March Movies

Beerfest
Broken Lizard makes my geek heart sing. Not one of their best - that title remains with Super Troopers - Beerfest is ridiculous enough to remain funny.

Avatar
While visually stunning, I was disappointed with the plot. I felt I knew what was coming at every turn and the story was just a rehash of conqueror-native legends. As one friend said, it's Pocahontas in Space. My mom, who went with me to see the movie, absolutely adored it, and so have most of the other people I've spoken with.  I do want to stress the visually stunning part, even while I complain about the plot, because the world created in this film is absolutely gorgeous and the film was shot to really draw viewers into this world.

Shutter Island
Haunting and intricate, Shutter Island made me feel and think even though it wasn't the most exciting of films.  While Avatar stunned the senses, Shutter Island sort of seeped under the skin and lingered uncomfortably.  I adored the color and camera work, but from time to time I found the soundtrack to be rather overly dramatic.  DiCaprio rocked as did Kingsley.  I must read the book now, and I hear there will also be - or already is - a graphic novel adaptation!

The Replacements
There is something quite beautiful and noble about football movies in my opinion.  The sport itself is just set up to imitate the heroism of the warrior, so movies seem to play on this.  Predictable, entertaining, easy viewing are the words that pop to mind.

The Proposal
Generally I don't like romantic comedies; but I adore Ryan Reynolds. While the plot was predictable, I still had fun with this film.

The Ugly Truth
Since I liked The Proposal, I thought I would enjoy another romantic comedy.  I was wrong.  The Ugly Truth just did not do it for me.

The Hurt Locker
Flipping fantastic.  I loved the slow pace, didn't overly mind the occasional bumpy camera action, and adored the lack of plot.  Let me explain that last part:  not much and everything happened in this movie.  Hmmm..I probably didn't do a good job of explaining.  Just go see it.  This is a movie that stays with you long after it's over.

Alice in Wonderland
The Alice story entertains me, Tim Burton entertains me, and Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter entertain me, so there really was no way I wasn't going to enjoy this movie.  While not the masterpiece I was hoping for, the visuals were stunning, the acting good, and the plot interesting.  I would have liked darker, but that is possibly because I was expecting something darker.  Expectations can really alter an experience.

Without a Paddle
I love funny boys, so watching three grown men traipse through the woods on a treasure hunt dreamt up in their childhood just tickles me.  I would very much pack my bags and go on such an outlandish adventure myself.

Sin City
I adore this violent, visually spectacular, vision of revenge by Rodriguez, Miller, and Tarantino.  Like with 300, the film looks like a comic book with vibrant colors and larger-than-life characters, and it feels like a comic book with gruesome killings, scarred men, and the sexiest damn damsels in distress.  Yep, it's blatantly sexist, over-the-top in its violence, and a bit extreme all around, but again...it's a comic book on the big screen.  Awesome.

2012
I was expecting a few close calls being as this is an end of the world film, but man oh lordy did this movie contain an obscene quantity of unbelievable escapes from death.  It was a bit too unbelievable for me; although I have to admit I watched the whole thing and don't regret it.

Blindness
The. Worst. Movie. Ever. A gratuitous gang rape scene that disgusted and horrified me.  Totally unbelievable character motivations. Do not watch this.

Choices: How I Wuss Out and Ask for Advice

Sorry for the double post, but I need your help. Textbook choices for the Fall 2010 semester are due, and I can not decide what to use for my Introduction to Literature Course. I like to use 1 short novel, 1 long novel, 1 collection of short stories, 1 short collection of plays, and 1 graphic novel.

Currently I am using: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, Nocturnes by John Connolly, No Exit and Three Other Plays by Jean-Paul Sartre, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

I really would like to change Slaughterhouse Five, Nocturnes, and The Dark Knight Returns, so I'm looking for a shorter novel, a short story collection, and a graphic novel. But if you have suggestions for the longer novel and the plays, please let me know. There is just so much out there that I'm just stuck on making a decision.

Book Review: The Life O'Reilly

Title:  The Life O'Reilly
Author:  Brian Cohen

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis
Nick O'Reilly has just been volunteered by his firm to lead the pro-bono initiative, and he reluctantly agrees.  Soon, however, he finds himself more involved with his pro-bono case than his multimillion dollar clients.  As he works the case, he finds himself becoming involved with the client, Dawn, and her son Jordan, victims of domestic abuse.

My Thoughts
The Life O'Reilly is Cohen's debut novel.  This is the type of book that makes a reader think about her own view of life and her place in it.  Thematically, Cohen hits on familiar but relevant ideals of morality and love.  One theme clearly present in the story is that money should not be more important than humanity.  This idea is not a new one, but Cohen manages to present a fresh outlook on this idea which most claim to agree with but few follow in action.

A specific point that kept sticking with me throughout the novel:  Nick's boss is so unbelievably easy to hate.  A bit of a caricature, the boss, Wilfred J.T. Schmidt III, right away in the first chapter lets the reader know that he is a giant ass (pardon my french).  While announcing the formation of a Pro Bono Committee to counter the nefarious reputation of the firm, The Big Ass Boss says:  "This cannot...will not...and must not conflict with or contravene the interests of our clients.  They come first.  When in doubt, and in times of crisis, your loyalty is to them, not to some vagabond on the street you're attempting to procure Social Security benefits for, or whatever it is we're going to be doing."  He of course says this off the record. I loved that Cohen chose to show his disdain by suggestion that The Big Ass Boss was so indifferent to the lower classes that he didn't even know what they could possibly need with a lawyer.  He even pretends to vote against the proposed committee in some sort of lame joke.

So far in my review, I've been focusing on only one plot line in the book, but that is because I don't want to give the rest away!  I barely read the back cover of a book before reading as I'm so terrified of plot spoilers, so believe me when I say that I'm only giving you part of the story here.

