30 posts tagged “books”
Preface: So a couple weeks ago I challenged Zack to read five books and he challenged me to read five books as well. The first one that I decided to read was Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I’m letting him choose the next one although it will probably be awhile before I get to it. My own TBR pile is sort of overwhelming as it is. As a side note Zack lent me his copy and it sort of looks loved in the way of it being a favorite book that you pass around to everyone because you liked it so much. I’m not sure if he did this or not but that’s the look of it. My well loved books just look worn because I’ve read them multiple times or I’ve accidentally cracked the spines to them not because I passed them around. I use to be pretty stingy like that but I have gotten better.
Anyways on with the review….
Now first off I’m not even going to pretend that I know how to write a book review because I don’t. I’m also really bad at describing what books are about as I think I’ve said before. I also should say that while I like Neil Gaiman I don’t love Neil Gaiman. I just can’t seem to get in to his books to the point of “oh I can’t put this down!” however I quite enjoyed this book. I wasn’t really able to read it as quickly as I wanted to because school is kicking my butt.
This book starts out with Richard in what is known as London Above and he is living an ordinary life. (ok that’s what the back of the book says whatever!) Then he finds Door who has been hurt and basically after that his whole world gets flipped upside down. Amazon probably can do a better job on telling you what it’s about.I really only have a couple things to point out in this book one being that I think the villains Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar are quite possibly some of the creepiest villains I have ever read. Like literally after reading parts where they were present I got shivers or rather I wished I hadn’t read it at night time when I am about to turn off the lights. Not because it was really scary or anything but more that I just wouldn’t want to run in to them in a dark ally or even in the day light or dream about them and those thoughts made me nervous.
The second being that I think this:
"From the darkness at the crown of the bridge came a gentle noise, like a rustle or a sign. A handful of irregular quartz beads pattered down the curve of the bridge toward them. Richard picked on up."
And what happened afterwards sort of made my heart break. I think Gaiman has no qualms about killing off certain characters right when you become attached to them, which makes an interesting read. The only other time I can think that I had this very reaction was with Sirius Black in Harry Potter. Oh J.K. you broke my heart with that one, you really did. (Side note she smashed it to smithereens in Half Blood Prince but we’re not talking about Harry Potter right now, that is a completely different entry)
I’m not actually sure if this book is suppose to be young adult or adult but I don’t think it’s a book for kids. I think there were some pretty creepy parts as well as a little graphic but I liked it and would definitely recommend it to other people. Also I would now even more so like to book a trip to London.
But I can't because I'm on a "book buying" ban
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larson (It takes place in Sweden..I am 100% Swedish due to the fact that my mom and my Grandma were both born there. My mom didn't really grow up there though she mostly grew up in the states but my Grandma did grow up there)
- The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery
- The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins (I think this book would be perfect to read next month...poo on my book ban.)
- Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
Zack and I are doing a book challenge in which I challenged him to read 5 books that I have picked out before next October. I know five books doesn't seem like much especially since I've already almost 50 this year alone but it's a book challenge so that's the way I'm rolling with this one. He also picked out five books but these are the ones that I have picked out for him, I apologize in advance because I copied and pasted this from an e-mail so it's basically written to him:
1.) Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien - Ok I just loved this book and I know it's actually three books but the copy I have is the three in to one so there for I'm counting it as one. One day I would really like to own this! (Which I am totally drooling over.) This is one of those books that I wish...really wish that I could experience for the first time again. I found that I couldn't wait to get back to it while I was reading it. I didn't even want to read it in the beginning! It's length was so daunting and I just couldn't deal but let me tell you it was totally worth it! They leave stuff out in the movies trust me! Although the movies are sooooo good.
2.) Whisper of Death - Christopher Pike - I haven't read this book in over 10 years but I seriously loved it when I did read it. Although I was probably like 14 or something so I don't know if we can really count my 14 year old self on finding good stuff to read since I loved Sweet Valley High books and books by R.L. Stine and Lois Duncan. I probably should reread it myself because other wise if you were to talk to me about it I wouldn't know what exactly you were talking about. But still I'm going to make it a requirement since it was a book that I loved when I was younger!
