Hey friends,
I know that technically school has started, and that would mean summer is over. But I did finish Mockingjay and had fifty pages left in First to Die when school started. I'm going to continue blogging what I'm reading till I finish my goal.
Mockingjay - 390 Pages
"I got the idea from our family's plant book. The place where we recorded those things you cannot trust to memory. In my most careful handwriting, come all those things it would be a crime to forget. Lady licking Prim's cheek. My father's laugh. Peeta's father with the cookies. Rue poised on her toes, arms slightly extended, like a bird about to take flight. On and on. We seal the pages with salt water and promises to live well to make their deaths count."
This is the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy.
Just going to say, READ THEM.
First to Die - 471 pages
"I'm back," announced Cindy to a surprised woman behind the reception desk. "And I brought my documentation."
She eyed us suspiciously. "Who are these, cousins?"
I flashed the clerk my badge and also presented the officially stamped search warrant.
"What's going on with this book?" the woman gasped.
James Patterson is constantly writing. In fact, I was reading this book while waiting for my plane, and in the gift shop right across from me was his most recent book. This book is the first in the Woman's Murder Club series.
When people ask me what my favorite books to read are, I say Historical Fiction and Murder Mysteries. That's because they ARE my favorites. So, it was strange to me that I hadn't read one Murder Mystery all summer. Was it too much Fiction? Did I not look hard enough? I don't know. But when I found out that James Patterson had written a Murder Mystery series, I had to read them.
I really enjoy Law and Order. I don't really know why, I just do. This book was a lot like a Law and Order episode. It's about four women in different occupations of the criminal justice system. A homicide inspector, a medical examiner, a crime reporter, and an assistant district attorney. Together, they try to solve an ongoing case, and stop a serial killer.
This is a really graphic book. Most Murder Mysteries are. But it was a great story. It's for a more mature audience, but if you like Murder Mysteries, I think you'll like this book. I'm going to continue reading this series.
1,268 pages short.
Meaning I blogged 8,732 pages this summer.
I knew 10,000 would be a stretch. And maybe if I had read all summer, I would have made it. But I don't really mind. Near the end, I did the math on how many pages a day I would have to read to catch up and finish on time, and it came to 200. The last week of summer I was at Lake Powell. It just wasn't going to work.
If I add the pages I read here and there in books I didn't finish, I'd be closer, maybe I'll add those when I finish my next book.
Read on,
Jamie
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Catching Fire, Evermore, TSSLOBT
Catching Fire ~ 391 Pages
I twist the polished brass knob and step inside. My nose registers the conflicting scents of roses and blood. A small, white-haired man who seems vaguely familiar is reading a book. He holds up a finger as if to say, "Give me a moment." Then he turns and my heart skips a beat. I'm staring into the snakelike eyes of President Snow.
My rant for this series is over. At least for today. This is book two of the Hunger Games Trilogy.
I think I can hesitantly say that this is my favorite book in the series. Which is weird because it's the second book, and I usually dislike the second book in comparison to the first. But Catching Fire continues the story in such a flawless way, it's hard to believe it's a sequel for me.
Saying anything about this book in summary would give everything away. So I'm going to settle by letting this be a very short entry.
I'll just say that this whole series is such a fast paced page turner, it's really a joy to read. I stick by my original statement when I say that I think anyone would enjoy this series.
Evermore ~ 302 Pages
"Ah, but it happens to be a label worth arguing over, as there is a big difference. You see, a vampire is a fictional, made-up creature that exists only in books, and movies, and, in your case, overactive imaginations." He smiles. "Whereas I am an immortal. Though, contrary to the fantasy you've conjured in your head, my immortality is not reliant on bloodsucking, human sacrifice, or whatever unsavory acts you've imagined."
This book is not about vampires.
Evermore, titled after the main character, Ever, is the first book in the Immortals series. I stumbled upon it as I was looking for my books I put on hold to be ready (no dice). It got raving review, was on the best seller list, and looked mildly interesting (because it was a young adult book not about vampires).
It's about a teenager who's family died in a car crash and... wait... am I having deja vu? Oh, no. I wrote about the prequel to this series, Radiance, a while back. Well, this story isn't about Riley, this book, and series is about her sister, Ever, the only family member to survive the car crash that killed her whole family.
After Ever's near death experience, she is left with basically psychic powers. She can see a colored aura around each person that reflects their mood, and she can hear people's thoughts. Whenever she happens to make physical contact with someone, she sees their whole life story. Everyone, that is, except the new kid in town.
Now, I didn't really hate this book. At parts, it was really good. But there were a few things that just kinda, turned me off. One being that it was A LOT like twilight as some parts. The mind reading, the eternal love, the cover, the sequels title is Blue Moon, the fast movement, the mysterious boyfriend. It goes on. But what made Twilight a really crappy book, is actually not included here.
1. The main girl actually makes sense, i. e. she acts like a normal person. She freaks out when a normal person would, not like Bella. "Oh, you're a vampire... cool! Will you make me a vampire too? I wanna be pretty and live forever and have powers!" 2. When violence is promised, it actually happens, you actually get to read that part instead of the main character just blacking out.
The other thing that turned me off to the book was that, the happy warm filled ending of explanations didn't happen at the end. It happened at the climax, during the big fight. Then the big fight resumes after the heart to heart. It just didn't make sense, and ruined the big dramatic finish.
Anyway, speaking of Twilight...
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner ~ 178 pages
I snapped the lock on the roof access hatch and let us in. The store was empty, the only alarms on the windows and doors. I went straight to the H's, while Diego headed to the music section in the back. I'd just finished with Hale. I took the next dozen books in line; that would keep me a couple days.
Yeah, minus that you never actually read in this whole book...
Okay. So, I flew off the handle last week about Twilight. And I got called out for not reading the whole series. So guess what. I read this stupid short book, and now I can say whatever I want about Twilight. (I stand by what I said last week.)
This novella is about Bree Tanner, the vampire that the Volturi kill in, well, in the whole series, but specifically, the third book, Eclipse. It's about her "short second life" as a vampire, in which she falls in love, then dies.
We all know how her story ends (if you read Eclipse anyway) we all know she has to die. But for heaven sakes! She can't know that! Where is the suspense? The wondering if she is really going to make it? When a reader already knows the end, you can't soften the blow by saying every third paragraph, "I knew I was going to die, and I was alright with it." NO! That's not what makes a good book! If you promise us a certain end early in the book, you need to make us believe that there is a way of getting around that end, that all isn't lost, then rip it out of our hands. THAT is what makes a death tragic. THAT is what makes me feel bad for the character. Not, "They were talking like they would save me but I knew they couldn't, they knew they couldn't, we all knew I was going to die." Wow, even that was more tragic than what it actually says in the book...
Well, I hated this book and I don't think anyone but Twi-hards would like it. It's not even funny, or amusing, it's just boring. In fact, when she finally meets the Cullens, it just sounds like fan fiction. And even as she is about to die, it's not about Bree, it's about how you should like Bella and Edward because they at least tried to help her, when in actuality, they didn't so anything.
If all I could rant about this book was written down, it would be longer than the 178 pages that it was, and more worth my time.
Catching Fire 391
+
Evermore 302
+
Short Second Life 178
=
871 pages total
2,129 pages to go.
This is going to be a tight one my friends.
Read on,
Jamie
I twist the polished brass knob and step inside. My nose registers the conflicting scents of roses and blood. A small, white-haired man who seems vaguely familiar is reading a book. He holds up a finger as if to say, "Give me a moment." Then he turns and my heart skips a beat. I'm staring into the snakelike eyes of President Snow.
My rant for this series is over. At least for today. This is book two of the Hunger Games Trilogy.
I think I can hesitantly say that this is my favorite book in the series. Which is weird because it's the second book, and I usually dislike the second book in comparison to the first. But Catching Fire continues the story in such a flawless way, it's hard to believe it's a sequel for me.
Saying anything about this book in summary would give everything away. So I'm going to settle by letting this be a very short entry.
I'll just say that this whole series is such a fast paced page turner, it's really a joy to read. I stick by my original statement when I say that I think anyone would enjoy this series.
Evermore ~ 302 Pages
"Ah, but it happens to be a label worth arguing over, as there is a big difference. You see, a vampire is a fictional, made-up creature that exists only in books, and movies, and, in your case, overactive imaginations." He smiles. "Whereas I am an immortal. Though, contrary to the fantasy you've conjured in your head, my immortality is not reliant on bloodsucking, human sacrifice, or whatever unsavory acts you've imagined."
This book is not about vampires.
Evermore, titled after the main character, Ever, is the first book in the Immortals series. I stumbled upon it as I was looking for my books I put on hold to be ready (no dice). It got raving review, was on the best seller list, and looked mildly interesting (because it was a young adult book not about vampires).
