Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly is a vivid and captivating book filled with feeling. If you haven't yet read anything by Donnelly, I seriously think you are missing out, and I strongly recommend you fix that. Now.

Revolution is the story of Andi, an intelligent, talented girl who should have her whole future ahead of her. She's always been smart, has done well in school and is a gifted musician- able to play guitar and write her own music. But, her younger brother died in an accident about a year ago and Andi blames herself. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, Andi loses focus on everything but her music. Her mom is immobilized by grief, scarcely able to function, and her dad, who has never been around much, retreats even further.

When her father forces her to accompany him to Paris, as a way to rescue her slipping grades, Andi is angry and can think of nothing more than getting back to New York. But then she discovers a journal, hidden in a guitar case that might date back to the French Revolution, and her world changes.

I was blown away by this book. The writing is intense and powerful, and Andi's pain practically screamed from the pages. Her depression and detachment from life was so real, and so perfectly portrayed that I found myself experiencing everything right along with her. But even more than just experiencing it with her, Andi was so well written, and so real a character to me that I found myself knowing how Andi would feel or react to a situation as it happened, before we, as readers, were given her reaction. I knew her. I don't think I've ever felt such a strong connection to a character before, but it was thrilling.

The only thing that really reaches Andi is her music and this is where she goes when life becomes too much for her, often playing her guitar until her fingers bleed. She is constantly listening to music, both classical and contemporary and she lets that heal the outward hurt. Nothing can touch that empty place inside her, but she seems content to let that fester, although that 'contentment' might be more a side effect of the anti-depressants she eats like candy than anything real on her part.

It was powerful watching Andi struggle between life and death, both metaphorically and realistically. There is more than one aborted suicide attempt, and they start right at the beginning of the story. She isn't sure if she wants to die, but she also isn't sure she wants to continue living.

Her experiences in Paris help to open her eyes to life, and help her to understand that although her grief will always be a part of her, it does not have to completely define her. Both the journal she discovers of a young girl living through the French Revolution, and Virgil, a boy she met while joining a local band for a few songs help to bring Andi back from the depression she's been drowning in.

I liked the sections with the journal. It was well written and engaging, but Alexandrine was never a real person for me the way she was for Andi, and the way Andi was for me. I don't mean to be derogatory toward them at all, because they are an essential part of the story, and still beautifully written. But, they were always sections of a journal, fascinating, but removed from me. I doubt I would have paid as much attention to this if my connection to Andi hadn't been so strong.

Virgil was wonderful. Although he doesn't have a lot of actual face time throughout the story, he is in no way a minor character, but neither is he the focus of the story, which was nice. (I'm a little bored with the books right now that seem to be all about the romance, even when other points should be more important. Virgil was great and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. It was pretty realistic. They met, and are attracted to each other. Andi does think about him a lot over the next few days, but isn't obsessed, and doesn't believe herself to be in love. He's just on her mind, because it's a new-almost relationship.

This book was almost perfect. The only reason I'm not calling this book Basically Amazing is because of climax. It's the part of the summary that reads, "on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present."
Take from that what you will/what you can. I won't spoil it for you. I had my thoughts on what that might mean when I picked up the book, and was a little disappointed to realize which of my theories was correct. It didn't work quite as well for me as the rest of the story.

However, Andi is one of the strongest characters I've ever come across, and this is most definitely a book I'm going to have on my 'keep forever' shelf. It deserves to be read again and again, because I imagine there will be new things waiting for me every time.

*UPDATE- This is one of those books that refuses to let go of a person. So... I'm updating my previous rating from Loved it, but to BASICALLY AMAZING! :) Seriously- GO READ THIS BOOK!!

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Memory Monday, The Fourth

Before I get started on what books I want to remember today, and the memories themselves, I need to give you a little background on my family and my childhood. Bear with me here. If you actually end up reading the whole story below... It's pretty funny, and totally true. (Welcome to my life... ;) )

So, my dad grew up in a theater family. His father owned a 'local summer theater' up in West Yellowstone, Montana (The Playmill, for anyone who's been out that direction) and my dad (the youngest of 7 kids) began performing in the Playmill when he was 6 or 7. I'm not kidding or exaggerating when I say it's in his blood, which very likely means it's in mine as well (even though I haven't done much in the way of acting) which may explain why I have a tendency to be a little over the top.

Anyway, rather than divulge more family history, I'm going to tell you a story, that will segue nicely into my Memory, for Memory Monday.

As I believe I mentioned, or hinted, I tend to be dramatic, and I can get pretty intense, especially when I was a kid. One day, as the family was getting ready to go somewhere nice (I was in a dress) my father did something that upset me, and I decided that I was tired of it. So, I informed the family that I was leaving, and they could just go on/be happy without me, and I walked out of the house. I don't think I really intended to run away, it was (as it so often is with nine year olds) more of a punishment for my parents. We had a very long driveway/road (about 3 other houses along the road) and I walked to the end of the driveway, and then turned to watch, expecting my dad to be right behind me, waiting to drag me back into the house. Apparently, it took them a while to notice I was gone, so it was a few minutes before my dad came after me. But, by then I was so mad! I couldn't believe that they had waited that long before coming to get me! So, I decided to run away for real, which meant I definitely needed to get a move on.

As I mentioned before, I was a nine year old wearing a dress that had previously been worn in my aunt's wedding... Stiff fabric and a long, straight skirt. So, I didn't move very fast. My dad caught up with my just around the corner, in the libraries parking lot (fitting, I suppose) and dragged me back to the car. He made me get in, we started driving. My dad asked me if I knew what happened to young girls who tried to run away from home. He sounded quite ominous, and he spent the next 15- 20 minutes explaining to me what exactly happened to nine year old runaways... In a nut shell, I could look forward to being picked up by a pimp and turned into a crack whore. (Did I mention that I was nine, and that I'm not making this up?!)

