Miss Holly's Library

100 Books In 2010 Update

2010-06-30T08:50:00.003-04:00

I know, I know! I am a bad, bad blogger. But if you were currently job searching like a crazy person, you probably wouldn't be thinking about updating your blog too much either. Though I've TONS of time to read, any time spent on the computer has been devoted to hunting down a job.

BUT I have returned. And since this is the end of June, all of us 100 Books In 2010 Challenge participants are at the half way point in our quest. And although I am not at 50 books, I have a feeling I might be able to complete this challenge!! Call me optimistic. Anyways, here is the list, in order, of what I have got so far:

1. Jen Holling - My Shadow Warrior
2. Rick Riordan - The Sea of Monsters
3. Rick Riordan - The Titan's Curse
4. Rick Riordan - The Battle of the Labyrinth
5. Rick Riordan - The Last Olympian
6. Libba Bray - A Great and Terrible Beauty (reread)
7. Libba Bray - Rebel Angels (reread)
8. Libba Bray - The Sweet Far Thing (reread)
9. Elie Wiesel - Night
10. Georgette Heyer - Sylvester
11. Jean Plaidy - Murder Most Royal
12. Diana Gabaldon - The Fiery Cross
13. Dennis Lehane - Shutter Island
14. Jean Plaidy - The Rose Without a Thorn
15. James Patterson - Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
16. P.C. Cast - Burned
17. Rick Riordan - The Demigod Files
18. Melissa De La Cruz - Blue Bloods
19. Ian McEwan - On Chesil Beach
20. Melissa De La Cruz - Masquerade
21. Melissa De La Cruz - Revelations
22. Jennifer Weiner - Goodnight Nobody
23. Melissa De La Cruz - The Van Alen Legacy
24. Whitney Lyles - Always The Bridesmaid
25. James Patterson - 1st To Die
26. Kristin Hannah - Between Sisters
27. J.K. Rowling - The Tales of Beedle the Bard
28. James Patterson - 2nd Chance
29. Jeanne Kalogridis - The Borgia Bride
30. Laurell K. Hamilton - Guilty Pleasures
31. Sophie Kinsella - Confessions of a Shopaholic
32. Sara Gruen - Water for Elephants
33. Stephenie Meyer - The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
34. James Patterson - 3rd Degree
35. Charlaine Harris - Dead In The Family
36. Nicholas Sparks - A Walk To Remember
37. Richelle Mead - Spirit Bound
38. Stephenie Meyer - Twilight (reread)
39. Stephenie Meyer - New Moon (reread)
40. Stephenie Meyer - Eclipse (reread)

So there you have it! Have suggestions for me to read? Send 'em my way! I'm finishing up Breaking Dawn right now and then am moving on. Happy reading!

Charming Chick Lit

2010-05-14T15:58:00.003-04:00

Whitney Lyles - Always the Bridesmaid

Cate Padgett is a wedding pro. Within three months, she serves as a bridesmaid to friends and family members five times. She wears every kind of bridesmaid "outfit" imagineable - from the super sexy lavender gown with a pluging neckline to an honest-to-god royal blue satin SUIT. But bad bridesmaid dresses aren't the only thing that Cate must put up with. She has to deal with bridezillas who are normally the sweetest girls in the world, the financials of paying for five weddings on a kindergarten teacher's salary, and a boyfriend who just doesn't seem that interested in committing. Always the Bridesmaid tells Cate's story as she weaves her way through these weddings only to discover what truly makes her happy.

Whitney Lyles writes in a style that is easy to read and is also very entertaining. Cate is a likebale and relateable character. I think every woman has felt similar emotions and feelings that Cate does at one point in her life. As a 20-something girl myself, I completely understand Cate's thinking about her future and her longing to take the next step. While reading, it is easy to tell that Lyles is writing from experience. That is, Lyles is Cate Padgett. Because of that, the writing and story feels honest and real. Nothing about the book feels forced or contrived. Although it's a bit predictable, there's no other way that the book should have played out. Readers who enjoy a feel-good light read will definitely like this book. It's a quick but refreshing read. Well done, Ms. Lyles!

The final verdict: Charming.

New P.C. Cast Bites (in a good way!)

2010-05-04T07:39:00.006-04:00

P.C. Cast - Burned

I always love reading the new vampire series books. P.C. Cast's House of Night series centers on Zoey Redbird, an unusually special vampire with powerful abilities that she will only use for good and to fight evil, naturally. The series has focused on Zoey learning about her abilities and her magic, as well as how to juggle three or four boyfriends at the same time. During her boy trouble, Zoey also is faced with fighting against two seriously evil beings: one a powerful former High Priestess, the other an ancient immortal who carries the untapped power source of Darkness in his blood.

In the newest installment, Zoey's soul is shattered by Kalona, that ancient immortal mentioned above. While her body lives in the living realm, her spirit is in pieces in the Otherworld. But Zoey isn't alone there. Her recently murdered human boyfriend, Heath, is also there. He tries to help her collect her soul pieces together, but Zoey refuses. Kalona has also traveled to the spirit world to ensure that Zoey never leaves, thus making her body die. It's up to Stevie Rae (who is in love with Kalona's immortal half-bird son Rephaim), Aphrodite, Stark, and Darius to find a way to help Zoey collect her soul into one piece and return to the human realm. If they don't, Neferet (the powerful former High Priestess) and Kalona will take over the world... which isn't a good thing.

Okay, so yes, these books are horribly cheesy. But they are fun, and that's what I look for in a read. I want to be entertained, and the House of Night series definitely entertains. We can all be book snobs, but it's so much more fun not to be. And to those who have read the series and stopped because it got a little too.... "teenage-ish," this book puts the series back on track to being interesting. I think the main reason the book was so interesting was because Zoey was absent for most of the book! Readers don't have to read about her inner struggles with choosing between Stark, Erik, and Heath. Instead, Cast focuses most of her writing on Stevie Rae and Rephaim, which made for a nice change of pace.

So who should read this book? Well, House of Night readers who quit reading should rediscover the series, because this book was actually pretty decent.

Patterson's Soft Side

2010-04-29T09:25:00.004-04:00

Who know that James Patterson, one of the most popular modern mystery writers harbored the ability to compose a romantic novel that inspires tears? I sure didn't and was pleasantly surprised when I read my very first James Patterson novel: Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas.

Katie works in New York City and has fallen deeply in love with Matt. The two of them have more fun together than she could have ever imagined. Just when things are reaching levels of happiness beyond comprehension, Matt drops a bombshell on Katie. He's married. With no other explanation, he leaves Katie. Katie is, of course, distraught and completely heartbroken. She vows to get over Matt. But then a package arrives for her with his handwriting on the outside. Inside is a diary with a note attached to it. Matt tells Katie that if she really wanted to understand about why Matt never told her about his marriage, she needed to read the diary: his wife Suzanne's diary for his son Nicholas. The diary details the couple's meeting, dating, marriage, and child birth, with a few extra little twists thrown in.

I liked this book and could not put it down. It reads much like a Nicholas Sparks novel. Almost the entire book was read before I had to ask myself, "Okay, I still am not figuring out where this is going." Patterson uses his master mystery mind to hold reader's in suspense until the very last ten pages.

I won't lie and say that this was a fantastic book. I was engaged with it and had to keep reading to find out what happens next, but it isn't literary genius by any means. It's a fun, fast, effortless read. And let's face it, sometimes that's all us avid readers need. I recommend this book to Nicholas Sparks and James Patterson fans! It's worth the read.

Plaidy = Historical Fiction Perfection!

2010-04-27T08:24:00.006-04:00

The Rose Without A Thorn, by Jean Plaidy

This is the story of Katherine Howard, a lowly member of a prominent English family who would later become Queen of England. Katherine began her life living with her numerous brothers and sisters. Her father and mother, though Howards, did not have the wealth which is usually attributed to such a family. Even at a young age, Katherine exhibited immense beauty and resembled her beautiful cousin, Anne Boleyn (who would serve as her predicesor). Taken in by her grandmother, the Duchess, Katherine learned more than just how to play the lute. Here, she was exposed to all sorts of sexual behaviors, even at the young age of fourteen. The matter was quickly hushed up when Katherine was granted a spot at Court in Henry VIII's fourth queen's, Anne of Cleves, retinue. Unhappy with his German queen, Henry quickly divorced her and married the sensual Katherine. Needless to say, her wicked past caught up with her and led her to the same fate her cousin met: beheading at the block.

I am a huge Jean Plaidy fan. She is one of my favorite authors. She knows how to blend the worlds of history and fiction so well. The Rose Without A Thorn is no exception. There are not many historical fiction books out there that details the life of Henry's other wives. Because Anne Boleyn is arguably the most interesting of his six brides, historical fiction writers tend to focus on her. Not that I am complaining... everyone knows I love a good Anne Boleyn novel. But it is refreshing to read about the others: Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, Catherine Parr, and my personal favorite for some reason Jane Seymour.

I would definitely recommend this book to any Tudor lover. I finished it in a matter of a few days. It's a quick and satisfying read. It will quench any historical fiction fan's thirst for courtly intrigue!

Aren't I The Lucky One?

2010-04-08T10:51:00.008-04:00

I certainly am feeling lucky! This week I scored huge at my local library and bargain shopping with finding some wonderful books that I have not read yet. I have had these books on my TBR list for ages. Now that I own them, perhaps it will be easier to get around to them. This also gives me some great options to take to Mexico with me at the end of May. So here are the books I scored:

*Laurien Gardner - The Spanish Bride
*Sara Gruen - Water for Elephants
*Kristin Hannah - The Things We Do For Love
*Karen Harper - The Last Princess of Wales
*Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner
*Dennis Lehane - Shutter Island
*Jodi Picoult - Vanishing Acts

I am so excited to get reading these. Though I know that I cannot begin reading them until I finish the fifth installment of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I'll tell you what, I love her books without question. But they sure do take a while to read, especially when practically balancing two jobs. The Fiery Cross is an excellent book, though not nearly as wonderful as the others in the series, but I confess that I am anxious to be done with it. I hate that feeling; it makes me feel as though I am cheating on my significant other. So I'm sorry, The Fiery Cross, but can we just get this over with? I'm ready to move on.

With love,

Up For A Challenge?

2010-03-28T18:16:00.002-04:00

I am, I am!!! Although I doubt I will be able to complete the challenge, I will do my best!

The challenge is to read at least 100 books by December 31, 2010. There aren't too many rules. You may reread a book that you read in a previous year. However, you cannot read the same book twice in 2010 and count it twice. So, the one rule is that the 100 books you read must all be different.

I am off to a dismal start so far but am optimistic about catching up during my vacation to Mexico and during the summer when life calms down a little bit. This will be the first summer in six years that I have not had to worry about moving! What a relief it is too. I cannot wait to relax by the pool and read some of the books that have sat ignored on my bookshelf.

I will try to complete the challenge, and I challenge you to do the same! Periodically, I will post my progress... if you have some suggestions on books I should read this year, feel free to drop me a message!

I've Got The Beach... Just Need A Book!

2010-03-20T09:42:00.004-04:00

Greetings all! Two posts within the same week? Shocking coming from me. But I am in need of your help. Being the person that I am, I am already planning the logistics of my trip to Mexico this June. For any of us avid readers, the hardest part about going on vacation is choosing how many and which books to take with us! Do I try to tackle that classic that I've been dying to read? Or do I take it easy and relax with some mindless chick lit? Or do I find some middle ground with a good historical fiction read that doesn't take itself too seriously? OR do I just take up all of the extra room in my suitcase and pack ten books and choose which fits my mood that day?

AHH! What's a girl to do?

So here's where I need as much help as I can get. I have some books that have been sitting on my bookshelf forever. I prefer taking books I own on vacation in case I lose them or damage them in some way. There's something horrible about damaging a library book to me. However, for a good book, I am more than willing to take the risk. Here are the books that I was thinking about... please comment with your opinion!

Laurien Gardner - The Spanish Bride (a novel about Katherine of Aragon)
Kristin Hannah - True Colors (chick lit to the extreme)
Jane Austen - Emma (I cannot believe I have never read this!)
Georgette Heyer - Lady of Quality (historical fiction... Heyer is a genius)
Diana Gabaldon - The Fiery Cross (need to finish the Outlander series)
Markus Zusak - The Book Thief (Holocaust lit... maybe not so good for vacation?)
Jodi Picoult - Perfect Match (definitely good for girls)
Dennis Lehane - Shutter Island (movie was fantastic, book must be too!)
Jennifer Weiner - Good In Bed (chick lit)

That's what I have so far... but I need your input!

Calling All Outlander Fans!

2010-03-19T10:45:00.004-04:00

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series manages to suffocate her readers in a Scottish blanket whether they want to be suffocated or not. Every time we put one of these books down, we find our thoughts being formed in a crazy Scottish accent. In fact, it drives those we socialize with on the regular absolutely crazy. SO, this bit of news may only further our love for Jamie and Claire!

This is some of the artwork from Diana's blog that will appear in the graphic novel The Exile. The graphic novel retells the first book in the series but will focus largely on what happens from Jamie's perspective. Diana has promised that there are new scenes that will answer some questions about what Jamie was up to while we were following Claire around the Scottish highlands. The graphic novel is sure to be a success with devoted Outlander fans. I mean, just look at those abs!

Perhaps one of the greatest things about the new graphic novel? We don't have to wait too long to get our hands on it! The Exile is due to hit book stores in the US and in the UK in September of this year!

For more information about Outlander, The Exile, or about Diana, check out her blog at: http://voyagesoftheartemis.blogspot.com/

Happy reading!

Another Hit By Heyer

2010-03-07T11:53:00.003-05:00

Georgette Heyer - Sylvester

It's been a while since I have read a Heyer novel. My local library does not carry too many of her books. Recently, however, a patron with impecable literary taste donated some of her books to the library's collection. Among those books was a new Heyer novel: Sylvester. Needless to say, I grabbed it immediately and devoured it as quickly as I could.

"Sylvester, Duke of Salford, seeks with unconscious arrogance a bride worthy of the honour of becoming his Duchess. He journeys to Wiltshire to inspect the Hon Phoebe Marlow, unaware that he has met her before and instantly forgotten the tongue-tied girl without beauty or elegance to recommend her."

This incredibly brief synopsis of the novel does it absolutely no justice whatsoever. Heyer's Sylvester is so like Fitzwilliam Darcy, as her Phoebe brings to mind Elizabeth Bennet. The entire time I was reading this novel, I found that I kept making comparisons to Pride & Prejudice. You can tell that Heyer was inspired by Austen's novel when she wrote this novel back in 1957. Sylvester, though heavy with Austen-ish characteristics, is a wonderful novel. I found myself rooting for Phoebe and Sylvester. As the reader, I wanted them to realize they were in love and to just get over their pride.

Let me put it this way, if you liked Pride & Prejudice, I highly recommend that you read this book.

