I can't give this a typical review since it's most definitely not a typical story.
I think the main reason I prefer books to movies is that my brain has complete control over what everything looks like. Of course the writer gives you the main structure and usually puts in enough detail that you can envision the same thing they do, but nonetheless, I have final say in what everything looks like in my head as I'm reading. Keep that in mind as you read on.
Imagine, if you will, a land of tin woodsmen a la Wizard of Oz. The buildings are tall and metal. The people wear metal clothes. All is cold and made of alloy. Now imagine a countryside a la Hook. Everything is bright and colorful. It's filled with herds of anemic, tie-dyed sheep, who just happen to be the tin peoplies food. Let's push things even further by imagine that one of the woodsmen and one of the sheep fall in love and breed.
No, this isn't actually what the story is, but that's what my mind saw. Outlandish, yes! It's also the outer shell of a much deeper storyline. Each 'race' as well as their offspring have their own set of life beliefs and how they should be carried out. Every detail of each race has been carefully constructed with not so much as an idea out of place.
It's so difficult to review this because I've never read anything like it. There's a belief that the best way to learn a foreign language is to completely immerse yourself in it. That's how this book is. This is a whole world with different speech and characteristics than anything I've ever seen and Steve North just tossed me in and said 'Here! Go check it out!' At first, I was completely lost, but before long I was understanding the jargon and what was going on.
This definitely isn't a book for everyone. I did find it interesting, entertaining, imaginative and full of deeper thought issues. It was difficult to understand at first, owing to being a different culture. I did find that I began to care about some of the characters immensely and couldn't wait to find out what happened to them next, while others still lay flaccid for me. If you're into sci-fi or fantasy and up for a challenge, I say give it a read.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
All That's True by Jackie Lee Miles
One of my favorite things about being a reader is watching a writer go from 'good' to 'great'.
Andi is a typical teenage girl, with a few exceptions. Her brother has just died. Her sister's getting married. Her father is having an affair with her best friend's step-mom. Her mother's become a raging alocholic. Add to this the normal trouble of being a teenage girl. How can she ever survive?
Yes, ok, my description makes it sound like a teen book. I suppose it is. The chapters are a bit short and the sentences are succinct. I definitely think every teen girl would learn something from reading this book. But...it's not just a teen book. I'm an old lady (I use the term loosely!) and I loved every minute of it.
From the very beginning I was sucked in. Page one had me abandoning reality so that I could immerse myself in Andi's world. I barely even breathed for hours. Having read Jackie's previous work, I was expecting a good book. This one far surpassed my expectations. I literally couldn't pull myself away. She's become an amazing story teller. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Many of you know that I love coming of age books. This has to be my new favorite. I sincerely hope that after my sisters read it, they'll pass it along to my nieces. There are strong messages in the book that a teenager can only pick up from a friend, such as Andi.
I strongly suggest this book to all fiction fans. Just make sure you have a few hours cleared, a snackie and a drink close by. You won't want to put it down for anything.
Andi is a typical teenage girl, with a few exceptions. Her brother has just died. Her sister's getting married. Her father is having an affair with her best friend's step-mom. Her mother's become a raging alocholic. Add to this the normal trouble of being a teenage girl. How can she ever survive?
Yes, ok, my description makes it sound like a teen book. I suppose it is. The chapters are a bit short and the sentences are succinct. I definitely think every teen girl would learn something from reading this book. But...it's not just a teen book. I'm an old lady (I use the term loosely!) and I loved every minute of it.
From the very beginning I was sucked in. Page one had me abandoning reality so that I could immerse myself in Andi's world. I barely even breathed for hours. Having read Jackie's previous work, I was expecting a good book. This one far surpassed my expectations. I literally couldn't pull myself away. She's become an amazing story teller. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Many of you know that I love coming of age books. This has to be my new favorite. I sincerely hope that after my sisters read it, they'll pass it along to my nieces. There are strong messages in the book that a teenager can only pick up from a friend, such as Andi.
I strongly suggest this book to all fiction fans. Just make sure you have a few hours cleared, a snackie and a drink close by. You won't want to put it down for anything.
Pursuit of Happiness by Sheldon Greene
This book takes place during the American Revolution and stars a young man named Joshua. Though Joshua's family hasn't taken sides, Joshua agrees to aid General Washington by locating a shipment of French arms and talking a Jewish ship owner into running the British Blockade. Along the way, he meets and falls for Amelia, the wife of a brutal slave owner.
I'm having a really difficult time with this review because it took me several days to read it. There are days when I can easily wolf down three or four books at a time, but this one has taken me nearly a week. Honestly, this is my own fault and not that of the author. It's beautifully written, even poetic in parts. The characters are alive and interesting. It appears to be true to life and factual. The reason it took so long to read is that I had to take in every single word.
