tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84105990571530217472023-12-12T16:58:59.952-05:00The Literary Phoenix<b>"Funny, the damage a silly little book can do, especially in the hands of a silly little girl."</b> <i>~ Tom Riddle; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling</i>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-47656759756433289652012-01-18T11:45:00.002-05:002012-01-18T12:01:09.983-05:00Book Review: The Queen's Fool<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Queens-Fool-Novel-Boleyn/dp/0743246071/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326904430&sr=1-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/9780007147298.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Queen's Fool</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Philippa Gregory</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/3star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>I am of mixed feelings about <i>The Queen's Fool</i>. I found the characters to be inconsistent and weak, but even as I say that, I feel as though I am being unfair to the author - I am not learned on Tudor England, and perhaps the view she offers is realistic. Nonetheless, I found all the main characters a bit pathetic, which led to a lot of skimming and page turning. The book, much like a plot in an English court, requires patience and waiting for things to move along, as they do at their own very slow pace.
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<br>The fictionalized content in this book is greater than the other two I have read (<i>The Constant Princess</i> and <i>The Boleyn Inheritance</i>) since the protagonist herself is a work of fiction. Hannah, being a "seer," leads this particular book on the edge of a fantasy, being as often her episodes are what drives the entire plot forward. Gregory repeats herself often, then changes her mind, then repeats herself again - I'm not sure if all the characters are disloyal and ambivalent, or if it was the author herself who could not make up her mind.
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<br>That said, it wasn't a terrible read. It served for entertainment, and despite my dislike of the character and the speed of the storyline, Gregory does have a way of drawing her reader right into the world of Tudor England and enchanting us with the scenery and bringing to life the way things were. For that, she gets three stars.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-38710580508226524452012-01-13T13:59:00.000-05:002012-01-13T13:59:29.515-05:00Book Review: The Boleyn Inheritance<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boleyn-Inheritance-Philippa-Gregory/dp/1439124671/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326479486&sr=8-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/The_Boleyn_Inheritance.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Boleyn Inheritance</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Phillipa Gregory</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>Three Women Who Share One Fate: The Boleyn Inheritance
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<br>ANNE OF CLEVES
<br>She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.
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<br>KATHERINE HOWARD
<br>She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.
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<br>JANE ROCHFORD
<br>She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/3star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>Where I loved <i>The Constant Princess</i>, it took me a little while to get into <i>The Boleyn Inheritance</i>. Part of my problem with this was the separation of narrative - I was immediately drawn to three different characters, none of whom I found immediately interesting. It was not until about halfway through the book, after Kitty Howard was already on the throne, that I began to care in the least about Anne of Cleves, whose fight to survive entrapped me, and I knew already Kitty's fate (even though I have not thoroughly studied the Tudor dynasty, there was really only one end which Kitty could have met).
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<br>Gregory admits that she has taken certain liberties with the narrative of all three women - instead of presenting Anne as "ugly", Kitty as "stupid", and Jane as "evil," she has allowed all three of them speculative, complex backstories. History has a habit of laying out people in the plainest, briefest way imaginable - good historical fiction takes those cold, hard facts and builds the complexity that is a human being around them, and that dance is one whose steps Gregory has mastered.
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<br>I think that the flow in this novel was not as masterful as her previous ones, because the first half of the book moved incredibly slowly. I understand that Gregory's aim was to make this story about the "inheritance" and not about the queens themselves, but even them I feel as though those book could have been two. Nonetheless, Gregroy did a fantastic job creating sympathetic characters out of those who have been stereotyped and have little definitive fact known about them. For me, it is the characters that mean the most, and I believe that Gregory did an honor to three women who have had only dishonor shown to them. After all... all the people who know the REAL truth about any of these ladies is long dead....
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<br>I give her three stars, only because the first 200 pages were a struggle for me to get through. It's still good historical fiction, but it isn't comparable to some of her other works.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-71059404297756769292012-01-05T11:45:00.001-05:002012-01-05T11:47:38.420-05:00Flash Fiction Thursday: A Coin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/340/cache/gold-cache-scotland-preserved-roman-coins-hand_34021_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/340/cache/gold-cache-scotland-preserved-roman-coins-hand_34021_600x450.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Coin.</span></i><br />
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The coin felt like hope in her hand.<br />
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Jessalynn smiled as she held it flat against her palm, rubbing it's cold, bumpy surface with her thumb. This coin - this was the first. When the man handed it to her, so many years ago, it felt as heavy as the burden it implied: murder. Now it was light, and murder was child's play. She stretched out her legs and flipped her hair over her shoulder, watching the black and white television screen intently.<br />
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The world she had come from was much like the one she watched now. Dirty children on the street, playing in the mud. Her gunman were already moving in on the filthy little urchins. The firecracker noises of gunshot only widened her already devious smile. Silly little innocents. She saw no crime in wiping their filth from the earth, the way her employer taught her to do. That was how empires were built, and there was nothing that an empire could not do.<br />
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This was her empire, and it began with a single coin, a single small favor. <br />
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She kicked her feet off the table and cracked her neck. The cafeteria was serving real fruit today. Best she get there before the street trash corrupted the rarities.<br />
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<b><i>Author's Note:</i></b><i> It's been a long time since I've written any flash fiction, ficlets, or generally anything shorter than a chapter or two in a novel, so I'm rusty, and I apologise for that and welcome any critique. I do realise I need to get out there in the literary community a little more, and since my work schedule only allows me the time and energy to read about two books a month... hopefully a little flash fiction will help. Here's to bringing in the New Year right!</i>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-66602545421542768192011-12-27T09:25:00.000-05:002011-12-27T09:25:41.661-05:00Book Review: The Constant Princess<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Constant-Princess-Boleyn-Philippa-Gregory/dp/B005DI6BWK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324994684&sr=1-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/x1300186557constant_princess.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Constant Princess</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Philippa Gregory</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents who are both kings and crusaders. At the age of three, she is betrothed to Prince Arthur, son and heir of Henry VII of England, and is raised to be Princess of Wales. She knows that it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land. Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival in her new country with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse. Slowly she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur's wife grows ever more bearable. Unexpectedly in this arranged marriage, a tender and passionate love develops. But when the studious young man dies, she is left to make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found a dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur's young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry. His father and grandmother are against it; her powerful parents prove little use. Yet Katherine is her mother's daughter and her fighting spirit is indomitable. She will do anything to achieve her aim; even if it means telling the greatest lie, and holding to it.</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/5star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>I absolutely loved this book.
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<br>I was introduced to Philippa Gregory's work a couple years ago when chatting with one of my co-workers about the movie <i>The Other Boleyn Girl</i> being completely oblivious that it was a book-turned-film. It was only recently that I actually started reading her books, and it was certainly worth the wait. The way Gregory paints the historical character brings new life to her. It is amazing the way the stories fit so perfectly together, and the coldness of Queen Katharine that is seen in <i>The Other Bolelyn Girl</i> is entirely justified - the poor woman has suffered enough! What makes it more interesting, though, is the knowledge that this woman was real. Not real to the letter, perhaps, but real in some way, and many of the events presented are ones that really happened. In historical fiction, one of two things can happen to the reader's perception of the truth: either the reader will come to despise the character for the author's failure to present them are entirely human, or they will come to love (or at least pity) the character because they will gain a better understanding of their suffering. Gregory, I believe, succeeds in the latter.
