The Days of Broken Promises

“When the moment comes to stop running from your past, to turn around and face the thing you thought you could not face--the moment when your life teeters between giving up and getting up--when that moment comes, and it always comes, if you can't get up and you can't give up either, here's what you do: Crawl.”

This book has been on my read list for quite some time. I have a friend that recommended it because she said it was creepy, bad ass, and sometimes sweet. And boy did it deliver for me!

Now of course Dystopian Lit [especially YA] is my favorite genre to read. For some odd reason I want to read about monsters, demons, aliens, and chaos over butterflies, rainbows, and unicorns. I just enjoy a good monster story, even if that monster happens to be humans. Now don't get me wrong I love an epic love story thrown into the mix for good measure too. It can't all be death and destruction.

I think that Zombie [Ben Parish] was my favorite character of the book. Cassie and Evan I loved as well. But there is a point at the end of the novel where Cassie is reunited with him and she makes an observation that he is so different from the popular jock she knew in high school. The end of the world changes people, it makes them re-think their humanity. And for Ben I think he realizes that it isn't all about football games and cheerleaders. Yes we didn't get a huge backstory as to what he was like in high school, but I'm sure we can put two and two together and figure it out. I am eager to see how things play out between him and Ringer in the sequel as well.

I was so utterly shocked when I discovered what the 5th wave was. I think I sat there with the book in my hands not knowing what to say or think. To me it was brilliant. Train humans who are desperate to fight back at any cost to eliminate other humans. MIND BLOWN. It was heartbreaking too though, because you are forced to acknowledge that humans have been murdering off the rest of the human race for our new alien overlords. I think Yancey had a pretty nice idea when he thought that up.

I can't wait to read the sequel, I must know if Evan is alive. Which personally I think he is. I didn't feel like he and Cassie's story is over. While I did feel that their story escalated rather quickly, I think that it was easy for them to be attracted to each other. They were both so alone for the longest time it was I'm sure a relief to be around another person. She gave him humanity and it was hard to read when we chose to sacrifice himself and blow up the base to save the world. But like I said she gave him a piece of humanity, and he showed that he was capable of being more human than alien.

Also the plane was able to take off in the end with all of those kids on board, I have a huge feeling that this won't be the end of the waves. So while the base is destroyed I'm afraid it is going to give them time to regroup, I just hope our ragtag heroes can save the world.

P.S. This is being made into a movie that will come out in 2016!

The Stand Book Two: Rebuilding

I'm finally getting time to do my post over book two of The Stand.  I'm glad King broke this story into different books because the tone of book two is very different from the first.  Book one is all about the superflu, death, and mystery while book two is about Mother Abigail's group rebuilding society.

Harold's character was really intriguing to me because he's gone dark side but there are moments he doubts what he's doing.  He seemed to be on the fence on whether he was going to join the dark man until Nadine comes into the picture.  I wonder if Nadine had stayed away if Harold would've changed his mind about getting revenge.

While I should feel bad for Nadine but I don't.  Leo (aka Joe) said it best.  She waited til the last minute to go to Larry.  While she is afraid of the dark man, she doesn't seem to be fighting her destiny. She just wants to blame what's happening to her on someone else.

I was really sad when Nick died in the explosion but I understand why King killed him.  The men going forward to make the stand against the dark man have to prove themselves.  Nick was the one that believed in Mother Abigail the most.  The others doubt Mother Abigail's divine connection and need to go face the dark man.

I'm a few pages into book three. Part of me is excited to see what's next and another is scared to see who will survive.  I'm really attached to Larry and Stu.  I especially want Stu to return to Frannie and the baby.

Watching the World Fall

The most identifying trait of humanity is our ability to be inhumane to one another.

DEAN KOONTZ

I am officially about halfway through the book and like Allyssa am not going to be finished anytime soon. Although, I definitely will complete this book within the next couple months. I am totally fascinated and terrified by the world King created and will continue hoping that there is a silver lining, no matter how small, waiting for me on the last page. I have never read any of King's books, which is surprising since I grew up in a household with tons of his books on the shelf. My mom was an avid reader and always tried to get me to read them but I was too engrossed in fantasy at that point in time.

I am glad Katie chose this book, because I now know I was missing out.I really enjoy King's writing style. It is descriptive without being redundant or overpowering. He simply states what the reader needs to know and nothing more. Every word is there for a specific purpose and it's a nice break from some of the more flowery, embellished writing you find today. The Stand is such an emotionally drenched story for me. I am not having are hard time getting through because of the writing but because I am having a hard time "reading" the world fall apart. I read tons of dystopian novels but normally your introduced to the world after the cataclysmic event. In The Stand you experience everything--the beginning, middle and end. It's fascinating and totally disturbing how humanity has this ability in implode during times of struggle or in this case disease.  

Another thing I like, is despite the amount of characters we are introduced to, I don't feel overwhelmed about information. And even through only parts of their lives are shown to me, I have been able to create an emotional attachment. Which is something I normally not able to do with so many characters. I usually only like one or two and start to get bored if I am reading from a less liked character's point of view. This is something I have most recently experienced while reading The Game of Thrones series. If it's not Jon, Sansa, Bran, Daenerys or Tryion, I just don't care!  

