Book Review: Club Dead

Title: Club Dead

Author: Charlaine Harris

Published: 2003 Pages: 292

Genre: Vampire, Mystery

Rating: 3/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Sookie must travel to Mississippi to find Bill, missing after telling Sookie he was working on a project for the queen of Louisiana. To find out where he is, Sookie enters the world of the undead and shapeshifters.

My Thoughts

The plot of this book felt a bit underwhelming. I wanted more information on the new characters, especially Alcide, and less focus on whether or not Sookie is going to have sex with *insert any male character here*. However the plot did lend itself to a very unclear vision of the future. Quite a few paths diverge from this sunny little clearing Sookie is in at the end of this book...well partially sunny with scattered clouds and a chance of rain anyway.

I am fully committed to the series now; I do very much want to find out what is going to happen. For a light, easy read, this series is quite appealing. I can pick one up and speed through it in an evening no problem.

On a side note: Sookie seems a bit of a slut. Or at least a tease. I'm still undecided on whether this is a female power/woman discovering her sexuality theme or a horn-dog-idiot-situation.

Other Reviews

Avid Book Reader

J. Kaye's Book Blog

Beth Fish Reads

Books and So Many More Books

Sunday Salon: The First

This is my first Sunday Salon post despite the fact I signed up months ago. I'm still entirely unsure how the whole thing works. One thing I do know, however, I am to talk about books. Not a problem.

Recently Finished Books
This past week I finished Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, read Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones, and Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris. All three books were attached to reading challenges I'm currently participating in.

Challenges Update
I finished two challenges this past week: What's in a Name and the Chunkster Challenge. I am still working on seven reading challenges, so keep your fingers crossed.

What's Coming
I'm reading Club Dead, the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series right now, but I'm pretty sure I'll have it done today. Next on the list is John Connolly's Nocturnes, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. All of these will be re-reads that I'm teaching this semester in my Intro to Lit course.

Interesting Extras
Meyer stole Breaking Dawn: "A woman who wrote an obscure vampire book as a teenager has sued "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer, accusing her of stealing ideas from the work for the fourth book in her vampire series, "Breaking Dawn.""

50 percent of American adults are unable to read an eighth grade level book.

Book Review: Living Dead in Dallas

Title: Living Dead in Dallas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2002 Pages: 291
Genre: Vampire, Detective
Rating: 3.5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

In the second installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Sookie and Bill travel to Dallas to help some area vampires find a lost brother. Simultaneously they are involved in the murder of Merlotte's cook. This double mystery leads Sookie into the world of vampires, vampire hunters, orgiastic parties, and mythological creatures.

My Thoughts

I really questioned whether or not to read this book. While I didn't hate the first book, I wasn't overly impressed and didn't know if it would be worth my time to continue with the series. I must say, however, that I enjoyed Living Dead in Dallas, much more than I expected.

One reason I enjoyed this book so much was the maenad, who was absolutely fascinating as a theoretical concept and as a character in the book. When we are first introduced to the maenad, she acts. Readers aren't subjected to a bunch of meaningless, or meaningful for that matter, description. Instead, we see a seductive and deadly woman delivering a message in terrifying manner. I do wish there had been more of her.

I'm still not hooked on the series like so many others seem to be. I could probably stop reading now and not be too disappointed, but now that I've read the second book, I am determined to make it through the entire series. Perhaps it will get better with every book, and by the end, I'll be totally infatuated.

And may I just say - I'm a fan of Eric.

Other Reviews

Avid Book Reader
J. Kaye's Book Blog
Everyday Reads
I'm Booking It
The Novel World

Book Review: Scary Stories 3

Title: Scary Stories 3 More Tales to Chill Your Bones
Author: Alvin Schwartz
Published: 1991 Pages: 108
Genre: Horror
Rating: 2.5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

The Scary Story series is a collection books containing short stories designed to make your flesh creep. In this third installment, we have death, ghosts, spiders, rats, scarecrows, and vanishings.

My Thoughts

The Scary Story series really appealed to me when I was younger. The tiny little snippets of fright were wonderful for reading aloud at slumber parties and camping trips - when I could get others to listen that is. I was really the only one of my friends who enjoyed being scared. I think they are well written for a younger audience and have just the right mix of freaky, scary, and funny.

As an adult, reading them is a bit different. Most of the stories are adaptations of tales I've heard before, so they've lost their surprise factor for me by now. Also, the stories are really, really short, some not even one page long. As an adult reader, I need a bit more lead-up, a bit more suspense. Still the scarecrow stretching skin, dog-cum-rat, and the implanting-egg-in-face spider are enough to creep me out.

Other Reviews
If you've reviewed this book, leave the link and I'll add it to the list!

Not Enough Books

Weekly Geeks: An Obsession

Weekly Geeksters, tell us, do you have a collection, (or are you starting a collection,) of one particular book title? If so, what's your story? Why that book, and how many do you have, and what editions are they? Share pictures and give us all the details.

Or perhaps you dream about starting such a collection. What title would it be and what would it take for you to get motivated to start collecting?Or maybe it's the works of a particular author you collect (or want to collect) instead a certain book title?

