A new fantasy series from the author of The Sword of Angels.
Steam trains and electricity are rapidly changing the world. Moth of Calio is obsessed with the airships developed by his friend Fiona's grandfather Rendor, and dreams of taking to the air one day like his heroes, the Skyknights.
But not everyone is happy to see humans reach the skies. For thousands of years, the mysterious and powerful race known as the Skylords have jealously guarded their heavenly domain. But Moth and Fiona are about to breach the magical boundary between the world of humans and the world of the Skylords.
Ever had a book that you know you are going to enjoy, but each time you pick up you have a really hard time getting into it? This is one such book. This is the second time I have been scheduled to post about this book and I still haven't finished it. What I have read, I have enjoyed; but I can't seem to get absorbed in it. I could have written a review pretending to have finished, but I wanted to be able to write a truthful review when I actually do finish the book. It's strange, really. I have read a lot in June, but at the same time, I find that June just flew by and I am shocked that it is already the end of the month.
So, have you read this book yet? Feel free to discuss it in the comments! Also, on the other topic, are there books you have had the worst time getting into, but in the end you loved them? Talk about that too.
I'll be back with a review soon! I am going to go see if my mood has changed and it will draw me in tonight! In the meantime, I have seen only positive reviews and it has a great cover!
This week we lost a great one. Regardless of the accusations that were made against him, I doubt that anyone can deny his presence as a powerful musician, performer, and humanitarian. Michael Jackson had a lot to overcome. There were times when he wasn't the most popular person in the world and none of us will ever know what he did or didn't do. But I do know that he gave a lot to this world. What he contributed left an impression on so many in so many ways.
I can remember idolizing Michael Jackson when I was a kid. I wanted the red and black jacket from Thriller so bad! But I never got it :( I remember trying and trying to moonwalk, but to this day, I still can't do it :p I did however learn the Beat It dance and there is video evidence of that somewhere. We'll just hope that it stays buried, lol.
I think my biggest memory of Michael Jackson at a young age was watching the premier of We Are the World with my mom and dad in the living room. I was very young then, but I still remember getting chills hearing it...and yes, there is video evidence of me singing We Are the World as well :p What I didn't realize back then was how that song and album would affect so many people's lives. People in Africa and here in the US that needed more help than what our government could or would provide.
Michael Jackson always kept others in mind and he's one of the few celebrities that I can think of that I can honestly say I never recall mentioning a negative thing about anyone. All of his songs had a positive message. All of his songs hoped to make the world a better place, not to focus on the negative. That can be a hard thing to do sometimes.
It's easy to remember the scandals associated with Michael Jackson, and I won't mention any of them here. But what I'll remember is that he was a uniting force. You didn't think of Michael Jackson as a black artist. He was a human. He transcended race and encouraged everyone else to do the same. He improved the lives of countless individuals, and that's what I think makes him a true star. RIP Michael.
The 2nd Canadian Challenge is about to come to an end, but I think I am going to participate in the third one now. Today, I thought I would post a list of just some of the Canadian books that would count for this challenge that I all ready own.
The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland - About Emily Carr The Emily Carr Collection - Four of Emily Carr's novels Several books by Pierre Berton Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood The Hidden World by Alison Baird The Darkness that Comes Before by Scott Bakker The Island Walkers by John Bemrose Several books by and about Lucy Maud Montgomery Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje Away by Jane Urquhart The Acadians: In Search of a Homeland by James Laxer The Mountain and the Valley by Ernest Buckler A Good House by Bonnie Burnard Mean Boy by Lynn Coady
And many many more... So, how about you? What Canadian books have been on your TBR pile for a while that you feel you should get around to reading?
I started this post at 6:30 this morning. I really thought I stood a chance of having it up at a decent time, but then there was a pluming incident and the c.c. is at work. Sort of changed my afternoon!
Anyway, here are this weeks Friday Friends:
Debbie from Debbie's World of Books - I first started reading Debbie's blog because she commented on mine. Her blog is both a wealth of information and a great place for book reviews. I learn a lot visiting and she winds up adding things to my wish list on a regular basis! A blog that I am very happy to be reading!
Jen from Devourer of Books - Jen is one of the blogs I started reading because of the most recent Dewey's Read-a-thon. I also know her through Twitter, which is a recent join for me. She's a really nice person who just was blessed with her first child yesterday. She was attempting to read a book a day in the days leading up to the birth and I think she did a pretty good job. So, congrats Jen! To everyone else, you should visit her blog if you are not already.
Bellezza from Dolce Bellezza - I am not sure when I started reading this blog. I think it might be one of the ones that I was reading but not commenting on for a while. I try and say something once in a while now. Most recently she reminded me that I really need to get around to reading George R.R. Martin. The first book in his series has been on my TBR pile forever! I planned to wait for the newest one to come out, but I think I should probably get started considering how long it takes me to get around to series reads. I also really like the name of this blog.
Bethany from dreadlock girl reads - Another blog that I basically started reading with regularity after the Read-a-thon. She did a vlog with a chicken that I really enjoyed and I stuck around! It's a blog I feel I should have been reading anyways. Bethany has been reading the Anne of Green Gables novels. I wish sometimes that I could read them all over again and have it be the first time. Instead, I really should reread them, but I keep saying that and never actually do it. Still, a great place to visit. Plus, I just won a book over there! That is always a bonus.
Heather from Errant Dreams Reviews - I have been reading Heather's blog for at least a couple years now. I cannot even remember how I stumbled upon it. It's another of those blogs that I lurk more than comment, but I do still read! She reads a vast spectrum of books, so there is really something for everyone over there. A great blog for you to check out.
Esther, Nic, and Victoria Eve's Alexandria - Like the blog above, this is a blog that I have been reading for a while, but I don't seem to comment with any regularity. It is still a good read, though. I think I was drawn to it because of the title in the beginning. I have always had an interest in Alexandria, so I was interested in a blog that shared its name. The three ladies there read a lot of different books, so again, something for everyone! I am glad that I gave it a read back in the beginning.
Ex Libris - This is a blog that I have been reading for a while, too. I think the name might have been the starting point, but I found that I really liked this blog and stayed around to read it. Almost everything that she has read this year has ended up on my wish list. She reads a widespan of different genres, too. She is really good for reading books that don't get a lot of press, so I might not have heard of them otherwise. If you are not reading her blog, you should remedy that now!
Shannon C. from Flight Into Fantasy - I have no idea how, but I missed this blog for quite some time! It has a title that really calls to me because fantasy is pretty much my favourite genre. I am glad that I discovered her blog now and enjoy reading her posts. I spent most of my life knowing very few people that actually read fantasy, so now everytime I find someone new I get very excited by the concept. I used to feel like I was the only one that was doing it, so that is why the blogging world has been so helpful. Another blog to check out!
JCR from Frequency of Silence - Yet another blog that I have been reading for quite sometime. I also really like the name. This blog talks about a lot of things that make a person think. It also has a really cool backgroud. A blog about the important things in life. And, there is of course the fact that my blog is considered a 'hip place'.
Fyrefly's Book Blog - Another blog that I just discovered recently and am very happy to have! It is quickly becoming one of my favourite blogs. She is very organized like I wish I was. It is quickly becoming apparent that we read a lot of the same sort of books, so I am enjoying the book recommendations. Fyrefly is also the creator of the Book Blog Search Engine, which is missing from my sidebar after the blog makeover. I will have to remedy that. A blog that I plan on reading for the long-haul.