My mom was horrified, my older sister completely scandalized, my little brothers oblivious, and me? I was belligerent. Every bad thing my dad mentioned- some guy will grab you and force you to be a prostitute/he'll take all your money/he'll make you take drugs/you will have no choices etc and etc and etc was met with a very sincere, well, I won't let him do that. I was a little afraid, because what nine year old want to believe that her possible future includes hooking for some greasy, smelly old guy while completely high on some toxic mixture of meth, crack and heroine?! But, I refused to let my dad know he was upsetting me, and I honestly remained convinced that I would be able to get away, or overcome said greasy, smelly old guy. I believed that they same way I believed, when my mom would tell me never to open the door to strangers when my parents weren't home, that I could just 'shut the door really fast if they were bad' and there would be no problems. I could handle it.

My mom and I were talking about this a while ago (well, she was actually kind of mocking me) and it got me thinking about why I was so convinced I would be able to handle the world's bad guys as some fairly scrawny 9/10 year old kid. I was looking through some of my old favorite books, when I had an epiphany. I had discovered why I was convinced I could take anything those evil nasties threw at me: Willo Davis Roberts. (GR profile)

I read Roberts voraciously. Some of her books were 'issue' books (Sugar isn't Everything about a girl who is diagnosed with diabetes, Don't Hurt Laurie about child abuse etc) but most of her books are more in the vein of The View from the Cherry Tree, Scared Stiff, Twisted Summer, Baby-Sitting is a Dangerous Job, and Meghan's Island. That is to say- a mystery where the young (generally 8-13ish) protagonist(s) ends up matching wits with the sinister bad guy, and the kids always win! True, there are usually adults involved on the periphery, but there role is generally relegated to calling the police, or offering a small amount of moral support while their world collapses. It's always the kids who ultimately save the day, not only figuring out who the bad guys are, but also managing to subdue them until the police arrive, while also caring for the injured adult family member.

I read every single book by Roberts I could get my hands on. And a vast majority of the books I picked up involved a young kid outsmarting the adult criminal. So I ask you... What else was I supposed to think?! How could I not have believed I'd be able to 'take them down?' What we read often reflects on our realities, so in my reality, kids were definitely the heroes, and there was no doubt in my mind that I would be able to bring those suckers down. Those criminals had no idea who they would be messing with, and I was just itching to prove all these great abilities gleaned from Roberts wisdom.

Wanna know the craziest part? I went back and reread a few of my favorite Roberts' stories a few months ago and I can still believe what those kids get involved with! Her stories are just barely plausible enough to work, and if you don't think about it too hard, those kids really could have done everything she professes them capable of. While it's unlikely that they would be so lucky, by just the right combination of brains, luck, boredom and skill, it's a possible scenario!

Filling in the Gaps- 100 Books I've been missing...

I was reading April's blog, Good Books & Good Wine, and she mentioned in a post of hers reading a particular book because of a Fill in the Gaps project. Intrigued, I browsed through her blog to see what it meant. A few days later, I stumbled across this blog, The Fill in the Gaps: 100 Project that talks about the challenge a little more, because it's specifically about this challenge. 

I like this idea a lot. There's a lot of books/authors out there that I feel a little bit like a failure at life because I've never read. There are definitely a lot of gaps in my reading repertoire, many books I really want to read (whether I'm interested in the book itself, or merely so I can haughtily say, Why yes, I have read that.) and I like this challenge, because it gives me focus, as well as a time line. And, since I'm putting it on my blog, that's like, commitment. 

So, the 'rules' are a little loose, and open to personal interpretation, but I'm going with pretty much what they laid out on the blog- 100 'missing' books read within the next 5 years. Although, since it's almost December now, I'm going to give myself until December of 2015, so I guess I'm snitching an extra 2 days. I'm committing to reading this whole list within the next 5 years. We'll see how that goes! :) If any of you are participating in this, I'd love to see what you are reading/ the progress you are making! 

So, thanks April, for being my inspiration. 

My list of 100 'missing' books, to remedy the fact that I'm almost a literary failure: (*= books I own)