I have to admit, I have never thought about this before. I certainly have and do own multiple copies of the same title, but it has always been a matter of practicality not collecting. Here are some books I have more than one of and why:

1. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous: I first read this book after finding it in a box of old books in the attic. Apparently it was my mother's copy. The binding was breaking apart, and a few years later, the book was in three sections. Still I read the falling-apart-at-the-seams book and it wasn't until years later that I bought the second copy. I still have the first, in three parts, because I like the history of it.

2. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series and Lord of the Rings series: I have multiples of these for the same reason: I got the entire series/collection in one hardcover book - I read it and loved it - I bought the individual paperbacks for easier re-reading. I also have the original HHG book I read, the first in the series, which was also in that old box of books where I found Go Ask Alice, and it too was falling apart.

3. Complete Works of William Shakespeare: I have the complete works in four different ways. First, I have two hardcover Complete Works. I also have the mass market paperbacks of the majority of his plays. Finally, my treasure: I attended St. Patrick's Academy for gradeschool, and when they decided to clean out the library in my eighth grade year, my little geek heart got all excited. The principal let me look through the library and pick out books I wanted. That is how I came into possession, in eighth grade, of the complete works of William Shakespeare, each with its own book, with a lovely if faded blue material cover, published in the early 1900s.

I supppose if I were to actually collect the different publishings of one title, it probably would be Adams's HHG. It's the book I've read the most often in my life, and it probably has some fun covers. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind owning the many different copies of Le Fanu's In a Glass Darkly - it would be pretty creepy to have an entire shelf dedicated to that book.

What about you guys? Obsessed with any one title?

Book Review: The Name of the Rose

Title: The Name of the Rose
Author: Umberto Eco
Published: 1980 Pages: 502
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Adso, a novice monk of the Benedictine order, accompanies Brother William, a Franciscan friar, to an abbey with the task of religious/political negotiations. But a murder has occurred and Brother William, a master of logic in a Sherlock-esque mode, is called on to investigate. Over the course of the investigation, William and Adso encounter many mysteries: the past lives of the variant monks living at the abbey, a labyrinthine library that holds untold secrets, and signs of the Apocalypse.

My Thoughts

I have been putting off reading this novel for quite some time. A discussion of this procrastination can be found here. One reason for my procrastination was fear of the length, which was overcome by my attraction to the Chunkster Challenge. Then, as fortune would have it, I joined the Take a Chance Challenge which called for me to read a book from 1980. Lo and behold, that is when Eco published The Name of the Rose = reason number two to read the novel. Then, while talking with Brandon, he recommended the book and that was the trifecta. And just today, I joined the R.I.P. IV Challenge and ta-da, it works for this too.

Brandon gave me a good piece of advice - read up on the history before reading the book - which I in my arrogance promptly ignored. I really should have. I probably would have gotten so much more out of the novel if I knew a bit of what was going on in Italy and around Europe at the time, especially as regards Papal and political history.

Of The Name of the Rose's 502 pages, I probably only fully comprehended half. This was not just a murder mystery, but also a lengthy discourse on religious politics, literary theory, the nature of truth, semiotics, logic, the validity of inquisitions, syllogisms, and history. I was fascinated even as I was confused. Overall though, the book is a good story with many and diverse characters, beautiful language, and intriguing philosophies. I'm not even sure where to begin with an actual review....as you can probably tell by now. With so much fodder for the mill, it is impossible to focus, and hence I turn to bullet points:

What I Loved

• References to historical characters and events that I recognized such as William of Ockham and the Inquisition
• The religious-political divide between monks who advocated poverty to the point of violence and those who interpreted the poverty of Christ more broadly
• Eco's amazing ability to describe. Two stand out - a doorway which features a world upside-down and backwards and a dream which features characters from the Bible and from the reality of the book
• The logic inherent in William's analysis of the crimes being committed and of the discord amongst the fighting religious factions
• The lovely titles of each chapter such as Second Day Matins: In which a few hours of mystic happiness are interrupted by a most bloody occurrence.

What I Didn't So Much Love

• The overabundance of historical information which I could not relate to and did not see the import of in relation to the story being told
• His insistence on putting a bunch of Latin phrases throughout the book. I, unfortunately, do not speak Latin...at all.

Overall, I recommend this book to any who have the time to read it, and I would suggest that any who do read the book, take Brandon's advice and read up a bit on the history of the time period prior to reading.
Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, please let me know and I'll add your review to the list.
Fyrefly's Book Blog
Books I Done Read
A Guy's Moleskine Notebook
Bibliolatry
A Striped Armchair
Neth Space

A Dark and Mysterious Challenge

I wasn't going to do it. I read the description. I said no. I forgot about it for a few days. And along comes Nymeth at things mean alot...and her persuasive lists of books I want to read. She said I knew I wanted to join, and dagnabit she was right. So here I go again with another challenge...

The R.I.P. Challenge! There are three levels R.I.P. The First, Second, and Third calling for 4, 2, and 1 books respectively. There is also the Short Story Peril offering participants the chance to read and review short stories in the Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Dark Fantasy. Gothic. Horror. Supernatural. genre.

Not only do I have a problem with signing up for challenges, I also seem to be incapable of not completing the most difficult of the levels, so I of course am going for Peril the First, meaning I need to add four more books to my to read list. I also want to participate in the Short Story Peril.

