Interesting Read

I admit that I am probably way too old to be reading Young Adult literature, but I can't help it. The most recent book that I've read of this genre is Divergent by Veronica Roth.

This is the first in a trilogy of a dystopian world where teens are forced to make decisions about their life paths and how fractured their current society is. Here is what is written on Amazon's website:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue -- Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is -- she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are -- and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves....or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series -- dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.  

I'll try not to give anything away, but the plot is basically that Tris, the protagonist, chooses to leave her family to join a different faction and danger and intrigue ensue. From what I gather, Chicago experienced some sort of civil war and in an effort to save humanity or something, the people divided up into five different factions based on their personalities. They then have colors that they wear and an area of town where they live and rituals and traditions that they honor....and as I'm typing this it is sounding more and more like gangs, but whatever. So the five factions are, as mentioned above:

Candor - Who are always honest and unable to tell lies, but they are also really good at reading somebody else's tells when they are lying. Candor always wear black and white.
Abnegation - Who are selfless and always give of themselves for others. They never put themselves first. They do not have mirrors, do not ask questions for idle curiosity, do not show affection, are not loud or imposing. They wear only dull, grey clothes.
Dauntless - This is the faction of warriors. They are "brave" and adrenaline junkies and spend their time confronting their fears and beating one another up to see who is the best. They wear black clothes and bedazzle themselves with piercings and tattoos.
Amity - These are the peaceful ones. They work in the fields and provide the food for all the factions. They are calm and enjoy the outdoors. They are allowed to be self-indulgent and practice the arts, sing, laugh, and tend the fields. They wear reds and yellows...happy, sunny colors. They also don't want to ruffle feathers and will not takes sides.
Erudite - These are the intellectuals. They favor knowledge over all else. Their colors are blue and white.

Personally, I think I would probably choose to go with Amity...

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 26

Today, I am grateful for audiobooks. I know, weird thing to be grateful for, but I do enjoy them as I can listen to one while I'm doing other things, like working on reports at the office or designing and putting together a quilt at home. If it didn't confuse me, I would listen to one while I was reading another book.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13

Today I want to express my gratitude for the written word. I love books. I love physical books that I have stacked on the bedside, coffee table, shelves, etc. and I love my electronic books on my Kindle that I flip through reading off and on. I love going out to Amazon.com and perusing what books they have recommended for me. When I'm in Target, I wander through the book aisle. If I'm at a mall, I will swing through a Barnes and Noble just because. I love books.

Sadly, I do not have a library card because, well, I don't like to read books that have been man-handled by other people. My parents are BIG library book borrowers, which is great for them. I just can't do it. I'm like George Kastanza from Seinfeld who got in trouble for taking a book into the restroom at the book store...I imagine everybody takes their books to the bathroom, especially library books and I just don't want to think about it. 

Practical Magic

I just finished Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic and LOVED IT!!!

It is VERY different than the movie, although it makes me want to see the movie again. It makes me want to believe in love and magic and love....sigh.

I highly recommend it!!

Banned Book Week

The 30th Annual Banned Books Week started yesterday. We all need to remember to be vigilant about protecting our First Amendment Right and fight back against the banning of books from our schools and our libraries. You may make the decision for yourself and your children to not read a particular book, but DO NOT push your choices for literature on me. I will decide for myself.

Just to give you an idea of what books have been banned in the past, here are some of the classics...many of which I'm sure you have read.

• The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger
• The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
• The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
• Ulysses, by James Joyce
• Beloved, by Toni Morrison
• The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
• 1984, by George Orwell
• Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
• Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
• Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
• Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
• Animal Farm, by George Orwell
• The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
• As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
• A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway
• Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
• Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
• Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

The list goes on. If you would like to find out what other classics have been banned through the years and why, go to the Top 100 Banned and/or Challenged Classics link on the American Library Association website.

Can you imagine how less rich your reading experience would be without these books?!?

Mill River Recluse

I finished reading The Mill River Recluse last night and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this 99 cent Kindle book. Quick synopsis of the story: 

Disfigured by the blow of an abusive husband, and suffering her entire life with severe social anxiety disorder, the widow Mary McAllister spends almost sixty years secluded in a white marble mansion overlooking the town of Mill River, Vermont. Her links to the outside world are few: the mail, the media, an elderly priest with a guilty habit of pilfering spoons, and a bedroom window with a view of the town below.  