After I finish, I will do a small post with my final thoughts. And I just wanted you guys to know I did finish the last two books that we read. I am not going to do posts, but I rated them on Goodreads.

The Stand

I'm doing my post now because I won't finish The Stand before the end of the month unless I binge read. Unfortunately, I have to work so that'll interfere with any binge reading I try to do.

It's not likely I'm going to finish this book any time soon. I still haven't gotten out of Part 1 in the book. Overall, I'm not a huge dystopia fan, though Hunger Games did take me by surprise in my enjoyment of it. King's writing doesn't really pose a problem for me. He writes really well and I can hear the characters in the way he's describing them. Subject matter for me is what made it hard to read. I've heard the plot picks up once Part 1 ends but right now, I have a hard time bringing myself to read it.

I'm going to keep trying to read it. I've been curious about reading Stephen King's work, as I've heard he's a great author. Perhaps The Stand wasn't the one for me to start with, but I will finish it at some point. It may be in small parts, or maybe once I finally get myself out of Part 1 I'll find myself hooked into the rest of it.

You've definitely made an interesting choice here, Katie. One I'm determined to finish at some point, but slowly. :-)

The Stand Book One - An Intro to the Characters

I know some of you said you're having trouble getting into The Stand.  I did too until I got to Frannie and where she has to tell her mom she's pregnant.  The whole part that describes how Frannie equates her father and mother to different rooms of the house I was able to relate too.  It reminded me of my granny specifically and how the den in her house was where the family got together.  With this scene, I felt so bad for Frannie and her mother's mindset.  She is more concerned about material things (especially relating to the parlor) and her reputation in the town.  It also saddened me that Frannie and her mother's relationship never got to be mended because of the superflu.  I took from this was the message that life is too short and anything can happen to me, Nathan or the girls.  I need to be the best parent I can be every day and love my girls no matter what.

I love that Stephen King includes a variety of characters that range from the good-hearted to pure evil.  I especially love his description of Randall Flagg:

It was the face of a hatefully happy man, a face that radiated a horrible handsome warmth, a face to make waterglasses shatter in the hands of tired truck-stop waitresses, to make small children crash their trikes into board fences and then run wailing to their mommies with stake-shaped splinters sticking out of their knees.

Flagg is the evil man that keeps haunting many of the other characters even though they've never met him.  I'm interested to see how he interacts with some of the "good" characters like Stu and Frannie.
I'm also wondering if Flagg will also recruit Trashcan Man to his group.

Another favorite part of the book for me was when Stu was in the Atlanta facility and he faked coughing to scare Deitz.  I like Stu a lot because he is brave.  He admits he is scared but he does what he has to to get the answers he needs and eventually escape.

I am wondering what the connection is to the survivors of the superflu and how we are going to find out.  It seems like all those in the medical profession are dead and the government couldn't figure out how Stu was immune to the superflu (I also can't believe they injected him with it straight up. Scary, scary.).  It definitely doesn't seem to be something genetic that runs in the family since all the characters we've seen so far have lost all their family.  I realize Book One may seem like a downer but I have to say I loved it. I got wrapped up in the characters and I can't wait to see the interactions that are going to happen as they begin to find each other.

Let's not exchange numbers

I did not finish reading this book.  I read three chapters.  I couldn't relate to Poppy at all.  I found her flaky and materialistic.  While her narration was kind of humorous, I just simply didn't like her.  She doesn't trust her fiance enough to tell him about the ring.  I'm not saying she shouldn't try to find the ring but its better to deliver bad news sooner rather than later.  Then there's her stealing the phone.  Really?  If she would just come clean, she could have given the hotel Magnus's number and the whole stealing thing wouldn't need to happen.  Maybe I find the whole situation ridiculous because I've already done the engagement/wedding phase of life, but when it comes down to it, its just a ring.  If you're afraid your relationship is going to be over because you lost the family ring, then you didn't have a good foundation in your relationship to begin with.

I think part of the probably is that I'm not that into the romantic comedy genre.  I haven't read a book of this genre before and I know I'm not big into romantic comedy movies.  I don't dislike all romantic comedies but the ones I like I can relate to the characters and there's an interesting story line.  I felt like I've Got Your Number lacked both of these things for me.

Text Message Relationships

Ok, so, we all know it was unlikely to take me long to read a book by Sophie Kinsella. She's the author I go to for feel good reads. Kinsella always finds a way to make me laugh. One of my favorites by her is Remember Me?, which is entertaining and everyone should read!

One of the things I really enjoy about I've Got Your Number is how easily I can relate to Poppy. Not in the sense that I am having a romance blossom from stealing a phone, but because when she's with Magnus and his family she feels inferior. I've got friends and acquaintances who make me feel the same. I rooted for Poppy when she finally had the nerve to stand up to Wanda. The ultimate fall out was a bit expected after watching things with Sam play out.

The relationship between Poppy and Sam was fun. I laughed when Poppy went through and acted as Sam through his email, knowing in fiction she could get away with it while real life, not so much. Poppy's intentions were from a great place, but still made some situations awkward for Sam. It was fun seeing Sam's reactions when she finally had to own up to what she'd done.