Luckily I don't have to commit to a specific list of books, but I do have a few I'm thinking of.

1. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco: I'm currently reading this, so it's almost a cheat, but I think it fits quite nicely into this challenge. First, it's a mystery, a sort of medieval times whodunit. Second, it features monks, scary labyrinthine libraries, heretics, murder, and a building called an Aedificium. Very gothic. Finally and possibly most important, we have the Devil, witches, black cats, and hallucinogenic drugs. More gothic.

2. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: Again, it's almost a cheat because I have to read this soon as I'm teaching it this month. I read it about ten years ago, so it's a re-read as well. It fits the conditions as well as it is a mystery: who stole the Moonstone? Just like Name of the Rose, it features typically gothic settings, such as breezy castles with dark corners. And of course we have more hallucinogenic drugs.

3. Sookie Stackhouse books: I joined the Sookie Stackhouse challenge with the intention of reading the whole series. Unfortunately I was not impressed with book number one and really considered dropping the whole thing. But everyone's been saying to stick with it and now this challenge is giving me the impetus I need to try the second. It seems rather appropriate, what with the vampires and everything.

4. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick: I've wanted to read this for awhile and now I have two challenges which are motivating me to finally pick it up. Featuring an undercover cop, scary insane-asylum type rehab, and of course hallucinogenic drugs, A Scanner Darkly seems appropriate for this challenge.

Short Story: Nocturnes by John Connolly: This will be a re-read for me, but I plan on going through it more slowly and taking it story by story instead of doing the all-out speed reading of my first foray into the book.