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<br>One thing that I greatly appreciated was the lack of smut - in historical fiction, <i>especially</i> in Tudor England, there is the opportunity to write in several graphic sex scenes, and Gregory resisted that, keeping the novel a story rather than light pornography, which she certainly could have done. I don't know if this is the case with all of her work, but I appreciated it in this particular novel.
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<br>It took me a little while to get a hang of her writing style - she shifts between first person present and third person past. Fortunately, she does mark the difference in italics - the Infanta's thoughts are always italic. It requires a careful read, to be sure you grasp the point-of-view she is using in the non-italicized portions, however.
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<br>My greatest complaint about the book, which was not enough to ruin it for me, was the ending. Gregory spends a great deal of time certralised around Katherine's marriage to Arthur, and her suffering afterwards while she grows strong through a widowhood, the wooing of a king, being in disfavor, having a miscarriage, being made a fool, and leading an army to Scotland. After the Scottish king dies, however, the paces speeds up dramatically in the last chapter or so. It feels rushed, unfinished compared to the rest of the book. I think it would have sufficed to end the book at the fall of the Scottish king, but perhaps that is because I already know how Catalina's story ends, and others do not.
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<br>This book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Tudor England, and lovers of history in general. Historical fiction must, as always, be taken with a grain of salt, but Gregory offers a passable (if not fairly accurate) representation of the times and culture. It would be best offered for young adults and up, at the fear that high schoolers (unless advanced readers) would find it boring. I would suggest it as in-school reading at the college level, perhaps for extra credit! While the accuracy is shoddy, it does provide a perspective of Tudor England, and sometimes the perspective provided by a piece of fiction greatly helps contextualise the mounds of facts derived from non-fiction.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-60754670304496661472011-12-19T18:48:00.002-05:002011-12-19T19:11:02.077-05:00Book Review: Marked<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marked-House-P-C-Cast/dp/B0043GXYBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324338460&sr=8-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/55201370.png"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>Marked</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>PC Cast & Kristin Cast</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire -- that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/1star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>I am not usually a person who flat-out hates a book... but this would be an exception. I have grown up living and breathing the vampire represented in Anne Rice and Bram Stoker... and the moment Neferet gets miffed because - Goddess forbid! - Zoey uttered Stoker's name, I was annoyed. For all intensive purposes, this is a story about immature, over dramatic witches. And yes, I meant witches.
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<br>As far as the description of vampire goes... the Casts decided to go with "drinks blood sometimes" and "worshippers of Night" (literally) and "burns in sunlight" as their descriptors. There is the complaint that Stoker villianizes vampires (oh, sorry, <i>vampyres</i>) but it's the strength and mystique that is missing. For a little while, I had hoped that it could be found in the adults...but no. Even the High Priestess gets giddy and excited over the fledglings. Zoey has a kitty cat familiar and casts circles and spells and has an affinity over the element. Oh fantasy readers... am I the only one that aligns those gifts and traits with a typical witch... not a vampire?
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<br>Now lets talk about Zoey. Zoey has, like, the worst life evar. Srsly. Her mom like totally hates her and her "step-loser" is like a total brainwashed follower of the People of Faith, who are like, complete assholes. Oh, welcome to the way this book is written. Okay, I'm being a little overdramatic, but the protagonist's background is the same as any whiny teenager I could follow on Tumblr (no offense intended... everything seems worse when it's happening until you experience some more "real" life... you know what I mean?). The book starts with gossip about that cute guy at the football match. When she gets to the House of Night, it's about the Hags from Hell and omg they are so evil. No substance. It's even very dramatic when she's saving the day at the end. Zoey's family? She has an open-minded grandmother; a non-supportive, brainwashed-by-new-husband mother; goody-two-shoes siblings; and a step-father who is prejudiced. That prejudice really bothers me, actually, because over and over again the Casts bring up the "People of Faith" (oooh, that is <i>screaming</i> Charlaine Harris) and they talk about it like its the only religion and all religious people are blind, hateful, and controlling... which isn't a fair assessment at all. At least Harris uses a little comparison in her novels... there are different sects, and yes, some people may be like that, but the world isn't black and white.
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<br>Anyway. Zoey. She's an absolute Mary Sue. It's one thing to have powers. That's cool. It's another thing to be the strongest of everyone in your class. That's... okay, well, I'll keep reading. It's ANOTHER things to be the most powerful person in your school. In the world? In history? Come on. <b><i>But wait! There's more!</i></b> She also has a special mission in the school that is her mission only, a super important mission. And if THAT wasn't enough, the hottest guy in the school is falling for her, the strongest vampire in the school is her mentor, <i>and</i> she seems to be on the top of her classes. ... ... ... I've got no words. Lots of annoyed thoughts. Talk about excess!
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<br>I think the only way I'd read the second book of this series was if someone bought me the book, and paid me to review it. It made me mad.
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<br>I'm sure there are lots of people out there who would like it. Occasional readers, perhaps. Twilight fans? Middle school girls. That's about all I can give it.
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<br>I think that while it was nice that PC wrote a book with her daughter (nay, a series)... she's a better writer on her own. I read <i>Divine by Mistake</i> by her last year, and while I was ultimately disappointed with that book as well, it was a much better story, and a much better character.
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<br>Maybe the Casts just aren't for me.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-46044351932725309552011-12-19T18:44:00.000-05:002011-12-19T18:44:12.939-05:00Book Review: The Summoning<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summoning-Darkest-Powers-Book/dp/0061450545/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324337179&sr=8-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/summoning.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Summoning</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Kelley Armstrong</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.
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<br>At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/4star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this book. Frankly, in YA Fantasy Lit, anything that doesn't scream "vampire" is a nice respite. So right off the bat, this was a nice break from what is the usual voice in this genre right now. Then enter Chloe, protagonist. I actually liked Chloe, which is strange for me, since I am generally inclined to loathe protagonists (don't even get me started on Harry Potter...). She's quirky, but controlled. She's your typical teenage nerd girl - proud of who she is and dealing with the world in the way she best can all while pretending to be normal. And this is <i>before</i> anything weird happens. Armstrong gives the reader a chance to get to know Chloe a little bit before she changes, which builds a foundation... that is nice.
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<br>Even once Chloe is in Lyle House... she is not a dunderheaded protagnist. She makes choices, she doubts herself, she acts like a human. She is not helpless and while she is a little naive, it is not so much that you literally get angry at the book while she constantly makes the wrong choices. Because to the reader... she's not making the wrong choice. It is clear that Chloe has a process through which she makes her decisions, and when something goes wrong, it's because a piece of information is withheld, and the reader is as taken aback as the protagonist. That's awesome. Loved it.
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<br>These days, with a busy work schedule, I rarely finish a book in a day or two - I positively flew through this book. Besides work, I was in the middle of a performance when I read this book... and I almost missed a cue once while reading it because I was engrossed. Armstrong is fabulous at weaving a world that quickly snares the reader, and you've read fifty pages and lost nearly an hour when you were just sitting down to read a chapter.
