the throne from the current rulers.

Well.... the back of the book sounded better than the actual book. While reading it, I lost interest with Anne, meek and unfeeling besides wanting to see her mother. Will on the other hand is so animalistic with his impulses and the way he thinks it was hard to see him as a character I could root for when it's his time to beat up the king. Lame. I also had a very hard time picturing the deepsmen, described with sharp teeth, long tail, and so far from human, but desirable enough that sailors want to sleep with them on occasion. Sexy. The half-breeds were even harder to picture with legs full of vertebrae, leaving them to walk with canes (yet be stronger than men--OKAY??). So, floppy no jointed legs? Sharp teeth, and strange genitals--surprise!

Grade: F

I guess I have to give it an F because I couldn't bring myself to finish it. I kind of knew what was going to happen, but just couldn't care about it to, which I take as FAIL. I *HATE* not finishing a novel.

+Mermaids?
-Ugly mermaids...
+Creative??????
-Obviously not creative enough if I couldn't swallow it. And I LIKE fantasy. I do :(

Book 9: The Eternal Prison (Jeff Somers)

Reading time: 2.5 weeks
Pages: 406
Genre: Science Fiction

First of all, I suck at reading these books on time, dang. I'm at 50% here of my goal. :( But anyway, onto the book!

It was time for some science fiction, I was just in a mood for the beef jerky of books, not the cotton candy. You may also feel that some genres take more attention to read than others, while some you can zoom through in a few days at max. Does this make some books better than others? That's all relative to the reader. And at least for me, if I read romance or chic lit, I'd chomp through it in two days, while a fantasy novel may take extra time to learn the rules of the new world, etc.

"The Eternal Prison" follows Avery Cates, an infamous hitman type in the undated future where society has been corrupted by police, the government, a plague wiped everyone out, you get the picture...

You know that advice Thumber gives Bambi? If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all? That's kind of how I feel.

Cates is contracted to take out the bad-ass president. While in the midst of trying to assassinate the big fish, he is captured and taken to Chengara prison, where basically no one has escaped from before.

I was really frustrated for a while because Cates kind of sucks as a narrator, sorry. It's quite jumpy and once I got the idea that there was a parallel story happening ("oh this chapter is past, that one is now, and back to the past again... and ... now I'm confused"). By no means must a book be linear in plot, but I would have liked some notification when I was thrust back to before and after, because there wasn't a pattern, then it became linear with no past jumps. OKAY???

Cates as a protagonist was... alright... sort of... He's a bit complex because Somers wants him to be seen as this bad guy who's, of course, the best fighter, most talented with a gun, but can't stand to leave someone behind. Cool, except I don't see his character as being one to risk his own skin for someone else's. The future painted makes me wonder how the heck anyone has kids, let alone kids that survive to be adults, and then to be picked off left and right, no big deal, it's not like the global population plummeted by billions. Sure.

Cates hints that he's old, but in this kind of future, I'd say you were an old geezer if you made it to 25. It's got a bit of action, and seems a little ironic in the end. During a cloning procedure (they copy your brain and can make duplicates of you, exactly your personality, for the government to use. Awesome!), the army interrupts, leaving Cates hooked up to a bunch of wires, and somehow giving him personalities of people in power locked in his head. These 'voices' aid him at some times, but honestly, I finished the last 150 pages in one day because I wanted out of the Eternal Prison of this book.


Grade: D

+...no.
-Spastic timeline
-Protagonist has no weaknesses, besides hiding his good guy heart. Aw sweet. Not.
-Would I recommend to a friend? No.

+Oh right, the idea of cloning my personality into a computer and making droid copies of me is frightening technology, and perhaps is a cool conversation to hold.
THE END.

Book #8: Dog On It (Spencer Quinn)

Reading time: 2 days (I'm catching up!)
Pages: 305
Genre: Mystery / Fiction

First off, this was a fun read. That might deeply depend on the reader being a dog person though. Woof.

Chet is a police dog (err, almost... just missed that one test) and is Bernie's four legged partner. A PI for hire, Bernie is searching for a missing 15 year old girl Madeline, but can't get it out of his head the case is just a little fishy... The book isn't your typical detective story for one thing-- it's told through Chet's eyes :) Ever wondered what your dog was thinking? I though Disney/Pixar did a good job with Dug the talking dog from "UP," Quinn just takes it one step further minus the crazy-cool dog translating collar (see "UP").