Most longtime residents of Mill River consider the marble house and its occupant peculiar, though insignificant, fixtures. An arsonist, a covetous nurse and the endearing village idiot are among the few who have ever seen Mary. Newcomers to Mill River - a police officer and his daughter a anew fourth grade teacher - are also curious about the reclusive old woman. But only Father Michael O'Brien knows Mary and the secret she keeps - on that, once revealed, will change all of their lives forever. 

Okay, so when I first read that, I was thinking this might be a good mystery of psychological thriller. It turns out it isn't. Instead, it is a really touching story of learning to accept people, flaws and all. Nobody is perfect. Nobody will ever be perfect. Everybody has their own uniqueness that deserves love and acceptance and we need to start with finding that within ourselves first. 

This is a quick and easy read, though as I said, so not what I was expecting, that I think would be great for anybody to read through on a cold, rainy weekend...when there is no football on. 

August Blog Challenge Day 28

Today's challenge is to document 5 books that I would recommend and why. Hmmm, this might be tough. I have read, and forgotten, so many books and even though I have a lot of books that I really loved, I'm not certain they would be 'worthy' of recommending to others. But, here are some books that I can recall that I think at least some of you out there might also appreciate.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Classic novel. Great story. If you have missed reading this, you are a fool. I think everybody should read this book....and see the movie.

2. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore - I have spoken about this book in the past. It is just one of those books that made me laugh out loud. I'm sure a lot of people would find it offensive as it is a little sacrilegious, but it is still funny.

3. The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco - I first read these books in my "Mystery as Literature" class in college. Again, some may find them walking the edge of sacrilegious, but I don't care. They are suspenseful and intriguing and keep your mind occupied while you are engrossed in them. They would probably fall into the "can't put down" category.

4. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - This book, and the whole Thursday Next series of which this is the first, are great books for literary aficionados, and others as well. I love the play on words and ideas through out this series. However, it is also just full of fluff and nutter, which I also love.

5. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - This goes back to my childhood reading, obviously. But I love this book and think it is one of those great books that teaches you to accept creatures no matter what they look like and to not take a blanket view of somebody just because of your history with people "like" them. You should accept everyone as an individual. I mean, even the rat turned out to be pretty decent....oh and of course I cried at the end.

August Blog Challenge Day 26

Today's challenge is to discuss 5 books that are currently in your "to read" stack. Well, I have A LOT more than 5 books in my "to read" stack, so instead, I'll post about the books that I'm currently in the process of reading, and yes, I am reading more than one at a time.... 1. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman - I am so in love with this book, and to be totally honest with you since I am writing some of these posts ahead of time by the time you are reading this post I will have already finished this book. 2. The Twilight of Lake Woebegotten by Harrison Geillor - This is a spoof on the Twilight series as well as the radio program Lake Wobegon by Garrison Keillor. It is an okay book, don't think I would recommend it to many folks, but I am enjoying the light read. 3. The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide - This is providing me some knowledge in preparation for my next path. 4. The Minstrel Boy by Laura Vosika - Entertaining book. It is the second in the Bluebells Series, which nobody has probably heard of as it is something that I just stumbled across. Again, not something that I would highly recommend but I am enjoying the read. 5. Teaching the Dog to Think by Kimberly Davis - This was a recommendation from my Mom and it too is interesting. It is helping me to better understand how to work with Leo to, hopefully, make him a better behaved beast. All of these books are on my Kindle, which is where I have most of the books that I read anymore. Perhaps I need to go visit my shelf of books and select something from there to read next....

Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors

I just finished the book Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors (A Duck & Cover Adventure) by Benjamin Wallace.

Oh My God...What a funny book!! I highly recommend this to anybody who needs a quick read. The Amazon.com description is:

The post-apocalyptic world isn't that bad. Sure, there are mutants. But, for the people of New Hope, daily life isn't so much a struggle of finding food or medicines as it is trying to find a new shortstop for their kickball team.  

This makes it difficult for a post-apocalyptic warrior to find work.  

Thankfully, an army full of killers is making its way to the peaceful town and plans to raze it to the ground. Only a fully trained post-apocalyptic-nomadic warrior can stop them.  

Two have offered their services. One is invited to help. The other is sent to roam the wasteland. Did the townspeople make the right decision? Will they be saved? Did they find a shortstop? What's with all the bears?  

Find out in Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors, a fast-paced action and adventure novel set in a horrific future that doesn't take itself too seriously. 

This really was a fast read and I enjoyed it immensely. I read it on my Kindle (I don't even know if there are printed copies of it). For the price, I give it two thumbs up (three if only I were a mutant). 