3.) The first book in The Bartimaeus Trilogy The Amulet of Samarkand - Jonathan Stroud - I kind of wish that I could cheat and put all of them in this list but I can't because they're three seperate books (unlike LotR). I guess my only hope is that you'll like the first one enough to read the rest of them. The second one The Golem's Eye is my favorite of the three and I am seriously considering that should be the book you have to read instead which would just force you to read the first one! HA! But that's probably cheating to. Instead of talking about the first one I'm going to say why I liked The Golem's Eye so much, there was part in it that was slightly creepy and dude it totally worked for me! I was even a little bit scared to go to bed but I don't think the same goes for my brother. He loved this trilogy to as I have said before! The way he ends the series to was just awesome!
4.) The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - I actually read this book during a hard time in my life and I loved every little bit of it. I read it about 5 years ago (I think) though and my mom was nice enough to get it for me while I was poor. I don't think I could have an in depth discussion over it without rereading it myself but I do think you should read it before we go see the movie, which I am very excited to see. It was another book that I couldn't wait to get in to and I stayed up late in to the night reading it.
5.) The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfiled - I'm picking this book because it kind of has a ghost story/mystery going on and I think you would like it. It's your kind of book and if you don't like it oh well at least you tried it! I can't remember exactly what went on in the book but I did really like it when I was reading it. It was one of the first books I bought when I got my job and I was able to suddenly buy what I ever wanted.
I hope he has fun with this and afterward we're going to discuss whether a.) you're crazy this books sucks or b.) you're a genius this book is superb. I may even post it on the blog and not only are we doing this but in Janauary we are going to start rereading the Harry Potter books, one a month and then have in depth discussions about it. Should be fun.
Totally random side note I went to see Love Happens last night and I really liked it. It also made me miss Seattle like crazy..there's something about Seattle at night to that just gets me in the heart. I really like the soundtrack to it and I had to immediately download the whole thing off itunes as soon as I got home and it's been on repeat ever since.
"I can't help it, Alexis," he said "I want to make you think too much...and then I want to hear the things you've been thinking too much."
I sadly can not seem to post a picture of the book right now which is to bad because the cover is just very pretty. It's kind of a weird cover but still hauntingly pretty and is what made me pick it up in the first place. I guess I could take an actual picture of it but I'm to lazy to go through all the trouble of it. Maybe later I can try to fix it and put it in.
What I have On My Shelf @ Home
- There’s No Place Like Home – Cecelia Ahern
- The Mists of Avalon – Marion Zimmer Bradley
- City of Glass – Cassandra Clare
- Blue Bloods – Melissa De La Cruz
- Along for the Ride – Sarah Dessen
- Inkheart – Cornelia Funke
- Inkspell – Cornelia Funke
- Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane – Katherine Howe- Dragon in Amber – Diana Gabaldon
- The Luxe – Anna Godbersen
- Love the One You’re With – Emily Giffin
- Twenties Girl – Sophia Kinsella
- A Lion Among Men – Gregory Maguire
- Wicked Lovely – Melissa Marr
- Ink Exchange – Melissa Marr
- Shadow Kiss – Richelle Mead(Dani’s)
- Anne of Green Gables (2-8) – L.M Montgomery
- Evermore – Alyson Noel (Dani’s)
- Brisingr – Christopher Paolini
- Second Glance – Jodi Picoult
- Everlost – Neal Shusterman
- Unwind – Neal Shusterman
- I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith
- The Secret Circle Series - L.J Smith
- The Mysterious Benedict Soceity – Trenton Lee Stewart
- Home to Big Stone Gap – Adriana Trigiani
- Journey to the Center of the Earth – Jules Vernes
- The Gatecrasher – Madeleine Wickham
- Best Friends Forever – Jennifer Weiner
Books on Reserve @ the library in which I am waiting in long lines for...