As to the button, sorry I never answered those that offered! I am not picky, really. I was thinking about Friendship balls, maybe, with the writing 'Friday Friends'. I am not sure if Friendship balls are universal, though. I just thought it would make a pretty background.
Set in the Discworld, a brand new and marvellously eccentric fantasy tale for young readers.
Maurice, an amazing cat, who has survived four years on the toughest streets in the whole of the Discworld, reckons that rats are dumb. Clever, OK, but dumb. Maurice, however, is smart -- smart enough to recognize that there’s a new kind of rat around; rats that have been eating wizards’ rubbish and can now talk. And Maurice is also smart enough to get a pretty amazing idea when he spots a kid playing the flute. Now he has his very own Pied Piper to go with his “plague of rats”. And Maurice’s money-bags are getting fuller and fuller. That is, until the group reaches the far flung village of Bad Blintz.
Dear Debi,
I blame this book and me reading it all on you! Don't worry, though, it was a good thing. For someone that likes fantasy as much as I do, Terry Pratchett is a big hole in my reading. I read a couple books by him a few years ago, and then I entered a dry spell until this year. This the second book I have read by him in 2009; the first being Nation, which I happily blame on Ana (Nymeth). Unfortunately, this was a second time is the charm read. The first time I started it I read a couple chapters and then got drawn in by other books. It took it having to go back to the library and being nonrenewable for me to sit down and read it the other night.
The first thing that I really enjoyed about this book was that while it was a Discworld novel, it was still a standalone. That big gaping hole means that I have only read a couple Discworld novels, so I am still a newbie on what that all means. This book was a good reintroduction without having to have read all the books that came before it. In a world where everything is trilogies and series, it is nice to read a book that you can consider on its own. You can read more books set in Discworld, but you don't have to right away. It's a whole lot less pressure, don't you think?
The best thing about this book was Maurice. It was like revisiting with my childhood. As an adult, I am more of a dog person than a cat person, but in my single digit years I was obsessed with books about cats. I had piles of them. The second-hand bookstore in my hometown would put aside books that she thought I would like. This love affair would exist for about a year, and then I moved on to horses. Maurice was a great trip down memory lane. He is such a fun character! He is totally a cat, no matter how 'amazing' he thinks he is, but he is trying to break away from it. The book is a bit about how you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are just because some aspects of your life have changed. That's a big lesson for a cat. I wish my mother's cat would have some life-changing moments. Sadly, I think she will always rule my mother's house and annoy me when I have to kitty-sit.
Anyway, I digress. The story also had some rodents, a young boy, and a town girl. The girl was fantastic. I could relate to her so much! Remember that trip down memory lane, well it extended to her, too. She was almost like me when I was her age. My parents were not getting along and would wind up divorcing, like most of the world, so it was better to live in my books sometimes than in the 'real world'. She is a bit exasperating in how everything is a story to her. I am not sure I was quite so noticable, but who doesn't want to leave their own world behind once in a while. I think that is probably why I started reading fantasy, if anyone was ever wondering! So, even though she could be a bit annoying at times, which was pointed out by both cat and humans, she was a fun character. I also liked the rats. There was a lot of great personality present in this microcosm of society. Ever wonder what talking rats would be like? I guess you will have to read this book to find out!
I should also add that this book is essentially a retelling of the Pied Piper fairy tale. A young boy plays his music and starts a town on a path that will make them their fortune. It isn't exactly playing them off a cliff or anything, but it is used to change a way of thinking. There is also historical fiction mixed in with the story because rats really were the cause of plagues back in history. Pratchett includes some truth in his fantasy world.
So, Debi, thanks for making me check this book out from the library! Not only was it a fun read, but writing you a letter was funner than a regular post.
John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army. The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding. Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets. John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine-and what he will become is far stranger.
All hail John Scalzi. I have read a lot of fantasy and science-fiction over the years, but somehow this was the first time I stumbled across his brilliancy! Who would think that I would be in love with a novel about 75-year-old men and women having adventures in space. Does that even sound plausible to you? But, I did! I loved this book! It was fresh and original. It surprised me. Books do not really surprise me anymore. It's the books that manage to shock me or inspire me or surprise me that I have to say: Read it! This is one of those books. I have to admit that it has been a while since I actually read this book. It stuck with me, though. This book is inspiring. The fact that the earth is in the middle of a galatic war millions of miles away is not something that I look forward to, but wouldn't it be fantastic if you could live your life here on earth and then join the army when you reach the retirement age and essentially live all over again. I would not mind that at all.
So, essentially this is the story of John Perry. Instead of gathering with his family and friends to celebrate his 75th birthday, which people do nowadays, he visited his wives grave and then joined the army. That is how the story starts. You have no idea what to expect because, really, what army wants recruits with arthritis and other problems of age. Just that alone made me curious. I wanted to know how Scalzi was going to sell this for me because it seemed pretty unbelievable, but he did it. He managed to make a novel that was believable, but at the same time was rather crazy! People that read this blog know that I am not the biggest fan in the world of romance in novels, but the first romance scene in this book actually made me crack up laughing! I know, what's funny about sex later in life. I guess you will have to read the book to find out.
It's hard to write original novels nowadays. Sometimes it feels like everything has been done a million times before. The war and the big battle is nothing new, but the way that Scalzi spins the story is different. The characters are not at all what you expect. This book shows what it truly takes to make a fun, original, page-turning novel. It is the first book in a series that is going to make you want to rush out and read everything else that he has. (Unless you are me, of course, and have issues with reading series in any sort of time frame.) This is what science-fiction is all about. I can not say it enough how much I loved this book. It lived up to its original opening. There will be some surprises along the way, but you will enjoy the ride.
I strongly recommend this novel!
Every time I hear or talk about this book I think of Neil Young and his song 'Old Man'. So, I figure I will post it again!
Evie reluctantly moves with her widowed father to Beaumont, New York, where he has bought an apple orchard, dismissing rumors that the town is cursed and the trees haven't borne fruit in decades. Evie doesn't believe in things like curses and fairy tales anymore--if fairy tales were real, her mom would still be alive. But odd things happen in Beaumont. Evie meets a boy who claims to be dead and receives a mysterious seed as an eleventh-birthday gift. Once planted, the seed grows into a tree overnight, but only Evie and the dead boy can see it--or go where it leads. The Garden of Eve mixes spine-tingling chills with a deeply resonating story that beautifully explores grief, healing, and growth.
Reason for Reading: Once Upon a Time III Challenge, New Author Challenge.
Title and author of book: The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going
Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Young adult fantasy.
What led you to pick up this book? Debi bought a copy for the Read-a-thon. I looked it up, thought it looked interesting, so I got it from the library.
Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending! See above...
What did you like most about the book? The best way to sum up this book was that it was a sweet, little book. In some ways, I felt like I had read it before. It is not ground-breaking in terms of subject matter, but it was still a really good book. It was one of my favourite reads back in the month that I read it. I think everyone wishes that we could escape from the 'real world' from time to time. If we didn't than computers, television, video games, etc. would not be as popular as they are in society. This book is in essence about escape. It could mirror what society is trying to do everyday. It also shows how escaping is not all that it is cut out to be. There are reprecussions for everything that we do. I also loved the symbolism and the relation to fairy tales. I am a big fan of fairy tales to begin with, so that whole idea really interested me!
What did you like least? On the one hand, I enjoyed the predictability, but on the other hand, it was a bit too much at times. The book was also probably a bit too sweet for me. And, you know that everything is going to work out in the end. What that means might not be apparent without reading it, but just looking at the book and reading the description you can basically figure that out. I think I need a surprise from time to time. I found that there was no mystery for me.
Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? First one, but I would like to read more from her!
What did you think of the main character? The main character in this book is Evie. By the time that she is telling this story, her mother has died and she has moved to the middle of nowhere with her father. He is a bit lost on what to do now that he is without his wife, but he is trying to make the best of things. When Evie flashes back to the scenes with her mother, I love her. She sounds like me when I was a little girl. Now, though, she can be a bit annoying, but it is just in relation to how her world has become broken and she has no idea how to fix it. She was very close to her mother and you can tell that she misses her. She has also lost that spark of childhood. That belief in the magic that leads children to believe in fairy tales. She is just trying to grow up too fast, which is something that I have noticed in a lot of today's 'youth'. I think Going has really touched on something with Evie that anyone can relate to.
What about the ending? I found the ending about predictable, but it worked for the book, so I am not going to complain about it. I hope I didn't seem like I didn't like this book, because I did, but I didn't love it.
First up, last Sunday I posted a list of books that were all due back to the library on the 22nd. There were 16 of them and I read 10! I am very proud of myself. I had to bring the other six back, but I will get them out again. I actually have my library piles under control for the moment. I am going to try and calm down for the summer because I want to work on my own TBR pile. Unless it is something I absolutely have to read that moment, the only things I am going to request are books that I have brought back unread and books that continue series that I have on the go. It will be a summer of cleaning.
Next up, Bad Bloggers.
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones - Sounded interesting Forests of the Heart by Charles de Lint - My quest to read all that he has written. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker - Natasha from Maw Books, but really her husband... Babymouse: Our Hero by Jennifer Holm - Melissa from Book Nut The Savage by David Almond - Nymeth Black Maria by Diana Wynne Jones - Nymeth again Babymouse: Beach Babe by Jennifer Holm - Melissa from Book Nut Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo by Beth Whitman - Eva from a Striped Armchair I, Coriander by Sally Gardner - Eva again Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut - Because I wanted to read something else by him. Bones of the Dragon by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman - It's fantasy.... Weis and Hickman wrote it. Enough said!
Then, Sunday marked the end of the Once Upon a Time Challenge. These are the books that I read which would meet the criteria of the challenge:
1.The Winter Prince by Elizabeth E. Wein 2. Dingo by Charles de Lint 3. Savvy by Ingrid Law 4.Marked: A House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (Book 1) 5.Pay the Piper: A Rock 'N' Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple (Book 1) 6. Playing With Fire by Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant Series, Book 2) 7. The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going 8. Mister Monday: Keys to the Kingdom (Book 1) by Garth Nix 9. Flora Sugunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce 10. I Was A Rat! by Philip Pullman 11. Green Angel by Alice Hoffman 12. Gossamer by Lois Lowry 13. Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder (Storm Glass Trilogy, Book 1) 14. The Thief (Book 1, The Queen's Thief Series) by Megan Whalen Turner 15. Evernight by Claudia Gray (Evernight Series, Book 1) 16. Nation by Terry Pratchett 17. The Good Neighbors: Kin: Book One by Holly Black & Ted Naifeh 18. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan 19. The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech 20. The City and The City by China Mieville 21. Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass - Book One by Erica Kirov 22. Graceling by Kristin Cashore 23. Skellig by David Almond 24. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 25. Wonderous Strange by Lesley Livingston 26. Clubbing by Andi Watson 27. Olivia Kidney by Ellen Potter 28. The City in the Lake by Rachel Neumeier 29. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phippa Pearce 30. Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space by Philip Reeve 31. Moon & Sun: The Ruby Key (Book One) by Holly Lisle 32. The Savage by David Almond 33. Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link 34. The Missing Book One: Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix 35. The Amazing Maurice and Hise Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett 36. Poison by Chris Wooding
Okay, so I guess I read 36... There are a few others that would count, but since I am using them for other challenges, I just left them off the list.
Lastly, and not in importance, isn't my new blog pretty? The very wonderful Amy from Thrifty Reader set me up with three columns. I love it! I was finding two colums restrictive, but I just do not have any patience for that sort of stuff. I am so grateful to Amy for making things look great!
Hope everyone had a great weekend! I am happy because Chris and Debi are both back blogging. They are two of my favourite bloggers and I missed them!
Greetings, internets! I was surprised when Kailana said, "Hey, do you want to do this guest post on my blog?", but honored she wanted to share her space for my excessive talking, and warning, there will be excessive talking! That is just how I roll. Let's get this show on the road, as they say in the biz.
I haven't taken part in this weekly meme at all, ever! Internets, I feel really bad. This is not for lack of love for Chris, who is fantastic and also within easy stalking distance of yours trul—oh wait, but because I relate to music in weird ways. When I was a teenager, I would connect to bands through one song, embrace their album and listen to it on loop for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours...you get the picture. As I've aged (quite well, I might add) my habits have changed. I don't actively look for new music—mostly I let it come to me and it normally does so, much like childhood, in the form of one song. The difference is that I no longer search out the album as much as I used to, because most of the time I don't love the entire album as much as the particular song that led me to that album. There are exceptions (AS WELL THERE SHOULD BE), but this is how my music journey has operated for years now.
I am a big sucker for good story-telling in my music, which is what I am going to focus on today! I love stories and how pliable the stories in music are to individuals. What a song means to me, it won't mean to anyone else. That's the beauty of a good song: it says something, it tells us secrets, and never in the same way it tells someone else. For instance, does listening to Lady Gaga sing about poker faces make you think of watching 15 drunk, Southern men playing cards down by the river (no there was no van, although pick-up trucks were in abundance) and singing The Red Stroke by Garth Brooks entirely off key? No! Probably not, because you do not listen to Lady Gaga and are currently wondering why in the hell I do, and have now closed the window in disgust. F-Farewell? HOWEVER, it is a great example of how songs tell us different stories—stories we already know, stories that we have forgotten, stories that feature a man with a beard wearing a cat sui—um. Never mind, nothing to see here!
I thought long and hard about which songs tell me the best stories; stories that touch me and stories that make me think, that challenge me to be a better person. I finally came up with a good list of five, that encompass everything I love in the entire world. Allow me to share them with you!
Part I! The World Would Be A Much Better Place if We All Just Took A Moment To Dance: Kings of Convenience Possibly Antidote To Global Ills
Much like Aang on the excellent cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender attempts to SAVE PEOPLE THROUGH THE POWER OF DANCE, I believe many problems could be solved by taking a moment out to turn on a good song and shake around—possibly badly! DON'T WORRY. I won't tell. Feel free to push play and dance around the room. You'll feel better, and also it will distract you from the line in this song that will possibly bring the wrath of the entire literature world down on my head!
Part II! Love Comes In Many Bright Colors and Delicious Flavors: Regina Spektor Offers Free Samples!
Have you ever had a moment where the best comfort comes not from family, who just don't get your woe and agony, but from friends? From the friends that you've made your family because sometimes, family is just not a delicious bag of jelly beans with all the gross ones picked out? That's how this song makes me feel; a love song to friends, a love song to friends who will become more. When I talk about songs finding me through stories, even when the song isn't a part of the story, I use this example of a fan made video, that takes all best parts of the song, and the best part of a movie I love, and creates something that can speak to people and how love can change a person: make them better and stronger and brings out the capacity to love.