Same Kind of Different as Me

I know that I haven't been posting my completed reading this year, partially because I haven't been posting much of anything and partially because I haven't been doing a whole lot of reading. I have been listening to a number of books on tape, but this post isn't really about that.

Today's post is about a book that I just finished last night called Same Kind of Different as Me.

Now, I'm not a religious person, but did find this to be a really good book and very moving. The amazing thing is that this is a true story and takes place right here in the DFW area. This book was recommended to me by one of the nurses or volunteer folks at Harris Hospital when we (my mom and sister) were hanging out waiting for my Dad to get out of his surgery in January. It was recommended because my Dad's surgeon is mentioned in the book and we had been talking about what a nice person he is, however, as I read the book, it turns out that not only is Dad's surgeon, Dr. Senter, mentioned but also his other doctor, Dr. Redrow.

I would really recommend this book to folks. While it is very heavy handed with the religiousness, I am willing to look past that to the core meaning of the book, which is to look past the exterior "cover" of a person and into who they really are and that people, when given the opportunity, will sometimes really surprise you.

2011 - Book 32 - The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

This is another one that I didn't finish this year, and probably won't. The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana is one of Umberto Eco's fictional works and while I love some of his stuff (e.g., The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum) but the last couple of his fiction works that I've read, including this one has felt like I'm reading something for school. Perhaps my mind has spent too much time reading the empty calories of works like the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series and gone all soft...but at the moment, I'm okay with that. However, here is the book description:

What if you woke up tomorrow and remembered nothing of your life? The faces of your spouse and children are strange, and the outlines of your childhood are only a blur. This is the crisis that Yambo, an Italian book seller, faces when he regains consciousness after suffering a stroke. He is shocked to find, however, that he can remember every book he has ever read, every line of poetry, and a wealth of literary quotations.

Desperate to retrieve his past, he searches through boxes of old newspapers, comics, records, photo albums, and adolescent diaries. And so Yambo relives the story of his generation: Mussolini, Catholic education and guilt, Josephine Baker, Flash Gordon, Fred Astaire. His memories run wild, and life races before him in a series of images, as Yambo struggles to capture the most elusive one - that of his first love.

Don't get me wrong, this is actually a really good book and as so much of Eco's works is well written. The premise behind it is really intriguing and does make you stop and think and wonder "what if..." but, at this time in my life, I'm just sorta happy reading the mind candy that I've spent much of the year reading.

2011 - Book 31 - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Okay, I didn't actually finish Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I made it to page 181 out of 253. I made a promise to myself that I would not feel obligated to finish every book that I started if it doesn't grab me, although with less than 80 pages left part of me thinks maybe I SHOULD suck it up and finish it. I made a really good try at this, but i just never felt the need to finish it. Here is the description, if you faithful readers wish to pick it up and make a go at it.

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or "old same," in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she has written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They both endure the agony of footbinding and together reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Well, I understand they are making this into a movie.... I'll wait and see the movie to find out what the misunderstanding is....

2011 - Book 30 - The Dirty Parts of the Bible

Same Torode's book, The Dirty Parts of the Bible, is a good read, and actually not too blasphemous. Description:

It's 1936 and 19-year-old Tobias Henry is stuck in the frozen hinterlands of Michigan. Tobias is obsessed with two things: God and girls.

Mostly girls.

But being a Baptist preacher's son, he can't escape God.

When his father is blinded in a bizarre accident, Tobias rides the rails in search of a lost fortune. Along the way, he is initiated into the hobo brotherhood by Craw, a ribald yet wise black man. Obstacles arise in the form of a saucy prostitute, a giant catfish, and a flaming boxcar. But when he meets Sarah, a tough Texas farm girl under a dark curse, he finds out that the greatest challenge of all is love.

I really liked this book. First, because it does have that blasphemous flavor. Second, because it takes place in Glen Rose, TX, which is just down the road from here. Third, because it is actually a really good story and in the end that is what counts. If you can get your hands on this, I highly recommend it.

2011 - Book 29 - Dumb White Husband vs. The Grocery Store

Okay, so technically, this is a short story, but I read it on the Kindle, so I'm counting it as a book...

Dumb White Husband vs. The Grocery Store by Benjamin Wallace is the first in a series of such short stories. Description:

John is a dumb white husband. That is to say that he loves and cares for his family, is successful in his career, popular around the neighborhood, can dress himself (often without injury) and is capable of reasonable thought. Demographically however, he functions likes a 4-year-old that can't quite master the intricacies of the potty.

