tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78533428871942469072024-03-12T18:59:35.974-04:00tin heart tomes.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-73577505160158706902010-06-30T14:07:00.006-04:002010-06-30T14:46:25.680-04:00Woody's Roundup: June 2010.<div align=center><font color=CD5B45><em>"woody's roundup come on, gather round<br />woody's roundup where nobody wears a frown"</em></font><br /><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i50.tinypic.com/nnu0sx.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a></div><br /><br />So maybe I am a little too excited to see Toy Story 3 this weekend. But isn't everyone? Don't tell what happens if you have already seen it! I do NOT want to be spoiled at all! *covers ears* I wanted to have an end of the month feature, to wrangle up and lasso down everything I have done, reading wise, for the month. Woody's Roundup just sort of fit as the proper name. I figured I would list the books I have read for the month (you can find a list for the whole year under 'Reviews') and list the books I have received this month. I weekly post of In My Mailbox seems a little silly, since I never get enough books to post every week.<br /><br /><strong><u>Read in June:</u></strong><br />1. <em>Innocent Traitor</em> by Alison Weir<br />2. <em>The Off Season</em> by Catherine Gilbert Murdock<br />3. <em>Song of the Sparrow</em> by Lisa Sandell (Reread)<br />4. <em>A Wizard of Earthsea</em> by Ursula K. Le Guin<br />5. <em>The Tombs of Atuan</em> by Ursula K. Le Guin<br /><br />Books Read So Far in 2010: 36. I thought I would read more this month, but obviosuly not. May was a much better month in terms of reading quantity. Probably quality as well, but I can't really decide. It is about even.<br /><br />Favorite book: This is a tough one, but I am going to have to give it to The Off Season. The Dairy Queen books are just fantastic. My reread, Song of the Sparrow, doesn't count because it is obviously already a favorite. If it was in the running, it would be a tough call indeed. While I did not like the second installment of the D.J. trilogy as much as the first, they really are in a league of their own and can't compare to anything else.<br /><br /><strong><u>Received in June:</u></strong><br /><div align=center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i49.tinypic.com/vrx05s.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a></div><br /><br /><em>Anne of Green Gables</em>, L.M Montgomery (local bookstore)<br />Can you believe I don't own Anne of Green Gables already? Actually I can't remember most of the storyline, only that its epic. I read the Anne books when I was many years younger, and the most I can remember is from the movies I rented mutiple times after I finished the books. My mom adores these books, and I can't wait to crack them open now that I am old enough to actually remember what I am reading.<br /><br /><div align=right><em>Lirael</em>, Garth Nix (paperbackswap)<br />Seeing as how I <a href=http://tinhearttomes.blogspot.com/2010/06/sabriel-by-garth-nix.html>flipped</a> for Sabriel, it isn't a big leap to imagine how quickly I snagged up a copy of Lirael when I saw it floating around paperback swap. I definately plan on reading this one soon, especially since I have heard some people mention they like it more than Sabriel. More? Can you imagine such a thing?</div><br /><br /><em>Song of the Sparrow</em>, Lisa Sandell (paperbackswap)<br />An amazing retelling of the Lady of Shalott, the Arthurian legend about a cursed young woman who must never leave her tower or die, told completely in verse. I absolutely adore King Arthur, and I loved this book so much when it first came out. I remember as soon as I had closed the pages, and I had forced my mom to read it too. She wasn't as appreciative of its beauty. I had forgotten about it but decided I wanted a copy to treasure forever. <br /><br /><div align=right><em>The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms</em>, N.K. Jemision (library)<br />I just picked these one up at the library and decided to add it to the pile, so it didn't look quite so small and pathetic. I am FREAKIN' excited about this one. I have so many good things, and it sounds in-depth and amazing.</div><br /><br />Next month, I promise there will be many more because Book Closeouts is having a summer fiction sale, and you know who jumped on that bandwagon.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-25023108159074537822010-06-27T00:17:00.006-04:002010-06-29T15:23:32.553-04:00Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.<em><font color=#CD5B45><div align=center>"the island of gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked northeast sea, is a land famous for wizards."</div></font></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQWOwFbvPXHQNVDFUfUbIFTsTa2ddZUTTHFWgvgRZ0frdrEDUfyDt5WH-LIbJAj9gcTuyn0qfToFnwrIrF9TLXbkjGIGdWQvIpVskv0von77JJjZn7nFTe-VgdtSyboCfqbtoGUvqaQ7V/s1600/14613534.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 176px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQWOwFbvPXHQNVDFUfUbIFTsTa2ddZUTTHFWgvgRZ0frdrEDUfyDt5WH-LIbJAj9gcTuyn0qfToFnwrIrF9TLXbkjGIGdWQvIpVskv0von77JJjZn7nFTe-VgdtSyboCfqbtoGUvqaQ7V/s320/14613534.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488242705563997554" /></a><br /><div align=center><font color=#CD5B45>A Wizard of Earthsea by <a href=http://www.ursulakleguin.com/>Ursula K. Le Guin</a></font><br />192 pages (Paperback)<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Published:</font></strong> First Published in 1968 <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Publisher:</font></strong> Spectra <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Genre:</font></strong> Fantasy, Young Adult<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Series:</font></strong> First in a Series<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13642.A_Wizard_of_Earthsea">Goodreads Rating: 3.92/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Earthsea-Cycle-Book/dp/0553383043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277830907&sr=8-1>Amazon Rating: 4.1/5</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/52029/A-Wizard-of-Earthsea">Shelfari Rating: 4/5</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><em>Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance. -from Shelfari.com</em></blockquote><br /><hr><br />I never thought that a 144 page story would take me SO LONG TO READ. Yikes. I planned to read the first three books of the Earthsea series for Jawas Read, Too!'s <a href=http://jawasreadtoo.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/summer-of-series-reading-challenge-sign-up-post/>Summer of Series</a>, but once again I fear I will fail at a challenge. Maybe if I'm lucky the Tombs of Atuan review will be up tomorrow. Fingers crossed. There are a few good, sensible excuses for my painfully long reading of A Wizard of Earthsea: I recently got a summer job and my hours have gone up lately, especially weekend hours which is prime reading time for me, and I have taken a few vacations in which reading was impossible. But then there is the fact of this book simply did not want me to read it quickly. It refused to be read for more than 20 minutes at a time. I blame Ged.<br /><br />I have been wanting to read a Le Guin book for many moons now. I have heard from a couple people that she is a classic, and everyone must read her before they die. I did some scouting around, like I normally do when I hear such a thing, to see what she has written and if they sound like my thing. The Earthsea trilogy definately sounded like my thing, along with a few of her other books I might pick up later. I put the series of my To Be Read list, but since there were no copies available at my local libraries, I forgot about them. Then I heard about Jawas' Summer of Series. And I found an omnibus edition of the series on Paperback Swap. The stars were aligned. In my defense, I did only receive the omnibus in the middle of June and this challenge is only for the month of June. So there.<br /><br />Ged was born on the island of Gont, an island known for housing powerful and prominent wizards. Not many from Ged's poor village suspected the great things that he would someday come to do. They couldn't foresee that one day songs would be song of the little ruffian running among the goats. One day, a great wizard living on Gont comes and takes Ged away to live with him. There he tries to show Ged what it means to be a wizard, but he is a slow teacher. Ged soon goes bored, and when he is asked to go to a school for wizards on Roke island, he goes. At the school, he learns tought lessons that shape the rest of his life. He learns one lesson too late and unleashes a dark burden on Earthsea that he must vanquish at once or die trying.<br /><br />A Wizard of Earthsea is told as a folk tale or legend. The reader is told a certain amount at the beginning of the story about how things will end. I really dislike this way of storytelling because I like a certain amount of mystery in my stories. I <em>know</em> that things will more than likely end up happy. And I <em>know</em> that the protagonist will be superfantasticamazing because if there weren't going to end up being a somebody, why write a story about them? No one wants to read a story about a wizard who sits on his couch all day, using magic to change the channels. But I still want to pretend to be surprised when things work out this way. I like the warm and fuzzy feeling I get when the characters defeat the evil and head back home to their family and friends. This didn't happen to me in a Wizard of Earthsea because I had known all along what would happen.<br /><br />Despite the feeling of being spoiled, I thought the story was original and entertaining to read. Ged begins his real studies as a wizard with a patient and mysterious wizard called Ogion. I loved Ogion, obviously. How could you not? He was the typical kindly old wizard who knows more than he cares to tell, but only for the good of those around him. He is conscious of the great power he could yield, but he also knows the consequences of everything he does. The greatest part of the story for me was the trials Ged had to go through to learn that exact lesson of consequences and being at peace with oneself as Ogion was. I appreciated how it wasn't an easy thing for him to learn, but how in learning it would make it him an great and powerful user of magic. Some parts of the story, especially towards the end, were very profound and philosophical when discussing the lessons Ged had learned. I think these parts showed what a fantastic author Ms. Le Guin is.<br /><br />I found Ged to be a complex character, but I did not have much attachment to him. My problem with this was the distance that telling the story as a legend put between the reader and the protagonist. Legends are not too concerned with thoughts and feelings. The story is explained as, "Something happens, Ged reacts, reason he reacts is explained." The reasons were more told than shown in my opinion. Not only that, but important building years of Ged's life are simply skipped over. I couldn't feel a connection with Ged even though I did feel he was a great character; it was an odd feeling. I loved how he wasn't an innocent viction when it came to his school boy enemy, Jasper. He was as much to blame, if not more so, in creating an enemy in Jasper. He imagined things that weren't there, or things that could have easily been overlooked, he brought to the forefront of his mind and obsessed over. These obsessions came to a head when the two boys took their growing power too far because they didn't understand the consequences of what they were doing yet.<br /><br />The worldbuilding of Earthsea is elaborately over-the-top, and I ate it up. When I first heard if the name Earthsea, I scoffed at its absurdity. I found myself thinking, "Could this author be any more unoriginal? Earth and sea, I wonder where she got those two words from?" I now swallow those words. I love that name now. It makes perfect sense when you create a world filled with only with hundreds and thousands of tiny islands. I found myself thinking that an in-depth look at the politics of these islands would be fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the little snippets Le Guin gave us of each island's world. I was also overjoyed with the close up maps that were interspersed within the book; I needed them desperately. The little islands were sometimes hard to find in the big map, and I like to know exactly where I am in the world. Another important part of the Earthsea world are names. Every single thing, from a wave to an insect, has a true name which you must know to control it. Names are sometimes important parts in fantasy novels involving magic; books like Eragon come to mind. A Wizard if Earthsea took this theme to the extreme. A person, if they wanted to control a person, had to work to find out a person's name, because surely a person would guard that secret with everything they had. It was an interesting concept and added another layer to Le Guin's theme that no power comes without working.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Rating:</font></strong> <strong>7 out of 10.</strong> I agree that A Wizard of Earthsea is a classic in the fantasy genre. I have heard some say it paved the way for Harry Potter, which I can, loosely, see. I had a few problems with the story, the main one being how slow going it was for me. I could read the whole Harry Potter series in less days than it took me to read this one book. I will definately pick up more Le Guin books, and I can already tell you that I enjoy the Tombs of Atuan much more.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Source for copy:</font></strong> Traded (for the omnibus edition).Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-61882282076500829962010-06-23T01:00:00.002-04:002010-06-23T13:56:32.136-04:00The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock<em><font color=#CD5B45><div align=center>"every labor day, the jorgensens--they own jorgensens' ice cream--set up a little ice cream stand right in their yard..."</div></font></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZN4Z2nYwtOkBtET9-K_pgeJMJpAjCkmAYYybG4hEa7N7iqFK6WMmMtprbPm950lFX88XPKL0ezeHFd7fFjLnD-ITMqxS0G8DFNTRlmnt9ukvF-5OP7r9ox_fB35eEEp_SFZR84qP_DL3h/s1600/24791690.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZN4Z2nYwtOkBtET9-K_pgeJMJpAjCkmAYYybG4hEa7N7iqFK6WMmMtprbPm950lFX88XPKL0ezeHFd7fFjLnD-ITMqxS0G8DFNTRlmnt9ukvF-5OP7r9ox_fB35eEEp_SFZR84qP_DL3h/s320/24791690.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481524860132862610" /></a><br /><div align=center><font color=#CD5B45>The Off Season by <a href=http://www.catherinemurdock.com/catherinemurdock/home.html>Catherine Gilbert Murdock</a></font><br />288 pages (Paperback)<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Published:</font></strong> March 18, 2008 <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Publisher:</font></strong> Graphia <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Genre:</font></strong> Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Series:</font></strong> Second in a Trilogy<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/649514.The_Off_Season">Goodreads Rating: 3.96/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Off-Season-Catherine-Murdock/dp/0618934936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276266876&sr=8-1>Amazon Rating: 4.6/5</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/1111473/The-Off-Season">Shelfari Rating: 4/5</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><center>BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1!