Being Nikki – Meg Cabot
The Castaways – Elin Hilderbrand
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – Jamie Ford
Fade – Lisa McMann
The Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan
Sarah’s Key – Tatiana De Rosnay
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
Books I'd like to Possibly Buy once the list is narrowed down a bit
Ransom My Heart – Meg Cabot/Mia Thermopolis (online)
Inkdeath - Cornelia Funke (bookstore)
Marley & Me – Josh Grogan (bookstore)
The Twilight Sage: The Official Guide – Stephanie Meyer (online)
Any un-owned Jodi Picoult (bookmans)
A Company of Swans – Eva Ibtson
The Thorn Birds – Colleen McCullough
Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park and/or Northanger Abby – Jane Austen (bookmans)
Anna Karinina – Leo Tolstoy
American Wife –
Curtis Sittenfield
Book I'm Currently Reading: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
When I go on Vacation to my Grandma’s I don’t really like bringing heavy books or literature I guess is what it could be called. I like to bring easy reads and/or things that are easy to pack. So I end up bringing a lot of YA or not to long books. I figure the shorter the book the more I can fit in to my suit case.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery - I had never read this before. I grew up watching the movies and always loved the movies but for some reason was never able to really read the books. I have had a copy of this book since I was little though and my mom recently bought me the rest of them. I decided to bring it with me on my vacation and you know what…I loved it. There were so many parts in the book that were funny and endearing. I loved how Anne used these big words and there were even quotes in it that I wrote down so that I could remember them. Unfortunately they are in my written journal and I’m too lazy to go and get that right now.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – I loved this book but possible because I read it right after I read My Sister’s Keeper, in which I will talk about further down the list. I gave it to my Grandma and she did not like it so now I’m hesitant to recommend it again to anyone. She felt like it was plotless and that it took forever to get anywhere in the book. I disagree but I read it much quicker then my Grandma and so I got to the part where she goes to Guernsey much quicker then perhaps my Grandma did. I also laughed through out most of the book and I think the only word to describe it is “delightful”.
The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton – This book took a little bit for me to get in to. I was also a littler burnt out on reading when I started it so I don’t know if that contributed to it. I also have been kind of burnt out in general on these types of books because I feel like a lot of the stories are the same. I did in the end really like this book though and once I hit a certain point with it I didn’t put it down until I finished it. I really enjoyed being in the world of the five women in it and it definitely had a Ya-Ya Sisterhood feel. So if you liked that book you are sure to like this book.
Frostbite by Richelle Mead – This is the second book to the Vampire Academy Series. For some reason I wasn’t anxious to read this book. The reason I think it’s funny is because I actually really enjoyed the first one. I liked the main character and the story line was different and it was basically an easy read for me. Yet I just had a lot of trouble getting myself motivated to read it however when I started it I pretty much read it in a day. I think if you like Vampire Stories and YA Fiction/Series then you’ll probably like this. I have the third to the series as well (thanks to my sister-in-law I have a lot of YA Fiction) and I feel the same way about it but once again will probably breeze through it and enjoy it once I decide to pick it up.
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong - Oh my goodness this book really hooked me in the last 20 pages. For the first part I really was feeling lukewarm about it and not really anxious to get through it. Then the last 20 pages I breezed through and was then desperate for the next one which unfortunately I don’t have and neither does my sister-in-law. I also couldn’t find it in our library database when I looked it up in Washington. So I don’t know what I’m going to do about that for now, perhaps suffer.
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult - I wanted to read this before I saw the movie which I probably won’t see until it comes out on DVD. This is my fourth Jodi Picoult book and I liked it for the most part. I think one of my favorite parts of all the Jodi Picoult books that I have read so far are the trial parts. I just find them fascinating to read and I can’t wait to find out what the verdict will be. I have also noticed in the past few of her books that I have read she has something happen that is shocking and I have to say I didn’t like it in this book. I really wish I could talk to someone about this but I can’t write about it because it would completely spoil the story. I also literally got angry through most of the book at one of the main characters. However the story idea/line was really good and it kept me interested all the way through. In fact I actually read this book in one day while it was rainy cold out side, which I think I blogged about previously.