It's about a teenager who's family died in a car crash and... wait... am I having deja vu? Oh, no. I wrote about the prequel to this series, Radiance, a while back. Well, this story isn't about Riley, this book, and series is about her sister, Ever, the only family member to survive the car crash that killed her whole family.
After Ever's near death experience, she is left with basically psychic powers. She can see a colored aura around each person that reflects their mood, and she can hear people's thoughts. Whenever she happens to make physical contact with someone, she sees their whole life story. Everyone, that is, except the new kid in town.
Now, I didn't really hate this book. At parts, it was really good. But there were a few things that just kinda, turned me off. One being that it was A LOT like twilight as some parts. The mind reading, the eternal love, the cover, the sequels title is Blue Moon, the fast movement, the mysterious boyfriend. It goes on. But what made Twilight a really crappy book, is actually not included here.
1. The main girl actually makes sense, i. e. she acts like a normal person. She freaks out when a normal person would, not like Bella. "Oh, you're a vampire... cool! Will you make me a vampire too? I wanna be pretty and live forever and have powers!" 2. When violence is promised, it actually happens, you actually get to read that part instead of the main character just blacking out.
The other thing that turned me off to the book was that, the happy warm filled ending of explanations didn't happen at the end. It happened at the climax, during the big fight. Then the big fight resumes after the heart to heart. It just didn't make sense, and ruined the big dramatic finish.
Anyway, speaking of Twilight...
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner ~ 178 pages
I snapped the lock on the roof access hatch and let us in. The store was empty, the only alarms on the windows and doors. I went straight to the H's, while Diego headed to the music section in the back. I'd just finished with Hale. I took the next dozen books in line; that would keep me a couple days.
Yeah, minus that you never actually read in this whole book...
Okay. So, I flew off the handle last week about Twilight. And I got called out for not reading the whole series. So guess what. I read this stupid short book, and now I can say whatever I want about Twilight. (I stand by what I said last week.)
This novella is about Bree Tanner, the vampire that the Volturi kill in, well, in the whole series, but specifically, the third book, Eclipse. It's about her "short second life" as a vampire, in which she falls in love, then dies.
We all know how her story ends (if you read Eclipse anyway) we all know she has to die. But for heaven sakes! She can't know that! Where is the suspense? The wondering if she is really going to make it? When a reader already knows the end, you can't soften the blow by saying every third paragraph, "I knew I was going to die, and I was alright with it." NO! That's not what makes a good book! If you promise us a certain end early in the book, you need to make us believe that there is a way of getting around that end, that all isn't lost, then rip it out of our hands. THAT is what makes a death tragic. THAT is what makes me feel bad for the character. Not, "They were talking like they would save me but I knew they couldn't, they knew they couldn't, we all knew I was going to die." Wow, even that was more tragic than what it actually says in the book...
Well, I hated this book and I don't think anyone but Twi-hards would like it. It's not even funny, or amusing, it's just boring. In fact, when she finally meets the Cullens, it just sounds like fan fiction. And even as she is about to die, it's not about Bree, it's about how you should like Bella and Edward because they at least tried to help her, when in actuality, they didn't so anything.
If all I could rant about this book was written down, it would be longer than the 178 pages that it was, and more worth my time.
Catching Fire 391
+
Evermore 302
+
Short Second Life 178
=
871 pages total
2,129 pages to go.
This is going to be a tight one my friends.
Read on,
Jamie
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Hunger Games, Fang
The Hunger Games ~ 374 Pages
Even though he brightens a bit when I come in, it's clear he feels miserable. I put cool cloths on his head, but they warm up almost as soon as they touch his skin.
"Do you want anything?" I ask.
"No," he says. "Thank you. Wait, yes. Tell me a story."
"A story? What about?" I say. I'm not much for story-telling. It's kind of like singing. But once in a while, Prim wheedles one out of me.
"Something happy. Tell me about the happiest day you can remember," says Peeta.
Something between a sigh and a huff os exasperation leaves my mouth. A happy story? This will require a lot more effort than the soup.
We all knew it was coming. And here goes my rant.
I absolutely love this book series. I think they are beautifully written. But I cannot deal with the fact that they are making a movie.
Nothing in the movie is going to live up to the promise of the book. It's not like Harry Potter. They can't possibly recreate this book without blacking out critical parts. It's about kids killing each other because they are forced to. This whole thing is just going to end up like Twilight, maybe even worse. Some books (most books) are supposed to stay books. Get your own freaking ideas Hollywood! You think every book that sells well will make a good movie. It's not even close to true.
Let's face it. Twilight ruined everything good in this world. Twilight is the reason no one is afraid of Vampires anymore. Twilight is the reason all young adult books that sell even remotely well will be made into movies. Twilight is the reason why people think they are so smart because they read lots of books but all they've ever read is Twilight! Twilight is the reason I can't sleep at night. Twilight is the reason young girls IQs are dropping at an alarming rate. Twilight is the reason I hate young adult novels that come out now, it's all Vampire this and Werewolf that. Twilight is the reason kids think it's cool to dress in dark clothes that look all emo but have Edward's face on the front. Twilight is the reason I can't go into hot topic. Twilight is the reason for all the people that think they are amazing actors but really just suck. Twilight is the reason The Hunger Games is being made into a movie.
I'm not going to really tell you what happens in this book, you just need to read it. (and boycott the movie when it comes out) I think anyone and everyone in the whole world should read this book, before they ruin everything with the movie.
374 pages down with 3,327 to go... oh I'm just so mad right now...
Fang ~ 327 pages
I was so mortified I was speechless for a second. Then I stamped my foot and said, "Get back to your books!" Which was, of course, a huge mistake.
They just stared at me for a moment, then Iggy's face contorted into anger. He yanked off his iPod earphones and threw the whole thing across the room. "I can't take it anymore!"
"Hey!" I said sharply. "Those are expensive!"
"I can't help it!" He shouted. "I've been listening to how the Roman Empire fell, and all I can say is, it didn't fall nearly fast enough!"
I know what your thinking. "You JUST chewed out Twilight and other young adult books for being all about Vampires and Werewolfs, but here you are reading one." To this I say, "Fang is the name of a character, and he is not a Vampire, a werewolf, a fairy, or a wizard. He is simply a boy who had bird DNA injected into him and happens to have wings...
This book is number six in the Maximum Ride series. I was so into this series when the first two came out. The first three books are so amazing. Number four? Well, lets just say I hated it so much, I stopped reading them, until now. I will admit, I missed book number five, but I guessing very little happened because I wasn't confused at all.
I am wishing though, that the books had stopped after three. The first three made sense together. The third book wrapped everything up. The fourth? It was just so different. Just so... awful. This book is okay. I think James Patterson is an awesome writer and I loved the first three books so I though I'd give it another go. There is another book out right now in the series, book seven titled Angel (another character), but I'm still unsure about reading it. Instead, I've put other James Patterson books on hold.
I'd say read the first three, then stop. Unless you are just so crazy in love with the books you can't contain yourself. You know? Like, when you love the characters so much there could be a book about them doing nothing and you would love it. (Harry Potter is that way for me, and The Hunger Games)
327 pages down, 3,000 to go!
Excuse my rants. And expect more.
Read on,
Jamie
Even though he brightens a bit when I come in, it's clear he feels miserable. I put cool cloths on his head, but they warm up almost as soon as they touch his skin.
"Do you want anything?" I ask.
"No," he says. "Thank you. Wait, yes. Tell me a story."
"A story? What about?" I say. I'm not much for story-telling. It's kind of like singing. But once in a while, Prim wheedles one out of me.
"Something happy. Tell me about the happiest day you can remember," says Peeta.
Something between a sigh and a huff os exasperation leaves my mouth. A happy story? This will require a lot more effort than the soup.
We all knew it was coming. And here goes my rant.
I absolutely love this book series. I think they are beautifully written. But I cannot deal with the fact that they are making a movie.
Nothing in the movie is going to live up to the promise of the book. It's not like Harry Potter. They can't possibly recreate this book without blacking out critical parts. It's about kids killing each other because they are forced to. This whole thing is just going to end up like Twilight, maybe even worse. Some books (most books) are supposed to stay books. Get your own freaking ideas Hollywood! You think every book that sells well will make a good movie. It's not even close to true.
Let's face it. Twilight ruined everything good in this world. Twilight is the reason no one is afraid of Vampires anymore. Twilight is the reason all young adult books that sell even remotely well will be made into movies. Twilight is the reason why people think they are so smart because they read lots of books but all they've ever read is Twilight! Twilight is the reason I can't sleep at night. Twilight is the reason young girls IQs are dropping at an alarming rate. Twilight is the reason I hate young adult novels that come out now, it's all Vampire this and Werewolf that. Twilight is the reason kids think it's cool to dress in dark clothes that look all emo but have Edward's face on the front. Twilight is the reason I can't go into hot topic. Twilight is the reason for all the people that think they are amazing actors but really just suck. Twilight is the reason The Hunger Games is being made into a movie.