Now I really need to get to reading....


~~~~~~~~~~~
Challenge Completed: October 2, 2009
Books Read: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, Scary Stories 3 by Alvin Schwartz, Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris, The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

Kissing Courtney

...You see, two things happened yesterday that changed my life forever. The first was that I finally kissed Courtney Chetwynde. Yes, the Courtney Chetwynde of the bites-her-lower-lip-when-she's-thinking, stares-right-into-your-heart-with-her-deep-gray-eyes, looks-unbelievable-in-her-volleyball-uniform, and always-smells-a-little-like-roses fame. Yeah, I kissed her. It was a long time coming and it finally happened. Woo-hoo!

The second thing was that I was launched through a wormhole called a "flume" and got jacked across the universe to a medieval planet called "Denduron" that's in the middle of a violent civil war.

But back to Courtney..

~D.J. MacHale
Pendragon: Merchant of Death

BTT: Fluff

What’s the lightest, most “fluff” kind of book you’ve read recently?

Fluff can be a very useful term when discussing literature, but everyone has their own idea of what fluff actually is. For me, the term fluff is most associated with the term easy. If a book is easy to read, has a relatively formulaic plot, and deals with a simple theme, then it is most likely fluff. Much fluff can also be called "popular fiction", mainly because it meets the criteria for "easy". Dean Koontz, Danielle Steele, Jodi Picoult, popular mystery and romance novels etc. are fluff to me. Finally, YAL is fluff, for the same reasons as stated above. I am not saying that these authors and genres are silly or stupid, but they do not require the same level of thought or contemplation as Shakespeare, Lawrence, or Bronte.

My most recent piece of fluff was The Spiderwick Chronicles. For my complete review, you can go here, but suffice it say I was not overly pleased. And I like fluff. Heck, my News Years Resolution was to read less fluff - which I tend to call guilty pleasures.

What about you guys? How do you define fluff? What's the last piece of fluff you read?

Musing Mondays: Stand Alones or Series

Do you prefer to read stand-alone books, or books in series? Do you stick with a series the whole way through or stop after the first instalment? Are there any particular series you enjoy?(question courtesy of Elena)


One of the most difficult parts of reading a really good book is the end. Sometimes, after reading, I get this deep down sinking feeling in my heart, knowing it's over. I feel incomplete, like I want to continue in the lives of the characters. Because of this, I do love series; however, they can pose an even bigger problem. Even with three, four, ten books featuring the same world and the same characters, the end still has to come. And the larger quantity of time you've spent with these characters, the harder it is when it's over.

I remember my mother's experience with the Harry Potter series. When it was over, she cried. She said it was like a friend dying. I felt similarly with this series. The worst for me was probably Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. I wanted those stories and those characters to go on forever. Or Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials - and the ending of that one really really did not help with my sadness at the conclusion of the series. The list could go on forever really.

At the same time, there is something beautiful about a concise, one book look at a fictional world. No matter how sad I am at the conclusion, there are many stories which just can't keep going. Adding more to Water for Elephants would detract from the bittersweet ending. Everything I need to fall in love with Winesburg, Ohio is right there in Sherwood Anderson's book. So I guess I don't really have a definitive answer to this question. I just love books.

What series did you want to keep going? What stand alone books do you feel needed to end when they did? Are there any stand alones you felt needed or warranted more?

Random Thoughts and a Challenge

I usually don't like forwards but my mother, by way of a cousin, sends me some really funny ones. One such excellent forward was Random Thoughts and I wanted to share my favorite ones with you guys.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard
before dinner.

And my all time favorite from the list of 63 Random Thoughts of the Day:

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RANDOM THOUGHTS CHALLENGE

I thought I would actually do something with these lovely little thoughts, so if you are interested, here's the challenge.
The Tasks
1. Using one of the above Random Thoughts of the Day, write a story. The story must have the Random Thought in it.
2. Write one or two paragraphs showing how one of the Random Thoughts of the Day is revealed/described/seen in a book, play, movie, or poem.
3. Tell a personal example of one of the Random Thoughts of the Day.
4. Write five of your own Random Thoughts of the Day.
5. Comment on someone else's entry for this challenge.
When you complete one of the tasks, post a link in the comments section of this post. You can complete more than one of the tasks. For each task you complete, you will be entered in a drawing to receive a book of your choice from my BookMooch list which includes such exciting authors and titles as:
V.C. Andrews
Canterbury Tales
Patricia Cornwell
The Summons by John Grisham
Hedda Gabler
Oedipus the King
Jayne Anne Krentz
The Holcroft Covenent by Robert Ludlum
Nora Roberts
Dracula
...and more! I have 62 books currently listed. You have until September 13 to complete the challenge. Have fun!

Weekly Geeks: It's About Time

This week's geek could not have been more appropriate. The assignment:

I think just about every reader has a least one book that they've been
meaning to read for awhile (months or even years) but, for one reason or another, they just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe it's a book a friend recommended last year, or a title you've flirted with in a bookstore on more than one occasion, or maybe it's a book that's sitting right there on your bookshelf, patiently waiting for you to pick it up -- but the thought is always there, in the back of your mind: Why haven't I read this yet?

This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?

For almost a year and a half I have been meaning to read Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. I bought the book in Galena, Illinois, a small touristy town, in a rather dirty, unorganized book/old junk shop. I can't remember the name of the place, but I remember it being a cluttered, dusty mess with books thrown haphazardly around in piles, on shelves, in old jugs, on top of record players, and so on. The Name of the Rose was just sitting there next to a pile of old photographs, the black and white kind where no one smiled. Written on the inside cover was $7 and I snatched it up and bought it.

Then I promptly forgot about it for a year or so. When I reorganized my bookshelves, I saw it once again, remembered buying it, and thought 'I should really read this'. Then I proceeded to stare at it, put it back on the shelf and spend the next few months wanting to read it but worried about its 502 large pages and Eco's complex language and philosophy.

Once I started delving into the book blogging community, I found a way to motivate myself to read the book: challenges. I joined the Chunkster Challenge and realized The Name of the Rose was nover 450 pages and hence an appropriate book for the challenge, so it went on my list. That was months ago. It is the last book for that challenge I have to read. I've still been putting it off. Later, I joined the Take a Chance Challenge and for one of the books, I had to read something published in 1980 - guess what? The Name of the Rose fit, so on the list it went. And yep, I still didn't pick it up.

Finally, just last night - seriously, yesterday! - I grabbed it off my shelf without thinking about it and just started reading. I'm on page 101. The book is well-written and intriguing. It's a bit daunting as it is so full of historical references and information, but at the same time, I am very much enjoying the insights into this time period, not only the facts of what was going on but also the philosophical, moral, and social inclinations of the time. And it's a very Sherlock Holmes-y type of detective story, which is always fun.

