tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44499417837687041732024-03-05T16:43:59.831-08:00The Moonlit Library of the Underworldnew book review every weekend
book news on wednesdays
book arena on thursdaysPersy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-67931077986215528582016-01-03T20:31:00.002-08:002016-01-03T20:34:43.957-08:00Persy -- 2015's Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://exit977.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://exit977.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015.gif" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
Hey guys. I'm alive. So is Arty (had a surprise encounter with her the other day actually), so that's good. But there's no denying that we both lead busy lives, so really this blog only gets updated when we have time and an itch to review a book.<br />
<br />
But my review of the year's reading is one of my favorite things to do, so here it is!<br />
<br />
My reading goal was only <b>110 </b>books for 2015. I set it low since I'd had so much trouble the past years balancing leisure reading with college life, but for the most part I was pretty ahead of schedule. Until the fall semester anyway, when life fell apart. But you know, that's okay, it happens. I still managed to rope my total up to <b>110</b> books even, with <b>24,639 </b>pages (plus quite a few unpaged graphic novels and childrens' books).<br />
<br />
The first book I finished in 2015 was <i>Sock Monkey Dreams</i> by Whitney Shroyer and Letitia Walker, with pictures by Michael Traister. The final book of 2015 was the classic <i>Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel</i>, written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton.<br />
<br />
I managed to narrow it down to <b>15 Fabulous Books of 2015</b>! Please check them out, because they are truly fabulous.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Sock Monkey Dreams</i> by Whitney Shroyer and Letitia Walker, photography by Michael Traister</b><br />
This is an awesome little book about a huge collection of sock monkeys and their day to day lives. So many pictures of them doing their stuff and little side stories and information. Each sock monkey is unique, and it's just wonderful. Even if you're not a huge sock monkey fan like myself. Fantasy/Art.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Blood Bound</i> by Patricia Briggs</b><br />
The second book in the urban fantasy series Mercedes Thompson. I genuinely love these books because they're not only just well-written, they also don't revolve around sex. Mercy isn't constantly swamped by lovesick suitors of various supernatural races. She actually solves mysteries, fights monsters, and fixes cars. Urban fantasy.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Living Hell</i> by Catherine Jinks</b><br />
This is one intense, terrifying scifi ride. I don't really know what else to say about it, except that it's intense. And terrifying. And that you should read it. Science fiction.<br />
<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i><b> and </b><b style="font-style: italic;">The Restaurant at the End of the Universe</b> <b>by Douglas Adams</b><br />
The great classics by the great author. Full of humor, truths, and adventure. And weirdness. Science fiction.<br />
<br />
<b>Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori</b><br />
I read volumes 13-17 this year and only have ONE VOLUME left of the entire manga. It has gotten SO INTENSE and SO HEARTBREAKING. And still so much fun to read. Shoujo manga.<br />
<br />
<b><i>The End</i> and others by Lemony Snicket</b><br />
I've had the great pleasure of rereading the entire Series of Unfortunate Events this year. Not only is Lemony Snicket full of wit and honesty, the story itself is interesting all the way until the 13th book. It was really awesome to be able to read all the books all the way through. Mystery/adventure/tragedy.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Wicked Bugs</i> by Amy Stewart, illustrated by Briony Morrow-Cribbs</b><br />
Anyone can tell you that I love bugs. I have a modest collection of entomology books. But this one was nice and specialized, with very cool and detailed artwork. A small volume of some of the deadliest bugs on earth, and not just the romanticized ones either. No, you get the honest truth here. Nonfiction.<br />
<br />
<b><i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2010/09/persy-night-gate-by-isobelle-carmody.html" target="_blank">Night Gate</a> </i>by Isobelle Carmody</b><br />
Of course this is here. I reread this book every single July. Of course this book is here, guys. Fantasy.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Click</i> by a whole bunch of people</b><br />
I'm a big fan of this book because it has very little continuity. It's like reading ten short stories, and yet together they tell such a huge story that it's pretty impacting. With such diversity in authors, you can get a whole lot out of this novel. Fantasy/science fiction<br />
<br />
<b><i>There And Back Again</i> by Pat Murphy</b><br />
<i>The Hobbit</i> in space. Need I say more? Science fiction.<br />
<br />
<b>Beauty is the Beast series by Tomo Matsumoto</b><br />
A short manga series that I had the pleasure of completing this year. I'm a sucker for shoujo, everyone knows this. But Eimi is the absolute weirdest main character ever. The series isn't the best (it's often real hard to tell who's talking), but the story and characters are really hard to not love. Shoujo manga.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 1</i> by Jerry Siegel and others</b><br />
Superman is the best. Sorry, but he is. And fifties Superman? Even better. Graphic novel.<br />
<br />
<b><i>I, Robot</i> by Isaac Asimov</b><br />
No, it doesn't star Will Smith. It is, however, very awesome. It's an anthology of short stories involving Susan Calvin, a robopsychologist, and each story offers something different. Many, if not all, stories tell something important about humanity, while some also involve a technical mystery about robots. Either way, it's all very interesting. Science fiction.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i> by Kurt Vonnegut</b><br />
It's told out of order, which is one of the best parts. The story doesn't make a lot of sense at first. But then it starts to make a whole lot of sense. Plus, Vonnegut is a fantastic writer. Pretty much every single line I wanted to copy down and quote at opportune times. Science fiction.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Betsy B. Little</i> by Anne McEvoy, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers</b><br />
An absolutely adorable kids' book about following your dreams. Perfect for everyone, especially dancers of any age who tend to get discouraged. Childrens'.<br />
<br />
<b>**Honorable Mentions**</b><br />
<br />
<i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> (Robert Louis Stevenson); <i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2015/06/persy-cut-by-patricia-mccormick.html" target="_blank">Cut</a></i> (Patricia McCormick); <i>Twelfth Night</i> (William Shakespeare); <i>Graceling</i> and <i>Fire </i>(Kristin Cashore); <i>Poison Study</i> (Maria V. Snyder); <i>The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks</i> (E. Lockhart); <i>The Sorcerer's Stone</i> (J.K. Rowling); <i>Being Dead</i> (Vivian Vande Velde); <a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2012/05/persy-i-am-here-vol-1-by-ema-toyama.html" target="_blank">I Am Here series</a> (Ema Toyama); Fruits Basket series (Natsuki Takaya).<br />
<br />
<b>The Few Foul Books of 2015</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>Warrior</i> by Bryan Davis</b><br />
His Starlighter series is just...bad. Badly-written, with unappealing characters and overcomplicated plots. Fantasy.<br />
<br />
<b>Corpse Party series by Kudouin Makoto</b><br />
This manga series isn't necessarily bad, but let's just say it's mostly gore and panty shots. Horror manga.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Serpentine </i>by Cindy Pon</b><br />
Again, this isn't a terribly bad novel. It's interesting, with a half-demon protagonist and monks and demon invasions and plot twists and lesbians and all kind of stuff. But that's kind of the problem, there was a lot of stuff that disappeared halfway through. Also, the writing isn't much to get excited for. Fantasy.<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Immortal Highlander </i>by Karen Marie Moning</b><br />
AGAIN, not a terrible book. But it did cause me to go on a feminist tirade (which believe me, I NEVER go on) because I was sick of how every female and male romance protagonists are the same in every stupid romance novel. Romance/fantasy.<br />
<br />
For 2016, my goal is to read 111, just one more than this year. Also, my only New Year's Resolution is to read Victor Hugo's <i>Les Misérables</i> before the end of the year (it's 1500 pages). So far I'm on page 7.<br />
<br />
How was your 2015 reading?<br />
<br />
--PersyPersy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-31100921348696679212015-08-12T16:44:00.000-07:002015-08-13T16:53:41.623-07:00Wednesday Scrolls -- June Review!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fastweb.com/uploads/article_photo/photo/2034499/crop380w_iStock_000027040526Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.fastweb.com/uploads/article_photo/photo/2034499/crop380w_iStock_000027040526Small.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
I, <b>Persy</b>, am here to kick off the review of last month. Which was a while ago. But don't worry about it. Everyone knows Arty and I aren't so good with schedules.<br />
<br />
In June, I read <b>15 </b>books, <b>7</b> being manga or a graphic novel. <b>3,044</b> pages total. Not bad at all for my reading life these days.<br />
<br />
<b>Best June Book:</b> Probably <i>The Restaurant at the End of the Universe</i> by Douglas Adams. You really can't go wrong with him.<br />
<br />
<b>Honorable Mentions:</b> <i>Ptolemy's Gate</i> by Jonathan Stroud, <i>Cut</i> by Patricia McCormick, and <i>Cryer's Cross</i> by Lisa McMann.<br />
<br />
<b>Worst June Book:</b> <i>Graphic Classics: Edgar Allan Poe</i>, a collection of Poe stories and poems that are put to comics. It was a pretty big letdown.<br />
<br />
<b>Dishonorable Mention:</b> <i>Fantasy Lover</i> by Sherrilyn Kenyon. A stereotypical guilty pleasure romance read, that didn't have a whole lot to it. Not awful, but not awesome (normally my girl Sherrilyn is better).<br />