Overall, the book is one which can be described with words like heartwarming, poignant, and the such not.  And while I have to admit I am not a huge fan of such books (I do not like Nicholas Sparks whether in print or on film), this book did not make me want to throw up from sappiness.

Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know!

Frugal Plus; Ezine Articles; Laughing Stars;

You can also check out Brian Cohen's website.


FTC Disclosure:  This was a free copy from the author, and I'm not apologizing for it.  Now don't you guys have something better to do?  Hey, I know, you can go add my name to every Do Not Call list you have.  Thank you.

Giveaway

In the spirit of not collecting books like I'm a contestant for that Hoarders television show, I'd like to give this book away to one lucky winner!  If you are interested, email your address to eclectic.eccentric@hotmail.com.  First email I get, gets the book.  Unfortunately this contest is only open to U.S. residents as I'm going broke slowly. :)

Sunday Salon: Bring on the Greek Gods

Week's Reads

I checked out my first library book in 20 years this past week. Actually, I checked out two. While I've read the first three books in the series already, I decided to re-read the Percy Jackson series, so the first two books are now in my possession courtesy of the Public Library.  I'm still not sure how I feel about this as I adore owning books.  But my husband and my bookshelves are thrilled.

The image is from the film, but one of the reasons I'm re-reading is that I loved the movie.  My review of The Lightning Thief deals with both the book and the movie, and I reviewed Sea of Monsters partially in light of the responsibilities of a second book in a series.

I will admit it's a bit strange reading this series right now as I just finished Gods Behaving Badly which also features Greek gods.  I'll read Apollo and momentarily forget which Apollo I'm reading about - Riordan's or Phillip's.


I received the Beautiful Blogger Award from Tara at 25 Hour Books, and the Kreativ Blogger and Honest Scrap Award from Marce at Tea Time with Marce.  I already listed 7 truths about myself in the Beautiful Blogger Award, but here are three more to add for the Honest Scrap Award; I'm sort of adding some details to the original seven since some have asked for clarification:

1.  I mentioned that I have a rich fantasy life.  Seriously, I'm not joking.  I dream while driving to work with music from my iPod as a soundtrack.  I tell myself stories every night to make myself fall asleep; and by tell myself stories, I mean in my head.  Sometimes, I lay on the couch with my iPod and do nothing but dream for hours.

2.  I was not kidding when I said I hate housework.  I hate it so much I actually have a once a month cleaning lady.  I wish I could have her in once a week, but that seems a bit ridiculous as I'm pretty solidly middle class.

3. (and this is a new one)  I could eat pizza every single night for dinner and possibly also for lunch; it's a problem.

Currently Reading
I just started Myrlin A. Hermes' The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet which is described on its cover as "Shakespeare turned topsy-turvy."  I received this as part of a TLC Book Tour. I'm only about 50 pages into it as of writing this post, and I must say I'm loving it.

I've heard that it is the retelling of Hamlet and I've heard that it is a prequel to Hamlet; either way I'm delighted.  I love Shakespeare, and Hamlet - while not my favorite of his plays - is the best of his plays in my opinion.  I'm very excited to see where the story goes.

On a side note, how cool is the author's name?  Myrlin Hermes?  Sweetness.

Challenges: Link takes you to my challenge post with links to reviews
I have joined so many challenges that I may need to sequester myself away in some sort of rehab clinic.  My newest challenge is the Once Upon a Time Challenge which has me reading back-to-back books about Greek gods.

I've finished quite a few challenges already including Women UnBound, GLBT Challenge, Read the Book See the Movie, and Sci-Fi Challenge, but I think I'll just leave them up and running and continue to add to them.
 

Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Reading Resolutions, 42 Challenge, Unlock Worlds, Women UnBound,  101 Fantasy Reading Challenge, Sookie Stackhouse Challenge, Sci-Fi Challenge, YA Reading Challenge, GLBT Challenge, Flashback Challenge, 18th and 19th Century Women Authors, Books to Read Before I Die, TBR Challenge, Rory Gilmore Project, World Religions, Read the Book See the Movie, Take Another Chance, Graphic Novels Challenge, Once Upon a Time, Hogwarts Reading Challenge, Non-Fiction Five,

Big Thank You

A big thank you to CB James and Dakota who sent me an absolutely beautiful bookmark as a prize from the Read the Book, See the Movie challenge!  Not only did I get a bookmark, but the envelope itself had a gorgeous hand drawing of CB and Dakota on the back which I adore!

Giveaway News

The second round in my birthday giveaway is currently going on; entries must be made by March 31.  The first round featured Drama and let's congratulate the winners:

First Place - Jenny from Jenny Loves to Read will be receiving Hedda Gabler and Much Ado About Nothing
Second Place - Andi from Estella's Revenge will be receiving Proof and Oedipus
Third Place - Christine from Booktumbling wants to wait and grab books from the Literature Round

Book Review: The Sea of Monsters

Title: The Sea of Monsters
Author: Rick Riordan
Book 2 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis
(from back cover)

Percy Jackson's seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet.  Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus.  But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibals, things get...well, ugly.  And the unexpected arrival of Percy's friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.

My Thoughts
As with The Lightning Thief, this is my second time reading The Sea of Monsters, but once again I was easily pulled into Percy's world and eager to read how he managed the new quest.  Just like the first installment, the action never stops in this story.  From battling Scylla and Charybdis to hydras to cyclops to Circe, Percy is hit with a wave of Greek troublemakers.  I really enjoy the pacing of these stories as they make for quick, entertaining reads.

While the first book had more history in it, so to speak, with the motivations and rules of the gods and the such not, this installment has more in the way of emotion.  Personally, I like the history more, but it was nice to see Percy dealing with his new and strange family issues. I can't really say more on that without giving too much away.