I'm not going to really tell you what happens in this book, you just need to read it. (and boycott the movie when it comes out) I think anyone and everyone in the whole world should read this book, before they ruin everything with the movie.
374 pages down with 3,327 to go... oh I'm just so mad right now...
Fang ~ 327 pages
I was so mortified I was speechless for a second. Then I stamped my foot and said, "Get back to your books!" Which was, of course, a huge mistake.
They just stared at me for a moment, then Iggy's face contorted into anger. He yanked off his iPod earphones and threw the whole thing across the room. "I can't take it anymore!"
"Hey!" I said sharply. "Those are expensive!"
"I can't help it!" He shouted. "I've been listening to how the Roman Empire fell, and all I can say is, it didn't fall nearly fast enough!"
I know what your thinking. "You JUST chewed out Twilight and other young adult books for being all about Vampires and Werewolfs, but here you are reading one." To this I say, "Fang is the name of a character, and he is not a Vampire, a werewolf, a fairy, or a wizard. He is simply a boy who had bird DNA injected into him and happens to have wings...
This book is number six in the Maximum Ride series. I was so into this series when the first two came out. The first three books are so amazing. Number four? Well, lets just say I hated it so much, I stopped reading them, until now. I will admit, I missed book number five, but I guessing very little happened because I wasn't confused at all.
I am wishing though, that the books had stopped after three. The first three made sense together. The third book wrapped everything up. The fourth? It was just so different. Just so... awful. This book is okay. I think James Patterson is an awesome writer and I loved the first three books so I though I'd give it another go. There is another book out right now in the series, book seven titled Angel (another character), but I'm still unsure about reading it. Instead, I've put other James Patterson books on hold.
I'd say read the first three, then stop. Unless you are just so crazy in love with the books you can't contain yourself. You know? Like, when you love the characters so much there could be a book about them doing nothing and you would love it. (Harry Potter is that way for me, and The Hunger Games)
327 pages down, 3,000 to go!
Excuse my rants. And expect more.
Read on,
Jamie
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Help, Matched, Radiance
The Help ~ 451 Pages
"Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."
This book is sensational. I had a lot of people ask me if I liked it while I was reading it, but I don't really judge how I liked a book until I'm done with it. I'm telling you now. I loved it.
Most people recognize the book because the movie is coming out. I can honestly say that I am SO excited to see it, mostly because I think it's a book that can translate into a screen play. Not like say... The Hunger Games...
The Help is historical fiction, based in Jackson Mississippi in the early 1960s. It's told from the point of view of three different women of the time. Skeeter, a white lady who wants to be a writer, Aibileen, a black older woman who has taken care of lots of children, but leaves when they grow up, and Minny, a black woman who has a hard time controlling her temper and finds herself fired quite often.
Basically, Miss Skeeter wants to write a book about the black help in Mississippi, their stories working for the white women of the town.
I think that the movie trailer and the Wikipedia page explain it better than I just did. Sorry.
I just think that anyone who likes historical fiction should read this book.
Matched ~ 366 Pages
"The books' backs are broken; their bones, thin and delicate, fall out. The workers shove them toward the incineration tube; they step on them... my father laments the waste... But the higher officials say somethings are not worth saving. Sometimes it's faster and more efficient to destroy."
So, apparently August is romance awareness month (or something like that) at the library. They have this whole little set up where you can look at the most popular romance novels. I guess this book and post will be my celebration of that...
Matched is a dystopian novel. If you don't know what that means, I would love to copy and paste this part of the Wikipedia page to help you...
"Note that there is no one definition of dystopia that is agreed upon by all, as the term is usually used to refer to something much more specific than simply a nightmare world or unpleasant future."
Helpful isn't it? (Sarcasm hand)
Well in the case of the book, the dystopia is a government that controls where you live, who you love, what your job is, and when you will die. The time is far in the future, based in Utah even. (Probably because the author is from St. George) It is centered around a young girl named Cassia, who has just been "Matched" with her best friend Xander. (Meaning they can now date and will marry when they are 21) But through a whole set of complicated events, she has now fallen in love with a different boy, Ky.
So she loves them both and has to choose between doing what the government is forcing her to do, and doing what she wants to do/what her heart tells her. It's Xander vs. Ky.
It happens a lot in books. The heroine has two perfect but very different guys that she likes, or like her, or maybe you just like them and they have nothing to do with the story... Anyway... when it comes up in conversation, it instantly becomes, who do you like more? Are you Team friend or Team mystery guy? So, I'm going to go out there right now and let you know where I stand on these controversial (but not really) issues.
Edward v. Jacob (From Twilight)
When I was reading the books, I was so Team Edward, it was disgusting. I just loved how much respect he showed her, not to mention he was quite dashing. When the movies came out, (and I realized how much I hated Edward,) I turned to Team Jacob. He's just a ton more awesome. (A certain blogger may have influenced my views as well)
Peeta v. Gale (From The Hunger Games)
Peeta. Peeta, Peeta, Peeta. Since day one and forever. This point of view will never change. Even if the movies suck like Twilight. (By the way, have I told you how UNexcited I am for those? That's a blog for another day) The things he says don't make me want to punch him in the face like Gale.
Colonel Brandon v. Willoughby (From Sense and Sensibility)
So, John Willoughby is so freaking charming, it's hard not to love him. I mean, the man has his own Wikipedia page. But Colonel Brandon always wins my heart. He's so honorable and good, and he's charming in his own way. The scene when he first sees Marianne is my one of my favorites ever.
Will v. Jem (From Clockwork Angel)
Oh dear, where do I start? It's Jem. I guess I'll start there. Will is just too much for me. Everyone loves him because he's so unpredictable and erratic. It's for those reasons that I can't stand him. Although, this series hasn't been finished, so I might get an explanation for his behavior, but I'm pretty sure Jem will still win. (Even though I predict that he dies before the end of the series)
and how could we exclude,
Xander v. Ky (From Matched)
Xander has nothing on Ky. But I think the author wanted it that way. Wanted it to be almost obvious that Ky is the (bear with me) right guy. Xander hardly does anything charming or interesting in the whole book, but Ky does a million. So naturally, I'm going to choose Ky.
There you have it. The book is good, I was having a hard time with it at the very beginning because it came off as very shallow, but then I realized, it's part of the progression of the book. By the end Cassia sees the truth of her world, it's supposed to start shallow. The character progression is amazing (even Xander, who doesn't so much) When I was reading it, I kept thinking, "This is like Hunger Games, Twilight, and The Book Thief all mixed in one."So if your interested in how those books mix, read it. It's a fast fun read.
Radiance ~ 183 Pages
"Shaking and trembling, he struggled to consume all her pain. While I whispered to myself, over and over again, that it would all be all right. That the light always wins in the end. In all my favorite books, movies, and shows on TV - Thats just the way it always goes.
Only, this was all too real."
Once upon a time I was getting a book at the library and I saw this row of colorful books on a shelf. I liked the look of the books, so I picked up the prequel. That's how I ended up with this tiny book.
I had never heard of the series before, even though it was a "best seller", but I put the first book of the series on hold anyway. So we'll see how that goes.
This book is about a girl who dies in a car accident. Or more so, about what happens when she gets to heaven or, "Here" as they call it. She is assigned to be a soul collector, to go out and help the ghosts who are stuck on the earth plane to find the bridge to "Here".
It was a fun little read for a few hours, but I think I would suggest it to my sister who is in 6th grade. Or someone in middle school.
So, the coolest thing happened. When I totaled up the page count from these three books, I couldn't believe it, (I did it three times to make sure it wasn't a mistake) but they add up to a perfect 1,000 pages. So, with that down, I've got 3,701 pages to go. Will I make my deadline? Stay tuned! (Because I really don't know)
Read on,
Jamie
"Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."
This book is sensational. I had a lot of people ask me if I liked it while I was reading it, but I don't really judge how I liked a book until I'm done with it. I'm telling you now. I loved it.
Most people recognize the book because the movie is coming out. I can honestly say that I am SO excited to see it, mostly because I think it's a book that can translate into a screen play. Not like say... The Hunger Games...
The Help is historical fiction, based in Jackson Mississippi in the early 1960s. It's told from the point of view of three different women of the time. Skeeter, a white lady who wants to be a writer, Aibileen, a black older woman who has taken care of lots of children, but leaves when they grow up, and Minny, a black woman who has a hard time controlling her temper and finds herself fired quite often.