I think I enjoyed most the conversations Poppy had with Sam when they were not passing messages back and forth for Sam's job. She could be real with Sam in a way she didn't feel real with Magnus. Sam was able to relate to her in ways he had a hard time admitting to. Plus, Sam was a bit adorable when he admitted he started life as an analyst.

All in all, I enjoyed I've Got Your Number.

Count to three. Relax your mind. Now survive.

To be honest I judged the shit out of this book based on the cover and title alone. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to read it, and then I read the synopsis and wanted to read it even more. Lindsey Cummings is a new author and before this was published she wrote The Fear Trials a prequel Novella to The Murder Complex. It focuses on a series of trials that her father puts her through in order for her to leave the boat without being accompanied. She is pitted against her brother who is supposed to be more ruthless than her. But when he leaves go in for his test he fails to kill another person when it matters. Meadow ends up besting her brother and winning her father's prized dagger. It was a great intro to the book and it gave a lot of interesting back story.

Now as for the book I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of it. I am a lover of YA dystopian futures, and my dream has always been to publish my own. So of course this book was perfect for me. It was interesting concept on the post-apocolyptic world set in the Florida Everglades. I did have issues relating to Meadow as a main character. And I am with Allyssa and Katie, I didn't relate to her at all. She was so emotionless and hardened that I couldn't find any qualities of herself in me. I could have understood if she was secretly trying to rebel against her father or mother, or if she felt some sort of guilt for having to do these things but she didn't. And that could have simply been because of the world she lives in, it is obviously a kill or be killed world, but everyone else seemed to have emotions.

Zephyr was an interesting character, and I think he was my favorite. But their love story left a lot to be desired. He says that he was dreaming of her but was that because of the Murder Complex? Or did he really have a connection to her? Also I felt like their love story was rushed in the last few chapters of the book, one minute Meadow hated him and wanted to kill him as soon as she could. And the next she was worried she would lose him and was possibly in love with him. It seems weird to me, but maybe that's how dystopian love works.

Allyssa touched on this in her post about Koi, he is this bad-ass who is so emotionless and wants to do anything he can to show their father that he is the best. But when faced when the perfect opportunity he chokes. Is that because it was all a front? Was he not that hardened killer he acted like? I would have like to know more about why he couldn't kill when it came to it.

I would pick up a sequel if there is one for this book, it wasn't so horrible that I didn't want to continue with it. It did have its flaws but it was an interesting and fast paced read for me. It definitely has inspired me to continue with my own dystopian tale, which is what literature is supposed to do. Inspire.

A Complex of "Emotions"

So of course after I tell Katie I'm having a hard time getting into The Murder Complex, the pace of the book finally picks up! I ended up flying through the rest of it to find out more.Also, I have spoilers so if you haven't finished the book, don't read them.

I found Meadow hard to connect with. In fact, I just didn't. Zephyr was a bit better, but at least his emotional struggle felt a bit more real to me. I ended up comparing Meadow to Katniss from Hunger Games. Katniss was almost as emotionless given her life as well, but the thing I really enjoyed with her was that we saw her struggle with emotions she didn't normally deal with. Meadow was so cold that when she started having emotions that were foreign to her it felt like she was like, "ok" and just moved on. It was hard to believe a lot of her emotions regarding Zephyr. I could totally believe her desperation to save her family, and shame that she was responsible for their "demise" when Zephyr called her out on everything after Meadow blew up the boat. The love story between Meadow and Zephyr was more difficult to accept.

Now, like Katie, I was unsurprised by the fact that Lark was alive. I had a few doubts the more we found out about the "Murder Complex" but by the time she was found, I was leaning towards her being the Commander and using someone else for the face. I wasn't necessarily expecting the mad scientist attitude she displayed. I almost pictured Albert Einstein style hair for her with the way she talked (not that he was a mad scientist, but his hair was definitely wild, lol). Lark's attitude was definitely eye opening for Meadow. At first I was surprised how easily Meadow shut down her emotions regarding Lark, but when she said her mother is already dead, I could get it. Her memories of Lark were different from the woman presented to her.

I'm curious about Lark's sister. I'd like to know more about her, and how Lark was able to hide who she really was from her children. It's up in the air if I'll pick up the 2nd book if there is one. I'm guessing there is because Goodreads has The Murder Complex listed as book 1. I might give it a shot to see if a) Meadow survives the fight at the end of the book b) to see if Meadow grows and it's believable and c) have other questions answered.

Welcome to the Murder Complex

I found the concept of The Murder Complex very original.  I really liked Zephyr's character and that he is able to fight the Murder Complex.  While I like Meadow, I find it hard to relate to her and how easily she can murder others.  Also, her home life sucked and her dad wasn't definitely not an ideal father.  Every time they have a conversation it ends with him attacking her so that she will be strong. I wasn't very fond of her brother either.  I could only relate to Meadow's relationship with her sister because it was the most normal relationship in the whole novel.

My complaint with the book was the pacing especially in the first half of the book.  The chapters were very short with a lot of cliff hangers.  I believe the author was trying to keep a fast pace but there were times I wish some of the chapters were expanded or combined. I think that may have helped me connect with the characters more.