I think that the second book in a series has a strange place to fill.  The first book's responsibility, in my opinion, is to create the world for us, give us the exposition necessary to understand where we are.  It also, of course, has to make us relate to the characters, to care about them.  But I think it is the second book in a series that really has to pull off character development.  If the world created in the first book is interesting enough, we will read the second, but now we need to fall in love with the characters so that we care about what happens to them.  I think Riordan succeeded in those two tasks with the first two books.  At this point in the series, I am treading onto new ground as I haven't read the remaining three books yet (although I may have read the third, or at least part of it, before my cousin took the series with him back to Washington).

Memorable Scene: During a bout of chariot races, Stymphalian birds begin to attack the spectators, plucking and tearing flesh.  Annabeth remembers that Hercules used bells to create such a hideous noise the birds flew from it.  In a spark of innovation, Annabeth and Percy run off to Chiron's cabin and use his Best of Dean Martin CD to scare the birds away.  That's just funny to me.

Memorable Quote:  Annabeth, Percy, and Chiron are talking and the following happens:  Annabeth was trying hard not to cry.  Chiron brushed a tear from her cheek.  "Stay with Percy, child," he told her.  "Keep him safe. The prophecy - remember it!"

"I - I will."

"Um..." I said.  "Would this be the super-dangerous prophecy that has me in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell me about?"

Nobody answered.

"Right," I muttered.  "Just checking."

I love the sarcasm in that 'just checking' statement.

Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know!

Becky's Book Reviews; A Novel Read; Age 30+...Books;

Question:  What do you think is the most important thing for the second book in a series to do?

FTC Disclosure: Ha! Library Book Number Two peeps.
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Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge, YA Reading Challenge, Flashback Challenge, Once Upon a Time, Hogwarts Reading Challenge,

Book Review: The Lightning Thief

Title:  The Lightning Thief
Author:  Rick Riordan

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis
Percy Jackson has been in and out of six schools in six years.  Diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, he just seems not made for the normal world.  As it turns out, he's not.  He's the son of a Greek God, who along with all the other Greek gods, is alive and well on Olympus.  When an item is stolen from Zeus, Poseidon is blamed, and Percy is sent on a quest to prevent a catastrophic war among the gods.

The Book
I love this story.  This is my second time reading it, and I still get a kick out of all the wonderful events in the book.  The plot line mirrors that of other hero stories: a quest with mini-challenges along the way, a bit of a twist to the actual conflict, a reluctant hero, and helpful friends.

In The Lightning Thief the action never stops.  Percy and friends Annabeth and Grover are constantly moving, constantly meeting a new challenge, making this book the type to read in as few sittings as possible.  I managed it in just two sittings this time around. Despite the fast-paced action, the book still has a lot to offer in the way of depth.  The reasoning behind what is happening, the history behind the monsters and the gods, this keeps me turning the page just as much as the excitement. 

The Movie
That depth is what is missing from the film.  Kronos, Luke, and Ares are either completely absent or so modified as to be unrecognizable.  This change to the story bothered me even though I know it was made to keep the film as a stand alone and be understandable to those who had not read the book.  Other changes annoyed me but weren't a big deal such as the change to Annabeth's appearance and personality, the addition of Persephone, and the changes to the quest activities itself.

One change that I felt was perfect is an increase in the ages of the characters.  In the book, Percy is only 12 years old, and that was my main problem with the book.  I could not for one second believe that Percy and company were so young.  The film has them around 16 or so, and that felt much more appropriate to the story. 

I made my mother and my husband go with me to see this on opening night.  They were condescending and reluctant to go, but - aren't I the smart one? - they loved it and so did I.

Addressing the Harry Potter Issue
1.  Riordan started the series before Rowling.
2.  Both stories share obvious similarities to other hero myths, because well, they are hero myths.
3.  The Lightning Thief film was better than the HP films in my opinion by a whole bunch.
4.  I love HP and Percy Jackson, and I don't see a problem with that.

Other Reviews of the Book
If I've missed yours, let me know!

Age 30+ Books; A Novel Menagerie; Becky's Book Reviews; Bibliofreakblog; 25 Hour Books; Multi-Genre Fan;

Other Reviews of the Movie
If I've missed yours, let me know!

Age 30+ Books; Today's Adventure; 25 Hour Books; Boys Rule Boys Read; 

FTC Disclosure: I got it from the library.  Seriously, it's my first library book in 20 years.  Isn't that great?
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Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge, YA Reading Challenge, Flashback Challenge, World Religions, Read the Book See the Movie, Once Upon a Time, Hogwarts Reading Challenge,

Book Review: Gods Behaving Badly

Title:  Gods Behaving Badly
Author: Marie Phillips

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis
The Greek gods are floundering in the twenty-first century.  Slowly losing their power, worshiped by none, they live together in a London home amicably insulting each other and dreaming of better days.  When Aphrodite and Apollo start fighting and drag two mortals into it, things go from boring to devastating fast.

My Thoughts
What an adorable (and I mean this in its true sense, not in that condescending way) story, full of humor and insightful quips.  Gods Behaving Badly is a creative, witty, and zany tale, and I'm impressed that this is Phillips' first novel.

Our spotlight gods in this novel are Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Eros, but Hermes, Athena, Zeus, Hera, Ares, and the rest certainly make memorable appearances as well.  Aphrodite sparked the biggest laugh as she, the goddess of beauty, is working as a phone sex operator.  Eros came a close second in the humorous occupation department, in my opinion, as he is currently a Christian and working for a priest.  Lovely and ironic.  The Greek gods are just entertaining as all get out to begin with, and modernizing and demystifying them in this manner made for a seriously fun read.  Even in their origin the gods are immortal and immoral, and Marie Phillips keeps them hedonistic in this tale.