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<br>I believe that young adults will eat in her <i>Darkest Powers</i> series, if this first book is any indication. Even as a book for adults... while it's not the most impressive read, it certainly was not a waste of time, and I know that I will read the next one. Chloe, although a teenager, was not entirely unrelatable as a character. And, if nothing else, the book is a quick read. But I enjoyed it, even as things were getting a little "out of hand" at the end. I liken the style of it to books like <u>Blue Bloods</u> and <u>A Wrinkle in Time</u> - it carries a similar charm mixed with strong female protagonists who have a fighting spirit and a storyline that doesn't always go where you want... or expect. In a good way.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-83509007616342330832011-12-14T11:41:00.001-05:002011-12-14T11:41:14.115-05:00Book Review: The Hitchhiker's Triolgy<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hitchhikers-Trilogy-Douglas-Adams/dp/0739410121"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/Ultimate20Hitchhiker27s20Guide.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Hitchhiker's Triolgy (Books 1-5)</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Douglas Adams</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>Suppose a good friend calmly told you over a round of drinks that the world was about to end? And suppose your friend went on to confess that he wasn't from around here at all, but rather from a small planet near Betelgeuse? And what if the world really did come to an end, but instead of being blown away, you found yourself hitching a ride on a spaceship with your buddy as a traveling companion?
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<br>It happens to Arthur Dent.
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<br>An ordinary guy from a small town in England, Arthur is one lucky sonofagun: his alien friend, Ford Prefect, is in fact a roving researcher for the universally bestselling Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ... and expert at seeing the cosmos on 30 Altairian dollars a day. Ford lives by the Guide's seminal bit of advice: Don't Panic. Which comes in handy when their first ride--on the very same vessel that demolished Earth to make way for a hyperspacial freeway--ends disastrously (they are booted out of an airlock). with 30 seconds of air in their lungs and the odd of being picked up by another ship 2^276,709 to 1 against, the pair are scooped up by the only ship in the universe powered by the Infinite Improbability Drive.
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<br>But this (and the idea that Bogart movies and McDonald's hamburgers now exist only in his mind) is just the beginning of the weird things Arthur will have to get used to. For, on his travels, he'll encounter Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-President of the Galaxy; Trillian, a sexy spacecadet he once tried to pick up at a cocktail party, now Zaphod's girlfriend; Marvin, a chronically depressed robot; and Slartibartfast, the award-winning engineer who built the Earth and travels in a spaceship disguised as a bistro.
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<br>Arthur's crazed wanderings will take him from the restaurant at the end of the Universe (where the main dish of the day introduces itself and the floor show is doomsday), to the planet Krikkit (locked in Slo-Time to punish its inhabitants for trying to end the Universe), to Earth (huh? wait! wasn't it destroyed?!) to the very offices of The Hitchhiker's Guide itself as he and his friends quest for the answer to the Question of Life, the Universe and Everything ... and search for a really good cup of tea.
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<br>Ready or not, Arthur Dent is in for one hell of a ride!</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/4star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>The most important thing to know about the Hitchhiker's Trilogy (other than to know where your towel is), is to read one book at a time. When I was in high school, I had the good fortune to be gifted what I call my "Hitchhiker's Bible," a large book with paper-thin pages that contains all the first five books in one convenient edition. It seemed like a dream come true... the first time I read it.
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<br>Now, after the third time, I have to admit that not all the books are masterpieces. In fact, I am not at all fond of the third book, <b>Life, the Universe, and Everything</b>. Being, as it is, stuck in the middle of the trilogy, it's a sort of unfortunate buffer between the two interesting halves and makes it a drudge to get through... kind of like the Council of Elrond in <b>The Fellowship of the Ring</b>. I love this series, and the only reason it gets four stars is because I'm daft and I read it all together and the third book throws me off and I end up skimming to get to the good parts.
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<br>You have to take Adams with a grain of salt. Keep in mind, he wrote four versions of this story: the books, the radio show, the BBC miniseries, and the movie. None of these editions are identical, and all of them were written by the same man. It is, therefore, useless to squabble over technicalities and we should simply assume that in one universe or another, they are all correct. His humor is a bit flat and he has a bad habit of introducing Super Important Characters that disappear after 60 pages as though they had never existed. It is all part of his charm.
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<br>The Hitchhiker's Trilogy is one of those books that people love, or hate... but not in-between. For those who are on the fence about the book and are not sure they want to commit the time to reading it (indeed, my tome-version looks pretty intimidating, even to me), I must emphasize that the best adjective to describe it is "ridiculous" and I advise you (get ready for this - it's practically sacrilegious) pick up the recent film version. The script is strikingly similar to the first book, which is, as a whole, the best of the six... and it requires less of a commitment.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-23400039463954563312011-12-14T11:22:00.000-05:002011-12-14T11:22:57.837-05:00Book Review: School's Out - Forever<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Schools-Out-Forever-Maximum-Ride/dp/0316155594"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/51r5SW8maIL.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>School's Out - Forever</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>James Patterson</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>Adventure, fighting, backstabbing and love abound" (VOYA) in this action-packed follow-up to the #1 New York Times blockbuster MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, now available in paperback. The heart-stopping quest of six winged kids--led by fourteen-year-old Max--to find their parents and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of their ultimate destiny continues when they're taken under the wing of an FBI agent and attempt, for the first time, to live "normal" lives. But going to school and making friends doesn't stop them from being relentlessly hunted by sinister spies, who lead Max to face her most frightening match yet: a new and better version of herself.</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/3star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>Yes, yes, I know. Everybody loves Max. I think that phrase is written across all three of the Patterson books I own. I'm still trying to love Max. I still don't.
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<br>The series is not bad. I liked the first book better than I liked <b>School's Out - Forever</b>. I think that they idea of these kids going to school is a little far-fetched and ridiculous, and as much as the travelling annoyed me before, their goals seemed more realistic to their situation. And I simply couldn't get past Anne, their caretaker. The lack-of-FBI-esque qualities that abounded in her character made me want to chuck the book across the room, and several times I found myself telling the page "Ha! And FBI agent would NEVER say that." Obviously later on the lack of traits becomes explained, but the lack of even trying bothered me enough that it distracted me.
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<br>I have issues with the characters in general, still. The older children are less frustrating - Fang and Max, namely. Total, the dog, bears a Toto (coincidence? I think not) like resemblance to me but he's annoying, and Angel is simply too bossy/innocent... she gets away with too much. That leaves "comic relief" to fall to Gasman and Izzy... and thus it makes them seem less vital to the story, other than being part of the flock. I do, however, give kudos to Patterson's method of handling the situation with Izzy's parents.
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<br>I still believe that for grades 8 through 12, the <i>Maximum Ride</i> series should be a huge hit. The characters are relatable, and there is less need for suspension of disbelief. Patterson's pacing is amazing, though. As much as I may find the series disappointing (and that, too, is a danger of a series with so much hype), I can move through the books very quickly, making them a good choice for a light read.
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<br>Read my review of: <a href= "http://morteana.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-angel-experiment.html">The Angel Experiment</a>.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-84822971611260232302011-12-14T11:04:00.000-05:002011-12-14T11:04:59.310-05:00Book Review: The Fool's Girl<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fools-Girl-Celia-Rees/dp/1599904861"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/9781599904863.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Fool's Girl</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Celia Rees</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>Young and beautiful Violetta may be of royal blood, but her kingdom is in shambles when she arrives in London on a mysterious mission. Her journey has been long and her adventures many, but it is not until she meets the playwright William Shakespeare that she gets to tell the entire story from beginning to end. Violetta and her comic companion, Feste, have come in search of an ancient holy relic that the evil Malvolio has stolen from their kingdom. But where will their remarkable quest--and their most unusual story--lead? In classic Celia Rees style, it is an engrossing journey, full of political intrigue, danger, and romance.</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/2star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>Although tedious and slightly scattered, The Fool's Girl is yet another retelling of an old, beloved fairytale.. except this one doesn't trail as far back as Hansel and Grethel or Jack and the Beanstalk - hailing from Elizabethan England, <i>Twelfth Night</i> is comedy, tragedy, drama, and resolution. I found Rees' style frustrating - there are characters presented as important who ultimately show know purpose at all (I am thinking of Tod, here), and there is a great deal of talk and travel, what I generally refer to as "filler". It grew tedious. The important plot points felt so few and far between that they got lost and I was distracted from them.