</center></strong><br /><blockquote><em>Life is looking up for D.J. Schwenk. She's in eleventh grade, finally. After a rocky summer, she's reconnecting in a big way with her best friend, Amber. She's got kind of a thing going with Brian Nelson, who's cute and popular and smart but seems to like her anyway. And then there's the fact she's starting for the Red Bend High School football team—the first girl linebacker in northern Wisconsin, probably. Which just shows you can't predict the future. As autumn progresses, D.J. struggles to understand Amber, Schwenk Farm, her relationship with Brian, and most of all her family. As a whole herd of trouble comes her way, she discovers she's a lot stronger than she—or anyone—ever thought. This hilarious, heartbreaking and triumphant sequel to the critically acclaimed Dairy Queen takes D.J. and all the Schwenks from Labor Day to a Thanksgiving football game that you will never forget. -from Goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><hr><br />This review may come off sounding like nothing more than a whole fangirl squeal. Because I LOVEEEE Catherine Gilbert Murdock. And D.J. Schwenck. And these books. I read Dairy Queen during my long hiatus, and it was like a breath of fresh air. The book was exactly what I needed, and I wish every book could be like Dairy Queen. It might just be my absolute favorite book of the year. But the verdict is still out. I don't read contemporary fiction very often. If I deign to pick one up, its only those that have been most highly praised. I have exactly 4 contemporaries on my shelves. One is a John Green and one is 13 Reasons Why. Both are highly touted among contemporary lovers. I really only picked up Dairy Queen because of the gorgeous cover (Those blue skies! That green grass!), and I vaguely remembered hearing about it around the blogosphere.<br /><br />Everything in D.J. Schwenk's life is looking bright since we last saw her in <em>Dairy Queen</em>. She has made it onto her school's football team. Not only made it but playing, pretty darn good if she would say so herself. It looks like she will have a great season, one in which her time might actually beat their long-time rivals. That means a chance to play against Brian Nelson, but he is actually understanding about that now. He might even have a thing going with D.J. Along with what might be a new boyfriend, she also regains her friendship with her best friend Amber. Work on the farm and communication with her family is starting to look up as well, now that Brian has taught her to speak up for herself. At least, she thinks she has learned that lesson. Until things begin to start sliding downhill again. As things begin to fall apart. D.J. starts to understand that she has many more lessons to learn about life.<br /><br />The Off Season was an amazing book. It was spectacular in its own right, especially with how it holds up to other books I have read this year or during my whole life. But compared to Dairy Queen, it was as great. Don't get my wrong, I loved this book as I'm sure I will love Front and Center when I get around to it, but Dairy Queen was just something else with how out of this world it was. One of the reasons I adored Dairy Queen was the perfect feeling of being in the country and living in a small town. It actually made me love being a country girl, something I never would have found myself being proud of before. The cows grazing in the fields; the long dusty roads leading no where; the weekends filled with nothing but going to the movies and sleepovers; the feeling of being trapped by your surroundings; and especially the rush of friday night football are all such an important part of D.J.'s, and any country girl's, life. I loved how they were all added into the storyline, either subtly or obviously. In The Off Season, I felt like I didn't get enough of this feeling. It was there for sure, but it took a backseat to other elements, and I wasn't too crazy about these other elements.<br /><br />The part of the plot where I found the down home country feel most prevalent was in D.J.'s relationship with her best friend Amber. After Amber comes out as lesbian to D.J. in Dairy Queen, their friendship is not what it used to be. But Amber begins to repair the broken ties when she starts dating for the first time in The Off Season. Things become tough for her at school when everyone in their small town notices her spending a lot of time with a girl and makes their own assumptions. When the stares became too much, Amber makes some decisions that probably aren't the best for her. Her decisions are extremely common in my area. I haven't done too much study on the subject, so I will only speak for my community. I liked how Ms. Murdock handled the situation. D.J. never condemned Amber's decisions and supported her as only a best friend can when she doesn't exactly agree. However, the choices weren't praised and, in my opinion, were subtly shown to be bad because they didn't solve anything. The series also does a great job with Amber's coming out story. Malindo Lo has a great <a href="http://www.malindalo.com/2009/12/ya-books-that-make-room-for-queerness/">list</a> of young adult books with strong queer characters, and guess which series made the list?<br /><br />Another one of my favorite parts of Dairy Queen was D.J.'s humor. These books crack me up like I had previously thought only <a href=http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/65189.Louise_Rennison>Louise Rennison</a> could. Everything D.J. says is so funny because it is so true. She words things in ways I never would have thought to say it, but they fit perfectly. One of my favorite parts from Dairy Queen was her awkward and embarrasing first kiss because first kisses are awkward. Maybe not nose bleed embarrassing, but still not angst-filled or heartbreakingly tender like some young adult novels like to potray them. I would like to give you a little tidbit of D.J. humor from one my favorite paragraphs:<br /><blockquote><em>I hadn't really been alone with Brian-not counting the barn, which I don't because Dad's there all the time and also the straw is super itchy-since the Mall of America, and while I hadn't Done Anything Stupid, I wasn't sure where exactly I stood on the whole subject. I mean, it's not that I wanted to do anything Really Stupid, but I wouldn't be so against doing something Kind of Stupid-something A Little Silly, maybe. (pg. 102)</em></blockquote><br />D.J. is an amazing narrator because her voice is so informal. Usually this doesn't work for me, but somehow I love it when D.J. talks. But there were so many times throughout this book when I wanted to reach through the pages and slap D.J. across the face. The whole premise of Dairy Queen was "When you don't talk, there is alot that ends up not being said." Many times during The Off Season, it felt D.J. was back to square one. She would not speak up for herself, even if talking would get her out of a sticky situation or explain a miscommunication. I definately understand that this is the whole point of the series: D.J. learns to speak for herself. But sometimes it is so hard to just sit there as someone is screwing up their life when there is a simple fix: talking. Then there was her relationship with Brian, which made me hate Brian Nelson with a passion even though I thought he was a pretty nice guy in Dairy Queen. For three-fourths of the novel, I was steaming because I believed things between D.J. and Brian were going to end up in a very unhealthy situation. But I should never have doubt D.J. or Ms. Murdock; things worked themselves out exactly as the should have for the second book in the trilogy. What I love about these stories is how they show that without communcation, relationships die. I think thats an important lesson to learn. The stories don't shove the lesson down your throat, but time and time again when talking fails, the relationship fails.<br /><br />I think the number one reason I couldn't fully adore The Off Season as much as Dairy Queen was because of Win and his accident. D.J.'s brother Win plays college football, and during the course of the novel he becomes injured. After the tragic accident, most of the story is focused on Win's recovery and how D.J. helps him and her family through it. The story took a turn towards cheesy during this point. It felt a little too Hallmark family movie, and while I like watching Hallmark, I know I'm watching it for cheeserific tears and not because it is movie greatness. I wanted The Off Season to contain only greatness, and for this reason and maybe only for this reason I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I loved Dairy Queen.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Rating:</font></strong> <strong>8 out of 10.</strong> An amazing read standing on its own, but compared to Dairy Queen, fell a little short. D.J. is a funny as ever, and her relationships begin to take shape and gain strength in this second installment. However certain aspects felt sappy to me, and I hate sappy more than anything. Maybe that's one of the reasons I don't read much contemporary fiction, because most of the plots play like Hallmark movies.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Source for copy:</font></strong> Bought (for 50 cents at a Half Price Bookstore! Sorry, just had to share my gleeful steal.)Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-61547188895929203872010-06-22T12:38:00.007-04:002010-06-29T15:23:05.291-04:00Start Spreading the NewsI am now officially back from my vacation, extremely sun burnt and bone tired. I epically failed at trying to finish the <em>Wizard of Earthsea</em>, but I did make progress on it. I will finish and review it this week, I promise. Scout's honor. My review of <em>The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock</em> should be up this week as well. This week will be rather slow because I still have packing to do, not to mention I have to work more to make up for the hours I missed last week. And I couldn't read hardly anything last week, which means I don't really have anything to review. Oh my...<br /><br />I wanted to share a few trailers I have seen lately with you that have me very excited. I get a little apprehensive about my favorite books being turned into movies. There is so much that can go wrong, and I nitpick about everything that gets cut from the book. Harry Potter drives me crazy for this reason, even though lately the movies have been awesome as movies in their own right. We shall see, Deathly Hallows, we shall see.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_6lUS4iG5dE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_6lUS4iG5dE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />The next one is for Flipped, a book I remember reading in elementary school. The book is so sweet and adorable, I absolutely flipped for it (hahaha). I highly recommend reading the book before seeing the movie (if you're that kind of person) even though the book is aimed for younger audiences. The movie looks sweet as candy, and I love the 50s look. Also, Stand By Me and When Harry Meet Sally are some of my favorite movies. I have high hopes for Flipped.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RDlXdujRSD8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RDlXdujRSD8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />I have loved the previous Chronicles of Narnia movies, and the Dawn Treader trailer promises another fangirl squee coming from my corner of the theater when I see it. But I have a confession: I skipped over the Dawn Treader when I read the Chronicles of Narnia. I have the whole omnibus of the series, so I will definately be travelling back and finally finishing this one. I can't be out of the loop while I'm watching the movie. Hate that. Also, Lucy is SO OLD! OMG!<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hrJQDPpIK6I&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hrJQDPpIK6I&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />The next trailer is for a book I have never read, Never Let Me Go. I have had it on my To Be Read list for ages, it seems. However after seeing this trailer, I rushed over to my library's website and put it on hold. This trailer is amazing, and this book/movie has Amelia written all over it, in capital lettes in permanent marker. I usually adore everything Keira Knightley is in. She isn't my favorite actor, but she sure chooses amazing movies to act in.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kymQcM4ej3w&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kymQcM4ej3w&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />I am obsessed with movies, so its a sure thing that I will see this eventually. Until then, I will be seeing Toy Story 3. I'll wait until Eclipse hits the dollar theater. It just isn't worth the full price. Obviously.<br /><hr><br />Maybe you are the one blog reader who hasn't heard of the anthology coming out later this year, <em>Zombies vs. Unicorns</em>. April of <a href="http://www.goodbooksandgoodwine.com/">Good Books & Good Wine</a> (Team Unicorn) and Sharon of <a href="http://www.sharonlovesbooksandcats.com/">Sharon Loves Books and Cats</a> (Team Zombie) are battling it out this week over the classic debate of Zombies vs. Unicorns. For now, I am tentatively Team Unicorn because I have loved unicorns the longest. I really only began liking zombies when I watching Resident Evil two years ago. Before that time, I hated zombies with a passion.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ-WRedKJT14TGp6Eb8Gmxkfbtm95XMLP3EechoiM-dfqFEP1st3VLFZ3ErgyhFrUBavbErEoO2NMcnrXzRKPngwqc4qgR0qHsbT3JkDA87mjW5ArAS1dqZDWvAqO4fll1qjOzi1_UfdD/s1600/Ugly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ-WRedKJT14TGp6Eb8Gmxkfbtm95XMLP3EechoiM-dfqFEP1st3VLFZ3ErgyhFrUBavbErEoO2NMcnrXzRKPngwqc4qgR0qHsbT3JkDA87mjW5ArAS1dqZDWvAqO4fll1qjOzi1_UfdD/s320/Ugly.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485647627001373394" /></a>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-57760273278381570752010-06-17T06:00:00.002-04:002010-06-17T06:00:01.023-04:00Taking Woodstock, Kinda<center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i47.tinypic.com/1zvbmtd.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><font color=CD2626><font size=20><em><strong>Concert Time</strong></em></font></font></center><br /><br />It's summer time, and you know what that means? Vacations. I will be gone for four days, Thursday through Sunday. I'm headed for an outdoor concert, complete with tents and camping and all. I have heard the joke many times, 'It's a PG-rated Woodstock'. So I'm heading out to rough it in the hot, hot heat. Hopefully it will be barrels of fun.<br /><br />If everything goes as planned, I will have my Wizard of Earthsea review up when I get back and Tombs of Atuan to boot. I had hoped to finish it before I leave, but c'est la vie. All questions/comments/hollas at your girl will be answered promptly when I get back.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-2444090778409936702010-06-16T06:00:00.002-04:002010-06-16T09:27:40.298-04:00Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir<em><font color=#CD5B45><div align=center>"my travail begins as I am enjoying a walk in the garden."</div></font></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPOxFkcTq91F3gyqBUGNBSbCkY-eBDnW4bcRWQ-xp1z4B8S-UnQgs5iwKTn0e7QnyEntC9_gn67EdwIt7-U8DJW_8-pv0S907wAnKE2LHwJlBkl_guReDpHOxXG_nxurs8Vr1rWPshQvS/s1600/61291361.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 182px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPOxFkcTq91F3gyqBUGNBSbCkY-eBDnW4bcRWQ-xp1z4B8S-UnQgs5iwKTn0e7QnyEntC9_gn67EdwIt7-U8DJW_8-pv0S907wAnKE2LHwJlBkl_guReDpHOxXG_nxurs8Vr1rWPshQvS/s320/61291361.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481501239597089394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align=center><font color=#CD5B45>Innocent Traitor by <a href=http://www.alisonweir.org.uk/>Alison Weir</a></font><br />416 pages (Hardcover)<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Published:</font></strong> February 27, 2007 <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Publisher:</font></strong> Ballatine Books <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Genre:</font></strong> Historical Fiction<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Series:</font></strong> Stand Alone<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/111218.Innocent_Traitor">Goodreads Rating: 3.83/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Traitor-Novel-Lady-Jane/dp/0345494857#noop>Amazon Rating: 4/5</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/197576/Innocent-Traitor">Shelfari Rating: 4/5</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><em>I am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live. <br /><br />Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir’s enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey–“the Nine Days’ Queen”–a fifteen-year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of the religious and civil unrest that nearly toppled the fabled House of Tudor during the sixteenth century. <br /><br />The child of a scheming father and a ruthless mother, for whom she is merely a pawn in a dynastic game with the highest stakes, Jane Grey was born during the harrowingly turbulent period between Anne Boleyn’s beheading and the demise of Jane’s infamous great-uncle, King Henry VIII. With the premature passing of Jane’s adolescent cousin, and Henry’s successor, King Edward VI, comes a struggle for supremacy fueled by political machinations and lethal religious fervor. <br /><br />Unabashedly honest and exceptionally intelligent, Jane possesses a sound strength of character beyond her years that equips her to weather the vicious storm. And though she has no ambitions to rule, preferring to immerse herself in books and religious studies, she is forced to accept the crown, and by so doing sets off a firestorm of intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy. -from Goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><hr><br />I have always adored the Tudors and England. When I was younger, I thought living in that time period would be the best thing in the world. I known better now, but I used to devour books and movies about any and all of the Tudors. My reading tastes changed towards fantasy when I picked up Tamora Pierce for the first time. I gradually reduced my Tudor searching, and I can't remember when I stopped looking for them altogether. I still have a few lonely middle grade books about Elizabeth and Mary on my shelves. However when my mother picked Innocent Traitor up from the library, I was very interested. And when she recommended it after she was finished, I immediately resolved to start my Tudor frenzy up again.