Basically, Miss Skeeter wants to write a book about the black help in Mississippi, their stories working for the white women of the town.
I think that the movie trailer and the Wikipedia page explain it better than I just did. Sorry.
I just think that anyone who likes historical fiction should read this book.
Matched ~ 366 Pages
"The books' backs are broken; their bones, thin and delicate, fall out. The workers shove them toward the incineration tube; they step on them... my father laments the waste... But the higher officials say somethings are not worth saving. Sometimes it's faster and more efficient to destroy."
So, apparently August is romance awareness month (or something like that) at the library. They have this whole little set up where you can look at the most popular romance novels. I guess this book and post will be my celebration of that...
Matched is a dystopian novel. If you don't know what that means, I would love to copy and paste this part of the Wikipedia page to help you...
"Note that there is no one definition of dystopia that is agreed upon by all, as the term is usually used to refer to something much more specific than simply a nightmare world or unpleasant future."
Helpful isn't it? (Sarcasm hand)
Well in the case of the book, the dystopia is a government that controls where you live, who you love, what your job is, and when you will die. The time is far in the future, based in Utah even. (Probably because the author is from St. George) It is centered around a young girl named Cassia, who has just been "Matched" with her best friend Xander. (Meaning they can now date and will marry when they are 21) But through a whole set of complicated events, she has now fallen in love with a different boy, Ky.
So she loves them both and has to choose between doing what the government is forcing her to do, and doing what she wants to do/what her heart tells her. It's Xander vs. Ky.
It happens a lot in books. The heroine has two perfect but very different guys that she likes, or like her, or maybe you just like them and they have nothing to do with the story... Anyway... when it comes up in conversation, it instantly becomes, who do you like more? Are you Team friend or Team mystery guy? So, I'm going to go out there right now and let you know where I stand on these controversial (but not really) issues.
Edward v. Jacob (From Twilight)
When I was reading the books, I was so Team Edward, it was disgusting. I just loved how much respect he showed her, not to mention he was quite dashing. When the movies came out, (and I realized how much I hated Edward,) I turned to Team Jacob. He's just a ton more awesome. (A certain blogger may have influenced my views as well)
Peeta v. Gale (From The Hunger Games)
Peeta. Peeta, Peeta, Peeta. Since day one and forever. This point of view will never change. Even if the movies suck like Twilight. (By the way, have I told you how UNexcited I am for those? That's a blog for another day) The things he says don't make me want to punch him in the face like Gale.
Colonel Brandon v. Willoughby (From Sense and Sensibility)
So, John Willoughby is so freaking charming, it's hard not to love him. I mean, the man has his own Wikipedia page. But Colonel Brandon always wins my heart. He's so honorable and good, and he's charming in his own way. The scene when he first sees Marianne is my one of my favorites ever.
Will v. Jem (From Clockwork Angel)
Oh dear, where do I start? It's Jem. I guess I'll start there. Will is just too much for me. Everyone loves him because he's so unpredictable and erratic. It's for those reasons that I can't stand him. Although, this series hasn't been finished, so I might get an explanation for his behavior, but I'm pretty sure Jem will still win. (Even though I predict that he dies before the end of the series)
and how could we exclude,
Xander v. Ky (From Matched)
Xander has nothing on Ky. But I think the author wanted it that way. Wanted it to be almost obvious that Ky is the (bear with me) right guy. Xander hardly does anything charming or interesting in the whole book, but Ky does a million. So naturally, I'm going to choose Ky.
There you have it. The book is good, I was having a hard time with it at the very beginning because it came off as very shallow, but then I realized, it's part of the progression of the book. By the end Cassia sees the truth of her world, it's supposed to start shallow. The character progression is amazing (even Xander, who doesn't so much) When I was reading it, I kept thinking, "This is like Hunger Games, Twilight, and The Book Thief all mixed in one."So if your interested in how those books mix, read it. It's a fast fun read.
Radiance ~ 183 Pages
"Shaking and trembling, he struggled to consume all her pain. While I whispered to myself, over and over again, that it would all be all right. That the light always wins in the end. In all my favorite books, movies, and shows on TV - Thats just the way it always goes.
Only, this was all too real."
Once upon a time I was getting a book at the library and I saw this row of colorful books on a shelf. I liked the look of the books, so I picked up the prequel. That's how I ended up with this tiny book.
I had never heard of the series before, even though it was a "best seller", but I put the first book of the series on hold anyway. So we'll see how that goes.
This book is about a girl who dies in a car accident. Or more so, about what happens when she gets to heaven or, "Here" as they call it. She is assigned to be a soul collector, to go out and help the ghosts who are stuck on the earth plane to find the bridge to "Here".
It was a fun little read for a few hours, but I think I would suggest it to my sister who is in 6th grade. Or someone in middle school.
So, the coolest thing happened. When I totaled up the page count from these three books, I couldn't believe it, (I did it three times to make sure it wasn't a mistake) but they add up to a perfect 1,000 pages. So, with that down, I've got 3,701 pages to go. Will I make my deadline? Stay tuned! (Because I really don't know)
Read on,
Jamie
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter ~ 759 Pages
"So does it say how to destroy Horcruxes in that book?"
"Yes," said Hermione, now turning the fragile pages as if examining rotting entrails, "because it warns Dark wizards how strong they have to make the enchantments on them. From all that I've read, what Harry did to Riddle's diary was one of the few really fool proof ways of destroying a Horcrux."
"What, stabbing it with a basilisk fang?" asked Harry.
"Oh well, lucky we've got such a large supply of basilisk fangs, then," said Ron. "I was wondering what we were going to do with them."
How do you blog your very life and soul? Okay I won't be that dramatic, but the harry Potter books were, in fact, my childhood. I can remember reading Harry Potter books as early as third grade. (Harry's birthday also happens to be the same week as mine, and however old he was in the book that had just come out, that's how old I was.) Can you blame me for forming such a strong attachment?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is book number seven, the last book in the series. I decided to read the whole book before the last movie came out. It's been very interesting (event though I did this before the last movie as well) to see how true the movie stayed, and yet how far it strayed. Little scenes that help you know the characters more had to be cut for time, small things that turn out to be huge the last half of the book were kind of left out, I'm wondering how they are going to make up for these things.
I definitely pity whoever had not read this book series. If you've only seen the movies, and love them, or even like them, or even endure them, you will love the books.
I always thought that the third book would be my favorite, that is, until the seventh one came out. It wraps up the series so perfectly, and I must admit that I cry every time I read the scene SPOILER ALERT where Harry is going to die, and he's talking to his parents, Lupin and Sirius.
This book is a freaking masterpiece. I've read it three times now, and I'm still not sick of it. It's also 759 pages, which brings my countdown past the halfway mark (finally) to 4,701.
Now I'm ready for the midnight premiere! Well, almost... I still need to get my costume together.
Read on,
Jamie
"So does it say how to destroy Horcruxes in that book?"
"Yes," said Hermione, now turning the fragile pages as if examining rotting entrails, "because it warns Dark wizards how strong they have to make the enchantments on them. From all that I've read, what Harry did to Riddle's diary was one of the few really fool proof ways of destroying a Horcrux."
"What, stabbing it with a basilisk fang?" asked Harry.
"Oh well, lucky we've got such a large supply of basilisk fangs, then," said Ron. "I was wondering what we were going to do with them."
How do you blog your very life and soul? Okay I won't be that dramatic, but the harry Potter books were, in fact, my childhood. I can remember reading Harry Potter books as early as third grade. (Harry's birthday also happens to be the same week as mine, and however old he was in the book that had just come out, that's how old I was.) Can you blame me for forming such a strong attachment?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is book number seven, the last book in the series. I decided to read the whole book before the last movie came out. It's been very interesting (event though I did this before the last movie as well) to see how true the movie stayed, and yet how far it strayed. Little scenes that help you know the characters more had to be cut for time, small things that turn out to be huge the last half of the book were kind of left out, I'm wondering how they are going to make up for these things.
I definitely pity whoever had not read this book series. If you've only seen the movies, and love them, or even like them, or even endure them, you will love the books.
I always thought that the third book would be my favorite, that is, until the seventh one came out. It wraps up the series so perfectly, and I must admit that I cry every time I read the scene SPOILER ALERT where Harry is going to die, and he's talking to his parents, Lupin and Sirius.
This book is a freaking masterpiece. I've read it three times now, and I'm still not sick of it. It's also 759 pages, which brings my countdown past the halfway mark (finally) to 4,701.
Now I'm ready for the midnight premiere! Well, almost... I still need to get my costume together.