If you like fun, irreverence, and quick reads, you will like this book!  If you are offended by swear words and poking fun at the gods and God, you should probably stay away.

Memorable Scene and Quote:  Athena is attempting to hold a meeting with the attention of addressing the declining power of the gods.  The Goddess of Wisdom, Athena has a reputation of being an absolutely horrific communicator.  No one understands a single thing she says!  In the very beginning of the reluctantly attended meeting, Athena addresses her fellow gods saying:  To commence.  If I could request that all gathered deities address themselves to the schemata reproduced on the uppermost sheet of your textual bundle: 'Concerning the necessity for increasing the potency of the true gods and goddesses, parenthesis Olympian close parenthesis, with additional suggestions for the implementation of organized religion-based solutions within the crowded global multifaith context'.  Gotta love big words. :)


Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know!

Becky's Book Reviews; As Usual...I Need More Bookshelves; Diary of an Eccentric; book-a-rama; Ooh...Books; Find Your Next Book Here; Tea with Marce;

Question:  I'm interested to know if those out there who are religious enjoy - or can even read - books which poke fun at their faith.


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Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Reading Resolutions, GLBT Challenge, World Religions, Once Upon a Time, Hogwarts Reading Challenge,

Beautiful Blogger

Tara over at 25 Hour Books awarded me the Beautiful Blogger Award.  Ain't she sweet!?!

Here are the rules:
1. Thank and link to the person that gave you the award
2. Pass the award onto 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and think are fantastic
3. Contact said Blogs and let them know they’ve won
4. State 7 things about yourself

Seven Things About Me

1. I adore my job teaching college composition, literature, and film.
2. I think David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino make movies that strip bare your soul.
3. I'm the most social antisocial person I know.  Meyers Briggs classifies people as introvert v. extrovert; my point total was 11 extrovert and 10 introvert.
4. I have a rich fantasy life with story lines I build over days, reoccurring characters, soundtracks, entire worlds in my head that I even revisit and modify years later.
5. My husband and I started dating when I was 16.
6. I have a four leaf clover tattoo.
7. I despise housework: cooking, cleaning, laundry, all of it.

Picking 15 bloggers would be an impossibility for me as I wouldn't want to offend anyone.  I can't explain how much I adore all of you, reading your posts, realizing that there are so many people out there who share my passion for books.

For Tara:  I have a little tradition that I started when I first received an award.  So here's your award for being so awesome!

Once Upon a Time...I OD'ed on Challenges

Carl at Stainless Steel is once again hosting the Once Upon a Time Challenge, and I once again just have to sign up.  I know I'm overdoing it with challenges.  As of this moment, I can barely remember which challenges I'm even signed up for, but this one is just too perfect.  Fantasy, folklore, fairy tale, and mythology are intriguing, evocative, and just downright entertaining.

I'm going to be good on this one and only go for The Journey, which means that I can read as many as I'd like and as few as one book in one of the four categories.

My Books (Possibilities)

Fiction

1. Gods Behaving Badly
2. The Lightning Thief
3. The Sea of Monsters
4. Fables: Legends in Exile
5. Coraline 
6. The Eternal Smile
7. American Born Chinese  
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
10. Fables: Animal Farm
11. Beastly by Alex Finn  
12. Trickster by Matt Dembicki 
13. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan 
14. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Non-fiction
When They Severed the Earth from the Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth
Edith Wharton's Mythology
The Devil in Massachusetts: Story of the Salem Witch Trials
When Gods Walked the Earth: Myths of Ancient Greece (audio)
Bring on Joseph Campbell (the myth god)

I'm not at all stuck on this list, but a quick look at my bookshelves reveals these as books fitting the challenge.  I'm sure there are more up there, but for now, it's a start.

Sunday Salon: A Whole Bunch of Nonsense

Weeks Reads 
I missed last Sunday's Salon, so this will cover the last two weeks of reading, which has been so unbelievably pitiful.  In my defense I've been pretty busy...I swear...

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan
You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs

Non-Review Posts

How do you recognize the achievements of other bloggers?

Are you interested in authors or not?  Again, I apologize to any authors reading...

Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books is hosting a Friday blog hop which means I'm killing my Google Reader again.

I went on one serious book buying spree after donating 100 books to my library.

Challenges

I've joined two new challenges:  Hogwarts Reading Challenge and Once Upon a Time (post up tomorrow). And thank heavens, I've finished a few challenges already this year; although with each one I plan on continuing to read in that category.  Sci-Fi Reading, Women UnBound, and the GLBT Challenge were probably the first finished because they are so intriguing to me.

Giveaways:  Currently, I have five books up for grabs if you are interested!

Random Blogger Love
As part of the BiP's recognizing other bloggers activity, I thought I might drop a few lines in my Sunday Salon post.  The posts listed here are not necessarily from the past week; they might not even be in the month, but they are posts I starred in Google Reader for one reason or another. Let me just say that I could probably highlight about 50 posts a week, but I'm limiting myself.

Carrie K. at Books and Movies really sparked my interest in her post about Beastly.  I've got the book, but I'm waiting until I have easy access to the movie and then I'm going to do a one day Beastly marathon.

Melissa at The Betty and Boo Chronicles got me hungering for quesadillas with her delicious recipe.

Jenny at Take Me Away really got me thinking with her post on book to film adaptations.

So ladies and gents, how have you been lately?

Giveaway: Literature

I'm finally doing a large scale giveaway in honor of my birthday - which is not until April 22 - because this way I can think about how wonderful it is to turn 30 - OMG I'm getting old - for the next 50 days.  Lovely.  Round 1 featured plays, so welcome to....

Round 2: Here There Be Literature...