<br /><br />Lady Jane Grey is best remember for her tragic control of the crown for only nine days. Her reign was cut short by Mary, who seized the crown and beheaded Jane and her supporters. But what of this young girl's childhood? What led her to her fate? This novel explores Jane's past, as she continues to defy her controlling parents only to give under their cruel punishments. It shows her relationships with the royalty she would one day move against in the powerful political game they all played.<br /><br />When I cracked open Innocent Traitor, I wasn't too thrilled with how the story first progressed. The first two chapters contain nothing but Jane's mother and the current Queen giving birth. I know its a natural thing and yadda yadda yadda, but if you have read one birthing scene, you have read them all. There are a number of births described in Innocent Traitor, all of which I wanted to skim over. One of them is particularly gruesome, and it leaves the woman basically mutilated and her baby a hunchback. The other stories of Jane's childhood, which are also told in the first part of the book, describe Jane's demeaning abuse at the hands of her parents, especially her domineering mother. I could understand how this related to future events and Jane's character being defined, but it was hard to read at times. All I wanted to do was scoop Jane up and rescue her from her life.<br /><br />The feeling I have when I read historical novels from this period, especially about people who end up rather headless, is the same feeling I have when I read Shakepseare's tragedies. I know what the end result will be going into the book. I already know how the main character will end up, the same character I expect to became emotionally invested in. And of course, I do become emotionally attached, and I do find myself hoping against hope that history will change before I finish the story. Like a Shakepeare tragedy, there are always heaps of foreboding and foreshadowing found inside the story. I find that foreshadowing is always fun for me to read, sort of like a 'Where's Waldo' for me to sniff out and spot.<br /><br />Alison Weir writes Innocent Traitor in alternating view points for each chapter. I usually don't enjoy this approach. It wasn't my favorite way to read the book, and I still think it could have been written solely from Jane's perspective and the story wouldn't have suffered. However I do think it was a great way for the reader do learn everyone's hidden agenda and polticial plans, something that reading from the Jane's perspective wouldn't have been made clear.<br /><br />One apsect that completely surprised me was how big a role religion played in Jane's story. I realize that this was a turbulent time for England in terms of religious freedom. I knew Mary especially was a staunch supporter of Catholicism, against the rest of her family's wishes. Somehow I expected Catholicism versus Protestantism to play a smaller role. However, Jane herself is extremely devout in Protestantism from a young age. She clings to her religion throughout the whole novel and roughly defends her faith to people twice her age. From Ms. Weir's point of view, Jane's religion played a large role in her undoing. It was extremely interesting to me how Catholics and Protestants fought over such tiny things, things I don't even remember discussing too often or in much detail in my Catholic Religion class or in my Protestant church.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Rating:</font></strong> <strong>7.5 out of 10.</strong> Recommended for historical lovers, especially those with a strong adoration of all things Tudor (and I don't just mean the steamy HBO show). It was a rather sad novel about a young girl whose life was cut short too soon. I felt like the fate of these people led them, instead of these people taking control of their own destinies. Their fates were hard to read about, especially since young women like Jane had little control over their lives unless their parents or husband gave it to them. It was informative and heart-wrenching, but to say it was entertaining would just be cruel.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Source for copy:</font></strong> Borrowed.<br /><br />A middle grade book I read on Lady Jane Gray when I was younger was <a href=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143124.Nine_Days_a_Queen_The_Short_Life_and_Reign_of_Lady_Jane_Grey>Nine Days a Queen by Ann Rinaldi</a>. I don't remember much about it, except that I liked it enough to buy it. If that fact means anything to you, maybe you will like the book too. I do remember its very PG, as PG as a book can get when it involves Tudor England and beheading.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlwvz7GFgnWhXSmNpy3ru5AFganOagAIReD41OlO4ykjxvPA-8QLu5sFhoe0WctnUsvS72H2Po2sCdJHhYKnjyojAyKKWogJBphJEDxcc82JtBCnuhaGBOSQgj4OLcv_K5x5nX5tgTCgu/s1600/14519888.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 173px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlwvz7GFgnWhXSmNpy3ru5AFganOagAIReD41OlO4ykjxvPA-8QLu5sFhoe0WctnUsvS72H2Po2sCdJHhYKnjyojAyKKWogJBphJEDxcc82JtBCnuhaGBOSQgj4OLcv_K5x5nX5tgTCgu/s320/14519888.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481532242976466226" /></a>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-84465180180574989602010-06-14T11:00:00.001-04:002010-06-14T11:18:14.617-04:00Sabriel by Garth Nix<em><font color=#CD5B45><div align=center>"it was little more than three miles from the wall into the old kingdom, but that was enough."</div></font></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YcYCH9KiT0U02kSHoyO2hPUbkW47rdqrklRYlzOell9QOoz4ROgpBm3V8hxFNO2s3lau_3R4xggM7wLWy3kJwuk7Iv84VJYrB7IxA8aVcBLJIAmPyFntTXyij-QYI1DDE6O1o0ei-C3h/s1600/sabriel.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YcYCH9KiT0U02kSHoyO2hPUbkW47rdqrklRYlzOell9QOoz4ROgpBm3V8hxFNO2s3lau_3R4xggM7wLWy3kJwuk7Iv84VJYrB7IxA8aVcBLJIAmPyFntTXyij-QYI1DDE6O1o0ei-C3h/s320/sabriel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481183503610531506" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align=center><font color=#CD5B45>Sabriel By <a href=http://www.garthnix.co.uk/>Garth Nix</a></font><br />304 pages (Hardcover)<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Published:</font></strong> October 30, 1996 <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Publisher:</font></strong> HarperTeen <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Genre:</font></strong> Fantasy, Young Adult<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Series:</font></strong> Book One of Four<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/518848.Sabriel">Goodreads Rating: 4.19/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Sabriel-Abhorsen-Garth-Nix/dp/0061474355/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276187653&sr=8-1>Amazon Rating: 4.7/5</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/69621/Sabriel">Shelfari Rating: 4.1/5</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><em>For many years Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead. But now her father, the Charter-Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world. <br /><br />Though her journey begins alone, she soon finds companions: Mogget, whose seemingly harmless feline form hides a powerful --- and perhaps malevolent --- spirit, and Touchstone, a Charter-Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. <br /><br />With threats on all sides and only each other to trust, the three of them must travel deep into the Old Kingdom, toward a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death --- and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own hidden destiny. <br /><br />A tale of dark secrets, deep love, and dangerous magic! -from goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><hr><br />I am actually surprised (and more than a little angry) that I had never picked up Sabriel before. More surprisingly, I had never even heard of Sabriel before this year. Yeah, I know. That revelation is almost a crime against readamanity. Sabriel is a fantasy about a strong teenage girl who has magical powers. Everything about this book sounds right up my alley. So why wasn't I aware of this book? I have sucky friends who have never read anything published before Twilight.<br /><br />Sabriel has been raised in a small land called Ancelstierre, which is eerily similar to England by the way, far from the Wall and the menancing beings of the Old Kingdom. For the most part, she has been oblivious of the doings and history of that part of her world. Unfortunately, this dangerous countryside holds the house of her father, who must remain there to carry out his work. Her father is Abhorsen, the famed necromancer who binds the dead back to the land of the dead. When her father does not show up for his moonly meeting with Sabriel, she fears he has gone missing. She must take her powers and travel into the Old Kingdom, a place she is knows little about, to find her father. To help her with her journey, a cat and perhaps malicious spirit named Mogget and a man named Touchstone join her.<br /><br />When I was updating my layout, I started going through authors' websites to add to my blogroll. One of these authors was the lovely Catherine Gilbert Murdock, who wrote what may be my favorite read of the year and possibly my whole life. She has a list of her favorite books, which I suggest you meander on over and look at, and Sabriel just happened to be on the list. Catherine had an amazing quote about the series that struck me as so correct that I had to share it here:<br /><blockquote><em>Years after reading Sabriel, I remain awed by his ability to drop readers in the middle of this foreign world – plop! – and expect us to soldier along until things explain themselves.</em></blockquote><br />I <s>almost</s> jumped up and down, squeeing, "OMG! She gets me, she gets me! Catherine & I are BFFS because we shared a brainwave!" -gigglesnort- This is exactly how I felt in the beginning of the story. Garth Nix makes understanding his world nigh impossible without just girding your loins and shouldering through the book. I had no idea what the frack Free Magic was, or Charter Magic was, or what the different types of death creatures were, or what a Charter Stone was, or or or. You see I could go on for days. But I am perfectly fine with being confused with a world, and I could feel it in my bones that Sabriel would be a winner if I kept with it for a little while longer. Boy, was I right. I appreciated the fact that Sabriel knew next to nothing about the Old Kingdom. Her ignorance was part of the reason of the little explanation given. The author was waiting to reveal all of the Big.Secrets until Sabriel was ready. The two different magic concepts were explained, quite literally, on the run as Sabriel used one type of magic against the evil forces, who were using the other type, while she tried to reach her destination.<br /><br />One interesting aspect of the story hit me on the head while I was reading reviews on Goodreads, after I had finished the book. Sabriel has ZOMBIES. Like big, scary, people-eating, back from the dead ZOMBIES! I hadn't put together that some people might see the creatures that came back from the realm of dead as zombies. I didn't see the relation at all while I was obliviously reading. For hardcore zombies fanatics out there, I wouldn't necessarily be putting Sabriel automatically on my to be read list because the of the zombies. Maybe I didn't think of zombies right away because I don't think of zombies as intelligent. They have a desire to feed, and that's all they have. They don't recognize power or hierachies, while the creatures in Sabriel are intelligent, without a doubt. They can think and reason. They know why they have to feed. They know they must follow creatures more powerful than themselves. A brain does not a zombie have. And they devour souls, not body parts. But potatoes, patatoes.<br /><br />The character of Sabriel is ahmazing. She is strong and capable of handling herself, while still taking care of those around her or that may have gotten between her and her enemies. She is never TSTL, which I always appreciate in any character. She is an independent woman and worthy of admiring. I would have liked to see more of the women in her world, for comparison. Its hard to tell if the world in which Sabriel inhabits accepts more 'modern' women and if Sabriel's attitude would be commonplace in the Old Kingdom or Ancelstierre. Somehow I guess not, but that is just my experience with most fantasies set in monarchies such as the Old Kingdom. However, my favorite character, without a doubt, was Mogget. An evil spirit wrapped up in a snarky cat. Can I spell amazing and wonderful any more ways? I loved how Garth Nix portayed him as mysterious and shady. The wool was pulled over my eyes completely. I was so willing to believe Mogget was not malacious. Even when he attacks Sabriel, I was shaking my head, saying to myself, "There must be some better explanation of this attack." Yeah, I am an idiot. Even then, it's wonderful how Sabriel must lean on Mogget after he has tried to get rid of her forever.<br /><br />The only character who I felt was a little lacking, was Touchstone. He didn't seem real enough for me, and therefore the romance wasn't my favorite. It's easy to call, seeing as how there is basically only one boy and one girl throughout the entire novel. And the first time Sabriel sees him, Touchstone is naked. That always signifies smexy time and helps things along. <br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Rating:</font></strong> <strong>9 out of 10.</strong> Sabriel is a fantastic novel, and I can't sing its praises enough. I wish everyone would pick it up, especially lovers of stong heroines and fantasy. I'll probably being ordering my copy of Lirael soon and adding the Abhorsen books to my library.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Source for copy:</font></strong> Borrowed.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-45686283735866087312010-06-11T20:00:00.000-04:002010-06-11T08:31:45.931-04:00Time Tested Tome: The Princess & The Goblin<em><font color=#CD5B45><div align=center>"there was once a little princess whose father was king over a great country full of mountains and valleys."</div></font></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPRnlLBlo6zJJxFLTOGykJ5uR9qFj4otWSIv2rhGurHrAOh3unguGQAaH3NmcNbgkaPqRP07pUG3H9fl1R4NhHpnOrAbnDB__oX_qG3sXmSgdIrQaA_rB_UxCALGT9MEPzL4HhVhUv-OI/s1600/P&G.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPRnlLBlo6zJJxFLTOGykJ5uR9qFj4otWSIv2rhGurHrAOh3unguGQAaH3NmcNbgkaPqRP07pUG3H9fl1R4NhHpnOrAbnDB__oX_qG3sXmSgdIrQaA_rB_UxCALGT9MEPzL4HhVhUv-OI/s320/P&G.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481175829990183026" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align=center><font color=#CD5B45>The Princess and the Goblin By George MacDonald</font><br />256 pages (Paperback)<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Published:</font></strong> Originally in 1872 <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Publisher:</font></strong> Strahan & Co. <br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Genre:</font></strong> Young Reader, Fairy Tale<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Series:</font></strong> There is a sequel.