Have any of you read this book yet? What did you think of it?

Book Review: Experience and Education

Title: Experience and Education

Author: John Dewey

Published: (1938) Pages: 91

Genre: Education, Nonfiction, Philosophy

Rating: 4.5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Experience and Education is John Dewey's attempt to clarify the criteria and conditions for a philosophy of education which elevates experience as the primary form of learning.

My Thoughts

Being a younger teacher and rather liberal by nature, I have already learned, experienced, and practiced much of what Dewey had to say in this text. But after reading this text, I better understand much of my more confused and chaotic philosophy.

For me the foundation of the text and the philosophy is the concept that students need to develop knowledge through experience, to have some control over their learning, and to not be subjected to the traditional "teacher as repository of knowledge" form of education. I have always agreed with this, but after teaching for a few years, I found the often-touted alternate of complete student freedom completely impractical. Luckily, in Experience and Education, Dewey continually stresses the importance of not fleshing out the progressive philosophy of education in reaction against the traditional. He argues that an educational philosophy needs to build upon itself and its own ideas and not just be a negative of the philosophy which came before. In this light, Dewey has the instructor as a participant and facilitator in the educational process, not as an observer.

Okay so maybe a review of the actual book instead of my thoughts on the ideas within it.... I found the text well organized and the ideas within it easily accessible due to the use of real life analogies. This is not your impractical, overly wordy, impossible to comprehend statement of philosophy. In keeping with his philosophy of education, Dewey uses recognizable experiences of the reader to instruct the reader.

If you are an educator, a student, a parent, or just interested in education, I highly recommend this book.

Other Reviews

If you have reviewed this book, let me know!

Hub Pages

Book Review: Some Advice

Title: Some Advice to the People! Be Not Conceited, Beware Of Humbugs, Hate Cant, Restrain Your Tongues, Amend Your Ways, And Hang Together!
Author: Calamus Kurrens
Published: (1847) Pages: 76
Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction
Rating: 0/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Umm....I'm not really sure as I would have to read the whole book, which I didn't, and I would have to understand it, which I don't have the time to do.

My Thoughts

I found this book through the Take a Chance Challenge when my random word came up as amends. When I read the title, I was too intrigued to pass it up. It was not at all what I was expecting. The first five pages are a dedication and an apology which I only partially understood due to language and historical context. I only enjoyed one paragraph which I will share with you:

"He desired to express himself as briefly as possible; and to an unnecessary extension of phrase, his feeble hand was often fretfully averse; while the circumlocution of affected modesty, or the appearance of it, was most distasteful to him."

I very much enjoyed the language of the paragraph, but five pages of it in small print is a bit overwhelming. Then, after the prosaic prose comes - huh? - poetry under the title My Dog Brace and using words such as speechifyers and fid-faddling and referring to people and groups like Babbage and Pusey-ites. This goes on for 26 pages. As a rule, I don't read much poetry and with the unclear allusions and archaic word usage, this reading was even more painful. Then, to top it off, each of those 26 pages was at least half full of footnotes with even more unknown allusions and word usages. What does regicidal mean?

Notes in Illustration are the next 34 pages followed by a 7 page Appendix. Then we have the Notes in Illustration of the Appendix which is 5 pages. And finally the Postscript which is 4 pages. I can't tell you much about these sections as I did a very quick skim.

I really don't think anyone else has reviewed this book so no Other Reviews section this time. If you've read this book and have a review though, please let me know. Heck, if you've heard of this book, let me know!

Book Review: Love in the Time of Cholera

Title: Love in the Time of Cholera
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Published: 1988 Pages: 348
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Florentino Ariza loves Fermina Daza passionately, and even when she forgoes their youthful romance for a fortuitous marriage, he carries his love for her inside him. Over the next decades of his life he engages in over 600 affairs but he waits for the day when he can declare his love to Fermina once again.

My Thoughts

My thoughts are in a jumble about this book, so forgive me if this review is rambling and inconclusive. On the one hand, the story must have appealed to me on some level as I found myself reading it for hours at a time. On the other hand, it took me longer to read this book than most I pick up because I had no problem leaving it on the table for days at a time.

There is almost no dialogue, very few chapters, and not much action. Yet even as I say that I know that everything and nothing happened in the book. Varied themes, age, love, wealth, family, war, and so on are covered almost carelessly and yet still resonate with a certain power. Characters flit in and out of the story with little depth and yet they reveal so much about the two characters the book is about: Florentino and Fermina. The settings are both constant and varied, providing not their own story but pure backdrop for a tale of love. Marquez has created a world and information is passed in an almost confused fashion, some barely related to the main plotline, and yet each intricacy and tidbit adds a depth that keeps the reader interested.

I was particularly fascinated by the duality of love, the carnality and the comfort. Fermina begins her lovelife in a passion, almost like a love affair with a stranger, a forbidden secret love that is never consummated. She marries and slides into a comfortable love while Florentino loses himself in carnal pursuits that are still thought of, described, and experienced as a form of love. Both sides of love appear to be lauded in this novel. While the reader on some level is rooting for Florentino, Juvenal - Fermina's husband - is not villainized, and actually there is a sort of beauty in the love they have for each other. Compassion and passion perhaps are both needed, and until those involved understand this, there is no hope for a true love to exist.

The novel is a slow seduction, not a rollercoaster of overwhelming emotions, and while I, at times, could not truly express why I kept reading, I am very glad I did.

Other Reviews
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Sci-Fi Reading Challenge

I love Science Fiction and Fantasy, so when I saw the Sci-Fi Reading Challenge advertised on A Novel Challenge, I knew I was going to sign up...despite the fact that I'm already involved in a plethora of challenges.

The challenge is hosted at Stage and Canvas and has the following guidelines:

1. Read 3.14 or 8 books (or audio books) of the science-fiction genre. Suggestions are below.

2. The challenge runs from August 28, 2009 to August 8, 2010. You may join at any time.

3. Sign up using Mr. Linky below (please link directly to your post). If you don’t have a blog, just enter your name and leave the URL blank.

4. Each time you read a book, please link to your reviews. If you don’t do reviews, no biggie.

5. Making a list of chosen books is optional and it can change at any time. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.

Now, I have to get a list of books together. Does anyone have any suggestions?