What's up next for Miss Holly? Well, it has been an extremely long time since I've read any Jean Plaidy, so I've two of her novels up next to read. Up first is Murder Most Royal, which novelizes Henry VIII's marriages to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. Happy reading!

A Glance Into the Holocaust

2010-02-15T18:34:00.003-05:00

The Holocaust was without question one of the most horrible events to have ever taken place in our world's history. As the years go by, the Holocaust surviors dwindle in number. The only way that remains to capture the true terror of the event and the bravery and luck of survivors and victims is through the written word. Elie Wiesel is one of those survivors who immortalized his experience by writing the novel Night.

"In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died."

This book hurts as most Holocaust accounts do. But it does a great job of exposing the reality of the time. This book is a wonderful resource for teachers who want to provide an account of the Holocaust that reaches outside of the prose and drama versions of Anne Frank's diary. I highly recommend this book. It's a fast read but is rich with history.

The Next Harry Potter?

2010-02-09T16:39:00.003-05:00

Is Percy Jackson the next Harry Potter?

Perhaps... though I doubt any boy hero will ever surpass Harry Potter in popularity. Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series follows a normal teenage boy through adolescense, much like the Harry Potter series does. The difference? Percy's parents aren't wizards. Percy's parents are a normal mortal mother and Poseidon, the god of the sea. Naturally, being a demigod, Percy will not have an easy teenage experience.

The five books in the series introduce the Olympian gods, the Titans, and other mythological characters in a way that is easy and familiar. Riordan brilliantly educates his readers about the myth without making it appear as though he is lecturing. The Percy Jackson series is a great tool for exposing young adults to Greek mythology in a fun, entertaining way. And now that the first book in the series will be on the big screen this Friday, Riordan's work is sure to reach higher levels of popularity.

I personally would recommend these books to anyone who found Greek mythology or the Harry Potter series interesting. I couldn't put them down and was easily able to devour one book in less than 24 hours. Happy reading!!

The New Poll

2010-01-08T08:27:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday! Normally I would throw out a TGIF or two when I post on a Friday... but not this time. If today is Friday, January 8 - then that means tomorrow is Saturday, January 9. My big Praxis II exam is tomorrow, and I could not be more nervous about it. Consider updating this my study break from cognitive development theories. I have a new poll! Allow me to introduce it to you.

Quite simply, which of the following authors would you most want to meet if you had to choose between Stephen King, Ian McEwan, Stephenie Meyer, Rick Riordian, J.K. Rowling, and Alice Sebold. I chose some pretty contemporary authors this time. Next time, we'll see some more oldies but goodies. Here's a little bit about each author's work:

*Stephen King: He's considered the king of horror novels. King knows how to take a ghost story and twist it into something truly terrifying. Best known work: The Shining (though it's tough to pick just one).

*Ian McEwan: This author pens novels that will get you thinking about all sorts of different aspects of being human. With McEwan, you either hate him or love him. Best known work: Atonement.

*Stephenie Meyer: Ah yes, the vampire's best friend. She made vampires totally cool again with her lusty, romantic vamp Edward Cullen, made famous by Robert Pattinson. Best known work: Twilight, DUH.

*Rick Riordian: This guy has tackled it all. He has penned some intriguing adult mystery novels and has even broken into the young adult lit scene with his fabulous Percy Jackson series, being made into a movie coming to theatres soon! Which will make his best known work: The Lightning Thief.

*J.K. Rowling: Does she really need an introduction? She's the wealthiest living author, and it's no wonder why. She penned the phenomena known as Harry Potter, the story of a boy wizard who conquers evil with nothing more than good will and love. Best known work: Any of the Harry Potter books.

*Alice Sebold: This author burst onto the comtemporary literature scene quite suddenly, it would seem. Her novels touch some people, and leave others with a great sense of unease. Best known work: The Lovely Bones.

HAPPY VOTING!

My First of 2010!

2010-01-02T20:08:00.004-05:00

During my long car ride back to Ohio from Niagara Falls, NY, I indulged in some pleasure reading and managed to finish my first book of the new year! (By the way, Happy 2010, everybody!!) My first read had witchcraft, love, sex, and murder... Suffice it to say, my first read was very entertaining!

"In Holling's superb trilogy, it's 1597, and Scotland is no place for witches. After Alan MacDonell's wife was burned at the stake, he sent his three daughters away. Now he is dying and sends three escorts to bring them back to marry men he believes will protect them from the witch hysteria.The third sister, Rose, is a healer. In My Shadow Warrior, she tries to heal their father. Nothing works, so she writes letter after letter to her last resort, the Wizard of the North. When the wizard won't come to her, she goes to him. William MacKay is a virtual recluse whose own villagers turn on him any time he tries to help. He not only heals but he also takes the offending pain onto himself. Rose is shocked at the danger he puts himself in.Medieval Scotland comes to life in Holling's tantalizing trilogy, and each book is moving and engrossing, as each tormented hero is saved, not by the powers of the MacDonell sisters but by their love. Through her alluring characters, Holling celebrates the triumph of good over evil, especially in dangerous times, and no one should miss these fine romances."

The synopsis above, taken from Amazon.com, hits the nail right on the head. This third installment in the MacDonell sisters trilogy is just as good as the first and second. Holling's writing is easy to read and flows really well. This book offers some historical background, but should not be looked at for an accurate account of the witch hunts in Scotland. This is the perfect book for a weekend of traveling or should be enjoyed at home on a cold night with a glass of pinot noir. Don't let the bodice ripping cover fool you, there is a good story to be found within!

A Sad Report

2009-12-14T17:37:00.003-05:00

Alas... I have found a set of vampire books that I am just not that into. I never thought I would see the day when I couldn't wait to be done reading a vampire book because I just wanted to move on to something a little more exciting...

That's right... it's the book series that the new CW television show is based off of: L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries. You see, here's the really disappointing thing. I sort of enjoy the television show. I do get sick of the back and forth romance thing. But honestly, Ian Somerhalder as evil, twisted Damon Salvatore and Paul Wesley as sexy, brooding Stefan Salvatore makes the show. I adore them.

But this isn't a review of the show. I am talking books here. The heroine of the novels, Elena is a beautiful girl whose parents just died tragically in a car accident. That should inspire sympathy for our heroine. Instead, Elena proves to be the queen bee Regina George of the school. She's a princess who gets whatever she wants and will step on people to get it. That includes Stefan, who just so happens to be a vampire. People start dying in the community, and eventually all fingers point to Stefan. Elena finds out he's a vampire and vows to remain by his side for as long as he wants her. Blah blah blah. These books came out years before Stephenie Meyer even began to dream up The Twilight Saga, and thank goodness she did. Because these books just don't fill that craving for a good vampire novel.

Sorry, L.J. Smith. But your other work is quite good! These just aren't up to snuff, I'm afraid.

Try These On For Size This Halloween!

2009-10-28T18:24:00.004-04:00

First of all, allow me to apologize for my disgustingly long absense from posting! I am currently doing my pedagogy experience at a new school district and have been so swamped with wonderfully busy work! Plus, I was busy turning 24 this past Monday. But... I promise to make more of an effort!

Since the greatest holiday of the year is quickly approaching, I thought I would post some delicious books that will make your toes curl or will satisfy your hunger for something supernatural. I recommend all of these!

1. Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay - If you are a fan of the hit Showtime series and haven't dove into these books, you absolutely MUST! They are so wonderful. If you have never even heard of Dexter Morgan, well you'll be in for quite a treat. Dexter is a serial killer... but he is the most lovable serial killer you'll ever read about. His killer personality (haha) will draw you in. I am currently about half way through this series opener, and I cannot get enough!

2. Intensity, by Dean Koontz - This is no happy-go-lucky thriller. This book is intense and terrifying. I am not normally a huge Koontz fan, but this book gave me chills that kept me shivering even after I finished the book. The title says it all!

3. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris - Yes, here I am again, plugging the Sookie Stackhouse books... But seriously, they are so fabulous. You get a little supernatural vampire action, you get some serious gore, you get great dry humor, and you also get some steamy romance scenes. I mean, what else could you possibly want? This, or any of the other Sookie Stackhouse books, make fabulous Halloween reads!

4. The Shining, by Stephen King - Honestly, after Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrence, do I really even need to explain why this book is so perfectly creepy for Halloween? Even if you don't consider the Nicholson effect, it's Stephen King! Come on, he's the king of creepy!!

These are only four of my favorites. Of course there are many, many others that are simply perfect for a spooky night. Happy Haunting, everyone!

The Tenth Circle of Hell?

2009-08-20T08:39:00.002-04:00

As I have a lot of book reviewing to catch up on, I thought I would get this one out there and done with!

Jodi Picoult - The Tenth Circle

"When Daniel Stone was a child, he was the only white boy in a native Eskimo village where his mother taught, and he was teased mercilessly because he was different. He fought back, the baddest of the bad kids: stealing, drinking, robbing and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush – where he honed his artistic talent, fell in love with a girl and got her pregnant. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself – jettisoning all that anger to become a docile, devoted husband and father. Fifteen years later, when we meet Daniel again, he is a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante’s Inferno at a local college; his daughter, Trixie, is the light of his life – and a girl who only knows her father as the even-tempered, mild-mannered man he has been her whole life. Until, that is, she is date raped…and Daniel finds himself struggling, again, with a powerlessness and a rage that may not just swallow him whole, but destroy his family and his future."

Some of my friends who are avid Picoult readers discouraged me from reading this one. They said it was boring and that the characters were not altogether likeable. After reading it, I can see what they mean. However, I think they were comparing this to her other books. In that respect, yes this book wasn't that great. If you look at it as a stand alone book by a first time author, it was quite good.

Picoult usually inspires tears. This book did not do that, but it was interesting and different. The small glimpes into Alaskan Eskimo life was refreshing and different. Perhaps it was skimmed over just a little bit, but that seems to be a common thread for all of Picoult's books. The cultural background is just that - a background to push the story forward. She's dabbled with the Amish, Wicca, Scottish clan mentality, and now Eskimos. I suppose I would have to recommend this book with a warning though. The ending was not what I expected, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Without revealing the conclusion, I will say that it seems like Picoult wanted to end it in a way that was shocking without actually making very much sense. Either way, it was entertaining and well written.

More book reviews to come!!

Parr For The Course

2009-07-29T10:12:00.003-04:00

After taking a break from the blogging world due to moving, I am back in action! And I definitely have some books that need to be reviewed. So I figured I would start out with my faborite genre: my newest historical fiction read.

The Last Wife of Henry VIII, by Carolly Erickson

This novel tells the story of the life of Catherine Parr. It begins when she is just a child and is attending The Field of the Cloth of Gold. She meets King Henry during this historic event. The novels continues with the story of her first marriage that ended in tragedy and into her second marriage to an elderly man whom she married to keep out of the womanizing Henry's grasp. Catherine is called to serve Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, by the king himself. Once her ill husband passes away, Henry jumps at the chance to marry her. Though her life as a queen is anything but relaxing. She lives in constant fear that Henry will become displeased with her and find a way to get rid of her, as he had to a few of his former wives.

Life Erickson's other books, this book was brief and definitely fictional. While she got all of the names right, I can't help but read between a lot of these fictional lines. But isn't that what makes these books so entertaining to us historical fiction fanatics? We get a good dose of history with a pinch of soap opera drama on the side. It was a fun read: light and quick. If you're looking for a quick fix of Henry and his wives, this book is good for that. But don't expect something historically perfect. Just expect to be entertained.

Up next? Well I have two more reviews that I need to post. But as far as reading goes, I have decided to reread the Twilight Saga in honor of New Moon coming out in theatres in November!

More Vampires to Sink Your Teeth Into

2009-07-07T18:06:00.004-04:00

Well, you all know how much I love a good vampire story! Allow me to introduce this delicious vampire series!

P.C. Cast - The House of Night series: Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed

This series is about Zoey Redbird, a typical teenager. Except that she's been Marked to become a vampyre. Because of this, she must switch schools and attend the fledgling vampyre school in Tulsa, The House of Night. Zoey learns all about the politics and supernatural aspects of being a vampyre. But that's not to say that she doesn't experience normal high school issues: the snobby mean girl, the gorgeous guy that all of the girls pine after, keeping up in classes, and even high school leadership. Zoey has powers that no other vampyre has ever been gifted with. Zoey learns throughout the series that with that power comes responsibilty that is difficult to handle.

The series is somewhat predictable to say the least. However, it is really entertaining. The books progressively get better because you learn more and more about the characters. Zoey is likeable and so is the book's heartthrob, Erik Night. Even the "mean girl" Aphrodite becomes a character that I wanted to know more about. The two things that really bug me about this series are the forced pop culture references (like referring to Matt Damon and the Bourne movies, etc), and also the names. Upon entering The House of Night, fledgling vampyres are considered "reborn." Therefore, they can begin their new lives with a name of their choosing. Some names remain normal. But others are distracting. For example, there is a professor named Dragon. Eventually, you do get used to the unusual names, just as Zoey gets used to her new school. But other than those two minor things, the series is quite good! It's not as great as Twilight or Sookie Stackhouse, but it is definitely different... and in a good way! I've only read the first four books, so I can only speak for those so far... but I am willing to guess that the fifth and soon to be released sixth books are just as good. If you like vampire stories, I would highly recommend these!

Next up for me? The Last Wife of Henry VIII

RIP Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T19:29:00.004-04:00

Michael Jackson: August 29, 1958-June 25, 2009

I realize that my blog is supposed to be about books, but I had to pay my respects somehow. Whether you loved him or hated him, Michael Jackson will always be one of the most influential music artists of all time. His music videos were what inspired me to be a dancer for so many years. His videos made me realize my very real love for dance. It is so difficult to believe that he is gone. It feels strange, but I am incredibly sad. Michael, may you finally have some peace.

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same then everything in between can be dealt with." - Michael Jackson

Time To Get Off Our High Horse

2009-06-11T09:01:00.004-04:00

I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes hate giving in to popular reading trends. I resisted the Twilight series until a friend convinced me to try it. I also refused to read Nicholas Sparks (until seeing the movie version of The Notebook), and Jodi Picoult because they were so "main stream." I have since done the same thing with other authors. But, on a whim, I decided to try out a trilogy that sounded like it might be interesting, even if the writing wasn't so great. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. So what I am saying, is that it is time for some of us avid readers to get off of our literary high horses and quit judging people because they read "light reading" books. Here is the book that brought this all on:

"After three boys accidentally awaken an ancient evil near their small Maryland town, the tight-knit community finds itself lost to a Stephen King–style plague of madness and destruction for a week every seven years. Twenty-one years later, those three boys, now grown, are hoping to find a way to stop the evil before its third return, which may mean the end of the town; they don't know much about the anomalies, but they do know that [e]very time it gets stronger. This time, the town is graced by author Quinn Black, eager to document the paranormal mystery. When two more women arrive—one an associate of Quinn's, the other led to town by strange visions—the circle of six decide to face the oncoming apocalypse together."

