My Soul to Lose, Rachel Vincent

I feel cheated, I really do.

I "bought" this book from Amazon and downloaded it to my Kindle app on my iPhone (several, several months ago). I use the term "bought" loosely as it was free. I even got a receipt saying that I would be billed "$0.00".

Well, okay, then.

The premise was interesting: a young girl who suffers panic attacks and hallucinations suddenly wakes in a psych ward. While everyone writes her off as crazy, there's one girl who seems to understand. She see the same shadows twisting around people, too.

Catchy.

I started reading this at 1PM, while at work. In between stocking and waiting on customers. I was finished at 5:30PM.

It was a great read; honestly, it was. But I wanted more. I've only now realized My Soul to Lose is the prequel to Vincent's Soul Screamers series. It's but a teasing novella.

It did it's job, though. I'm hooked, and only mildly annoyed, and I cannot wait to start this series. I'll definitely be looking them up in the local library.

It's YA, in case you couldn't tell. But for anyone who enjoys YA novels, I definitely recommend this.

Happy reading, everyone!

Your Dreams Are Not Your Own

...says the tag-line on Lisa McMann's Wake.

I finished this book today, and it was absolutely amazing. I'm a bigger fan of YA fiction because of this book. McMann truly has a wonderful story on her hands, and I'm so glad my friend recommended this for me. I can't wait to read the second book ((I'm pretty sure this is a series))!

Her writing style took some getting used to. I didn't hate it, but it seemed kind of bland at first. The more I read, though, the more I got sucked into the story. The character was just so engaging. The plot -- to me -- refreshing. And the voice was so real. I loved it.

For those of you unfamiliar with this book, it follows Janie Hannagan. From the time she was eight-years-old, she's been helplessly sucked into the dreams of those in close proximity to her. The more nightmarish the dream, the more difficult it is to pull herself out. It reveals the frustrations and tribulations she faces for being so different.

Cabel, a supporting character, is a total win. I love him. I think you will, too.

I still have many questions, which I hope Lisa answers for me in Fade. I'm going to order my hardcover copy off of Amazon right now. Wake, too, though I can't find the hardcover version. *grumbles* Anyway, I just can't wait to have them in my bookshelf.

The Sign for Drowning is a little slower going, as it's harder to read. Wake was a breeze, and just so engaging -- and again -- on my iPod which I can hide easier than a book while at work. But I feel like I'm finally coming along quite nicely.

In random, other news, I found out today I was named Honorable Mention in the 78th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Genre was Short Story. *smile* Pretty stoked.

Happy reading, everyone!

The Outsiders, Plugging & Awards

I appreciate the fact that no one warned me that The Outsiders would be a sad read. Not my sister, not my mother -- both of whom raved about what an excellent book it is, and it's true. It was wonderful; I enjoyed every minute of it. But a little forewarning would have been nice. Yeesh.

Inbetween work and babysitting a seven-year-old and a four-year-old I somehow found time to finish it. It was so difficult to put down. The tone was so real. It was easy to imagine that was how a fourteen-year-old would think. The characters were wonderful. Hinton did a really good job developing her characters. I loved how every individual of the Greasers were integral to their group. It's said a lot in novels and in real-life: how important a person is to a clique. But this was real. Everything about it was very, very believeable. I loved it.


To me, the narrator, Ponyboy, seemed so wise beyond his years. He knew he was leading a life he didn't want to live -- though he accepted it as the cards fate dealt him. He knew the things they were doing were wrong, but the sad bit of it is that he felt powerless to stop it. Until later, of course, when their group begins to dwindle.


The relationships between the characters ((not just as a group but as brothers)) was enjoyable. It was fun and sarcastic and playful and so -- as I've mentioned -- real...at times. One thing I found a bit awkward, and maybe it's because I'm not close with my own siblings, was the cuddling between Ponyboy and Soda. And the back rubs. It was odd for me. But not difficult to overlook. Every other aspect of their relationship I loved.


I can't believe I didn't read this book until now! Okay, maybe I can. I probably wouldn't have appreciated it as an 8th grader as I do now. I'm glad I waited ages.