~~~~~~~~

1. Interworld by Neil Gaiman
2. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
3. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
4. Whom God Would Destroy by Commander Pants
5. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
6. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
7. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
8. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
9. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
10. Matched by Ally Condie 
11. The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
12. School's Out - Forever by James Patterson

Challenge Completed: I adored this challenge and will probably continue reading science fiction throughout the year.

BBAW: Most Eclectic Taste Blog

I can't believe it! I've been nominated for Most Eclectic Taste Blog too! I love it. Afterall, the name of my blog is eclectic / eccentric.
THANK YOU! again to whoever nominated me, and I'll let everyone know where to vote once I know.

Musing Mondays: Book to Film Adaptations

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about movies …How do you react to movies made of your favourite books (or even not-so-favourite books)? Do you look forward to seeing them, or avoid them? Do you like to have read the book before seeing the movie?

I have degrees in literature, composition, and film, so seeing books made into movies just gets my little heart afluttering. Most of the time I end up disappointed because books offer so much more. Not being constrained by time or imagination, books are able to go deeper into characters, explore intricacies of plot, and we must not forget the most important thing books offer that movies do not - reader control.

When I read, I construct the vision. I have partial control over the way characters and settings look. The author describes, I create. This is why I always read the book first; once I've seen the film, my imagination loses control and the director becomes the artist of the book's world.

Despite my tendency to be less than thrilled by book to film adaptations, I still adore them. I like seeing the book come to life on the big screen. And sometimes, I get something out of the film that I missed in the book.

And every now again - be still my heart - the movie is as good as the book or, forgive me, better.

BBAW: Best New Blog

Awwww, I was nominated for Best New Blog! That is too sweet; although I'm betting it was my husband or mom or someone like that. Either way, I'm flattered.
While I've been blogging for awhile, this year is the first time I've truly dedicated my blog to books, and I couldn't be happier! Books are my passion and being able to share that passion with others has been absolutely wonderful.
THANK YOU! to whoever nominated me, and I'll let everyone know where to vote once I know more about what's going on.

Weekly Geeks: Give it One More Try

This Week's Geek is offering participants the opportunity to give a book or author a second chance. A little voice in my brain screamed "don't make me do this, don't make me do this" as I read the prompt:

There have been times in my life where I reread a book (or author) I hated--or thought I hated--but the second time around ended up loving. Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever changed your mind about a book or author the second time around? Have you ever given a book or author a second chance?

If you have, I'd love to hear your stories. Blog about your experience(s) in giving second chances.If you haven't, I'd like you to consider giving a book or an author a second chance. You can blog about your intentions to do so--or if you're a quick reader, maybe you can even squeeze something in!

Can't think of a single book or author? Don't worry, you can stretch this one to include movies or music if you prefer. It is just very interesting to me how time can change tastes and perceptions. How subjective the reading experience is and always will be.

I don't know that there has ever been a time where I gave a book a second chance. For the first 25 years of my life I finished every book I started whether I was enjoying it or not, but even that has ended. I'm not sure about authors. I can't actually think of a specific time I've read and disliked an author but then gone on to read a different book by the same author. I know a lot of people "read authors", going through an author's list of books, but that's just not how I read. I'm about the book, not the author, so it's not often I pick books by author.

This prompt did intrigue me, so I thought I might try a re-read. At first my mind jumped to the short list of books that I've always felt I should like because of my profession: The Red Badge of Courage, The Jungle, and Heart of Darkness. I read all three of these books while in high school and did not like any of them. As I got older and became more involved in "Literature" and "Education", it seemed to me that most of my colleagues enjoyed these books, but the memory of them kept me from every trying to re-read.

For this challenge, however, I'm thinking of something different. I did finish all three of my high school dislikes. I did not finish Ian McEwan's Atonement. I put it down not even half-way through because I was so frustrated with it. Yet, it seems that many people like McEwan, so out of the four books that popped into my head for this challenge, I'm going to try to re-read the one I never actually finished.

Wish me luck!

BTT: OMG, It was like, the worst EVER

What’s the worst book you’ve read recently? (I figure it’s easier than asking your all-time worst, because, well, it’s recent!)

Okay, so I'm not really sure why I titled my post that particular saying, but hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm very very bad at being overly mean about books, even if they totally suck. Like big time, almost would rather die than continue reading, kind of suck. I can speak about it in the general, but when I've actually named a specific book, I chicken out. I keep picturing the author reading the review - like that's really going to happen - and feeling bad about what I've said - like he/she would care about little ole me. But there you have it.

So, I figure for this challenge, I will talk in the abstract about some not-so-good books I've read this year.

Award #1: OMG U R like sooooo boring

This book, a romance novel, actually made sex boring. I know! Can you believe it? I can't even really tell you what happened in the book or what the plot was because I don't think anything happened.

Award #2: Marsha, Marsha, Marsha

This book, a travel book, seemed insistent upon talking, not about places, but about the author. Me, me, me, me, and then me, me, me. I am just too cool. You get the picture.

Award #3: Cater to the babies

This book, an educational theory text, posited that the real problem with college education today was that instructors were "out of touch" with their students. Pffffftttt. If we keep dumbing things down, the film Idiocracy may actually happen. Besides I'm not even 30; I'm pretty sure I'm still part of their generation.

And there are my top 3 Worst Books awards for the year...so far.

Film Review: Coraline

Title: Coraline

Director: Henry Selick

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher

Release: February 6, 2009

Country: USA

Genre: Animation, Adventure

Rated: PG

First Viewing: August 11, 2009

Plot Synopsis

A young girl finds a secret door to an alternate version of her own reality...a better version. Her other parents are more attentive, her other neighbors more interesting, and her other home more exciting. But in the end this other life is too good to be true.

My Thoughts

I love Neil Gaiman whether it's books, graphic novels, or films. His visions are a dreamscape, Lucy is in the sky with diamonds and plasticine porters have looking glass ties. The visuals draw the viewer into the world of imagination and terrify just as they delight. Every image seemed imbued with feeling, and while always intriguing, I would not say that these feelings were always comfortable, which makes me doubt the claim that this is a children's story. I guess it all depends on how you define "children". In my opinion, younger viewers or more immature viewers may find the film more scary than fun.

I read Coraline not too long ago and loved it. The film did not disappoint. As with all book to film adaptations, changes were made, but they did not detract from the essence of the story. In the end Coraline is still Coraline. My only regret is that I did not get to see the film in 3-D. I may have to find myself some glasses and rewatch the film.

