Read-a-Ton - Week 3

Sorry all but I have been totally obsessed with reading and saving the world. My first week off was very relaxing and a lot of fun. K and I got another friend into saving the world, of course this was unfair of us. This friend is easily addicted.

Week three of the Read-a-ton from Bubbles in my Head: a literature and writing resource. It's time to update my summer reading list. Because of the holiday I was a little late getting last week's list posted. Again, having trouble with the image uploads from blogger. Hmm, not good. Here are last week's books:

1) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. My boss, the March Hare and every female student I had this year tried to get me to read this. I tried 3 times unsuccessfully to read this. I couldn't get into it, and failed everytime. So I tried once more last week. I don't think this book is for everyone but in the end I really did like it. It's more of a Chick-lit book than I really care for but it is a good story. It's kind of a soap opera with vampires. If you read it, forget everything you thought you knew about the blood stalkers of the night. Those old rules don't apply here. Everything is different! There is action in this book but it is primarily a love story, one of those sweet and perfect love stories.

2) I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - A reprint of the 1948 novel recounting the story of Cassandra Mortmain, a young woman living on the edge of poverty in a crumbling castle with her somewhat eccentric family, whose prospects begin to improve when new neighbors arrive from America. This came highly recommended by the Dormouse and I have to admit she was right. It was a great book. Kind of Jane Austenish. Cassandra falls for her sister's beau but her sister really doesn't love him. Poverty, love, and high jinx - sounds like Austen or Bronte and I wasn't disappointed.

3) Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story. I read this several years back when it first came out but I was having trouble with the sequel (see below) and read it again. As before, I loved it but was amazed at how much I missed. The ability to read characters out of novels is a lot of fun and Funke doesn't disappoint. The world she creates is colorful and a joy to escape to. Her translator Anthea Bell does an amazing job. The translation seems flawless. I wish all books could excite me like Inkheart!

4) Inkspell by Cornelia Funke - Now thirteen, Meggie "reads" herself into Inkworld, where she, her family, and the characters in the book face chaos and danger as the original creator of the world frantically tries to redirect the story. I had such a hard time starting this. The first 100 pages or so just seem so slow. I've spoken about this book to a few people, some agree and some do not. Either way I was told to just keep reading. It is worth it. This time we get to travel into the world of Inkheart itself and meet the characters in their own place.

5) Ella enchanted by Gail Carson Levine - In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her. This is a lot of fun if you like fairytales, which you must all realize I do. There was a movie made of this book. It was a cute movie. Book is three times better. Ella is "blessed" by moronic fairy at birth with the "gift" of obedience. Things are fine though until Ella's mother dies and her father remarriage. The stepmother comes with her own two daughters, and her in lies the problem. There are princes, giants, fairies, balls, elves but as with any truly great twisting of classic fairytales - it's all different. Great book and a fun read!

Read-a-Ton - Week 2

Last week of work and than I am FREE until the end of August. The days just don't seem to be moving fast enough.

As I stated last week, I am participating in the Read-a-ton group that is taking place over at Bubbles in my Head: a literature and writing resource. It's been a great excuse to read and so far it's been fun finding out what everyone else is reading. You can pick up some great book ideas this way.

So on to this week's list of last week's reads. (Sorry - No pictures this week. Had trouble uploading them through Blogger) :

1) Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom - A bitter eighty-three-year-old war veteran who believes his life is meaningless dies while trying to save a little girl's life and finds himself in heaven, where five people from his past--some loved ones, some strangers--explain what his years on Earth really meant, and whether or not he succeeded in saving the child. I know this was popular when it was published but I never really got around to reading it. It's been on my "TO READ" pile for a long time. I figured now was as good a time as any and it left me. . .Sad. It's an emotional book. I don't think it should be one of those books you pick up for a good time. This is definitely a thinking book - thought provoking and at times difficult to read.

2) The House of The Scorpion by Nancy Farmer - In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States. Let's just say I started the week out with a bang as this is another deeply thought provoking book. Great read and it's a multiple award winner as well. Clones have little rights in the world of this novel, then again they aren't suppose to be allowed to grow and think either. This book brings up a number of ethics questions while encasing them in a great sci-fi book.