Definitely an awesome read. It was printed in the late sixties, and while most of the time it was obvious what era it represented, I still felt that it could have transcended time a bit. At certain points it felt more modern. I love that. If you haven't read it, you should. That's all I'm saying.

With that said, I'm going to start focusing on Jane Eyre again. I've missed reading it -- sooo good. Wow.

First, though, I'd like you all to go in this direction. There is a pretty sweet, epic giveaway going down at BookMac that you should all get involved in if you're interested. ((Thanks Parajunkee for posting it in your blog this morning!!)) Loads of stuff being given away. Check it out.

And thanks again to Amy for another award. (: I appreciate it, tons! And I promise that I'm going to pass them along, too. Tomorrow, for sure, as it's my day off. Thanks again!!

...And that's all in my neck of the woods.

Good night!

I'll Scream Later

Truly and honestly I enjoyed this book. And since I'm being honest, I wasn't 100% sure I was going to enjoy it. I didn't want any sort of biography or auto-biography; it's just not my cup of java. But since becoming fascinated with the beautiful and talented Marlee Matlin I knew it was a book I just couldn't pass up. It truly was fabulous.

There are so many things that I respect about her book. The fact that she's so candid and fearless. She delves deeply into her past, plucks out her demons and puts them on display for her readers. She's real. I loved it. And she just seems so down to earth.

For those of you who do not know, Marlee is Deaf. And for those of you who do not know the difference, Deaf has a different connotation than deaf. The capitalized D means that the individual -- or group, for that matter -- is proud of their deafness. And, possibly most importantly, Deaf person is not disabled.

On the other hand, being so profoundly Deaf ((and I mean proud)) can be...well, a turn off. ((For me.))

I took Deaf Culture and History two years ago. I received my Associates Degree in American Sign Language Communicatons and Interpretation. I've been in love with ASL since seeing the movie Children of a Lesser God. And through my college courses and getting out and meeting people in in the Deaf Community, I've learned so much. And unfortunately, one thing I've learned is that the Deaf Community can be brutal. If you're not Deaf then you're most likely ousted from the community. If you go mainstream ((public schooling, not a residential school specifically for the Deaf)), then you're almost traitorous. Often times if you speak, as opposed to signing, or are pro-Cochlear Implants you're accused of not being proud of who you are.

To me, it seemed a little too much like prejudice.

Now, allow me to say that not every D/deaf individual that I meant has shared that mentality, and after reading I'll Scream Later, I've realized that Marlee didn't either. At least, she appeared not to be. In fact, over the course of her career she's received a lot of flake from the Deaf Community. If she didn't do something to their liking then she was "unsupportive."

Anyway, the fact that she is so incredibly down to earth in that aspect and has found away to exist in both Deaf and Hearing Culture is something I admire and appreciate so much. She seems like such a sweetheart.

Now that I'm off my little pedestal -- lol -- I just want to say that this book is definitely an excellent one to pick up. It's motivational. It's funny and witty. Definitely it can be dark, what with her mention of her on-going struggle with addiction and her abusive relationship with William Hurt.

That, I think, would have to be the only thing negative to say about the book. It is one-sided and it's difficult to remain unbiased or arbitrary. I try not feel anger towards this Academy Award winning actor I don't know, but it's tough. *shrug* Maybe I'll read his biography, if he ever gets around to writing one.

Next, from my booklist I'm going to read Jane Eyre, and then I think I wanna try this new book I found:: Echoes by Maeve Binchy. I've never heard of the author. Any of you? I hope I like it! *crosses fingers*

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I was certain that I'd enjoy this novel. After discovering Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me? sometime last summer, I knew her writing style would be something that I could fall into easily -- that's including her use of 1st person, which I'm sure is evident by now that I don't really care for. With that said, I was surprised at how much Confessions of a Shopaholic infuriated me.

Trust me, though, that's a good thing. The novel was great. It was written well; it had me laughing -- literally -- out loud. I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable (and quick) read, considering how much I've failed at life recently. What had me so infuriated wasn't the novel so much as it was Becky Bloomwood.

In the beginning, she was cute and funny, if a little idiotic and immature, but I thought those characteristics were endearing. It wasn't until the story progressed and she lied to a mutual acquaintance-(later)-turn-boyfriend about a dead aunt (which, really wasn't resolved to my liking), chucked every VISA statement and letter from her bank, and utterly refused to acknowledge reality did I get a mite annoyed.