Rating: 4/5

Dewey's Read-a-Thon

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon is coming, and for the first time ever, I'm doing it. I almost joined up for the April Read-a-Thon, but I was just starting out in the book blogging world and I was very unsure about the whole situation. But no more. I'm ready to read, blog, and comment for 24 hours straight......I think. Yeah, yeah, I am.

The read-a-thon will run on October 24 and 25, which is quite a long time from now so I'm not even close to being ready to pick out my books and the such not, but I wouldn't mind getting some suggestions. Reading for 24 hours straight sounds like a task that leans towards shorter, exciting works of fiction rather than longer works and nonfiction. If anyone has any ideas on what I should read, I would love to hear them.

Anyone who has participated before should also feel free to give advice on the best ways to participate. I'm 99% positive that I want to be a Reader, but how much time did you put into Cheerleading as a Reader?

Everyone should head over to the FAQs page for more information on the read-a-thon. I have a feeling that the more of us who participate, the easier that day will be.

Book Review: Watchmen

Title: Watchmen
Author: Alan Moore
Published: 1995 Pages: 416
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: 5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Watchmen was my first foray into graphic novels, and I was immediately hooked. I found the characters fascinating and intricate, the illustrations vivid and evocative, and the plotline depressing as hell.... To explain: Moore wrote this in 1985 but it could just as easily been today with minor changes. Different players but the same game. It's a mad world. It always has been and heaven help us, it always will be. At least that's what it feels like sometimes.

Moore creatively intertwines various stories, highlighting not only our "heroes" but also ordinary people on a street corner. This juxtaposition helps the reader see the hero, the villain, and the victim in everyman.

The ninth requirement for Jenners' Take a Chance Challenge asks participants to write a poetic review using three different forms of verse: haiku, limerick and free verse. Originally, I was going to use a book I read for the challenge, but I thought it would be more fun to write a review of Alan Moore's Watchmen in this form.

Disclaimer: I'm not a poet.

Morality is fluid
A world that is flawed
The human in the hero

There once was a man named Rorschach
Who knew he could never go back
The others copped out
Too filled up with doubt
So he had to pick up the slack

Then and now intertwine
As nuclear power becomes technological power
And Ozymandias becomes Thomas Gabriel
Rorschach is reborn in all our anti-heroes
Manhattan is all who could help but for a broken heart
Moore saw the present and the future
And the future in the present
We can but hope for change,
While we mourn for our loss,
And a World without Heroes. Amen.

Am I Well-Read?

I've always thought I was decently well-read; afterall, I love reading and do so rather voraciously. I hold degrees in English, teach literature, and have a library of well over 1000 books. When I saw the 1% Well-Read Challenge, which is based on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list, I found myself very curious to see how I measured up.

Not well. If you combine the 2006 and 2008 lists, I have only read 73 of the books on the list. That's just pitiful. 5%. I am 5% well-read according to this list. Color me shocked. So now, of course, I just have to make myself more well-read. It's a pride thing. I don't think I'm going to join the challenge this year. For two reasons: 1) I'm part of enough challenges already, and 2) the contest is already half-over. But I am going to use this list to help decide what I should read, and I'll probably join the challenge next time around.

A lovely spread sheet I downloaded from Arukiyomi tells me that if I read 23 books from the list every year, I should have it completed by the time I die, assuming I die at the typical age for a Western female. Isn't that lovely? The problem I see with this is that if the list changes every year, I'm screwed.

On a side note, this list is, in my opinion, flawed, but that's not much of a surprise really. I had to choose five books to teach in my Literature class this Fall and doing so was absolutely horrifying. Narrowing down to five from my list of possibilities was unbelievably difficult, and my list of possibilities did not include every book ever published throughout history, so I can't imagine trying to come up with a list of 1001 books people must read. And still the nagging voice in my brain is telling me that I absolutely have to read more than 5% of these books.

On a side-side note, isn't the cover terrifying? Why is it so creepy?

Has anyone else seen this list? How many have you read? Do you want to read more?

Book Review: The Spiderwick Chronicles

Title: The Spiderwick Chronicles
Author: Terry DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Published: 2004 Pages: 567
Genre: YAL
Rating: 2/5

Plot Synopsis

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

The three Grace siblings are in for a surprise when they move into their Aunt Lucinda's old house. Faeries exist. So do goblins, griffins, dwarves, and a host of other creatures. Their great-great-uncle has left them a guide chronicling these creatures. But the evil Mulgarath wants the guide and he will go to great lengths to get it.

My Thoughts

I don't have anything truly negative or truly positive to say about this series. I read all five books in one night, but I feel more like I read one book. Each individual book was roughly 100 pages in length, but not much happened in each. I'm pretty sure at least two of the books weren't even stories. This was much more of a children's book than I am used to, and I was a bit bored by the lack of plot, development, action, and so on. All in all, it was a nice, easy read, but I won't be re-reading the books anytime soon if at all. I do, however, think that for younger readers the books hold a certain appeal.