1. The Return of the King- J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Harriet the Spy- Louise Fitzhugh*
3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Ken Kesey*
4. White Fang- Jack London*
5. The Illiad- Homer
6. The Divine Comedy- Dante*
7. On the Road- Jack Kerouac
8. Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte*
9. Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen* (or any Austen minus Pride and Prejudice)
10. Frankenstein- Mary Shelley*
11. The Mists of Avalon- Marion Zimmer Bradley
12. The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood*
13. The Shining- Stephen King
14. A Clockwork Orange- Anthony Burgess 
15. American Psycho- Bret Easton Ellis
16. Flowers for Algernon- Daniel Keyes
17. Ramona Quimby, Age 8- Beverly Cleary
18. Blubber- Judy Blume
19. I am the Cheese- Robert Cormier
20. A Farewell to Arms- Ernest Hemingway* (Or The Sun Also Rises*)
21. Uncle Tom's Cabin- Harriet Beecher Stowe*
22. Stargirl- Jerry Spinelli 
23. Anthem- Ayn Rand
24. After the Rain- Norma Fox Mazer*
25. The Stand- Stephen King
26. Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell
27. Pigs in Heaven- Barbara Kingsolver*
28. The Sound and the Fury- William Faulkner*
29. King of the Wind- Marguerite Henry*
30. Great Expectations- Charles Dickens* (Or any other Dickens minus A Christmas Carol)
31. Homeland- R.A. Salvatore
32. O. Henry's Stories- O. Henry (at least one collection)*
33. Our Town- Thornton Wilder*
34. Candide- Voltaire*
35. Pygmalion- George Bernard Shaw*
36. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams
37. The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis*
38. The Shipping News- Annie Proulx*
39. Wicked- Gregory Maguire
40. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers*
41. The Road- Cormac McCarthy
42. Watership Down- Richard Adams
43. The Golden Compass- Phillip Pullman*
44. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle- Hugh Lofting*
45. The Story of Mankind- Hendrik Van Loon*
46. Black Beauty- Anna Sewell
47. The Secret Garden- Frances Hodgson Burnett*
48. Anne of Green Gables- L.M. Montgomery
49. Sabriel- Garth Nix
50. The Princess and the Goblin-  George MacDonald
51. In the Forests of the Night- Amelia Atwater Rhodes
52. The Cider House Rules- John Irving*
53. The Winter's Tale- William Shakespeare (substitute possible)
54. Howl's Moving Castle- Diana Wynne Jones
55. Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card
56. The Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls
57. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- Betty Smith
58. A Little Princess- Frances Hodgson Burnett*
59. The Wind in the Willows- Kenneth Grahame
60. Middlesex- Jeffry Eugenides
61. The Secret Life of Bees- Sue Monk Kidd*
62. Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden*
63. War of the Worlds- H.G. Wells*
64. Beloved- Toni Morrison
65. Nineteen Minutes- Jodi Picoult (Substitute Picoult book possible)
66. East of Eden- John Steinbeck*
67. The Five People You Met in Heaven- Mitch Albom*
68. The Knife of Never Letting Go- Patrick Ness
69. Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro
70. Dealing with Dragons- Patricia C. Wrede
71. Among the Hidden- Margaret Peterson Haddix
72. The Book of Three- Lloyd Alexander
73. The Lightning Thief- Rick Riordan
74. Rebecca- Daphne Du Marier* 
75. The Jungle- Upton Sinclair*
76. Lolita- Vladimir Nabokov
77. Things Fall Apart- Chinua Achebe
78. My Name is Asher Lev- Chaim Potok
79. The Thirteenth Tale- Diane Setterfield*
80. Man's Search for Meaning- Victor Frankl
81. Trumpet of the Swan- E.B. White*
82. Twenty Boy Summer- Sarah Ockler*
83. An Abundance of Katherines- John Green 
84. One Hundred Years of Solitude- Gabriel Garcia Marquez (or Love in the Time of Cholera)
85. The (Unabridged) Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
86. The Ropemaker- Peter Dickinson*
87. Inkheart- Cornelia Funke
88. The Mysterious Benedict Society- Trenton Lee Stewart
89. Milkweed- Jerry Spinelli
90. Freakonimics- Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner*
91. Mother Night- Kurt Vonnegut Jr.*
92. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain*
93. Oedipus Rex- Sophocles*
94. Crime and Punishment- Fyodor Dostevsky*
95. The Last of the Mohicans- James Fenimore Cooper*
96. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich- Alexander Solzhenitsyn*
97. The Perilous Gard- Elizabeth Marie Pope
98. Tam Lin- Pamela Dean
99. 84, Charing Cross Road- Helene Hanff
100. Twelfth Night- William Shakespeare


Read: 3/100
Need to Read: 97/100

Review: The Traveling Trunk Adventures 1 & 2 by Benjamin Flinders

Pirate Treasure and The Lost City of Atlantis are the first two books in the middle grade adventure series, The Traveling Trunk Adventures written by Benjamin Flinders.

In the first book, Pirate Treasure, Ethan and Dallin's father brings them a gift; an old looking chest, said to have previously been owned by pirates. Although confused at first (because pirate chests don't really fit in with their awesome jungle themed bedroom, complete with vines) they open the chest and start to play around a little. When they jump in the chest and close the lid to hide from their little sister, they are amazed, and more than a little scared to open the lid and realize they are no longer in their bedroom, but in what looks like the cabin of a ship.

After their adventures in the first book aboard a real life 18th century pirate ship, the boys manage to unlock the mysteries of the chest and return home. A short time later, they return to the chest and find themselves in the City of Atlantis, listening to men preach in the streets that the city is doomed and will fall any day unless drastic changes are made.

While reading these two books, there were a few moments when I just had to roll my eyes at the unlikeliness of their situations. I found that the adults in these stories were just a little too dumb to be believable and people in both books were a little too willing to help these brothers out. They patiently explained unfamiliar words and phrases, and accepted whatever the boys told them as explanation.

However, these books are designed to be read and enjoyed by young middle grade readers, and I think they were written perfectly for that age group. They are quick reads with eye catching illustrations, and the language is on level with what kids that age would understand and enjoy.

I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about these books immediately after finishing, until I thought about how much I would have loved these books as a kid. I was fascinated by history, and loved the idea of kids being able to go back in time to live through, and maybe alter, history. In 5th grade, when I just knew I was going to be a writer someday, I wrote a little mini-series of (awful) time travel stories and this brought all those memories back.

I would definitely recommend this series to younger kids, whether they are interested in history, like the idea of traveling through time, or just like the idea of an adventure. They might not switch between adults and children as smoothly as other MG books I've come across, but they are perfect for children and would easily be enjoyed by many MG readers, boys and girls alike.

Each book also contains a little bit of historical fact at the end of the chapter. Pirate Treasure includes a pirate glossary. How cool is that?! With this book, on International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) you can totally sound legit!!

*Disclaimer: I received these books from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

WARNING: I think this review contains some mild spoilers. The main spoilerish thing I give away is something I had mostly figured out from the synopsis, but if you don't like anything to be spoiled, you might want to wait.

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton could have been a great read. I mean, really. The heroine is a (supposedly) normal girl, who fights evil demon reaper things in another dimension, and happens to be the only being on the planet capable of wielding angelfire. How cool is that?! The synopsis of the book sounded good, so I was quite excited to read the book. Every once in a while I like to go for those kick butt heroines who definitely do not need the love interest to save the day. He's just there to look pretty. ;) (ahem...) But really. I get a little tired of the supposedly strong female constantly in need of rescue by a conveniently placed attractive male. I get that often people do need help in dangerous situations, but the 'damsel in distress' routine is getting a little old.


So, when I got the chance to read about Ellie, who sounds totally and completely hard core, I was really excited. So, I think you can imagine my disappointment when the first and second time these reapers show up, Ellie freezes/has no idea what to do when (bum ba ba ba!!) Will 'appears' to the rescue. He touches her head, a light flashes and suddenly Ellie just knows she can take this thing. Bam. I was a little bummed, but was willing to go with it, because it's a reincarnation thing, and she's spent the last 17 years thinking she's completely normal. Okay, fine. But, she never really changes. Will always needs to be there in order for Ellie to remember that she not only knows how to walk, but she can also will flaming swords to appear from no where.