Part III! It's Not Just the Music, it's the Poetry that's Hidden Under the Melody: Badly Drawn Boy Might Be Scribbled, But These Lyrics Aren't
Ever met a song that you thought you wouldn't like much? It's not your style! What kind of guitar is that, anyway! It's not you, it's me? Ever met a song and knew within five seconds, that nope, it just wasn't going to work out, but geez, how do you break it off? Maybe the song was recommended by a friend, so you kept listening. Maybe under the music that's sort of weird, definitely not you at all, no way—you find something unexpected? You find a line that says something you didn't even realize you were looking for the words for and it's a revelation. This song is a little like that; messy, scrawled melody on the wall of your mind, but sitting right beneath is poetry. This happened to me with this song, a song that grated my nerves until I heard the words. GOOD LUCK, INTERNETS. I hope one day you discover a song like this. It is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, if rainbows had ends, that is.
Part IV! Guilty Pleasures Should Never Be Guilty, They Should Just Be Pleasures, Because Life is Too Short to Give a Damn: Jonas Brothers Edition
Popular culture is telling me because I am 26 years old and not a teenybopper anymore that I should be ashamed of myself for loving the hell out of Jonas Brothers and their ilk. "This isn't the 90s, Renay!" they all say. "You're not 14 anymore! You had your heyday with Hanson! You can never go back!" as if this is some reverse All Dogs Go To Heaven situation. Here's what I love about music shaming if you don't listen to the "right" stuff and shun the "popular" artists: it's so silly! And a waste of time! It is mostly an amazement that there are the boys, playing instruments and creating art and wearing skinny jeans when ten years ago at least one of those things would have made them GAY and therefore destined to be unsuccessful. I won't say which one! Is anyone tired of the debate between high and low culture? These kids can make thousands more albums if they will make playing music look cool, because when I was in school the only thing cool about playing an instrument was that your parents had money to buy it for you. THANK YOU, attractive but off-limits-to-me boy band!
Part V! Exceptions to Rules Are A Way of Life Unless That Rule Is "Don't Listen to Weepy Songs When You're Sad": Jimmy Eat World Makes me Break That Rule Constantly
I said there were exceptions to my rule about how I get attached to just one song off an album, and this is it. Jimmy Eat World has been with me since 2001, when I first discovered their song, "Claire" and quickly acquired every song and album by them I could find. They grew popular with their single "The Middle", and I would be lying if I said I didn't love their mainstream stuff just as much as their other work. I could spend the next 4,000 words explaining how Jimmy Eat World encompass Parts I - IV for me in various ways, because they do. Their music stays comforting, whether quiet or loud, simple songs or complicated rocking out because of the stories they tell. They invite you to dance, and to sing, and show you in as many ways as you want what love is like without every using the word. They tell thousands of stories in two lines of lyrics, such as Just Watch the Fireworks, or A Praise Chorus. Unfortunately, most of the time all this band's songs make me sob uncontrollably into my cat's fur, either because they're so pretty, or sad, or they make me so happy! I NEVER CLAIMED NOT TO BE A WUSS.
Part VI! The end!
That concludes our musical adventures; I hope it has been enlightening and preferably you danced at least once. In closing, I leave you with two of the excellent songs from the video game franchise Kingdom Hearts: Simple and Clean and Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru, which I promise not to say anything about, except that they're awesome. :D
These are the books that are going to be out later this year that I am looking forward to. They are all from Random House Canada. As always, let me know what you think and if you have anything to add!
Galore by Michael Crummey
Sprawling and intimate, stark and fantastical, Galore is a novel about the power of stories to shape and sustain us. This is Michael Crummey’s most ambitious and accomplished work to date.
An intricate family saga and love story spanning two centuries, Galore is a portrait of the improbable medieval world that was rural Newfoundland, a place almost too harrowing and extravagant to be real. Remote and isolated, exposed to savage extremes of climate and fate, the people of Paradise Deep persist in a realm where the line between the everyday and the otherworldly is impossible to distinguish.
Propelled by the disputes and alliances, grievances and trade-offs that bind the Sellers and Devine families through generations, Galore is alive with singular characters, and an uncommon insight into the complexities of human nature.
God Is by David Adams Richards
David Adams Richards’ most powerful and self-revealing book will provoke, infuriate — and, for many, inspire.
David Adams Richards, one of Canada’s most beloved and celebrated authors, has wrestled with questions of faith and religion ever since he was a child — a struggle that has constantly informed his work as a writer. Now the man who has been described as “Canada’s Tolstoy” sets down his beliefs in his most personally revealing work. For David Adams Richards, the presence of God cannot be denied. For him, God is. Richards is certain that many of those who lazily espouse atheism also know the presence of God, though they deny it to everyone — including themselves.
The title of his new memoir is an affirmation of God’s existence but also stands as a reply to Christopher Hitchens’ assertion that “God is not great.” God Is. charts with passion and subtlety the author’s rocky relationship with his cradle Catholicism, his battle with alcoholism, his encounters with men who were proud to be murderers, and the many times in his life when he has been witness to what he unapologetically calls miracles.
The unique voice of David Adams Richards has never been so powerful.
Small Wars by Sadie Jones
Sadie Jones, the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of The Outcast, returns with an ambitious, richly imagined novel that confirms her place in the literary firmament.
A passionate and beautifully written tale of personal loss in the midst of war in late 1950s Cyprus, Small Wars raises important questions that are just as relevant today.
What happens when everything a man believes in — the army, his country, his marriage — begins to crumble? Hal Treherne is a young British soldier on the brink of a brilliant career. Transferred to Cyprus to defend the colony, Hal takes his wife, Clara, and their daughters with him. But Hal is pulled into atrocities that take him further from Clara, a betrayal that is only one part of a shocking personal crisis to come. Small Wars is a searing, unforgettable novel from a writer at the height of her powers.
The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens
A brilliant new novel — deeply humane and entirely convincing — from Lori Lansens, author of two previous bestsellers and a writer who can be counted on to deliver an amazing story and characters to fall in love with.
In Lori Lansens’ Leaford, Ontario — home of Rose and Ruby Darlen, the sorrowing parents of Larry Merkel, and not far from Rusholme where Addy Shadd once looked after an abandoned child — love and grief combine to awaken an obese woman from her loneliness. When her husband doesn’t come home on the eve of their 25th wedding anniversary, Mary Gooch, who has never learned to be self-sufficient, sets out on a truly remarkable journey of self-discovery that takes her first to the big city and then to another country.
Generation A by Douglas Coupland
“Now you young twerps want a new name for your generation? Probably not, you just want jobs, right? Well, the media do us all such tremendous favors when they call you Generation X, right? Two clicks from the very end of the alphabet. I hereby declare you Generation A, as much at the beginning of a series of astonishing triumphs and failures as Adam and Eve were so long ago.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Syracuse University commencement address May 8, 1994
A brilliant, timely and very Couplandesque novel about honey bees and the world we may soon live in. Once again, Douglas Coupland captures the spirit of a generation….
In the near future bees are extinct — until one autumn when five people are stung in different places around the world. This shared experience unites them in a way they never could have imagined.
Generation A mirrors 1991’s Generation X. It explores new ways of looking at the act of reading and storytelling in a digital world.
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The long-awaited new novel from Margaret Atwood. The Year of the Flood is a dystopic masterpiece and a testament to her visionary power.
The times and species have been changing at a rapid rate, and the social compact is wearing as thin as environmental stability. Adam One, the kindly leader of the God's Gardeners—a religion devoted to the melding of science and religion, as well as the preservation of all plant and animal life—has long predicted a natural disaster that will alter Earth as we know it. Now it has occurred, obliterating most human life. Two women have survived: Ren, a young trapeze dancer locked inside the high-end sex club Scales and Tails, and Toby, a God's Gardener barricaded inside a luxurious spa where many of the treatments are edible.