It isn't his fault. He studied hard and got a college degree. He works hard and earns a comfortable living. But, like all other dumb white husbands, he leads a dual life; competent member of society by day, helpless male by night, weekends, and holidays.

He has served for years as the nervous legal department-approved foil of commercials, TV and movies. And, for this service, we thank him. No one has ever cared to look inside the mind of the dumb white husband - probably for fear of what we might find - but, if we took a minute to consider it, we may see that he's not as dumb as we all think. But, he probably is.

In this adventure, Dumb White Husband goes to the grocery store.

Well, it is a cute short story, although the description is almost as long as the actual story. I give it a thumb up, although I do find husband versus wife dichotomy a little trying. Perhaps I find it trying because I do not have a husband of my own, but I really doubt if that is what real middle-class WASP relationships are like...but what do I know.

2011 - Book 28 - Heartless

So, I am way behind on blogging about my reading, and other things, so here I go trying to catch up. I finished the third book in the Parasol Protectorate series, Heartless, over Thanksgiving. Here is a quick look at the book description:

Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight-months pregnant.

Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

Like the others in this series, it is a light, easy read that brings joy and not much of challenge, and I'm pretty good with that. The next in this series hasn't been published yet, but I do have it on my list to purchase when it does come out. However, I am again reminded as to how many story lines these days pit werewolves against vampires....that theme seems to be every where lately.

2011 - Book 27 - Blameless

As I'm sure you have gathered, I've been doing a lot of reading lately. As soon as I finished Changeless, I dove directly into Blameless, the third in the Parasol Protectorate series.

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.
Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attached by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.
While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain to her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

Again, great mind-candy kind of book. Not very challenging and yet very entertaining. Lots of steampunk visuals and hand-to-parasol combat. At the heart of this series is a love story and a girl's search for who she really is. There are two more in this series and I'm about to begin the fourth book....sadly, the fifth book will not be available until March of 2012, but I already have it on my wishlist!!

Oh, and now I'm hungry for pesto....

2011 Book 26 - Changeless

I just finished another trip to DC and while on the trip, I read Changeless, the second book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. Here is a quick description of the book:

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.
But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest in fashion, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.
She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

This is a very fanciful series that I am completely addicted to. It is all very far-fetched and proper English. The characters are fun and the intrigue is well, intriguing. This series is a very fast read, which may also be why I am enjoying them as much as I am. I would give this book, and the series as a whole, the better part of two thumbs up. I would recommend them to only those people that I know who might have an interest in steampunk literature and who don't have a need to be overly challenged by their books.

2011 Book 25 - Mockingjay

I actually finished this book a couple of weeks ago on a bus trip to Houston and back with my mom. And, I know that I've been a really bad blogger, again, but to be honest, work just has me flumoxed and not really in the mood to write about anything. However, I will document my reading. Mockingjay, the final book the Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy was great. Oh wait, let me give you the bookjacket first:

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans – except Katniss. The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels Mockingjay – no matter what the personal cost.

As I was saying, this final book was really great, as were all of the books in this series. All three of these books were highly entertaining and really hard to put down. As stated at after I finished Catching Fire, I am now very much looking forward to how these are going to be portrayed on film. I also have a hard time looking at these books as 'young adult' as they are extremely violent. I give all of these books two thumbs up and a 'heck yeah, you should read them!' In fact, my niece, whose copies I was borrowing, has requested that they be returned as she wants to read them again.

2011 Book 24 - Catching Fire

Today I finished the second book in Suzanne Collins Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire. I know there was a long stretch between the first, The Hunger Games and this one being read, but I don't intend to have such a span between this and the third as I'm very excited to find out how things end. However, let me first give you the synopsis from the book jacket:

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District
12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothin is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I give this book and the whole series thus far, two huge thumbs up. If I could shut off the rest of the world and just curl up with these books, I would in a heartbeat. I'm also very much looking forward to how the movies are going to turn out, as they are making a movie of this to come out in March 2012. I am curious, though, how they are actually going to do this movie and not make it Rated R based on the violence and cruelty that the books actuaully address.

2011 Book 23 - Winter Sea

Susanna Kearsley's book The Winter Sea was my most recent completion. Here is the back of the book write-up:

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobian fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.
Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.
But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth - the ultimate betrayal - that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

I found this to be a great book. However, when I just read what was written on the back, I don't really see where that all comes from. I highly recommend this book. It made me smile and cry and smile.