Yes, Nora Roberts... the woman who has written over 500 books. I actually enjoyed this book. The trilogy should be good. The characters are very likable. It's really not bad, I promise!

Bah! I Adored It!

2009-06-10T08:58:00.003-04:00

Georgette Heyer - These Old Shades

"Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, is known by friends and enemies alike as Satanas--the devil. On this particular evening, the dangerous rake crosses paths with Léon, a red-headed youth of low birth who is fleeing a certain beating at his brutal brother's hands. On a whim, Avon buys the boy and makes him his page. It soon becomes clear, however, that Léon is not what he seems, and that Avon has an ulterior motive for bringing him into his household. Set in pre-Revolutionary France, These Old Shades follows a twisting course as young Léon (or is it Léonie?) is swept up in a dangerous mystery: how to account for the page's amazing resemblance to the sinister Compte de Saint Vire, for example; and why will this man go to any lengths to get the youth in his power?"

I secretly hate that plot summary, but it was one of the only ones that I could find without doing it myself. But regardless, Georgette Heyer has done it again! With every book that I read by her, I fall more and more in love with her writing. This genre is exactly what a historical romanctic fiction fan craves! The romance is always just below the surface, so it doesn't slap you in the face. And the history... what could I possibly say about the historical aspects of the book? They are perfection. This particular book was wonderful because of the delightful Leon/Leonie. She reminds me a bit of Eliza Dolittle meets Jo March. And I adore her.

Fans of Heyer or of Jane Austen should definitely pick this book up for a read! Its mystery and romance is a perfect marriage. Enjoy!

Next up? I am trying out another vampire series called The House of Night. Everyone knows I love a good vampire story!

The Other Queen

2009-06-02T21:04:00.003-04:00

"Biographers often neglect the captive years of Mary, Queen of Scots, who trusted Queen Elizabeth's promise of sanctuary when she fled from rebels in Scotland and then found herself imprisoned as the "guest" of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick.

The newly married couple welcome the doomed queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court. To their horror, they find that the task will bankrupt them, and as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Elizabeth, their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign comes into question. If Mary succeeds in seducing the earl into her own web of treachery and treason, or if the great spymaster William Cecil links them to the growing conspiracy to free Mary from her illegal imprisonment, they will all face the headsman."

Well, I finally got around to reading another Philippa Gregory book. While I liked the first two that I read (The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl), I was not necessarily a fan of this one. I think that Mary Queen of Scots was an interesting woman. But I found Gregory's writing in this book to be a bit long winded in the wrong spots. She went on and on and on about Bess's money and land obsession. It's like, "Alright, we get it." While she spent so much time on those sorts of things, the actual action sequences flew by without any sort of elaboration.

I don't know, parts of this book I did like. I mostly enjoyed the parts that Mary narrated. If you enjoy Philippa Gregory, go ahead and give this a shot. I listened to it on the Audio Book. I can't decide if that was a good choice or not. The voice of George Talbert was awful for me. But overall, I am glad that I can add another Gregory book on my "Already Read" pile.

Next for me? I am working on a fabulous Georgette Heyer! And I've got a trilogy by Nora Roberts that I am listening to on Audio Book. I never thought I would read any of her work since it's so.... well, you know. But I actually really like what I've got so far! Reviews will of course come!

Jodi Picoult - The Pact

2009-05-25T16:11:00.002-04:00

"For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty-- they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.

So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet-- a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described.

The profound questions faced by the characters in this heart-rending novel are those we can all relate to: How well do we ever really know our children, our friends? What if…? As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present, The Pact paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish… culminating in an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama as Chris finds himself on trial for murder."

Well, I must say that Ms. Picoult has a keen ability to make me cry. Every single one of her novels that I have read has had me in tears at some point. This one definitely fell into that category. Listening to stories of teenage suicide is absolutely heartbreaking. It really took a lot of energy out of me. But I did love it. For me, it read really fast and it also helped me cross another book off of my 999 Challenge.

So what's up now for me? A little Georgette Heyer, of course! I have loved the other two books that I've read by her. So hopefully this third one keeps with that trend!

Nicholas Sparks - The Choice

2009-05-19T18:26:00.002-04:00

Okay, okay, I am the first to admit that I've been reading way too much "Chick Lit"-ish stuff lately. However, in my defense, I don't usually read that much chick lit, and I made it a point to make "Chick Lit," "Nicholas Sparks Books," and "Jodi Picoult Books" categories in my 999 Challenge. So, that's my defense. Now, to the book review!

"Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life -- boating, swimming, and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Despite his attempts to be neighborly, the appealing redhead seems to have a chip on her shoulder about him...and the presence of her longtime boyfriend doesn't help. Despite himself, Travis can't stop trying to ingratiate himself with his new neighbor, and his persistent efforts lead them both to the doorstep of a journey that neither could have foreseen. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, The Choice ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?"

This book started off kind of slow for me. Though I guess after reading the sexy, racy, fast-paced Sookie Stackhouse novels, anything would seem a bit slow. But once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. And by I couldn't put it down, I mean that I read this book in less than 24 hours. I know that is something that is very easy to do while reading a Nicholas Sparks book. I really enjoyed reading this. Travis is incredibly lovable, and so are the rest of the characters. My recommendation on where to read this book? Well, it's a great book for the weekend when the man in your life is away for work/family/whatever. Or it's the perfect book for a plane on the way to some tropical vacation. I mean, it's Nicholas Sparks! It's like chocolate, it's good anytime!

Next up? Jodi Picoult's "The Pact." Suicide pacts vs. Murder... I'm only 20 pages in and I love it already!

Hated the Title, Liked the Book

2009-05-09T22:51:00.004-04:00

Love The One You're With, by Emily Giffin:

"Ellen and Andy's marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she’s living is the one she's meant to live. LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life."

Check another one off of my "Chick Lit" category for my 999 Challenge! And it was a worthy addition. This was my first Emily Giffin novel. I've heard many reviews praising Giffin's other novels. I was pleased with this one. The heroine, well, I guess I liked her overall. When she entertains and acts on her former feelings for a man who was no good for her... well, that made me angry. But I always say that if a character can get such an emotion out of you, whether good or bad, that means that the character has been well written. So bravo, Ms. Giffin. If you enjoy chick it, I would recommend this one. It's mild and would make an excellent summer read. It's quick and painless, I promise.

Currently reading: Charlaine Harris's Dead as a Doornail, the fifth installment of the Sookie Stackhouse adventures! There's nothing like a sexy vampire novel!

All the World's a Stage...

2009-05-05T08:32:00.006-04:00

I am such a Shakespeare nut. I have two complete anthologies of his work (I don't know why I felt the need to have two...) And I adore everything from his baudy humor to the sometimes complicated language. So I felt that it was only fitting to find a quiz to figure out which of Shakespeare's heroines I was most like! Here are my results:

You are: Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. You're urbane, a good friend to have, and love a good laugh. Make sure your love of a good quip does not get in the way of your love life!

Just a little bit of fun, there are links for guys and girls! Try it out, who are you most like?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/quiz.shtml

The World's Greatest Library

2009-04-29T09:40:00.003-04:00

While Googling pictures of books and libraries for a little project of mine, I came across the world's greatest library, in my humble opinion of course.

This is The Duke Humphrey Reading Room. Although, it was better known to me as the Hogwarts Library from the Harry Potter movies! I gasped upon seeing this image pop up in my search results because I recognized it instantly. It's best known from the first of the five currently released films. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are pouring over the ancient books in search of information about Nicholas Flamel, the only known owner of the sorcerer's (or philosopher's) stone.

Hmm... I wonder if their restricted section screams as loud as it did in the movie... (clearly kidding!)

Tweet Tweet

2009-04-26T12:38:00.003-04:00

Well... I caved in and signed up for an account with Twitter. I just wanted to see what this thing was all about. So after two days, I've shaped an opinion... I don't get it. I apologize to those who are avid "Tweeters?" "Twitterers?" I don't really know what to call them. But I really am not understanding the appeal of Twitter. I get it for news updates... but do people really care that the A/C has not yet been turned on in my building?

Perhaps I am being an old fart about this. Maybe I'll catch on and really enjoy it once I find people to follow who are interesting to me. Haha, I am sure if I could J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer or any other author that I love, my tune will change. But for the mean time, I'll just have to keep trying. Anyone Twitter out there? Here's where you can find me if you're interested!

http://twitter.com/MissHollyM

Another Book Turned Movie!

2009-04-19T21:44:00.002-04:00

After the successes of A Walk To Remember, The Notebook, and Nights in Rodanthe, can we really blame Hollywood for going after another one of Nicholas Sparks's books?

Set for release in February of 2010, director Jamie Hallstrom (left in the above photo)will bring Nicholas Sparks's Dead John to the big screen. The movie is set to star the gorgeous Channing Tatum (Step Up, She's the Man, Coach Carter, The Battle in Seattle) as the lead role of John Tyree.

Here is a description of the novel taken from Sparks's website: An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

Hmm... I am sure I'll be in line to catch a matinee of this one!

Mailbox Monday!

2009-04-13T17:50:00.003-04:00

I finally have a Mailbox Monday to report!

No, I did not receive the absolutely adorable little kitten in the mail. I recently found a deal through Amazon.com and through my library (where I work) on some wonderful books! Some I have read, others are on my mountain of TBR books. And some are books that I am collecting to put into my classroom next year for my students to "check out" from me for free reading. Because you know I'll do all that I can to turn my students into lifelong readers.

So here are the books that I got through the mail:

* Libba Bray - Rebel Angels
* Libba Bray - The Sweet Far Thing
* Jack Schaefer - Shane
* Kristiana Gregory - Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile
* Anne Bronte - Agnes Grey
* W.P. Kinsella - Shoeless Joe
* Sandra Worth - Lady of the Roses

So there you have it, ladies and gents! I had a wonderfully special delivery today. I wish the mailman would bring me such wonderful treats every day!

This Day In History

2009-04-10T13:03:00.004-04:00

This day marks the anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. The book was first published in 1925 and remains a popular book in public schools across the country.

The Great Gatsby tells the story Tom and Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, as told through Nick Carraway's recollection of the events. The story takes place in Long Island during the roaring 1920's. Fitzgerald dubbed this era "The Jazz Age." It's a wonderful story and is one of America's greatest classics.

Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan

That Lusty King Henry

2009-04-01T14:29:00.003-04:00

Well, since I have posted the results to the most swoon-worthy male character, I think it is time for a new poll! This time I will focus on one of my favorite male historical figures: King Henry VIII. He has shot back into popularity lately with the Showtime series The Tudors and the romantic Hollywood film The Other Boleyn Girl.

So who portrayed Henry the very best on screen? That is what I want to know. I have my own opinions, but I am curious to see what you historical fiction nuts think! Here are my choices. At the bottom of this post, I have a link where you can watch short clips of each of the nominees playing Henry, in case you haven't seen their portrayal before. Enjoy!

-Eric Bana - The Other Boleyn Girl
-Richard Burton - Anne of a Thousand Days
-Keith Michell - The Six Wives of Henry VIII
-Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors
-John Stride - William Shakespeare's Henry VIII
-Ray Winstone - Henry VIII

Check out this link to get a look at all of the Henry's in action and don't forget to vote! http://tudorswiki.sho.com/page/Depictions+Throughout+History+of+The+Tudors

Devastatingly, Inhumanly Beautiful

2009-03-25T13:25:00.006-04:00

You have spoken! The votes are in, we have a winner who won by a landslide! The most swoon-worthy "book boy" is none other than my personal favorite, Edward Cullen.

For those of you who live under a rock and do not know who he is, Edward Cullen is Stephenie Meyer's creation. He is Bella Swan's love interest in her best-selling Twilight saga and is a vampire. Upon first seeing Edward, Bella describes him as being "devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful." As you read through the series, you learn that Edward is an accomplished pianist (swoon), is strong and protective (swoon), has all of the qualities of being a good father (swoon), and is ultimately a sucker (no pun intended) for love (SWOON SWOON SWOON). And perhaps one of Edward's greatest appeals is that he can live forever. The idea of possibly living forever in love with him is enough to make any female want to trade in her heartbeat for a life of hunting in Washingtons state's damp woods. (You'd have to read the books to understand that... and you should go read them if you haven't already!)

Oh, and if you need a visual for just how beautiful Edward Cullen really is, I've provided you with a collage of Robert Pattinson's portrayal of Edward in Twilight, the movie. Do I really need to say "swoon" again? The second movie is due out in theatres in late November of this year and is currently filming.

So Edward Cullen, you are the most desired "book boy" out there! But here are our other honorable mentions:

1. Edward Cullen .................... 48%
2. Jamie Fraser ....................... 24%
3. Fitzwilliam Darcy ................ 18%
4. Frederick Wentworth ........... 6%
5. Rhett Butler ......................... 3%

A 999 Update!

2009-03-20T12:15:00.005-04:00

Hello all! I am so sorry about my recent lack of updates. Life has gotten in the way of any kind of leisure. BUT, I am back in action and will try to be more frequent with my updates. I thought that I would give an update to where I am with my 999 Challenge!Just a reminder for those who do not know/do not remember what the 999 Challenge is: You choose 9 categories (they can be anything!), then you read 9 different books for each category, and you read them all in 2009! This means that if you complete the challenge, you will have tackled at least 81 books for the year. No double dipping with your categories! The should also be books that you haven't read before (unless you have a "Rereads" category, like I do).

Here is my list, the books that I have already read are in bold. The other books are the ones that I am tentatively planning to read to fulfill my categories. This is where you come in. If you see a book on my list and think you know of a better one to help me fill that category, I would love some advice!

**Nicholas Sparks**
1. The Choice
2. At First Site
3. A Walk To Remember
4. The Wedding
5. The Rescue
6. Dear John
7. A Bend In The Road
8. True Believer
9. Message In A Bottle

**Jodi Picoult**
1. My Sister's Keeper
2. Nineteen Minutes
3. Keeping Faith
4. The Pact
5. The Tenth Circle
6. Mercy
7. Perfect Match
8. Change Of Heart
9. Vanishing Acts

**Tudor Fiction/Henry's Wives**
1. The Boleyn Inheritance
2. The Last Boleyn
3. The Rose Without A Thorn
4. The Sixth Wife
5. Concubine
6. Murder Most Royal
7. Brief Gaudy Hour
8. The Secret Bride of Henry VIII
9. Mademoiselle Boleyn

**Other Historical Fiction**
1. The Heretic's Daughter
2. My Shadow Warrior
3. My Father Had A Daughter
4. Captain Wentworth's Diary
5. Darcy & Elizabeth
6. Courts of Love
7. Fallen Skies
8. The Fiery Cross
9. A Breath Of Snow & Ashes

**Chick Lit**
1. The Other Woman
2. One Fifth Avenue
3. The Host
4. Something Borrowed
5. Confessions Of A Shopaholic
6. Something Blue
7. Bridget Jones's Diary
8. The Beach House
9. Firefly Lane

**Classics**
1. Emma
2. Jane Eyre
3. Persuasion
4. Northanger Abbey
5. Little Women
6. Hard Times
7. Gone With The Wind
8. Mansfield Park
9. The Outsiders

**Georgette Heyer**
1. Lady Of Quality
2. These Old Shades
3. The Quiet Gentleman
4. The Convenient Marriage
5. Devil's Club
6. The Corinthian
7. The Grand Sophy
8. The Talisman Ring
9. Black Sheep

**Vampire Books**
1. Dead Until Dawn
2. Living Dead In Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead To The World
5. Dead As A Doornail
6. Definitely Dead
7. All Together Dead
8. From Dead To Worse
9. Dead & Gone

**Rereads**
1. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
2. Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince
7. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows
8. Twilight
9. New Moon

Have any replacement suggestions? Leave me a comment!