I was really drawn into the last half of the book where more answers about the Murder Complex were revealed.  I wasn't surprised that Meadow's mom was alive especially after learning she found the cure for the plague. I couldn't see The Initiative letting her die.  I would be interested in reading the rest of the series to see if Meadow finds another way to shut down the Murder Complex rather than end her life and I'm sure the author has more to reveal about The Initiative and the Murder Complex.  

Off to Neverland!

I'll be honest, I didn't really like Peter Pan. It may be because of watching Disney's Peter Pan (though I haven't seen it in forever), Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Hook.  Peter Pan is not the hero I remember.  He is forgetful of those around him and he is selfish at the core.  Of course, he has a ton of mommy issues.

I also had issues with Wendy and her role as the mother.  The problem is Wendy is not a mother!  She is just a little girl pretending to be a mother.  She thinks its okay for Peter and the Lost Boys to kill pirates.  The biggest issue I had was at the end when the boys are battling the pirates, she just cowers in the background.  A real mom would be out there fighting to keep her boys safe.  Wendy is just put into this fragile, submissive role that is not representative of a mother at all.

I am glad I read Peter Pan so I know the real story behind all the movies its based on. It was darker than I anticipated and I was disappointed in Peter.  The one thing I did like was the ending and that Wendy and her descendants will always be able to go to Neverland.  On Friday, we're going to a family movie event and we will be watching Disney's Peter Pan. So I am excited to compare the book and the movie.

The boy who won't grow up

“Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning. ”

While rereading this classic there were two things I noticed: 

1. If I didn't reference the footnotes, I was lost.

2. This is so not a children's story.

OMG! The footnotes are extensive. It's times like this that I am glad I own a Nook. One click and I can easily view the footnote so I am not totally lost in the story. I am assuming that a children reading this book when it came out would maybe have a better understanding of the references and language used. But children growing up today ... no way. It would take too much effort. Luckily, thanks to The Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I didn't have to look everything up. Three cheers for Hollywood!

Thanks to happy go lucky renditions of this story, I never realized how dark it really is. Everyone is killing someone or some group throughout the story. That's right, children are killing people. As soon as these kids go to Neverland morality goes right out the window. At one point the narrator states that Wendy never knew to believe Peter's stories of fights until she went outside the tree house and saw whether there was a body. Because apparently, Peter brought his conquests home and left them on the porch--like a cat offering a gift. Can you image getting up in the morning and doing a daily outside body check? Considering she was supposed to be the mother figure, I would think she would have some reproach. But to Wendy it appears the boys actions were natural and expected--and worthy of motherly praise.

Speaking of mothers, that is probably the best part of the book. The emphasis of needing a mother figure and how deep and unwavering a mother's love is. I love how Mrs. Darling keeps the window to the nursery open after the children left. She had no idea whether they would return or not. But she had hope and kept everything together when her husband fell apart. I admire that strength and devotion.

I might look in to the other Peter Pan stories. If only to see if his laissez-faire attitude changes and his memory improves. I personally would not enjoy spending time with an individual that forgets me every time I am out of the room. But that must be a side effect of not growing up. Who has time to form relationships and bonds when there are pirates to battle and mermaids to play with? Imagination is a beautiful thing and no child should ever have to give it up. But growing up doesn't mean you stop visiting Neverland. You just make sure the bills are paid before taking the trip.

Victoria Holt Does it Again

I have to admit when Allyssa first introduced me to Victoria Holt I was not very impressed. It took me almost six months to get through The Captive. Okay, I took a three month break halfway through. But you get the point, it didn't hold my interest. However, the twist at the ending totally rocked my socks. The cliche, overdone, love triangle had a surprise ending so I decided I would give Holt another chance--and am glad I did.

One of my favorite things about Holt's books is I hardly ever guess the ending correctly. She always surprises me. And The Shivering Sands did not disappoint in that area. 

Alice was the murderer = Mind Blown!

Holt is so good at misdirection and suspense and despite the number of books she has penned, I have yet to come across cookie-cutter characters. One of the things that really intrigued me about this book was Caroline's back story. She is shrouded in this haunted past and just can't seem to break away from Pierto. His presence is so strong, that even after death, he still controls her. That feeling is so true. There are people that so consume our lives, we stop living for ourselves. That aspect really helped me feel a connection to Caroline.

Okay, was I the only one that equated Caroline and Napier's relationship to Elizabeth and Darcy? I couldn't help it. The way they interacted just keep me coming back to Pride and Prejudice. The dialogue, quips, tense romantic situations, I enjoyed them all and was very happy that Napier and Caroline ended up together. Because, honestly, they had the most in common and both of them understood how it felt to have another life overshadow their own. 

Now, my favorite part of the book was the murder weapon. As soon as we were told about the shivering sands a light bulb of awesome went off in my head! What a brilliantly evil and sadistically slow way to kill people. I loved it. Thanks for not disappointing, Holt!

So, if you guys enjoyed this foray into the world of Victoria Holt, I would like to recommend some more of her books.