Margo Lanagan's Black Juice is a collection of short stories that beautifully meld science fiction, horror, and fantasy.  As the back cover states, "Black Juice is a book of extraordinary stories - breathtakingly fierce and surprisingly tender, they explore the dark and the light, and pit the frailty of humans against implacable forces."  The prose is magnificently vivid, and the feelings the stories evoke will remain with you long after you turn the last page.  My Review

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink tackles a difficult subject and does so with grace.  A young man, Michael, finds himself involved with a woman twice his age who is passionate and mysterious.  The mystery continues when she disappears from his life.  Years later, he sees Hanna again, and he watches, shocked, as she stands trial for a horrifying crime. While I won't gush about the book - I did not love it by any means - I will say I'm glad I read it.  My Review

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is a critically acclaimed book, often compared to the Greek tragedies.  The back cover says of the book:  "A simple story of a 'strong man' whose life is dominated by fear and tragedy, [this book] is written with remarkable economy and subtle irony.  Uniquely and richly African, at the same time it reveals Achebe's keen awareness of the human qualities common to men of all times and places."  I feel guilt weigh heavy as I admit I have never been able to read this.  I pick it up, read the first chapter or so, and lose interest.  But I fear I may be alone in this as most seem to enjoy it.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a powerful story of one woman's journey of self-discovery. "Sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom," this book follows Janie Crawford through three marriages.  Poor and abused, Janie refuses to become embittered, and she slowly triumphs over the hurdles life has placed in front of her.  The novel is beautifully written and celebrates womanhood and blackness.

The two stories in this collection feature Seymour Glass, a member of the family Salinger enjoyed featuring in his work.  Buddy Glass narrates the first story which is about Seymour's wedding....er, non-wedding.  Seymour: An Introduction...well I can't really tell you what that's about without giving things away now can I?  Suffice it to say that those who enjoy the Glass family - Franny and Zooey, A Perfect Day for Bananfish, Down at the Dinghy, etc. - are well positioned to enjoy these novellas; although, it should be noted that the writing style and stories are markedly different.


HOW TO WIN
To be entered into the drawing, leave a comment.

Separating a bunch of "ways to get extra entries" out is time consuming for me and for those who just want to win a freaking book; however, I do want word to spread about the giveaway, so you can get an extra entry for:  Following Me (or already being one), Doing Anything to Promote the Giveaway (tweeting, blogging, blah, blah, blah).  That's a total of TWO possible extra entries.  Just let me know in your comment what you did and how many entries I should give you.

WHAT YOU WIN
First Place:  Two of the above books
Second Place:  Two of the remaining books

Third Place:  The remaining book OR automatic second place in the next round

All entries must be in by March 31

Next Round Features Teasers:  Ludlum, Austen, Suarez, LaHaye, and Green

Hogwarts Reading Challenge

I tried to resist; I mean I seriously am involved in enough challenges, but the concept was so unique I just had to join in.  Worth Reading It is hosting a Hogwarts Reading Challenge where participants are sorted into houses and compete for the House Cup.  Points are awarded for reading books that fall into specific categories.

I took the test to be sorted into a house, and - not really a surprise here - the sorting hat put me in Ravenclaw.  While I appreciate the honor and nobility of Gryffindor, the amiability and honesty of Hufflepuff, and even the ambition and cunning of Slytherin, I'm really not surprised to be placed with the nerds...

 I am now and always have been a geek.  So what wonderful categories do I get to read by December 13?

MY CURRENT POINT TOTAL:  99

The Series
First, I will read the Harry Potter books themselves, earning 25 points for each one read.  This will fit in with my Flashback Challenge and my YAL Challenge, so that is just fantabulous.  But I also get to read based on the below "classes".

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Classes

Transfiguration - read any book that has trans or figure in its title, is about shape shifting, has a shape shifter in it, or is about anything having to do with changing one thing into another.

• Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
• Deogratias, A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
• The Surrogates by Robert Venditti 
• The Awakening by Kate Chopin 
• The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff  
• Beastly by Alex Finn 
• Film Club by David Gilmour 
• Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey  
• Incognegro by Mat Johnson 
• The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson

Defense Against the Dark Arts - read any book that has defence (defense), dark and/or art(s) in its title, read any book that is about self defense, war, history of war/marital arts, murder mysteries

• Coraline by Neil Gaiman 
• Allies of the Night by Darren Shan 
• Badass by Ben Thompson 
• Denial: A Memoir of Terror by Jessica Stern 
• The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
• The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Charms - read any book that has charm in its title, any book that deals with gives something or someone a new aspect (for example the nerdy guy become a handsome doctor)

• Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
• The Great Lover by Jill Dawson 
• Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz 
• Fun Home by Alison Bechdel 
• Strings Attached by Nick Nolan

Potions - read any book that has potion in its title, cookbooks count but you must cook at least one recipe out of the book

• The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames

Astronomy - read any book that has astronomy in its title, books about planets, stars, etc, sci-fi

• The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim 
• Trickster by Matt Dembicki

History of Magic - read any book that has history or magic in its title, books about magic, witches, etc

• Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts 
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 
• Search for Senna by K.A. Applegate 
• The Bacchae by Euripides

Herbology - read any book that has herb in its title, again cookbooks count and again you must cook at least one recipe out of the book

Arithmancy - read any book that has arithmancy in its title, any book with a number in its title, any book that deal with numbers or math

• 101 Things I Learned in Film School by Neil Landau and Matthew Frederick 
• Matched by Ally Condie

Ancient Runes - read any book that has ancient or runes in its title, books about historical places like the pyramids, Stonehenge, great wall of china, or any book about symbols

• Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri  
• Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Divination - read any book that has divine in its title, any book about psychics or psychic abilities, tarot reading etc

•  From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Care of Magical Creatures - read any book that has magical or creatures in its title, about supernatural beings

• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 
• The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan 
• Animal Farm by Bill Willingham 
• The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan 
• The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 
• Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris 
• The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
• School's Out - Forever by James Patterson

Muggle Studies - nearly any book works here, what better why to understand Muggle than to read what they read

• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 
• Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet
• W;t by Margaret Edson
• The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet by Myrlin Hermes 
• Either You're in or You're in the Way by Logan and Noah Miller 
• Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan 
• Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon 
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

How to list your books and keep track of points:
When you copy this post onto your blog just list the book you read for the challenge under the subject to which it fits. Please include the name of the book/author and the the date you finished reading it

SUMMER MINI-CHALLENGE

Read 3 books from any summer reading list = 60 points
Each extra reading list book = 15 pts each
One word match to Hogwarts Reading List = 25 pts

• The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan from the Getting Boys to Read  and the School Library Journal summer reading lists.