Sawyer, and Sayid, and Jack... OH MY!

2009-03-02T20:28:00.005-05:00

LOST is probably one of my favorite television shows ever. My best friend turned me on to the show about two seasons ago, and I am hooked. Every Wednesday night I am glued to the television to see what horrible thing Ben is going to do, and how many times Sawyer (see picture to the right) will come up with witty insults to snap at other people. And like everyone else, I wait in suspense for the end of every episode to get some answers. Instead, I am left with 45 new questions, and I love every minute of it.

But since this is a blog about books, and not television, I found a little reading list that I thought was very interesting. Throughout the show, there are references to many different literary works. Most of them come through Sawyer, the bad boy who stole my heart. While I was searching for book lists online, I stumbled across a list of books that are referenced in LOST. Some I've read, and others I've added to my TBR list! I thought it would be fun for all of you to take a look at!

1. Richard Adams - Watership Down
2. Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle In Time
3. William Golding - Lord Of The Flies
4. Daniel Defoe - Robinson Crusoe
5. Stephen King - The Stand
6. Stephen King - The Langoliers
7. Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
8. Michael Crichton - Jurassic Park
9. Lewis Carroll - Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass
10. Antony Trew - Smoke Island
11. William Shakespeare - The Tempest
12. H.G. Wells - The Island Of Dr. Moreau
13. Jules Verne - The Mysterious Island
14. Joseph Conrad - Heart Of Darkness
15. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone

So there you have it! Some of these books are tied directly into the show, and others have similar plot lines. But they all sound worth reading!

What A Wonderful World

2009-02-24T19:49:00.006-05:00

Georgette Heyer - The Grand Sophy

Well, Book One under category "Georgette Heyer" in my 999 Challenge is complete. And to be honest, it was the perfect way to kick off that category. The Grand Sophy is the story of the extremely social Sophia Stanton-Lacy, nicknamed the Grand Sophy by all who know her. While her father is away in Brazil, this bold young lady stays with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. While there, she plays match maker for her cousin Cecelia, wins over her younger cousins by giving them a monkey as a gift, and drives her eldest cousin, Charles completely mad. Naturally, this independent headstrong girl sends the Rivenhall family into an uproar as she is the talk of London society with her behavior. She becomes quite popular with everyone except for Charles, who loves to hate her and hates to love her. This story has love, humor, and paints a fantastic historical London scene!

I absolutely loved this book. It is my second Heyer that I have read, after Cotillion. I've had this book recommended to me by anyone who has read it. And I will now pass on the gospel: If you enjoy Heyer, you should definitely read this! If you enjoy historical fiction, you should definitely read this! If you would like to have an easy entrance into authentic historical fiction, you should definitely read this! In case you haven't gotten the point, I think that you should read this book.

A quick side note, please make sure to vote in my poll. So far, Edward Cullen is crushing the competition to be the most swoon-worthy literary character!

Now Reading: Charlaine Harris - Dead To The World

Dashing Good Fun

2009-02-23T10:15:00.003-05:00

Well I've finally gotten around to reading Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. I adore the movie and had always wanted to read the book. It fits into my 999 Challenge under "Chick Lit." Once you get used to Fielding's style of writing (lots of fragments and segmented thoughts), the book really begins to read quickly. The greatest part for me is that I can hear Renee Zellweger's voice saying each line. She really did an amazing job portraying Bridget. And of course, there's always the funny coincidence that Marc Darcy is compared to Mr. Darcy, both of which are played by Colin Firth. As the title suggests: it's dashing good fun.

Anyways, the story is about Bridget Jones and her never-ending quest towards achieving self-improvement. She vows not to smoke, though the next day she inhales 36 cigarettes. She promises to lose weight, but eats an entire cake that evening. She absolutely will not get involved with another man who she knows will treat her badly, yet the first man she falls in love with is her emotionally unavailable boss. In short, she's just like the rest of us. But funnier. It's light and will hold you interest. Although, I will warn you, if you did not like the movie, you will not like the book.

I am currently reading my second Georgette Heyer novel, The Grand Sophy. I barely put it down to write this post. It's really wonderful. If you've never read any Heyer before, I would highly recommend beginning with this book. Review will be up as soon as I finish!

You Pierce My Soul

2009-02-18T08:22:00.004-05:00

Captain Wentworth's Diary - by, Amanda Grange

This is the classic story of Jane Austen's Persuasion but follows Captain Wentworth's point of view. It begins when he first met Anne before returning to the Navy. Amanda Grange's writing is easy to follow and has an easy flow to it. It's a good way to revisit Austen's novel without actually rereading it. Wentworth's famous letter to Anne was done beautifully and gives an interesting interpretation of the way in which things happened.

I adore retellings of classics as long as they are done well and do not try to be better than the actual classic. Grange does that. She writes well and stays true to who Austen designed the characters to be, but does add her own twists. She introduces us to Wentworth's brother, Edward, who was only mentioned in Austen's original work. It is also a real treat to get a chance to imagine what transpired between Anne and Captain Wentworth upon their initial meeting, during his proposal, and finally during the rejection. Grange also finally gave a real insight into Captain Wentworth's feelings about Anne, her family, Louisa Musgrove, and his friends.

Overall, I enjoyed this. And while the scene regarding his letter was done beautifully, it lacked the ability to conjure tears as Austen was able to do. This was my second book by Grange, and I did enjoy it. I'll read more of her work. I also read this as part of my 999 Challenge, under "Other Historical Fiction."

Happy reading!

All You Need Is Love

2009-02-09T15:52:00.006-05:00

Valentine's Day may have a reputation for being an excuse for greeting card companies to make money, but I still think it is a fun excuse to celebrate your love for someone. Whether that someone is a husband, boyfriend, best friend, or family member, it's always important to tell that someone that you love them.

So in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I decided to think back on some of my favorite couples in literature. Some of them have burning passion for each other. Others more or less have love that appears to be obsession. And others just seem to be the perfect married couple. Whatever they are, these couples bring a smile to my face and represent what love is. Who's your favorite couple?

*Romeo & Juliet
*Rhett Butler & Scarlett O'Hara
*Fitzwilliam Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet
*Jamie Fraser & Claire Beauchamp
*Captain Frederick Wentworth & Anne Elliot
*Noah Calhoun & Allie Hamilton
*The Chairman & Nitta Sayuri
*Arthur & Molly Weasley
...............and last, but certainly not least:
*Edward Cullen & Bella Swan

Happy Valentine's Day!

I Can't Live If Living Is Without You

2009-02-02T13:19:00.014-05:00

Cheryl over at Cheryl's Book Nook (see my links section to visit her wonderful site) proposed an interesting question that I simply had to address in a post because it made me take a step back and think. Even as I have formed my answers, I still question it. Anyways, here is the question:

If your book collection were on fire and you could only save three books from burning, which three would you save and why?

Talk about a Sophie's Choice moment! How in the world do you pick? You have to assume that you will never be able to replace these books, that is the only way that it works. My choices make me feel incredibly juvenile. But if I am being perfectly honest, these are the three books right now that I would absolutely cry over losing:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - I could never part with this book. It's adventure, a little romance, and is just an emotional roller coaster. I told you that it makes me feel like I am incredibly juvenile, but I really do enjoy reading about Harry's adventures, and this book is the one that I would definitely hold on to assuming that I would never be able to replace my books if they were lost for some reason.

2. Pride & Prejudice - It's historical fiction and romance, what more could a girl ask for? I love the story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's romance, not to mention Jane Austen's writing. I've read this story quite a few times and have seen movie versions more often than I can count. I don't think that I could ever part with my copy of this book. It would be a tragedy to lose such a wonderful novel.

3. Twilight - Again, it is a juvenile choice, but this book won my heart the first time I read it. It's no wonder either, since Stephenie Meyer wrote it with influences from Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Edward Cullen is the greatest literary "heartthrob" since Fitzwilliam Darcy, in my humble opinion. Yes, I definitely would have to save this book also.

I invite all of you out there to address this question! Which three books would you save from your collection if there was no hope of ever replacing them?

I Wanna Do Bad Things With You

2009-01-26T14:00:00.008-05:00

I'm a huge fan of HBO's vampire series, True Blood. The television series is based on the novels written by Charlaine Harris. The series is called The Southern Vampire Mysteries, or is also referred to as The Sookie Stackhouse novels. Sookie Stackhouse is the main character, a waitress from the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie is just an ordinary southern girl, who happens to be able to read minds. She always has longed to meet a vampire since they became legal citizens and began mainstreaming into society (don't worry, Japan created a synthetic blood to prevent vampires from feeding on human beings). She meets Bill, and the two fall in love. But falling in love with a vampire sure does create a lot of relationship problems. The first novel in Harris's series, Dead Until Dark, focuses on that relationship and all of the heartache and trouble that comes along with loving a vampire.

Vampires have made a super sexy comeback. First, Twilight emerged into the teenage market. Then HBO picked up Harris's novels and transformed them into a television series. Both have a sexy, brooding lead male vampire with plenty of other vampire eye candy (Emmett Cullen of Twilight or Eric of True Blood). Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse is absolutely perfect also. I think that the television show is almost a little bit better than the books, which is shocking to me. The secondary characters in the show are so much more developed. And Bill is much more swoon-worthy on the show. However, immediately after reading the first book, I ran to my library and snagged the second one and have begun pouring over it.

These are fast reads and are really great to take on a weekend trip. Or if you're looking for something light and are into vampires, I would definitely recommend the Sookie Stackhouse books.

Heroine of Heroines

2009-01-19T09:47:00.007-05:00

Well, no real surprise here! Your favorite Jane Austen heroine is none other, than Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She beat out the Dashwood sisters, Fanny, Emma, Anne, and Catherine. Elizabeth is the second child of the five in the Bennet family, all sisters. She's described as her father's favorite, and undoubtedly ours. She's sensible, intelligent, and quick-witted. She also wins the love of one of literature's greatest heroes, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Pride and Prejudice has an enormous follwing and has inspired countless unofficial sequels and reinterpretations. Here's a short list of a few that may be worth checking out for a little light reading:

*Mr. Darcy's Diary - Amanda Grange
*The Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series - Pamela Aidan
*Darcy & Elizabeth - Linda Berdoll
*Mr. Darcy's Daughters - Elizabeth Aston
*Pemberley - Emma Tennant

Those are just a few to get you started. Amazon has great lists outlining more, if you are looking for P&P sequels or retellings. Here are the poll results about your favorite heroine. Please check out my new poll and vote for your favorite historical fiction writer!

Poll Results:
1. Elizabeth Bennet........................27%
2. Marianne Dashwood..................23%
3. Anne Elliot...............................18%
4. Emma Woodhouse.....................14%
5. Elinor Dashwood........................9%
6. Catherine Morland....................5%
7. Fanny Price...............................5%

I Got An Award!

2009-01-13T09:35:00.002-05:00

Thank you to Amy over at http://passagestothepast.blogspot.com for sending me this award! I'm a loyal reader of her's and definitely love her blog. Thanks, Amy!

Things have been super busy getting started with a new session of classes. But I am currently working on a challenge that you all should do for fun! It's the 999 Challenge. Here are the rules:

1. All books you choose must be read between January 1, 2009-December 31, 2009.
2. Choose 9 different categories of your choice and read 9 books that fit into each one. (Categories can range from a certain author, a genre, rereads, etc.)
3. You cannot double dip. That is if you read Pride & Prejudice in 2009, you cannot count it under both "Women Authors" and "Classics" or something along those lines.

I thought it'd be fun! Enjoy!

A Post About The Host

2009-01-07T09:26:00.004-05:00

The Host is considered to be Stephenie Meyer's first adult novel. An alien species, called Souls, invades Earth and takes uses human bodies as their host bodies. One soul, called Wanderer, inhabits a girl named Melanie's body. But Melanie is not so willing to just hand herself over to her new host. The two despise each other immediately. However, Melanie gives Wanderer access to her memories about her true love, Jared. Soon, Wanderer finds herself falling in love with the memory of Jared. Together, Melanie and Wanderer make the dangerous journey to find him. Once she does, will Jared believe her that Melanie still lives on within her? Will he still love her? Or will he want to kill her since Wanderer is technically the alien enemy? The Host is an emotional and exciting story and deserves the classification of "Sci-Fi Lite."

I got this as a Christmas gift this year and I must say that I really loved this. I was hesitant about reading it because I thought there was no way that Stephenie Meyer would write a better story than Twilight storyline. And while I think Bella and Edward's story is better, this was still very good. It begins a little slowly with explaining the alien's ways of life, but begins to pick up once her and Melanie have a common goal. I found myself flipping page after page for hours without even looking up. I really enjoyed the story. If you liked Stephenie Meyer's writing style in the Twilight books, then this is definitely worth reading. Warning: do not read this immediately after reading any of the Twilight books. Give yourself a break first and then dive into this. She seems to have the outlook that true love is a physical need that is controlled only by fate. The Bella/Edward fate is played out much better than the Melanie/Jared fate. Hence the reason I suggest a break between reading the two. I found that her secondary male character, Ian, was much more lust-worthy.

I don't usually think about books being turned into movies while I am reading them. But this time, I just couldn't stop thinking about how much I would love to see the events played out on the big screen. As far as who I think should play who, I have no idea. I just really think this would make a wonderful movie. Come on, Steph, make it happen!

The Crowned Winner: Jane Seymour

2008-12-26T11:28:00.007-05:00

The results are in! Your favorite wife of Henry VIII's is none other than third wife, Jane Seymour!

Jane Seymour was born roughly 1508-1509. She was not a very educated woman, according to historians. It was said that she could read and write only her name. Her studies focused more on needlework and the instruction of how to run a household. She served as a lady to both queen Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. While she was serving under Anne Boleyn, she caught the king's eye because she was the anti-Anne. Instead of being hot tempered with dark eyes, hair, and skin, Jane was of a mild temperament and had pale skin and blonde hair.