I've been sitting here trying to figure out exactly why I didn't absolutely love this book. There's nothing wrong with it. It's actually one of the best attempts at literature that I've seen in a long time. I think my problem with the book is that I just don't care about the Tories and Whigs. Ben, if you're reading this, I apologize. I felt in parts like I was back in history class my junior year. It was definitely more interesting than that ragged old history book I had, but nonetheless, it's politics and war. Overlooking that, this was a great read. Again, my fault...not Sheldon's.
I strongly recommend this to history buffs and those who love literature versus fluff. I personally enjoy both :)
I'm having a really difficult time with this review because it took me several days to read it. There are days when I can easily wolf down three or four books at a time, but this one has taken me nearly a week. Honestly, this is my own fault and not that of the author. It's beautifully written, even poetic in parts. The characters are alive and interesting. It appears to be true to life and factual. The reason it took so long to read is that I had to take in every single word.
I've been sitting here trying to figure out exactly why I didn't absolutely love this book. There's nothing wrong with it. It's actually one of the best attempts at literature that I've seen in a long time. I think my problem with the book is that I just don't care about the Tories and Whigs. Ben, if you're reading this, I apologize. I felt in parts like I was back in history class my junior year. It was definitely more interesting than that ragged old history book I had, but nonetheless, it's politics and war. Overlooking that, this was a great read. Again, my fault...not Sheldon's.
I strongly recommend this to history buffs and those who love literature versus fluff. I personally enjoy both :)
Friday, February 4, 2011
Ice Cream
I have become an ice cream junkie. I've never been a huge fan of ice cream other than visits with Gramma where we'd down a pint of cherry chip. That's not entirely true. When I was pregnant with both the boys I craved peppermint stick ice cream. I'd run to Wal-mart and grab a tub of it and eat it with a plastic spoon while waiting in line to pay for it. I suppose it's more accurate to say that other than Gramma and the boys, I've never been an ice cream junkie. That's changed though. I eat it every night now!
Today all of us are more conscious of what we eat than we were even five years ago. The main reason I never buy ice cream is that I don't want to pay the price for the brands that have ingredients in them that I actually recognize. The other day I randomly had a memory of a friend of mine making ice cream in her freezer. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible. So, I thought I'd do a little experimenting in the kitchen and see what I could come up with. I started off easy and I've become a bit more daring. What I found is complete success! I love this stuff and it's so easy! It takes less than 5 minutes to make and a few hours to fully freeze.
Grab a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Fill the other cup with plain old milk. Toss the liquids in your handy spandy blender. Refill the same cup up to the 2 cup mark with frozen fruit. I started using just plain old frozen strawberries. Toss in 1/4 cup sugar. Blend a few seconds. Pour into single serving containers and toss in the freezer. The end! Today I used frozen peaches and added just a few drops of vanilla and it was divine! I'm totally making it again tomorrow! If any of you make this, I definitely wanna know what fruit combos you try.
Note- You can add more sugar if you'd like. I like it with less sugar, but you can keep adding until it's as sweet as you'd like it. I also want to experiment using yogurt instead of whipping cream, but I haven't gotten that daring yet!
Today all of us are more conscious of what we eat than we were even five years ago. The main reason I never buy ice cream is that I don't want to pay the price for the brands that have ingredients in them that I actually recognize. The other day I randomly had a memory of a friend of mine making ice cream in her freezer. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible. So, I thought I'd do a little experimenting in the kitchen and see what I could come up with. I started off easy and I've become a bit more daring. What I found is complete success! I love this stuff and it's so easy! It takes less than 5 minutes to make and a few hours to fully freeze.
Grab a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Fill the other cup with plain old milk. Toss the liquids in your handy spandy blender. Refill the same cup up to the 2 cup mark with frozen fruit. I started using just plain old frozen strawberries. Toss in 1/4 cup sugar. Blend a few seconds. Pour into single serving containers and toss in the freezer. The end! Today I used frozen peaches and added just a few drops of vanilla and it was divine! I'm totally making it again tomorrow! If any of you make this, I definitely wanna know what fruit combos you try.
Note- You can add more sugar if you'd like. I like it with less sugar, but you can keep adding until it's as sweet as you'd like it. I also want to experiment using yogurt instead of whipping cream, but I haven't gotten that daring yet!
Free e-books from Sourcebooks!
I love Sourcebooks! I really do! Right now, through the weekend, if you go to their site they're giving away free e-books! Books include: Dreaming Anastasia, Love at First Flight, Lydia Bennet's Story and The Greatest Knight. I know that the last three are available only through Sunday. I'm not sure about the first one, but I say rush over and grab them all while you can! Enjoy!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Darcy and Fitzwilliam by Karen V. Wasylowski
I think the most interesting part of the Austen writing craze is that within this one tightly tuned niche, there is such a variety. Austen fiction has become it's on genre, but within that genre you'll find a wonderful range of writing samples. Some are dry and stick to Austen's original writing stance as much as possible. Others take great liberties and toss an entirely different story at you. The one thing they all have in common is the entertaining Darcy family.