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<br>Anyone familiar with Shakespeare will appreciate the references to many of his other plays beside Twelfth Night. Off the top of my head, I can think of four: Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, and Richard III. In that way, it was charming to see the crossovers and where Rees revealed Shakespeare's inspiration. In many ways, Shakespeare's story in this book is much more interesting than Violetta's.
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<br>A certain level of appreciation for Shakespeare is required to enjoy this book on any level, and i would not recommend it to the people who have a difficult time relating to Shakespeare or to his work.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-76075801983102337182011-12-14T10:58:00.001-05:002011-12-14T11:05:14.504-05:00Book Review: Sisters Red<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Red-Jackson-Pearce/dp/0316068683"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/blogger.jpg"></a>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>Sisters Red</font>
<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Jackson Pearce</font>
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<br><font color=#fce5cd><i>Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
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<br>Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?</i></font>
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/2star.png">
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<br><font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font>
<br>As a lover of fairytales-retold, I adore the idea of this book, but found myself overall, disappointed. Pearce's attempts to tell an old story in a new and interesting way are only partially successful in that he falls back on too many of the same old cliches. It's one thing to be able to predict a movie ending (and, ironically, the movie that comes to mind is <b>Red Riding Hood</b>, whose greatest secret I had called before the first fifteen minutes passed) but it is entirely a different thing when you are able to call the ending of a book. I almost put it down several times - a dishonor which I have bestowed on very few books - simply because the events were only proving time and again that my theory was correct. It's no fun to already know the ending of a mediocre book.
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<br>That said, it does get two stars, because cheesy romance and 2/3 ridiculous cliched characters aside, Pearce did do some interesting things with the retelling - such as having the Hunters instead on exclusively weak little pixies. It also just may be the fact that I am good at finding the wolves crawling out of the woodwork - many others are may not be able to predict it as well as I did, and for them, this book will certainly be enjoyable.
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<br><center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-30015733916295515532011-12-10T12:56:00.001-05:002011-12-10T13:44:37.056-05:00Book Review: Feed<br />
<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Feed-M-T-Anderson/dp/0763622591"><img src="http://invisibleinkling.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/feed.jpg" /></a>
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<br /><span style="color: #2d1155; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;">Feed</span>
<br /><span style="color: #2d1155; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;">M.T. Anderson</span>
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<br /><span style="color: #fce5cd;"><i>Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains.
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For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.</i></span>
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<span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: small;">Star Rating:</span> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/5star.png" />
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<span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;">Review:</span>
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I simply cannot express how much I love this book. These are the reasons why:
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1.) It's a dystopian novel. I have a weak spot for dystopian novels.
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2.) The characters feel real to me. Not an adult trying to write a teenager. I never doubt Titus as a character, never second-guess his motives. Perfectly crafted.
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3.) The language. This is a pitfall for many people, but for me, it just ropes me in closer to the story.
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4.) The questions it asks about technology and our dependence on it. And on instant gratification.
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I can see where this novel would be immediately flagged "Evil! STAY AWAY!" for some people, mostly for the reasons I have listed that I love it. In that, it must be understood that not all books appeal to all people. This book has, in my experience, always sparked controversy among its teen readers (see my incredibly biased entry, <a href="http://morteana.blogspot.com/2011/03/book-bias.html">The Book Bias</a>, for more on exactly how this book has been flagged by real teens), and is therefore a perfect choice for reading in high school. If nothing else, the students will want to discuss how much they hated it... which is the starting point for a wonderful discussion.
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But I didn't hate this book. As I said, I loved it. I have read it multiple times, and my opinion of it hasn't changed. I love being able to walk away from a book and ask questions about it. I love being so wrapped up in a fictional universe that I'm watching the clock at work not just because I'm excited to get out of there, but because I want to immerse myself in the literary world again. Feed did that for me, and does that every time I read it.
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Feed explores not only the dangers of a reliance on technology and instant gratification (those happen to be my favorite topics) but also criticizes the way we are destroying the ecosystem, taking education for granted, the sheep-like nature of the populace to follow the lead of celebrities, the declining rate of general health, overspending, substance use, negligent parenting, and on and on I could go. If there's a controversial topic you want to touch on, <i>Feed</i> probably has something to say about it. That, I would say, is probably Anderson's greatest fault in the book - he tried to say a little bit about a lot of things. It makes the book a little overwhelming, if you are reading it closely.
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Then again, maybe that's the point.
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png" /></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-8317824662070524772011-09-06T10:28:00.003-04:002011-09-06T10:33:14.598-04:00The Burger of a Novel.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://image.dieselpowermag.com/f/9105650/0707dp_10_z+2007_July_diesel_industry_news+hamburger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://image.dieselpowermag.com/f/9105650/0707dp_10_z+2007_July_diesel_industry_news+hamburger.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Writing a novel is the fun part. It's like the meat in a taco, a burger in its bun, that delicious gooey apple filling in a Apple Cinnamon donut at Dunkin' Donuts. Unfortunately for those of us who prefer to wipe off the cinnamon and just eat the delicious pie filling, writing doesn't work like that. You cannot have an epiphany in the morning, then write a brilliant novel, and be done with it. As nice as that would be, it doesn't work that way.<br />
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Research. Research has always been my nemesis (or maybe that was plot?). I have to sit down at my computer and open ye olde Wikipedia (shhhh, don't tell) and try to figure out what it was like to be a street rat in Prague in 1604 AD. I don't get to watch Aladdin and assume that every street rat everywhere in every time wears a purple vest as has a goofy pet monkey. I suppose I could assume that, but it wouldn't make a very good novel, would it? So we begrudgingly do our research. At least we've got it lucky! About fifteen years ago, a diligent writer would have to spend days in the library, cracking open encyclopedias for the knowledge we technology hermits have at our fingertips. Research: that is the top bun on the burger.<br />
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The bottom bun is editing. As much as we all like to think we're brilliant on the first shot, I triple-dog-dare you to put aside a manuscript that you love for a year, don't touch or think about it, then pick it back up and re-read it. You're gonna be embarrassed for yourself - trust me on this one. The characters are flat and the plot is draggy until the last ten pages and you really aren't even sure what that word was supposed to be... and you typed it! So it's back to the old drawing board we go. Does that mean your story should be scrapped?<i> Absolutely not</i>! Just... you know... changed. A lot.<br />
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Then, there are the toppings. Personally? I like my burgers with Colby Jack cheese, french fried onions, barbecue sauce and ranch... and even bacon if I've got some. It's not a very healthy burger, but it <i>is</i> delicious, and your novel should be too. Don't put in a sappy love triangle if you don't think it belongs, just because someone else thinks you should. Would you put pickles on your burger just because your best friend thinks they're totally delish? Noooo. The intrigues and imagery and little laughable moments are just as important to the writing of any good novel as the plot and characters are.<br />
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And maybe nibble on that pickle. It might turn out that you'll like it. If you do, maybe you'll put it on your burger, then. While someone else's advice isn't always necessary, it certainly is helpful, and people give their opinions for a reason. If you can trust your best friend to tell you honestly that yes, that bathing suit does make you look fat, then you might be safe to believe her when she tells you that Johnny Good-Looking doesn't seem like the chain-smoker type.<br />