Which actually reminds me of my second complaint with the story... While sometimes the writing worked well, others the words and phrases chosen were trite and clichéd. Like Ellie having swords 'appear out of thin air.' That's the only example I wrote down, but it happened frequently. I found myself rolling my eyes a little too often.

But, even with those two complaints I was really enjoying the story, and I was able to overlook them (besides the occasional (esq.) eye roll. I understood that Ellie needed to grow into her abilities. Just because her past lives have been doing this for thousands of years doesn't mean that a 17 year old isn't going to be a little weirded out. So fine. I enjoyed watching Ellie learn about herself too. There were moments when she would learn how to harness a particular power or ability and it was awesome being inside her head, because she was so excited about it.

I also liked that Will wasn't love at first site for Ellie, even though he has been a part of her past lives. She feels a weird tingle of recognition, that she brushes off because she knows she wouldn't have forgotten a boy that hot and that's pretty much it. He talks to her, she thinks he's totally hot, but a little weird and she continues to skirt around him, deciding whether he's nuts or not. It's only later, after she's been around him a bit more and has spent more time getting to know him (again) that she realizes she's in love with him. Which, I was more than okay with. Love at first site just doesn't really work for me...

I did have mixed feeling about Will. He has the potential to be a really great character, and there was a lot I liked about him. I actually liked most things about him, but he has the tendency to play the martyr... A lot, which got old really fast.

I enjoyed Moulton's idea of the Grim dimension, and the reapers that live within, feasting off human souls. Although there were a few flaws, I mostly enjoyed the characters, especially because I watched them grow over the course of the novel, and Moulton left them a lot of room to grow in the later books.

But, and this is THE big but, I didn't like the book, because I disagree strongly with some major parts of Moulton's logic, reasoning, and angelic philosophies... First, there is the idea that the reapers snatch your soul to build the armies of evil. But, I'm a believer in agency and choice, not fate. And, I have a really hard time believing that just because you had the bad luck to be mauled by the soul snatcher that you are now destined to march alongside the devil in a battle against heaven. If we are talking about what sends you to heaven or hell, I'm going to have to go with personal choices every single time. I don't believe that a truly good person who has done all they can to follow what they believe to be right is going to go warring against heaven just because a reaper snatched their soul.

I also really did not like the major reveal at the end of the book. We kind of start to get an idea of who Ellie really is, and why she is actually able to do what she does. But, I don't buy it. At all. I won't tell you why, because that is a major Major spoiler, far bigger than anything I've let slip thus far. But, suffice it say, unless Moulton means something totally different from what happened at the end of the book- I do not like it. And, if you aren't a fan of the deus ex machina endings, you are probably not going to like this one either.

I don't mean to sound harsh in this review, although I have a feeling it's going to come across that way, because for most of the book, I was enjoying myself. I was able to overlook the things that bothered me about the story, and just enjoy it for what it was. It wasn't until the very end of the book that I just really couldn't enjoy it anymore.

This is a book that had a lot of potential, but just didn't manage to do it for me.

* Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours. 

Hopping Blogs:

everyone! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, or if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, a rockin' Thursday.

It's Friday again, and I'm hopping again. So, thanks to all the newcomers, for stopping by my blog! I hope you like what you see, and I'd love for you to leave a comment telling me what you enjoyed! (or not, if such is the case. :( ) If you are visiting, leave me a comment, and I'll be sure to return the favor, and stop by your blog as well!!


So, this blog hopping goodness is hosted in two separate locations, Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View and Jen over at Crazy For Books.


Jen asked us this week about our favorite book covers. I don't think there is room enough for me to answer this question, because there are tons of books that I think have stunningly beautiful/eye-catching covers.

Although, I have noticed that YA (especially recent YA) seems to do a better job at creating attractive covers  than most adult fiction. I intend to write up a whole post talking about that in the near future, and why I think that might be so, and I'd love to have you stop by again to let me know what you think about that.





Anyway, some covers (just a few, just real fast) that I find I really loved and to help myself narrow it down a little, I'm picking simple covers that just really hit me:

                                                              

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your day be filled with love and happiness.

Today is a day of thanks, which I think can be celebrated by everyone, whether you live in the US or not. I love today, because it reminds me never to take for granted those things which have blessed my life, to appreciate those things I have been given, and to be grateful always.

I hope your day is wonderful!

Review: Walden by Henry David Thoreau

I have a whole bunch of books I know that I should be reviewing right now, but I'm in one of those moods where I'm just not interested in doing anything that will require that much thought, and I'm tired, which right now translates into I'm not going to write anything nice/worthwhile, and most of the books I have in my review que are books that I really, really enjoyed. I don't want those reviews to be crappy, because these books deserve more than that. I thought about not doing anything for today, but I did that yesterday. I was browsing my bookshelves, and I saw my copy of  Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I read Walden (or Walden Pond, depending on your copy) about a year ago and wrote up a short review on goodreads. I've been wanting to read and talk about more than just YA lately, and decided that now was as good a time as any.

So, in my title I ask if I'm in the majority or the minority. Meaning- I want to know if anyone who has read this book actually liked it. I've talked to a lot of people who like Thoreau. And, after conversing with them further, I discovered that all of them (except for one) were lying. At least a little. They had read excerpts of Walden or individual quotations and thought them to be insightful and thought-provoking. I agree. When taken one sentence at a time, after, of course, carefully screening for only those which inspire deep thought and meditation, Thoreau is just fine.

I read most of Civil Disobedience in HS as well as excerpts from Walden and I spent a few years thinking Thoreau was pretty hot stuff (literarily speaking of course...). So, when I found a pretty faux-leather bound copy of Walden and Other Writings at a used bookstore, I grabbed it, and went home so excited to read it, thinking I was going to be so edified. And then, after I started reading it, I realized I was so bored. Thoreau takes 300+ pages to talk about spending 2ish years in the woods, and with the amount he rambled, I'm thinking 100 to 150 pages would have been better. He told stories that related to nothing. In the middle of a chapter about walking around, he's suddenly start spouting off about this dove/dog/man who were all searching for each other and then... and then... and then... nothing. No resolution. He even itemized how much it cost him to build his little home in the woods. (Or rather, how much it should have cost him, because I swear, everything he took with him was donated by someone else...)