After I read the following I felt that I could very much relate and see myself doing it.
The following excerpt is from “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows on Pages 24-25 of the paperback version. I don’t really see it as a spoiler but I am now warning you about it so that you can not say that I spoiled without warning!
“On the afternoon before our wedding, Rob was moving in the last of his clothes and belongings while I delivered my Izzy article to the Spectator. When I was through, I tore home, flew up the stairs, and threw open the door to find Rob sitting on a low stool in front of my bookcase, surrounded by cartons. He was sealing the last one up with gummed tape and string. There were eight boxes- eight boxes of my books bound and ready for the basement!
He looked up and said “Hello darling. Don’t mind the mess, the porter said he’d help me carry these down to the basement.” He nodded toward my bookshelves and said, “Don’t they look wonderful?”
Well, there were no words! I was too appalled to speak. Sidney, every single shelf-where my books had stood-was filled with athletic trophies: silver cups, gold cups, blue rosettes, red ribbons. There were awards for every game that could possibly be played with a wooden object: cricket bats, squash racquets, tennis racquets, oars, golf clubs, Ping-Pong paddles, bows and arrows, snooker cue, lacrosse sticks, hockey sticks, and polo mallets. There were statues for everything a man could jump over, either by himself or on a horse. Next came the framed certificates-for shooting the most birds on such and such a date, for First Place in footraces, for Last Man Standing in some filthy tug-of-war against Scotland.
All I could do was scream, “How dare you! What have you DONE?! Put my books back!”
Well that’s how matters started. Eventually, I said something to the effect that I could never marry a man whose idea of bliss was to strike out at little balls and little birds. Rob countered with remarks about damned bluestockings and shrews. And it all degenerated from there- the only thought we probably had in common was, What the hell have we talked about for the last four months? What, indeed? He huffed and puffed and snorted- and left. And I unpacked my books”
I would like to now point out that while I was typing that up in my word document Jennie texted me and an unidentified moving object walked across my bed and made me jump off it…the unidentified object/bug not the text. I promptly raced to get a napkin and then could not find said bug and had to pretty much remove almost everything from the bed until I tracked down the little bugger. I’m pretty sure it was an ear wig and I don’t think I could have slept in the bed knowing that it could possibly crawl in to my ear and take up residence.
It’s ok…it’s now been flushed down the toilet and Jennie and I are going to see The Hangover and then promptly go out to create our own hang over afterwards. As of this time no I have not seen Transformers…I’m working on it.
This morning I woke up with terrible anxiety. I don't know why, it was just there resonating deep in the pit of my stomach and I had that restless leg syndrome thing going on to. I eventually just got up and got ready to go to Phoenix for my nephew's 8th Birthday Party, which was at Peter Piper Pizza.
Generally I don't like Peter Piper Pizza but I must have been so hungry (to the point of starvation?) that it was quite delicious. So delicious that after two pieces I was eying(eyeing? either way it doesn't look right to me.) a third! I didn't have that third but I'm still thinking about it. And then there was cake (well I love cake in general) but it was a Spongebob cake with blue and yellow icing...thick blue and yellow icing. Despite this sounding unappetizing it was pretty good. I didn't have two pieces that though... but my dad did.
I only visited the rest of Peter Piper Pizza briefly, basically I played a car racing game and the Jack Pot Machine Game. I use to be really good at the jackpot game but apparently I've lost my touch. I gave my measily pile of tickets to Alyssa who I helped pick out prizes...and she promptly decided she didn't want them except possibly the rubber snake...and maybe the Skittles.
Possibly the most exciting thing that happened today is the "book loot" I collected from Dani, my sister-in-law as well as a purse that she has had that I have been eyeing for like years! She gave me the following books and I must prephase this with "I am in YA Fiction Heaven".
- The Summoning - Kelly Armstrong
- Hunted (A House of Night Series book) - P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast
- Wake - Lisa McMann
- Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
- Frostbite (vampire academy book 2) - Richelle Mead
- Shadow Kiss (vampire academy book 3) - Richelle Mead
- Evermore - Alyson Noel
I will probably read Wake first despite what I've heard about it. I'm curious to find out about it myself. So basically this Summer I'm going to read...a lot. I can't wait!