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Burger? Check. Bun? Check. Condiments? Check. Dig in!<br />
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-14820626438178885702011-09-03T09:57:00.002-04:002011-09-03T09:59:11.861-04:00Book Review: Terrier<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Terrier-Legend-Beka-Cooper-Book/dp/0375838163/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315057383&sr=1-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/terrier.jpg"></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>Terrier</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Tamora Pierce</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>Terrier is set two hundred years before Tamora Pierce's best known series, Tale of the Lioness, but remains in Tortall. Terrier is basically a rookie cop's story, in which the rookie comes across two truly ugly cases. "Beka is a slum kid who was brought into the household of the realm's top cop, the Lord Provost, eight years ago," Pierce said in an interview. "Now, at 16, she's returning to the slums of her childhood as a Puppy, which is what the Provost's Guards, or Dogs, call their rookies. Her life expectancy in this year is slim: Police work in this medieval-esque setting is hard and nasty, and even veterans don't always survive. Beka's lucky to have two of the best Dogs for her trainers, and she'll need them. Hers is a truly brutal world of tavern brawls, murder-for-hire, rivalry between thieves and murderers and those who profit from their work and those who will kill to keep their secrets. She's facing someone who is kidnapping children and killing them if their parents won't pay up and a man who slaughters the crews who dig treasure for him so they won't give away what they are doing." Pierce said that Beka is cool, tough and shy and has a powerful but subtle kind of magic. Beka is able to hear magically well, and is, like Alanna, guided by her cat - whether she wants to be or not!</i></font><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/3star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
I liked Beka's story because it was one of Pierce's, but that was about the extent of my interest. I found some places to be tedious, as though it took Beka a very long time to find one little piece of information, but she discovered the whole plot in a moment. I understand that Pierce is working towards a trilogy, and so the things that bore me now are likely to be important later.<br />
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This book is written in the first person, and that must be expected before going into it. Traditionally Pierce writes in the third person, so the journal-reading experience is a new one for readers of hers.<br />
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There were many charming aspects. I liked Beka's friends - the rouges more than the Puppies and Dogs. You can tell from the start which are going to be important based on the way she writes about them, and I look forward to hearing all of their stories in the later books. I also loved Beka's cat, Pounce, and I remember Alanna's trusted cat-friend who turned out to be a deity and I cannot help but wonder if it is that same handing guiding Beka....<br />
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Pierce does not disappoint. I believe that <i>Terrier</i> is far from being her strongest work, but it is a good read nonetheless and should not be missed by any fan of her work.<br />
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-20686028234749260612011-08-26T08:03:00.000-04:002011-08-26T08:03:28.932-04:00Book Review: Wake<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Book-1-Lisa-McMann/dp/1416974474/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314359312&sr=1-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/Wake_by_lisa_mcmann.jpg"></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>Wake</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Lisa McMann</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.<br />
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She can't tell anybody about what she does they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can’t control.<br />
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Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant.</i></font><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/4star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
Wake was refreshing as a short book, but even then on some counts it failed to deliver. The characters remained rather flat and a little stereotyped, and really, how many of us are taking Cabel's sudden and magical transformation very seriously? But if you can get past the stories, McMann's got a very interesting concept. And Janie's best friend Carrie? She's the worst.<br />
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Getting past the intellectually shallow characters, McMann does have a very interesting concept. There are not a lot of books that delve into the dream world, and even fewer that do so without tying themselves to Alice in Wonderland. What Janie is, is a dream guide, and in dreams she encourages people to change their dreams. Unfortunately, that is all she does - watches, listens, and tells people to change. The concept could have been pulled a little further, but McMann seems to push for an entirely uncomplicated book, and that's what she succeeds in creating.<br />
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Although flat in many ways - including the above as well as sentence structure - <i>Wake</i> is still a charming, quick read. It's got enough paranormal elements that it doesn't feel like a regular YA novel, but it's also subtle enough that those who don't prefer fantasy do not feel ostracized by it. All in all a very quick, fun little read.<br />
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-77611261833078708632011-08-18T16:41:00.000-04:002011-08-18T16:41:21.668-04:00Moving Slowly... and a Book Cover!One thing that sitting in a hospital waiting room in the early hours of the morning can assure you is that if you're not the type to sleep in public places, such as myself, you'll get a lot of reading done. I've been struggling through <i>Terrier</i>, but I got a good chunk of it done last night waiting for the results of my father's CAT Scan. I like it better now, and will probably be more inclined to read it. Plus, he's okay. For now.<br />
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I've struggled with the Camp NaNoWriMo writing over the last few days, courtesy of real life, and have barely hit a thousand words a day. Today, however, on a measly four hours of sleep, I tied up a plot problem, wrote over two-thousand words, and created a different cover for <i>The Secret of Treacher's Creek</i> for no other reason than I found a font I liked.<br />
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<center><a href="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/Cover-2.jpg"><img src= "http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/Cover-2-1.jpg"></a></center><br />
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I feel like I've caught myself up a bit, and I'm mostly tired. I recently acquired the first season of <b>Boardwalk Empire</b>, so I think I'm going to indulge a little bit.<br />
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We all deserve a reward after hard work and emotional turmoil.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-26183738866112417512011-08-12T10:53:00.000-04:002011-08-12T10:53:50.751-04:00Book Review: The Looking Glass Wars<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Glass-Wars-Frank-Beddor/dp/0142409413/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313160129&sr=1-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/looking-glass-wars.jpg"></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Looking Glass Wars</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Frank Beddor</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>The Myth: Alice was an ordinary girl who stepped through the looking glass and entered a fairy-tale world invented by Lewis Carroll in his famous storybook. The Truth: Wonderland is real. Alyss Heart is the heir to the throne, until her murderous aunt Redd steals the crown and kills Alyss parents. To escape Redd, Alyss and her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, must flee to our world through the Pool of Tears. But in the pool Alyss and Hatter are separated. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Yet he gets the story all wrong. Hatter Madigan knows the truth only too well, and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she may battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.</i></font><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/3star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
I so very, very much wanted to love this book. I adore the Alice franchise, and I'm not a crazed fanatic of the exact words and chaos that comes from Carroll's tale as I am the possibilities it holds. I was thrilled when I discovered <i>The Looking Glass Wars</i> at my local Borders, and even more so thrilled when I learned that it wasn't a stand-alone book. I have seen more versions of Alice in Wonderland than I can count on one hand, and I even tend to enjoy the ones that impose a plot upon Alice's adventures.<br />
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This said, I had unfairly high hopes for Beddor's story. I will not lie and say it was an awful book, but nor will I give it more praise than it rightfully deserves. There were some moments in it that I loved. For example, the Inventor's Parade was a splendid idea (I particularly enjoyed the timeline at the end of the book which meshed real world events with those in Wonderland). There were things about Hatter Madigan I greatly enjoyed, and Alice as a child was delightful.<br />
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Then there were the things that were simply bad writing - rushing through scenes, Alice's transport back to Wonderland was far too quick a transition and completely unbelievable, even in a Wonderland-context. Sometimes the odds were far too impossible for Beddor's final conclusions to even be reached. Now, I know that attempting to look at Wonderland with a logical eye may seem foolish, but it isn't a matter of logic verses suspension of disbelief. It was simply bad writing, as though the author got bored and decided to simply skip to the point.<br />