Anyway, I could have gotten past the fact that Thoreau's life was a little dull, because really- he's spending 2 years in the woods with very little human contact, and no amenities. Don't get me wrong- I love the woods. I'm not gonna lie- I'd totally go live in the middle of the woods if I had the chance, although I'd make sure I took electricity and a flushing toilet with me... So, I could have forgiven that, and probably enjoyed this book a lot more if Thoreau didn't come off as so darn pompous and self-righteous. I'm kind of glad I never had to meet this man, because his writing makes him sound like one of the most condescending men I've ever come across. And, living in the woods for 2 years without the luxury of a doormat and then moving back to your original home does not make you qualified to tell me that my luxuries are the beginnings of my downfall into evil. He doesn't exactly say this, but it's pretty close and I definitely felt like Thoreau was talking/looking down on the rest of us. I might take Thoreau and his preachings about the benefits of an entirely simple life if he had always lived by Walden. But he didn't. He went home after a few years. But, he's still better than all the rest of us who invite evil into our lives. Bully for you Thoreau.

I understand that this opinion very possibly makes me sound like an uncultured, uneducated philistine. I mean really, Thoreau is one of the Transcendentalists, right up there with Hawthorne, Whitman, and Emerson. I get that... But, I don't care. I didn't enjoy Walden. It's entirely possible that I was simply in the wrong mood to read this type of literature/philosophy when I gave it a shot, but I don't think so. Because I own the book and doubt I'll be getting rid of it (it's pretty and looks great on my bookshelf) I'll probably give this a try again in a few years, when I'm older and hopefully wiser and all that great stuff. And, if I'm still blogging, I'll be sure and let all of you know about my new opinion, if it changes at all.

But I'm confused by all the 5 star ratings on Goodreads. Many more than I would have expected. The 4 and 5 star reviews strongly outweigh the negative reviews. So I wonder... Is there something that I'm missing? Or has the general population bought into the idea that they have to give the book a higher star rating to prove that they did, in fact, get it, as so many of us lesser people seem to not. Perhaps this paragraph doesn't make as much sense as it should... Although I was quite put off by Thoreau himself and his writing, I can see where the basic ideas of economy and simplicity could really resonate with someone. Perhaps, because I was raised to understand that living within my means and avoiding debt and extravagant lifestyles made this book superfluous to me, so I didn't feel it connect with me, but regardless. Whatever the reason I or you come up with, Walden was not for me.

So, I'll ask you again. Am I in the majority, or the minority on this one? How did YOU feel about Walden and Thoreau's writing in general?

Memory Monday: ... A Trois

Today's 'Memory Monday' is going to be a little different than normal. Instead of talking about a specific memory reading a specific book, I'm going to talk about 3 authors that instantly come to mind when people talk about 'definitive reader moments'. (Okay, so I just made that name up,  but I'm sure you all know what I'm actually talking about...) Some of these books will pop up later, probably in an actual review, or I might give them a more in depth 'Memory Monday', but today is less about the books, and more about the authors themselves.

When I was 12, I remember complaining to my mom that I had nothing to read and I was so bored! I think it was mostly an excuse to whine, but I was in a definite slump and nothing really caught my attention. My house has always been full of books, and so my mom took me to the bookshelves to find me something to read. Katherine Kurtz (link to GR profile) has written a series of high fantasy books set in a world she calls Deryni.

There are (I think) somewhere between 18 and 21 books now in the series, mostly grouped into trilogies. My mom cautioned me about them, letting me I might not like them, but there were a lot of them, and I just know my mom just hoped I'd like them because that many books, of which we owned them all would keep me occupied for a long time. But, alas... I did not like them. At all. Looking back, I realize, more than anything, this is probably because the books are high fantasy written for adults, and I was a 12 year old who had most recently grown bored reading R.L. Stine... It wasn't the right for me to read them, but my 12 year old brain took this to mean that all fantasy was BAD. I decided that all fantasy was boring, lame, and definitely beneath me.

So, back to mom I went. My mom, probably desperate to get me to leave her alone, because I am nothing if not persistent when I want something I think you can give me, handed me her copy of Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark (GR profile). I never gave it back. That book changed my reading life. I LOVED it. I immediately went to my mom, begging for more books to read, but she didn't own any. For the next few years, that was what I read. I read every mystery she produced (I still read them, but I'm 2 behind...) and in my narrow world, mysteries were the only way to go. I read all the Kinsey Milhone ABC mysteries by Sue Grafton, tried my hand at a few Agatha Christies and devoured Joan Lowry Nixon.

Then, in 8th grade, I met a girl who made it her goal to make me understand that other genres had value too. I scoffed, but she insisted and finally bribed me into reading a book of her choice. She picked The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (GR profile), and I was horrified. She expected ME to read fantasy?! The nerve. But, she insisted, and seeing as I had already accepted the 'bribe' I caved. Surprisingly, I loved the book. I was completely enthralled, blown away and amazed. Who knew that so much greatness could reside in one book?! I brought the book back a few days later and gave it back to her. She was mad, because she thought I had given up, until I started positively gushing about how wonderful that book was. She did the expected, I told you so, and then demanded that I read The Blue Sword, the companion novel to Hero, but I resisted. She finally convinced me to read it. I took it home, and was bored. The beginning dragged on and on, and it took me about a month to get through the first 3 chapters, which I took to mean that fantasy was definitely not for me, and Hero must have been a weird fluke. This girl finally got mad at me about it, because another of my friends was waiting for the book so she could read it. So I begrudgingly agreed to go home and try to get through another chapter. What a chore. But, I went home and picked up the book like I'd promised, expecting to work through another chapter, maybe two if I was feeling particularly masochistic. I brought the book back the next day, done. And I couldn't shut up about how great it was, and how I totally wished I could have been as cool as Harry or Aerin.