<br />
I'm really enjoying my RYFBM! Unfortunately haven't been able to just sit and read for hours like I used to for RYFBM, but I'm still getting to reread a lot of old favorites. I hope you are too!<br />
<br />
--Persy<br />
<br />
Last month turned into "month before last," because apparently I, <b>Arty</b>, have issues with checking the drafts in our post list. But that's okay! Because in the month of June, I read <b>16</b> books, one of which was a graphic novel, which is a pretty fair month. Five of them were nonfiction, too, so go me!<br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Best June Book:</b> I read so many good books in June! It's either <i>Little Black Book of Stories</i> by celebrated British author A.S. Byatt, or <i>Through the Woods</i> by Emily Carroll. Both were anthologies of rather eerie stories, though <i>Through the Woods</i> was my mentioned graphic novel. Amazing!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Honorable Mention(s):</b> <i>The Gospel of Loki</i> by Joanne M. Harris, while not quite as amazing as I had hoped, was still really good!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Worst June Book:</b> Absolutely <i>An Ember in the Ashes,</i> by Sabaa Tahir. You can read my full, wrathful review <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1265148158" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Dishonorable Mention(s):</b> Don't get me wrong, the graphic novel portions of <i>I Am Princess X</i>, by Cherie Priest, were fantastic. I just wish the whole book had been the graphic novel, because the surrounding story was... less than thrilling.<br />
<br />
Coming up next, our RYFBM July Scrolls!<br />
<br />
--Arty</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-14323414718299768712015-07-25T14:28:00.000-07:002015-07-25T14:28:03.793-07:00Arty -- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415182016l/17675462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415182016l/17675462.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
We return after your abnormally scheduled hiatus! The Wednesday Scrolls roundup review will, hopefully, come next Wednesday - just in time for the July review, as well!<br />
<br />
Anyway, onto the review.<br />
<br />
I read <i>The Raven Boys</i> a little over two years ago, not right after it had come out but not long after, either. At that time, some of my favorite 1- and 2-star reviews were of Stiefvater's <i>Shiver</i> and sequels, so I wasn't happily inclined to it; still, I remember thinking that the beginning was intriguing and the writing wasn't terrible. After two hundred pages or so, though, I'd lost interest.<br />
<br />
It took a lot less time to lose interest the second time around.<br />
<br />
The basic premise(s) is this: Blue Sargent lives in a purely X-chromosomal household of psychics, including her mother and various aunts/friends. She has no powers herself, but everyone knows her fate: if she kisses her true love, he'll die. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of town (metaphorically speaking), obscenely wealthy 17-year-old Richard Gansey is searching for the lost Welsh king Glendower, while simultaneously holding court at obscenely wealthy Aglionby Academy boarding school. His friends - <strike>Sharkteeth Ooh Ha Ha</strike> hot-headed Ronan Lynch, the lowborn, timid <strike>Johnny Cade </strike>Adam Parrish, and the smudgy and otherwise un-nicknamable Noah - help him navigate both real life and the magical realm of ley lines and dreams and... um, magic stuff. Unfortunately, the two worlds are about to collide - because BLUE SEES GANSEY IN A CONTEXT WHICH MAKES IT PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT HE'LL DIE BECAUSE OF HER KISS! AND YET THEY DO NOT STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AT ALL! NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT!<br />
<br />
I will start out with the pluses. Stiefvater has no small control of the English language, technically speaking. She commits very few, if any, rookie gaffes that should have been caught by an unbiased editor. The whole book reeks of Pine Sol for writing - it's that polished. She has a good turn at atmosphere, too, and description that only makes you think she's telling you what to imagine. It's pretty cool, I'll admit that. If you ask me what anyone in this book looks like, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you; still, my brain still knows what <i>it</i> thinks they look like. Weird.<br />
<br />
And, credit where credit's due, the whole concept is great! There are ravens and Virginia landscapes, Welsh kings and Latin trees, psychics and ghosts, and what can be technically classified as "banter." About 92% of this book's dialogue is made up of "banter." It's like a whole <i>Avengers: Age of Ultron</i> battle scene, toned down to slice-of-life and stretched out over 400 pages.<br />
<br />
The problem is that the book is exactly as tedious as that sounds.<br />
<br />
For all the talent she has at building technically pleasant sentences, Stiefvater has no meaning of the word 'subtlety.' Even her subtlety is unsubtle. As rife with opportunity for drama as the book is, <i>every</i> scene is depicted as Very Dramatic. As a result, nothing is dramatic. It's all so one-note and drenched in Gothic Undertones, the whole effect soon dries out. It becomes wearisome. When Stiefvater makes an <i>event</i> out of Gansey talking about his hornet allergy, I stopped caring. The drama had no place to go because she'd already hit the drama ceiling.<br />
<br />
As exhausting as the constant drama was, Stiefvater's floral and self-conscious style is even more draining. It's the kind of style that feels pleased with itself, and how beautifully it uses words. We all know the old adage, thrown at as as soon as we picked up a pencil: "Show, don't tell." The only thing that Stiefvater shows is that she likes to tell. A line of dialogue might come after a paragraph or two of pretentious, self-absorbed navel-gazing by any one of the novel's four POV characters.<br />
<br />
Speaking of characters! Stiefvater loves her characters. Which is good. Always love your characters, if you're writing fiction. But along with loving one's characters, a writer has to give the reader a reason to love those characters, too. This ties in with the show-don't-tell thing, too, because Stiefvater <i>tells</i> us about her children constantly. It often goes hand-in-hand with the aforementioned navel-gazing, too, which makes the telling even more grating. I don't want to know what the author is saying about this character's thoughts about themselves or about someone else! I just want to know what the character is thinking! If I had to hear one more sentence about Blue's "strangeness," when all that showed of this eccentricity was that she embroidered Goodwill boots and didn't obey her mother, I would have screamed. I did roll my eyes a lot. The relationships between Blue and the "raven boys" happened in the blank space between Chapter X and Chapter Y; Stiefvater informs the reader that Blue/Boys are friends and bypasses any pesky relationship growth that might get in the way.<br />
<br />
<i>The Raven Boys </i>is increasingly popular, and I can see why. The writing style is ornate and dripping with prosody and metaphor. There are hot boys in all flavors. It appeals to the crowd that likes labeling themselves "quirky" and "old soul" while thinking about how they're not like the others in their demographic - as well as other, more sane crowds, but most noticeably that one. (Hey, I'm still a big fan of the Inheritance Saga - I can't throw too much shade at tastes.) And, like I said, the concept is so good! Not to mention that cover art. Dang. The covert art is why I initially picked it up, despite having Stiefvater's name on it.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, <i>The Raven Boys</i> does not live up to the hype. It's a solid-enough premise that suffers from theauthorloveshearingherownwriting-itis. It's a sophomoric attempt at writing an upperclassman idea. Which is sad. Maybe after Stiefvater graduates with some sort of concentration in "finding your chill," her execution will be better.Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-75755865361183361642015-06-18T20:48:00.000-07:002015-06-20T16:37:32.171-07:00Persy -- Cut by Patricia McCormick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41jIgmsYB%2BL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41jIgmsYB%2BL.jpg" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Callie is in a residential treatment facility for young women called Sea Pines. Except they all just call it Sick Minds. Most of her fellow patients are there for eating disorders or drug addictions. But none of them know why Callie is there. Callie doesn't speak. Not to the other patients, not to the doctors, not to the nurses. These days, even when she tries to speak, she can't make anything come out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But then one day there's a new patient: Amanda. Amanda cuts herself and is unashamed. She doesn't hide the scars -- she flaunts them. Not like Callie, who hides in her long sleeves and her silence.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the outside world, Callie's little brother has terrible asthma and her mother worries about everything. Her dad's job doesn't go so well anymore. A lot of responsibility fell on Callie every day -- but not anymore. Now she's just at Sick Minds. To get better, to get treated. So much led up to her entry into Sick Minds -- but will she ever be able to speak?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some reviewers have said that the characters are stereotypical and flat. This is true. But that doesn't mean they're not realistic as well. Take it from someone who knows.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You also have to keep in mind that this book is only 150 pages long. It's not going on an indepth psychological journey of each and every character. It's more of a statement. A statement about an issue that doesn't really get spoken about a lot. The book itself mentions that people with problems such as eating disorders or substance abuse are relatively "normal", but cutters and self abusers... those are just freaks. For an issue so big, it's remarkably ignored.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyway, back to the book. I finished it in one sitting, and not just because it's so short. I really got pulled in right off the bat. For starters, it's written a little like a letter. It's all addressed to Callie's psychiatrist, which is a really cool and effective way to do it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Also, it's incredibly realistic for only 150 pages. Admittedly, I'm a bit biased. Serious talk here, please forgive me, but I have literally been in Callie's shoes. I've spent time in residential treatment for the exact same reason, and reading Callie's story was practically a walk down memory lane. I don't know how it reads to someone without my experience, but perhaps the guarantee that it IS realistic will change the way you read it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's honestly not as horrifying as I was expecting. There is a deep dark secret, but it wasn't as deep and dark as I thought it would be. But that doesn't really take away from what's there.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All in all it's a short little book about a big issue, and you certainly won't waste any time giving it a read. I would DEFINITELY love to know what people who haven't spent time in a loony bin think of this little book, because it has to change your perspective. Y'know, just a little.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>You might like this if you</b>: like short little books; like books about mental disorders; like books that address big issues; want to know more about cutting and cutters; or if you are or know someone who cuts<br />