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I give Beddor three stars, because the book was full of potential. Some of his ideas were nothing short of brilliant. On the other hand, though, I didn't see any characters that didn't appear in the Disney adaptation of the story save for the chessmen, which makes me wonder how much time Beddor spent with Carroll verses how much time he spent with media interpretations of Carroll. Nonetheless, <i>The Looking Glass Wars</i> is a worthy read for anyone interested in fairytales, in reflections of Lewis Carroll's work, or in a quick story that doesn't have too stringent of a plotline. Perhaps even a fan of steampunk fantasy would enjoy this, based on aspects like the Millinery and the Glass Eyes and other aspects like that. However, die-hard Carroll fans, stay away! This will only serve to enrage you.<br />
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-9785098687954102642011-08-08T11:31:00.001-04:002011-08-08T11:31:43.107-04:00Book Review: The Angel Experiment<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Experiment-Maximum-Ride-Book/dp/0316067954/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312816607&sr=1-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/IMG_1946.jpg"></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Angel Experiment</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>James Patterson</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?</i></font><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/3star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
This book (and series) has a lot of hype around it, and hype can either improve or destroy my perception of a book. I tried, really tried <i>hard</i> to love Maximum Ride, but I didn't. I just didn't. It wasn't the character - Max was well-formed and so was her flock. I think it was the plot. The plot was <i>everywhere</i>. And part of my frustration with the plot went along with the fact that, for one reason or another, when I read "The Angel Experiment," I related that to the character Angel and not the obvious fact that these kids look like angels. So negative five points to me. But I still didn't love it. However, some of the best series start off with a questionable first book, and you just have to be confident that everything will come together.<br />
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I really did like the concept, though. Genetic experiments gone wrong are my favorite type of science-fiction. I will be reading more, because there are a lot of unanswered questions, but I'm not compelled to pick up the next book immediately and read it. The questions just <i>aren't</i> that pressing to me. The book is, as most of my read, geared towards a younger audience and perhaps things like the questionable maybe-it-will-happen? romance will compel readers to fly (no pun intended!) to book two. Or it may be that I'm just tired of the "omg who is she totally into?" sub plot.<br />
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There's a lot of running in this book, which serves its purpose, but grows tiresome. Stylistically, Patterson does keep it moving, and if there's going to be a lot of running (and flying!) around, then it really needs to be written with great flow, which Patterson definitely accomplishes.<br />
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This is great for a light, easy read. It's enjoyable, even if I didn't find it compelling. Max is a strong female lead who accepts help but doesn't grovel for it. She definitely stands on her own two feet, and it's always nice to see a protagonist like that!<br />
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-49138433657393366062011-08-04T12:53:00.005-04:002011-08-04T12:58:09.572-04:00How Online Communities Compliment my Writing Life.<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></div>The title says it all: "how online communities compliment my writing life". It's something so sad and so true that I couldn't come up with a more amusing title for it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hotels.uptake.com/blog/files/2009/09/New-Hampshire-Fall-Foliage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://hotels.uptake.com/blog/files/2009/09/New-Hampshire-Fall-Foliage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I live in Southern New Hampshire, and I know a lot of writers. Some are my age, some younger. For the most part, everybody I know wants to, is, or has written a book. There are even some writers from New Hampshire (you may have heard of Robert Frost or Dan Brown)! But for the most part, we live in our tiny little hamlets and avoid each other as though we're afraid there's going to be an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague. It's not that we all hate each other, it's that, well... it's the way we are. We are the people of suffering winters and melting summers - hard weather makes a hard people, and we protect our own... and sometimes, that means our stories, too. I dunno. Maybe we all hate each other. I wouldn't rule that out either.<br />
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I think what I'm trying to say is there aren't many writing groups in New Hampshire... and there are certainly none in my area. We're all busy, busy! No time for fun in our little hamlet of the world! Besides, that would mean we would need to rearrange our busy schedules to see people. ... Yeah, I'm a little bitter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH5uyOJNp0uSX69FHpxUr1xLgZYaRfCQcb7xt59GgLEFXkjOPOQRf6j_zR6OVn9HUueQQd1ZLBLevr7PjNHZCQeej32AABY6Fa2dUrZ_0JmgqqnLap05BGE0L4F-BL0TNK0qLl30cKhm0/s1600/RamboTurkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH5uyOJNp0uSX69FHpxUr1xLgZYaRfCQcb7xt59GgLEFXkjOPOQRf6j_zR6OVn9HUueQQd1ZLBLevr7PjNHZCQeej32AABY6Fa2dUrZ_0JmgqqnLap05BGE0L4F-BL0TNK0qLl30cKhm0/s320/RamboTurkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A couple years ago, a bunch of my friend!writers decided that we were going to start a group. We even had an online forum, which I managed. We called ourselves "Something to Correct," because lets face it... there's always something to correct. We were badass writers and editors, and we didn't poke at each other's work with toothpicks... we took out the Uzis! We last two meetings before the Brain of the operation got too busy, and I think the forum died shortly thereafter.<br />
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It's difficult, in the real world, to be a writer and survive. Where I live, nobody has a 9-5 job. We're lucky if we work the same hours two weeks in a row. Scheduling a meeting between two people is difficult, let alone a meeting between seven people. This is why I have grown attached to online forums as a writing community - they give us the chance to be a part of that type of community... just in our own time, in our pjs, and with a tea and Devil Dog (am I the only person out there who eats Drakes and Hostess as a guilty pleasure?).<br />
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There are a lot of things that can be said about the internet, but when it's the only writing support system I've got, I can't be thankful enough for it. It's so much easier to write when you have people cheering you on and offering advice. When you're like me and find that it's practically impossible to get that in real life... use the sources you have. There are writing websites everywhere (I'm hooked on <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>) where lone writers can find a little bit of support, or friends.<br />
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Sometimes we may feel like it, but we are <i>never</i> in this alone.<br />
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png" /></center>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-928914970760939762011-08-02T12:32:00.000-04:002011-08-02T12:32:24.913-04:00Camp NaNoWriMoSo today is the second day of the second session of the first ever Camp NaNoWriMo. For those who don't know what this is: it is the opportunity to join with a group of writers worldwide and write a 50,000 page novel in a month. For more information, go to <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org">NaNoWriMo.org</a> and/or <a href="http://www.campnanowrimo.org">Camp NaNoWriMo.org</a>. I think that OLL (the Office of Letters and Light) explains it best themselves.<br />
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To be honest, I'm very excited about my novel. This is my second NaNoWriMo event, so I'm still a NaNo-Infant, but the idea of writing 50,000 words in a month is exhilerating. I'm trying to get all my friends to do it. I'm pretty sure they think I'm mental.<br />
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Currently, the site is still buggy so I can't update my word count, but I'm right on schedule, which is where I like to be. And unlike the last NaNo event I did, I knew what my novel was, basically, at least two days before I started writing. I joined the site Halloween last October, giving myself approximately six hours to plan a novel! Yeah, I'm a "pantser"... someone who takes an idea by the seat of their pants and runs with it.<br />
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I think NaNo is an important event, because it gives us a deadline. That is what helps for me. I <i>can</i> write 2,000+ words a day when properly motivated, and as a writer, that was a big deal to learn.<br />
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I will leave you all with my jibberish thoughts and excitement about Camp NaNoWriMo with this:<br />
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<center><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/Cover-1.jpg"></center><br />
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That's my novel cover. Isn't it pretty?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-90436563645643451982011-07-30T16:01:00.001-04:002011-08-01T12:12:26.142-04:00Book Review: Blue Bloods<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Bloods-Melissa-Cruz/dp/B0014JUHDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312054909&sr=8-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/7753114_0_9999_lge_v1_m56577569830512657.jpg" /></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>Blue Bloods</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Melissa De La Cruz</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>Schuyler Van Alen is confused about what is happening to her. Her veins are starting to turn blue, and she's starting to crave raw meat. Soon, her world is thrust into an intricate maze of secret societies and bitter intrigue. Schuyler has never been a part of the trendy crowd at her prestigious New York private school. Now, all of a sudden, Jack Force, the most popular guy in school, is showing an interest in her. And when one of the popular girls is found dead, Schuyler and Jack are determined to get to the bottom of it.<br />