This book takes a new order for Austen fiction. It's written in three parts. The first takes a look at Darcy and Elizabeth, exploring the gentleman in the story. The second tells the story of the officer, Cousin Fitzwilliam. The third takes both stories in hand and pulls them together. The writing is crisp and clear without being dull. It's one of the more interesting Austen fiction books that I've read. Though the characters are known and beloved, Karen adds a new dimension to them. Don't get me wrong, they're the same characters, but we get to have a new visual. Particularly interesting for me was the in-depth look at Aunt Catherine. She's still a hard-headed snob, but she's so darn lovable!
Two important points on this book: It's easy to put down. I hate to say it, but it's true. It took me four days to get through it. I loved every second of reading it, but it wasn't a page-turner for me. My second issue is really rather small, but it really annoyed me. The boys continually call Aunt Catherine simply 'Catherine'. I can't put my finger on exactly why it bothers me, but I think it's the lack of respect and closeness. I would never dream of calling one of my aunts by just their first name. I realize this was a different time, but I can't imagine it was more relaxed then. Wow! I sound so nitpicky! You all know how I feel about giving my honest opinion though.
If you're an Austen fiction fan, this is definitely a book to pick up. It's one of the better ones that I've read and I did enjoy it.
This book takes a new order for Austen fiction. It's written in three parts. The first takes a look at Darcy and Elizabeth, exploring the gentleman in the story. The second tells the story of the officer, Cousin Fitzwilliam. The third takes both stories in hand and pulls them together. The writing is crisp and clear without being dull. It's one of the more interesting Austen fiction books that I've read. Though the characters are known and beloved, Karen adds a new dimension to them. Don't get me wrong, they're the same characters, but we get to have a new visual. Particularly interesting for me was the in-depth look at Aunt Catherine. She's still a hard-headed snob, but she's so darn lovable!
Two important points on this book: It's easy to put down. I hate to say it, but it's true. It took me four days to get through it. I loved every second of reading it, but it wasn't a page-turner for me. My second issue is really rather small, but it really annoyed me. The boys continually call Aunt Catherine simply 'Catherine'. I can't put my finger on exactly why it bothers me, but I think it's the lack of respect and closeness. I would never dream of calling one of my aunts by just their first name. I realize this was a different time, but I can't imagine it was more relaxed then. Wow! I sound so nitpicky! You all know how I feel about giving my honest opinion though.
If you're an Austen fiction fan, this is definitely a book to pick up. It's one of the better ones that I've read and I did enjoy it.
February Pick of the Month II
As I stated earlier, I couldn't just pick one book. I had to include Jericho's book, but I also have to include this one. I love the book cover, the title and the premise. It looks to be a promising read. Most of the reviews declare it to be a successful dark comedy. After doing a little research, I came across a few chapters online and had myself a peek. So, I figure I'll give you a short peek as well! No worries! I'm a cheater! This is just a paragraph out of the free peek you can get at Amazon! Go check it out for yourself if you're intrigued!
By the time Marylou Ahearn finally moved into the little ranch house
in Tallahassee, she’d spent countless hours trying to come up with the
best way to kill Wilson Spriggs. The only firm decision she’d made,
however, was that proximity was crucial. You couldn’t kill someone
if you lived in a different state. So she flew down from Memphis to
Tallahassee and bought a house on the edge of Wilson’s neighborhood.
Doing so had been no problem, because she had a chunk of money left
from the government settlement as well as her retirement and social
security. She furnished her new place quickly with generic “big warehouse
sale” furniture. Back in Memphis she rounded up a graduate
student couple she’d met at church—a husband and wife who both
needed to give their spectacles a good cleaning—to house- sit, and then
she transferred her base of operations to Tallahassee, informing friends
only that she’d be taking an extended vacation.
in Tallahassee, she’d spent countless hours trying to come up with the
best way to kill Wilson Spriggs. The only firm decision she’d made,
however, was that proximity was crucial. You couldn’t kill someone
if you lived in a different state. So she flew down from Memphis to
Tallahassee and bought a house on the edge of Wilson’s neighborhood.
Doing so had been no problem, because she had a chunk of money left
from the government settlement as well as her retirement and social
security. She furnished her new place quickly with generic “big warehouse
sale” furniture. Back in Memphis she rounded up a graduate
student couple she’d met at church—a husband and wife who both
needed to give their spectacles a good cleaning—to house- sit, and then
she transferred her base of operations to Tallahassee, informing friends
only that she’d be taking an extended vacation.
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