Book Review: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Author: Shirley Jackson
Published: 1962 Pages:  146

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis
Merricat, her sister Constance, and Uncle Julian all live together in the Blackwood family home, "rehearsing past trauma and fending off change and self-knowledge."  Each family member has created their own reality, which mixes with those of their housemates, overlaps, but does not completely imitate.

My Thoughts
I would not like to ruin this gem of a novella for you, so my thoughts and the above plot synopsis may feel a bit vague if you have not yet read the book (and by the way SHAME on you, now go read it and come back).

One of the most intriguing aspects of the novella for me is the voice.  Mary Katherine Blackwood (Merricat) narrates the story, but while we are directly told she is eighteen years old, the narration sounds more like a 13 year old.  This gap between age and voice fascinates me, and I found the disparity directly applicable to plot and character development.  The difference between what Merricat thinks she is, actually is, and says she is creates a mood the reader can not escape from, assuming the reader would even want to escape.

While the book is disturbing to the nth degree, I could not put it down and I rejoiced in the heavy, ominous, disturbing, frightful aura of reading.

Memorable Scene:  The most disturbing image for me was the book Merricat had nailed to a tree - one of her protective talismans designed to keep her and Constance safe.  There is something ridiculously disturbing about a book nailed to a tree.

Memorable Scene #2:  Merricat engages in a fantasy at one point where she is sitting at the table with her family and they are all catering to her, saying things like Mary Katherine is never to be punished, asking if she wants or needs anything, even taking items away from the other children to give to her.  Creepy.

Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know!

A Striped Armchair; Hey Lady!; Bart's Bookshelf; things mean a lot; Fizzy Thoughts; books i done read; Bibliolatry; book-a-rama;

FTC Disclosure: Bought it. Take that bitches.
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Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Reading Resolutions,

What I Like About You...You Really Know How to Blog...

Okay, so The Ramones have nothing to do with this post, but the title worked for me.  The fourth task set forth by the Blog Improvement Project is to promote others.  What a wonderful idea!  I've been tinkering around with ways to do this, searching blogs for inspiration and the such not, and here are some things I've seen:

1.  Awards:  People spread the love by giving awards to other blogs, but this didn't feel right to me. It's a bit too generic and broad.

2.  Featured Blogger:  Rebecca at Lost in Books features a different blogger by having them write out answers to twenty bookish questions (which I adore, and hey I'm on for Thursday, March 19 if you are interested); I've seen a few other like this, one with libraries but danged if I can remember where that one is). 

3.  Featured Posts: I adore those blogs which have a post recapping the top reads of the week, but I'm just so laaaaazzzyyyy.  I must read 150-200 posts a day, and taking the time to pick an dchoose which of those to feature just sounds like a ton of work.  But this is the one I'd like to try.  I'm thinking of adding in a section to my Sunday Salon posts which features a few posts from other blogs that I particularly enjoyed.

4.  Tempters Feature:  Some bloggers give credit where credit (and blame) is due by posting about new books added to the TBR list and linking to the post that tempted them.  I rarely make a post telling people what's been added to my TBR list as the list is long and gets quite a bit longer every day.

5.  Other Reviews:  Whenever I write a book review, I search for and link to reviews of the same book on others' blogs.  For the most part, I only link to those blogs I regularly read so as not to run amok with links.  I think this is a good way to promote others' blogs.


A Few Posts I Adored Today

Amanda from The Zen Leaf celebrates Friendship Day
Ana from things mean a lot blabs about Victorians
Jenners from Find Your Next Book Here gets relevantly personal in a book review If the Church were Christian

Weekly Geeks: Wait, Books have Authors?

Weekly Geeks features book bloggy questions every Saturday. Head on over and join the fun!

Reactions to Reading created this week's geek:  Having recently been told that I'm odd because I'm not terribly interested in author interviews I've started to ponder whether there are two types of readers...those who stick to the books versus those who like to know more about the author's background, thoughts, motivations and writing process.

So, what about you?

• Do you seek out interviews with authors of books you've enjoyed? Why or why not?
• Do you interview authors on your blog? If yes what did you gain from the interview process? If no is it because you don't want to or because you haven't felt able to ask an author yet?
• Do you subscribe to the blogs of authors you like? Which ones? All the authors you like or only certain ones?
• Do you track down author websites or look for biographical information about them elsewhere? Would you skip reading a book if you couldn't find out anything about its author?
• Have you hosted an author on a blog tour? Was it someone whose books you already read or did it introduce you to a new author?

I am 100%, no question about it, completely and totally, a book person.  Authors are merely the vehicles that bring me my drug.  (I apologize to any author reading this post).  How about a 'for example'?

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favorite books.  I've read the entire series (as written by Douglas Adams) four or five times.  But I haven't picked up another Douglas Adams book, I don't really care about the television and radio productions of the story, and I know practically nothing about Adams' life.  It's the story that matters, the characters, the plot, the escapism.  All of that real world hullabaloo means very little to me.

Sometimes I don't even know who the author is when I'm reading.  I know, I know, terrible of me.  Blogging has increased my interest in reading particular authors.  Daphne du Maurier, Margaret Atwood, and Sarah Waters spring to mind as authors I'm interested in reading more of; but still I've only read one by each and have no burning intention to read their entire catalog.