<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/444381.The_Princess_and_the_Goblin">Goodreads Rating: 3.99/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Goblin-George-Macdonald/dp/1153717646/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276186089&sr=1-1>Amazon Rating: 4.5/5</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/11736/The-Princess-and-the-Goblin">Shelfari Rating: 4.5/5</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><em>The Princess and the Goblin is the story of the young Princess Irene, her good friend Curdie--a minor's son--and Irene's mysterious and beautiful great great grandmother, who lives in a secret room at the top of the castle stairs. Filled with images of dungeons and goblins, mysterious fires, burning roses, and a thread so fine as to be invisible and yet--like prayer--strong enough to lead the Princess back home to her grandmother's arms, this is a story of Curdie's slow realization that sometimes, as the princess tells him, "you must believe without seeing." -Amazon.com</em></blockquote><br /><hr><br />I remember reading The Princess and the Goblin when I was in elementary school, which feels like so many years ago. When I came across it again just last year, I was hit with some nostalgia. I couldn't seem to recall the exact details of the book. I do remember that the grandmother freaked me out a little, and that the writing style was a little over my head at the time. But since I'm a little more educated now, I figured I could give it another go. I have an undying love affair for fairy tales, and the gorgeous old cover of the edition my library had made me fall head over heels.<br /><br />The Princess and the Goblin follows Princess Irene, a young princess who lives in a removed house in the country. She was moved her, with a whole household of servants, when she was very young. She doesn't know why she is here and not in the castle with her father. One day, she wanders off and happens upon a staircase that leads to a mysterious room, which her grandmother is waiting. As mysterious as her rooms, her grandmother is magical and powerful while still being kind. The story also follows Curdie, a young but skilled miner, who saves Irene and her caretaker from the goblins when they become lost in the woods one night. He discovers a whole in the ever precarious seperation between the goblins and miners in the underground caves. He begins to follow a family of goblins to learn more about them. He uncovers a sinister plot that involves the young princess and the caves.<br /><br />George MacDonald is an extremely influential writer. If you haven't read any of his works, than you can be sure that you have read the works of someone influenced by him. J.R.R Tolkien and and Madeleine L'Engle are just a few of the A-list writers who owe a lot of thanks to the works of George MacDonald. Not too mention C.S Lewis, one of my personal favorite authors, who was basically the president and number one fanboy of the George MacDonald fanclub during his lifetime. Lewis was so touched by MacDonald's work that he was even moved to convert to Christianity in part thanks to MacDonald, especially his work Phantastes. Like the Chronicles of Narnia, The Princess and the Goblin has a running undercurrent of theological themes. The story deals with the issue of faith: if you can't see something, can you really believe in it? And would you have the faith to remain a believer even when someone contradicts your beliefs? It is especially touching if you are a Christian, but it's not strictly allegorical. You don't necessarily need to be a Christian to get something out of the story.<br /><br />The story and writing is reminiscent of old-fashioned fairy tales. In this day and age, our stories have to have pages and pages of characterization and relationship building to be considered 'acceptable'. The characters are mostly cariactures, focused mainly on one characteristic that defines their personality. Irene is precocious and a princess, which means that she is automatically more respectable, well-behaved, and honorable than other little girls in the world that George MacDonald has created. However, it is Irene's innocence that defines her and is the whole backbone of the story. She never lies, and yet her caretaker and friends are so quick to believe she is telling a lie when she reveals that she met her grandmother in the tower. She honorably believes that all of her people, who she will one day rule over, are created equal although her caretaker believes she shouldn't affiliate with the peasants surrounding her house. The relationship between Curdie and Irene reminds me of Peter and Wendy from Peter Pan, in that the reader knows that when they grow up (if, in the case of Peter) they would fall in love. However since they are only preteens, these relationships merely start and end with a simple kiss.<br /><br />George MacDonald aims to be informal in his writing in The Princess and the Goblin. Since the style of writing and the wording is old-fashioned, the familiarity doesn't read as well in this day and age. The writing tends to go in circles, taking a few paragraphs to get back to the original thought. I also happen to write in circles in my writings, so I had little trouble following the train of thought. For someone who is a straightforward thinker, this task might not be as easy. If you are weary of redone fairy tales that twist a old tale into a modern story, I would suggest this story to you. It might help you get back into the original fairy tale frame of mind, while still being modern. Irene is a heroine, not a hero. She is not a damsel in distress, but a rescuer. She will not tire you with fainting or calling out in dispair for the hero to save her. I have added Phantastes to my To Be Read this list after reading this, not only because it so inspired C.S Lewis but as because George MacDonald writes such beautiful stories.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Rating:</font></strong> <strong>7 out of 10.</strong> A touching and sweet fairy tale, but there is more between the words and pages than meets the eye. The Princess and the Goblin is a story about faith and retaining innocence that touched my heart. Highly recommended for fairy tale lovers.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Source for copy:</font></strong> Borrowed.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-77271730889283367192010-06-09T12:28:00.005-04:002010-06-10T12:15:01.047-04:00Pretty Little Liars Television Series8:00 o'clock on June the Eighth found me eagerly propped before the television, bowl of amazing ice cream in hand. I was prepared for my new favorite summer series.<br /><br /><div align=center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i46.tinypic.com/m9t08j.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a></div><br /><br />Pretty Little Liars was exactly what I expected it to be. I have watched many a ABC Family television series before, so I knew the general gist and feel of their shows. I am a bit of a seasoned pro. Surprisingly the television show followed the plot of Pretty Little Liars almost exactly. The show missed a few important plot points, like the party, but I am thinking those points will be covered in the next episode. At least that's what I'm hoping. Almost the whole plot of the first book was covered in the pilot. That means I will almost definately be spoiled sometime in the near future. I just hope it's later rather than sooner.<br /><br />One of the things they changed was the amount of time that passed between Alison's disappearance and these events commencing. The change makes since from a financial stand point. Why hire a whole new set of girls for a measly five minutes when you can change one detail? I get why they did it, however I think it changes a few things. Alison hasn't disappeared too long ago. The powerful hold Alison has over her friends, even after her disappearance three years ago, isn't fully realized. Anyone would still be reeling after one year; three years might be enough time to put the past away. However, in the book the friendship was so dangerous and dynamic that the girls were still frightened of Alison, making her a much more shady and powerful character.<br /><br /><div align=center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i50.tinypic.com/nduexz.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a></div><br /><br />I also think one year isn't enough time for their friendships to disintegrate. The friendship with Aria, perhaps, because she was gone for a year. But the other girls, I feel, would still be friends. In the show, Spencer and Hanna go shopping, but somehow they aren't friends anymore. This made no sense to me. Do other girls normally go shopping with non-friends? I don't. If I didn't really like someone, I would want to spend a few hours a day with them, especially when I'm tired after walking all day. And extra especially if I used to be friends with someone and we drifed apart. Then the whole situation would just be awkward.<br /><br /><div align=center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i45.tinypic.com/2v0dbwn.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><font color=12><strong><em>Aria Montgomery</em></strong></font></div><br />Lucy Hale is not how I pictured Aria. I pictured a sun-darkened blonde with a ballerina's figure. And more bohemian clothes. Since when does a leather jacket equal bohemian? I thought this girl was going to Hanna when I saw the promos.<br /><br /><div align=center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i49.tinypic.com/11m4487.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><font color=12><strong><em>Spencer Hastings</em></strong></font></div><br />Sixteen this girl is not. She looks like she could play a thirty-year old. But she does seem like a perfectionist stick-up-her well you know where.<br /><br /><div align=center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i48.tinypic.com/28rfh8o.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><font color=12><strong><em>Hanna Marin</em></strong></font> </div><br />Again, not anything like how I pictured Hanna. She's not mean or insecure enough either. I hope the writers elaborate on those character flaws soon.<br /><br /><div align=center><a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i48.tinypic.com/2hzl8ad.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><font color=12><strong><em>Emily Fields</em></strong></font> </div><br />Perfection. However, in what world are her outfits 'sporty'. I have never seen a jock where a miniskirt just hanging around. I hope the future shows feature her dedication to swimming more, and her loyalty to being a good girl for her parents. That is really the heart of Emily's conflicts.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-31706830845190491772010-06-08T10:36:00.005-04:002010-06-08T15:16:19.024-04:00Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard<em><font color=#CD5B45><div align=center>"'someone finally bought the dilaurentises' old house,' emily field's mother said."</div></font></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2xTbtARd6yzTQX13d44Q9ExDzDO2F0fyzfkO1IHOKhenqsjIaauf9tPKF6s_8a8o-bQ0N9NYY9zgMsZOMoS87ZQJ-zSZfm5QH197D_p0q6uRIxXcoJ0hAaat9NAmVFdOBSFywPuD87yH/s1600/prettylittleliars.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 182px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2xTbtARd6yzTQX13d44Q9ExDzDO2F0fyzfkO1IHOKhenqsjIaauf9tPKF6s_8a8o-bQ0N9NYY9zgMsZOMoS87ZQJ-zSZfm5QH197D_p0q6uRIxXcoJ0hAaat9NAmVFdOBSFywPuD87yH/s320/prettylittleliars.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478576405632284130" /></a><br /><br /><div align=center><font color=#CD5B45>Pretty Little Liars By <a href=http://sarashepardbooks.com/>Sara Shepard</a></font><br />304 pages (Hardcover)<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Published:</font></strong> October 1, 2006<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Publisher:</font></strong> HarperTeen<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Genre:</font></strong> Teen Drama, Young Adult<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Series:</font></strong> Book One of Eight<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/162085.Pretty_Little_Liars">Goodreads Rating: 4.19/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Little-Liars-Sara-Shepard/dp/0062009540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275579854&sr=8-1>Amazon Rating: 4.5/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.shelfari.com/books/1118855/Pretty-Little-Liars>Shelfari Rating: 4.33/5</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><em>Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna. <br /><br />Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. <br /><br />But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished. <br /><br />How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling. -from goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><hr><br />If you haven't been living under a rock and you have been living in the United States, then I'm sure you have heard that the wonderful (eep, or not) ABC Family is turning the Pretty Little Liars series into a teen drama television series. Teen drama: it's what they're good at. I knew I had to give this book a go before the series airs on June 8. I always hate watching a television show/movie before I have read the book. I feel like I'm not fully informed. I mean, what if they change something? Then I will have no idea what the true fans are griping about. I hate to be out of loop. I quickly hopped over to my library and put this little baby on hold, seeing as how all the copies were snagged. No surprise there.<br /><br />One fateful day Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily met Alison at a volunteering event. Every since their lives have never been the same. They quickly became best friends and ruled the school with their envious inside jokes and slumber parties. But that all changes the summer Alison disappears. One minute they are laughing, and the next she has just vanished from the party. The girls who are left behind try to put Alison, and that night, out of their memory. And they almost succeed. Almost. Fast forward to their junior year of high school, and the girls have found that without Alison they have drifted apart. Alison, and their shared secret known only as The Jenna Thing, tied them together. Now that string has all but disintegrated. But the girls still have secrets of their own, secrets they are holding onto from the past that only Alison knew and new terrible secrets. Hanna is spinning out of control in her quest to stay skinny and popular. Aria has hidden a secret for her father for many years. Now that secret is repeating history in her life, with her teacher. Spencer has fallen for her sister's boyfriend. Emily has fallen for another girl, although she is scared to admit it to herself. When a mysterious person known only as A starts texting them, will these secrets they have tried so hard to conceal be revealed?<br /><br />The premise of Pretty Little Liars recalled to my mind such books like Gossip Girl, The Clique, and Private. It's the reason I picked it up. It's also the reason I couldn't score it much higher than a six. Say what you will ye who only read high quality books, but I love the Gossip Girls of the world. They are super fun to read. However, I feel like Pretty Little Liars did not bring anything new to this category. A group of best friends with a dominating leader is found in the Clique; unhealthy friend dynamics in every single one of those books; someone returning with a Big Secret in Gossip Girl; extremely dangerous secrets abound in Private, let me tell you. Even the premise of a person revealing secrets through technology is the whole basis of Gossip Girl. <em>"And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell." </em> I did enjoy Pretty Little Liars, but it didn't give me the feelings like when I first read Private or The Clique. Maybe my reading tastes have matured since then.