Obviously this book was about a shopaholic who gets herself in a monetary bind (understatement), so I should have known what I was getting myself into. But some things were a little too much for me. Namely the dead aunt thing. Not cool, Miss Bloomwood.

Despite that, I really did enjoy the book! I'd say the amount of times I rolled my eyes in annoyance were outweighed by the times I giggled and "awwww'd". The awww-ing was mostly in regards to her relationship with her friend Suze. Suze was such a sweetheart. I would have liked more awww moments with Luke, but I guess I'll have to read the rest of the series to get those.

At any rate, good novel. Not my favorite by Kinsella, certainly not my favorite in general, but it was a pleasant enough read for me to want to continue with the series.

Next, I'm gonna tackle I'll Scream Later. Pretty stoked about that one.

The Last Unicorn

I finished this novel two days ago. In all honesty, I wasn't anticipating that I'd enjoy it as much as I did. I've never been into fairies and unicorn, or magicians and evil Kings. Apparently I'm okay with vampires though, haha, which seems a little odd that I don't enjoy the rest.

At any rate, I think The Last Unicorn was a fantastic read; thanks to whoever recommended that for me.

I was a little worried when the back cover said it was "whimsical and sensuous," but it totally worked. The often time rhyme-y and odd speeches only added, in my opinion, to the story. That's probably only because for every whimsy detail there was a more modern flare to balance it out. In the middle of it all someone was called a dude, and I loved it.

I loved Schmendrick, the Magician (who was teased mercilessly; "can't even turn butter into cream"). Molly Grue was probably my favorite. She was completely unrefined and unrepetent, but she had a good heart. Prince Lir broke my heart into a million pieces come the end, and The Unicorn...well, I'm not exactly sure what to say about her. Beautiful. Immortal. Oddly detached. I think she had the most brillant character arch I've come across yet.

The Last Unicorn is a short read -- only 215 pages. Sad story that it took me so long to read it, but I enjoyed every minute of it and would definitely recommend it for your enjoyment as well.


Next I'm reading A Northen Light by Jennifer Donnelly.

*BzzZzzZzz*

Amazing novel. Honestly, I wasn't convinced I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. Hands down, it's my favorite book thus far. Move over Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, while you're hilarious and fun to read, The Secret Life of Bees touched me in ways you failed to. I was sad to turn the last page.

The characters were brilliant and consistent. Nearly all of them were loveable; honestly, I've never thoroughly adored every character in a novel the way I did in this one. Even T. Ray, the asshole father, tugged at my heart strings. That's not an easy feat. I felt sorry for the man, and at the end I saw him a little bit differently.

The main character, Lily Ownes, lied and cheated and she stole, but it was difficult to hold a grudge against her because of it. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that. Rosaleen was hysterical. August was the kind of wise god mother figure every little girl (or boy, I guess) should have. May broke my heart. And I couldn't help but root for Zach and Neil. I cherished each and every one of them.

It was mildly slow in the beginning, but as soon as Lily and Rosaleen begin their journey it becomes impossible to put down. Had it not been for work and other responsibilities, I would have remained in bed to read it from cover to cover. It was that good. Even the ending was satisfying!

I've heard other reviewers and critics mention books that had a "true Southern voice." I never knew what that meant until I began to read this one. The accent -- that smooth, almost lazy talk was so clear in my head, which I think just added to the story. It didn't even bother me that it was written in first person!

Kidd did an amazing job. I just...it's my favorite. My new favorite novel. I borrowed it from the library. Now I have to look on Amazon to buy it. I just can't not own the thing.

*sigh* Really sad to know it's finished though. Now I have to watch the movie.

The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle is next.

Viola!

I finished reading The Host around 12:30 this morning. I practically devoured the last half of the book. Like I've heard mentioned, I'll agree that it is a bit strange. It's mildly slow in the beginning, but soon becomes fast-paced and hard to put down. For anyone who doesn't know what this book is about, and without giving too much away, it's about an alien (they're called Souls; this one's name is Wanderer) who inhabits a body (the host; Melanie). Melanie, however, doesn't disappear like she's supposed to, and Wanderer is stuck with her memories and emotions. Shennighans ensue.