<br />
PS. DON'T FORGET ABOUT RYFBM!! Only a few more weeks!</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-30346816858955828512015-06-16T12:24:00.003-07:002015-06-16T12:24:52.522-07:00Arty -- Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361869639l/16280868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361869639l/16280868.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
You know the Moonlit Library is back when our reviews are three days late! It's good to renew old traditions. Anyway, on to the review.<br />
<br />
I'm here to tell you, not about a book, but about a story. <i>Alif the Unseen</i> typifies what a good story should be - it's the kind of story that you can imagine being told around a fire. Granted, that's a vague piece of criteria for a "good story," but I'd like to convince you with more evidence.<br />
<br />
Amazon's summary goes something like this: "In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients - dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups - from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif - the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the state's electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover's new fiancé is the 'Hand of God,' as they call the head of state security, and his henchman come after Alif, driving him underground. When Alif discovers <i>The Thousand and One Days</i>, the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen."<br />
<br />
Sounds pretty simple, right? WRONG. <i>Alif</i> is filled with twists and turns, characters good and bad and in between. It's filled with beautiful musings on technology and religion and myth and story and the interplay of them all. It contains awe-inspiring descriptions of the Middle Eastern setting and of the supernatural elements that drag you right into the story. It's also very often pretty hilarious. But don't get me wrong - Wilson is never didactic with any of these topics. The characters are the perfect vehicles for the themes and topics that come up in this story.<br />
<br />
Alif is a fantastic non-hero. He's a pretty typical basement-dwelling computer geek, except that he's really, really good at what he does. He's something of a technological prodigy, and yet he's also a really normal dude. His problems start because he goes gung-ho with a blocking program after he's <i>dumped by his girlfriend.</i> He's fifty shades of pathetic, and that makes him flawed, understandable, and endearing, all at the same time. Both his strengths and his flaws are a huge influence on how he reacts to the story going on around him. Wilson handles the humanity of her main character flawlessly.<br />
<br />
The supporting characters are so good, too! Wow! Alif's childhood friend, Dina, shines as a sort of "primary side char," who never acts or speaks as if her only purpose in the novel is to be Alif's moral center (though she does sometimes fill that role). She's a well-rounded character with her own life and motivations, strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, Vikram, the first jinn that Alif meets, is a wonderful example of how to write an inhuman character. He's snarky, insensitive to humans' needs, and not always exactly moral as Alif would prefer. But he's <i>real</i>, as real as any of the other characters. The other, lesser side chars - the American convert, Alif's hacker friend, the Sheikh, the other jinn - not to mention the villainous characters, are just as well-drawn, just as real. In short, the characters never felt like characters who existed only as soon as they came on the page; they felt like they had always existed, and the story was just a part of their very real lives.<br />
<br />
Like I mentioned, there's a lot of musings on religion and faith, and on art and technology. They're organically drawn into the plot of the story, which is, after all, based on computer technology and Arabic literature (mainly <i>The Thousand and One Nights</i> and the Quran). Not only are they not shoehorned in like sermons or platitudes, they're <i>required </i>by the story. It's a story that <i>needs</i> an intelligent, sensitive handling of faith and art, and Wilson delivers. Does she deliver.<br />
<br />
All that rambling about pros (and nothing about cons) to say, read this book. Wilson writes beautifully about beautiful topics and beautiful characters. It's a must-read for anyone who likes good books. Period.Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-6689373790121119072015-06-10T14:45:00.001-07:002015-06-10T14:45:51.004-07:00Wednesday Scrolls -- May Review!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://files.smashingmagazine.com/wallpapers/may-12/may-12-youmayrain__53-calendar-1280x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://files.smashingmagazine.com/wallpapers/may-12/may-12-youmayrain__53-calendar-1280x800.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
When I, <b>Persy,</b> said we were back, I MEANT IT. Here we are to give you a summary of our May reading!<br />
<br />
In May, I read <b>12</b> books, <b>6</b> of them being manga and <b>1</b> a collection of comic books I considered to equal a graphic novel. All of this added up to <b>2788</b>, which really is quite good for me these days.<br />
<br />
<b>Best May Book: </b>This ends up going to Volume 6 of Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura. I just love this series so much. Even if you don't like Manga, you should read it or watch the anime, 'cause it just makes me happy.<br />
<br />
<b>Honorable Mention(s):</b> <i>Catching Fire</i> by Suzanne Collins, <i>Breakfast at Tiffany's and Other Stories</i> by Truman Capote, <a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2015/06/persy-crystal-cave-by-mary-stewart.html" target="_blank"><i>The Crystal Cave</i> by Mary Stewart</a>, and Volume 14 of Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori (of course).<br />
<br />
<b>Worst May Book:</b> Volume 6 of Corpse Party: Blood Covered by Makoto Kudouin. Really it's not that bad, but it's hardly art, y'know? Mostly pantie shots and gore. It just ends winning this award because I didn't read anything truly bad this month.<br />
<br />
<b>Dishonorable Mention(s):</b> There isn't one!<br />
<br />
So far my June has been pretty good, and don't forget that July is RYFBM! Reread Your Favorite Book Month!<br />
<br />
--Persy<br />
<br />
<br />
Welcome back, guys! Or maybe I should be saying that to Persy and myself. Oh, well.<br />
<br />
In the month of May, I read <b>13 </b>books. <b>One</b> of them was a two-shot manga and <b>one</b> was a comic collection. As usual, I'm lazy, and don't keep track of page count - I just count 13 to be pretty good for being out of the country for a week!<br />
<br />
<b>Best May Book:</b> It's really a tie between the fairly new <i>Alif the Unseen</i>, by G. Willow Wilson, and the ever-classic <i>Cyrano de Bergerac</i> by Edmond Rostand. It should probably go to <i>Alif</i>, though, since everyone knows that Cyrano is amazing. And <i>Alif</i> was fantastic! Go read it!<br />
<br />
<b>Honorable Mention(s):</b> <i>Peaches</i> by Jodi Lynn Anderson and <i>How To Read Literature Like A Professor </i>by Thomas C. Foster.<br />
<br />
<b>Worst May Book:</b> <i>Liars, Inc.</i> by Paula Stokes. Sigh. Incredibly generic for a pretty well-promoted YA serving,<i> </i>and the ending was an inch shy of preposterous.<br />
<br />
<b>Dishonorable Mention(s):</b> <i>Mordred</i> by Vivian Vande Velde was a shocking departure for the generally super-quality Ms. Velde. Boring, and barely even <i>about</i> Mordred, really - more about OCs and a disappointingly-drawn Nimue than the angst-ridden titular character. Sigh again.<br />
<br />
Get ready for RYFB Month - July will be here before you realize it!<br />
<br />
--ArtyPersy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-83553384230312625502015-06-05T13:53:00.001-07:002015-06-05T13:53:30.930-07:00Persy -- The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514rPcMUB%2BL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514rPcMUB%2BL.jpg" height="320" width="203" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