Have others survived? Ren's bioartist friend Amanda? Zeb, her eco-fighter stepfather? Her onetime lover, Jimmy? Or the murderous Painballers, survivors of the mutual-elimination Painball prison? Not to mention the shadowy, corrupt policing force of the ruling powers . . .
Meanwhile, gene-spliced life forms are proliferating: the lion/lamb blends, the Mo'hair sheep with human hair, the pigs with human brain tissue. As Adam One and his intrepid hemp-clad band make their way through this strange new world, Ren and Toby will have to decide on their next move. They can't stay locked away . . .
By turns dark, tender, violent, thoughtful, and uneasily hilarious, The Year of the Flood is Atwood at her most brilliant and inventive.
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Another brilliant, original and moving novel from the author of The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Julia and Valentina Poole are normal American teenagers — normal, at least, for identical “mirror” twins who have no interest in college or jobs or possibly anything outside their cozy suburban home. But everything changes when they receive notice that an aunt whom they didn’t know existed has died and left them her amazing flat in a building by Highgate Cemetery in London. They feel that at last their own lives can begin … but they have no idea that they’ve been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the OCD-suffering crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt’s mysterious and elusive lover who lives below them, and even to their aunt herself, who never got over her estrangement from the mother of the girls — her own twin — and who can’t even seem to quite leave her flat….
A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks
After fourteen years, New York Times bestselling fantasy master Terry Brooks has returned to the magic kingdom of Landover. The remarkable realm of dragons, demons, wizards, and wonders that wove an irresistible spell in five classic novels throws open its gates at long last for a brand-new adventure featuring a dazzling cast of characters and creatures.
Ben Holiday, Chicago lawyer and mere mortal turned monarch of enchanted Landover, has grappled with scheming barons, fire-breathing beasts, diabolical conjurers, and extremely wicked witches. None of whom have prepared him for the most daunting of challengers–a teenage daughter. Sent by Ben and his beloved sylph bride, Willow, to an exclusive girls’ prep school, headstrong (and half-magical) Mistaya Holiday has found life in the natural world a less than perfect fit. And when her latest rebellious antics get her indefinitely suspended, she’s determined to resume her real education–learning sorcery from court wizard Questor Thews–whether her parents like it or not.
But back home in Landover, Mistaya’s frustrated father is just as determined that the precocious princess learn some responsibility, and he declares her grounded until she successfully refurbishes the long-forsaken royal library. Mortified by the prospect of salvaging a king’s ransom in moldy books–and horrified by word that repulsive local nobleman Lord Laphroig seeks to marry her–Mistaya decides that the only way to run her own life is to run away from home.
So begins an eventful odyssey peppered with a formidable dragon, recalcitrant gnomes, an inscrutable magic cat, a handsome librarian, a sinister sorcerer, and more than a few narrow escapes as fate draws Landover’s intrepid princess to the last place she expected to go, and into the thick of a mystery that will put her mettle to the test–and might bring the kingdom to its knees.
Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns with the tenth installment of the Women of the Otherworld series.
The Alaskan wilderness is a harsh landscape in the best of conditions, but with a pack of rogue werewolves on the loose, it’s downright deadly.
Elena Michaels, the Pack’s chief enforcer, knows all too well the havoc “mutts” can wreak. When they hear of a series of gruesome maulings and murders outside Anchorage, she and her husband, Clay, journey to Alaska in the dead of winter in order to hunt down the dangerous werewolves. Trapped in this savage, untamed winter realm, she and Clay learn more about their own werewolf heritage than they bargained for, tapping a little more into the wild nature of the beast within. With Elena back in the starring role, this is the book Kelley Armstrong fans have been waiting for.
You Were Always Mom's Favorite by Deborah Tannen
“I love her to death. I can’t imagine life without her,” a woman says about her sister. Another remarks, “I don’t want anyone to kill my sister because I want to have that privilege myself.” With these two comments, begins this eye-opening and entertaining new book.
New York Times bestselling author Deborah Tannen is renowned for illuminating the way we communicate–and revolutionizing relationships in the process. What she did for women and men in You Just Don’t Understand, and mothers and daughters in You’re Wearing THAT?, she now does for sisters in a groundbreaking book that explores one of the most powerful and perplexing relationships in our lives.
Conversations between sisters reveal a deep and constant tug between two dynamics–an impulse towards closeness and an impulse towards competition, as sisters are continually compared to each other. When you’re with her, you laugh your head off, and can giggle and be silly like when you were kids. But she also might be the one person who can send you into a tailspin with just one wrong word. For many women, a sister is both.
With a witty and wise voice, Tannen shares insights and anecdotes from well over a hundred women she interviewed, along with moving and funny recollections of her own two sisters. You’ll come away with a profound new understanding, as well as effective techniques to improve and accessible solutions for problems in this unique and precious relationship.
Rowed Trip by Colin Angus & Julie Angus
Two bestselling authors combine their strengths in a travelogue, a search for roots, a romance — and a seat-of-your-pants adventure.
One sunny day in 2006, Julie and Colin Angus were talking about the future, as newly engaged couples do. More unusually, they were at the time travelling together from Moscow to Vancouver by human power — boat, bike, and foot.
That day, they were examining a road atlas and in particular the labyrinth of European inland waterways it revealed. Julie traced a route of interconnected canals, rivers, and coastlines that led from Colin’s parents’ homeland of Scotland past her mother’s homeland, Germany, and on to her father’s, Syria. She said, half-seriously: We could row (yes, row, as in propelling a tippy little boat on a pond) all the way from Scotland to Syria to visit our relatives. It was a reckless sort of joke to make, given the couple’s addiction to adventure. The result is Rowed Trip, an odyssey by oar (and bike) from Caithness, Scotland, across the English Channel, through France, across the Rhine, the Main-Donau Canal to the Danube, the Black Sea, the Bosphorous Straits, and the Mediterranean. Julie and Colin each describe how the trip allowed them to test their relationship, to explore their roots, and to indulge to the max their shared taste for adventure.
The Ice Passage by Brian Payton
An unforgettable true story of suffering and survival in the quest for the Northwest Passage
The Ice Passage brings to life both a lost moment in history and the polar environment we are now at risk of losing.
In 1850, the officers and crew of the HMS Investigator set sail from England with orders to rescue the missing Franklin Expedition. They soon found themselves trapped, facing starvation, madness, and death on the frozen sea. Throughout a four-year battle with the ice, they managed to record the first sustained observations of the region’s climate and wildlife, and struggled to reach mutual understanding with the Inuit.
Based on compelling first-hand accounts, told with passion and grace, The Ice Passage is a thrilling and thought-provoking historical adventure.
What is Stephen Harper Reading? by Yann Martel
“I know you’re very busy, Mr. Harper. We’re all busy. But every person has a space next to where they sleep, whether a patch of pavement or a fine bedside table. In that space, at night, a book can glow. And in those moments of docile wakefulness, when we begin to let go of the day, then is the perfect time to pick up a book and be someone else, somewhere else, for a few minutes, a few pages, before we fall asleep.”
From the author of Life of Pi comes a literary correspondence — recommendations to Canada’s Prime Minister of great short books that will inspire and delight book lovers and book club readers across our nation.
Every two weeks since April 16th, 2007, Yann Martel has mailed Stephen Harper a book along with a letter. These insightful, provocative letters detailing what he hopes the Prime Minister may take from the books — by such writers as Jane Austen, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Stephen Galloway — are collected here together. The one-sided correspondence (Mr. Harper’s office has only replied once) becomes a meditation on reading and writing and the necessity to allow ourselves to expand stillness in our lives, even if we’re not head of government.