The Road to Paradise Island - My Favorite book by her so far and I would also include it in my top 15 favorite books ever (yes, I loved it that much). We are talking murder, secret diaries, treasure maps, past and present colliding--it has it all!

The Mistress of Mellyn - Allyssa mentioned this in her post, and believe me, it deserves a second mention. Talk about an ending with a twist!

The India Fan - This book spans at least two decades in the life of Druscilla Delaney and I desperately want someone to do a mini-series.

The Shivering Sands

This book hooked me right off the bat.  At the beginning Caroline starts off with mentioning that her sister is missing and then proceeds to tell her back story. So I was immediately hooked but I also enjoyed Caroline's history.  I thought Holt did a great job with the Caroline's narrative in that it flowed easily and kept my attention. There was a part in the middle of the book where I thought the story was slowing down and then Holt hit me with the surprise when Edith also disappeared.

I thought Caroline was a well rounded character and I loved that she was determined to find her sister.  While it seems that her and Roma are not close, in times of need they are there for each other.  When Caroline's husband dies, Roma invites her sister to her dig.  Then when Roma disappears and Caroline puts herself in danger to find the truth.

I also enjoyed Caroline's relationship with Napier.  He is portrayed as the "bad guy" by all the other characters in the book but with Caroline we get to slowly see the true Napier. I am also glad she choose Napier over Godfrey.  While Godfrey wasn't a bad guy, her and Napier had passion and a connection she didn't have with Godfrey.

I did not foresee that Alice was the murderer.  I honestly didn't think of any of the girls as suspects because I felt the adult characters had more motive.  I really should have known better. I've seen enough episodes of Criminal Minds to know children are capable of murder.  It also showed that no matter the upbringing, Alice became like her father.

This was the first novel I've read by Victoria Holt and I look forward to reading more by her. Thanks for introducing me to a wonderful author Amanda!

Shivering Sands of Shivering Revelations!

               Victoria Holt has always been my go-to author for gothic romance.  I found her early in high school when I was visiting my family in WA. We’d flown up for the summer and I was going through my grandmother’s books trying to find something to read. I found a Reader’s Digest on her shelves with 6 gothic romances inside. I read them all and enjoyed them, but the one that caught me and held me was Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt. During the vacation, my cousin and I scoured used book stores trying to find a copy of it. Which we did thankfully, in a mom and pop store that is no longer there. This moment began my love affair with her novels.

            Now, they’re all packed tightly in a box right now so I haven’t really had a chance to read any of them in some time. Then one night I got a text from Amanda asking if I’d read Pride of the Peacock or Shivering Sands. My response was “probably. I’d have to get the box out and look!”  So when Amanda said we were going to read The Shivering Sands for May, I grew very excited at reconnecting with one of my favorite authors.  It felt like hugging an old friend to me.

            One thing I’ve always loved about Holt is when she deals with murder, you guess until the reveal. I was going through various characters trying to figure out who it was, but failed until the last moment. Heck, I was even considering it to be the new vicar, lol, for a while but it didn’t make sense. Perhaps it was partly (or largely since y’all know me) because I didn’t want Caroline having any attraction to him. I was all for Napier, even though it took a long time to warm up to him. All the characters kept me interested. I was fascinated by Pietro’s hold over Caroline so well after death. The impression I got from her was that he wasn’t the nicest guy. Napier wasn’t either, but he didn’t seem to taunt her the way Pietro’s memories did. The mystery behind Roma, then a later character (who I suspected was gonna get it) definitely amped up the tension, as well as Sybil’s actions.

            Various revelations made for some great surprises as the climax came and went. I had at least one moment of “Hoooollllyyy crap!” lol. The biggest revelation for me was the whodunit. Didn’t expect it, but knowing Holt, I probably should have! I really enjoyed getting back to some of my reading roots. I’m gonna have to go out and look at the rest of the books I have. It could be a lot of fun to go back and re-immerse myself in the world of Victoria Holt.

            On that note, YAY! For Victoria Holt. Enjoyed May’s book! :-D

The seemingly Impossible lives of Bees

"The people called her Our Lady of Chains. They called her that not because she wore chains [...] They called her Our Lady of Chains because she broke them."

August, The Secret Lives of Bees

Two thumbs up for girl power novels. I really enjoyed this story and could not put it down. I felt a strong kinship with all of the characters and was really pulled in to each of there stories. Kidd did a wonderful job of getting into the mind of a young teenager. I think so many writers portray teenagers incorrectly today--they make them too mature and levelheaded. I am not saying it is not possible, I am just saying that time of life there is so much going on internally and Kidd really brought that forward with Lily. 

I think people forget that kids and young teens absorb so much of what happens around and to them. We have so much emotional and mental baggage that piles on us as we are growing up that deeply effects our perception of the world and the way we think and perceive ourself. Kidd really brought that to light by letting us in to Lily's head.

I really enjoyed the faith aspect of the story. I personally believe it is so important to ground yourself in something you believe in. It does not even necessarily have to be a religion, just something you know deep down is true for you no matter what others or the world thinks. That is what makes Kidd's characters so strong and realistic for me. They had there pasts, faults and troubles but they really stood firm in there faith. And believe me, when everything is falling apart around you, grasping and holding on to that little, faint light of faith inside of yourself makes all the difference. It makes you a Lily or August instead of a May. 