King Arthur and Merlin and all those chaps have been a part of legend ever since they actually existed, and it's practically a genre unto itself. Sometimes it focuses on Merlin, sometimes Arthur, sometimes Lancelot, sometimes Guinevere, sometimes someone completely random. But the Arthurian legends are still going strong today.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sorry, we're studying Anglo-Norman literature in my English class right now, so I'm trying not to slip into essay mode. Focus.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Myrddin Emrys is the bastard son of Lady Niniane, daughter of the king of Britain in Maridunum. No one knows who his father is, for Niniane refuses to tell a single soul, even her father the king. It is widely believed that little Merlin (affectionately called so by his mother and others) is the son of the demon or the devil himself, for sometimes he knows things he shouldn't and has a tendency to overhear a great many things.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One day Merlin finds himself in a cave and encounters a wise old man named Galapas, who teaches Merlin many things. Not long after this, Merlin is forced to flee the castle and ends up crossing the sea to Cornwall and in the service of Ambrosius, outcast prince. With Merlin's often supernatural assistance, Ambrosius and his brother Uther just might be able to retake all of Britain and drive the hated Saxons out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Okay, so that summary is a bit crap, but I'm not super good at all of the Saxons war Britain king stuff. I followed along fine while I was reading, but it's not exactly what stuck with me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />What <i>did</i> stick was all of Merlin's adventures and powers. I really like how Mary Stewart writes him, starting with his toddler years and gradually following him as he grows up. He's not an amazing sorcerer, but no one will believe him when he tells them. He actually is just very very intelligent and likes to learn about everything. True, he's prone to a few destinies and visions every now and again... but really, he's not a <i>magician.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Normally I don't read a lot of epic fantasy or even Arthurian tales in general -- it's just never been my forté. Arty's usually the one who reads that stuff. So I entered <i>The Crystal Cave</i> without much excitement. But I actually really enjoyed the whole adventure. It's definitely an epic in the sense that it moves along slowly at its own pace, unhurried and in no rush to get to the action. There's a lot of description of the war and the tactics of Ambrosius, which makes sense because it concerns Merlin quite a lot. Mary Stewart has some very nice writing suited to the genre she's chosen, though if you like fast-paced fantasy adventure then this isn't the book for you.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What really kept me reading was Merlin himself. His personality is just great. He's very no-nonsense, a bit brash, but also extremely level-headed as he matures into a young man. He knows how to use his brains and his luck, and is extremely good at coming up with something in the moment. No one else likes him much, but in the age he lived in, he wasn't exactly the popular type. Personally, I'd love to hang out with him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you like historical epic fantasy and/or Arthurian legends, this is definitely the book for you. There are few more books in Mary Stewart's Arthurian Saga, and I look forward to reading those at some point. They just take a long time to get through because they're each over 500 pages. Not exactly light reading.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It feels great to be reviewing books again. Let's hope it lasts!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>You might like this if you:</b> like historical epic fantasy; like Arthurian legends; like Arthurian retellings; like Merlin; like magic that's not actually magic but everyone insists is magic; like historical battle fantasy stuff; or if you sometimes have weird visions that cause all your friends to make the sign against evil and make everyone think your absent father is the devil.</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-38847406614999515762015-06-03T19:44:00.000-07:002015-06-03T19:44:05.303-07:00Wednesday Scrolls -- RYFBM!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
It has literally been a year since the last post on this blog. Please forgive us, we are both poor busy college students.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even though it's summer, we're both still rather busy, but I got the urge to review a book (look forward to it this weekend), plus it's almost July! No matter how busy I am, you know I'll never miss...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
RYFBM!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, in the past it went by another name. RAMFAP. But... okay, so I'm in college and... y'know. That could be taken another way. I'm sorry.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So it is now Reread Your Favorite Books Month! Not quite as catchy, but it still gets the point across. Plus it's actually easier to say.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyway, it's my favorite month of the year. I get so stoked for this. I've got my list all planned out, and it took a lot of self control not to go ahead and get all my books out in a neat orderly stack.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope you take this opportunity to reread a few of your favorite books, and I hope you forgive us for being so MIA all the time!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-61475193719924109452014-06-30T20:29:00.002-07:002015-06-03T19:45:10.948-07:00RAMFAP Is Here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGD-KicMekdWfVyBkMervzVMPmdgfPVjNcYs0EoWn267hfHi1mPuutP9gE6tdNAkg3PJwFYbC7dIiRW7pc6cU_uLpMW-aqGHrbV614KtnP2Fab8jBeLCj1tMo4Ka_hV4gmYxvtlq6CoU/s1600/IMG_1910%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGD-KicMekdWfVyBkMervzVMPmdgfPVjNcYs0EoWn267hfHi1mPuutP9gE6tdNAkg3PJwFYbC7dIiRW7pc6cU_uLpMW-aqGHrbV614KtnP2Fab8jBeLCj1tMo4Ka_hV4gmYxvtlq6CoU/s1600/IMG_1910%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know we haven't exactly been punctual lately, but there's one thing that I still take deathly serious.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
RAMFAP MONTH.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That's right, I'm sitting here counting down the hours, artfully arranging the first five books on my list, ready to snatch up the first one and start reading. I'm so pumped for this. I don't get pumped for anything except marathon reading.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For those of you who may not know, RAMFAP month is Reread As Many Favorites As Possible month. Technically, you don't have to read fifteen thousand. You can just read one, and you'll still have participated. I encourage everyone to participate, because sometimes you just need to sit down and read an old favorite, y'know?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So let me know if you take part in RAMFAP 2014! What are you reading this July?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-14206754961309729402014-06-02T10:28:00.001-07:002014-06-02T10:28:46.095-07:00Persy -- Starlighter by Bryan Davis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/main2/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/StarlighterCoverArt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/main2/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/StarlighterCoverArt.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What's this?? A REVIEW??? Did anyone else know those ever happened here? Seriously, it's been like, two or three months. Sorry about that. My bad.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jason's a young man living on the human world where few people still believe the stories of dragons and human slaves. But his brother is one of those few, determined to save the people who, a century ago, were captured by dragons and taken to another world as slaves. Jason himself isn't sure he believes the stories, but when his brother disappears in search of the lost ones, the quest is left up to him. But first he must rescue Elyssa from the dungeons and accept her strange, perceptive abilities...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Meanwhile, Koren lives as a dragon slave, prized for her red hair and green eyes and bewitching storytelling abilities. But what do the dragons really have in store for her? And is it true that they were enslaved against the will as the humans say, or did the dragons really rescue them from an even worse fate?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's not a bad fantasy adventure. It's a relatively fast read, so it doesn't feel like you've wasted your life away reading it or anything. Honestly, it's just not good enough to spend a ton of time on. Aside from Arxad the dragon, all of the characters are very one-dimensional and flat. Don't get me wrong, plenty of them are likeable. I honestly love Randall and Tibalt, but they're still pretty flat, plus they're only secondary characters. Jason and Koren certainly aren't bad for main characters, in fact they're pretty cool themselves. And Elyssa's not awful or anything. But... they're all just pretty boring. The character interactions as well are just kind of... flat. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The plot doesn't really make up for it, unfortunately. Lots of the adventure seemed pretty pointless, making the whole thing unnecessarily complicated. The whole mess with them falling down the bottomless pit and floating down the river and everything totally went over my head and I had no idea why any of it was happening. And then Elyssa's always coming up with "brilliant" schemes that seem totally pointless, like sending Jason out to die while she works on stopping the flood. Why didn't she just try to stop the flood first and <i>then </i>send out Jason? She's supposed to be super smart, but she just strikes me as kind of distracted.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If I were to sum up this book in two words, they would be "needlessly complicated." I think if it had been edited down a bit more it would've been really something, but as is it kind of reads like an early draft I wrote when I was twelve. Tons of twists and turns and delays and puzzles and not much else.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I <i>will</i> say that the Black Egg gives me genuine creeps. That part was <i>extremely</i> well done. When he's trying to convince Koren, I actually wasn't sure for a minute if the Black Egg was good or bad. And the fact that I was so unsure and on edge made it so much more interesting. It's honestly one of the few reasons I'm looking forward to finishing the book series.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>You might like this if you:</b> like dragons; like Christian fantasy; like simple fantasy adventures; don't care about the characters; have time to kill; or if your ancestors were kidnapped by dragons.</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-42875227368153018372014-04-09T19:13:00.002-07:002014-04-09T19:13:35.962-07:00Wednesday Scrolls -- March Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.ftbraden.leon.k12.fl.us/_Media/march.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ftbraden.leon.k12.fl.us/_Media/march.gif" height="170" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My how time flies. But here we are in April, and here I, <b>Persy</b>, am to start off the review of March!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In March, I read <b>7</b> books (two of them being manga...) totaling <b>1811</b> pages. Not all that impressive, but still better than February, so I'm content.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Best March Book</b>: It's gonna have to go to <i>Out of the Silent Planet</i> by C.S. Lewis. Such classic. Such awesome.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Honorable Mention(s)</b>: <i>Kiss of the Highlander</i> by Karen Marie Moning was fantastic, as was Volume 10 of Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Worst March Book</b>: I suppose <i>Dayhunter</i> by Jocelynn Drake. Honestly it wasn't bad, just kinda tedious.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Dishonorable Mention</b>: There isn't one! I had a pretty good month!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pretty excited for April!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy<br />