Neil Gaiman is my most present author.  I have 13 of his books on my shelves, and I subscribe to his blog, which by the way is entertaining, well written, and personal.  No one else comes close to him as far as number of books on my shelf. I think the next most-prominent-on-my-shelves author is J.K. Rowling with 7, but considering that's one series of books, I'm not sure that really counts.  I just don't actively pursue reading any one author's complete line up of books.  I have roughly 1500 books on my shelves and about 1000 authors. I do so like variety.


Side Note:  William Shakespeare (23) and Agatha Christie (26) are actually the winners for most books on my shelves, but as I haven't read all of their books - and I've read all of Gaiman and Rowling - I didn't feel that really counted.

Author Interviews:  I don't seek out author interviews, either to feature them on my blog or to read them on someone else's.  If I haven't read the book yet, I definitely will not read an author interview about that book.  I am 100% anti-spoilers for books.  Most of the time I won't even read the entire synopsis on the back cover of.  Just a quick glance, enough to let me know if it's my cup of tea, nothing more.

Author Importance:  People seem concerned with exigence, the motivation for writing, and author's intention, but I've always been more interested in reader interpretation.  No matter what the author intended to write, it is what the reader reads that counts.  I'm not sure I've explained that well, but there you have it.  (And once again, my apologies if there are any authors reading this).

What about all of you?  Any more book people out there?

Killing my Google reader

Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books is hosting a Friday blog hop!

She says, "Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!"

This was a hit last week! If you'd like to participate, go to Crazy-For-Books and leave the link for your blog in the MckLinky. Repost this and then go back and visit the other blogs!

This may be the straw that breaks the camel's back for my Google Reader.  I'm always in the market for new blogs and having so many wonderful blogs linked in one place may just kill GR.

A Low BLoB Score led to an Excessive Book Acquiring Spree

I was bad.  Really bad.  I put myself on a book buying ban which I completely broke on vacation.  I modified BLoB (Biggest Loser of Books) to help me moderate my book buying.  But then it happened.  I culled my shelves and donated 100 books to my local library, leaving me with a -422 BLoB score.  As my goal is to stay at zero, I took this to mean I could go crazy at Barnes and Noble.  I am weak.  Very weak.

But take a look at the goodies I bought!

Crossing Washington Square by Joanne Rendell just sounds like a book about me. Well, at least that's what Stephanie's review made it sound like.  A college professor who thinks contemporary fiction is worthy of teaching and romance novels are worthy of reading.  Excellent.

When I read Carrie's review of Beastly by Alex Flinn, I immediately thought it would be an great book for the Read the Book, See the Movie challenge.  Beauty and the Beast is a fascinating story, and I love the idea of updating it, setting it in modern times but maintaining the witchiness.  And Neil Patrick Harris will be in the film.  Enough said.  I love Barney Stinson.

Just the title alone is enough to get me going, but when Cara reviewed Gods Behaving Badly and suggested reading it "just to find out what skills are most highly-desired in the underworld", I knew I had to read it asap.  I love humor and I love the Greek gods, so I can't wait to read this.

While I am not breathlessly excited over the Sookie Stackhouse series, I still want to find out what happens to the Bon Temps crew, so I picked up book 8 in the series.  At least I think this is book 8.

My Reviews of the First Seven:  Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, Dead to the World, Dead as a Doornail, Definitely Dead, All Together Dead, 

 I know, I know, I'm terrible for not having read this yet.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson has been on my list for quite some time.  I am not sure what review first put the book on my to read list.  The possibilities are endless: books i done read, things mean a alot, Fizzy Thoughts, Hey Lady!, and so many others have read and raved.  And yes, I'm a sucker and spent the extra money for this kick-ass cover.

The Surrogates by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele is a graphic novel, and this edition includes all five of the originals.  I really liked the cover and that's how this popped into my hands.  When I read the inside spiel and saw words like 'cybernetics', 'era of the personal surrogate', and 'techno-terrorist' coupled with thematic terms like 'commentary on identity' and 'Western obsession with physical appearance', well I was hooked.

This one is all Ana's fault.  I kept seeing reviews of the Fables series on things mean a lot, and so when I saw it just sort of sitting there on the shelf, practically begging me to buy it, I figured what the hey.  I only bought the first, Legends in Exile, instead of splurging on the first three installments, which is what initially popped to mind.



Now, I have to be perfectly honest.  I didn't just buy books at Barnes and Noble; I also went a little nuts the other day on BookMooch, requesting 10 - that's right ladies and gentlemen, TEN - books.  Those titles are:

Ultraviolent Movies: From Sam Peckinpah to Quentin Tarantino by Laurent Bouzereau

The Books of Magic #1 by Carla Jablonski

The Zigzag Way by Anita Desai

Beyond the Curtain of Dark by Peter Haining

Six Great Modern Plays by Anton Chekhov

Two Plays by Edward Albee

By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie

Property of by Alice Hoffman

The Selkie by Charles Sheffield

Visit to a Small Planet by Gore Vidal

Book Review: A Room of One's Own

Title:  A Room of One's Own
Author: Virginia Woolf
Written/Published: 1929  Pages:  114
Genre: Nonfiction

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis
When Woolf is asked to speak about Women and Fiction, she finds herself reflecting primarily on the necessity of having a room of one's own and a fixed income to write.  For women, these two requirements have been all but absent throughout history.  Over the next 100 pages or so, Woolf makes a controversial yet logical statement regarding the relationship between women and writing.

My Thoughts
Woolf's use of metaphor, imagery, and anecdote makes reading this short work worthwhile even for those who are not interested in the content itself.  And that is saying something for work of this kind.  I often find myself intellectually stimulated but creatively bored by treatise, focused analytical works on specific subject matters.  I enjoy reading them but primarily for the knowledge they bring.  Woolf manages to impart knowledge creatively and maintain reader interest not only through insightful commentary but also through interesting and appropriate illustrations.  For example, the hypothetical storyline referred to throughout the work is the creation of Shakespeare's sister.  Woolf examines this fictional character's life in an effort to concretely show the difficulties of female writers at the time.

Woolf's exigence in writing the work is consistently evident and useful as it gives readers who are women a direct address.  She is talking directly to us, asking us pertinent questions as she guides us through her train of thought.  One of the first instances of this direct address that really had me feeling like Virginia and I were sitting down to tea starts with a discussion of a person looking for books on women.  She writes:

One went to the counter; one took a slip of paper; one opened a volume of the catalogue, and ..... the five dots here indicate five separate minutes of stupefaction, wonder and bewilderment.  Have you any notion how many books are written about women in the course of one year?  Have you any notion how many were written by men?  Are you aware that you are, perhaps, the most discussed animal in the universe?

I can hear the astonishment in her voice as if we were chatting, and this feeling of intimacy between reader and author persists throughout.  I found myself wondering if this intimacy, this use of tangent and anecdote to reveal a truth, is part of what Woolf means when she says women need to use their own voice, own structure, own sentence, when writing.  She argues, and I agree, that too often women writers through necessity, choice, or lack of option, adopt a male voice, structure, and sentence when writing.

I could go on and on and on about the lovely way Woolf wrote, but I'll talk a bit about the subject matter itself.  Woolf's claim is much  more in-depth than a person needs a room and some money to write.  Her main points, in my opinion, are as follows:

Women have not consistently written "Great Literature" because:

• men have adamantly and aggressively denied them the opportunity
• culture and ideology has adamantly and aggressively demonized them for the desire to write
• family life and responsibilities are a constant source of distraction from creative energy
• women, when they do write, are too often concerned with their own oppression and this seeps into their writing
• women have historically been isolated from life and experiences outside the home
• the lack of female role models to draw from limits women writers' resources
• women, when they do write, too often cater to patriarchy and try to write like men

For me, one portion of her argument that really stood out was that women need to stop being like men, trying to fit the mold created by a history full of male writers.  Woolf seems to think that the attempt by a woman to fit into this mold detracts from her own, uniquely female, creativity.  I admire this idea, that women are distinct from men.  Equality does not mean similarity. At least to me.

She goes on to argue that "great minds are androgynous" (a la Coleridge) in that the male portion of the brain and the female portion must be working together to create something truly original.  She argues that "it is fatal for anyone who writes to think of their sex", going so far as to argue that it is fatal for a woman to "speak consciously as a woman".  Obviously most feminists today would disagree, but I have to say I can see the logic in her argument.  She is saying that a writer needs to be focused on the story itself, on the idea of it, the writer needs a clear mind to sort of let the words flow, instead of consistently attempting to put a particular political spin on the story.

Just like with the writing itself, I feel I could discuss for ages the ideas presented in this work.  I am saddened that it took so very long for me to read this insightful and delightful work.

Relevance:  In reading other reviews (not necessarily the ones linked below), I was shocked by how often the issue of relevance came up.  It appears that many women out there have not experienced sexism/oppression, and all I can say is Good for You!  I find the world to still be riddled with ideals of and ideas about women that are but a short step away from the views of women taken 100 years ago.  Household chores, childcare, domesticity is still the realm of women no matter how many women have husbands who "help out".  Even the term "help out" suggests that the job is the woman's and she is lucky to have a partner who will take on some of her responsibilities.

Women, of course, have the choice of whether or not to marry, have kids, get a job, etc., but for the most part Expectations regarding those choices have not dramatically shifted.  I would hazard a guess that 95% of the world still EXPECTS women to marry and raise children, to keep the house in order and herself presentable, and this same society finds women who decide to take another path to be strange.  We are definitely still raised by culture and (often) parents to want to marry and bear children.  As such, Woolf's argument about having a room of one's own is still very very relevant to contemporary society in my opinion.

Okay rant - and overly long blog post - over.  Go read the book!


Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know!

Rebecca Reads; The Zen Leaf; books i done read;


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Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Reading Resolutions, Women UnBound, GLBT Challenge, TBR Challenge, Rory Gilmore Project,

Book Review: Black Juice

Title:  Black Juice
Author:  Margo Lanagan
Published:  Pages: 227
Short Stories

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

I will not write a true review this book for a variety of reasons. For the life of me, I can not figure out how to discuss the stories within this collection, not only because to do so would mean spoiling the plot, but also I can not figure out how to summarize the plots.  For certain inclusions in the book, if I were asked what the story was about, I would be left with a blank expression on my face, no words on my lips, but a very specific feeling inside.

That is the crux of the matter.  While Lanagan may not offer a tidy story with a beginning, middle, and end and while you may not even really understand what happened in the pages you've just read, you certainly do know how it felt to read that particular story.  This feeling may be indescribable, but it is no less real.  I found this an odd reading experience, enjoyable but mildly frustrating.

Stories would begin and end without me having a clear picture of the reasons things were happening or where things were headed after the story ended.  A few times while reading, I found myself thinking of Tralfalmadorian writing.  Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five features an alien race who when they write do so in "brief, urgent messages" with no real connection from one to the next, no backstory or story arc, just a snapshot of a moment in time.

There isn’t any particular relationship between all the messages, except that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time

For me, Black Juice meets the criteria; each story is a snapshot, displaced from its context, but still offering a small nugget of truth.

Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know

things mean a lot; Reading Rants; Finding Wonderland;

Question:  Can you think of any other stories/collections that are brief, urgent messages rather than your typical tidy plots?


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Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Reading Resolutions, YA Reading Challenge,