What rocks: Chet has the perfect dog personality. He's energetic and gets a lot of what happens around him, more than we think. Some things elude him though, like our figures of speech. His voice has the ignorance of an outsider, but the loyalty of your favorite pet. While he's a little mischievous at times, Chet definitely narrates why and almost gives dogs an excuse or at least a reason behind some behaviors: why he chewed up Bernie's leather sandal, or jumped up on that expensive car.

GRADE: B

++FUN and entertaining
++Chet kinda likes to cut out the boring, just give you the goods

--At one point I asked "really??" Maybe he tipped the scale form trained police dog to wonderdog/Lassie but hey, maybe? I should stop questioning plots sometimes. Also felt one point was a little too coincidental.....HMM..

BUT OVERALL you won't regret it :)

Book #7: The Crimson Petal and the White (Michael Faber)

Reading time: 5 weeks
Pages: 833
Genre: Historial Fiction

I feel like I ran a slowly reading marathon. This sucker was thick. And hardcover. In fact if it was printed in normal size paperback dimensions, I think it would be terribly un-fun to read. Imagine a fatter Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Yep. But I didn't want to just read 200 page books all the time. Don't discriminate against the page length!!!

Anyway, what was this monster novel about?
The Crimson Petal and the White (TCPATW) follows the lives of Sugar, a 19 year old prostitute in 1875, and the Rackham family. Sugar is raised into prostitution by her mother, the madam of a house in London. She is famous for doing anything a gentleman wants with a smile, as reported by "More Sprees in London" (teehee, sounds like a precursor to Playboy...). William, the nearly broke heir to Rackham perfumeries, eventually winds up in Sugar's room... and completely falling for her. Slowly, she rises from the house, to a ritzy apartment furnished by William as his mistress, then finally to his home as a governess. Sugar is quite educated and helps William to flourish in his business, but  after a year things begin to fall apart in his life. Taking Sugar for granted is probably one of his biggest mistakes ever.

Meanwhile, the novel splits between other characters too. Such as Henry Rackham, the older brother who declined inheriting the business in favor of becoming a member of the church, Emmeline Fox, a widow and closest friend to Henry who is deeply involved with the Rescue Society that helps prostitutes leave their old profession in favor of an honorable one and new life. And, not to mention Agnes Rackham, the bat-@#!$ crazy wife of William. Unbeknownst to her, she has a brain tumor which, makes many moments a little horrific in what she says or does. It doesn't help Agnes is completely selfish and shallow, but on top of saying the wrong things at the wrong time and having fits where she tells someone off at a party (slightly funny), or tries to escape to the "Convent of Health". Yikes. William is torn about putting her in an asylum and refuses until it becomes quite clear Agnes is only getting nuttier.

So what's to like about this story? Faber for one does an excellent job with narration. A little Charles Dicken-esque, each time I felt completely transported to 1875, or 1876 later on. A peculiar thing about the narration was that it was an approach I had never seen before (gasps/Angels sing out for joy in my head). There is an outside narrator that speaks the actions of each character as we go along. It's obvious at first as we must get into this climate of dirty streets and pleasure and strangers. But soon the narrator stops using I or you, and the story smoothly unfolds until the last page where we remember some mysterious person narrated Sugar's story to us.

Alright cool. It narrates slightly unconventionally. What else?
For seconds, Faber is probably an expert at all aspects of life in the 1900's. Everything was covered. I can't think of some fact or detail that was left out. It was the most historical piece of fiction that I can imagine I've read. Now, I'm not sure if another book will hold a candle to it without me thinking "NO" or "WRONG" or even "RESEARCH IT RIGHT." It was one of those books that you have a hard time putting down because it engulfs you so completely. And for one involving cheating husbands and promiscuity, it hardly reads dirty nor did I find myself skipping vulgar sections. Not really. Just remember it's England though. Whatever that means to you.

As for negatives? Perhaps the length got to me a little, as it began to drag for me. If I could have cranked out more pages for the times I sat down to read it, that probably would have helped. Problem solved.