<br />
<br />
Welcome to April! <b>Arty </b>here.<br />
<br />
In March, I did a bit better than in February - <b>13</b> books in total. Lucky thirteen!<br />
<br />
<b>Best March Book:</b> Probably <i>How To Betray A Dragon's Hero,</i> by Cressida Cowell, the eleventh book in the <i>How To Train Your Dragon</i> series. Let me tell you - I never expected this kind of plot progression when I read the first book. It's still hilarious but simultaneously heartbreaking - and there's actually a <i>death</i> in this one.<br />
<br />
<b>Honorable Mention:</b> Tossup between <i>Coaltown Jesus </i>and the first volume of <i>Nabari No Ou.</i> <i>Coaltown Jesus </i>was a very short poetry-book about a young boy who, after his older brother overdoses on drugs, gets visited by Jesus. For real. The first volume of <i>Nabari No Ou</i> is, well, <i>Nabari No Ou,</i> the anime for which I adored and the manga of which is so far just as adorable as the beginning of the anime was.<br />
<br />
<b>Worst March Book:</b> <i>Civic Agriculture</i> by Thomas Lyson. As the title implies, it is a treatise on civic agriculture, which I read for honors class. It was... difficult.<br />
<br />
<b>Dishonorable Mention:</b> <i>Divergent.</i> Sorry - wasn't quite my taste.<br />
<br />
Here's to an even more successful April!<br />
<br />
--Arty</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-89263945477357715542014-03-27T06:52:00.004-07:002014-03-27T06:52:47.410-07:00Wednesday Scrolls -- February Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pastprologue.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/february.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pastprologue.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/february.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So my plan to get back on the ball with reading hasn't really succeeded. Of course, I'm keeping up with my actual goal for the year, but I was hoping to exceed that goal by quite a few. Oh well. <b>Persy</b> here, ready to admit some more embarrassing book figures.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In February of 2014 I read <b>5</b> whole books with a total of <b>1731</b> pages. Eheh.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Best February Book:</b> I'd have to say <i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2014/03/persy-singularity-by-william-sleator.html" target="_blank">Singularity</a></i> by William Sleator. Love me some time travel.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Honorary Mention(s)</b>: <i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</i> by J.K. Rowling and <i>Lord Sunday</i> by Garth Nix.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Worst February Book:</b> <i>The Dead and the Gone</i> by Susan Beth Pfeffer. A very disappointing sequel to <i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2012/04/persy-life-as-we-knew-it-by-susan-beth.html" target="_blank">Life As We Knew It</a></i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Dishonorable Mention:</b> There isn't one. I just didn't read enough in February. Yikes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's to March being better.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy<br />
<br />
<br />
My February was about as dismal as Persy's. I have <b>7</b> books on my Goodreads account, and one of those I didn't actually finish. I fail.<br />
<br />
<b>Best February Book:</b> <i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2014/02/arty-my-most-excellent-year-by-steve.html" target="_blank">My Most Excellent Year</a>,</i> by Steve Kluger. Great, funny, sometimes devastatingly emotional - yeah, definitely the best.<br />
<br />
<b>Honorary Mention:</b> <i>Wise Blood</i>, by Flannery O'Connor. I mean, it's Flannery O'Connor. Obviously.<br />
<br />
<b>Worst February Book:</b> Well, if I can count the one I didn't finish, then <i>Shiver</i> by Maggie Stiefvater. Didn't get quite 60 pages into it before I fell asleep.<br />
<br />
<b>Dishonorable Mention:</b> I had to read <i>Human Ecology: A Theoretical Essay</i> and unless you're into ecology, it's about as dismal as it sounds. (Though there were still one or two interesting snippets that made it less dishonorable than <i>Shiver</i>.)<br />
<br />
Maybe this year just needs a bit of time to pick up speed. Here's to March!<br />
<br />
--Arty</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-73566408373573471472014-03-24T16:27:00.003-07:002014-03-24T16:27:56.382-07:00Persy -- Singularity by William Sleator<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Singularity_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Singularity_book.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sooo I really was going to write this on an actual weekend day, buuuuut my dorm kind of flooded last night and it threw off my schedule just a tad. I'm also super sleep deprived and loopy right now, so this is going to be an awesome review! Yay college!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Harry and Barry are sixteen-year-old twins. Harry is smart, Barry is athletic and popular and generally gets what he wants. Their family randomly inherits the old house of a crazy uncle, and Barry gets it into his head to spend a few weeks there while their parents are away. Harry thinks it's a bad idea, but Barry convinces their parents.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There they meet Lucy, a teenage girl, and hear stories of animals wandering onto the property and then disappearing. When the trio unlock the playhouse, they slowly discover that inside time passes differently. Once you step inside, the outside world practically stands still. You could spend a year in there and mere hours would pass outside.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is a singularity inside the playhouse, a portal to another world that is affecting time. Harry finds their uncle's journal and begins to get worried about what might come through the singularity. He wants to tell someone, but Barry threatens to lock himself inside the playhouse if Harry does anything.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a really lame summary. Sorry, I'm really just out of it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Basically, the point is that there's a singularity and Harry is super awesome. And there's a dog, Fred, who's cute. And there's a singularity. And it's awesome.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But really though, I love this book. There's a very eighties feel to the writing and yeah, it starts off pretty slow in the beginning, but it definitely pays off. I mean, talk about character growth (this should make you laugh if you've already read the book).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, I would've liked even more time travel play and that kind of thing, but this isn't meant to be an indepth, hard scifi novel. It's basically a quick, young adult read, and it functions very well as such. Because it's not super hardcore, readers who don't normally like scifi can probably still enjoy it, while there's still enough awesomeness for scifi nerds to get into. It's a very nice balance.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, y'know. Read it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>You might like this if you</b>: like time travel; like science fiction; like hard science fiction but want a quick read; only like soft science fiction; aren't normally a huge fan of science fiction; like character growth; like awesome books; or if you feel like time passes super slowly sometimes and are worried about the possible causes.</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-56234886592557468772014-03-20T16:08:00.001-07:002014-03-20T16:08:24.563-07:00Wednesday Scrolls -- January Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tangischools.org/cms/lib3/LA01001731/Centricity/Domain/2841/January400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tangischools.org/cms/lib3/LA01001731/Centricity/Domain/2841/January400.jpg" height="231" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I'm honestly not sure when we last did one of these. Maybe...2012? Well, whatever. It's a new year, and I've made it my goal to get back on this kind of stuff (and my my partner do it too). <b>Persy</b> here, with the January review!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
In January, I read a total of <b>14</b> books counting <b>3 </b>graphic novels/anime, adding up to <b>3206</b> pages, which is actually really good considering 2013 as a whole.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Best January Book</b>: Definitely <i>The House At Pooh Corner</i> by A.A. Milne illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard. It's just really hard to beat Winnie-The-Pooh and the gang.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Honorable Mention:</b> <i>The Great Gatsby</i> by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This was the second time reading it, and it's still as beautiful as it was the first time.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Worst January Book:</b> <i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2014/02/persy-highlanders-touch-by-karen-marie.html" target="_blank">The Highlander's Touch</a></i> by Karen Marie Moning, third book in her Highlander series. I hate it when people mess up time travel.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Dishonorable Mention:</b> <i>Cleanup</i> by Norah McClintock. It was just really boring and too short to actually be an interesting mystery.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