<br /><br />My favorite chapters to read were the ones about Aria and Emily. For some reason I felt they were quite different to read about. The dominating perfectionist that was Spencer has been done far too many times before. These girls go to a top notch school; of course one girl will be a overachiever who is on every committee and sports team. That's to be expected. Even the whole schtick of her falling for her sister's boyfriend, which I honestly didn't see as too bad, has been done before. So what, little sisters always have crushes on their older siblings' boyfriends or friends? It didn't feel as big as secret as the other secrets. The same could be said for Hanna. She used to be the chubbier and dorkier of the group when everyone was friends with Alison, but suddenly she became gorgeous and popular. She is bulimic. She steals. She is insecure. Most teenage girls have insecurities, and it seems like in these stories that the most beautiful and mean ones are the most insecure. I don't know if that is true, but it seems like the trend. Bulimia: good to create awareness for, but lately I find if it's not portrayed as gritty as <em>Wintergirls</em> I want to skip through the pages until I arrive somewhere else.<br /><br />But Aria and Emily. Sigh. Now they were fun and different. The book starts off with Aria just returning to States and her home in the Main Line. Her family had been in Iceland since Alison's disappearance. Aria finds that she misses Iceland, with it's more kooky and unique people who got who she was. After Alison's disappearance, Aria had little to no friends and didn't enjoy school. She felt awkward and weird. Now she has blossomed with confidence only to be dragged back to the horrible place she thought she left for good. Upon her return, Aria expects to be alone like before, but imagine her surprise when she finds not only a handsome man but one who has been to Iceland! And on her first day back too. Too bad that man is her new English teacher. Can I just say that I want to be Aria? In no way am I saying I want to date my teacher, but I want to live in Iceland and travel to see plays in France. Aria was by far the most interesting, and I had character envy of that part of her life. Now, when she returns it gets a little weird with her teacher, but even that I felt was interesting to read.<br /><br />Emily is a young girl unsure of her feelings on love. She proclaimed her love once to a girl when she was younger, only to have those feelings lorded over her. She is dating a boy on the swim team because everyone thought they should date. But then she gets a new neighbor, a girl from California, and her feelings roller coaster. My heart went out to Emily so many times during this story. I applaud Pretty Little Liars because I think it was original to involve a coming out story with the whole secret-telling business. With her conservative parents and more than likely conservative school, I felt Emily's anxiety of her secret getting out. More than anyone else, I felt her secret was the worst to get out before she was ready. Throughtout the book, the relationship between Maya and Emily is unsure and rocky. It never becames stable, but it ends on a hopeful note so I'll just have to pick up the next one to see what happens.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Rating:</font></strong> <strong>6 out of 10.</strong> Worth reading especially because of the television series coming out. But don't expect much more than a guilty pleasure. There were a few deeper elements in the story, but when I say few I mean few. I plan on picking up the next one: to read more about Aria and Emily, to find out who A is (I was tricked through the whole entire book thinking it was the wrong person! You got me Sara Shepard), and to learn more about The Jenna Thing.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Source for copy:</font></strong> Borrowed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzzL0YPiQWZTpBNUnYGKTeScR_edU6i9C21cZj8qOiZ9PYToRH0H2WA3ONQuAo4t86FiopC_0a9o1By-1JPoYIYU9omZ2rGceFb05sg6ma1A4e_X8ik1BvtEPPR2tTWoLfFYflQcHR8xy/s1600/Prettylittleliars.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzzL0YPiQWZTpBNUnYGKTeScR_edU6i9C21cZj8qOiZ9PYToRH0H2WA3ONQuAo4t86FiopC_0a9o1By-1JPoYIYU9omZ2rGceFb05sg6ma1A4e_X8ik1BvtEPPR2tTWoLfFYflQcHR8xy/s320/Prettylittleliars.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479678602917996466" /></a><br /><div align=center>Don't forgot about the series airing June 8th.<br />My review of the pilot will be up sometime later in the week.</div>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-91000402349786219732010-06-07T18:00:00.002-04:002010-06-08T15:17:17.801-04:00The Dark Divine by Bree Despain<em><font color=#CD5B45><div align=center>"blood fills my mouth. fire sears my veins." </div></font></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6PQ0vEwDAwzmkgVVAEQVzr2MIu9QIIkeE1tdlwWmZMVA030ThLq6nXSItDsEJ_rfY0gEo3Y6w1bL0BVieduMO1kzp63lOX8hBnZ6gClrDalqvSXAFbEQTGR9ZH8JtLIrwEcKSaAAg0WU/s1600/darkdivine.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6PQ0vEwDAwzmkgVVAEQVzr2MIu9QIIkeE1tdlwWmZMVA030ThLq6nXSItDsEJ_rfY0gEo3Y6w1bL0BVieduMO1kzp63lOX8hBnZ6gClrDalqvSXAFbEQTGR9ZH8JtLIrwEcKSaAAg0WU/s320/darkdivine.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478235279811670322" /></a><br /><br /><div align=center><font color=#CD5B45>The Dark Divine By <a href=http://www.breedespain.com/index.html>Bree Despain</a></font><br />372 pages (Hardcover)<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Published:</font></strong> December 22, 2009<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Publisher:</font></strong> EgmontUSA<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Genre:</font></strong> Paranormal Romance, Young Adult<br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Series:</font></strong> There is a planned sequel.<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6380822-the-dark-divine">Goodreads Rating: 4.01/5</a><br /><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Divine-Bree-Despain/product-reviews/1606840576/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1>Amazon Rating: 4.5/5</a><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6380822-the-dark-divine">Shelfari Rating: 4/5</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><em> A prodigal son <br /><br />A dangerous love <br /><br />A deadly secret . . . <br /><br />I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant. . . . I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. “Tell me . . . I mean . . . why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?” <br /><br />Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away. <br /><br />As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul. - from goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><hr><br />I want to say I was let down by this book, but honestly I wasn't. I couldn't expect much. Ever since the whole boom in the YA paranormal romance genre, I haven't been impressed by many of them. That doesn't mean there aren't exceptions, just very few of them. But I keep picking them up and reading them. I want to like them. I really do. Paranormal romance, sounds so good it can't be wrong. I wanted to like the Dark Divine, too. In a way, I did like the book. I just didn't love it, which is what I really wanted. Its what everyone wants when they pick up a book, right? <br /><br />Grace Divine and her family have never been the same since the night Grace's brother came home, covered in his own blood. Grace never knew what happened, and her family chooses to act like the whole thing is nothing. Grace's father is a local pastor. The whole town looks to the Divines to set an example. A Divine boy drenched in blood would not look good. The Divines also believe in caring for everyone, which means helping the less fortunate. One of these less fortunates was the Divine's neighbor boy, Daniel, a boy with a rocky home. He disappeared the same night of the 'incident'. Grace knows the two events are related. When Daniel shows up again, she is determined to get answers and maybe finally figure out her feelings for this troubled boy. <br /><br />Let's start with the positives. I adore the cover and the name of the novel. Both are truly excellent. Actually, a small part of me probably picked up the book for the cover. I know, never judge a book by its cover. But if it drives you to read the book, why not. Another good element was the whole mystery surrounding Grace's brother, Jude, and Daniel. What happened that night when Grace found her brother covered in his own blood? Its a shocking enough occurence, and not just one a family can hush up and make disappear. Anyone would want answers, and I can't believe Grace let the whole thing drop that easily. The mystery kept me turning the pages, and when I finally found the answer there were even more mysteries that kept me intrigued. I wanted to know how the whole thing would end. That said, Daniel's 'monster' form was totally predictable. I think I guessed it in the first chapter. <br /><br />While the plot was enjoyable, the characters weren't. They were typical and boring. Grace is the pastor's good little girl, tries not swear, keeps up her image, doesn't keep secrets. As much as we were told she was good by everyone, I never really believed she was all that great. She was just a normal girl who kept having to tell herself she was this angel because her father was the pastor. It was a classic case of showing vs. telling, and the telling won out. To balance her goodness, we had Daniel, the classic bad boy. Broken home, has done drugs, has probably had sex (Oh no!). The romance felt a little like Grease, with these contrasting people so in love but keep trying to change each other. I don't buy into their being in love either. I can believe they were physically attracted to each other, but lust isn't love. Love was far-fetched. I understand that certain plot elements wouldn't have worked if they weren't in love, but the romance could have felt less stiff. <br /><br />I will probably pick up the sequel, just because I think the story can really be something now. Grace may finally be able to stop being a good girl and actually confront some issues, which may make for some good drama. I'm not saying the sequel is one of my most anticipated, but I think it will be worth reading.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Rating:</font></strong> <strong>6 out of 10.</strong> While I have the feeling that The Dark Divine is just another drop in the stream of YA paranormal romance that came from the waterfall that is Twilight, I feel bad comparing <em>every</em> YA PNR to Twilight. It's just not fair! So I would recommend Dark Divine, especially if you like boys with a tendency to give a little spook to your swoon. There isn't too much depth inside the book, but it is an entertaining read.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Source for copy:</font></strong> Borrowed.<br /><br /><strong><font color=#CD5B45>Other Reviews:</font></strong> <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/2009/12/dark-divine-by-bree-despain.html">Story Siren</a>/<a href="http://readingwatchingliving.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-review-dark-divine-by-bree-despain.html">Opinionated Me</a>.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-32511095700504644812010-06-07T12:00:00.001-04:002010-06-07T15:59:38.627-04:00I'M BACK!<div align=center><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lgk-Gu-4MX8&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lgk-Gu-4MX8&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />(you're only supposed to watch like the first 20 seconds of this video)</div><br /><br />That's not my favorite Terminator, by the way. I don't want you to think badly of me. After a much needed but much elongated hiatus, Amelia's back. While I didn't promise to come back like old Arny there did, I missed blogging too much. I felt like I had left before I had even got started. Hopefully, this time it will work out much better for me. I feel that it will. <br /><br />There are few new updates. I have a new layout. It is rather girly, but I have a thing for Japanese-like prints. Do you think you can get over it? If you can't I might just have to find a new background. There will also be a new layout for review posts, but you will see more of that later. I can not be held responsible for how old reviews look, so go searching through the archives at your own risk. I have expanded the rating system from five stars to ten, which I feel reflects my own feelings better because I can be more specific. Also, take time to explore the new pages at the top of the page. One of them lists all the books I read during my hiatus and what rating I gave them, since I could not review them.<br /><br />On the sidebar, you can now find links to the many places I am located. I now have a <a href="http://twitter.com/tinhearttomes">Twitter</a> and a <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TinHeartTomes">RSS feed</a>. In addition to my old Goodreads, I have also joined <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/tinhearttomes">Shelfari</a>. Add me, and we'll have some fun!<br /><br />Hopefully, I have some new and fun features once I am underway. My first post will be a review of the Dark Divine that should be up later today. Stay tuned!Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-36979758608788189952010-02-21T17:17:00.004-05:002010-05-28T11:19:06.251-04:00In My Mailbox (3).Hosted by <a href='http://www.thestorysiren.com/'>The Story Siren.</a href><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQwhLaxTEnQVT1rMpBYD-5wKHUtd39kFmp3tZHB9PQHa375k4TPLqIPJ15Tsb6uM6o7INyZ1iBj2oWneo6FJgzPbmgn4IUFztcNJw3gWtIOj8Ws2_wM0a2OT2UU1kojTGzDglG_VMJ3Ql/s1600-h/IMM3.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQwhLaxTEnQVT1rMpBYD-5wKHUtd39kFmp3tZHB9PQHa375k4TPLqIPJ15Tsb6uM6o7INyZ1iBj2oWneo6FJgzPbmgn4IUFztcNJw3gWtIOj8Ws2_wM0a2OT2UU1kojTGzDglG_VMJ3Ql/s320/IMM3.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440824776771969810" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Bought:</strong><ul><br /><li><strong>The Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling.</strong><br /><li><strong>The Shamer's Daughter by Lene Kaaberbol.</strong></ul><br /><br /><strong>Borrowed:</strong><ul><br /><li><strong>Pendragon Before the Wars, Book Two by D.J MacHale.</strong><br /><li><strong>The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.</strong></ul>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-46158154776987948382010-02-17T13:52:00.006-05:002010-02-17T17:05:46.161-05:00Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwLzdozmgEcypQbIdZJHadbrcR9o5YuQfL7wLqjhcpNRR4IAhhKp7Ty6zpW-JjszUQuqdmAfBsgpffRu-uVYejv6zKDBVxj5jKLKC-EC3-zj0_qWRptpR2266XESSFCSUEDQEUeg2tK6H/s1600-h/girlinthearena.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwLzdozmgEcypQbIdZJHadbrcR9o5YuQfL7wLqjhcpNRR4IAhhKp7Ty6zpW-JjszUQuqdmAfBsgpffRu-uVYejv6zKDBVxj5jKLKC-EC3-zj0_qWRptpR2266XESSFCSUEDQEUeg2tK6H/s320/girlinthearena.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439287488354470914" /></a><br /><div align=center><strong>Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines</strong><br />Stand Alone<br />Young Adult, 336 pages<br />Published October 13, 2009 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9urym_SWKG7GIqH-pDoKJan7jSWaW2WTprQglWF8slcRo0u0xgg3s8WcoFkXrBN67AjKpdY_M_U3n963wmxpdqlL5BhCo9U4PJsk6FWAQJozWXOmk2M7Xj6i7lbT6nGWP2wYJ-tIXJLV_/s1600-h/4stars.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9urym_SWKG7GIqH-pDoKJan7jSWaW2WTprQglWF8slcRo0u0xgg3s8WcoFkXrBN67AjKpdY_M_U3n963wmxpdqlL5BhCo9U4PJsk6FWAQJozWXOmk2M7Xj6i7lbT6nGWP2wYJ-tIXJLV_/s320/4stars.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439287481075226994" /></a><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TsmC5vWt4MM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TsmC5vWt4MM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></div align><br /><blockquote><em><strong>It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena</strong><br /><br />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. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. 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 The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine. -goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><br /><em>Girl in the Arena</em> sounded like a fun jaunt of a read when I first heard what it was about. A kickass heroine: Check. Fight Club-esque future: Check. Arranged marriage: Check. I'm always up for a kickass heroine, anytime and anyday. And my reading choices have been gravitating towards dystopian books lately. I just can't get enough. Complicated and dreaded arranged marriages always add up to lots of yummy drama and tangled romances. I was definately in. But <em>Girl in the Arena</em> was surprisingly different from what I was expecting. There wasn't much violence inside the book. I figured there would be many bloody gladiator matches, but in fact most of the matches only lasted a short time and ended before the blood could begin. Lyn was less kickass, more of a normal but strong young woman. And the book centered more on the repercussions of and the relationships inside the Glad culture.