Read on,
Jamie
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Seeing Redd
Seeing Redd ~ 371 Pages
She let the book fall open in her hand. She Riffled through its pages from first to last with her imagination. To think that Alyss had been immortilized by some earth scribbler! She slammed the book shut. She tapped a long finger against its cover, under the author's name. "Find me this Lewis Carroll and bring him here!"
Why do I do things I say I'll never do?
Seeing Redd is the second book in the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy, and I said I wasn't going to read it. But I led myself to believe that I'd enjoy it a whole lot more now that I know the characters and there seems to be more conflict outside of just battles. Well, I was wrong. I thought I could finish this book at Lake Powell, but I found myself not even wanting to pick it up at all.
Since I was little, I've been going to Lake Powell, and usually, the Harry Potter Book would come out right before we left. Lake Powell had always been a place I find it easy to read. But this year, I didn't take a Harry Potter book like I always do. I took this book. And I'm upset I did.
This book is A LOT like the previous book. Lots of battles, not a lot of character development. It took me two weeks to even bring myself to finish it. Once again, I'm not sure why. It's not slow, it's not a bad plot, it's not even poorly written. I just have next to no patience reading it.
When I was at Lake Powell, one of the girls we were boating with saw I was reading Seeing Redd, and she pretty much said the exact same thing. No patience. Even she couldn't say why exactly. I still stick to my proposal that it might be that the characters are great but they are always fighting, so I never get to know anything about them other than what side they are fighting for and how well they fight in battle. I just didn't get to love the characters like I wanted to.
It took so long for me to get into this book that it's the only one I have to blog for now, and find myself slightly behind schedule. Luckily I'm starting the 7th Harry Potter today.
So with these 371 pages behind me, I have 5,460 pages to go. Time to get crackin.
Read on,
Jamie
She let the book fall open in her hand. She Riffled through its pages from first to last with her imagination. To think that Alyss had been immortilized by some earth scribbler! She slammed the book shut. She tapped a long finger against its cover, under the author's name. "Find me this Lewis Carroll and bring him here!"
Why do I do things I say I'll never do?
Seeing Redd is the second book in the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy, and I said I wasn't going to read it. But I led myself to believe that I'd enjoy it a whole lot more now that I know the characters and there seems to be more conflict outside of just battles. Well, I was wrong. I thought I could finish this book at Lake Powell, but I found myself not even wanting to pick it up at all.
Since I was little, I've been going to Lake Powell, and usually, the Harry Potter Book would come out right before we left. Lake Powell had always been a place I find it easy to read. But this year, I didn't take a Harry Potter book like I always do. I took this book. And I'm upset I did.
This book is A LOT like the previous book. Lots of battles, not a lot of character development. It took me two weeks to even bring myself to finish it. Once again, I'm not sure why. It's not slow, it's not a bad plot, it's not even poorly written. I just have next to no patience reading it.
When I was at Lake Powell, one of the girls we were boating with saw I was reading Seeing Redd, and she pretty much said the exact same thing. No patience. Even she couldn't say why exactly. I still stick to my proposal that it might be that the characters are great but they are always fighting, so I never get to know anything about them other than what side they are fighting for and how well they fight in battle. I just didn't get to love the characters like I wanted to.
It took so long for me to get into this book that it's the only one I have to blog for now, and find myself slightly behind schedule. Luckily I'm starting the 7th Harry Potter today.
So with these 371 pages behind me, I have 5,460 pages to go. Time to get crackin.
Read on,
Jamie
Friday, June 24, 2011
Deadline, City of Fallen Angels
Deadline ~ 316 pages
"You're wrong," Coach says. "I would say that to you. There are a lot of books that I think are trash. There are a lot of books I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I mean, there's a book in the Old Testament that says we're supposed to kill homosexuals. But I don't want the Old Testament banned. I'm pretty sure you can read that book and not go out and kill homosexuals, because you have other information that tells you that's not okay and because you have a brain."
This blog is going to be a bit of a spoiler, so if you've ever wanted to read this book without knowing the end, look away now.
Deadline is about a boy named Ben who finds out right before his Senior year of high school that he only has one year to live. He decides to not tell anyone about it and live that year to it's full extent.
It's the common, "What would you do if you only had one year to live?"question. Ben decides to go out for the football team, talk to the girl of his dreams, and try to change a city built on prejudice. It really does make you think what you would do.
It's not really a happy book. Here comes your spoilers. Ben does die at the end. But I'm glad he does. Not because I think he's a bad person, or I couldn't stand him, but there are a lot of books that promise death at the end and magically heal the protagonist. (Remember the movie Stranger Than Fiction?) Someone else dies too. But they didn't get a heads up. It makes you wonder if you would want to know when you are going to die, if you would tell other people if you did know, if you would try to change your past, or live out the future you don't really have. I may or may not have cried at the end. (I did. But like, one tear.)
While the book specifically mentions this song (click here) , all I could think about when reading it, was this song (click here). The second song is perfect for this book, especially the last verse.
The first half of the book is a lot of football, so if you hate sports you'll have a hard time with the rest of the book, but I encourage you to press forward. Also, if you have a hard time with swearing, this is a gentle warning. It's about high school boys, would you expect any different? I would recommend it to anyone in high school or above. It just makes you think about a lot of things in your own life, but then again, don't most books?
With 316 pages down, I had 6,255 pages left.
Now the moment you've all be waiting for... (But not really)
City of Fallen Angels ~ 424 pages
"Jace's room was as neat as ever --- bed made perfectly, the books that lined the shelves arranged in alphabetical order, notes and textbooks stacked carefully on the desk. The neatness was all very well. It was, Clary had always thought, Jace's way of exerting control over the elements of a life that otherwise might seem overwhelmed with chaos. He had lived so long without knowing who he really was, she could hardly begrudge him the careful alphabetization of his poetry collection."
Book four of the mortal instruments series, City of Fallen Angels, seems like a bit of the black sheep of the series family. All the characters are back, there are even some new protagonists. But as for the bad guys, well, there's like... two demons in this whole book. There is more fighting from the inside the group of friends than from the demonic creatures of the world.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, because I did a bad job blogging the third book, here's your summary/explanation. There are lots of races on "this" earth. There are humans, or as they're called in this series, mudanes. There are Shadowhunters, half human, half angel. There are Vampires and Werewolves and Faries, all half human, half demon called the downworlders. And then there are your demons. The shadowhunter's job is to protect the humans from the demons. The downworlders just kinda chill. And surprise surprise, the humans know nothing about it.
My favorite character is Simon, so I'm glad most of this book in the series is about him. Other than that, it was just kinda... okay. Passable, but not my favorite book of the series by a long stretch. The end of the book is supposed to be a HUGE cliffhanger, but I'm okay with it. Why? Because I saw it coming. In fact, I saw the whole ending coming. And while I'll admit that I didn't see how it would all tie together, it continues to be a book I can... well, I was going to say read like a book but... I can call what's going to happen next, which isn't a bad thing, it's just not the most surprising book ever. But at least it follows it's rules, unlike twilight.
If you like fantasy action at all, you'll like this book series. I would recommend it because it's such an enjoyable read. A good summer fiction series.
424 pages down, 5,831 to go.
Read on,
Jamie
"You're wrong," Coach says. "I would say that to you. There are a lot of books that I think are trash. There are a lot of books I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I mean, there's a book in the Old Testament that says we're supposed to kill homosexuals. But I don't want the Old Testament banned. I'm pretty sure you can read that book and not go out and kill homosexuals, because you have other information that tells you that's not okay and because you have a brain."
This blog is going to be a bit of a spoiler, so if you've ever wanted to read this book without knowing the end, look away now.
Deadline is about a boy named Ben who finds out right before his Senior year of high school that he only has one year to live. He decides to not tell anyone about it and live that year to it's full extent.
It's the common, "What would you do if you only had one year to live?"question. Ben decides to go out for the football team, talk to the girl of his dreams, and try to change a city built on prejudice. It really does make you think what you would do.
It's not really a happy book. Here comes your spoilers. Ben does die at the end. But I'm glad he does. Not because I think he's a bad person, or I couldn't stand him, but there are a lot of books that promise death at the end and magically heal the protagonist. (Remember the movie Stranger Than Fiction?) Someone else dies too. But they didn't get a heads up. It makes you wonder if you would want to know when you are going to die, if you would tell other people if you did know, if you would try to change your past, or live out the future you don't really have. I may or may not have cried at the end. (I did. But like, one tear.)
While the book specifically mentions this song (click here) , all I could think about when reading it, was this song (click here). The second song is perfect for this book, especially the last verse.
The first half of the book is a lot of football, so if you hate sports you'll have a hard time with the rest of the book, but I encourage you to press forward. Also, if you have a hard time with swearing, this is a gentle warning. It's about high school boys, would you expect any different? I would recommend it to anyone in high school or above. It just makes you think about a lot of things in your own life, but then again, don't most books?