Jane became betrothed to Henry VIII only a day after the execution of her predecessor, Anne Boleyn. It was said that while Anne was being brought to the block, Henry was riding out to Jane's home to secure her hand. She was soon after named Queen Consort of England. She was, however, never crowned. Historians believe that Henry refused to crown her until she did her duty as a queen and gave him a male heir. Jane achieved this feat when she gave birth to her only child, Edward (who would later become king). Shortly after the birth of Edward, Jane died.

Henry honored Jane in a manner that befit a true queen. He mourned her death and called her his "one true wife," because she gave him the thing he wanted most: a son. He did not remarry for three years after her death. The painting below was painted when Henry was married to his sixth wife, Katherine Parr. He said he wanted a family portrait of himself, his son, and his two daughters, with their rightful mother. When the painting was revealed, Jane Seymour's face had been painted in place of Katherine Parr's.

Here are the full results:
1. Jane Seymour....................27%
2. Anne Boleyn......................24%
3. Catherine of Aragon...........20%
4. Anne of Cleves...................18%
5. Katherine Parr....................9%
6. Katherine Howard...............2%

Thanks for taking the poll! Try my new one! We're going to find out which Jane Austen heroine is most popular!

It's a YA Revolution

2008-12-15T09:59:00.008-05:00

Is it just me or has young adult literature really taken on a new life form? When I was younger, we had R.L. Stine's Fear Street books and Ann M. Martin's The Babysitter's Club books. While I enjoyed them greatly, they are nothing compared to these new books that are all over the place!

I think it began with the Harry Potter books. I know they were intended to be children's books, and you'll find them in the youth section of a book store or library. But let's face it, they've turned into young adult books also as Harry turned into a young adult himself. It's amazing how huge these books became. I am obviously an enormous fan. Next came Stephenie Meyer's fabulous vampire series, Twilight. If you've read anything else I've written, you know how I feel about these books. They're so wonderful and really live up to the all of the hype that is centered around them. These two series have really made reading something "cool" again. There are obviously more young adult treasures out there, but I think these two series are real gems.

And that brings me to my latest read: Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty, the first installment of her Gemma Doyle series. It's about a girl named Gemma who has a vision of her mother's murder in India. She is sent to a finishing school in London while both mourning her mother's death and trying to cope with her new found ability. She struggles to make friends and deals with the catty mean girls of Spence Academy. Once Gemma finds her place at Spence, her visions thrust her into a world of magic and mystery that is far beyond her comprehension. In this first installment, Gemma struggles to understand the wonders and the dangers of possessing such magic.

This was a great read. I found myself constantly wanting to find out what was going to happen next. I think it's a great young adult read. It obviously does not measure up to Twilight's caliber. But the story is still a good one. It explores a different branch of magic that I personally haven't read about before. It's a world that mixes witchcraft with Victorian England. I'll definitely be reading the other books in the series to see what happens to Gemma and her friends.

I Am Mary Tudor

2008-12-09T19:59:00.003-05:00

This is the story of Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's first daughter that was born to Catherine of Aragon. It tells her story from her point of view and follows her through her birth, her mother's divorce, Anne Boleyn's rise and her fall, Jane Seymour's untimely death, Anne of Cleves's short marriage and continued friendship, Katherine Howard's scandalous fall from the throne, Katherine Parr's heretic ways, the death of her brother Edward, Jane Grey usurping her throne, and finally to her coronation. Yes, Hilda Lewis managed to get all of that into one book. It's a lot of information, but it's good information. It addresses almost every rumor that was present at court. For example, Mary expresses her feeling about the rumors that Anne Boleyn had a sixth finger and a mark on her neck that signified the devil. Lewis introduced many of the most important players in her life and in Henry's too for that matter.

This book was really interesting. While Mary is not necessarily my favorite of Henry's children, or my favorite English monarch, it was good fun to read a story that expresses what her point of view may have been about her father's marriages. It allowed me to get inside of Mary's head in a way that I had never been able to before. Hilda Lewis is a great historian and writes with great detail. Her novels are a bit epic, so be sure you have time to devote to finishing the book before picking it up. It's heavy and there's a lot going on within. If you like Tudor history as I do, you'll enjoy this novel about Henry's first daughter.

Up next? I need a Tudor break... so I will be starting another young adult novel called A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Hopefully it will be fun and quick, which is exactly what I need after this heavy historical novel. I've heard good things, so we shall see. Hopefully my reading will pick up a little bit and I'll have more book reviews a little more often. I'll do my best!

My Jane Austen Persona

2008-12-04T19:54:00.006-05:00

h
You Scored as Marianne Dashwood
Most girls can relate with Marianne on a more personal level than some of Austen's other characters. She represents the emotional longings and struggles that seem to attack and bless us at the same time. Loyal to a fault, passionate for experience and life, and a bit over-emotional, Marianne matures and grows (making her so beloved).

Marianne Dashwood
75%
Emma Woodhouse
66%
Elizabeth Bennet
63%
Jane Bennet
53%
Elinor Dashwood
47%

I've been putting off writing my paper about the 2008 Presidential election because I couldn't really care less about politics. So I've found another really fun quiz to find out which Jane Austen character you are most like. As it turns out, to my happiness, I am Marianne Dashwood. She's my favorite character from Sense and Sensibility. The first time I watched the movie version with Kate Winslet as Marianne, I thought, "Gee, I'm a lot like her aren't I?" Sure enough, this quiz proved me right. My second place likeness was Emma Woodhouse, of Emma of course. My third place likeness was Elizabeth Bennet (thank you very much!). And in fourth place was Jane Bennet (thank you again!)

I'm very happy with my results. No wonder these women are my favorite characters. They're the ones that are most like me, hence I relate to them much better! I hope you all enjoy this quiz!

Take this quiz: http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/jane+austen/Shellsabells/which-jane-austen-character-are-you-for-females-long-quiz/

Cast Your Vote

2008-12-02T11:31:00.003-05:00

No no, this has nothing to do with any sort of political voting. After the 2008 Presidential election, I don't even want to think about that kind of stuff for another four years. Nope, my vote is about the poll that you've probably already seen to the left.

I'm always curious as to who is the most popular of Henry's queens. Research has shown that Henry's subjects loved and adored Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves. But what about now? So much literature is focused on Anne Boleyn. Let's face it, she's an intriguing woman! I personally cannot read enough about her. But is she my personal favorite of Henry's six trials at matrimony? No, I don't think so. I started thinking about that and I would like to see what everyone else thinks!

So do me a favor and cast your vote! After Christmas I will post the results and recommend some good fiction and maybe even some nonfiction about the winning queen.

Meanwhile, I am in the midst of my finals for my teaching program and have been ridiculously busy. I am still working on my Hilda Lewis novel, I Am Mary Tudor. I'm about 2/3 done with it, and I really do enjoy it. I'll post a review once I finish.

P.S. For those of you who are looking for the Historical Queen quiz, here is the link:

www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-which-historical-queen-are-you-test

Which Historical Queen Are You?

2008-11-27T00:30:00.008-05:00

************************Elizabeth I*****************************
**************You scored 61% on ruling power!*******************

You are: Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603. With a childhood full of political intrigue, it was assumed that Elizabeth would never become queen. But she did, and as queen managed for a time to quiet her Catholic population with acts of tolerance, promote government reforms, strengthen the currency, and forward the growth of a capitalist economy. Highly educated, she also turned her court into a great center of learning. Elizabeth's foreign relations were uneasy. Always pressured to marry to form political alliances, she diplomatically seemed to consider it, but in the end always refused. Her greatest success was the defeat of the invading Spanish Armada in 1588 in the waters off England's west coast. Her greatest failures were the suppression of uprisings in Ireland and her long wars. During Elizabeth's colorful 45 year reign, England became a strong European power, a vibrant commercial force, and an place of intellectual accomplishment. The "Elizabethan age" rightly was one of England's most fascinating eras.
***********************************************************************

This was sort of fun. I did this while I was bored and couldn't sleep. I think it's really neat that I turned out to be Elizabeth I. I haven't gotten around to reading a whole bunch of fiction about her yet because I want to get through as much about her father and mother/stepmothers as I can. I do look forward to reading more about her though.

I would love to see what everyone else turns out to be! So I'll close this post with a link. Leave me your results in my comments!

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. Here is the link:

www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-which-historical-queen-are-you-test

I Fell In Love With The Lion

2008-11-23T21:33:00.005-05:00

So I know it's not a book review... but since I am such an enormous Twi-Hard, I feel it necessary to pass on the word about the movie version of Twilight to all of those doubters out there. Let me put it simply. Do you like the book? If yes, you will love the movie. I personally know that Robert Pattinson will haunt my dreams for a while after seeing his intense Edward stares. He was even better than I thought he would be. The entire cast was chosen perfectly. I cannot wait for them to film the rest of the books. In all seriousness, it really was wonderful. More than likely, I will see it again in the theatre just to catch things that I may have missed the first time around. I did that with the last Harry Potter movie and was very happy about it. So please, go see the movie. Get over the hype, because this movie really did live up to it. I promise. And if you are living under a rock and haven't read these books yet, do it. No joke. You'll finish them in no time at all. They're all quick reads and are wonderful reads.

On another note, the previews to Twilight were also something to be wondered at. A new trailer for the sixth Harry Potter movie was shown. It looks even better than I had previously thought. I hope I never grow out of loving these things. I may be 23, but I guess I'm a 14 year old little girl at heart.

A Beastly Prince

2008-11-17T16:53:00.006-05:00

This is Donna Jo Napoli's Beast. It is the story of Beauty and the Beast, but tells the story about what happened to the beast and how he got to where he did. Prince Orasmyn is in line to be the king of Persia when he angers a fairy. The fairy then condemns him to a life as a beast. Her curse will only be broken when a woman falls in love with him. Orasmyn, trapped in his lion's body, travels to India and tries to assimilate himself into lion culture. But his human instints are too great. He travels to France and finds an abandoned castle. When a man wanders into his castle during a storm, Orasmyn demands that he bring his daughter to him. The daughter who loves roses as much as Orasmyn did. Belle arrives, and the two slowly become friends and eventually fall in love, thus breaking the curse and returning Orasmyn to his handsome human form.

I loved this. It's the traditional fairy tale with a really raw and interesting twist. It is a book designed for young adults, but as an adult, I loved it too. It took a while to get into it as it explains in detail a traditional Persian ceremony. However, after this, the story really picks up. It is interesting to get a look into the trials that Orasmyn had to face. We all know what Belle went through thanks to Disney, but we never knew what made the Beast so bitter and resentful. This book sheds Napoli's interpretation on this. I'd recommend it if you're looking for something a little bit different. If you liked Wicked, you'll like this better. The language is easy to follow, and the entertainment level is there too.

My reading has been a bit sparse this month. My first semester of my teaching program is coming to an end, and of course everything is due now. But I am planning to start I Am Mary Tudor this week if I get the chance. I've heard good things about it, and it's about the Tudors... so I can't really go wrong there. I am currently looking for reading recommendations. I have not updated my TBR list in a really long time. I am open to pretty much everything fiction. Thanks ahead of time!

On another note, I know I will be the envy of every big reader out there when I announce this. I got a part-time job at my local library! I work predominantly in the youth department, which is really fun. Already I had a little girl, who wasn't any older than two, following me around and wanting to copy everything I was doing while reshelving. So adorable. So when I am not at home reading or doing work to teach my future students about reading, I am surrounded by books at work. Heaven for a book nerd like me! Happy reading!

The Fourth Wife

2008-11-09T14:37:00.005-05:00

As you all know, I adore anything Tudor. I especially love learning about all of Henry VIII's wives. I've a couple Catherine of Aragon books, tons of Anne Boleyn, and one about Jane Seymour. My Lady of Cleves, by Margaret Campbell Barnes, is the first book that I've read about his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. I haven't found a lot of fiction about her. I actually quite liked this book, and in turn like her. She is quite possibly the only wife of Henry's that was able to keep a content lifestyle once he no longer wanted her for a wife. You also get to stay with Anne while she observes Henry's fifth and sixth marriages to Katherine Howard, followed by Katherine Parr (he had a thing for Katherines, didn't he?) If you like Tudor fiction and are curious about wives other than his first two, grab this book. It's a little bit older, but the quality is still there.

I recently got a part-time job to help pay for my schooling at my local library (dream come true!!). While I was there, I picked up two Jean Plaidy books, one about Katherine Howard and one about Katherine Parr. So by the end of 2008, I'll have read at least one book about each of Henry's wives. Hurray!

On a completely different note, this is to anyone who has not read the Twilight series. You need to read these books. I know they're young adult, and I know that they are ridiculously popular and remind you of the Harry Potter mania (which I miss terribly). But they really are wonderful books. They're great fora young adult and for an older adult. I'm 23 and could not put them down to so much as eat. It pained me when I had to put my book mark in them and get back to doing work. You'll love them. And you'll finish the first one easily within 24 hours, I did. And if you act now, you'll even get the first book, Twilight, read before the movie comes out on November 21. You'll be able to find me at the theatre at midnight with all of the 14 year olds. So there's my two cents about Twilight.

The Wednesday Wars

2008-10-13T18:39:00.003-04:00

Well, like I said, I'm back. I promised to keep this thing updated, so here I am. I finished The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt the other day. It's about Holling Hooodhood, a seventh grader in Long Island, during the Vietnam War. When all the other kids leave during the middle of the day on Wednesday to attend their respective churches, Holling (whose church doesn't have Wednesday classes)has to stay with his English teacher, Mrs. Baker. During their time together, Mrs. Baker has Holling read different Shakespearean plays. Slowly, Holling begins to understand them as he applies them to his life as he grows from a boy into a young man.

I ADORED this book. It won the 2008 Newbury Award and definitely deserved it. It's a great book to maybe get young adults into Shakespeare and is also really great for adults who have already read some Shakespeare. For me, it was funny to hear Holling call Romeo a wimp, only to understand him later on. He walks around using Shakespearean curse words on his enemies, the eighth grade bullies. All of this coming of age is set against the backdrop if the Vietnam War and will have you in tears at one point in the story. You end up loving Holling and Mrs. Baker. I want to know what happens to him once he reaches grade eight. I highly recommend this one for both you and your kids. It's really a wonderful treat. I am pretty confident that you'll love it.

In other news, I'm really loving my tutoring that I am doing with a few high schoolers at Bexley High School. Things have been going really well and it feels great to know that I'm definitely on the career path that I was meant to be on. I wish I had discovered it a bit earlier, but there's no time like the present. I've helped a few students understand their subjects a little bit better than they did before, and that is truly the feeling that I've been waiting for with starting this whole teaching thing. All I can say is that it feels really good.