<br /><br />The Glad culture is all Lyn has ever known. Her mother unknowingly married her father before she knew he was a part of one of the underground Glad groups, when the gladiator fights weren't established yet. Then a mega company, Caesar's, bought the group and started the official gladiator fights. Caesar's began to lay down rules for the gladiators and their families to abide by. One of these rules was that gladiator wives can only marry gladiators and that they can only marry seven times. Lyn's mother is up to her seventh husband, Tommy. When Tommy loses a fight (and his life) and his opponent takes her dowry bracelet, which means Lyn must marry him by Glad rules, Lyn decides she has had enough of these rules that govern her life for her. She challenges her would-be husband to a gladiator match, a fight to the death.<br /><br /><em>Girl in the Arena</em> follows a parallel world that is very similar to ours. However, there are significant changes that make all the difference. In Lyn's world, people have accepted the Gladiator culture. The Glad families are kept at an arm's length from all the 'normal' people, warily regarded as perpetually violent and prone to using fists over democracy. But the gladiator fights have been made legal almost around the entire world. I feel like gladiator fights could be accepted in our world. I don't, however, believe that no one would challenge these fights even after they have been legalized. There would have been protests abounding. Opponents wouldn't go down without a fight. I also had some problems with the fact that stampedes and rushing the field were a common thing at these fights, even when people died as a result. Now if the government is the same, then they would definately investigate such things and strengthen railings, or something. <br /><br />The world of <em>Girl in the Arena</em> is also a world where women, at least Glad women, have lost almost all of their rights. They have a hard time making money on their own. Gladiator men don't want their women off working; they want them at home like a good housewife, making them look good and helping them relax. Glad women in training go to a special college, where they learn these 'skills'. I think the contrast between these women and Lyn is what really made her stand out. She didn't want that for her life, but she didn't know how to tell her mother that the Glad life isn't the one she wants. Lyn is breathtakingly honest, especially with herself. She tells you the way she sees the world, no ribbons and bows pasted on top to make it easier to look at. The relationship between Lyn and her mother, Alison, was heartbreaking, so it was naturally the most interesting part of the book for me. Alison is the polar opposite of Lyn; she can't be alone, she must be composed and beautiful at all time, she depends on others to provide. I know many people who are like Alison, afraid of loneliness, so I could imagine many women being swept into the Glad culture for that reason.<br /><br />Lise Haines writes gorgeously. She holds your attention because her prose follows Lyn's thought process. At times it's choppy, but only in the times when the action is fast-paced and many things are holding Lyn's attention. The only problem I had was that instead of quotions, Lise Haines used dashes. This was extremely irritating at first, especially for the grammar freak inside me, but I eventually got swept up in the story and ignored it.<br /><br />I happen to love the cover for <em>Girl in the Arena</em>. I know some people have complained because Lyn undoubtedly has a full head of hair on the cover, while in the book she goes bald for most of the book. I think the cover is beautiful and (I'm ashamed to admit it!) is one of the reasons I bought the book. I also really enjoy the book trailer I posted at the top of the post. It's silly and completely unlike the book, but I think it has probably drawn some people to read it.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-39283614206060919642010-02-17T11:29:00.003-05:002010-02-17T11:56:12.372-05:00Linger & the Cybils.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggiestiefvater/4346151105/" title="Linger Cover Large by Telltale Crumbs, on Flickr"><img width="257" height="400" align="right" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2769/4346151105_c6ced14c47.jpg" alt="Linger Cover Large" /></a><em>In Maggie Stiefvater's </em><strong><i>Shiver</i></strong><em>, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in <strong><i>Linger</i></strong>, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.<br /> <br /> At turns harrowing and euphoric, <strong><i>Linger</i></strong><i> </i>is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.</em><br /><br />Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. <strong>Pre-order </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Linger-Maggie-Stiefvater/dp/0545123283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258569951&sr=1-1"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>. </strong><br /><br />Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Red-Jackson-Pearce/dp/0316068683/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266164034&sr=1-1"><em>Sisters Red</em></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Tossed-Waves-Forest-Hands-Teeth/dp/0385736843/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266164052&sr=1-1"><em>The Dead-Tossed Waves</em></a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Brenna-Yovanoff/dp/1595143378/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266164072&sr=1-2"><em>The Replacement</em></a> on Maggie's <a href="http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com">blog</a>.<br /><br /><br /><div align=center><font size=5>AND</font><align></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAKXGi6xBaJ5yli5WZobvUvrD6rNWXgkLYdnEfrwRJrBqGfPSHutI4nEdtVdJsQAD4AmP3-slQz5oMBvHhIp6J5-HhZyJ5BcrERwqz2z5lTsiT8VDC-WTXMbvuGNrooB4tRDrfO0ltSEB/s1600-h/Cybils_2009.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAKXGi6xBaJ5yli5WZobvUvrD6rNWXgkLYdnEfrwRJrBqGfPSHutI4nEdtVdJsQAD4AmP3-slQz5oMBvHhIp6J5-HhZyJ5BcrERwqz2z5lTsiT8VDC-WTXMbvuGNrooB4tRDrfO0ltSEB/s320/Cybils_2009.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439250942362016194" /></a> The Cybil <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/">winners</a href> have been announced. The only winning book I have read is <em>Fire</em>, but I plan on reading <em>Blackbringer</em> and <em>Chains</em>. Someday.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-15848868319875333512010-02-12T20:20:00.001-05:002010-02-12T20:22:30.063-05:00Unfinished Books (2).<div align=center>Woe as me! We have all had this experience. We hear the hype, we read the blurbs, we froth at the mouth for a book, (or we simply say "Hey this looks good. Why not?") and then letdown! we find we can't finish. This post covers what books I have recently had to bid adieu to before they were completed.</div align><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn4MdVlp7_uVxEib4HGg0BmkdCV9jctj1DUzaRUOU0RSt3TOXkmXAbLexXKP58aB7g3n-HokzJebL78DLdhrvQojvoNDd9MJ6UFCcCGIsZn-c1YIY8JIvgXP5JoTUTv6XKHLA_NkihtZD/s1600-h/brooklyntree.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn4MdVlp7_uVxEib4HGg0BmkdCV9jctj1DUzaRUOU0RSt3TOXkmXAbLexXKP58aB7g3n-HokzJebL78DLdhrvQojvoNDd9MJ6UFCcCGIsZn-c1YIY8JIvgXP5JoTUTv6XKHLA_NkihtZD/s320/brooklyntree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437532269057382418" /></a><strong>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.</strong><br /><blockquote><em>Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely--to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father's child--romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother's child, too--deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old. -Emilie Coulter, Amazon.com</em></blockquote><br /><br />Honestly I picked up <em>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</em> because it was the book for my book club, not because it seemed like one of my books. I was willing to give it a try; I like to venture outside of my comfort zone every once and a while too. <em>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</em> has been hailed as a heart-warming classic, so I was intrigued. I started reading it on a boring day at the hospital I volunteer at (I get so much reading done when I volunteer). I got about fifty pages into it in a three hour period. I was extremely confused as to what the plot was. I'm one of those readers who needs the plot clearly stated somewhere. The whole story was a intricate tangle of anecdotes about Francie Nolan's family. I scratched my head, put the book down, and 'promised' myself I would finish it before our book club meeting. That never happened. I'm planning on going to the meeting and hearing the others' opinions on the book. Then I'll make the final decision on whether or not I should finish it.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-7014858960164530472010-02-11T12:45:00.007-05:002010-02-11T15:56:00.725-05:00The Edge on the Sword by Rebecca Tingle.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj6GT6P0qbkMYMDIrJvIZBua4jLK1ZGVKg0IEr5XX9ssgUxHFXtbRiz6EP0oLMud6Kum6RUYLLhjPCa0f4Uz1715eBvbSe3at7eeR4N0YcrMPPPE7kP1jbV41cwPB7edx_Y4u3FCjdNRs/s1600-h/edgesword.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj6GT6P0qbkMYMDIrJvIZBua4jLK1ZGVKg0IEr5XX9ssgUxHFXtbRiz6EP0oLMud6Kum6RUYLLhjPCa0f4Uz1715eBvbSe3at7eeR4N0YcrMPPPE7kP1jbV41cwPB7edx_Y4u3FCjdNRs/s320/edgesword.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437045024575884546" /></a><br /><div align=center><strong>The Edge on the Sword by Rebecca Tingle</strong><br />First in a Series<br />Young Adult-Historical Fiction, 288 pages<br />Published June 23, 2003 by Speak</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5OicgqpcplaQgVD5RG1wRx1wn_t_Ec6iXNUiRIaHy4g9xyWdyMmnm1cL5xZylwYR75zysbCUKgJcZpm1sxT0v3cF4p6pHdb8UUSP2aD2qrEuMhjAIhGiqYIJrap4ekz7nf5N0Vwfv9tW/s1600-h/3stars.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5OicgqpcplaQgVD5RG1wRx1wn_t_Ec6iXNUiRIaHy4g9xyWdyMmnm1cL5xZylwYR75zysbCUKgJcZpm1sxT0v3cF4p6pHdb8UUSP2aD2qrEuMhjAIhGiqYIJrap4ekz7nf5N0Vwfv9tW/s320/3stars.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437045018752489938" /></a><br /><blockquote><em>In ninth-century Britain, fifteen-year-old Aethelflaed, daughter of King Alfred of West Saxony, finds she must assume new responsibilities much sooner than expected when she is betrothed to Ethelred of Mercia in order to strengthen a strategic alliance against the Danes. -goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><br />I have been in a bit of a book slump lately. I don't think I have ever been in one this badly. I know sometimes the best of use get the Bad Book Blues, but man do I have it. I have been terribly busy lately, for one thing. I never have time nor the desire to spend my time reading. I pick up a book that I had previously been salivating over, and suddenly I can't bring myself to read the first page. My friend is probably so mad at me since she lent me out the next two books in the Stoneheart trilogy, and I can't finish them. I think I have racked her up a pretty penny in fines at her library. I'm trying, I promise! The only thing I have had a remote interest in reading lately is Tamora Pierce, and I loaned out my favorite books in the Tortall series to my friend. Ay, ay, ay! So you can see, I'm in a bad way. I bought <em>The Edge on the Sword</em> many long years ago at a Half-Price Books store. I put it on my bookshelf and promptly forgot about it. Then this year, I made a resolution to at least try and finish all the books on my bookshelf. <em>The Edge on the Sword</em> is right after <em>Fire</em> on the top shelf (which contains my Bad-Ass Femmes books), so it was the next one to be read.<br /><br />I always try and skim reviews before I read a book, just to get an opinion of whether the book is worth reading or not. I try not to read so much that the reviewer influences my opinion of the story, however. I know myself too well; I can be impressionable. A handful of reviews stated that <em>the Edge on the Sword</em> had a slow beginning that accumulated into a satisfying end. I agree. The very beginning of the book seems to be disconnected from the rest. When I began to read the first chapters, I flipped to the back to make sure I was reading the right story. I was puzzling over what a young girl sneaking in to the woods to meet her angry brother had anything to do with the 'greatest woman in Old English military history.' Stick with this book though, because very quickly we get to the good part. Aethelflad soons learns she will be betrothed to her father's trusted aldorman, Ethelred, a man as old as her father. Before she will be shipped off to marry Ethelred in a strange town, she has to be followed by the trusted servant of Ethelred. She slowly sees her freedom taken away as this new man scares her little sisters and limits her favorite walks into the forest. But Aethelflad isn't one to go down without a fight, leading her to use her wits against this servant and setting the scene for her brilliant military strategies she employs later.<br /><br />The amount of historical detail that went into this novel is amazing. I loved the little touches of the Middle Ages scattered throughout <em>the Edge on the Sword</em>. Its easy to see that Rebecca Tingle went through a lot of work to make the book accurate. I'm not an expert on the Middle Ages, however, so don't take my word for it. She, at least, made me believe everything she wrote was correct. I think her characters' mindsets were correct for the time period, as well. Many authors try to write historical fiction, but their characters end up sounding like they were plucked from 2010. Aethelflad is a real Mercian woman, known in history as beloved by her people and a genius on the battlefield when she was forced to take over for her husband in his later years. She is a strong woman, without being a feminist that wouldn't have existed in those times. She may not have liked being engaged to an older stranger, but as a princess she would have know she had to submit to her father and king. She didn't run away from the problem but faced it head on, no matter how miserable that made her feel. Aethelflad is inspiring because when she knew she was right, she stood up for herself and when she thought she may be wrong, she stuck out her chin and plowed through the consequences anyway.<br /><br />The only shortcoming of this novel is the cast of secondary characters. They left some things to be desired when it came to emotions. Towards the end, there should have been an extremely emotional scene with Aethelflad and her trusted servant, Red. I didn't even blink. I realized later I should have felt something during this scene, but I really didn't even register it. I found out as I was writing this review that there is a sequel, <em>Far Traveller</em>! I plan to read as soon as I can.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahSNTflnW80-bsCJ8pqOMrvQLGAuXDmCcEwHaVja54jRsvnka3VN_4VtlNuY1r1-i8luLL_QnBiMIYAWogNkwdYObOlkHgJaKwmb4QSskDGOpkdmsiVIBtDbK1hvwV66iCoacPYHQ6tI_/s1600-h/far+traveller.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 122px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahSNTflnW80-bsCJ8pqOMrvQLGAuXDmCcEwHaVja54jRsvnka3VN_4VtlNuY1r1-i8luLL_QnBiMIYAWogNkwdYObOlkHgJaKwmb4QSskDGOpkdmsiVIBtDbK1hvwV66iCoacPYHQ6tI_/s200/far+traveller.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437091944273133730" /></a><br />Also, the sequel's cover looks way better than <em>the Edge of the Sword's</em> cover. I really hate the first book's cover because her face is very pixelated and distorted. Its just strange. Aethelflad's ear and nose look huge.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-43612149541533197202010-02-11T12:34:00.002-05:002010-02-11T12:39:41.641-05:00The Third Hunger Games Book.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtDKpI59cTVO-772Hslimvy5nqYHw1csLq3RTWpynORTpE3QwUA_lD-xe0cWhuWDOnywXNWhRmFTHPTWHYpVKjBginxGtoyQT1f6m2dqDKQX_MQrntsOzUeoxMpugtaIZ6OUfNkRIFHgr/s1600-h/Mockingjay_(1).JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtDKpI59cTVO-772Hslimvy5nqYHw1csLq3RTWpynORTpE3QwUA_lD-xe0cWhuWDOnywXNWhRmFTHPTWHYpVKjBginxGtoyQT1f6m2dqDKQX_MQrntsOzUeoxMpugtaIZ6OUfNkRIFHgr/s320/Mockingjay_(1).JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437040893497833442" /></a><br /><div align=center>More news about the third and final installment in the Hunger Games series! The cover and name has been released, as you can see. I think the light blue will definately pop next to the other books in the series when they are standing in a row on my shelves. I, personally, love the name. I think the mockingjay has been prevalent (for some reason) throughout the whole story, and I'm excited to see where Suzanne Collins takes this. <em>Mockingjay</em> will be released August 24th, and you can preorder <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Book-3/dp/0439023513/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3">here</a> at Amazon.