With 316 pages down, I had 6,255 pages left.
Now the moment you've all be waiting for... (But not really)
City of Fallen Angels ~ 424 pages
"Jace's room was as neat as ever --- bed made perfectly, the books that lined the shelves arranged in alphabetical order, notes and textbooks stacked carefully on the desk. The neatness was all very well. It was, Clary had always thought, Jace's way of exerting control over the elements of a life that otherwise might seem overwhelmed with chaos. He had lived so long without knowing who he really was, she could hardly begrudge him the careful alphabetization of his poetry collection."
Book four of the mortal instruments series, City of Fallen Angels, seems like a bit of the black sheep of the series family. All the characters are back, there are even some new protagonists. But as for the bad guys, well, there's like... two demons in this whole book. There is more fighting from the inside the group of friends than from the demonic creatures of the world.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, because I did a bad job blogging the third book, here's your summary/explanation. There are lots of races on "this" earth. There are humans, or as they're called in this series, mudanes. There are Shadowhunters, half human, half angel. There are Vampires and Werewolves and Faries, all half human, half demon called the downworlders. And then there are your demons. The shadowhunter's job is to protect the humans from the demons. The downworlders just kinda chill. And surprise surprise, the humans know nothing about it.
My favorite character is Simon, so I'm glad most of this book in the series is about him. Other than that, it was just kinda... okay. Passable, but not my favorite book of the series by a long stretch. The end of the book is supposed to be a HUGE cliffhanger, but I'm okay with it. Why? Because I saw it coming. In fact, I saw the whole ending coming. And while I'll admit that I didn't see how it would all tie together, it continues to be a book I can... well, I was going to say read like a book but... I can call what's going to happen next, which isn't a bad thing, it's just not the most surprising book ever. But at least it follows it's rules, unlike twilight.
If you like fantasy action at all, you'll like this book series. I would recommend it because it's such an enjoyable read. A good summer fiction series.
424 pages down, 5,831 to go.
Read on,
Jamie
Friday, June 10, 2011
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Paper Towns
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister ~ 368 Pages
"In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings. When we grow up, we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats...so now children play our family's shame as a story in the streets."
I don't think the word "book" makes one appearance in this book. But I sure as heck would like to know how many times the words "beauty" or "beautiful" are used.
I swear on my life this is like, the last retelling I'm reading this summer. I really didn't pick out all these books on purpose, and I don't think I've ever read this many in my whole life. (I usually read murder mysteries and historical fiction)
BUT, this is, in fact, another retelling. It comes from the perspective of one of the Ugly Stepsisters from the classic tale of Cinderella. I tried as hard as I could to read this book during the school year, but I only got half way through. I then placed it on my shelf and forgot about it until recently, when I was looking for more books to reread. So I started over.
If you don't like slow stories, this might not be a book for you, but if you like contemplating what true beauty is, you would very much enjoy this book. It just follows the life of Iris, the younger stepsister. This book was written by Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked (which I assume most people know about because of the musical). I think the writing was beautiful, and I loved the last half of the book, but the first half is pretty slow. It felt like I was just waiting for what I knew was going to happen.
After rereading the first half, and finally finishing it, that put 368 pages down, leaving me with 6,876 pages left.
Paper Towns ~ 305 Pages
"It became a weekend of reading, of trying to see her in the fragments of the poem book she'd left for me. I could never get anywhere with the lines, but I kept thinking about them anyway, because I didn't want to disappoint her She wanted me to play out the string...to follow the bread crumb trail until it dead-ended into her."
My summary of this book in a few words: Bad things happen to people, grass.
It's a typical teen angst book. I didn't really realize this till about half way through. The author (John Green) is very talented, but the story is just... typical.
It's from the point of view of Quentin Jacobsen, a senior in high school, who has had a crush on the girl across the street since they were little, Margo. Margo is a free spirit to say the least. She has run away from home a number of times, and she enjoys planning out elaborate clues when she leaves. So one night, she shows up at Quentin's window and tells him they are going on an adventure. They drive around Orlando doing crazy payback things and then they break into Sea World. At the end of the night, Margo says "I'm going to miss hanging out with you." and walks away to her house.
Well, low and behold, she isn't at school the next day, or the next. It turns out, she has run away again. Her parents are furious and decide to change their locks instead of look for their daughter. So Q decides it's his job to decipher the clues and bring her home.
I think this book could have been awesome. I definitely thought it was going in a complete different direction. But at the end, it's so metaphorical and about life and all that teen angst stuff, that I couldn't finish the last three pages till the next day. So it's a cute book. I really liked their night out on the town. The rest of the book is like, "Where did Margo go? I don't know! Maybe this poem will tell me!" And to tell the truth, I figured out how to find her on page 169. Thats 136 pages of me going, "You're so stupid! would you just look right in front of your face???"
I guess I'm just a little disappointed because I thought it was like a murder mystery about 150 pages in, because it gets really creepy. But then it's all angst and tears and beers and driving cross country.
So with 305 more pages down, I'm left with 6,571 pages to go.
In other news, I'm 33rd in line for City of Fallen Angels. That book better be pretty freakin awesome. Also, I don't want you guys to think that I hated any of these books. I really didn't I just tend to say what I didn't like and you can assume that everything else was good and I enjoyed. I think I just make up endings in my head, and if they aren't as good or better, I get disappointed. But once I read a book I hate, you'll know. Trust me. Well that's all for today friends. Hopefully my next blog will include the much anticipated book I've waited over a month for...
Read on,
Jamie
"In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings. When we grow up, we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats...so now children play our family's shame as a story in the streets."
I don't think the word "book" makes one appearance in this book. But I sure as heck would like to know how many times the words "beauty" or "beautiful" are used.
I swear on my life this is like, the last retelling I'm reading this summer. I really didn't pick out all these books on purpose, and I don't think I've ever read this many in my whole life. (I usually read murder mysteries and historical fiction)
BUT, this is, in fact, another retelling. It comes from the perspective of one of the Ugly Stepsisters from the classic tale of Cinderella. I tried as hard as I could to read this book during the school year, but I only got half way through. I then placed it on my shelf and forgot about it until recently, when I was looking for more books to reread. So I started over.
If you don't like slow stories, this might not be a book for you, but if you like contemplating what true beauty is, you would very much enjoy this book. It just follows the life of Iris, the younger stepsister. This book was written by Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked (which I assume most people know about because of the musical). I think the writing was beautiful, and I loved the last half of the book, but the first half is pretty slow. It felt like I was just waiting for what I knew was going to happen.
After rereading the first half, and finally finishing it, that put 368 pages down, leaving me with 6,876 pages left.
Paper Towns ~ 305 Pages
"It became a weekend of reading, of trying to see her in the fragments of the poem book she'd left for me. I could never get anywhere with the lines, but I kept thinking about them anyway, because I didn't want to disappoint her She wanted me to play out the string...to follow the bread crumb trail until it dead-ended into her."
My summary of this book in a few words: Bad things happen to people, grass.
It's a typical teen angst book. I didn't really realize this till about half way through. The author (John Green) is very talented, but the story is just... typical.
It's from the point of view of Quentin Jacobsen, a senior in high school, who has had a crush on the girl across the street since they were little, Margo. Margo is a free spirit to say the least. She has run away from home a number of times, and she enjoys planning out elaborate clues when she leaves. So one night, she shows up at Quentin's window and tells him they are going on an adventure. They drive around Orlando doing crazy payback things and then they break into Sea World. At the end of the night, Margo says "I'm going to miss hanging out with you." and walks away to her house.
Well, low and behold, she isn't at school the next day, or the next. It turns out, she has run away again. Her parents are furious and decide to change their locks instead of look for their daughter. So Q decides it's his job to decipher the clues and bring her home.
I think this book could have been awesome. I definitely thought it was going in a complete different direction. But at the end, it's so metaphorical and about life and all that teen angst stuff, that I couldn't finish the last three pages till the next day. So it's a cute book. I really liked their night out on the town. The rest of the book is like, "Where did Margo go? I don't know! Maybe this poem will tell me!" And to tell the truth, I figured out how to find her on page 169. Thats 136 pages of me going, "You're so stupid! would you just look right in front of your face???"
I guess I'm just a little disappointed because I thought it was like a murder mystery about 150 pages in, because it gets really creepy. But then it's all angst and tears and beers and driving cross country.
So with 305 more pages down, I'm left with 6,571 pages to go.