It is so easy to let the world weigh you down and drown you. When May was discovered, I could not help but think about Hamlet's Ophelia. The stories may be 400 years apart, but those two women are kindred souls.  

Now, my favorite aspect of the book was the bees. I have had a secret obsession with bees since my junior year in high school. It has less to do with actual bees and more to do with their ability to fly. 

"According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. It's wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don't care what humans think is impossible."

The Bee Movie

(I couldn't resist throwing that quote in there)

So, I figure if the bees don't care then neither should you or I or anyone else. Because that is what breaking your chains is all about. Deciding to fly when the world says it's impossible.

Final Thoughts.

I enjoyed reading this book, but I don’t think for me it is going to be one of those absolutely life changing holy crap novels. But I did learn two things from this book:

I learned that life and the people in it are precious. And just like bees we’re protective of those we love.

I did find myself comparing this book to The Help quite often while I read, and I think that is because they shared similar themes. The whole book was a quest for independence, I think. To find confidence and drive within, without always needing that crutch of others' acceptance. The book almost achieved that. But it gave in at the last, to deliver a happy ending.

I did think much of the book was cliche. But it was also a good read. The strength of Lily saved the story for me, and it had some absolutely gut-twisting parts.

I think that it was an honest, true voice of a fourteen year old, you could feel the wonder and angst without it being irritating. I loved how she grew and learned; gained courage and wisdom; without the morals of the story beating you over the head. I absolutely loved August and Rosaleen. To be honest, I loved them all. I was even rooting for Zach and Lily to hook up.

The Secret Life of Bees Final Post

I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees. I liked the first person perspective of Lily and really connected with the struggles she was going through. I felt really bad for her having to live with T. Ray but also amazed that she was still so kind and loving.  I also admired how brave she was busting Rosaleen out of jail and traveling to Tibourn hoping to get some answers about her mother. I think Sue Monk Kidd did a good job of capturing a teenager's voice.  

I also thought Kidd did a great job of creating some well rounded characters. I loved May and was sad when she killed herself. I think Kidd foreshadowed this with April's story but I was hoping nothing would happen to her because she has this innocence about her.  It made me think of Beth's death in Little Women.

I loved the relationship between Lily and Zach.  Race wasn't a barrier for either of them and they loved each other for who they were. I really hope they did stay together and that Zach did become a kick butt lawyer.

I was really happy with the ending of the book and that Lily got to stay with August. I think its obvious that T. Ray is not father material, but I did like the last scene with Lily and T. Ray because it explained why T. Ray is terrible to Lily.

Bees, Bees and more Bees!

I'm not really completely sure how I feel about Secret Life of Bees. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really love it either. After seeing the movie years ago, I've thought about the book regularly, and I'm glad I was able to finally read it.  From what I remember of the movie, I don't think it deviated from the book terribly much. Obviously Lily's physical appearance changed, since she and her mother had black hair, but that's Hollywood for you.

I loved that Lily ended up having so many women care for her and become her mothers. It was great that she was able to get away from T-Ray once and for all. August is a woman full of wisdom that I would love to know. Everything she was able to tell Lily about her mother was a great way for Lily to know her mother. Finding out that her mother had indeed left her, even though it was a severe case of depression from the way August described, was pretty hard for Lily. It sucks to have to deal with that knowledge, and the knowledge that T-Ray could indeed be right in that Lily was the one who killed her mother, even if it was an accident.

 The moment May died was pretty sad. I felt bad for all of them losing someone they loved so much. Rosaleen seemed to have found a friend who she could lean on. Lily had someone who told her, with actions, things about her mother. I do wish June might have been able to tell Lily some about her mother, but the way August explained things, June was unlikely to say anything nice about Deborah.

Overall, the incorporation of Lady Mary and the Beekeeping made me feel like Lily was on a spiritual journey. Whenever Lily was out helping with the bees, I got the impression of something therapeutic going on. It was amazing how much honey was incorporated into their lives, even when it came to Lady Mary. I found the most poignant moment was August telling Lily, "Not to love- to persist in love." That was evident with the way August treated everything. She was a strong woman, but she loved deeply.

 August really good at letting Lily come to her instead of forcing her to talk when she wasn't ready. Lily's growth into just seeing everyone and not by color was definitely a moment I liked. I have to admit, I really liked Zach and Lily's relationship, especially when he said one day he was going to come back then they'd be together. That had me rooting for them. There's a lot to overcome for them that way.

So, I'm still not sure about how I feel towards the book. I do want to re-watch movie to see how close to the book it is.

Of Princesses and Pirates

My favorite quote from the book, "Because the Prince is a fiend. And Rugen is his twin in misery. And this is their masterpeice."

I've been eye-balling the book since I bought the really pretty hard cover edition from work, lol. I have to say I enjoyed Goldstein's style quite a bit. He threw me off a bit with his fictional life, so well that I had to look him up, haha.