</div align>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-44381678509281224432010-01-19T17:30:00.006-05:002010-01-20T18:37:32.282-05:00Transformed Tones: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.<div align=center>Ack.Ick. Ugh. I have been terribly busy, bogged down by the muds of life. It's been like five years since I last posted. Sorry.<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYGNZz76elaW4Dab6hU6cjPET1CdV8Y7Lwa1jFKwPEYqU_3gvrJN-Y0L5vKW2X71tEusVLCsXD8u9i8VV4SN0n90-dNzgNMuLrFKs-ghv5soHVGA-5MZFVBdbC4-zUJcaQEU4mxO0b80C/s1600-h/angus.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYGNZz76elaW4Dab6hU6cjPET1CdV8Y7Lwa1jFKwPEYqU_3gvrJN-Y0L5vKW2X71tEusVLCsXD8u9i8VV4SN0n90-dNzgNMuLrFKs-ghv5soHVGA-5MZFVBdbC4-zUJcaQEU4mxO0b80C/s320/angus.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428584150036089586" /></a><br /><br />Let me kickstart this post by saying that the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series is one of my all-time favorites. I whole-heartedly suggest you read these if you haven't. They are such good fun. Especially if you liked <em>The Princess Diaries</em>. The books, not the movies (obviously). Georgia cracks me up everytime I read them. She is just so zany and wacky. I seriously wish I could be her. Or at least have her friends. Or her boyfriends. I haven't finished the series yet; I think I'm on book 7. Actually, that's one of my reading goals this year. To finish that series, along with all the other ones I have started. I tend to start series that I never finish (but who doesn't have that problem, right?). Along that line, don't tell me who Georgia ends up with! The books will be so spoiled for me if I know; I will whip you. You have been warned.<br /><br />So I have had <em>Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging</em> on my To Be Watched list for a while. I have been meaning to sign up for that Netflix subscription, but my money just never lets me get around to it. I have expensive habits, like reading. Luckily, TeenNick played this movie just a few days ago. I kicked my brother off the couch and hunkered down for some laughs. I knew I would love from the first few minutes. Let me set the scene for you: Georgia is dressed as an olive, walking down the sidewalk beside her dad's car. She doesn't want to get in because it would wreck her perfect creation, that she spent hours on. But when she comes to the costume party, she is surprised to see that her best mates are not dressed like the appetizers they should be. She angrily storms off, to the amazing tune of <em>She's So Lovely</em> by Scouting for Girls. I was in love.<br /><br />The young actress who plays Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome) is absolutely perfect. Her face captures the right amount of sarcasm, while her acting gives just the right touch of over the top drama that is Georgia. She was perfect, and exactly how I imagined Georgia. Her friends didn't quite capture my image I made of them in the book. I thought Rosie was spot on: more mature and informed because she has a boyfriend, an older and foreign one at that. I wish we could have seen more of Sven's dancing. Jas was extremely off. They didn't quite get the 'boring' parts of Jas that the readers see from Georgia's point of view: Jas going on and on about Tom, their normal dates that Georgia always interrupts with her own drama, things like that. But altogether, I think the movie captured the whole dynamic of the friendships which worked. The girls are selfish but fun and silly, which makes them extra close and the kind of friends you wish for.<br /><br />Sometimes movies don't quite read as well as the books. Almost of the time, the books blow the movies out of the water when you compare them. <em>Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging</em> is definately worth seeing, especially for my fellow Americans who may not have heard of the film. And ehmygawd!, was Robbie hawt.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-35827843568929480382010-01-07T14:48:00.003-05:002010-01-08T10:12:12.559-05:00Tudor Book Challenge & Medevial Challenge.<div align=center>These are my last challenges. Scout's honor.<br /><br /><strong>A Tournament of Reading, Hosted By <a href="http://chikune.com/blog/?p=1956">Chikune.</a></div></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAOqujt9b1Y3rgRK_cvIDs5-Yg8UtvP8DZG_BsLv7nB_hua9i3GE8IDexMHRi_xSeVo4cdq2K87K3uvamG1VZuySQZVUGchbUS2KEwTilebxhmYbwbt8sY3j7n7_1KpCyOSluRZlj3P-f/s1600-h/atournamentofreading.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAOqujt9b1Y3rgRK_cvIDs5-Yg8UtvP8DZG_BsLv7nB_hua9i3GE8IDexMHRi_xSeVo4cdq2K87K3uvamG1VZuySQZVUGchbUS2KEwTilebxhmYbwbt8sY3j7n7_1KpCyOSluRZlj3P-f/s320/atournamentofreading.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424088843698951314" /></a><br />I basically loved the medevial ages when I was younger. I remember checking out ancient tomes on knights, covering everything from what they wore to when they were woken up in the morning, how they took their tea, you know the usual. Eventually I ran out of medevial books and ran into Tamora Pierce, who held my attention and my love for medevial-like worlds. But I would like to get back into reading from that era because my love has never been shaken. I'm going to go for peasant but may end up reaching higher.<br /><br /><div align=center><strong>1. Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir<br />2. Queen Isabella by Alison Weir <br />3. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett <br />4. The Mabinogion<br /><br />The Tudor Book Challenge, Hosted by <a href="http://benedictionary.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/the-tudor-book-challenge/">Benedictionary.</a></strong></div align><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DDAcx8y-tOzDCqatpOymCIjqslcC_eaw2XX6EQ2lsUbGGr4IHOt2y4ymlkqbWPJWD8qzyomDGjcbGOhejBddJc-DeuExk-QURf7e5KlFmDZPGZWdj5TPGX_0M-bwcQyUWGNJGyS14C-J/s1600-h/tbc.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DDAcx8y-tOzDCqatpOymCIjqslcC_eaw2XX6EQ2lsUbGGr4IHOt2y4ymlkqbWPJWD8qzyomDGjcbGOhejBddJc-DeuExk-QURf7e5KlFmDZPGZWdj5TPGX_0M-bwcQyUWGNJGyS14C-J/s320/tbc.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424088832539401282" /></a><br />Another time period I love and loved as a younger girl. I was obsessed with king Henry VII when I was in elementary school, don't ask me why. I recently started to watch The Tudors with my mom. All I can say is... actually I can't say that. I'll try to keep it PG here. Wowza. I'm going for the Noblewoman status.<br /><br /><blockquote><ul><li>You may read your books in any format – e-books, audio books, electronic reader books, and printed books are acceptable. <br /><li>You are welcome to use the books you read for the Tudor Book Challenge in other challenges (where applicable). <br /><li>Books can be fiction or non-fiction, but they must be about or inspired by Tudor England. If you do not know much about the Tudor dynasty, that’s okay. That’s part of what this challenge is about. If you’re lost, try the Tudor Book Resource for some Tudor book suggestions. You can find even more Tudor book suggestions here. <br /><li>You are not required to post a list of the books you intend to read. You may choose them as you go. <br /><li>Bloggers and non-bloggers alike are welcome to participate in the challenge. If you do not have a blog, you will need to review the books you’ve read on some book-related website: i.e. GoodReads, Amazon, Borders, etc. and send in the links (via comments) to be eligible for the prizes. I need to be able to verify that these books were read by you. </ul></blockquote><br /><br /><div align=center><strong>1. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir <br />2. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir <br />3.<br />4.<br />5.<br />6.<br />7.<br />8.<br />9.</strong></div><br /><br />Lots of Alison Weir. She's the only author I know, besides Phillipa Gregory, and well I don't want to repeat <em>The Other Boleyn Girl</em> fiasco. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-67306308821456712642010-01-07T13:44:00.003-05:002010-01-07T14:31:20.092-05:00Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkwYMlI9twzl9XwAONsQlEpi9oeHHxa9mJzuQVkKfUjtCYMPP8YNDDNKGrv64zj6Zeuf5Ff9MHcW0lgiXupB3vfjRmdg8MzolWVLD9Pe-j02roNGDCDoRL8E42md_7ABsWn5RmpqRvM3A/s1600-h/coldfire2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkwYMlI9twzl9XwAONsQlEpi9oeHHxa9mJzuQVkKfUjtCYMPP8YNDDNKGrv64zj6Zeuf5Ff9MHcW0lgiXupB3vfjRmdg8MzolWVLD9Pe-j02roNGDCDoRL8E42md_7ABsWn5RmpqRvM3A/s320/coldfire2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424070945103762978" /></a><br /><div align=center><strong>Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce.</strong><br />Third in a Quartet, Following the Circle of Magic Quartet<br />Young Adult-Fantasy, 384 pages<br />Published March 1, 2003 by Scholastic Paperbacks</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXdi_MM-UAJhkh3qIiHUuKU4qBcu9bVWYQGI-W8uv95KXzTiTA9gwH_aKhA_dWqz697Wg6XRe3nguBqHvrRZp1qMURld28nqHZtGos46x8Sez1_XDHQuBlX-iUJQBpocQKLvAw3g0DN78/s1600-h/4stars.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXdi_MM-UAJhkh3qIiHUuKU4qBcu9bVWYQGI-W8uv95KXzTiTA9gwH_aKhA_dWqz697Wg6XRe3nguBqHvrRZp1qMURld28nqHZtGos46x8Sez1_XDHQuBlX-iUJQBpocQKLvAw3g0DN78/s320/4stars.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424070951662216258" /></a><br /><blockquote><em>Readers who have followed the fortunes of Daja and her foster siblings in Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic and The Circle Opens sequences will not be disappointed by this continuation of Daja's adventures as a smith-mage. As her foster siblings Sandry and Briar struggle with their reluctant apprentices (Magic Steps, Street Magic), Daja and her teacher, Frostpine, settle into the northern Namorn city of Kugisko for a restful winter break. Not surprisingly, their illusions are promptly shattered, as Daja discovers that the twin daughters of her host have "ambient magic." As the discovering-mage, Daja is obliged to teach the fidgety girls the rudiments of magic. Meanwhile, Kugisko seems to have fallen into the hands of a ruthless arsonist, and Daja is determined to help her new firefighting friend, Bennat Ladradun, get to the bottom of the mystery. -goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><br />As much as I love/adore/obsess over Tamora Pierce's works, I would be lying if I said that the Circle of Magic series was my favorite. Tortall will always hold a special place in my heart, and it may be because I read <em>Alanna: The First Adventure</em> befor the Circle of Magic quarter. It seems to be that those who read the Circle of Magic first like those better, and vice versa. I wasn't even planning on writing a review for <em>Cold Fire</em> because I didn't write a review for any of the other books, which annoys me (I like to go in order), and because I don't know of anyone who hasn't at least heard of Tamora Pierce that would be reading a book blog. But after I finished this book, I felt compelled to write a review for this one. Because it has to be my favorite of all seven books so far in the Circle of Magic and Circle Opens quartets. I must say that I was completely taken aback by <em>Cold Fire</em> and my own love for it. Daja is for sure, without a doubt, my least favorite among the four mages. Sandry has heart and loyalty, not too mention loves clothing which isn't often seen in Tammy's books. Tris is a spitfire, with wild hair and a wild personality. Briar is the lovable thief with the cute backwards thinking. But Daja... Daja is just kind of there. And Boring with a Capital B.<br /><br />The Circle Opens quartet follows each of the respective mages while they take their own travels around the world. They haven't seen each other in a while, although they have their teachers along for the ride. Daja and Frostpine have been travelling up north, but they are stuck in the island nation of Kugisko for the long winter. They are staying with a close friend of Frostpine's family. Daja's plan for quiet and hardworking days alone is ruined when she notices that the family's twins have magic. Now she must teach them to meditate and center their magic, and she must find them the right teachers that teach their special brand of magic. Another problem that is ruining her peace is the fires slowly burning up the city, where most of the houses are made from wood. Because her special magic deals with fire, Daja feels she must help in any way she can. A crew of firefighters has been set up by a middle-aged man, who instantly connects with Daja. They both have a respect for fire, while they know that fire can hurt in the worst ways. When Daja learns that the fires are deliberatly being started, the friendship begins to strain while Daja searches for the truth.<br /><br />When I read the inside flap, I could easily guess who the mysterious arsonist was. It was as plain as day. And Tamora Pierce doesn't try to make this a mystery; she straight out tells you who the person is that is burning these homes up. This makes this book fantastic, because instead of trying to sneakily plant clues that the reader can sniff out from a mile away, she gives an even greater gift in between the pages: understanding. Tamora Pierce gets in to the mind of the arsonist. A few of the chapters are from their perspective, and from this perspective, we learn. We learn that the driving force behind the arsonist's motivations can not be pinpointed into exactly one moment of their life. It is the accumulation of their whole life story, from one tragic moment to the next. I could understand how this person was hanging in between the balance of good and evil and was tipped too far one way. They are necessarily Evil!, and yet they are. There is a fine balance of sympathy and anger at this character. At some points, I almost felt that this wasn't their fault, but then you see that they enjoy this burning and murdering of people. It is a thought-provoking look at criminals who commit unspeakable crimes and the death penalty. In Kugisko, the sentence for arson is to be burned alive. Daja is torn, just like I was, between what could be right and what isn't. The ending sequence is powerful, where Daja makes a decision, of a kind.<br /><br />The one thing I can't stand about the Circle of Magic stories is the characterization. I feel like, through the eyes of their friends, each has a distinct personality. But when we get to this character's book, we never see this personality. All the characters are mushed into one giant character, who acts the same and likes the same things. Like Tris is supposed to be the one who flies off the handle; that is her characteristic. However in every book, each character has so many moments where they get worked up over some injustic and have to tell someone off. Umm, no. That's not allowed, okay. Not in my world. If someone is calm, I understand they won't be calm all the time. But they aren't all going to chew someone out all the time, either. One thing that Tamora Pierce does fantastically, especially in the Circle Opens, is her worldbuilding. I want to pack up and move to Kugisko. Who cares about a few little fires? They have channels of ice between their islands that they can SKATE on to travel! How amazing and imaginative is that! That's what I love about Tammy.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-23415930692647047922010-01-04T19:13:00.004-05:002010-01-04T19:53:36.795-05:00In My Mailbox.Hosted by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/2010/01/in-my-mailbox-contents-of-my-mailbox-on.html">The Story Siren.</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibD_rG0NmofSAqZn_Fp_1AWVEuXNWBnB-T7h7lbf2fYbp6fGE-_s9B4_ThxSCuu1Kp64oJX24-OdxA5elfMD6TqVSHJurxu1hJlGltDL5CQmrFHxscY6MieAsrJeBUEIdAeewZ9ftRK30N/s1600-h/imm2.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibD_rG0NmofSAqZn_Fp_1AWVEuXNWBnB-T7h7lbf2fYbp6fGE-_s9B4_ThxSCuu1Kp64oJX24-OdxA5elfMD6TqVSHJurxu1hJlGltDL5CQmrFHxscY6MieAsrJeBUEIdAeewZ9ftRK30N/s320/imm2.