A Boy in the Moon by Ian Brown
Walker Brown was born with a genetic mutation so rare that doctors call it an orphan syndrome: perhaps 300 people around the world also live with it. Walker turns twelve in 2008, but he weighs only 54 pounds, is still in diapers, can’t speak and needs to wear special cuffs on his arms so that he can’t continually hit himself. “Sometimes watching him,” Brown writes, “is like looking at the man in the moon – but you know there is actually no man there. But if Walker is so insubstantial, why does he feel so important? What is he trying to show me?”
In a book that owes its beginnings to Brown’s original Globe and Mail series, he sets out to answer that question, a journey that takes him into deeply touching and troubling territory. “All I really want to know is what goes on inside his off-shaped head,” he writes, “But every time I ask, he somehow persuades me to look into my own.”
All of Me by Anne Murray
In this revealing autobiography, Canada’s first lady of song, for the first time, tells the whole story of her astonishing 40-year career in show biz. It is a candid retrospective of the extraordinary success achieved, and the prices that had to be paid.
“After ‘Snowbird’ hit, I was swept up like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and catapulted into a strange new universe … If I thought for a moment that I was really in control of events, I was deluded.” Anne Murray
An unflinching self-portrait of Canada’s first great female recording artist, All of Me documents the life of Anne Murray, from her humble origins in the tragedy-plagued coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, to her arrival on the world stage. Anne recounts her story: the battles with her record companies over singles and albums; the struggle with drug- and alcohol-ridden band members; the terrible guilt and loneliness of being away from her two young children; her divorce from the man who helped launch her career, Bill Langstroth; and the deaths of two of her closest confidantes. The result is a must-read autobiography by Canada’s beloved songbird.
Just Watch Me by John English
This magnificent second volume, written with exclusive access to Trudeau’s private papers and letters, completes what the Globe and Mail called “the most illuminating Trudeau portrait yet written” — sweeping us from sixties’ Trudeaumania to his final days when he debated his faith.
His life is one of Canada’s most engrossing stories. John English reveals how for Trudeau style was as important as substance, and how the controversial public figure intertwined with the charismatic private man and committed father. He traces Trudeau’s deep friendships (with women especially, many of them talented artists, like Barbra Streisand) and bitter enmities; his marriage and family tragedy. He illuminates his strengths and weaknesses — from Trudeaumania to political disenchantment, from his electrifying response to the kidnappings during the October Crisis, to his all-important patriation of the Canadian Constitution, and his evolution to influential elder statesman.
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
In a highly awaited new novel, Kate DiCamillo conjures a haunting fable about trusting the unexpected — and making the extraordinary come true.
What if? Why not? Could it be?
When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes — hope and belonging, desire and compassion — with the lightness of a magician’s touch.
Today is the day when Becky and I reveal our choice for the Nerds Heart YA book competition. In the following review of The City in the Lake by Rachel Neumeier, my thoughts are in the general green and Becky's are in white. The other book that we read was Pretty Monsters, which Becky will be posting on her blog. You can read it by clicking here.
THE KINGDOM’S HEART is the City. The City’s heart is the King. The King’s heart is the Prince. The Prince is missing. Ever since the Prince disappeared, nothing has been right in the Kingdom. Something has disturbed the strange, old magic that whispers around its borders . . . something cunning and powerful. And the disturbance extends to the farthest reaches of the Kingdom, including the idyllic village where Timou is learning to be a mage under her father’s tutelage. When Timou’s father journeys to the City to help look for the Prince, but never returns, Timou senses that the disturbance in the Kingdom is linked to her—and to the undiscovered heritage of the mother she never knew. She must leave her village, even if it means confronting powers greater than her own, even though what she finds may challenge everything she knows. Even if it means leaving love behind.
What do you think of the cover? What was your first impression? Based on the cover alone, would you have been drawn to book and wanting to read it?
- When I looked at the cover when I bought the book, I thought fantasy, so I may have given it a second glance if I had saw it somewhere, but really, I was not a big fan of the cover overall. It's a very dark cover, but it actually does represent the book. It's very rare nowadays that instead of trying to make the cover sell the book the artist appears to have actually read the book.
-I did not care for the cover at all. The cover did not say read me, read me. After having read the novel, I can see why the cover makes sense. The strange girl with white hair. The bridge. The city. And without a doubt the cover's dark tones do justice to the darkness that prevails this fantasy novel.
What would you say if you had to describe Rachel Neumeier's writing style?
- My biggest complaint with the novel was that I was not a huge fan of Neumeier's writing style. She has written a fantasy world that is complex and interesting, but she wrote it in such a way that I found her writing boring at times. I would be reading along and something would make me pause and consider. I prefer books where there is no interruptions, but you could tell at times that this was Neumeier's first book.
- Neumeier's writing is definitely imaginative. It's a complex fantasy novel that weaves together a world full of interesting characters--some good, some bad, all rather mysterious. It's not always easy to follow, however.
Did you enjoy the fantasy world created by Neumeier? Why or why not?
- I'm not sure. There were moments that I thought she had a very imaginative world going on, but then there were other moments where I just couldn't seem to relate to what was going on. Overall, I would say yes, but there were moments where I just couldn't seem to grasp the story. I can even think of the scenes that didn't work for me now, but I am afraid they might be spoilers. It wasn't the whole book, though, and other people might not even notice.
- Sometimes. There were places that had me feeling a bit lost and a bit disconnected. I think a few of the imaginative twists and turns of this one went over my head. I wasn't quite able to imagine or visualize along with the writer the story she was trying to tell. But that being said, the novel had some intriguing characters. Characters that I enjoyed getting to know. So while I wasn't completely connected, I did enjoy elements of the story.
What do you think is the book's strength?
- The story. When you get passed the few little problems I had with it, Neumeier did come up with a creative story. I really enjoyed the idea of the City in the Lake. It meant there were two kingdoms for the story to take place. Neumeier wrote interesting characters and had interesting plot developments. Once in a while I would figure things out before they were revealed, but generally it was such a different story that you would find yourself feeling a bit refreshed that things were not always going the way that you thought they would. I read a lot of fantasy, so it is nice to have something different.
- It has a good premise. The prince goes missing. This prince is "the heart of the kingdom." Without the prince, the king and queen, indeed the whole kingdom begins to lose it. Things begin to go wrong, very wrong, and the effect is becoming more and more widespread. I think Neumeier did well in presenting a story with a complex cast of characters. She also did a good job creating a mysterious and atmospheric story.
What do you think is the book's weakness?
- I got confused. There was a bit of scientific theory at play in this book that sometimes I felt like I wasn't really grasping it. I think she tries too hard sometimes to be different and she sacrifices her story as a result. Like I mentioned above, there were times when I had to pause in the story. I would be reading along and then I would just get through a paragraph and stop because I apparently missed something. There were certain storylines that at the end of the day, I still don't know if I really could visualize. Sometimes I think there was too much description thrown at me at once and I couldn't always grasp it all in my mind.
- At times I think the novel is too complex for its own good. I'm not sure what to think. There were places I was confused, but I'm not sure if it's because it was written that way, or if it's just me not getting it. I'll try to explain. Neumeier imagines things a bit too abstractly for me. A few of the twists in this one were too abstract for me to follow through. I couldn't conceptualize it or visualize it. This may be a reader by reader thing. Other readers may be able to do a better job at this than I did.
Who is your favorite character? Do you have a favorite scene?