So GRADE:

A

+FIRST A I GAVE.
+Excellent narration flows smooth and naturally.
+Feels like a... more-to-the-point-Dickens.
+Excellent characterization. Wide range of folks all chiseled well, felt like they could have been actual people as the dialogue showed. Not always 'perfect.' Therefore, little bit of imperfection = real results!!
-Kinda long. BUT hey, don't discriminate. I didn't. And I guess BBC made it a mini series. Must... Check... Out....

Book #6: Clockwork Angel (Cassandra Clare)

Yikes, this one took a while. However, I decided I should not ignore larger books (this one was 475 pages) but alas, should not have taken nearly as much time. I must repent for my slowness.

Reading time: 4 weeks (horrendous)
Pages: 475
Genre: Fantasy

I realize there had been a lot of fantasy books lately, but I think it's what I am naturally drawn to. Oh well. Keeps things exciting. Clockwork Angel follows three teenagers in 19th century London. Beneath the world of average men is Downworld, where vampires, werewolves, nephilium, warlocks, you name it, exist. The Institute, run by the Nephilium (descendants of humans and angels) keep laws in check. When Tessa's brother goes missing, she heads to England after receiving his letter and instead falls into the hands of warlock sisters, discovers she's a "downworlder" with a one of a kind power. Rescued by Will and Jem, two young Nephilium warriors, she lives at The Institute trying to uncover the disappearance of her brother... when Tessa herself becomes tangled in the plot of The Magistar, the evil force behind everything! Dun dun dun.

I give Clare a ton of credit for her research and literature references of London at the time. Another perk to reading this beast was definitely the blend of characters. Tessa gains confidence and learns to see women in a new light (think pre-pants era, WOAH, scandalous!). I personally loved Will, a sarcastic, witty, liar, and play boy with a looming weakness and past we have yet to completely uncover. I just wanted to shake his past out of him--what made you this way! Hilarious, yet mysterious.... Tall, PALE, and handsome...

Then Jem, another "gem" of a character (bahaha, I'm totally not funny). Half Chinese-British, Jem's past is equally interesting (and mostly revealed, but not a moment too soon). However, I have read a book with a similar character with a similar ailment--forced into addiction of a dark and powerful drug. Jem and Will are definitely white and black, in terms both of descriptions of color and personalities, but blend well together when they battle. And, this was definitely a novel packed with some twists in the end. BONUS! YES. I need number two.... sad face.

Overall rating: A-

I know I've had a few lately, but it's true!
+Brilliant characters and personalities
+Excellent research. I wish I wasn't so lazy when I write things...
+Page turner. It wasn't that I couldn't read, it was that I didn't have time between work, finishing class, and sleep. Yep. But I wanted to!!
-Only downside is that since the characters are mostly teens (16-18), it gets the Young Adult label. LAME.

Book #5 : Look Me In The Eye (John Elder Robison)

Reading time: Err... 3 weeks probably. (In my defense, I started a new job!!)
Pages: 282
Genre: NON-fiction

Oo, I got out of my box for this one. I haven't read a non-fiction book since high school, since I can't recall any non-fiction books in my literature classes during my undergrad. Perhaps you too look at 'non fiction' as 'non fun,' but maybe we've just been scarred by terrible NF experiences. I've also heard the term "creative non-fiction" but dislike this since it assumes there is boring non-fiction (except, there kind of totally is...), but hopefully you see my point...?

Anyway.

What's it about? An autobiography by the older brother of the more popular "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs. John Elder has Asperger's Syndrome but grew up before it was diagnosed, and lived quite a turbulent life if I say so.

This novel intrigued me despite its NF-ness because it hits a little close to home. One of my siblings has Asperger's, so I thought this would be a great way to get inside the head of someone with the same disability. Asperger's affects people differently, so quickly I could see this would not be the same as digging my sibling's brain. However, some parts were quite insightful and I don't regret the read!

 I think one reason NF may not excite a reader is that there may be a lack of interesting qualities. Our entire lives are non fiction, so why not get out of the box for a while? Fiction can be molded and spun, while NF has some limitations with how one can describe events and people, but one thing I liked about Robison's novel was that for 1) he did have a very intriguing youth and 2) he's outside the norm. His daily life is not my daily life by far.