Strange, yes, but totally an awesome read.

This novel, and the four books from the Twilight Saga, further confirms my theory that Stephenie Meyer was a Roswell fan. No one can convince me otherwise. That's probably another reason why I enjoyed the book so much.

With that said, I still have a few issues with the way she wrote her book(s).

I just don't do 1st Person very well. It's too limited, and more often than not that author tries to break through the limitations. They fail; only succeeding in irritating me.

Also, and I don't know why she does this, but SM likes to tell stories within her dialogue. She did this in the Twilight Series (I think it was Eclipse? Whichever one that Rosalie told her story), and she did it a bit in The Host, too.

She tries to have a character tell the story of his/her past. She goes into detail, which is great...but when she gets to the dialogue portion, she flubs it up. It's not believable; I don't like it. I...can't explain it very well. While a character -- let me use Rosalie...

While Rosalie is telling her story, she gives great detail. Which is wonderful. Good stories require a lot of detail. When she is telling Bella what the guys said to her, though, that's when it becomes unrealistic. She uses tags: "he said maliciously" within her story, as in, within the dialogue.

No one talks like that. No one tells their best friend what their douchebag ex-boyfriend said to them -- not like that. It's weird. I noticed it right away. I don't like it. It irritates me. (This is probably horribly confusing...)

...But I still really enjoyed the books, lol! People think that when I nitpik about stuff like that, then I don't like what I'm reading. Unfortunately, it's quite the opposite. The more I like the book, the more I pick at it. I think it should be perfect.

Unrealistic, I know. *shrug*

So, I went to the library today and picked up four books. I'll probably end up having to recheck some of them out, haha. But I'm starting, today, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Then, I think, I'll read The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle. The other two books I checked out are A Northen Light by Jennifer Donnelly and Atonement by Ian McEwan. Pretty stoked about it.

I totally forgot how awesome libraries are. They smell nice. And they're quiet. It's pretty much heaven.

Dinner and movie tonight. I wanna read some before then....

Byye!

"Your balls, Mr. Darcy?" "They belong to you, Miss Bennet."

For anyone who may be reading this ... I go a little nuts in this post. Spoilers will be revealed. You have been duly warned.


Just like I knew I would, I have fallen in love with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It basically removes every thing that I hated about the original ((which, honestly, wasn't much)), and added every thing that it had been sorely missing That is Grahame-Smith took out all the unnecessary long-windedness of Austen and got right to the point. That's not to say I think the zombies were a "missing" piece to the original novel, but I do think it was a nice touch.

Most importantly, having completed the novel, it hasn't made me favor the original work less; it makes me appreciate it more. While Grahame-Smith tries to mimic Austen's style, he doesn't quite nail it. It's kind of like reading a fanfiction. A really, really good, exceedingly funny and violent fanfiction. Still impressive, for sure. I loved and hated ((and loved to hate)) an assortment of characters in the original, and I get to do the same in this edition as well, only I get more satisfaction out of the way certain players got their comeuppance, if you will.


Elizabeth, I felt, was pretty badass in Pride and Prejudice. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She was smart, and witty, and impressive yet modest. And most importantly, she was not infallible. When she made a mistake, she admitted it. In and Zombies, she's still all of those things, with the exception that she wields a Katana sword. True story, and I freakin' love it. Turns out, Daddy ((who is awesome)) sent his daughters to China to learn under a Master Liu-something-or-other in the deadly arts. There they learned kickass skills to defeat the icky zombies. They are all quite impressive, and of course Elizabeth is the best. The final show down between her and Her Ladyship was brillant. Whoa.

Mr. Bennet I also enjoyed in the original, though he made me a little frustrated at times. I never understood how he could continually hold his composure in regards to that nutty woman he called a wife. She got on my ever-livin' nerves. It was funny when he'd toss out zingers that would fly over her head, but just once I wanted him to mention one that she was sure to comprehend. In this one, Mr. Bennet is decidedly blunt. I think my favorite Mr. Bennet line is when he pleads for Mrs. Bennet to "spare [him] the expense of having [her] lips sewn shut." On numerous other occassions he complains about her "prattling" while I continue to laugh. Such was the attitude he was missing in the original.