I gobbled up Robin McKinley in much the same way I inhaled Mary Higgins Clark, and I ran to this girl for book suggestions over and over. She is the one who introduced me to historical fiction and Ann Rinaldi by convincing me to read Time Enough for Drums (click title for my review). Because of my experiences with this girl, I stopped judging a genre based on a single book, and I opened my mind to new possibilities in reading.

I still haven't gone back to try reading Kurtz's Deryni books again. I'm a little afraid, and I still shy away from those epic fantasy series with books in the double digits, but I'm working up to it. I would like to revisit those books, now that I'm an adult, because I know my perception will be a lot different. My mom and dad both love them, my sister has read them all, and she really enjoyed them, and one of my really good friends began reading them after we had this conversation, and she loves them too. I do plan to read at least some of this series sometime in the future, but I still need to work up to it a little. Have any of you read them? What do you think?

Who are your favorite authors? And what are your 'definitive reading moments'?

$500 of free books from Chronicle Books!

Chronicle Books is hosting a contest for the Holidays. They are giving $500 in free books to one blogger! Seriously, how cool is that? To participate, explore Chronicle's online book store, select the $500 in books of your choice, list them in a blog post, fill out the entry form (visible here) and wait, hope and pray that they draw your name on Dec. 13.

But, it gets even better! It's hard to believe, but it definitely does. Not only will the blogger receive their choice of books up to $500, but so will one lucky commenter on their blog! That's right! Comment on this post, and if I win, you might win too! I think this is the greatest idea ever! I win the books I pick out, and so do you! (Win the books I pick out, that is...)

So, what books would I select if I had $500 to spend at Chronicle?! These:

• A Gratitude Journal (because it's always nice to be reminded of what we have to be grateful for, and I love new journals. 
• Anna Sui Calico Cabaret Journal (ahem... It's pretty, and I love journals. Remember?)
• Blackbird Bakery: Gluten-Free (because my dad has a gluten allergy and is so sad that he rarely gets to eat dessert)
• Whip Up Mini Quilts (because my mom is definitely a quilter, but I don't have the patience for it. Mini seems like a great way to start, but if I hate it, I can pretend I bought it for her birthday. Hehehe...)
• Every Day's a Holiday (because crafting with kids (if you're okay with a mess) is just so much fun!)
• The Life and Love of Trees (because I just seriously love trees)
• Breaking Bounds 2011 Wall Calendar (because I need a calendar, and this looks ridiculously cool)
• How to Speak Zombie (seriously, like I need to explain why I want this?! :) )
• Mama, Do You Love Me?
• The Story of Little Red Riding Hood
• The Magic Flute
• Spinning Out
• The Space Between Trees
• A Child's Garden of Verses
• Aesop's Fables
• Sylvia Long's Mother Goose
• The Little Books Boxed Set
• Hush Little Baby
• Creature ABC
• Duck! Rabbit!
• Lullaby Baby
• Vincent's Colors
• Monet's Impressions
• The Lonesome Puppy
• Once Upon a Lily Pad 

So, that's my list. I think it totals just under $480. I thought about adding another book or two, but decided that I didn't trust my math, and was too lazy to total everything up all over again. BUT, I'm pretty excited about my list, and now I think I'm probably going to cry a little if I don't win. Sigh... I guess a girl can only hope, right? Anyway, I hope you all comment away so that if, by some small miracle, I did win, you could too!

Happy holidays!

Review: Liam the Leprechaun by Charles A. Wilkinson

This is my review, and BTW, I'm totally going to spoil the ending... You have been warned.

Liam the Leprechaun by Charles A. Wilkinson is a short book, only 46 pages, with pictures placed throughout. I accepted this book for review because it looked like a fun, cute story that I could sit down and read with my nephews (ages barely 3 and almost 5) who already love books. (Yay! Big smile). When I received the book, I was excited, but quickly realized my nephews probably wouldn't enjoy the story. There are full pages of text with only a few pictures placed in between (7 pictures total). I was a little disappointed it wasn't going to work to read with the boys, but excited to read it nonetheless because I'm not too old to admit that I still like a good picture book.

But, I didn't really like it. I feel bad saying that, because most of the story was fun. It's a little bit wordy and repetitive, but overall, that wasn't too much of a problem. I think the writing is on the level of those I-Can-Read-Books, designed for kids who are just beginning to read on their own. So, the writing wasn't a problem for me, but the story itself, was.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book. Liam was a sweet little guy, who desperately wanted to fit in with the rest of the leprechauns. But his problem? He's short... Even for a leprechaun and no one notices him. Watching Liam attempt to find his place within the leprechaun society was endearing and he finally decides to seek out the wise, almost mystical O'Hoolihan to figure out what he can do to make a place for himself.

He takes 'Hooley's' advice, and begins to see an improvement. He's given a job finding lost things that are too small for normal sized leprechauns to see. I thought this was a great solution to his problem and was excited for the resolution, where Liam is so happy to be himself, because no one can contribute what he can and all that great stuff. But, that didn't happen.

Liam helps the department he works for find the missing emerald of Mzzzzzz. GloccaMoora McShaughnessy, daughter of the local judge, and a dumpy, screaming harpy/feminist. I'm not making this up. In two pages, she's described as having a rusty voice, screaming eyes, a voice like a worse than a Banshee, a terror, beady eyes and more. And on and on and on. But wait! Liam finds her missing emerald. Moora's daddy, the judge decides to reward him for ending the horridness that is Moora displeased, and has Moora give him a gold coin. And then, MAGIC!

Liam magically grows 8 inches taller, and Moora drops 20 lbs, and with another coin- 8 more inches and 20 more lbs. Somehow, this also makes her less shrewish and she becomes all sugary sweetness, and she and Liam are able to live happily ever after (or so it implies). So what lesson can we take from this people? No matter how useful you are, who you are isn't good enough if you don't fit the 'norm' and women who believe that men trying to put them in their "place" because we are "only a lass" and try to develop a "sense of themselves" as women are going to be labeled 'banshee' link or something otherwise horribly degrading and will never be able to find a husband, so you'd better get nice fast. (quoted from pg. 27)

I'm sure I'm reading more into their 'transformation' than was meant, but seriously. What else are you supposed to think?! It annoyed me that a book meant to teach you about accepting yourself and trusting in your heart instead teaches that you can't truly be great until you have changed who you are.