My school schedule still hasn't settled (snowmageddon?), so I still don't actually know how much reading time I'll have on a weekly basis. But I'm pretty hopeful. I might even get to start going to the local library. Dang, I miss libraries.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Better late than never, right? Don't answer that.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
January saw a grand figure of <b>10</b> books read, two of which were manga. Sigh. Oh well.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Best January Book:</b> Probably <i>The House of Hades</i>, just because Percy Jackson and Nico. And Annabeth. And Leo. Percy Jackson, man.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Honorable Mention:</b> The two manga I read, the first two volumes of <i>Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan.</i> The art is (if I may say so) kind of a struggle to look past, but the story and characters and world are all fascinating. (Armin Arlert forever.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Worst January Book:</b> <i>Nevermore</i>, the final (thank goodness) Maximum Ride book. It's about as good as you could expect it to be, which is not very.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Dishonorable Mention:</b> Not to say I didn't like it, but <i>The Lord of Opium,</i> sequel to the breathtakingly wonderful <i>House of the Scorpion,</i> was kind of a letdown after the masterpiece that came before it. It just... didn't have the same mystical quality. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Stick around for the upcoming February review and (hopefully) a normal review this Saturday!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
--Arty</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-81393626301900541002014-02-10T22:18:00.001-08:002014-02-10T22:18:37.529-08:00Arty -- My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1391420561l/1189878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1391420561l/1189878.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Look who's finally getting around to appearing again! Sorry, I had an influx of homework and suddenly all I was reading was stuff that you can't really review on a "fluffy stuff you read to feel good" sort of review blog. Also, look for the review of January this Wednesday, because I am slime who can't keep a deadline.<br />
<br />
Anyway! Let's talk about happy things, such as books that make me laugh out loud. <i>My Most Excellent Year</i> is one such book.<br />
<br />
In it, we have Anthony Keller, aka Tony C, aka T.C., aka Tick, a crusader for baseball rights and the love of the new girl in town; Augie Hwong, obsessed with and knowledgable about all things related to classic movies and musicals; Alejandra Perez, the above-mentioned new girl in town who also happens to be the daughter of a UN ambassador, a crusader for social justice, and a closet singer/dancer. Throw in a small deaf child named Hucky with a serious addiction to <i>Mary Poppins,</i> budding romance between kids and adults alike, and enough baseball and cinema references to choke a Wookie, and you have <i>My Most Excellent Year.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Firstly, the writing is excellent. Like John Green, there tends to be one overall tone for the characters, without much deviation in terms of character voice; unlike John Green (I'm so sorry), Kluger manages to pull it off. Maybe it's because the subject matter is more lighthearted than JG tends to go for. Anyway, with such smooth, natural writing, it's kind of a given that it'll succeed at the emotional/comedic points it attempts. And it does, for the most part (no novel is perfect).<br />
<br />
The characters were, on the whole, <i>loads</i> of fun. T.C. starts out as a pretty flat, cliché character, but by the time the novel ended, he'd uncovered his secret stash of complexity and emotion and won my heart, succeeding where most characters like him don't (his mother is dead, he's chasing after a girl who doesn't like him, et cetera et cetera). Alé, on the other hand, never really got much affection from me. Maybe it's because I know/have experienced people like her in real life and it's never been fun (people who can make a social issue out of a tissue box). She got more bearable towards the end, and she did have her moments of fun, but overall, she was probably my least favorite character (along with Wei, Augie's mom, who had the same problem).<br />
<br />
The characters who really stole the show, though, were Augie and Hucky. Augie, unlike T.C., spouted off trivia I could appreciate - old classic movie trivia. Some of his references I got ("The Cub Room. Where the elite meet.") and some of them reminded me of movies I have to watch soon. His whole <i>thing</i> (all of the characters in this book have a <i>thing</i>) was practically perfect in every way; he managed to be obsessive and a little neurotic without being overbearing, and, indeed, typically being adorable. I would have appreciated more substance in his relationship with Andy, and after a certain point I didn't want them to end up together as much as I had before, but the whole relationship was handled in a sensitive and yet hilarious way, so I don't have much to complain about.<br />
<br />
(And I can't say anything about Augie without saying something about his <i>All About Eve</i> addiction. Just wait until you get to the part where he retells the Tooth Fairy story. If he were straight, I would have married him on the spot.)<br />
<br />
There's also Hucky, the six-year-old child living in a home for deaf children. I was skeptical of Hucky at first - little kids with disabilities usually end up getting used as emotional props - but he was actually a really adorable character. He's testy, obsessed with Mary Poppins (how many times can I use the word 'obsessed' in one review?), and he helps T.C. cheat at informal baseball games. What more can you say?<br />
<br />
The story is rambling, in a good way. There's no real point to the plot, though there are some longterm goals set by the story. And in the end, they're all met. There's a beautiful sense of closure that a lot of 'genreless' novels like these don't have. And that makes a huge difference. Putting down a book with a smile on your face - priceless.<br />
<br />
So if you're in the mood for some fun, light-hearted rambles through Boston with a handful of quirky ninth-graders (and a six-year-old with an attitude) (and some hilarious and extraordinarily <i>human</i> parents) (and an older brother who will surprise you) (and a dog named Nehi) (and a lot of references to <i>All About Eve)</i>, then I'd definitely recommend <i>My Most Excellent Year.</i>Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-82020070386385337762014-02-01T08:39:00.001-08:002014-02-01T08:39:50.903-08:00Persy -- The Highlander's Touch by Karen Marie Moning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DAPVMHMFL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DAPVMHMFL.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's the thing, Karen Marie Moning: you write a story in which time travel plays a significant part, and I'm GONNA be harsh.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is actually the third book in Karen Marie Moning's historical romance Highlander series, but you don't have to read them in order, so don't worry about spoilers for other books. However, if you don't know the standard plot to a romance novel and/or don't mind discovering one or two minor plot surprises, you might not want to read this review.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisa Stone is working two jobs, struggling to support her cancer-ridden mother. Her father died long ago, and now she's all Catherine, her mother, has. She works as a night maid for a museum, and one night she happens upon a mysterious artifact and... well, touches it. She is instantly transported back in time to the Scottish highlands... where she comes face to face with Circenn Brodie, a deadly man who is a stickler for rules. But will his unquenchable love for Lisa cause him to break . . . every . . . single . . . rule?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry, I get super dramatic when I review romance novels. Dunno why.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's start way back in the Prologue. Circenn curses a flask so that once it is touched it will be transported back to him, effectively returning the lost flask. Unfortunately, it will also return whoever touches the flask. Adam gets pissy and makes Circen swear to kill the bearer of the flask to protect all the secrets, or whatever. After a lot of arguing, Circenn makes the oath. But here's the thing: Circenn swears to kill the MAN who touches the flask. MAN. MALE. Guess who brings the flask? Right. A woman. I totally expected this to be the loophole. And it would've worked SO WELL because Adam knew who would pick up the flask, and Adam didn't actually want her dead, and even if Circenn forgot he said man, Adam could've been all, "Remember, you swore to kill the MAN. AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But that's not what happened. Oh well.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Moving on. I don't see what the big deal is about Circenn being immortal. I mean, yeah, I get not wanting to curse anyone else with immortality, but still. Do you have any idea how much trouble would've been saved by him just spilling the beans? "Oh, Lisa, your mother is going to die alone in the future? WAIT, I'm IMMORTAL. I promise to seek her out and take care of her. Heck, I'll even throw my sexy bod into the equation."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But that solution never occurred to anyone. Whatever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Moving on. Perhaps this is a small detail, but it seriously bugs me. The longer Lisa spends in the past, the more upset she gets because every day she spends there is a day her mother is alone. But... she's not on another planet. She's in the past. So if she were to find some sort of way to time travel... she could just travel back to the moment she left.