3)Briar Rose by Jane Yolen - The tale of Sleeping Beauty and the dark tale of the Holocaust twined together in a story of darkness and redemption. Well the hit's just kept on coming! This book is a classic member of the "Fairy Tale Series" - I'll be reviewing a few of the other stories in the series in the upcoming weeks. For anyone who loves fairytales told with a twist, this is the series to read. It's been around for years and had some big named authors pen the tales. Briar Rose doesn't disappoint. Again, an emotional read. Rebecca Berlin has grown up listening to her grandmother's horrific version of Sleeping Beauty. When her grandmother dies, Rebecca uses the "story" to trace her grandmother's life and finds the Holocaust. Wonderful book and a great fantasy.

4) Beauty by Robin McKinley - Kind Beauty grows to love the Beast at whose castle she is compelled to stay and through her love releases him from the spell which had turned him from a handsome prince into an ugly beast. From one twisted fairytale to another, at least I got to end my week with a lighter book. Beauty is more of a straight forward telling of Beauty and the Beast. If you know the fairytale than you know this book. This has to be one of the best retellings I've ever read. McKinley does an amazing job of creating the fantasy world. Beauty and her Beast feel real and you get to know them. Great way to end a week of heavilyy emotional reading!

Read-a-ton - Week 1

So the kids have finished and my work year is quickly coming to an end. This, of course, makes me excited about my own summer reading list. While surfing a few other blogs the other day I can across Bubbles in my Head: a literature and writing resource. I've stopped by the site before and always enjoyed what I read. This time, however, I was blown away by the owner's cool idea. Zoe, the owner over there, has come up with a reading "contest" that I think is just really fun. It's called a Read-a-ton, so I joined up. So about once a week I will be posting about the books I read the previous week. No worries, I still intend to do full reviews as often as possible.

So let's get started:

1) Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde - his 4th, and as of now, last book in his Thursday Next Series. This was a re-read for me. Let's face it. I think it's clear I love this series. I was surprised at how much I missed the first time around. You can find a more detailed review of the series and it's first book here.

Book Description: The resourceful literary detective Thursday Next returns to Swindon from the BookWorld accompanied by her son Friday and none other than the dithering Hamlet. But returning to SpecOps is no snap - as outlaw fictioner Yorrick Kaine plots for absolute power, the return of Swindon's patron saint foretells doom, and, if that isn't bad enough, The Merry Wives of Windsor is becoming entangled with Hamlet. Can Thursday find a Shakespeare clone to stop this hostile takeover? Can she vanquish Kaine and prevent the world from plunging into war? And will she ever find reliable child care?

2) Xenocide by Orson Scott Card - 3rd book in his Ender Series. Sci-fi soap opera, really but a fairly good read. Not as involved as the first two books in the series - this deals with more abstract ideas. You can read a full review of the series first book here.

Book Description:
The war for survival of the planet Lusitania will be fought in the hearts of a child named GloriousBright. On.On Lusitania, Ender found a world where humans and pequininos and the Hive Queen could all live together; where three very different intelligent species could find common ground at last. Or so thought. Lusitaniania also harbors the descolada, a virus that kills all humans it infects, but which the pequininos require in order to become adults. TStarwaysays Congress so fears the effects of the descolada, should it escape from Lusitania, that they have ordered eh destruction of the entire planet, and all who live there. The Fleet is on its way, a second xenocide seeinevitableble

3) The Angels of Resistance by David V. Mammina - I don't know. This was written by one of my brother's best friends and I liked it but. It's a little heavy and very nontraditional for fantasy, which this book is not. It's kind of an odd mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. I may have to read it again to understand it better.

Book Description-Join the Resistance- When an unfathomable evil force known as the Demon Plague mysteriously invades Earth, bands of valiant warriors must unite with each other in order to survive. A unique fighting force lead by a noble sage apprentice, Michael Miuriell, fights for their lives to defeat the demons and uncover the truth behind their arrival.

So come on all - start reading because summer is here!