I enjoyed the book, partly from years of watching the movie, so I had all the actors in my head with their voices. I didn't realize that the book was quite a bit darker than the movie. Humperdink is a bigger jerk in the book than he was in the movie. His Zoo of Death creeps me out and, like Katie, I'm glad it wasn't in the movie. I really liked learning more about Fezzik and Inigo's backgrounds. I just wanted to hug Fezzik a lot!

Now, I particularly enjoyed the author's interruptions in the story for this simple reason: the weekend we went to visit Katie in Houston to celebrate our birthdays, we sat at the outdoor theater with Dracula, and Katie took the book and skimmed the part we were at going, "Blah, blah, blah...okay, here's what you need to know." :-) The first time Goldstein did that with the packing and such from Humperdink's stepmother I thought of that, and afterward, every time I read it I thought of that night (and also our cold, wet bottoms since the blanket soaked through on us!).

Goldstein has said he wants to finish writing Buttercup's Baby, so I'm hoping he'll come through and finish it some day. But if not, I've got the imagination to decide what happens at the end of Princess Bride.

The Princess Bride

Things I loved from the movie, found their way into the book! And here are a few for you:

Fencing.

Fighting.

Torture.

Poison.

True Love.

Hate.

Revenge.

Giants.

Hunters.

Good men.

Bad men.

Beautifulest ladies.

Snakes.

Spiders.

Beasts of all natures and descriptions.

Pain.

Death.

Brave men.

Coward men.

Strongest men.

Chases.

Escapes.

Lies.

Truths.

Passion.

Miracles.

I am one of those people who LOVED the movie, and I can honestly say that I never knew it was based on a book. Shocking I know. I always wanted to read it, but I have a hard time reading the book after watching the movie. I either love the movie and hate the book, or love the book and hate the movie. This is one of those rare occasions where I loved both equally.

I love that I got back stories to some of my favorite characters, and it just gives the movie versions more depth. I tried very hard not to but I was hearing the voices from the movie while I was reading this. And it made me laugh a few times.

The best part is that I feel like by reading the book I have questions answered from the movie! I wanted to know how Inigo became the best fencer in the world, and now I do! At first I didn't really like the little author side notes, but as the novel went on I did enjoy them. It kind of gave an insight into the mind of the author, which is always a plus.

I am so glad that Allyssa chose this book, because I have seriously always wanted to read it, I just never got around to it!

Believing the Inconceivable

"Then let's look on the bright side: we're having an adventure, Fezzik, and most people live and die without being as lucky as we are."

Inigo Montoya 

It was so great to visit the world of The Princess Bride again. I have read this book several times and am never disappointed. I mean, it has everything you can possibly want: action, adventure, humor, romance, miracles and a six fingered man. What's not to love?!

Not only that, I like that it is a frame story: stories within stories. There is The Princess Bride, Goldman's memory of being read this when he was sick and S. Morgenstern's story of "writing" the novel that Goldman tells as he "abridges." Of course, I am biased and a major sucker for frame stories being that my favorite novel is Frankenstein and I have a fascination with how Moulin Rouge was filmed.

All that aside, the way Goldman presents the story is genius, considering he is fake abridging his own original work. And for some reasons the words of a self proclaimed, Sicilian genius come to mind: "Inconceivable!" Okay, now that that is out of the way, I have to admit I am not Buttercup's biggest fan. In fact, for the most part I don't like her at all. She is selfish, naive and I don't ever think she ever grasps how much Westley loves her. I mean, the man left to find his fortune, endured pirates, bested a Spaniard, a Sicilian, a giant, braved the Fire Swamp, and, oh yeah, he freaking died. Now that is love. Buttercup, on the other hand, becomes a princess. And gets kidnapped.

But honestly, the characters that make the book for me are Fezzik and Inigo. I just find them to be two of the most well rounded, brave, quirky characters that have ever been thought up. Even though there stories are laced with humor, they both had a rough childhood and overcame great odds and managed to form a wonderful friendship along the way. Sometimes I enjoy true friendship stories better than love stories. Fezzik and Inigo accept each other 110% for who they are, faults and all. Besides, who doesn't want a friend that will rhyme with you.

The Princess Bride: A Tale of Two Stories

First of all, great choice of book Allyssa. I've never read The Princess Bride before but I love the movie so I was excited to read this this month. I love that this book is two stories in one: the love story of Westley and Buttercup and William Goldman's experience with the story.  While Westley and Buttercup's story could stand on it own, I did enjoy Goldman's aspect of bonding over the book with his father and later his journey in abridging the tale. There were a couple of times I didn't like Goldman's narrative mainly when he's talking about how he omitted a section because it was lengthy and satirical. My favorite parts were about Goldman's childhood because I think he does a good job relating to the reader over the emotions felt during Westley and Buttercups journey to a happy ending.

It was also great getting the backgrounds of Inigo and Fezzik. It just made me fall in love with these characters even more.  On the other hand, this book made me dislike Prince Humperdinck even more. The Zoo of Death made him an even darker character than I remembered from the movie. I'm glad the Zoo of Death didn't make the movie because I would love for my daughters to watch this movie sooner rather than later.  But for the book I think it worked in showing Humperdinck's nature and that he would have no problem killing Buttercup (or anything for that matter).