There will be people who enjoy this book, who really like and appreciate it, I'm sure, but I'm not one of them. I'll look for my moralistic stories in Stephen Cosgrove's Serendipity books (a favorite from childhood).

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Review: The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner is the sequel to the Newbery-Honor winner, The Thief (read my review). I was impressed by the intricate writing Turner managed in The Thief, and was very eager to continue with this series. Although the writing in each book is very similar, this tone is different between the two. The Thief is rather lighthearted and fun. It has its depth and importance, but the overall tone is fairly light. The Queen of Attolia is... not so much. The mood and feel of this book is considerably darker and heavier.

But really, that's okay, because I loved this book just as much, if not a little more than The Thief. Turner's writing is as compelling in this book as it was while reading The Thief, although the focus is also a little different. Where, to me, The Thief is primarily about the characters, with Gen (Eugenides) being our obvious focus, The Queen of Attolia is more about the story and the intrigues rampant in court life. The Thief was a story, but the characters are the most important part. In Queen, the characters are still very important and are well developed and complete, but we already saw the beginnings of their development in Thief, and can now focus on the importance of their individual and connecting stories.

Before, Gen was our narrator in The Thief, and unless I'm remembering wrong, he tells the whole story. In Queen, we are given other narrators to help Eugenides tell this story. Although I do love Eugenides, he has become one of my most favorite fictional characters, my favorite narrator in this book was the Queen, Attolia herself. I loved the way her mind worked, and trying to guess ahead of time what plots and tricks she was working through. The face she presents to the world is ruthless and hard. She doesn't appear to be overly conniving, but as we listen in on her thoughts, it is clear that she has a very keen mind, one that is constantly assessing and reassessing the situation and all it's possible implications.

The plot to the story holds a very tight, intricate weave, one I was anxious to watch pull together. Each character has their own motivators, and their own interests to promote. At some point, each character believes that they hold the advantage and it's not until the end, when everything begins to wrap up and come together that we really are able to understand what has been going on this whole time anyway.

Once again, I must also point out Turner's fantastic world building. She set up the mythology and the guidelines for her world in The Thief and continued to build upon them here. I love spending time in this world that Turner has created because it is vividly real and the characters are written so much like real people that I wonder why we can't be friends.

Blog Hop!

It's been a while for me since I participated in the Hop, but I'm excited to be back this week. I love visiting new blogs and 'meeting' new blogging friends! There are two weekly hops, one hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books, and one by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View.


              If you are visiting from the hops, please- Leave me a comment with a link to your blog so I can stop by and say hi back! I'd love to hear from you, and I hope you like my blog!
This week, Parajunkee asked us how long we've been blogging- Almost 6 months (Dec. 2 is Basically Amazing's Half Birthday!) and Jen asked us what we are thankful for and what our holiday traditions are. 
I'm thankful for a lot of things right now, more than I could share in one blog post but a few of the major 'thankfuls' on my mind right now are My family, because they are pretty much great, Those really close friends that never get old, who no matter how long it's been since you've seen each other pick up as if you just talked yesterday, The holiday season because I think people are generally better this time of year, and (of course) Books! But more than books, I'm grateful for literacy and the ability to read. 
Thank you to everyone stopping by my blog today! Each of you are added to my list of 'thankfuls' because everyone loves hearing good things about them, and comments and new people are some of the greatest parts about blogging. 
Oh ya, and I do have a giveaway going on right now to win Lipstick in Afghanistan. Click the title to read my review, and be taken to the form that will enter you to win! :)
Happy Hopping all!

Review: Star Crossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Star Crossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce is a beautifully written book. I mean, really- the writing is beautiful. Bunce has this gift with words. She has this was of picking exactly the right word or phrase to make the passage come alive. Several other words would have sufficed, but what she picks out is perfect. (I have some of the same feelings when I read Jennifer Donnelly.)

Anyway... Digger is our main character and one of my new favorite heroines. She's a believable character with believable motivations, and she's rather atypical of the current YA novels. She can take care of herself, but not in a I'm so Bad-A way, more like- If I don't, I die way. She's more concerned with her own survival than the greater good, although she does have people that she cares for, and if she lets you into that place, she cares for you deeply. She finds herself in an unexpected situation, and she begins to realize that her life is no longer just about herself. There are bigger things out there that have touched her life and she cannot simply run from them, she must stay an accept what is to come. I loved watching Digger learn and grown but even more, I loved watching her learn about herself.

Bunce's world building is brilliant. She introduces the concepts and elements of what makes her world different slowly, allowing us to acclimate to what makes this world unique while feeling the whole time as if we belong there. I loved her idea of the 7 moons with their corresponding Gods and how each God/Moon has come to represent different things to the people.

Part of world building is crafting great characters, and as I already mentioned, I loved Digger, but I loved many of the other characters too. Meri was such a bright spot of the story. She's a bit naive, but that's understandable because she's been sheltered her whole life. She is full of life and love and just learning about what it means to be on your own and able to take control of your life. She's a pretty major character in the story, but every character in this story was well developed, even the very minor characters we only get to meet every once in a while. This is a series, so it's possible these characters will return later with greater importance, but at this point, to give so much depth and life to characters with such a small role to play was wonderful. We weren't overburdened with details and facts that show a desperate author trying to convince us they write great characters, but rather an author sharing with us the lives of the people she's created. This is a book full of great characterization.

As I mentioned, this is going to be a series, and I for one and very excited about that. This book is self contained, and has a satisfying resolution, but what Digger has stumbled across is much bigger than any one book and it is obvious that there is much more that will happen to Digger and those around her before her story in complete. I can't wait to see what's waiting for us in Liar's Moon.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

Review: Love, Inc. by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Love, Inc. by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout was such a fun read. I loved it! It was just exactly what I needed. A lot of cute and funny with just enough seriousness and depth tossed in that I didn't find myself bored or rolling my eyes.