Up next on my reading schedule: My Lady Of Cleves, by Margaret Campbell Barnes. I have read nothing about Henry's fourth wife, so I'm really very excited to learn a little about her.

A Little Overdue

2008-10-10T09:36:00.002-04:00

Well, I wish I had good excuses for being so absent; but alas, I do not. I've gotten completely settled into my new apartment. Classes for my teaching license are going well. I began my tutoring at Bexley High School two days a week and love it thus far. My boyfriend and I celebrated our four year anniversary. I've gotten lots of reading done, but it almost isn't even fair to recap all of it. I will, however, post my September reads with brief reviews, then I promise to try to keep up with my updates. So here were my September reads:

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson - This is one of those young adult books I was talking about. It was actually surprisingly good. It's definitely one of those I wouldn't mind teaching to my future students because it's something they'll all relate to: cliques, mean teachers, cool teachers, parents who just don't care, etc. Decent read.

Drums of Autumn, by Diana Gabaldon - If you know much about my reading, you know that I LOVE Diana's work. This is the fourth installment in her Outlander series, and I must say that it's one of my favorites. It was nice to be able to see Brianna's life a bit more in depth and to get to know Young Ian a little better. Oh how I love it.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer - Oh. My. God. I think I devoured this book in less than 24 hours because I became a woman possessed. I thought that Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series was the fictional love of my life. But I think I was mistaken, because Edward Cullen, the vampire main character in this book, took my breath away. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.

Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse - Another young adult book for my class. This was a pretty decent one also. It's about a young girl living in the Dust Bowl (Oklahoma panhandle) during the 1930's. It's sort of a journal format, writtenin lots of short poems. It's very unique.

New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer - The second installment of The Twilight Saga. Obviously it wasn't as good as the first, but that's not to say that it wasn't fantastic. I haven't loved books like this since Harry Potter... which I know makes me a bit of a loser. Again, I'm very excited to read the next two.

Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult - An Amish girl is accused of murdering her newborn baby after giving birth out of wedlock. That makes the story sound simple, but it's not at all. This is my second Picoult, and I wasn't really disappointed. I enjoyed that journey for the truth that all of the characters embarked on together.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne - This story touched my heart. I can't even tell you about it, except that it takes place in Europe somewhere in the 1940's. Read it. It will only take you a day or two to read. It's fast and enjoyable and leaves you thinking afterwards. If I told you what it was about, it would ruin the effect the book has on you. Just take my word for it. Just know that it's incredibly haunting.

So there you have it. If you haven't checked out The Twilight Saga yet... you need to. I hate buying into things that are just popular and aren't able to live up to the hype. These books for sure live up to everything that you've heard about them. The movie comes out soon and stars Robert Pattinson as Edward (RP starred as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter movies), and he's the perfect choice. In other Harry Potter related movies... David Thewlis (Professor Lupin) will be starring in the movie version of the last book on my list, The Boy In The Striped Pajamas. If you check out the trailer on IMDB, it'll ruin the effect of the book... but it's still great.

P.S. I promise to keep this updated a little more frequently!

Another Nicholas Sparks Under the Belt

2008-08-11T12:11:00.003-04:00

Well I FINALLY finished Nights In Rodanthe. It's probably Nicholas Sparks's smallest book. So why did it take so long? Well, I'm so busy with getting ready to move into a new apartment and trying to organize my next two years of school plus am trying to find myself a job to keep some sort of income coming in now that my internship is over. Needless to say, Nicholas Sparks was not a priority.

However, the story was a decent one, as all of his stories are. It was a bit uneventful but still managed to keep me entertained. It's a story about finding love when you least expect it and losing that love just as unexpectedly. I didn't really care very much about the characters in this book, which is unfortunate for a Sparks book. Usually that's what drives the reader to be engaged in his stories. I was warned by my mother and my best friend that this story was not one of Nicholas Sparks's best, and I would have to agree with both of them. If your goal is to read all of his books, like it is one of mine, it's not that bad. But if you really want to get a taste for what he's all about,don't start with this one.

I know they're making a movie out of this book, coming out in September and starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere. Diane Lane is a perfect casting for this, but Richard Gere is way off in my opinion. Paul Flanner I pictured being rugged and sexy. Now when I think of Richard Gere, all I can see is his portrayal of Billy Flynn in Chicago. Either way I look forward to seeing it, so we shall see how successful it really will be.

Now I'm reading another one of Diana Gabaldon's wonderful Outlander books and will then move on to get another Jane Austen under that belt. Happy Reading!

Plain Jane Seymour

2008-08-01T10:16:00.003-04:00

This is the third book in the Tudor Wives trilogy by Laurien Gardner, titled Plain Jane. The story begins with her somewhat unhappy childhood, then following is her service to Queen Catherine of Aragon, through Anne Boleyn's seduction of Henry, and finally to Jane's rise to royalty, followed by her imminent death after bearing Henry's only son.

I personally really enjoy Gardner's writing. She definitely takes some liberties as far as historical accuracy goes, but that's why this is classified in the genre of Historical Fiction. It's not supposed to be 100% authentic. I've never read anything about Jane Seymour save for the mention of her taking Anne's place in novels that revolve around the Boleyn family. It was refreshing to dig deeper into Henry's past and his romances with a wife other than Catherine and Anne. As it turns out, Jane Seymour seems to be climbing her way up my favorite interesting historical figures list.

I would recommend Gardner's series (though I have not been able to get my hands on Catherine's novel: The Spanish Bride). Her books are very easy to read and keep you hooked and wanting to see what happens next. It is the perfect blend of history, fiction, and romance. In short, it's right up my alley. And if you enjoy Philippa Gregory or Diane Haeger, you'll probably enjoy Laurien Gardner also.

Next I'm taking a little bit of a break from the historical world... I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But I decided that I need to get a Jodi Picoult and another Nicholas Sparks under my belt. Hmm, then maybe I'll tackle another one of Diana Gabaldon's masterpieces. The possibilities are endless.

All About Anne

2008-07-26T13:19:00.003-04:00

This is my latest read: A Lady Raised High, by Laurien Gardner. It is the story of Anne's rise to the crown, then her equally alarming fall. It is told from the perspective of one of Anne's ladies, Frances Pierce. Frances was a nobody, the daughter of a baronet, that is a farmer. Anne sees much of herself in her, and decides to elevate her status. Frances's story revolves around her love and devotion for Anne and the love she shares with her husband, Sir Jack Carlisle.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a quick read, that is for sure. I finished it in about two days time. Gardner's writing style is simple and is designed to intrigue her readers who do not perhaps have a true grasp for the historical facts about Anne Boleyn's life. While this is obviously fiction, it is really quite entertaining. I would and will recommend this book to those who are looking for more accounts of Anne. This one especially because it portrays her from the perspective of someone who was behind Anne and believed in her virtue and devotion to Henry. It makes for a nice change of pace from the stories that always make Anne a horrible manipulative witch. Whether she was one or not, I don't know. But it is fun to read a familiar tale with a different twist.

This book is one in a trilogy about the Tudor women. Gardner also wrote a book about Catherine of Aragon (which for some reason none of my local book stores carry), and another one about Jane Seymour (which I will start reading later this weekend). I'm really excited about the Jane Seymour book because I've never really read much about her. I will of course post what I think about it once I'veread it.

On another personal note, I found an apartment! For one person, it's rather big and is also quite affordable. I was shocked to be able to find something that I loved and was able to afford on a student's budget. I move in at the end of August, and I can't wait!

Oh Ms. Rowling...

2008-07-22T11:02:00.004-04:00

So if you've been keeping up with my "Currently Reading" little widget there, you'll see that I've finished off my reread of the Harry Potter series. I don't know if it is sad or not that I am 22, going on 23 in October, and was completely engulfed in the reread.

I was talking to my best friend last night (hi Robin!) who is also 22 and just as *appreciative* of Harry Potter as I am. She is just about to start her first reread of the last book. We simply were discussing some of the more sad parts of the story when we came to discuss certain characters who Rowling killed. (I give no spoiler warning because either you don't care about HP or you've already read it, there's no in between.) There are three moments that I identified where I actually had to stop reading. Not because my reading headache had set in. No no, I've learned how to power through those over the years. And it wasn't because I had something else that I needed to do. No, it was because my tears blurred my vision to the point where I could barely tell that I was even looking at a book.

1. Fred Weasley's Death - Now I am a redhead. For the fifth movie installment, Robin and I made shirts for the midnight premier (I know...). Mine said "I Wish I Were A Weasley." And I do... Ginny to be exact. So needless to say, Fred's death was a kick in the face.

2. Dobby's Death - The elf loved Harry so much that he died to protect him. Need I say more?

3. Harry using the Resurrection Stone - I can't take it when he speaks to the spirits of his mother, father, and godfather. He knows he's about to die and wants to know if it hurts and wants to let them know that he will be with them shortly. It's ridiculous. Stories about child wizards should not be that sad.

I know it makes me a bit of a loser, but I really can't help it. Somehow I got sucked into this crazy phenomena when I honestly put up a valiant fight to resist it for a while. (Ironically, I caved once I got to college...) The sixth movie installment is due out in November. I guess waterproof mascara will have to be added to the preparations list!

P.S. I am not posting a review for Nicholas Sparks's The Guardian. Just read it. It took me less than 24 hours. It's definitely got the Nicholas Sparks romance, but it's also got some thriller/murder stuff going on. Wonderful!

Book OCD

2008-07-15T16:18:00.002-04:00

I am a little bit OCD about certain things. My books and DVD collections are alphabetized (books, obviously by author, then title unless part of a series). My clothing in my closet is color coordinated going from white (the lightest) to black (the darkest). I really like things to be at right angles.

But these things are quite common in people. I wonder if my fellow book nerds out there share this semi-OCD-like feature?

I love purchasing entire series of books. If one is missing, it drives me absolutely crazy, especially if said missing book is one of the middle books. That's not my OCD thing though. My OCD thing is that I like the entire series to be the same. That is, if I bought the first book in hardback, all following books need to be in hardback also if they're in my library. The same applies if it is paperback. My Harry Potter books are all hardbacked. The "Anne" books by Posie Graeme-Evans are all paperbacked. My Outlander/Lord John books are all paperbacked also.

It drives me nuts that I have the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books (I know they're immature, but the message is good!) and that two of them are paperback and two are hardback. Maybe it's crazy, but that's me.

The problem with this is that I adore Diana Gabaldon's Outlander and Lord John books. Since I bought them in paperback, I need to continue to buy them in paperback... which means I have to wait a long long long time for it to come out since they aren't released at the same time as the hardbacks.

Oh, the troubles of being OCD...

LibraryThing's Most Popular

2008-07-01T14:20:00.003-04:00

I stole this from a fellow LibraryThing-er and thought it would make for a somewhat interesting post since I won't have any new books to review... I'm currently rereading all of the Harry Potter books. So... just read and enjoy, feel free to respond and copy it yourself! I've done it a bit differently to capture the eye better. I will follow the instructions, but if I own it, it will be red also. If I've read it, it will be blue also. If I've read AND own it, it will be purple.

Here is the Top 100 Most Popular Books on LibraryThing. Bold what you own, italicize what you've read. Star what you liked. Star three times what you loved!

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (32,484) ***
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (29,939) ***
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (28,728) ***
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (27,926) ***
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (27,643) ***
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (27,641) ***
7. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (23,266)
8. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (21,325)
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (20,485) ***
10. 1984 by George Orwell (19,735)
11. Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics) by Jane Austen (19,583) ***
12. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (19,082) *
13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (17,586)
14. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (16,210) *
15. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (15,483)
16. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (14,566)
17. Jane Eyre (Penguin Classics) by Charlotte Bronte (14,449)
18. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (13,946)
19. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (13,272)
20. Animal Farm by George Orwell (13,091)
21. Angels & demons by Dan Brown (13,089)
22. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (13,005)
23. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (12,777)
24. One Hundred Years of Solitude (Oprah's Book Club) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (12,634)
25. The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien (12,276)
26. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (12,147) ***
27. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (11,976)
28. The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, Part 2) by J.R.R. Tolkien (11,512)
29. The Odyssey by Homer (11,483)
30. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (11,392)
31. Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut (11,360)
32. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (11,257)
33. The return of the king : being the third part of The lord of the rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (11,082)
34. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (10,979)
35. American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman (10,823)
36. The chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (10,603)
37. The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams (10,537) 38. Lord of the Flies by William Golding (10,435)
39. The Lovely Bones : a novel by Alice Sebold (10,125)
40. Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1) by Orson Scott Card (10,092)
41. The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) by Philip Pullman (9,827)
42. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman (9,745)
43. Dune by Frank Herbert (9,671)
44. Emma by Jane Austen (9,610)
45. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (9,598)
46. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics) by Mark Twain (9,593)
47. Anna Karenina (Oprah's Book Club) by Leo Tolstoy (9,433)
48. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (9,413)
49. Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides (9,343)
50. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (9,336)
51. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (9,274)
52. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien (9,246)
53. The Iliad by Homer (9,153)
54. The Stranger by Albert Camus (9,084)
55. Sense and Sensibility (Penguin Classics) by Jane Austen (9,080)
56. Great Expectations (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens (9,027)
57. The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel by Margaret Atwood (8,960)
58. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (8,904)
59. Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt (8,813)
60. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery - (8,764)
61. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (8,421)
62. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (8,417)
63. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (8,368)
64. The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition) by John Steinbeck (8,255)
65. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (8,214)
66. The Name of the Rose: including Postscript to the Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (8,191)
67. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (8,169)
68. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (8,129)
69. The complete works by William Shakespeare (8,096)
70. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (7,843)
71. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (7,834)
72. The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (Perennial Classics) by Barbara Kingsolver (7,829)
73. Hamlet (Folger Shakespeare Library) by William Shakespeare (7,808)
74. Of Mice and Men (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by John Steinbeck (7,807)
75. A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens (7,793)
76. The Alchemist (Plus) by Paulo Coelho (7,710)
77. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (7,648)
78. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics) by Oscar Wilde (7,598)
79. The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk (7,569)
80. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (7,557)
81. The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2) by Philip Pullman (7,534)
82. Atonement: A Novel by Ian McEwan (7,530) ***
83. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (7,512)
84. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (7,436)
85. Dracula by Bram Stoker (7,238)
86. Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions) by Joseph Conrad (7,153)
87. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (7,055)
88. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (7,052)
89. The amber spyglass by Philip Pullman (7,043)
90. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Penguin Classics) by James Joyce (6,933)
91. The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel (Perennial Classics) by Milan Kundera (6,901)
92. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (6,899)
93. Neuromancer by William Gibson (6,890)
94. The Canterbury Tales (Penguin Classics) by Geoffrey Chaucer (6,868)
95. Persuasion (Penguin Classics) by Jane Austen (6,862)
96. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (6,841)
97. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (6,794)
98. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt (6,715)
99. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (6,708)
100. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (6,697)

Dio Mio, Cara

2008-06-27T11:35:00.002-04:00

Rome, 1520. The Eternal City is in mourning. Raphael Sanzio, beloved painter and national hero, has died suddenly at the height of his fame. His body lies in state at the splendid marble Pantheon. At the nearby convent of Sant’Apollonia, a young woman comes to the Mother Superior, seeking refuge. She is Margherita Luti, a baker’s daughter from a humble neighborhood on the Tiber, now an outcast from Roman society, persecuted by powerful enemies within the Vatican. Margherita was Raphael’s beloved and appeared as the Madonna in many of his paintings. Theirs was a love for the ages. But now that Raphael is gone, the convent is her only hope of finding an honest and peaceful life.