Other Reviews

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What KT Reads
Age 30+...A Lifetime of Books

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky

Published: 1999 Pages: 213

Genre: Epistolary

Rating: 4/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a collection of letters written by a boy using the name of "Charlie", chronicling his first year of high school. Charlie writes about his life: friends, drugs, sex, abuse, dances, family, and football.

My Thoughts

Four things stand out to me: 1) The way the letters are written remind me of an autistic child, specifically because of reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. The writing is similar.

2) There are many, many pop culture references in this book. Charlie's letters reference books, movies, and music almost continuously. These references make sense now that I know MTV published the book. That is not to say these inclusions were irrelevant or awkwardly included. They were actually integral to the plot of the book.

3) If this book is any indication, 99% of the world's population has been or is being physically abused in some way. Not to give away to much, but seriously?

4) The writer seemed rather intent on hitting every major teen-topic out there. Drugs, Sex, Love, Pregnancy, Abortion, Parents, Drinking, Smoking, Masturbation, Parties, Homosexuality, Football, College, and so on and so forth.

Despite any minor drawbacks, the book definitely kept my interest as I read it in one evening. It was an interesting and insightful look into the life of a messed up pre-teen. It reminded me of high school, and while for the most part, the book made me grateful that I made it out alive and well, I was now and then reminded of the intensity of that age. I was remembering what it was like to "feel infinite".

Other Reviews

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Weekly Geeks: A Book Theme Song

Weekly Geeks prompt for August 1:

Music is a pretty amazing thing. It can take us back to the past, make us want to dance, put us in a romantic mood, or simply lift our spirits. But sometimes, music does something a little different for me: it reminds me of a book.

Yes, there is nothing more geeky than to be riding down the road listening to the radio and suddenly thinking "That song matches [book title] perfectly!". But that is exactly what happens to me sometimes. For example, whenever I hear Phil Collins' song 'Can't Stop Loving You,' I immediately think of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South. To me, it is exactly the kind of song that describes the two main characters' relationship.

So, my fellow Weekly Geeks, your challenge this week is to come up with at least one song-book match. It could remind you of a theme from the book, a specific part of the plot, or even one of the characters (a sort of theme song, if you will). Be sure to include samples of the lyrics and the reason why that song reminds you of that book.

Love it! But danged if my brain isn't drawing a blank right now. I know this moment has happened - a song brings to mind a book - but I can't remember a single connection at this moment. Perhaps because the connection is too fleeting, perhaps because my brain doesn't work too well at 9am after late nights, who knows. So I have a plan: I'm going to start up the iPod while staring at my book shelves, listen to the first three songs and make connections...

Connection #1 Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics and Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

"Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused"

The desire, desperation, and depravity that comes through in these lyrics immediately brought to mind vampires, and more specifically it called to mind Louis and Lestat, the main characters in Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire. I haven't read this book in years -we're talking 7 years at least, probably more like 12 or 14, and yet it was the first book I thought of when I heard this song. Louis and Lestat, each in their own specific and highly different way, want the same thing - to make sense of themselves and their place in the world and to have others understand as well. That same self-sadness is present in the song. And of course, the semi-insane sexiness that permeates the mythology of vampires is also part of the song. In each case, people are desiring something that is not necessarily good for them or wanting for the wrong reason.

Connection #2 Seether by Veruca Salt and Wicked by Gregory Maguire

I try to keep her on a short leash
I try to calm her down
I try to ram her into the ground
Can't fight the Seether
Can't fight the Seether
Can't fight the Seether
I can't see her til I'm foaming at the mouth

Seether is neither big nor small
Seether is the center of it all, I try to rock her in my cradle
I try to knock her out
I try to cram back in my mouth

Seether, to me, is primarily a woman talking about how difficult it can be to control her more bitchy side, her anger, the kind of anger a woman is not supposed to have. The Seether is the little me inside that wants to come out and kick some ass. Wicked falls directly along those lines with the lead character, Elphaba, who is a strong female. She is trying to stand up for what's right, but everyone just wants her to keep her mouth shut. Her anger is justified, but it does cause problems in part because she can't control it. She speaks out a time or two when it would have been more productive to hold her tongue and take a more manipulative or underhanded approach to the situation. But sometimes, you just can't fight the Seether.

Connection #3 So What by Pink and every Nora Roberts book that has a lead female character coming out of a bad relationship

So what
I'm still a rock star
I've got my rock moves
And I don't need you
And guess what
I'm having more fun
And now that we're done
I'm gonna show you
Tonight, I'm all right, I'm just fine
And you're a tool so,
So what I'm a rock star
I've got my rock moves
I don't want you tonight

You weren't there
You never were
You want it all
But that's not fair
I gave you life
I gave my all
You weren't there
You let me fall

Really this would work for almost every romance novel where the lead character has had a past relationship. These relationships are typically emotionally abusive (sometimes physically) where the male love interest was interested in the lead female character because she was a) a pure virgin who would be good for his image; b) a nice piece of eye candy; and/or c) easy to control. She, of course, does everything possible to make the relationship work, but the boyfriend/husband is a no-good ass. The female lead manages to leave this man and finds herself and the strength necessary to carry on an adult relationship with the (not-so) far from perfect lead male character. And she is "having more fun" and he really was "a tool" who was "never there".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tons of fun. I kind of want to keep going and see what else I come up with. Someone should host this as a weekly meme!!!!