Clockwork Disappointment

So this isn’t going to be an in depth review of this book. I’m just going to let you guys know how I felt about it. And it wasn’t a particularly good feeling.

When I chose this book I was very interested. It had Egyptology. Possible Steampunk. And it followed descendants of Stoker and Holmes. Sounds pretty amazing and a lot of fun! Well I was disappointed. I couldn’t seem to get a grasp of the novel. I just didn’t like the writing style, and the dialogue seemed to be all over the place. I found myself confused by conversations and lost beyond all belief.

I also felt the storyline was lackluster. I just didn’t intrigue me like the book summary did. And I felt that the time travel was out of place and not something that should have been in there.

I got annoyed that Stoker was always distracted by Pix, I usually am all for tall, dark, and brooding but it just didn’t work for me here. And it just didn’t make the story any better for me.

So I guess the lesson of the story is, don’t judge a book by its cover. I thought this book looked awesome simply because of the cover art, and I ended up not like it all. Which is rare. Most of the time that works out well for me.

Good Concept, Meh Results

Like Katie, I looked forward to the story featuring a meeting of Mina Holmes and Evelyn Stoker. Initially I thought it would be a fun read. The overview certainly makes it sound fun, that's for sure.

Overall, I was disappointed with the book. Mina and Evelyn just seemed to have a constant desire to talk down to one another. Their condenscending attitudes just drove me up the wall and I really wanted to shake them.

Like Katie, I felt Time Traveling Dylan was just not right for the book. It seems like it overcomplicated things. Plus, we are left with a dude who just ends up stuck in Past London. I'm guessing whenever, if ever, he does go back to his time, it won't be the same as when he left it.

 The author spent a lot of time, and pages, going into each of the girls strengths. When Evelyn arm wrestled Pix, I got bored and skipped to the end of it b/c I felt the author was taking too long to show us how strong Evelyn is. Personally, I think it should have been done at the beginning of the book  the way Mina's was. By the time it happened in the story we already know Evelyn is supposed to be Buffy-like. And perhaps that was also my problem with Evelyn. Using the chosen one attitue I feel like Gleason was watching Buffy when she worked on this.

Overall, I doubt I'll read another book in this series.

Final Post on The Clockwork Scarab

So while I love the concept of mixing two characters from other literary works, I was disappointed in this book. I felt that at times the main characters acted unrealistically.  For instance, after Mina and Pix escape the fire at Witcherell, Mina doesn't even think about Evaline. Evaline has been stabbed and Mina doesn't even think to get her medical attention. I know they are not close friends and Mina is not emotional but I think any decent person would have at least seen that Evaline was okay.

I also thought the time travel aspect was out of place. It seems Dylan has been transported back to an alternate past where electricity is outlawed.  I've seen the alternate past/timeline in other TV shows/movies but given the story revolves around Holmes/Stoker I feel the time travel aspect is a little weird. Maybe if I knew what the author was planning for the overall series it would make more sense to me. 

I was also disappointed with the overall mystery and that we don't know who the Ankh is. I'm guessing that Ankh is not dead and will show up again.

I would have really liked to see this story played out with Mina and Evaline a little bit older, maybe in their twenties. I found the story juvenile at times mainly when the girls interact with male characters. It seems every time they meet a guy they would get all flustered and their hearts would skip a beat. I just found it redundant that every guy they met was attractive and how they both reacted the same when interacting with a guy. 

While I like the concept of having characters related to other literary works, this story fell flat to me and I wish there had been more character development. This is the first YA novel by the author. I wonder if I would enjoy her adult novels more.

First Impression

I'm not going to lie here, I kind of wish I had chosen my other book choice. 

I don't know if it is the authors style or if they are trying to fit too much information into a small time frame. But I have had a little trouble getting into the story and getting a feel for what is going on. 

I do have to agree with Allyssa though, when Holmes talks I see it exactly the way it plays out in the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downy Jr. It's very methodical and technical it's kind of cool. 

Hopefully it will pick up a bit and I will find myself enjoying the story more. 

First Impressions of The Clockwork Scarab

Like Allyssa, I'm not sure how I feel about The Clockwork Scarab.  The pacing of the novel so far is very fast and a majority of the narration has been from Mina Holmes. Also Mina and Evaline have very similar experiences once they split up.  They both meet a mysterious man and both seem intrigued by him. What I want to see is how Mina and Evaline work together on the case.

I also found it interesting that the author is using background for Sherlock Holmes, who is fictional, and Bram Stroker, the author of Dracula. I wonder why Gleason decided to use Stoker instead of John and Mina Harker. I don't know if it just has to do with timing of when Sherlock Holmes and Dracula take place (I haven't read any Sherlock Holmes works).

First Thoughts

So my first impressions of the novel are iffy for the moment. I feel like Mina is being shown to us in the same way Sherlock was shown to us in the new films with Downey Jr. I kept imagining the scenes where we heard his voice going over everything.  I felt like the line "Chosen One" for Evaline was a bit Buffy-esque. I dont have a lot of info to have a strong impression of her yet.  We had more time with Mina which gives a stronger insight to her mind. It's early yet in the book so I'm sure things will change as we read.