Haunted House Dressing

Writing, comics, and an odd in a neat little way - Welcome our new tenant Haunted House Dressing: the official site of writer Jeremy C. Shipp. Click on our link and check it out, there is something for everyone.

Coffeestoned

I have been hooked on the sarcasm and wit of Coffeestoned since finding it renting on the Rubbernecker. So I was thrilled to find out they wished to rent with me! Click over and read. Go ahead - I'll wait. As for BE tourists, just stopping by for the required 30 second -click on this week's renter but make sure you open it in a new window so you don't stop the surf! :)

One of Holly's Favorite Blogs: Casper D Dog

You have got to check out this great blog about an American Eskimo Dog - this is Holly's breed so she gets excited. Holly and I have been visiting since back in the "Tao of Puppy" days. She loves coming up to the monitor to take a look at Casper and his friends.

One of Holly's Favorite Blogs: Casper D Dog.

Also - Our week is coming to an end so don't forget to check out this week's tenant, Paper Shell!

Paper Shell

Hey all! Thank you all for the advice and kind words concerning Monday's hurtful events. Wanting to get on with a brighter note, I'm asking everyone to check out this week's new tenant - Paper Shell. With everyone knowing how much I love books, is it any surprise that I should be excited for this blog of book reviews? Click over and take a look, so many different types of books and so little time to read them all.

The Bloggin' Bizatch

Okay so this is not for everyone but if you've got the odd sense of humor I do then I think you'll find the attached link hysterical. Check it out! It's totally worth the time to click over!

http://blogginbizatch.typepad.com/

Got Blog? Why?

JT, my younger brother, and I were just hanging out this afternoon. We do this every once in a while, get together to just catch up on the bit of fluff that make up our lives. Near as I can tell, we are really the only siblings in our group of friends that have this kind of relationship. I love this fact about us, but there are times we don't agree. Today was one of them. The subject? Blogging.

Now, as I've mentioned before, JT and I grew up in the home that estrogen built and technology forgot. The poor boy was surrounded by women and permanently stuck in 1979. The most high tech thing we had was a color television and cable. We still had a rotary phone in 1997 until J came along, asked me to marry him, and dragged my entire family into the 20th century by giving my mom a push-button telephone. Anyway, I digress. The point is that JT and I missed out on the whole early life of the internet and computers. While I had college friends and J to drag me kicking and screaming into the 21st century, JT has adapted more slowly. . .He bought a cellphone recently. For the life of him, he doesn't understand the purpose of blogging. He thinks it's stupid; a bunch of people whining about their everyday life. His major point is that most blogs are virtual diaries and diaries are suppose to be personal, not available to be read by the entire world-wide-web. After he said this, a lighting bolt hit me with understanding. As much as I wanted to disagree. He is sort of right. Not all blogs are diaries, some like my best friend's, deal with weird news or cool gadgets. However, many are journals, including my own.

So why do we blog? Why do we read them? I started blogging to talk about raising Holly and the difficulties I encountered training her. Then I went back to work and realized how insane a work place a school can be. I found myself wanting to write about books I liked or stresses I encountered. I think I just wanted to know I wasn't alone. This is what blogging has brought to me. I got tips from others about puppy training and honest opinions of my stresses. I'm sure other people have their own reasons.

But is he right? Is it a declaration of the way our world is going? Is it the same motivation that makes itself known through bad reality shows and gossip shows? Why do we blog? Why do we read? What keeps us coming back? Do we want to shout to the world that we are here, living and learning? Is it vanity or social? According to JT, blogging seems to be a sign of the final apocalypse. Do we dare to type another word. . .Yes?

Happy New Year! Happy New Blog!

Well 2006 has arrived and with it I am making some major changes to this blog. If your a regular you've already noted out change of name. Holly will still be a main topic but I've wanted to start including other things as well. Happenings in my life beyond puppy training, like work and books and all the little dramas.

My favorite book as a child was Alice's Adventures Through the Looking-Glass, with Wonderland being a distant second. As I grew up, I started to see how the insanity of life might mimics the idea of Alice's worlds. So here I am with the blog's new title.