Zahara was a great character. She is intelligent, motivated and loving, but she's got a lot to learn about life as well. I thought that the authors here gave us a great mixture of confidence and uncertainty. Zahara is in high school, which is always rough. But, add in that it's a brand new high school, which means she needs all new friends and her parents are going through a separation and it's easy to see why she's having a hard time, and why she's so happy to spend time with Rico, her new boyfriend.

I loved watching Zahara try to regain control of her world. She tends to utilize extreme thinking, swinging from one extremity to the other swiftly, which I thought was perfectly suited to her character. One of my favorite moments was when she decided she was going to take control of her parenting, demote her parents to a back seat role, and just not tell them. :)

When her parents force her into group therapy for kids whose families are going through a split, she's not expecting to gain anything from the 'experience'. But instead of spending a miserable hour with a bunch of weirdos once a week, Zahara discovers two of the best friends a girl could have- and who knew?! The three girls are, at first glance, completely opposite and ill suited for friendship. Zahara, Syd and Kali each have their own issues to work through, but when they realize that the same guy has been playing all three of them, they decide to work out at least one of their issues together, and all sorts of wonderful mayhem ensues. And can I just add that I love the idea of 'framily'? It just worked!

I'll admit that there were times when the plot was a little predictable. I saw several big events coming from a long way off, but I found myself completely okay with that. I never knew exactly how the events would develop and I was enjoying the characters so much I was completely okay with knowing a bit of what's coming up.

I think I've heard mention of a sequel to this in the works, and I have mixed feelings about it. I can see where the authors have room for a sequel, and I even think I know a few of the things that might happen. On the one hand, I definitely feel like this novel could easily stand alone, and a large part of me feels that it should be left to stand alone. I got a great sense of closure and ending from the story, and believe that things are going to work out well for these great people, but that actually needing to read about how they get there would ruin it for me.
The other part of me would love to read what else these girls get themselves into, and how they work out more of what's got them down. And really, it's not like they actually learned their lessons the first time around. :)
I'm sure I'll end up reading the sequel if what I've heard is true, and there really are plans for the second. I can only hope I like the sequel as much I enjoyed the first.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Guess what I got?!

I don't normally do any In My Mailbox type posts, because I don't usually get a lot of new books for me. I rarely buy new books right now, because I'm (like everyone else it seems) trying to save money, and I don't really have the space for them anyway. Most of the books I read right now are either the books I do own, books I get from the library, or (more recently) the books I receive through the ARC tour sites I follow. And, I figure if I get a tour book in the mail, I'll be reviewing it within a week or two anyway, so there's no real need for a post about it.

BUT, this past week, I got some of my giveaway prizes in the mail, and I'm so excited about them, I just had to share them!

So, back in September, I won a giveaway on the blog, The Mountains of Instead. She's a UK blogger, which is why they took so long to get here. I got The Enemy AND The Dead, both by Charlie Higson. And even better? The Dead doesn't come out over here until next year, so I get it early! :)

That same day I also received the book I won on Alexandra's blog- The Publication Follies of Alexandra Shostak. I received a personalized copy of Freefall by Mindi Scott, a book I have been wanting to read for a long time now. And, it came with signed bookmarks, which are always a plus! :)

And yesterday, I got the package I won on author Cindy C. Bennet's  Blog. She sent me a signed copy of her book Geek Girl, which I had never heard of before but am intrigued by, several bookmarks, a large bag of Halloween Candy (it was a Halloween giveaway) and an Amazon gift card. My birthday is in December, so I'm letting myself take this as a birthday in a box. :) Definitely a great package to open!

I was definitely excited by my mailbox this week, and only wish that every week were as exciting for me.

Review: The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante

The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante was a sweet story. Looking back over the notes I wrote while reading this book, and just after, 'sweet' is the word that kept popping up.

Dellie is struggling with grief and guilt after the death of her younger brother. He died in an accident that she blames herself for. It's been a year since his death and her family is struggling. Her mom won't let her leave the house, except to go to school and then she insists on having Dellie's dad walk with her, to keep her safe.

Dellie struggles with this, but accepts this and watches the activities outside from her bedroom window. One day, a little boy knocks on Dellie's door, asking for food. His mother is neglectful and more interested in her boyfriend and (we assume) doing drugs that giving the 5 year old the care he needs. Corey reminds Dellie of her brother, and she tries to take care of him.

I loved Corey. He was my favorite character in this whole story. He's just the cutest little boy, and my heart broke a little watching the way his mother treated him and observing the pain he goes through daily. He attaches himself to Dellie quickly, and although she is scared to have someone depend on her again for fear she'll let them down, she loves him too.

Dellie learns a lot from her interactions with Corey, and those lessons become cemented in her mind and life with the help of Miss Shirley, the Jamaican woman who just moved into their apartment complex.

Although I rather liked Miss Shirley, I didn't love her inclusion in the story. She just happened to be the solution to every problem the characters faced, and I found myself watching instance after instance of 'Shirley ex machina', and it got a little old. It got to the point that I just waited for the characters to bump into Miss Shirley, because I knew it just had to be coming.

I also wish the story had a little more depth to it. It's a really big deal to be 13 and believe that you are the reason your brother is dead, and in the beginning of the story, Dellie comments that sometimes she wonders if her parents blame her but, we never hear about it again. That is a very important conversation to have. I don't think Dellie can forgive herself, even if she comes to realize it wasn't her fault if she wonders whether or not her parents blame her. It wasn't addressed as well or as thoroughly as I would have liked/thought was necessary.

There was also surprisingly little depth to most of the characters. I felt like we only got to see one side of each character and that was all we were given. Even the moments we caught a glimpse of something more within the characters, the author moved past the scene without expounding on anything. I felt that the story was too rushed, too quick for the story it told. This is a story I felt deserved more. It could have been great, but too much was glossed over or left entirely unexplored.

I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this book to someone, but I also wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.