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Schuyler wants to find out the secrets of the mysterious Blue Bloods. But is she putting herself in danger?</i></font><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/4star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
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I surprised myself by loving this book.<br />
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I find that the summary on the back of the book is a little misleading - <i>Blue Bloods</i> follows not only the story of Schuyler Van Allen, but also the stories of Bliss Llewellyn and Madeline Force ("Mimi"). There are enough cliches to make it familiar, but few enough so that the pieces of originality stood out well. At the beginning, I was afraid that De La Cruz was going to dive into intense descriptions of clothes (hey-lo upper class, teenage NYC!), but she only did so when was appropriate, and in the voice of the one character who would actually care about something like that - Mimi. There isn't a single mention of a name-brand that Schuyler is wearing (excepting, of course, her modelling campaign, but her discomfort is clear the whole time).<br />
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The summary on the back of the book implies that this is a paranormal mystery, but the story itself seems to be more coming-of-age... except it's not about growing up... it's about becoming a vampire.<br />
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There were enough unique aspects in this book to make it feel fresh in a world that is torn between sparkly emo vampires (Meyer), and vicious, cunning vampires (Rice). She uses enough of the traditional aspects to remain true to the folklore, but explains away everything that doesn't fit. Even if she doesn't use aspects like garlic, etc., then I appreciate the fact she finds a justification for not using them. New aspects, such as the flashbacks and reincarnation? That's just cool.<br />
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However, there are points that are a little cheesy - Gabriel and Michael, for starters. Also, Oliver felt too flat after revealing his secret, as though knowing that sucked his character dry for me, and that was a little disappointing.<br />
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This book is great for people who want to read a light vampire flick, who aren't forcefully invented in "vampire" as the word is defined by another author, and as always with YA... people who can dissociate themselves from an adult mindset and recognize that the main characters may have souls as old as time, but their bodies and maturity level aren't quite as old.<br />
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I will be picking up the next book in this series, and I hope it delivers.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-16093516396403859532011-07-29T09:06:00.001-04:002011-08-01T12:15:09.051-04:00Book Review: A Game of Thrones<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553386794/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311943755&sr=8-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/A-GAME-OF-THRONES-new-HC.jpg" /></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>A Game of Thrones</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>George R.R. Martin</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective wall. To the south, the King's powers are failing, and his enemies are emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the St...moreLong ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective wall. To the south, the King's powers are failing, and his enemies are emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the King's new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but also the kingdom itself. A heroic fantasy of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and evildoers who come together in a time of grim omens.</i></font><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/5star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
I had a difficult time starting this book. I read the first ten pages probably a gazillion times, on different eReaders. Once I got through the first chapter, I was hooked. This is <i>exactly</i> the kind of book I enjoy reading.<br />
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Martin takes the reader through a variety of different characters, each with their own subplots, each indispensable to the over arching plot of the book, and the overarching plot of the series. Each character speaks with his or her own voice, and has his or her own motivations. With as many characters as there is, one would think it difficult to keep track of all the different details, but Martin's writing was so smooth, I found it easy to follow everything - and difficult to put the book down!<br />
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His writing style was reminiscent of Tamora Pierce's, and his crafting of characters and scenery felt even Tolkien-esque. I found myself completely emerged in the threat of winter, even though where I live, it is unmistakably summer! I cannot praise him enough.<br />
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One thing Martin does dare - and I found it successful though others have not - is write a fantasy novel without traces of common fantastical elements - all these things are lost. There is no more magic, and dragons have not been seen in a millennium. Yet in the typical medieval setting, Martin maintains the <i>feel</i> of fantasy without these elements, and that is no small feat. Martin also shows enough of a battle to allow the reader to experience it, but without becoming monotonous.<br />
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I have read reviews that criticize Martin's use of sexual imagery, and the abuse of one character in particular. I acknowledge these remarks, but I do not find them to be enough to be a turn-off from the book. Any mention of a sexual encounter is brief and tasteful (unlike too many other fantasy books I have read) and it is <i>relevant to the plot</i>. Actually, I found it a bit refreshing to not be plunged into unnecessary erotica in the middle of a fantastic plotline! But that is my opinion, and I do not wish to belittle other people who were offended by it - their opinions are equally valid.<br />
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This is no book for children, and teens and young adult who are not advanced readers or bear a special love for works such as Tolkien will find the book tedious, I believe. For those of us with a love for fantasy and expert writing, <i>A Game of Thrones</i> is an absolute treat.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-22323292745958165392011-07-29T08:41:00.003-04:002011-08-01T12:17:18.730-04:00Book Review: Paranormalcy<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paranormalcy-Kiersten-White/dp/0061985848"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/Paranormalcy_KierstenWhite2.jpg"></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>Paranormalcy</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Kiersten White</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.<br />
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Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.<br />
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So much for normal.</i></font><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/4star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
This actually has <i>nothing</i> to do with the book itself, but as I was typing up the summary, I realized that Kiersten White spells it "faeries" and not "fairies" which makes me incredibly happy, as I've always done the same. ... Ahem. On to the review.<br />
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My approach to Paranormalcy, as a reader, has been different than any other book I have ever read. I bought it because I accidentally stumbled on to <a href="http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/">Kiersten White's blog</a> and was immediately charmed by her vivacity and quirky sense of humor. I bought her book because I respected her as a person and enjoyed reading her posts everyday. This is the only book I've sought after "meeting" the author, as opposed to seeking the author after enjoying the book.<br />
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The first thing I latched on to was Evie, and her voice as the narrator. I am anything but a girly girl, and so, I didn't love her character (personal taste - no attack at all on the writing style). What I <i>did</i> love was her energy - Evie is <i>full</i> of life. High on life. Even in the darkest times, she's one of those people that seems to find a glimpse of hope to bring her happiness, to help her move forward. It's not the raw determination and vengeance sought by so many protagonists - it's innocence. I <i>loved</i> that about her.<br />
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However, despite the pleasure I found in the mood of the book, I did have to keep reminding myself - "This is YA Urban Fantasy. YA. Yes, the characters are going to be immature. They are written to appeal to a younger audience than myself." They were shallow and impulsive and downright silly at times, but I've worked with high schoolers long enough (and been one recently enough) to remember that level of innocence and the "drama llama" that comes with it. And adult reader <b>cannot</b> go into this book expecting a mature cast and serious story. This book is <i>pure fun</i>.<br />
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That said, there seems to be an underlying layer of seriousness - darkness - with the faeries. I very much enjoyed those characters, because of how mysterious they were. Even at the end of the book, you got the impression they were still hiding something, a clever trick to maintain interest for the next book.<br />
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White also gets brownie points for unique fantasy creatures, mixed among the usual choices (vampires, werewolves, mermaids). If I said what they were, though, I'd ruin the book.<br />