Some parts I did speed up through since I'm not a music junkie (he worked for many very famous rock bands since he excelled in sound quality and effects), but some of my favorite parts where when he let the reader inside his brain and thought process. Those were most helpful in understanding an Aspergian train of thought. I also thought he made an excellent point (211):

"As a functional Aspergian adult, one thing troubles me deeply about those kids who end up behind the second door [kids who may not end up able to function in society, John feels he chose door number one when he decided not to give up on people interaction]. Many descriptions of autism and Asperger's describe people like me as "not wanting contact with others" or "preferring to play alone." I can't speak for other kids, but I'd like to be very clear about my own feelings: I did not ever want to be alone. And all those child psychologists who said "John prefers to play by himself" were dead wrong. I played by myself because I was a failure at playing with others. I was alone as a result of my own limitations, and being alone was one of the bitterest disappointments of my young life."

Something to think about next time you see a kid struggling with friendships or the lone children on the playground. John is very lucky to be on the far end of the spectrum though, and after many years of trial and error with people has learned to respond better to social ques and expectations. Something we probably take for granted.

Overall rating: A-

+Very helpful for someone not familiar with Asperger's and how that affects an individual.
-Because John didn't have a diagnosis (wasn't added until 20-some years ago), I think a reader misses out on current Asperger's struggles and possible therapy events nowadays.
+Well written! Dang. Robison has a firm handle on writing and language, and I felt for NF, just the right amount of dialogue, portrayals and thought comments.

Book #4: The Fetch (Laura Whitcomb)

Reading time: 8 Days
Pages: 379
Genre: Historial Fiction/Fantasy/Romance/Drama

"Fetch" covers ground in a lot of genres, so it should be fit for lots of different tastes. To sum it up, it focuses on Calder, a spirit who guides souls to heaven after the moment of death. Once human, he's been doing his given task for over 300 years when he sees a woman with golden-red hair he nicknames "Glory." His infatuation leads him back to the human world and a bargain with Rasputin. I didn't see the historical twist coming until finally realizing Calder has indeed fallen in love with Alexandra, the last Czarina of Russia, right before the Russian Revolution too (Ruhrow Raggy...). After this painful blow, Calder finds himself with the youngest two Romanovs, a lost key, and unruly Lost Souls gaining power. It's an extensive journey around the world to right his mistakes, bring Alexie and Ana to heaven, all the while hoping Rasputin gets his butt back to Calder, his Fetch, before too much rebellion in the Land of Lost Souls. So who ya gonna call??


Of the four books this year, I'd say this was one of the best. Again, this is for young adults but Whitcomb doesn't necessarily right in a dumbed down or censored way for a younger audience. I even recommended it to a woman at my dentist when she started to poke around my book on the table. Calder was 19 at the time of his death, but while he's guiding Alexis and Ana he borrows Rasputin's body like a possession almost. I will admit, I almost put it down when he discovers his love-at-first-sight-governess is actually the Czarina, just because I really wanted this to be a love story. Buuuut, I decided to hold on and was glad I did. Whitcomb has a great interpretation of her fantastical spirit world and the laws that govern it. Nothing really felt 'corny' or cheesy regarding spirits, 'borrowed bodies' or even Alexie and Ana, who I am not sure how to describe... Another part I loved was that Whitcomb found some seriously cool events to interpret another way. During the Revolution, Alexie and Ana's bodies were not recovered for decades, so some speculated they escaped the family massacre. Here, it's because Calder gave his "key" to Alexie, who gave it to his sister, protecting them from death, but also changing them to part human/part immortal spirits. Rasputin's supposed death was also extremely creepy once I looked it up, and I give kudos to Whitcomb for using that too, it could not have been more perfect to write with! Just wiki it and you'll see what I mean. MAYBE HE REALLY WAS A FETCH?? DUN DUN DUN....

RATED: A-

+Excellent writing, setting, historical ties. Really believed she knew her stuff.
+Creative in not only plot, but with the afterlife too.
+I was never bored of her writing style, or skipping parts, and found I couldn't predict many events, which means you will always be pulled into reading it. Woohooooo!
-It was promoted as a love story, so let's be honest and re-designate it properly as drama, not "a tender love story." And that means you, critics on the back of my book.