After the party I drove home with my mom, who had met us there since she had been up there visiting a friend for the past couple of days. And I basically told her about how my weekend and how my exam went, the B that I earned in Summer School because I was to lazy to earn the A. Like literally Thursday night I hit this brick wall and I was just unwilling to learn any more. I couldn't take it anymore!
I'm so ready for this break.
I don't know if I can be bothered to hand write my entries anymore. I mean I have my lap top! With Microsoft Word! I can type 75+ words a minute! But I will finish you. I mean I am almost done. No point in leaving you hanging..what with only a few pages left. I don't know why I haven't been writing..oh wait yeah..school. So maybe from now on I should make an effort to write every day until I am done and then I will switch to my lap top. I don't think that will take very long...
I am done with summer school and now summer stretches before me. I don't know what to do with myself. It's like my brain is still on "going and going" mode. I feel like I should be doing something or that I'm forgetting to do something.
But here is list of things that I could possibly do:
- Knock out at least half my to-read books that are in my bookcase so that I can buy more like Bad Girls Don't Die, I don't know why but this book looks simply fascinating to me. Or go the library!
- I can watch every single Disney movie I own with the exception of the Christmas ones because I don't think I can watch Christmas themed things in the summer. I will become Disneyfied...and I could possibly blog about this experience.
- I can clear out my Google Reader which is seriously backlogged.
- I can finish the complete set of I Love Lucy
- I can finally watch season 4 of Lost...all in one day! Trust me I'll do it. I'll become a hermit that day and not talk to anyone.
- And finally I am going to go to Washington for a month! I LOVE VACATIONS
Ok so, so far today I have woken up at 7:30 am so that I can take my last exam...on a Saturday. I mean who does that? Plans exams on Saturday? Are they masochistic? Because I certaintly didn't enjoy being there. I mean no one was up like I was. I got to school in 20 minutes or so, that's like a world record. Usually I have to deal with traffic! But I was up early enough to get breakfast at Mcdonalds! I never get breakfast there mostly because either I was a.) working, b.) at school or c.) and probably the most likely answer, sleeping!. As I was saying I love breakfast there specifically the Egg McMuffin plus I was craving a coke from a soda fountain like you wouldn't believe.
So I guess..stayed tuned for the rest of the day you never know what might happen other then the fact that I'll probably pass out from exhaustion and sleep the whole day.
Love,
Christa
A lot has been going on that I can't even begin to talk about but it's been bringing me down lately. So instead of talking about that I thought I would just post pictures of other things that I have been doing or have been stuck doing (i.e. school work).
I have seen a couple of movies though in between some of this and those were Angels and Demons and Up. However unfortunately in the last few minutes of Up the power went out and stopped the movie. Basically this sort of produced chaos. Everyone was trying to get out of the theater and it was very dark and crowds of people were pouring out of the theaters...you know everyone needs a little excitement in their day. We could have gotten a rain check but it was almost over and we all just wanted to go home.
I'm done with finals week, except now I have turn around and go to summer school on Monday..bummer.
Except that once I'm done with summer school I get to go to Washington to be with my Grandma and my cousins for a whole month. A WHOLE month...all my friends here aren't really a fan of this me being gone a whole month but you see..I am! So it's always so hard for me to act all sad about it because while I'll miss them terribly, mostly just Oliver j/k, I'm still pretty excited about going.
I haven't updated in awhile because I've been to busy with studying and that is pretty much all I did the past couple of weeks. That and get over being sick...I had that flu for two weeks! But I got to Wolverine, which I loved, and I read Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. And so far I have earned two A's(human sexuality and policy and law), not sure yet on the other two grades. Probably a B in abnormal pscyh. and either an A or a B in my Psychology of Spirituality and Religion class.
So now I think I'm going to have happy hour with my mom and read The Hunger Games.
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