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Ultimately, I <i>will</i> be picking up <i>Supernaturally</i> at some point in the future. I think that even though the series is definitely intended for teenagers (and the young at heart), White accomplishes everything she intended to with the book.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-45894407955148124672011-07-27T09:49:00.001-04:002011-08-01T12:19:16.686-04:00Book Review: The Power That Preserves<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Preserves-Chronicles-Thomas-Covenant-Unbeliever/dp/0345348672/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311773737&sr=8-1"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/The-Power-That-Preserves-First-Chronicles-of-Thomas-Covenant-3-3434352-5.jpg" /></a><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=7 color=#2d1155>The Power That Preserves</font><br />
<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5 color=#2d1155>Stephen R. Donaldson</font><br />
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<font color=#fce5cd><i>Twice before Thomas Covenant had been summoned to the strange other-world where magic worked. Twice before he had been forced to join with the Lords of Revelstone in their war against Lord Foul, the ancient enemy of the Land. Now he was back. This time the Lords of Revelstone were desperate. Without hope, Covenant set out to confront the might of the enemy, as Lord Foul grew more powerful with every defeat for the Land....</i></font><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png"></center><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=3>Star Rating:</font> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/3star.png"><br />
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<font face="Homemade Apple" size=5>Review:</font><br />
After a long period of waiting for something to happen, I finally find myself liking a book in this trilogy. It took until the middle of the book, granted, but then I flew right through it. The pace picked up, the characters gained interest. It was good, but I'm sad that it was so long coming. However, saying that, I must emphasize again that Donaldson's style is a much vaguer, slower-paced style than I prefer to start with, so those who like that type of writing style will have probably liked this book from the beginning.<br />
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Donaldson leaves a lot unexplained, right from the beginning. A great deal of the start of the book leaves the reader following Covenant around in a short of delusional stupor, and later the reader will see glimpses into certain perspectives that are truly irrelevant to the story - or, if they are relevant, Donaldson did not clearly explain how.<br />
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I made a note to myself after about the first hundred pages pending an incident: "Given any sort of logic, we'd never see Triock again, but even though many of Donaldson's side-exploits seem to be pointless and end in people dying, people don't seem to die. But they still seem pointless." A little harsh, perhaps, but it remains true. It's said that "if you don't see the corpse, they are not dead," and that prove true of several characters in the trilogy, so many that it was becoming predictable, and a bit disappointing. I think perhaps that the point was that Covenant's ghosts were coming back to haunt him, but I'm not certain.<br />
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Ultimately, I didn't love the trilogy, but nor can I say I hated it. Much of my opinion on the book, I am consciously aware, has to do with my preference in books, and not the shortcomings of the writer. He has many fans, and has them for a reason.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-37804667500273087032011-07-13T12:48:00.001-04:002011-12-10T13:15:45.109-05:00Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows<br />
<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Deathly-Hallows-Rowling/dp/B004IK0ERM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310574338&sr=1-2"><img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/ziq6fn.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #2d1155; font-family: Homemade Apple;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</span><br />
<span style="color: #2d1155; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;">J.K. Rowling</span><br />
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<span style="color: #fce5cd;"><i>We now present the seventh and final installment of the epic tale of Harry Potter....</i></span><br />
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<img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/flourish.png" /></center><br />
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<span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: small;">Star Rating:</span> <img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/thenotoriousbov/Blog%20Headers/Misc%20Blog/5star.png" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;">Review:</span><br />
What is there to say about a book which speaks for itself?<br />
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<b>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</b> is a very different adventure than the rest of the books in the series - as it should be. Times have changed, and so has Harry. It is important for the reader to know that going into the book. This is not just an adventure through a mysterious hidden chamber beneath the halls of Hogwarts - this book bears several heavy themes. <b>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</b> is not exclusively a children's book - it is more.<br />
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Rowling doesn't disappoint. I don't think she could if she tried. She is right on mark with her details, as always, and her characters continue to grow and change. Perhaps the greatest and most remarkably change we see is in the character of Neville Longbottom, who has finally found his voice. We always knew he was in Gryffindor for a reason... and Rowling finally reveals that it is for reasons greater than standing up to his friends.<br />
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I have read discussions about the relationship between characters, and how Dumbledore's childhood friendship was not about a quest, but more personal in note. While I see where these presumptions may have been drawn. I do not think that was Rowling's intent at all, and it saddens me to think that people have chosen to look for scandal in the book, rather than experience the <i>magic</i> that is already there.<br />
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In short, <b>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</b> presents everything avid readers of the book could have wanted, and then some. Yes, the ending may be "disappointingly happy and cliche," as I have also read in various places, but in that, I believe Rowling has left us another piece fo advice - our futures are what we make of them. We can choose to see the world in its corrupted state and pity our existence in it, or else we can see the beauty between the lines, and revel in it.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8410599057153021747.post-54992850225644824132011-07-12T21:25:00.004-04:002011-07-13T13:01:20.649-04:00Popping Gum, Tapping Fingers, and 101 Things We Love to HateYou’ve been standing in the checkout line for five minutes, and the poor cashier is visibly distressed as she tries to rush all the customers through. You’ve only got a candy bar and a head of lettuce, plus the grocery store is air conditioned, so it’s not the end of the world. The lady in front of you has an overflowing carriage, and - you can tell from the size of her chunky wallet - a lot of coupons. You know it’s going to be a while, so you’ve taken to flipping through a magazine sitting at the checkout counter.<br />
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That’s when you hear it. At first, you think it might be a trick of your desperate imagination – but no! There it is again! You look up at the man who has just strolled behind you, and realize he is the source of the subtle hint of wintergreen in the air, and the source of that noise.<br />
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Suddenly you’re aware of all the noises – not just the elastic snap of chewing gum bubbles, but also manicured fingers tapping, neck joints cracking, off-key whistling… it fills the inside of your skull until you feel like you have to scream.<br />
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These little quirks, the things that trigger our irrationally angry responses, are the ones that lead us to negatively judge the people around us… and the characters we read.<br />
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Take Dolores Umbridge for example. We knew we hated her from the moment she first stuck her mousy little face into Harry’s business. Nothing Umbridge did at the start was wrong, per se, but we instantly knew we hated her. It was in the details. Her pink cardigan sweater was too “pretty” for the mystique and magic of Hogwarts. Her kitten plates were disgustingly cute. Every time she wanted to say something, she said, “Ahem.” It was that “ahem” that had us from the start.<br />
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It’s brilliant, really.<br />
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Writing an annoying character is no different than experiencing one. Think – what are the little things? The things that make us want to strangle a complete stranger? You don’t want to tell your reader that<br />
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<blockquote style="color: #7f6000;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/2/2e/Dolores_Umbridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/2/2e/Dolores_Umbridge.JPG" width="230" /></a>George was an annoying git. From his head to his toes, there was not a single thing about him she could stand.</blockquote><br />
but rather<br />
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<blockquote style="color: #7f6000;">George sniffed at the air with repulsion and began picking at the dirt beneath his fingernails, clicking his tongue along with the second hand on the clock. She covered her ears, but the noise echoed in her head, and all she could see when she closed her eyes was his nose in the air, like he was better than her.</blockquote><br />
Which one would you rather read? Which one gives a clearer image of George? The real majesty of villain - major, minor, or annoyance - is in the details, because the details connect to the reader, and suddenly it's a little easier to fit into the protagonist's shoes... because we all know someone a little like Dolores Umbridge, and we'd like nothing better than to set centaurs loose on her.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604562946704867785noreply@blogger.com0