- One thing I do have to say is that I enjoyed the characters. She may have went a bit off track with the story at times, but she was on track with the characters. I find they all had characteristics that I could enjoy. I don't really know if I have a favourite. They all brought something to the story.
- I enjoyed many of the characters, but if I had to choose, I'd probably go with Jonas. I liked his courage and devotion. He makes for a good hero.
- As to a favourite scene... I don't think I have a favourite. It's been a few days since I finished the book and I am sitting here thinking, but nothing is really jumping out at me.
- I don't know that I have a favorite scene. One of the more memorable scenes is Timou's first encounter with the snake or serpent in the forest.
How does this compare to other fantasy novels you've read?
- It's not memorable. It's different, but not enough that you are going to remember it forever. I read it in one sitting, so obviously it has something going for it, but overall... I am sitting here trying to remember things like my favourite scenes and I nothing is jumping out at me. This is not a fantastic fantasy novel, really, it is just 'okay'.
- I'll be honest. This isn't topping my list of fantasy novels. I enjoyed elements of this one. I did. But I've enjoyed other fantasy novels more.
Who would you recommend this book to? Do you think it's a book that both young adults and adults can enjoy?
- Frankly, I wouldn't recommend this book. If I did, it would be with the added remark that I didn't actually like it that much, but you might! I mean, I didn't hate it, don't get me wrong, but I just didn't love it. I think there are a lot better fantasy novels out there to be reading. This is just in comparision to every fantasy novel I have read, but this contest only compares it to one book.
- I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy and adventure novels. While there is a slight romantic element involved, the heart of this one is in the mysterious disappearance of a prince (soon followed by the disappearance of a king) and the adventure quests taken on by others (our heroes and heroines) to solve the mystery, save the day (battle forces of evil), and restore the kingdom. For those readers who love reading epic-like battles of good versus evil, then this one is an interesting read.
I also get to announce the winner. After some consideration, we have both decided that The City in the Lake is the better of the two books. It will be moving on in the competition to be read by Stephanie from Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic! Stay tuned!
Okay, so I didn't have much blogging time this week... Sorry! Here is this weeks picks for Friday Friends. I was supposed to have a button, but I haven't actually answered Nymeth and she asked me what I wanted a week ago. Oops! Next week!
Aarti from Booklust - Aarti is a online friend that I have known since before she started blogging. She had a quiet year last year, but her blog has been pretty active so far this one. She reads a good assortment of books, but mainly fantasy and historical fiction. You can probably tell why we are friends! I have many books on my TBR pile that I can trace back to Aarti. She has great taste in books and is a really nice person. Everyone should visit her blog.
Darla D. from Books & other thoughts: This is a blog that I just started reading recently. I have no idea how I missed it! I consider Darla one of my newly discovered reading twins. She has such great taste in books and is doing terrible things to my wish list! We have also read a lot of the same books and we generally seem to have the same taste. I am very happy that I have started reading this blog, it has been worth it!
Leila from Bookshelves of Doom - A very awesome blog that mainly centres around young adult. I think I have been reading this blog for quite some time, but I don't comment all that often. She is who is to 'blame' for me reading Melissa Marr, though, and she has led to lots of other books being added to my wish list. She is also a really fun blogger, so her posts are always entertaining in some capacity. A great blog to read!
Naida from the bookworm - I am not sure what led me to reading Naida's blog, but she is yet another one that I think I have only started reading regularly recently. She just got a new puppy and the posts about him are very enjoyable! She also talks about books, of course, but since most of the blogs showcased are book blogs, I feel I should try and find something else to talk about once in a while!
Bookwormom - A delightful blog that I think I probably started reading because of the Advent Calendar... I think? I had read her blog off and on before, but I think I only started reading it regularly this year. Another blogger that enjoys fantasy, so it was natural that I stuck around. Everyone that reads my blog should read hers because in her profile she says: "She who dies with the most books wins!" I love that, so fitting, huh? I also wish it was true... It would get rid of some of the guilt!
Katrina from Callapidder Days - A couple years back I participated in the 'Spring Reading Thing', which Katrina hosts. I haven't participated the last couple years, but I still read her blog! I have to laugh because her son actually comments on her blog when it becomes quiet. I need someone to inspire me to post sometimes! She writes about a lot of different things. I really enjoy her blog! Maybe I should do the Spring Reading Thing next year? Almost done for this year, hope everyone met their goals and/or had fun!
Wendy from Caribousmom - I think I was drawn to this blog in the beginning because of our shared love of dogs, but it also could be because of the Themed Reading Challenge. Do you know I am in that challenge this year and I entirely forgot about it until right this moment? Oops! Anyway, sadly Caribou passed away, but she has a new puppy that is so cute. It makes me want a dog! (The cc doesn't agree...) She also posts great reviews and posts about other shiny book related things. A blog that you should be reading if you are not already!
Deb from Chappysmom - I can't even remember how I came across this blog, but I have been reading it forever! It was her monthly reading posts that got me interested because she read so much! I owe so many books to Deb, so I am a big fan of her reading! She is also a dog lover, so that's always a good thing. She posts pretty much everyday and it is always something interesting. I am not a big fan of knitting and other things along that line, but I still enjoy reading her posts!
Charlotte from Charlotte's Library - I started reading this blog because she commented on mine and I stuck around! She reads a lot of books that I want to read, so she is always good for recommendations. Yes, another fantasy fan! I am a big fantasy reader, okay? She posts regularly, which is more than I can say sometimes, and she always has content that you want to read about! If you aren't reading her blog, you should give it a try!
Clare from Confessions of Book Addict - Clare is another blogger that I have known forever! She is a huge fantasy fan and I know that I have read tonnes of books because of her! Back when I first met her she gave me a list of authors to try, so I know that reading Anne Bishop dates back to her. Her reviews, because she has a blog now, continue to add to my pile! I am always so excited when I see a new post from her. It might not always be something I want to read, but more often than not it is. She is another reading twin and another really nice person!
Marg posted this, and because I am REALLY excited about this movie (and really nervous) because I think I would probably consider Audrey Niffenegger's The Time-Traveler's Wife my favourite book of all time... Ask me in five minutes, though, and I will point out that you cannot have just one favourite!
When Kailana first asked me to do a Music Mundays post for her, I was happy to accept. Then the reality of it sank in and the question of "What will I do my post on?" popped up. I love music, all different kinds. So many different topics I could use. Then it hit me. Chick Rockers. See? That's me. Always have been. I don't claim to be a big feminist or anything. But if you read my blog, you know I tend to gravitate towards books with strong female protagonists. Well....the same goes for music. I've always loved bands (or even solo acts) that have a great female singer.