Book #3: Never Let Me Go (Kazou Ishiguro)

Let's try something new...

Reading time: 1 week
Pages: 288
Genre: Science Fiction?

So, "Never Let Me Go"....

Ishiguro's story centers around three students at a school in England called "Hailsham." Hailsham is actually a school for genetic clones in an alternate late 1990's setting. While growing up, the students know they will one day become "carers," or those or care for "donors," students completing organ donation. This is their purpose as clones. Seems like a normal enough boarding school setting. Kathy is the narrator and follows her experience with friends Ruth, and Tommy.

Ruth and Tommy date as teenagers but Kathy maintains close relationships with both of them. There's a rumor going around that those who find themselves in love and are from Hailsham can get their donations deferred so they can spend more time with their loved one. After Ruth "completes" her donations, Tommy and Kathy *finally* get together, and discover the truth about deferrals.

My thoughts....

Well, in the beginning I was really struggling to find out what was going on because the back summary was only filled with comments about it being the best book of the decade, a "tour de force," etc... I slowly figured out they must be clones for organ donations and wondered why Ishiguro never really centers on such an interesting topic. One reviewer commented that no student tries to escape their fate at Hailsham, and basically, what's up with that!?

I said this was "science fiction" but it's only by default of the topic of cloning humans for organs and shipping them off to little organ donor schools. I was actually putt off by the novel almost the entire time because it's one of those "deep" static novels, I'd say. Where the plot stays very flat, and the most drama that happens is someone steals Kathy's tape that has the title song "Never Let Me Go" sung by Judy Bridgewater. OOO! Ugh...

I think it's safe to say nothing really happened until she throws in the towel to become a carer, leaving Tommy and Ruth at the cottages where students go after sort of 'graduating' from Hailsham. Then it started to get good when Ruth urges Tommy and Kathy to get together as she's doing her donations. Hooray! Finally some LOVE in this "Provacative" novel.

That's another topic in here... there's the whole rumor of being in love will get you deferred, and many students couple up. It's a big deal in their lives I assume. But even when Tommy and Kathy finally get together, I never believed it was love. I had to wonder if the author had ever been in love because I'm sorry, I don't think I could leave my sweetheart at the hospital, waving goodbye to me, knowing he's doing his fourth donation and that's kind of the limit (also how many times can you give up organs and be functional!? Jeeze Louise...) and not bawl my brains out. I just wished there was a little passion thrown in there as they go about "learning to live their lives" as Ishiguro wanted to focus on. Meh.

LadyBug Rating:

C-
--Once I started SKIMMING chunks of pages, was I entertained by the dialogue. But, not sure if it's a British English thing/difference, but I felt a lot of the dialogue would never happen. No one actually talks that way. Unless... everyone's really a clone-ROBOT! Woah! Plot twist!
--A couple good scenes, such as a young Kathy pretending to sing to a baby (Never let me go!) and confronting the Hailsham Madam at the end (deferrals? Yes? NO?!)
--I really detested the transitions. Every break would be a one sentence cliff hanger, followed by the next passage picking up on it, then beating around the bush a page, maybe two, before getting back to the point. Every. Single. Time. Dull please!
+Oh, and I'd say a C- is generous.

However I hear the movie is great?? Congrats. Watch it instead.

Book #2: Dark Moon of Avalon (Anna Elliot)

Well it took me a while to read this one since I was interrupted, which I just hate since it takes away from the flow of a good story. This particular book falls somewhere between fantasy and historical fiction I reckon. It's a take of the Trystan and Isolde legend but, to be honest I didn't see much of it in there.

I picked this because I absolutely adore the Tristan and Isolde myth. I even wrote literary analysis on parts of it--woohoo! But as a writer, you can play with that kind of stuff all you want. That is, if anybody else cares to read it.