In other news, I'm 33rd in line for City of Fallen Angels. That book better be pretty freakin awesome. Also, I don't want you guys to think that I hated any of these books. I really didn't I just tend to say what I didn't like and you can assume that everything else was good and I enjoyed. I think I just make up endings in my head, and if they aren't as good or better, I get disappointed. But once I read a book I hate, you'll know. Trust me. Well that's all for today friends. Hopefully my next blog will include the much anticipated book I've waited over a month for...
Read on,
Jamie
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Looking Glass Wars
The Looking Glass Wars ~ 358 Pages
The grinning Cheshire cat. The mad tea party. He'd transformed her memories of a world alive with hope and possibility and danger into make-believe, the foolish stuff of children. He was just another in a long line of unbelievers and this--this stupid, nonsensical book--was how he made fun of her. She had never felt more betrayed in all her life.
Well, once upon a time, I went to California. I also was very busy. During that time, I didn't read anything. So I only have one book to offer for this post. It's okay though, I didn't expect to always blog two books at a time.
I promise, I don't only read rewritings, or different versions of classic stories; but this is, in fact, another one of those. The Looking Glass Wars is the "true" story of Alyss (yes, Alyss, not Alice) the Princess of Wonderland. It follows her from her seventh birthday to the age of twenty.
There is A LOT of action in this book. In fact, I don't think there are very many down moments at all. There are 56 Chapters, so they are all very short, and it's a quick read. Kind of. It took me a while to get into it. I did request the next book, (it's a trilogy) but quite honestly, I don't know if I'm going to read it. It wasn't bad. I just couldn't focus on it for very long. I think it was because I wanted to know and like the characters, but I never really got the chance to do either of those things.
If you like Alice in Wonderland retellings, I think you would like this book. The author did a TON of background work to make sure everything was historically and literarily correct. I will say, I love what the author (Frank Beddor) did with the "Cheshire cat". SPOILER ALERT. He's evil. And I love that he is. Even though I thought and hoped he would be a good guy, I liked it this way more.
So, it's a good book, just not exactly my cup of tea. With 358 pages down, I have 7,244 pages left.
I just replenished by book supply yesterday, and I may have gone a little overboard. I have five books coming form the library, and three at my house right now... hopefully I can get back into the swing of reading again. (I'm now 69th in line for City of Fallen Angels, just so you know)
Read on,
Jamie
The grinning Cheshire cat. The mad tea party. He'd transformed her memories of a world alive with hope and possibility and danger into make-believe, the foolish stuff of children. He was just another in a long line of unbelievers and this--this stupid, nonsensical book--was how he made fun of her. She had never felt more betrayed in all her life.
Well, once upon a time, I went to California. I also was very busy. During that time, I didn't read anything. So I only have one book to offer for this post. It's okay though, I didn't expect to always blog two books at a time.
I promise, I don't only read rewritings, or different versions of classic stories; but this is, in fact, another one of those. The Looking Glass Wars is the "true" story of Alyss (yes, Alyss, not Alice) the Princess of Wonderland. It follows her from her seventh birthday to the age of twenty.
There is A LOT of action in this book. In fact, I don't think there are very many down moments at all. There are 56 Chapters, so they are all very short, and it's a quick read. Kind of. It took me a while to get into it. I did request the next book, (it's a trilogy) but quite honestly, I don't know if I'm going to read it. It wasn't bad. I just couldn't focus on it for very long. I think it was because I wanted to know and like the characters, but I never really got the chance to do either of those things.
If you like Alice in Wonderland retellings, I think you would like this book. The author did a TON of background work to make sure everything was historically and literarily correct. I will say, I love what the author (Frank Beddor) did with the "Cheshire cat". SPOILER ALERT. He's evil. And I love that he is. Even though I thought and hoped he would be a good guy, I liked it this way more.
So, it's a good book, just not exactly my cup of tea. With 358 pages down, I have 7,244 pages left.
I just replenished by book supply yesterday, and I may have gone a little overboard. I have five books coming form the library, and three at my house right now... hopefully I can get back into the swing of reading again. (I'm now 69th in line for City of Fallen Angels, just so you know)
Read on,
Jamie
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Goose Girl, A Northern Light
The Goose Girl ~ 383 Pages
"When she mentioned how much time she sat alone; the next day Geric brought her books on Bayern History, and some tales of courtly love, evil, and justice. He was afraid at first that he had erred again and that she had never learned to read, and then he was relieved that she had."
Here's another retelling of (what else) The Goose Girl, by the Brothers Grimm, by Shannon Hale. I have reread this book a bunch of times, and it never gets old. I love this book because it stays so true and close to the original story, and yet it is it's own story. I love Shannon Hale because she makes things like talking to animals and commanding the elements seem like normal, because it all makes sense. I think everyone would enjoy this book, even if you don't like fantasy. I know most people have read this book, because it was really popular about four years ago, but if you haven't, I recommend it.
Some people say it's too gruesome for people to read, to which I say, do you know nothing of the real story? It's a Brothers Grim story. It's not exactly without some gore. But it's not disgusting or over descriptive. I didn't even notice it, but some reviews make is sound awful. It's not.
I don't have much else to say. Shannon Hale actually made this book the first of four in a series, each book about a different character. (Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born.) I haven't read Forest Born, but I think I'm going to put it on hold today.
The Goose Girl is 383 pages, so when I finished it, I had 7,982 pages left.
A Northern Light ~ 380 Pages
I smiled, thinking that my teacher sure was dramatic.
"Cripes, Miss Wilcox, they're not guns," I said.
"No, they're not, Mattie, they're books. And a hundred times more dangerous."
I actually read this book first, but I wanted to blog it second because don't they say "last the best of all the game"? To say I enjoyed this book would be an gross understatement.
When I put this book on hold because of a recommendation, I thought it was a typical murder mystery. It has a death, but it's not about that. The murder in the book is a true story. The letters in the book are the real letters. But it's not about solving the murder, it's not about who-done-it. It's about a young woman, and trying to survive and become something in a small town in 1906.
It's about Mattie Gokey, and her dream of going to college. It's about what is acceptable to your society, as opposed to what you think is right. It's about keeping promises that may hurt you. It's about racism. It's about what love really is, and what it really isn't. It's about coming of age. It's about hope. It's about books.
I don't even know what to say. This book reminded me of my favorite book, (The Book Thief) even though the subjects have almost nothing in common. It's just written so well.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone. Especially girls at a turning point in their lives. I know I'll reread this book sometime in the future. Long story short; amazingly talented author, awesome book, good read. 7,602 pages to go.
p.s. I'm 205th now for City of Fallen Angels
Read on,
Jamie
"When she mentioned how much time she sat alone; the next day Geric brought her books on Bayern History, and some tales of courtly love, evil, and justice. He was afraid at first that he had erred again and that she had never learned to read, and then he was relieved that she had."
Here's another retelling of (what else) The Goose Girl, by the Brothers Grimm, by Shannon Hale. I have reread this book a bunch of times, and it never gets old. I love this book because it stays so true and close to the original story, and yet it is it's own story. I love Shannon Hale because she makes things like talking to animals and commanding the elements seem like normal, because it all makes sense. I think everyone would enjoy this book, even if you don't like fantasy. I know most people have read this book, because it was really popular about four years ago, but if you haven't, I recommend it.
Some people say it's too gruesome for people to read, to which I say, do you know nothing of the real story? It's a Brothers Grim story. It's not exactly without some gore. But it's not disgusting or over descriptive. I didn't even notice it, but some reviews make is sound awful. It's not.
I don't have much else to say. Shannon Hale actually made this book the first of four in a series, each book about a different character. (Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born.) I haven't read Forest Born, but I think I'm going to put it on hold today.
The Goose Girl is 383 pages, so when I finished it, I had 7,982 pages left.
A Northern Light ~ 380 Pages
I smiled, thinking that my teacher sure was dramatic.
"Cripes, Miss Wilcox, they're not guns," I said.
"No, they're not, Mattie, they're books. And a hundred times more dangerous."
I actually read this book first, but I wanted to blog it second because don't they say "last the best of all the game"? To say I enjoyed this book would be an gross understatement.
When I put this book on hold because of a recommendation, I thought it was a typical murder mystery. It has a death, but it's not about that. The murder in the book is a true story. The letters in the book are the real letters. But it's not about solving the murder, it's not about who-done-it. It's about a young woman, and trying to survive and become something in a small town in 1906.
It's about Mattie Gokey, and her dream of going to college. It's about what is acceptable to your society, as opposed to what you think is right. It's about keeping promises that may hurt you. It's about racism. It's about what love really is, and what it really isn't. It's about coming of age. It's about hope. It's about books.