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423047897249503922" /></a><br /><ul><li><strong>The Once and Future King by T.H. White.</strong> I love King Arthur. I love Arthurian legends. I am an Arthur fan girl. I have never read this book, and I am ashamed. The copy I bought at the second hand store is 40 years old! That's impressive.<br /><li><strong>The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.</strong> I read the Great Illustrated Classic version of this book, but never the original. GICs are so confusing. They trick young children into believing the have read Dickens, <em>Little Women</em>, or <em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em>. And they haven't.</ul>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-49140188550548286932010-01-02T11:51:00.007-05:002010-01-07T14:39:29.140-05:00Wings by Aprilynne Pike.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF3ZJ292yhiRfchpFpKxgcH_1OrBc9h7oA6kX1djtzJNunzVsCLqigOJ8bwA4y6RXnQRYIGv60hbQkLrNFq-jxA67Y-JritbPLvL03PtzoTizLDTJUutXac7nMWH5w2Q1swjIHlRkJc21/s1600-h/wings2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF3ZJ292yhiRfchpFpKxgcH_1OrBc9h7oA6kX1djtzJNunzVsCLqigOJ8bwA4y6RXnQRYIGv60hbQkLrNFq-jxA67Y-JritbPLvL03PtzoTizLDTJUutXac7nMWH5w2Q1swjIHlRkJc21/s320/wings2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422186558513439634" /></a><br /><div align=center><strong>Wings by Aprilynne Pike.</strong><br />First in a Series<br />Young Adult-Fantasy, 294 pages<br />Published May 5, 2009 by HarperTeen</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMCGxrGiHu5Dbl3toL12kJ0j2de4bfa7GUhISDvYzCV2JMv4SPI5FUi8AfhBTz_X-ugtVsMS0PfxrsYjrzm6TnpH2Rm4HXpUYGJwkW2JWf_yhw6KaS1fIUhhrE6f7phsI1eyUSvjku5zX/s1600-h/4stars.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMCGxrGiHu5Dbl3toL12kJ0j2de4bfa7GUhISDvYzCV2JMv4SPI5FUi8AfhBTz_X-ugtVsMS0PfxrsYjrzm6TnpH2Rm4HXpUYGJwkW2JWf_yhw6KaS1fIUhhrE6f7phsI1eyUSvjku5zX/s320/4stars.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422186553798609570" /></a><br /><blockquote><em>Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. <br /><br />Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings. <br /><br />In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever. -goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><br />Confession time: I love fairies. I have since I was five years old, popping in my grandma's old Thumbelina movie over and over again. I probably will still love them when I'm eighty and have those creepy old figurines of them in my house, right next to my angel and Precious Moments collections. So it was a no-brainer that I would pick up this book, especially after my friends yammered on about it and especially after all the good things I have heard about it on the internet. How many Top Books of 2009 lists did it make? Probably hundreds, but I don't have enough time to read all of those and count. <em>Wings</em> hit all the right buttons for me. The only thing that bothered me was that pesky Stephanie Meyer quote on the front. If I have to pick up another book with "Recommended for fans of <em>Twilight</em>" or "Yadda Yadda Yay Book! -Stephanie Meyer" on the front, I will scream. (Who am I kidding, there will be tons more of those) If I were a new author, I would be ticked if I saw that on my beautiful cover. I know, I know. Whatever gets the book to sell to the most people, but still. What does <em>Wings</em> have in common with <em>Twilight</em> except a love triangle and a theme of fantastical creatures? Yeah, that's never been done before.<br /><br />As the story begins, Laurel has had enough of changes. First she was forced to leave her old town and the only house she has ever known to pursue her dad's dream of owning a bookstore. Then her parents sign her up for public school, after previously homeschooled her, so she can socialize. But there are more changes coming that turn her world inside out. Wings begin to sprout out of her back. Having no idea who to turn to, she confides in a new friend she has been growing close to at school. With his help, she dicovers the truth: she is a fairy. Laurel has a hard time accepting this fact, and the fact that she belongs with the fairies that live around the land her family used to live on. The land that Laurel's family is about to sell. Laurel must choose a side before things turn deadly and spin out of her control forever.<br /><br />From the first chapter in, I was more than a little disappointed in the protagonist Laurel. She was a delicate flower sort of heroine. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly touch that hunk of meat and those cookies. I'll just stick to my half of a fruit chunk over here." Gag me with a spoon. I feel like waif-like vegetarian girls are covered way too much in literature, because they are 'interesting and different'. I just want a heroine to devour a double cheeseburger and not feel guilty about it. I hear enough at my school, full of "I'll just take one" sticks, to instantly get annoyed at this type of personality. However I immediately became happier when I learned that being a flower fairy, she was actually eating some of her own kind, like a meat-eating human would be. *Annoyance Gone* From then on, Laurel was hard to hate. Even though she is Stunningly.Beautiful., she is a fairy in a human's shell. She is to be pitied because she doesn't even know which race she fits into, the humans who she was raised by or the fairies of which she was born. And she isn't too stupid to live. She rather ingeniously gets herself and others out of a few scrapes.<br /><br />Laurel also has a love triangle to manage as well. A poor dear child. Achingly gorgeous, two boys, waifer thin. How does she handle it? But the love triangle seemed like an obvious choice. Nothing has been decided yet, so I'm not spoiling you! However once your read the book, I think you will agree. David is the best friend. He and Laurel had a connection from the beginning of school. He stuck by her side when she revealed her wings secret. He finds her 'deformity' beautiful and is accepting. Tamani is a fellow fairy; he guides Laurel as well as answers all her fey questions. David is like a bland vanilla pudding: okay when you have a sweet tooth and will do in a pinch. But the pages come alive when Tamani is introduced. He makes hearts race and have that touch of destiny about it. He and Laurel may have been meant to be together forever. Tamani is the creme de la creme. <br /><br /><em>Wings</em> has the perfect amount of thrills, love, mystery, and fairies to keep my coming back for more. But Miley Cyrus playing Laurel in the movie adaption? Yuck. My friends are willing to give her a chance, but I'm holding out to see how she does in The Last Song. We shall see.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-49476012841404488172009-12-29T13:08:00.004-05:002009-12-29T13:48:18.450-05:00Under My Tree.A Holiday-warped version of In My Mailbox, hosted by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/2009/12/in-my-mailbox-59_27.html">The Story Siren.</a><br /><br /><div align=center>This post is a few days late, but there is a reason! Jolly old Saint Nick brought my momma a Flip video. For some brilliant reason, I thought I could do my premiere In My Mailbox post via video even though video cameras and I have never gone hand in hand. Eventually you might find a video posted here of dear smiling me delivering cheeky zingers about what I got in my mailbox, but sadly not today.</div align><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUWQJGLUfWmf1fvek-VQ187zX6Y68-1dzXqN-dhRi_gXFYgONYDxJQr6U9Xdt0ouwZyFVfzgKTNFrOWWxHtjjdZHAch-gz2o0YqUDxvI84zCW3f2KgiLhxg32c0NgMX3wiiuu6k-CFeaA/s1600-h/IMM.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUWQJGLUfWmf1fvek-VQ187zX6Y68-1dzXqN-dhRi_gXFYgONYDxJQr6U9Xdt0ouwZyFVfzgKTNFrOWWxHtjjdZHAch-gz2o0YqUDxvI84zCW3f2KgiLhxg32c0NgMX3wiiuu6k-CFeaA/s320/IMM.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420731117785693650" /></a><br /><ul><li><strong>Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee.</strong> I just recently found out that Tanith Lee has another series, besides her fabulous <a href="http://tinhearttomes.blogspot.com/2009/11/claidi-journals.html">Claidi Journals</a> and just had to have them right away. Luckily, Santa Claus knew that. I can't believe my library didn't have this book when I first discovered Tanith Lee. Actually it still doesn't have them, but now I'm better educated about the wonders of Amazon.<br /><li><strong>Spindle's End by Robin McKinley.</strong> I have a confession: I have never read a Robin McKinley book. How tragic is that! She seems like my kind of woman, and I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings. I think this is the beginning of something beautiful.<br /><li><strong>Ice by Sarah Beth Durst.</strong> I recently finished East by Edith Pattou (review to come) and liked that. The fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon is absolutely beautiful and touching. I like different versions of the same story it seems, from Beauty and the Beast to Cupid and Psyche.<br /><li><strong>Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines.</strong> A little something to tide me over until the third Hunger Games book (soooo.far.away). I have heard good things about it.<br /><li><strong>The Maze Runner by James Dashner</strong><br /><li><strong>Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pffefer</strong> It seems like Thea from the <a href="http://thebooksmugglers.com/">Book Smugglers</a> talks about these books a lot. The first in the Moon series, it follows a high school sophomore as the end of the world comes about. I really am a sucker for a good chaos-filled apocalypse book, so I'm excited for this one. And the protagonist is my age, how lovely.</ul>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853342887194246907.post-68481146551967699362009-12-28T12:49:00.006-05:002010-01-07T14:39:47.599-05:00Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTS4VtaGNV6vhhpTbO9Uv8YySv2sdwNWOGsnuqziL4iUCYXJ8wax1YyJib7nCW1HSq6UmWBcaaaYZcoIP2V9yoBGHpan2tKaYidODKsjlr9UsJSRNLLSHWRN9A2mDaZek6Jodj3ze8bxb/s1600-h/stoneheart.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTS4VtaGNV6vhhpTbO9Uv8YySv2sdwNWOGsnuqziL4iUCYXJ8wax1YyJib7nCW1HSq6UmWBcaaaYZcoIP2V9yoBGHpan2tKaYidODKsjlr9UsJSRNLLSHWRN9A2mDaZek6Jodj3ze8bxb/s320/stoneheart.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420347361252197330" /></a><br /><div align=center><strong>Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher</strong><br />First in a Trilogy<br />Young Adult, 480 pages<br />Published April 15, 2008 by Hyperion Books</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJJkweYsZvXWtX8fKZ2Y5dB0_zY_G13ywbapsXZRU92xry6iU4x61AZc22Thyphenhyphen_1XjwlqkvkUc3UyXyB0819DbD8DDVhbrLu6u53BGbnSMRwxn31uWsRsiEwvYVL3avXiqaijRp9Tbcrgy/s1600-h/3stars.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJJkweYsZvXWtX8fKZ2Y5dB0_zY_G13ywbapsXZRU92xry6iU4x61AZc22Thyphenhyphen_1XjwlqkvkUc3UyXyB0819DbD8DDVhbrLu6u53BGbnSMRwxn31uWsRsiEwvYVL3avXiqaijRp9Tbcrgy/s320/3stars.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420361576018930754" /></a><br /><blockquote><em>A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. Not all the layers are underground, and not all the lives belong to the living. Twelve-year-old George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. When, in a tiny act of rebellion, George breaks the head from a stone dragon outside the Natural History Museum, he awakes an ancient power. This power has been dormant for centuries but the results are instant and terrifying: A stone Pterodactyl unpeels from the wall and starts chasing George. He runs for his life but it seems that no one can see what he's running from. No one, except Edie, who is also trapped in this strange world. And this is just the beginning as the statues of London awake? This is a story of statues coming to life; of a struggle between those with souls and those without; of how one boy who has been emotionally abandoned manages to find hope. -goodreads.com</em></blockquote><br /><br />I have had <em>Stoneheart</em> on my To Be Read list for a while now, but it wasn't available at my local library and I didn't quite want to shell out the money to buy it. Not when we have such fantastic books like the <em>Hunger Games</em> to buy. But the Lords of Reading smiled down on me when a friend walked into school one day, carrying this book. I gasped out that I have been wanting to read this book for ages, and she kindly lent it to me (once she was done, of course). It has an amazing premise: not only is there a London out there that the ordinary people can see, but Londons hidden away beneath it that we may never know about. One of these is filled with gargoyles and stone dragons and many other terrible, fantastical things. Needless to say, it sounds just like my kind of book. George is a young boy with mature problems weighing down on him. He has no one to turn to with these problems: not his carefree actress mother who is never home, or the rotten boys at school who torture him. He bottles these problems up inside, until one day they come spilling out in the worst way possible. He lashes out at a statue and miraculously knocks it's head off instead of being hurt by it. The chase gives way as the statue's mate decides to get revenge on George. George has unleashed a force he knows nothing about and has no way to stop. He must find allies quick before the statues destroy him.<br /><br /><em>Stoneheart</em> is a hit-the-ground-running type of book. Since the moment George decapitates the statue, the readers have to dodge and digest the amount of information that keeps being thrown at them. There is definately never a dull moment in this book. As a reader, I don't need to be told everything, but I don't enjoy being told little to nothing and being kept in the dark for most of the book. <em>Stoneheart</em> is one of those books. I understand that the author is setting up for sequels; this is made obvious by the lip-biting cliffhanger at the end and the fact that the cover tells you its a trilogy. But I had to keep asking my friend, "Now when do we figure out about so-and-so?" or "Who the *%#@ is that guy?" Sometimes I would completely blank on important details and have to take a few minutes to regather my evidence, like Nancy Drew, to figure out the mystery. Just so you know, you never figure out the mystery in this book. It's like a Series of Unfortunate Events book; you're left with more clues and loose ends than answers. I can't wait to get my hands on the next books to find out what's going on. The plot jumps from high-speed foot chases and shady might-be-helpful might-be-backstabbing good/bad guys. I still haven't figured out what side they fall on.<br /><br />One thing I loved about this book was the layers of London. I think the author did a excellent job of putting this in to perspective for the reader. No one from the 'normal London' can see George and Edie while they are interacting with statues. They could be seconds away from death, crying for help from the hordes of people surrounding them, and no one even glances up. They are living their daily lives, riding bicycles, laughing while a dragon could be scorching up a little twlve-year-old boy next to them. It was fantastic to imagine. I have never been to London, but I imagined a crowded city like New York. I can't picture how lonely it would be to be surrounded by people on the streets of a busy city and to be completely alone in a crisis like that. I felt empathy for George and Edie because they had no one to turn to, not even the police, because no one could see what they could see. That's not to say they were completely alone. There had the good and faithful Gunner, a fellow statue on the good side.<br /><br />The characterzation was nothing too special. Edie was the plucky orphan with a shady past, but there is more to her than meets the eye. I can't wait to learn more about her in the books to come. We are never really given the full details of her childhood and how she came to be in London. Not to mention the fantastic cliffhanger that I can't even begin to explain. George was sort of whiny and selfish, but he grows into a bit of a man by the end of <em>Stoneheart</em>. I expect he has much more growing to do by the end of the series. I don't think these series are very well known, which is a shame because they are super fun to read. I had a good time with them. They recalled a rollicking adventure that didn't involve vampires, but another type of spooky supernatural beings that contained more than meets the eye.Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10665216071191248770noreply@blogger.com0