The Mother Superior agrees to admit Margherita to their order. But first, she must give up the ruby ring she wears on her left hand, the ring she had worn in Raphael’s scandalous nude “engagement portrait.” The ring has a storied past, and it must be returned to the Church or Margherita will be cast out into the streets. Behind the quiet walls of the convent, Margherita makes her decision . . . and remembers her life with Raphael—and the love and torment—embodied in that one precious jewel.

Well, if you take a look back at my last posting, you'll know that Roman artists aren't usually my choice for literary focus. I can't decide necessarily how I feel about this book. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it my favorite historical fiction novel I've ever read? No. The love story between the two characters was very well done. It made sense where the transition from being stubborn toward one another turned into passion.

I guess my main issue lies with Haeger's writing. Sometimes it seems a bit repetitive in this book, which is something that I did not see in her other work that I've read: Courtesan. I wanted to scream if I heard Margherita referred to one more time as "the baker's daughter." We get it, she's poor and of a lower class than the famous artist. Ultimately, I did enjoy the book and am happy to have it in my personal library at home. I may even reread it someday when my TBR pile dwindles down a bit.

Up next? I'm rereading the Harry Potter series because it's been a year since I've read them all. Laugh if you want to, but I love these books and will gladly spend however much time is necessary to reread all seven of Rowling's masterpieces.

Those Who Capture My Eye

2008-06-24T14:39:00.005-04:00

No reviews today... I'm still chugging along on Diane Haeger's The Ruby Ring. I'm biting back comments that I wish I could make, but I will save it for when the book is finished, which needs to be by the end of the month so that I can add it to my list for the monthly report.

Today I was thinking about my trend in reading. I don't mean choosing historical fiction, because that's quite obviously what I am most often drawn to. But I typically also veer toward specific historical figures when choosing a story to read. Now, why I do this? I have no idea. Some because they were genuinely interesting people with lives that could read like a bad soap opera. (Come on, Henry VIII hooking up with Mary Boleyn only to trade her in to marry her own sister, thus breaking with the church and declaring his own divorce? All My Children or Days Of Our Lives would KILL for that!)

I think my favorites are stories about Henry VIII and his many, many, many wives. That sort of automatically makes The Boleyn family rather interesting and one of my favorites as well. I must have at least 25-30 books revolving around these characters on my TBR pile. And I am anxious to read every single one of them. Going along with Henry, the entire Tudor dynasty is intriguing. They, Richard III, and French courtesans capture my interest with only a single word.

My attempts have been to broaden my historical fiction scope. Hence why I am reading the Haeger book now... it is about a painter in 1520 Rome and the woman he falls in love with. But that's for another day.

Next post look for my review! Happy reading!

Third Time's Not As Charming

2008-06-20T16:55:00.002-04:00

This is her third book, and as you can infer from the post title, it wasn't fantastic. Though it wasn't awful either. In short, it was the perfect chick lit book that worked very well for the plane ride home from Mexico.

This one centers around three friends: Leigh, Emmy, and Adrianna. Leigh is in publishing and lives the "perfect life" that leaves her feeling slightly empty. Emmy is the one with only eyes for marriage and tries to make a life change to be a little more "loose with it." And that leaves Adrianna. She's one of the most beautiful women in NYC who is a bit Samantha Jones. She, naturally, tries a shot at monogamy and a job for the first time in her life. The story revolves around the idea of endless friendship and personal growth.

Again, I did like this book a reasonable amount. It wasn't nearly as good as her others, but it still was enjoyable if you like these chick lit kind of books, which I do when I need a break from serious historical fiction. Weisberger's type of writing sort of cleanses my reading palate. After all of the ones I have read lately, this book was a sort of breath of fresh literary air. Something simple and sweet and really easy to read. I just wish Weisberger could muster up enough storyline to compete with her best book to date, The Devil Wears Prada. I doubt she'll ever be able to recapture that magic.

I know I said I was happy for a break from historical fiction, but come on... I can't stay away that long. Up next for me is Diane Haeger's The Ruby Ring.

Mr. Darcy is Very Agreeable

2008-06-16T16:08:00.008-04:00

Normally with my reviews I post the synopsis information from Amazon.com. I feel no need to do so with this book. It is clearly self-explanatory. This is Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice told from Mr. Darcy's point of view. Generally, I despise when people attempt to reinvent a classic that is in no need of being reinvented. However, Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary is quite charming.

That is not to say that the book is reflective of the calibur of Austen's work, because it most certainly is not. Perhaps one of the main reasons that I liked this so much is simply because I love Pride & Prejudice so much. I will never tire of Elizabeth and Darcy's love for one another. However, I do not think that Grange captured the essence of Mr. Darcy as well as she perhaps could have. Bingley, Jane, Elizabeth, and the other Bennetts were done very well, in my humble opinion. She did fail for me in representing Darcy the way I think that Austen meant him to be.

It is rather interesting to see how Grange interpreted the scenes in which Austen only told us about and did not let us see: Lydia and Wickham's wedding, what Caroline Bingley said after Elizabeth left the room, and most importantly, what Darcy said to Mr. Bennett when he asked for permission to marry Elizabeth. Those were the parts that I enjoyed the most. It allowed for Grange's voice to be heard as an author as opposed to her trying to incorporate her style with actual dialogue from Austen's novel.

On the whole, I enjoyed the book. I will read Grange's other Austen inspired novels after I refresh myself on the novels that she interprets (she also takes on Mr. Knightley, Captain Wentworth, and Edmund Bertram).

Next up: Lauren Weisberger's third novel: Chasing Harry Winston. Come on, I'm on vacation, it's expected that I read a little chick lit!

Hola from Cancun, Mexico!

2008-06-15T16:57:00.005-04:00

In Holling's superb trilogy, it's 1597, and Scotland is no place for witches. After Alan MacDonell's wife was burned at the stake, he sent his three daughters away. Now he is dying and sends three escorts to bring them back to marry men he believes will protect them from the witch hysteria.Gillian is now to marry Nicholas Lyon, the powerful Earl of Kincreag. In their story, My Devilish Scotsman, Gillian is drawn to Nicholas and anxious to be a good countess since she has no discernable powers. Nicholas promised his best friend, Alan, he would marry one of his daughters, and that's all there is to it, but Gillian sneaks through his defenses. Then, just as he lets down his guard, Gillian discovers that she has powers as a necromancer, one who can speak with the dead.
Medieval Scotland comes to life in Holling's tantalizing trilogy, and each book is moving and engrossing, as each tormented hero is saved, not by the powers of the MacDonell sisters but by their love. Through her alluring characters, Holling celebrates the triumph of good over evil, especially in dangerous times, and no one should miss these fine romances.

First of all, greetings from Cancun, Mexico! I wish that I could begin to explain the beauty of this place, but it would do no justice. Perhaps once I'm back in the states I will post a photo or two so that you all can be jealous.

But on to the real reason you are here. I recently finished this Jen Holling book on my plane ride. As the synopsis says, it is the second in the trilogy about three witches from Scotland. The romance in these books floor me. I really end up loving the characters and am almost as desperate for them to fall in love as they, in the book, are. I find that these aren't quite "amazing," but definitely do not deserve to be shelved with those other really trashy romances with equally lame titles and covers. This trilogy is quite good. One of the things that I love the most about it is that you can literally read it in one day without taking a ridiculous amount of time out of your day. It's light and fun and exciting.

Right now I am reading Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary. I started it this morning by the pool and am already half way through it. Which means two things: 1) it's that good and enjoyable. and 2) that I spent way too much by the pool today and probably burnt my poor Irish skin to a crisp. Bah, it's worth it to get inside the mind of the greatest male character of all time: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Come on, how could any girl not have a crush on him?

Oh Lord John

2008-06-12T01:24:00.008-04:00

Trouble befalls Lord John Grey (fresh from minor roles in Gabaldon's bestselling Outlander novels) when he accidentally discovers that the Hon. Joseph Trevelyan, his cousin's betrothed, may have what those in 1757 termed "the pox" or "the French disease" syphilis. Before he can figure out an appropriate way to handle this delicate matter, he becomes involved in the investigation of the mysterious and grisly murder of a military colleague suspected of being a spy. Gabaldon (The Fiery Cross; Drums of Autumn; etc.) stitches these two plots together into a compelling narrative that also offers a wealth of juicy details about 18th-century London, especially its homosexual underbelly. Lord John, who reminisces about his dead lover, Hector, and the "lean, hard body" of an old flame, learns that Trevelyan may be traveling from one house of ill repute to another of a different sort: at the Lavender House, both buyers and sellers are men. Among his various trials and tribulations, Lord John must discern the identity of a mysterious figure in a green velvet dress spotted in both of these establishments and investigate the mysterious death of a similarly attired man, found with his face bashed in. Grey is a competent and likable sleuth, and Gabaldon's prose is crisply elegant. Her many fans will be happy to learn that this is the first in a series about the travails of Lord John Grey.

I finally dove into the "Lord John" series after falling in love with Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" books, which any historical fiction fan will tell you are fantastic! The tales about Lord John are not nearly as entertaining as those about Jamie Fraser, but I don't think they're supposed to be. Lord John's story is about mystery. Jamie's is more about his love for his wife.

However, I do not at all feel that the "Lord John" series should get as bad of a reputation as it does. I was quite thrilled with this book. There's murder, mystery, love, whores, and cross-dressing. What more could a book possibly contain? Look, if you liked the "Outlander" books, give this one a try and keep an open mind. If you go into reading this with the expectation that it won't surpass Jamie's adventures, then you'll be pleasantly content with it. I plan on buying the other two books in the series once they're out on paperback. Gabaldon's caught me again, and I am curious where she is going to take Lord John Grey.

Next up: Jen Holling's My Devilish Scotsman

P.S. I apologize if I am absent for a bit. I will be on vacation in Mexico and may not have time to get back on to post. But stay tuned, I plan on having lots to talk about!

The Winners... Drum Roll Please

2008-06-10T12:29:00.004-04:00

I have finally decided on the books that I will be taking to Cancun with me to read. Mind I have no idea in which order I will read them and I probably will not be able to read them all. And this is assuming that I am able to finish my current read before I leave, which I will work very hard to do in between packing. (My current read, for those who are asking themselves that, is Diana Gabaldon's Lord John and the Private Matter.) But, drum roll please, this is the list of books that are making it into my suitcase:

1) Amanda Grange - Mr. Darcy's Diary
2) Diane Haeger - The Ruby Ring
3) Jen Holling - My Devilish Scotsman
4) Sophie Kinsella - Confessions of a Shopaholic
5) Annie Sanders - Goodbye, Jimmy Choo
6) Lauren Weisberger - Chasing Harry Winston

I am really excited about these six choices. Although from my personal collection I could not have chosen a book that I wouldn't enjoy. Truly, I really want to reread the Harry Potter series because I've only read them all once (I'm ashamed). I am not ashamed at being 22 and wanting to reread those books. I am ashamed that I have only read them once... just so we're clear about that. I decided against them for the trip though because they are so heavy, which won't work with the weight limit that airports give you now-a-days. Regardless, I am very excited to get after this list and see how many I can actually read poolside.

On a non-book related note: I am officially a college graduate. I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. It's all very exciting and a bit weird. But mostly exciting. Starting a new chapter of my life.

My May Reading

2008-06-10T12:17:00.002-04:00

I belong to a community within my LibraryThing community called “Book of the Month.” Here, the members, about six of us total, at the first of every month, report on the previous month’s books we all read. We then go on to choose a favorite among out own lists. In January of 2009, we will review every book that was chosen from each month by all of us and then collectively pick a favorite. Whoever has not read said book, must do so (or we cut off a finger for every month that reading that book is delayed, we’re sort of passionate about this whole thing…. just kidding, obviously). But anywho, I realize that LibraryThing is not everyone’s thing. I decided in addition to sharing my reads with my LT friends that I would share it here as well.

1. Alexandra Robbins - Pledged- I had actually already read this, but really enjoyed it and wanted something kind of different from my typical fiction to read. It’s obviously about sorority life. Robbins shadowed a few sorority girls around their campus and wrote a tell-all book about it, including a bunch of research that she did. It was based on southern sororities, because as a member of an Ohio sorority, Greek like is not the way it is written about in this book up here. All in all, it was interesting. Something I would recommend every sorority girl to read… but if you’re on the fence about rushing, maybe don’t read this… especially if you’re rushing in Ohio.

2. Candace Bushnell - Sex And The City - Another reread… this one was in honor of the release of the movie. I generally don’t like this book because the television series was so fabulous (sorry to drop the f-bomb, but it’s the only word that can be rightly used). However, it is a staple book in every chick lit collection.

3. Jean Plaidy - Loyal In Love - Also called Myself My Enemy. I loved this book, it’s the story of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I. It mostly revolves around religion struggles but also focuses on the romance between Henrietta and Charles. I love anything Jean Plaidy, and I ate this book right up.

4. Michel Faber - The Crimson Petal and the White - This was one was tough to get through… not because it wasn’t good. It was phenomenal (and was my pick for the month). However, it’s roughly 850 pages. So it felt like it took FOREVER to read. It’s all about a prostitute’s rise from the lowest whorehouse to dwelling in a middle class home. Faber is called the “modern day Dickens,” and I think is just as brilliant.

5. Jeffrey Eugenides - The Virgin Suicides - I loved this book. It came in a close second place for my pick of the month. I always wanted to read this after loving the movie. It did not disappoint. It is very depressing and is definitely written in a distinct style. But it’s fantastic, in my humble opinion.

6. Georgette Heyer - Cotillion - If you haven’t gotten the gist of my reading preferences, then allow me to clarify. I love romances set in the past. Historical fiction with romance in it, typically regency writing or during the Tudor era… but I’m not picky. This was no exception. Heyer very much so puts me in the mind of Jane Austen, only different. She’s tough to put into words, but I loved this book. And it certainly will not be the last Heyer book I read.

So there you have it folks, my May reads. June will no doubt bring many, many more as I have a vacation coming up that will be consumed by reading on the beach. And since school is out, I plan on lots more time in the sun with a good book.

The Best Of All Time (so far...)