Siouxsie and the Banshees:
You can't start a post like this without the Queen of Goth! Susan Ballion, or Siouxsie Sioux, is the lead singer in the band Siouxsie and the Banshees. Formed in 1976, they became one of the most influential British rock bands in history. Post-punk and edgy, the band and the lead singer have always been considered to be "Goth" in nature. But Siouxsie is a rocker and one that I have admired for a long time. She set the stage for a lot of Chicks that have come after her. Their first album, The Scream is awesome, although Tinderbox might be my favorite. Some of my favorite songs include Cities in the Dust, The Passenger, Peek-a-Boo, and this one: Kiss Them For Me:
Patti Smith:
Dubbed the "Godmother of Punk", Patti Smith has been making music since the 60's. Infusing "beat poetry" with her music, she has created some incredible songs. She even played the last set at the famed CBGB's in New York City. Although still singing today, Patti is probably more known for her activism and her anti-war stance. Patti is one tough chick! My favorite songs Because the Night and this one, Dancing Barefoot:
Sleater-Kinney:
This all-girl American Rock band was formed in 1993 as part of the riot grrrl scene. I stumbled upon this band late, but have loved them every since. These girls are all about Girl Power. Most of their music is anti-establishment and a throw-back to the old punk bands of the late 70's. Their message was one of rebelling against the traditional gender roles and basic female empowerment. When the band broke up in 2006, I have to say I shed more than one tear. These girls were AWESOME! One of my favorite songs is I Want to be Your Joey Ramone from the album, Call the Doctor. But I think their best album is All Hands on the Bad One. Here is a song from that album, You're No Rock-n-Roll Fun:
Alanis Morissette:
There is no way to have a post on Girl Power and chick rockers without including Alanis Morissette!! The very first time I heard the song You Ought to Know, from Jagged Little Pill (which I would include in my top 5 albums of all-time), I went out and bought it. Released in 1995, this album is the epitome of angry girl rock!! Every song is fantastic and wonderful, and it will always be one of my favorites. Although she has become less angry, Alanis' music is still fantastic. Flavors of Entanglement was released just last year. On a sides not, Alanis has also acted in quite a few movies, including portraying God in Kevin Smith's Dogma. And I just found out that she is going to be on this season of one of my favorite show, Weeds!! Here is the one and only, You Ought to Know:
Although there are boys in the band, Shirley Manson still qualifies for an awesome pick for my Girl Power post. There first self-titled album, Garbage is still the best they ever released. Released in 1995, this alternative rock album is still one of my favorites. With songs like Only Happy When it Rains, Queer and Stupid Girl, it infuses "pop melodies with alternative music, trip-hop and electronica". Shirley Manson is fantastic. LOVE her!!
Stupid Girl:
Well....that's it for me! It's late and I'm tired. I just wanted to thank Kailana for letting me share a few of my favorite Girl Power bands/singers!!
CC: I forgot to tell you, I bought a really cool knife.
Me: Uh, okay...
CC: (Big long story about the reasoning behind said knife, price, etc)
Me: That's great! (Totally was not listening)
CC: Oh, and I also bought a new chair for in front of the computer.
Me: Well, I hope it works better than the previous one that you bought. (Holding back laughter)
CC: (Big long story on why this chair is better than the previous one and how much money he saved.) So, when you get home be sure and look at the knife on the stove.
Fast forward to me getting home...
He bought a new stove... Did you see that coming? And, he really did buy a knife... But, I have to admit, I just sort of looked at the stove for about two minutes before I knew what to say. I was gone for like six hours and he went on a shopping spree.
Oh, but, I do really like the stove. Even though the first time I used it I almost burned the house down... We don't need to know about that, though.
This is the list of books that are due back to the library on the 22nd and are nonrenewable! I am still feeling the effects of renew all... Anyway, I hope to read some of them!
A Coalition of Lions by Elizabeth Wein - I didn't love the first book, so haven't been rushing. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi - I think I might just buy this.. Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson - Really want to read. Wanted to read forever. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson - Really want to read. An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks - Could probably wait and get this one again. Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce - Read it! Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix - Want to read, but if I don't, that's one less new series. Silk by Alessandro Baricco - Read it! The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle - Really want to read. Larklight by Philip Reeve - Looks fun, so hopefully will read. Poison by Chris Wooding - Want to read, but can hold off. Maid Marion by Elsa Watson - Want to read, but can hold off. What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson - Same as above. Betrayed by P.C. Cast - Really should read since this is the second time I have had it. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett - Really want to read! Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut - Really want to read!
Let's see how many of those I actually get through... I have what, nine days or so?
I asked Heather from A High and Hidden Place if she wanted to read a book together. After some book comparison, we agreed on Wondrous Strange. I have wanted to read the book since I got it, but it just never seemed to work into my plans. I am very glad I finally got around to it and that I got to read it with another wonderful blogger!
Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started to work with a theatre company. Sure, she’s only an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off- Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up—the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley’s about to step into the role of Titania the Faerie Queen in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, though, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man named Sonny Flannery plunges her into an adventure she could never have imagined.
Sonny is a Janus Guard, charged by Auberon, the King of Winter, with watching over the gate into the land of Faerie, which lies within Central Park. For Sonny, the pretty, young actress is an enigma. Strong and willful, she sparks against his senses like a firecracker, and he can’t get her out of his mind. As Hallowe’en approaches and the Samhain Gate opens, Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other—and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and Faerie alike.
Canadian author Lesley Livingston explodes onto the stage of teen fantasy with a debut novel—the first in a planned trilogy—that puts a fresh new spin on classic faerie lore. Wondrous Strange blends a gripping plot with fully believable characters, fascinating ideas and just the right amount of romance to create a story that is vivid, thrilling and engaging. Readers of Herbie Brennan, Holly Black and Melissa Marr will find a new favourite in Lesley Livingston.
Heather asked me three questions about the book. These are my answers:
What did you think of the inclusion of Shakespeare and A Midsummer Night's Dream? - The inclusion of the play is really the reason that I wanted to read this book in the first place. I have to admit I am not a huge Shakespeare fan, but I do really like this play. I am a sucker for retellings in the first place, though, so it was no surprise that I was drawn to this one. I really liked how Livingston combined the play, the 'real' world, and the 'fairy-tale' world in this book. It was done really well. While this book had a few 'first book issues', I still thought it was really well written and planned out. It was just believable. I could actually picture things playing out just as Livingston described it, and I didn't have to stretch my imagination too far. I am really excited to see where the trilogy goes next!
Who was your favourite character? - That's a hard question. I, at first, want to say Kelley, because with a slight spelling difference, we have the same name. But, when it gets right down to it, I am not sure I would consider her my favourite character. I had a feeling that something along this line would be one of my questions, so I found myself thinking about the characters as I read along. I actually was thinking I might say Lucky, because really, a horse in a bathtub blowing soap bubbles out his nose is such a funny image! I really liked how Livingston wrote him into the story. I also really liked the Winter King. I thought he was so well-written! He was full of surprises, but also not at the same time. It is really hard to explain without spoilers. I liked Sonny, too, of course. I think, though, if we were comparing this to Melissa Marr (like the blurb does above), I like Seth better. Really, there was no character in this book that I didn't like. They all really added to the story. Even if they were not supposed to be well-liked, they were still well written.
Most importantly, what did you think of the ending and do you think you will continue on with the series?
- I thought that the ending cleared things up pretty well. If there was not a sequel, I think it could almost be a standalone. There are things to clear up, but it was not a cliffhanger ending. (Thankfully!) I plan to read the rest of the trilogy, though. The second book is actually out in September, so I can't wait! Maybe I will read that one with you, too, Heather? We will see what the months bring.
I don't usually rate my books, but I was just going to link to Heather's review and I saw she gave the book a 3.75 out of 5. I agree with that rating. To read Heather's answers to my questions, head on over to her post.
This all-girl American Rock band was formed in 1993 as part of the riot grrrl scene. I stumbled upon this band late, but have loved them every since. These girls are all about Girl Power. Most of their music is anti-establishment and a throw-back to the old punk bands of the late 70's. Their message was one of rebelling against the traditional gender roles and basic female empowerment. When the band broke up in 2006, I have to say I shed more than one tear. These girls were AWESOME! One of my favorite songs is I Want to be Your Joey Ramone from the album, Call the Doctor. But I think their best album is All Hands on the Bad One. Here is a song from that album, You're No Rock-n-Roll Fun:
