It’s been almost a month since my last blog post and I’m nowhere near finishing. I haven’t even finished another book. I want to finish one today. I swear I will.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Still really behind
So I’ve been going through the Post-Graduation Depression thing. I’ve only finished book number 54 of the year this past weekend. I know, I’m ashamed that I’ve only read 4 books in over a month. I’m working on it, I swear.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
50!!!
I’ve just finished my 50th book of the year. Yes, I know I’m really behind. I’m getting there as fast as I can. (That’s what she said?)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Playing catch-up
So due to the fact that I’m in way over my head when it comes to reaching my goal of 100 books read by midnight on January 1, 2010, I’ve decided to high tail it in the reading department and forgo reviewing for the time being. I’m still updating this site every day in the “2009″ page. Once I catch up (which will be at about book 81 or so), I’ll go back to reviewing. Since last Sunday, I’ve read a book a day (including an 818-page book in only 8 hours!). So I suspect I’ll be able to catch up in a little over a month. If I have the time, I’ll be sure to review.
Here are the books I’ve read since last Sunday:
1. Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
2. Revelations (Melissa de la Cruz)
3. Dear America: A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin (Karen Hesse)
4. Dear America: My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher (Jim Murphy)
5. Dear America: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan (Barry Denenberg)
6. Dear America: A Time for Courage: The Suffragette Diary of Kathleen Bowen (Kathryn Lasky)
7. The Sweet far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy) (Libba Bray)
8. Envy (Anna Godbersen)
The book I have played read for today is “Hunted” by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
The Tao of Pooh
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Title: The Tao of Pooh
Author: Benjamin Hoff
Year: 1982
Genre: Religion
Pages: 158
Series: N/A
Benjamin Hoff uses the beloved children’s classic, Winnie-the-Pooh to explain Taoist views. This is a quick and slightly interesting read if you want to know more about Taoism. At times it’s a little dry and difficult to understand, but it still puts and interesting viewpoint on Taoism.
Rating: 3/5
Filed under: Book review | 1 Comment
Tags: Benjamin Hoff, religion, Tao, Taoist, The Tao of Pooh, Winnie-the-Pooh
Untamed
Untamed (House of Night 4) by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Title: Untamed
Authors: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Year: 2008
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 338
Series: House of Night series
I finally finished a book! This is a continuation of the House of Night series. The books are told in the perspective of Zoey Redbird, a vampyre fledgling at the House of Night in Tulsa. Zoey isn’t some ordinary fledgling, as she’s extremely powerful for only being Marked for a few months.
Untamed picks up were Chosen left off, which is Zoey has managed to piss off all of her friends. Well, everyone except Stevie Rae (who’s kind of undead) and Aphrodite (who is the stereotypical rich, snobby, skanky bitch that everyone hates).
So blah, blah, Zoey’s friends are pissed at her because they didn’t know every little detail about her life. When Aphrodite comes back after chasing after Stevie Rae with her Mark back (thanks to eyeliner) and has not one, but two visions of Zoey’s death. The first one being that the reason she dies is because she’s alone and her friends weren’t there to help her. This is enough for the “nerd heard” to forgive our protagonist and forget it even happened. So, okay, everything is “normal” and another fledgling dies in Zoey’s arms. This time it’s a boy, Stark, who had just transfered from the Chicago House of Night. And surprise, surprise, they share a moment right before he dies and he’s like in love with her. Is it just me or does Zoey seem like a Mary Sue type character? Moving on.
Aphrodite has another vision, this time it features a prophecy of the return of an evil fallen Cherokee angel, Kalona. The gang suspect that Neferet is Queen Tsi Sgili and she’s going to release Kalona from his earthy prison. Zoey is attacked (a second time by some spirit ravens) and survives thanks to the help of her friends. Remember the two visions of Zoey’s death? Yeah, that was the first one and it didn’t come true because her and her friends made nice.
A New Year cleansing ritual is scheduled to help boost the school moral after the violent deaths of two professors and Stark. It is then that Zoey plans on revealing Stevie Rae and her red-inked fledging friends so that Neferet could not control them anymore. Better to get everything out in the open, I guess. However, shit hits the fan and Neferet awakens Kalona and the Raven Mockers (the spirit raven things that have been randomly attacking Zoey during the whole book) run a muck in Tulsa. The book ends with Zoey and her friends hiding in the tunnels that Stevie Rae and the red Marked fledglings had been living in. They know they have a long road ahead of them.
I had some problems with the way the novel was presented. The back says, “Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become and expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, of the two Zoey has left, one is undead and one is unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey’s adventured at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in P.C. and Kristin Cast’s spellbinding fourth House of Night novel.”
First of all, loyalties are tested but are very quickly (and too easily) reestablished. Shocking true intentions? I wouldn’t necessarily call Neferet’s intentions shocking as much as predictable. If you have read the first three books of the series (more specifically since book 2, Betrayed) that Neferet being and evil bitch isn’t shocking at all.
As far as the style of writing goes, I’ve always found P.C. and Kristin to be rather juvenile writers. Not to say it’s isn’t good writing because it is (or else these books would never have been published), but I feel like at times the dialogue is forced and awkward. Their characters, particularly Zoey, tend to ramble and go on tangents that are too long for a young adult novel. Details from the previous books are often explained once again in a way that seemed forced as well. It is in my opinion that a writer doesn’t need to retell many details about pervious books in a series, because frankly, that’s what a series is for. These aren’t stand alone books. Anyways, Untamed did not have to be 338 pages and could have easily been trimmed down without the redundent information and tangent ramblings.
All in all, it’s an interesting book and a nice addition to the House of Night series. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Hunted.
Rating: 4/5
Filed under: Book review | Leave a Comment
Tags: good vs. evil, House of Night, P.C. and Kristin Cast, vampyre, Young Adult, Zoey Redbird
Busy, busy
I, unfortunately, have been rather busy lately and unable to finish any books. I’m extremely far behind in my goal to read 100 for the year (I’ve only read 32 so far!) I’m hoping that since the rest of the summer is going to be less hectic, I’ll be able to catch up (I basically have to read 14 books a month in order to finish on time).
Here’s hoping that I have a book read tomorrow.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Anthem
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Title: Anthem
Author: Ayn Rand
Year: 1938 (original), 1946 (revised)
Genre: Science fiction, dystopian society
Pages: 88
Series: No
I decided to read this while I was at work, thinking I could kill at least two hours. I misjudged the length of this novella (only 88 pages!). Needless to say, I only killed 1 hour and I’m now still bored for my last hour at work but I digress.
Anthem takes place in the distant future when the world is going through another dark ages where collectivism is key (the plural use of pronouns are used and the word “I” is forbidden upon penalty of death). Equality 7-2621 believes he is cursed because he is quick to learn which is discouraged by society. The Council of Vocation (who assigns everyone to their job) assigns Equality 7-2621 to be a Street Sweeper despite the fact that Equality dreamed of being a Scholar. One day he meets and falls in love with Liberty 5-3000 (or the “Golden One” as he calls her).
He often sneaks away to an abandoned subway tunnel that he had found while working. It is there that he works on his scientific experiments and rediscovers electricity. He is caught coming back to the House and is arrested. He is tortured and then escapes with absolutely no problems (because nobody has ever thought to escape the Palace of Corrective Detention). He takes his invention to the World Council of Scholars, thinking that they would invite him to join them. Instead, they want to destroy the invention because if wasn’t authorized by the Council. Equality escapes into the Uncharted Forest.
On his second day in the forest he stumbles upon Liberty who has followed him. They come upon an old house from the Unmentionable Times and decided to live there. They read the books and discover that the Unspeakable Word is “I”. They realize their own individualism (and now use the word “I”) and give themselves real names (Equality is now Prometheus and Liberty is now Gaea). At the end of the book, Prometheus thinks about the past and the hope of the future.
I really enjoyed this book. At the very beginning I thought it was going to be a little difficult to get into, but I was wrong. Apparently I quite enjoy the dystopian novels. The social commentary is provides can be applied to whatever time you’re living. If you’re bored for an hour or so, I suggest reading this. I’m looking forward to leading her other books as well.
Rating: 5/5
Filed under: Book review | Leave a Comment
Tags: 5/5, Anthem, Ayn Rand, collectivism, Dystopian Society, Equality 7-2621, Liberty 5-3000, novella, Science Fiction
Trailerpark
Trailerpark by Russell Banks
Title: Trailerpark
Author: Russell Banks
Year: 1981
Genre: Short stories
Pages: 271
Series: None
I am lucky enough to have gone to a university with an amazing Video Production program. I say this because the TCOM/MDIA 419 class attempted a feature length film this year (rather than 4-5 short films like the class has produced in the past) and succeeded. They chose to adapt some of the short stories in Trailerpark by Russell Banks. I had a lot of friends who worked on this film and I must say, it was great. Of course, me being the person I am, if there is a film based off a book, I want to read the book (preferably before seeing the movie) but whatever. Here we go.
Now Trailerpark (the book), a work comprised of thirteen interrelated stories, tells the stories of the residents of a trailer park community in New Hampshire. They range from a story about a woman who keeps guinea pigs (“The Guinea Pig Lady”), a stoner who gets killed by drug dealers (“Dis Bwoy, Him Gwan”), and a girl who has phone conversations with Jesus and then tells the police about them (“What Noni Hubner Did Not Tell the Police About Jesus”), among many other ridiculous (and at times sad) characters.
I thought it was a pretty good book. Not exactly my favorite, but I’m glad I read it. I was really distracted reading in at a series of short stories since the only exposure I had had perviously was the movie (which interwove select stories to work as a linear story. I suggest you read it. It’s quick and easy and I guarantee you’ll love at least one character.
Rating: 3/5
Some Trailerpark (the movie) links:
Filed under: Book review | Leave a Comment
Tags: 3/5, book made into movie, drug dealers, guinea pig lady, Jesus, New Hampshire, Russell Banks, short stories, Trailerpark
No motivation = not on schedule
So according to my reading schedule, I should have finished reading Trailerpark today. I’ve barely started because I’ve had no motivation this week and now I’m not feeling. I hope to have most of it read tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll post a review of it when I’m done.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Live Traffic Feed
Recent Entries
Categories
- Book review (10)
- Uncategorized (10)