2008-06-10T12:16:00.003-04:00

It dawned on me that I have never actually stated what is my ultimate favorite work of literature. In my list of “Books Read,” there are only a mere 115 listed, because they are the books that I consider “real books.” That is, I have not included every R.L. Stine Fear Street and Goosebumps books I read when I was little. If you’re really interested in all of my 115, I’ll have a link at the bottom of this post to direct you to the wonderful LibraryThing community that I previously posted about. But I’ve deterred… my favorite book I have ever read (up until today: Saturday, May 24, 2008).

Pride and Prejudice may seem like an obvious choice. But I don’t care, it’s my choice. I am a self-proclaimed romantic. What on Earth is more romantic than the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth? The dynamics of that relationship are so realistic that it would make any woman swoon when Darcy finally realizes that all of his contempt for Elizabeth is actually love that he has been unable to express because of his inability to speak socially. Yeah, that was a mouthful… but I cannot get enough of this Regency world that Austen has created. It makes me so badly want to travel to England to visit Pemberly, which is there for Austenites like me.

I think that just publicly declaring my complete preference to this book has helped me with another decision. I will bring Mr. Darcy’s Diary to Cancun with me (if you have no idea why this is relevant, check out the previous post). Alright, well, as promised… I have included the link to my LibraryThing profile, where you can then go to my library. If you like it, join me!

My LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/profile/Hollister5320

Cancun Candidates

2008-06-10T12:15:00.002-04:00

My college graduation is quickly approaching (please don’t ask me what my plans are… I can’t take it anymore). To celebrate, my parents decided to take a family vacation (mom, dad, me, Matthew my little 20 year-old brother is actually much bigger than I) to Cancun in Mexico. Needless to say, I’m thrilled. I’ll get to travel to a new country that I’ve never experienced. I’ll also get to get a killer tan and just relax in warm weather.

None of these things are as exciting to me as one aspect of what this trip means. I am excited to pack. Not clothes, or toiletries, or beauty products… no, I am excited to pack my books (go figure, right?). In true MissHolly fashion, I have made a long list of candidates, that is which books (roughly between 6-8 because I read fast) I am going to take with me for the plane ride, the hours relaxing on the beach, the time to fill during lay-overs.

Choosing books to read while traveling can prove to be quite difficult. Typically, you’ll want to take something simple and relaxing. Something that will provide entertainment without making you think too hard. I mean, come on, it’s vacation, who wants to think? However, for a person like me who reads very quickly, it is impossible to read that much (remember, 6-8 books) mindless material in one trip. So what is a book lover to do? I’ve made a list of every book that I am considering taking (paperbacks only, you never know what the sun and water will do to your pricey hardcovers). Slowly, but surly, I will make my way through said list, reading synopsis, reviews, etc. to help me decide if it is an acceptable “Beach Read.” And then there is the guiltiness of choosing favorites. Perhaps only experienced by a true book lover, but picking one book out of your library over another sometimes feels like choosing which puppy out of the litter you’re going to purchase from the pound. Thank goodness the books can’t whimper because otherwise, I’d be packing one outfit to make room for the entire contents of my library. Regardless of the guilt, I have to limit my choices as books take up too much room and airlines now-a-days only allow you one carry-on bag and purse, if you’re female. I might cheat and bring a carry-on and a large purse that I can fit two more books into. So I have decided to list the “Cancun Candidates” I have so far. Warning, they aren’t groundbreaking, earth changing books… so don’t judge me! I swear once I return from Mexico I will tackle another one of the five remaining Jane Austen novels on my TBR Mountain (TBR= to be read). Feel free to give me some insight as to what you think I should be taking, or just skip over it.

1) Lauren Weisberger - Chasing Harry Winston - I know that I will be taking this because my mother is dying to read it also. She’s the author of The Devil Wears Prada. So this will be one of my mindless material books.

2) Philippa Gregory - The Wise Woman - It has witchcraft, love, and royalty. What more could you possibly want in a book? Not sure if its going to be a good vacation read, but I’m really excited to read this.

3) Jennifer Weiner - Good In Bed - Another good mindless material book… but with a lot of sentiment to it. This would be another book that I am sure my mother would borrow from me on the trip. However, the title would make me blush in front of my father.

4) Annie Sanders - Goodbye, Jimmy Choo - The title explains that it’s mindless: i.e. the perfect beach read.

5) Diana Gabaldon - Lord John and the Private Matter - My favorite author. It’s historical fiction that is incredibly accurate. I have yet to dip into her Lord John books… so I’m anxious to. But I’m not so sure if Cancun is the place for it. Then again, maybe an airport is.

6) Philippa Gregory - Wideacre - It’s another historical fiction that’s a little more fluffy than Gabaldon or the other Gregory work I have listed above. Not really sure why I wanted to bring this one, but I do know that she’s another one of my top authors.

7) Amanda Grange - Mr. Darcy’s Diary - It’s Pride and Prejudice told from Mr. Darcy’s perspective. I know that Austenites will hate that this is something to even be considered, but I can’t help it. P&P is one of my favorite novels of all time. My curiosity about sequels to it has peaked.

8.) Emily Giffin - Something Borrowed - I’ve been told that it is really adorable and well written chick lit. Again: the perfect “Beach Read.”

So I realize that there are eight total that I could take. But keep in mind, that those are the ones that I picked the first time going through my library. Lord only knows what will happen once I go through it again. Or, heaven forbid, I end up wandering through Borders with an open checkbook. Wish me luck on my pickings

I'm An Addict

2008-06-10T12:14:00.002-04:00

Confession: I spent an hour on Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s websites today looking for recommended reading based on my particular tastes.

Now the question is why did I spend this much time on said websites? Answer: my roommate, a fellow book nerd, and I have a date at Barnes & Noble tomorrow because there are two books she wants to buy and asked me along because she knows that I can’t say no. But, Holly, why does that constitute you being on websites for so long if you’re just going to the store tomorrow? you ask. Well, my friend, I was doing research into which book I would select for purchase to add to my library. I wish I were joking.

Most sorority girls will go to the mall and spend an obscene amount of money on clothes, or jewlery, or shoes. And while I love all of those things, being a sorority girl myself, I find spending $10-$15 on a book that will forever remain in my library such a more exhilerating experience. I feel this will be my downfall as far as throwing my money away goes. Spending that little a month may not seem like a huge expense, and it isn’t, even for a poor college student. However, the more books I buy, the more bookshelf space that I will need to purchase. Both fortunately and unfortunately, I do not see my library expansion coming to a hault anytime in my future.

I’ve had an epiphany. I am addicted to books. They are not just my hobby. I honestly believe that I am addicted to purchasing, keeping, alphabetizing, and treasuring them. I treat them as though they are my trophies because books deserve respect (something that your library “teachers’ in elementary school no doubt drilled into your brains, mine would be so proud. I have visions of someday lining an entire office with bookshelves that are over-stuffed with some of my favorite works. Perhaps someday it will economically be possible.

All of that being said: My name is Holly, and I’m a book addict.

Wonderful World of Disney

2008-06-10T12:13:00.002-04:00

Currently, I am taking a class at The Ohio State University entitled “Media Ethics.” I won’t complain about the course, or the professor, because that is not what a blog is for. However, I have begun to work on my final paper for the class. My topic, you ask? My task was to find a book that analyzes some sort of media and then find criticisms of said book. My assignment is to write an 8-12 page paper about what I discovered from all of this research. Here are a few opinions that may change as I read on, but for now… this is where I stand.

Disney is obviously a very influential source on children. The book entitled Mouse Morality: The Rhetoric of Disney Animated Film by Annalee R. Ward discusses this topic in depth by looking critically at the films The Lion King, Pocahontas, Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Mulan. Ward’s argument is that Disney films can teach and impose ideas upon children. The idea is presented that Disney films instills moral values that are normally instilled by parents and society more effectively.

While to a degree there is no way to doubt that Disney’s versions of stories effect children. I wasn’t a child all that long ago, and I still long to look like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I’ve got the red hair, just need the tail, the beautiful singing voice, and um… other certain assets that Disney has always been very generous with giving its heroines. But that is what Disney instilled in me a child: that women should voice their minds, be smart, tell the truth, and be beautiful. Perhaps I’ll get some hate mail by saying this, but I still believe that the perfect woman would be like that.

But Ward take everything to a completely different level. She doesn’t mean that morals are shaped as innocently as mine above. For example, did you know that the The Lion Kingis a very religious story? No? Allow me to explain. In the beginning everything is perfect at Pride Rock(paradise), where Mufasa (God) oversees the happiness of all. Then there’s the tragic fall (Mufasa dies). After the fall, there’s the desert wondering of Simba through Africa having been run-off by his evil uncle Scar. Scar takes over ruling Pride Rock (the reign of Satan). Of course, that calls for needing the return of a savior (Simba’s childhood friend Nala seeks him out to save Pride Rock). Immediately following is the destruction of the Earth (here, Pride Rock is slowly being destroyed by Scar’s hyennia sidekicks). But finally, the rightful king returns and takes his place as the savior and regains the thrown, thus making everything peaceful once again. Needless to say, SImba returns and everyone is happy.

If you ever had an English teacher in high school that looked for God in every book he/she assigned, this will cause those memories to come screaming back. Yes, I believe that Disney attempts to teach children valuable lessons. Are they preaching about the rise and fall of God and Satan? I really doubt it. Is it possible that Disney was simply trying to get the message across that being a good person and doing the right thing will always prevail over being a bad person? That’s how I always pictured it. Something tells me Disney would never force religious views upon children.

Can’t we all just watch Disney without looking for God references?

It's A Library Thing

2008-06-10T12:12:00.002-04:00

It’s a haven for book nerds everywhere. Here they not only can catalog the books that they’ve read, but they can also keep track of how many books they read per month, join groups that suit their tastes to get recommendations for further reading, and they greatest part of all: they get to communicate with people all over the world who also share a passion for books.

It’s an online book community called LibraryThing. (www.librarything.com) It’s a fantastic web site dedicated to the readers of the world. I personally have an account there and love it. I’ve befriended a woman, roughly 52 in age, that lives in England. Now if I’ve never mentioned, I live in Ohio. It’s amazing to talk to someone in another country about things that we both love. She’s in a sense become my pen pal. We both are huge historical fiction fans and recommend books to each other. It’s wonderful to have a connection with someone who is only interested in one of your passions.

Sloth and I (I call her Sloth because it is a shortened version of her handle) belong to a book club called “Book of the Month Club.” At the first of every month, we all list every book we read the previous month and choose a favorite out of all of them. At the end of the year, we compile the list of all of the nominated books of the months and will then choose the absolute best in that group as our book of the year. This group is on the small side. Its small size adds to its charm because all of the members have gotten to know each other almost as friends.

All of this sounds so incredibly nerdy, and maybe it is. But for the users of LibraryThing, it’s truly special. On a personal level, I’ve gained more respect for books and the authors who put their blood, sweat, and tears into creating these works. It also makes you want to read faster so that you can keep adding books to your shelf. At the end of the month, it’s embarrassing to only have four books to report. Granted my college life does not allow for much more than that, I’m hoping to have more time to dedicate to reading upon graduation.

So to all of the book nerds reading this — definitely check out LibraryThing, and go ahead and look me up. I’m Hollister5320. Happy reading!

Accuracy Not Included

2008-06-10T12:11:00.002-04:00

I would definitely classify myself as a bookworm. I have three different Excel spreadsheets: one that lists every “real” book that I’ve ever read, one that lists the books that I own for my own personal library, and the last lists every book that I want to read in the future at some point… all three said lists are alphabetized by author to ensure good organization so as to not lose a book somewhere in the shuffle. Clearly, I have a book complex. I don’t like to play favorites when it comes to books or their genres because I like to consider myself an equal opportunity reader. But I suppose I fall victim most often to Historical Fiction: typically love stories about English monarchs and their courts during the Tudor dynasty and other such periods.

It’s obvious and easy to recognize that these stories are not exactly historically accurate. There is no way to know the most intimate details of these monarchs’ lives unless they kept a detailed diary, which most never did in case its contents would end up damaging their position. The most recent example of popular historical fiction is the somewhat newly released movie, “The Other Boleyn Girl,” which is based off of the novel written by Philippa Gregory. In it, it depicts Mary Boleyn as having been deeply in love with Henry VIII while her sister, Anne Boleyn, was just simply a scheming social climber. If you watch Showtime’s sexy series “The Tudors,” then it appears as though Anne truly loves him and Mary was nothing more than a few months of Henry taking royal liberties with his wife’s ladies in waiting.

Whichever interpretation you prefer, it is important to keep in mind that they are simply that: interpretations of the past. All of this entertainment media gets criticized constantly for being historically inaccurate about the way in which some people died, or the romances that were experienced between certain characters who have never been documented. Philippa Gregory’s novels are for entertainment purposes. Television series are for entertainment purposes. While they may take a few liberties with the content in which they choose to interpret, they are very honest about being a somewhat imagined account of history. Perhaps this will turn even more people off to accepting this fiction. I, however, will be curled up this Sunday on my couch with my copy of Gregory’s “The Boleyn Inheritance” while I wait for the newest episode of “The Tudors” to come on.

Bringing Reading Back

2008-06-10T12:10:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I consider myself to be one of the last readers of my generation, which I believe is either X or Y… it’s hard to keep the generation letter straight sometimes. Anyways, my generation was born out of the 80’s; I’m an ‘85 girl myself. All of us, whether we attended public or private school, had English classes where teachers would force us to read. Generally, the students treated reading the assigned books as if forcing themselves to swallow a deadly poison. The Grapes of Wrath was equivalent to a spoonful of cyanide. Reading for pleasure was quickly replaced by the Nintendo 64 and Sony Playstation. I adored the reading and enjoyed most of what was assigned, with a few exceptions (I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to pick up anything Nathaniel Hawthorne ever again…). However, I was in the minority… “no one” liked to read.

So how was reading ever going to make a comeback? While many people will roll their eyes in disgust at what I think brought it back into popularity, it is undeniable. J.K. Rowling and her boy wizard brought literature back to the masses. The Harry Potter series not only made Rowling the wealthiest writer in the world, but it also turned huge profits for book stores as well. The genius behind the franchize is that it appeals to most ages, which drives book sales. I’m 22 years old and still was in attendence at the “Midnight Madness” party at Barnes & Noble, waiting to get my copy of the final installment. And yes, I had a t-shirt: “I Wish I Were A Weasley.” But the point is that I waited in line with 30-something year olds (who were not with children), and with 12 year olds.

Harry Potter may be a bit “in your face” with movies, action figures, and an amusement park opening in the next yearor two…. but it did bring reading back into fashion. The evidence is clear when looking at the other movies that have been adapted from books, thus launching the books to best seller status. Ian McEwan’s Atonement, Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl, etc. People like me, who gulped down my English teacher’s poison with the enthusiasm of a cheerleader on game day, are lovin