I don't even know what to say. This book reminded me of my favorite book, (The Book Thief) even though the subjects have almost nothing in common. It's just written so well.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone. Especially girls at a turning point in their lives. I know I'll reread this book sometime in the future. Long story short; amazingly talented author, awesome book, good read. 7,602 pages to go.
p.s. I'm 205th now for City of Fallen Angels
Read on,
Jamie
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Beauty, A Kiss in Time
Beauty ~ 247 Pages
“Most of these books haven’t been written yet.” I looked at him stupidly, Kim still in my hand. “But don’t worry, they will be.” He said.
Both of the books I read this weekend were retellings of fairytales. Beauty is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I’ve read quite a bit of these kinds of books, and while I do enjoy them and the creativity, it’s always kind of uninteresting to me in a way another book wouldn’t be because I know how the story goes. So I don’t only know the ending, I know the whole story.
I read another retelling of Beauty and the Beast about a year and a half ago titled Beastly. I know it was recently released as a movie (which I haven’t seen yet, but heard it’s not very good) but I think anyone who likes the Beauty and the Beast story should read that one too. I’ll tell you why I liked that one more. First, I really liked that Beastly was from the Beast’s point of view instead of the overused Beauty’s. Second, it takes place in our time, so it’s not exactly the same as the fairy tale, and lastly, because there’s more dialogue and interaction between the characters in Beastly.
I love descriptions as much as the next person, but at the end of the book I felt as if I knew more about the castle than the Beast. Not to mention that you don’t even meet the Beast until page 114, and in a book that’s only 247 pages long, that’s a large portion of the book. Now, I don’t think I would have minded this much at all if the ending hadn’t been kinda, well… crappy. Beauty saves Beast from “dying “and the story ends all in 12 pages. It took 15 pages to describe the room she was staying in. (I’m not exaggerating, I counted.) Not to mention, she “saved” him by saying, “Wake up my love.” And that was that.
I’m not saying it was bad. I enjoyed it, I really did. I just wanted something… more climactic. I guess it is supposed to be a children’s book. When I finished Beauty, I had 8,736 pages left.
A Kiss in Time ~ 371 pages
"They’re talking about books. My mother loves to talk about books, but Talia’s so old that she wouldn’t have read most of the books Mom knows. The King James Bible was a new book in Talia’s time!"
A Kiss in Time is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and it’s actually by the same author that wrote Beastly. It tells what would happen if Sleeping Beauty was woken up in our times.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Sleeping Beauty, and since reading Beastly and seeing that the author rewrote SL, I’ve wanted to read this book. I wasn’t let down. I really enjoyed this book, and it kind of reminded me of the movie Enchanted. When the princess (Talia) is woken and (spoiler alert) runs of with the boy who saved her (Jack), she enters our world after being asleep for three hundred years. Naturally, everything is foreign to her. The scenes where she has no idea what’s going on are some of my favorites.
It’s a quick easy read and I read it in one day. It’s a fun book if you like retellings. It switches back and forth between Talia’s and Jack’s points of view, making it more interesting to read. It’s also 371 pages, which leaves me with 8,365 pages to go.
I actually read Beauty while I was a Lake Powell for three days. But since I knew I would finish it, (and the books I put on hold at the library weren’t there yet) I took Inkspell. Inkspell is 635 pages, and I read a little over fifty pages while I was there, but I don’t know if I’m going to finish it. I hope to, but if I don’t get to it, I’ll add those pages on later. For now, I have another book while waiting for two at the library. (I’m now in 259th place for City of Fallen Angels)
Read On,
Jamie
Thursday, May 5, 2011
City of Glass, Clockwork Angel
City of Glass ~ 541 Pages
"I'll just have them change the entry in the demonology text book from 'almost extinct' to 'not extinct enough for Alec. He prefers his monsters really, really extinct.' Will that make you happy?”
I started reading the Mortal Instruments Series around the tenth of April. My Aunt Stephanie recommended them to me, and so I put City of Bones (the first book) on hold at the library. City of Glass is the third book of the series that was intended to be a trilogy. Of the three books, (City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass) this one was my favorite. Cassandra Clare has a wonderful talent for developing characters, and her writing gets better each book she puts out. Now, she has put out another book with the same characters titled City of Fallen Angels. I’m currently 296 on the waiting list for it, so it’ll be blogged later on. From what I could find out on her web site, it’s like another chapter in the character’s lives. Not really in the trilogy, but it is… if that makes any sense.
I can’t really talk too much about the third book without giving away the rest of the series, but it continues to tell the story of Clary, Jace, Simon, Alec, Isabelle, and others.
I would recommend this series to people who like adventure novels; it certainly never really gets boring. And while I can say, I did call a lot of the “surprises” it’s not always predictable. There is a lot of action and romance and suspense, and it keeps you entertained.
City of Glass is the book I began reading on the 27th, so I won’t count the other books in the series in my page count, but City of Glass was 541 pages. So when I finished that book, I had 9,459 pages to go. And the next book I read was…
Clockwork Angel ~ 476 Pages
“One must always be careful of books,” said Tessa, “and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”
“I’m not sure a book has ever changed me,” said Will. “Well there is one volume that promised to teach one how to turn oneself into an entire flock of sheep-”
“Only the weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry,” said Tessa., determined not to let him run wildly off with the conversation.
“Of course, why one would want to be an entire flock of sheep is another matter entirely, ” Will finished.
I put Clockwork Angel on hold the same time as City of Glass, because Clockwork Angel is a prequel to the Mortal Instruments Series. At first, I didn’t know which one to read first, assuming that Clockwork Angel would be about Luke or Clary’s mother. Luckily I read it after City of Glass so it was easier to understand and therefore more entertaining.
Well, I didn’t get anything like I expected when I read Clockwork Angel. This book actually takes place in the late 1800’s in London. While the same world of Demons and Demon hunters (called shadowhunters) still exists, it’s not like the Mortal Instruments series that takes place in present day New York. But I still loved it. I can’t tell how this series relates to the MI series without giving away a TON of spoilers, so I won’t, and I would recommend reading it AFTER the whole MI series, that way you’re not confused and you get how it connects.
Clockwork Angel is now going to be the first book in the Infernal Devices series. You following me?
Infernal Devices Series (Prequel to MI series, which you read after)
-Clockwork Angel
*-Clockwork Prince
*-Clockwork Princess
Mortal Instruments Series
-City of Bones
-City of Ashes
-City of Glass
(second Trilogy of Mortal Instruments Series)
-City of Fallen Angels
*-City of Lost Souls
*-City of Heavenly Fire
* = Not released yet
Okay, now that that is over…
I loved this book, and I can’t wait for the rest of this series. (Warning!!! This book ends with a serious cliff hanger…) The next book (Clockwork Prince) comes out in December, so obviously it won’t be included in this summer page count. Clockwork Angel was 476 pages, so after this book, I’m left with 8,983 pages to go!
That’s all for today! Thanks for reading. I have 4 books waiting for me at the Library, and two books at my house now, but I would still like to hear your favorite books for ideas. THANK YOU!
Read on,
Jamie
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
10,000 Page Summer : Chapter 1 - The idea
Summer.
So many wonderful spectacular things happen in the summer. There are more than a page full of reasons summer is my favorite season. But very near the top of that list I can say, is that I get time to read books. I only got to read a handful of books this school year, and it kinda depressed me. So, I came up with an idea. I will read 10,000 pages this summer.
Now you may ask, "Why are you counting pages instead of books?" Simple. Books come is so many different lengths, it would be easy to read the whole magic tree house series (as I did in third grade) and say, "I finished over 50 books this summer!" But since I plan on re-reading Harry Potter 7, (759 pages) and other long novels, it would be more fair to me to count pages.
No worries, if you want to know what I'm reading, and where I am on my goal, check in here. I would love some suggestions of your favorite books to give me ideas.
Now technically, my summer began a week ago. So I'm counting the books I've read since then in my page count, but nothing before the 27th of April. (I'll blog those books likely tomorrow to get caught up)
Peace out Book Worms!
Jamie
So many wonderful spectacular things happen in the summer. There are more than a page full of reasons summer is my favorite season. But very near the top of that list I can say, is that I get time to read books. I only got to read a handful of books this school year, and it kinda depressed me. So, I came up with an idea. I will read 10,000 pages this summer.
Now you may ask, "Why are you counting pages instead of books?" Simple. Books come is so many different lengths, it would be easy to read the whole magic tree house series (as I did in third grade) and say, "I finished over 50 books this summer!" But since I plan on re-reading Harry Potter 7, (759 pages) and other long novels, it would be more fair to me to count pages.
No worries, if you want to know what I'm reading, and where I am on my goal, check in here. I would love some suggestions of your favorite books to give me ideas.
Now technically, my summer began a week ago. So I'm counting the books I've read since then in my page count, but nothing before the 27th of April. (I'll blog those books likely tomorrow to get caught up)
Peace out Book Worms!
Jamie
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