Mrs. Bennet is exactly the same. I hate her, and I love it.

Charlotte Lucas becomes a zombie. ((HA!)) She is beheaded, most honorably.

Mr. Collins is short and fat. He is continually describe as short and fat. He can't defend himself against the unmentionables. He's just as annoying as ever. He hangs himself after beheading his wife.


Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a pretty kickass old bag. She's slain 10 thousand ((maybe?)) unmentionables in her day. She has a dojo in her home, and a plethora of ninjas at her disposal. She's just as uppity as ever.

Mr. Darcy is pretty much the same. Tall, handsome, arrogant and oblivious, plus he has mad musketry skills and was educated in Japan. He, too, is a slayer of zombies. And of course, he falls in love with Elizabeth for all the same reasons as before, with the addition of her rivaling deadly arts skills. I particularly love the sparring match between the two when he proposes for the first time. It's kind of like foreplay. Mr. Darcy is also is a little less censored. He specifically tells Miss Bingley that she'd enjoy balls better if she "knew the first thing about them." Such a remark causes Elizabeth to blush and try not to laugh.

Mr. Wickham is still an epic bag of douche. She still seduces the ridiculous Lydia, and many others, leaving in his wake a trail of debts and bastards (("a bastard-maker?"- quoted from Jane Bennet)). His commeupance is the most satisfying of all, I do believe. Not only is he forced to marry Lydia, but he gets the hell beaten out of him by Darcy. He is left paralyzed and bed-ridden, where he continually soils himself. It's terrific.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I can't express enough that the original Pride and Prejudice is 10 times better. My favorite is still the former, but I do enjoy satire and this was the best. I don't mind at all that this novel is thoroughly poking fun at a classic. It just proves how influential Austen and her works have remained today.

If you love or hate Austen, I would definitely recommend this book.



**Next, I'm reading Anna Karenina. It'll be a while 'til my next post....

Florentino - Not Your Average Hero

So, I forgot to mention another element of the novel that I loved ((right? I'm finding more good things to say about it!)), and that is this: Florentino Ariza is not your average hero; he's the antihero.

Predominantly, the male hero is absurdly attractive and absurdly confident. If he is not absurdly rich by birth, then he became absurdly rich due to his absurd talent. He never loses composure. All the ladies want him. In short, he's quite a catch.

Floretino definitely falls short in most - if not all - of the above characteristics.

He's not attractive ((hence the reason not even his awesome love letter writing skills could keep his obsession)). He wears thick glasses for his myopia. He dresses like an old man; he dresses like an older man when he is an old man. He loses his hair at a youngish age and resorts to the high school prinicpal-meets-Don Trump combover. But the best of all is the fact that he suffers from severe IBS. I freakin' love it. Twice Fermina had his guts twisted up with nerves that he almost soiled himself in front of her. That's spectacular.

Yet, despite all of that - all the ladies still wanted him.

I don't get it. The explanation was that he was a man in need of love. So, I guess all those poor, misguided women wanted to be the ones to love him, to fix him.

Good fail, ladies.

*sad face*

The Time Traveler's Wife is finished. It was pretty much devestating. I loved it.

Still not ready for the classics yet. Alex recommended Love in the Time of Cholera.

Okay.

Success!!

Yay me! Emma is completed. I'm going to start Mansfield Park before I got to bed tonight, and have it finished by next Thursday. Then, it's Wurthering Heights.

Emma was...decent. It got better closer to the end. I'd say the first 3/4 of the novel was boring, for myself at least. And Emma was just retarded. I didn't like her nearly as much as I liked Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Knightely was win, though.

I can't wait until we see the movie version in class; it's not going to be until the last part of the semester, though. We're also going to watch Clueless. Any class that has that movie was part of the curriculum is win, for sure. We have to get through MP and the movie version first, however. I kind of misread the syllabus and started on Emma before I was supposed to, but I couldn't bring myself to stop reading it and pick up a new book. I hate that.

Anyway...I pretty much rock. (= One down, forty-nine to go. ;)