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But maybe I'm just being nitpicky about time travel.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But now that we're on the subject, the ending. Oh. my. gosh. the. ending. Romance novels are notorious for magical, happily ever afters, but THIS? SERIOUSLY? You are taking it TOO FAR, here! You can't just DO THAT.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are also some absolutely random parts that I don't understand. There's the stereotypical best friend Ruby, who gets left behind in the modern day world. She has a total of two scenes, and afterwards she's sometimes referenced but never more than to explain away bits of knowledge or clothing that Lisa possesses. There is never any sign that Lisa misses her best friend. But this isn't a major issue.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What strikes me as REALLY odd is the redhead who snubs Duncan. I mean, what the crap? She and her brother hint at some malicious intent and there's the insinuation that they're even lying about their names. Moning goes into such detail about her appearance and the scene seems so dadgummed important... and then she disappears completely. Maybe it's a reference to another book in the series? I don't know. But it's just plain weird.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And my final irritation... the first time Circenn sees her in her undies, she says that he caught her in the one fancy pair of underpants she happens to own: a set of lacy lavender lingerie. The ONE pair she owns. But then at the very end, she rushes to get dressed and we find out later that she is now wearing a set of lacy PINK lingerie. What.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh wait. Of course. Of COURSE she'd have more lacy lingerie, because THEY CHANGED THE EFFING FUTURE. Naturally, that would result in her having more pairs of flirty underpants.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All that aside... I mean, the characters weren't bad. I guess. I didn't think the book was too awful until I started writing a review of it. Let's be honest, this isn't much of a review... more like a rant. But I can't think of anything so awe-inspiringly brilliant that it would make up for all of my little pet peeves that showed up in the book. I swear, when I was actually reading it, it wasn't awful.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But she messed with time travel. How can you expect me to not be harsh?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">--Persy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You might like this if you</b>: just really like historical romances; like time travel, but don't like it when it's complicated; have an afternoon to kill and don't want anything serious; or if you work as a night maid in a museum and wonder what would happen if you inspected all the artifacts yourself. That's right, bad stuff would happen. Don't do it.</span></div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-30421524919261636732014-01-18T18:36:00.001-08:002014-01-18T18:36:19.398-08:00Arty -- 2014: ...And This Time It's PersonalOkay, that was lame. I'm sorry. But in a way, it's sort of true, because my failure of a reading year is something of an insult to my reader's pride. So 2014 will be a throwdown between me and my ability to balance reading with school, writing, relaxation, and the dreaded new enemy - TV shows. (By the way, <i>Hannibal</i> is really good so far.)<br />
<br />
My goal in 2013 was to read 125 books. Surprisingly, I managed to make it and go a bit over to <b>151.</b> Whoo! The first book I read was <i>I Am The Messenger</i> by Markus Zusak (a <i>very</i> good way to start the year); the last was <i>How To Twist a Dragon's Tale</i> by Cressida Cowell (also a very nice way to end the year).<br />
<br />
Like Persy, I didn't have too much trouble with picking out favorites - I actually had to go back through my records to supplement my list of "yes, these are my favorites." So, without further ado:<br />
<br />
<b>THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE 2013 BOOKS</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>The End of Time</i> by P.W. Catanese</b><br />
If you've known me for any length of time, you'll have heard me raving about The Books of Umber. This year was the third time I've read <i>The End of Time</i> and it's still just as beautiful the third time around. Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b><i>The King of Attolia</i> by Megan Whalen Turner</b><br />
The Thief books have some of the best characterization/character development I've <i>ever</i> seen. The prose can be a bit tricksy but it's totally worth it - Gen and Irene have such arresting chemistry, while still claiming great personalities when they're by themselves. Ultimate love story. Not to mention the worldbuilding is <i>good</i>. Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Selection</i> by Kiera Cass</b><br />
This is, unlike the above two books, on my list because of outstanding literary quality, but because it was just fun for me to read. It didn't take itself too seriously and the characters were still entertaining. What more can you ask a book? Dystopia (I think)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch</i> by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett</b><br />
Where do I even start with this hilarious book? While the majority of it is really, really good, the best parts happen when Aziraphale (chubby bookish angel of the Lord) and Crowley (a demon "who did no so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downward") get together and banter. Greatly recommended. Urban/apocalyptic fantasy? (I'm grabbing at straws for genres for some of these; give me a break)<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Runaway King</i> by Jennifer A. Nielsen</b><br />
The second book in the Ascendance Trilogy, this book not only continues the story in <i>The False Prince</i> but makes it even better. Suspense is raised, characters are developed further, and a cliffhanger of agony is delivered. Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Great Gatsby</i> by F. Scott Fitzgerald</b><br />
Not many classics really stand up to the hype (in my extremely humble opinion), but the beautiful prose and the sheer <i>atmosphere</i> of this book raise it to artistic levels. Classic<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Restaurant at the End of the Universe</i> by Douglas Adams</b><br />
While <i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy </i>was almost as good as I'd been led to expect, the second book was better. Funnier, more interesting, more thought-provoking - and, of course, really, really fun. Science-fiction (I guess)<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Man Who Was Thursday</i> by G. K. Chesterton</b><br />
Another book that stands up to the 'classic' label. JUST FOR THE ENDING. (Excuse the caps.) After I finished it, I just sat and tried to absorb it. Classic (because I have no idea what this would be classified as otherwise)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Surprised By Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis</i> by Terry Lindvall</b><br />
I'm not usually one for thick nonfic, but comedy plus Lewis is sure to be a winner, and this book did not disappoint. While I don't think it would be nearly as interesting if you're not a Lewis fan, for someone who <i>is</i>, it's barrels of fun. Nonfiction<br />
<br />
<b><i>A Monster Calls </i>by Patrick Ness</b><br />
Atmospheric. Haunting. Tragic. It's hard to describe <i>A Monster Calls.</i> Easier to say <i>read it.</i> (I don't even know what genre this is. I suppose Fantasy is as close as it gets)<br />
<br />
<b><i>This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein</i> by Kenneth Oppel</b><br />
<i>Frankenstein</i> is forever one of my favorite classics and Oppel's take on Victor's backstory is fantastic. The writing is just Shelley enough to be reminiscent but not enough to be frustrating; the characters strike the balance between original and respectful. (Well, except Konrad, the completely original twin. I have no problems with him, though.) The second book didn't quite live up to the first's standards, but the first still retains its awesomeness. Science...fiction?<br />
<br />
<b><i>Kings and Queens of Great Britain </i>by Eric R. Delderfield</b><br />
Obviously I'm not a history scholar (yet) so I'm not certain of the accuracy, but this book seemed to do a very nice, tidy job of summarizing the history of the English monarchy. It was easy to read, and the facts I do remember seem to line up with later research. Do recommend. Nonfiction<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Great Divorce </i>by C.S. Lewis</b><br />
Hello. Lewis fan here. Believe it or not, this is the first time I've read <i>The Great Divorce</i> and it was... unexpected. Melancholy, subtly heartwrenching. Convicting, I suppose. Classic<br />
<br />
<b><i>One Hundred More Poems from the Japanese </i>by Kenneth Rexroth</b><br />
I suppose that should be 'collected by' instead of 'by.' Again, I'm no Japanese poetry specialist (yet) but on a purely aesthetic level, these were some of the most beautiful poems I've ever read. <i>Definitely</i> recommended, especially to highschool teens who've read "The Road Not Taken" one too many times. (Nothing against Frost, of course. "Flower-Gathering" is my second-favorite poem. But "The Road Not Taken" is seriously overhyped.) Poetry<br />
<br />
<b>HONORABLE MENTIONS</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The How To Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell; <i>Scarlet</i> by Stephen Lawhead; the 43 Old Cemetery Road series by Kate and M. Sarah Klise; <i>Heart of Darkness</i> by Joseph Conrad; <i>Red Dragon</i> by Thomas Harris; <i>The Tempest</i> by Richard Appignanesi (manga Shakespeare);<i> I Hunt Killers</i> by Barry Lyga; <i>Jinx</i> by Sage Blackwood; <i>UnWholly</i> by Neal Shusterman; <i>Splendors and Glooms</i> by Laura Amy Schlitz; <i>Scarlet</i> by Marissa Meyer; <i>If I Found a Wistful Unicorn: A Gift of Love</i> by Ann Ashford; <i>Mythologies</i> by W.B. Yeats; <i>Murder in the Cathedral</i> by T.S. Eliot; <i>Companions of the Night </i>by Vivian Vande Velde; <i>Pocket Guide to the Afterlife: Heaven, Hell, and Other Ultimate Destinations</i> by Jason Boyett<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>HERE THERE BE BAD BOOKS</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i><b>Bluestar's Prophecy</b> </i><b>by Erin Hunter</b><br />