The novel begins as part two of three, which I'm glad I skipped the first one. I got plenty of lowdown from Isolde about her childhood and past. What threw me for a loop was tying King Arthur and Camelot into her gene pool. Here she is the daughter of Mordred (for those of you rusty on King Arthur and knowing only the Sword and the Stone Disney film.... King Arthur had a son by his sister [whoops, sorry didn't know it was you sis!] and had Mordred) AND Gwenevere (spellings may vary*). So for nerds like me I had to stop and say "WHAT? NO!" before letting it go and keep reading. Morgan, her granny and King Arthur's sister, raises Isolde to be a gifted healer after her mother runs off to a nunnery. What I did like was how Elliot made Isolde and Trystan childhood friends and sweethearts (aw). So no love potion here friends (again, see original myth).

I was impressed by Elliot's details and historic knowledge/research that helped to really ground the story. Especially writing with battle motifs for all the war-lords, mercenaries, and fighting parties because of course no one gets along in Britain after the fall of Arthur. The story mostly follows Isolde's journey of healing herself with Trystan's thoughts on and off. Trystan I feel didn't really change so much as just man-up into maturity. Or at least getting smarter in his reckless warrior behavior.

LadyBug Rating....

B

+Details, details, details! Way to make a suspension of disbelief! I'm there!
-Details...details....neh... I found myself bored and skimming down to the dialogue, the good stuff.
+Creative new twist on a story that's been done!
-LONG twist.... glad I skipped book one and I cannot tell you my relief when that romantic tension gave in with 60 pages left in the entire novel. I guess that's where book 3 comes in but let's be honest, we all know they end up together Elliot. [Well, more or less. See myth]
+Fun without being too fantastical or historical for those readers who just don't like good ol' knights, magic, quests, etc... Battles!! Argggg!!

Book #1: M or F?

The first novel I officially *FINISHED* was M or F? by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbett.

This is a teen/young adult novel for starters, but I knew that and sometimes I like that. They tend to move faster and more dramatically than adult 'fiction' and I say 'fiction' with my nose tilted a little. Anyway, M or F? is about a love-triangle/square with three teens. Marcus and Franny (M and F) are best friends, but Marcus is gay. No problem. They are "brain twins" as in that best friend that finishes every thought and sentence out of your  mouth. I think we've all had at least one 'brain twin' relationship, even if it wasn't a BFF/long term one.

When Franny crushes on a guy she can't manage to talk to, Marcus is able to talk to him online through chats and instant messengers easily, of course with Franny standing by. The trouble starts when they begin to question Jeffery's sexuality as well as who's he actually starting to like? Franny? Or Marcus? OOOO!

I will say first, this reminded me of a modern Shakespearian-style love story with the mistaken identity part. Imagine if As You Like It had IM's and the internet...hmm... Then the cross-dressing Rosalind wouldn't possibly have needed her disguise after all. Something to think about in that aspect. Although I was a little let down with the action. Sure, not a lot of ups and downs can happen when the plot is a he-likes-her-but-she-likes-him-who-likes-him!? kind of idea. But then again, sometimes YA novels do reach deep levels of drama/betrayal (oh hormones, puberty, and decision making! what fun). Overall though a fun, I don't like to say 'junk food' because it's not. It's a book but, fluffy without a ton of deeper comprehension. Which is sometimes exactly what you need in a book.

LadyBug rating??

C+
--Average plot
--Average characters with some good right-ons
--Not bad but not the greatest.

Story of a Story

Hello and Welcome :)

Years and years ago a little girl was in the library, pouring over what book would be best to bring home. All her classmates had already selected books, and the teacher had even taken everyone back to class, except for this lost book worm.

She was so distraught about which was the best choice, which book would she invest valuable story time in?? She didn't want to chose the wrong one... until the teacher came back to find her on the floor of the library crying.

Finally, she sent her back to class with a popular children's book and the little girl learned the more she read, the more chances of finding the good books. Problem...mostly solved.

Flash forward many years into the future and she is still a book junkie, library slut, but now with a bachelors in literature. Congrats. So what's the point? I propose I will read ONE BOOK a WEEK and then blog my thoughts about it here. While my personal tastes have been refined, I will do my best to break my mold and read things I normally would not. So perhaps you too, can save yourself the AGONY of decided WHAT the HECK do I READ?????

....small disclaimer: while I promise to read one a week, sometimes life gets in the way and laughs at that.  However, my guilt and perfectionism (heeeey I'm not crazy!) got married so now I feel guilty if I don't do what I say. But as I've learned: DO YOUR BEST.