Oh, Warriors. This past year was the year of kissing my childhood goodbye. Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Prince and the Snowgirl</i> by Simon Cheshire</b><br />
Mindless fluff in every possible way. Forgettable. Realistic fiction? What is the name for this?<br />
<br />
<b><i>Mortlock</i> by Jon Mayhew</b><br />
I don't even remember what happened in this book. I do remember wishing it was going to be over. Pity - the book is lovely, and the pages are edged in black. Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b><i>One Year Gone</i> by Rebecca Dessertine</b><br />
<i>Supernatural</i> supplemental novel by someone who works on the set. One word: ouch. And not in the "ouch, my emotions were compromised" sense as I was expecting. Urban fantasy (fanfic? bad fanfic?)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Masque of the Red Death</i> by Bethany Griffin</b><br />
The ultimate "HECK NO" of the year. It's bad enough to read poorly executed run-of-the-mill YA dystopia; it's <i>unbearable</i> when it's based off of a story like "The Masque of the Red Death." I feel like going to leave consolatory flowers at Poe's grave. Dystopia<br />
<br />
Here's to having a better 2014!Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-43867194633587436982014-01-13T20:14:00.000-08:002014-01-16T18:58:49.173-08:00Persy -- 2014: We're Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/class/2014/images/2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/class/2014/images/2014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So did you like how neither of us were here at all in December? And most of November too? We planned that. Really. Okay, so we suck, get over it. We're busy college students. BUT we've been talking and we're both hopeful to get more reading done this year and write more about what we're reading. Hey, I'm even sucking up my pride and showing you exactly how badly I did in 2013...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My reading goal for 2013 was to read more books than I did in 2012, so 187 books. How many did I read? <b>56. 15,764 pages</b>. Almost a 4th of what I read last year. I am ashamed. But I'll do better this year!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first book I read in 2013 was <i>Three Men on the Bummel</i> by Jerome K. Jerome, and the last book I finished was the 9th volume of Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because I read so little this year, it was painfully easy to narrow down the Best Of list to 14 books. And most of them were during RAMFAP month, and have thus been mentioned numerous times already... but I'm sure y'all can get over it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKS</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>The Grace Effect</i> by Larry Taunton</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Maybe I'm<span style="font-family: inherit;"> biased (I know the Tauntons), but this is such a good book. Mr. Taunton skillfully weaves the story of Sasha into the effects of Christianity and grace, and I was never bored by the story or the lessons. Definitely a book to study in detail a second time through. Nonfiction/Religion</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> by Erich Maria Remarque</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Easily the best war novel I've ever read. Not only is it interesting, but I also found it enjoyable. The writing is amazing, and the story gripping. What really makes it brilliant is the fact that it's told by German soldier. Historical</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Starship Troopers</i> by Robert A. Heinlein</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's both serious/thought-provoking and funny/light-hearted. The light tone is maintained all throughout the story, whether the main character is discussing philosophy or bugs. Definitely a book I'll read again and again, always finding something new. Science fiction</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>To Kill A Mockingbird</i> by Harper Lee</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oh my gosh this book. OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK. Classic</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-style: italic;">A Severe Mercy</b><b> by Sheldon Vanauken and C.S. Lewis</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Normally I don't get super excited about biographies and memoirs, but this is simply beautiful. Vanauken's writing is gorgeous and I'm pretty sure he's kind of brilliant. Anyone who has been or is in or thinks he/she's in love should read this. Nonfiction/Autobiography</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2011/03/persy-generation-dead-by-daniel-waters_07.html" target="_blank"><i>Generation Dead</i> by Daniel Waters</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think I've mentioned this book before. Zombie/Romance</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Mara, Daughter of the Nile</i> by Eloise Jarvis McGraw</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I just don't get tired of Shenfu and Mara and Egyptian revolutions. Historical</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Dragon Flight</i> by Jessica Day George</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While it doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of <i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2011/05/persy-dragon-slippers-by-jessica-day.html" target="_blank">Dragon Slippers</a></i>, the sequel is still pretty dang good. Getting to meet a bunch of cool new dragons basically saved the somewhat ridiculous plot, and let's not forget Jessica Day George's magical ability to write perfect endings. Fantasy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Flora Segunda</i> by Ysabeau S. Wilce</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I love almost everything about this book, especially the world and the characters. How can you <i>not</i> like a pudgy, lazy, pacifistic 12-year-old main character? And I'm still shouting for a movie with Gary Oldman as Hotspur. Fantasy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2010/09/persy-night-gate-by-isobelle-carmody.html" target="_blank"><i>Night Gate</i> by Isobelle Carmody</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Everyone knows this is one of my all-time favorite books. Fantasy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2011/04/persy-going-bovine-by-libba-bray.html" target="_blank"><i>Going Bovine</i> by Libba Bray</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another old favorite. Road trips, Norse gods, punk angels, mad cow disease . . . this book is basically irresistible. Fantasy/Surreal</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2013/11/persy-how-to-make-friends-and-monsters.html" target="_blank"><i>How To Make Friends and Monsters</i> by Howard Boward and Ron Bates</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet another book that everyone has heard me talk about. Franklin' adorable, that's all I have to say. Fantasy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>The Bruised Reed</i> by Richard Sibbes</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A very very old book on depression and grief in the Christian life. It's amazing and beautiful, and I wish it was more well-known because I think everyone should have access to this. Nonfiction/Religion</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Bitterblue</i> by Kristin Cashore</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I wasn't sure what to expect from the third book in the Seven Kingdoms series, but I was not disappointed. In fact, I was seriously scared, and could not put it down. Kristin Cashore amazes me yet again. Fantasy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>**HONORABLE Mentions**</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ouran High School Host Club series (Bisco Hatori); <i>The Passage</i> (Justin Cronin); <i>The Hiding Place</i> (Corrie Ten Boom); Maid-Sama series (Hiro Fujiwara); <i>I, Claudius</i> (Robert Graves); <i>Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters</i> (Lesley M.M. Blume); Fruits Basket series (Natsuki Takaya).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>BOOKS TO VIOLENTLY AVOID READING</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2013/03/persy-wizards-first-rule-by-terry.html" target="_blank"><i>Wizard's First Rule</i> by Terry Goodkind</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Eh, y'all remember this absolute gem, I'm sure. Fantasy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Escape from Warsaw</i> by Ian Serraillier</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Boring. Not painful to read, but only because it's an easy read. Basically, it's just boring as heck. Historical</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Ancient Rhetorics</i> by Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhee</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, it's a textbook. And it's not written overly well. And it was for a writing class. Nonfiction</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I seriously hope your 2013 was better than mine.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-72001642238761684592013-11-10T10:31:00.000-08:002013-11-10T10:31:38.748-08:00Persy -- How To Make Friends and Monsters by Howard Boward (with a little help from Ron Bates)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.offthelibraryshelf.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/How-to-Make-Friends-and-Monsters-by-Howard-Boward-with-a-Little-Help-from-Ron-Bates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.offthelibraryshelf.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/How-to-Make-Friends-and-Monsters-by-Howard-Boward-with-a-Little-Help-from-Ron-Bates.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Howard Boward is a super genius, but super intelligence doesn't make you a lot of friends in middle school. The UPs (uber-populars) only notice him when they find him in the way or when he runs down the school halls in a unitard, and then they call him How-Weird.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His mom, disturbed Howard's friendlessness, gives him a book: How to Make Friends. At first Howard refuses to read it, but gives in out of curiosity. The book gives him a brilliant idea on how to make a friend.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After gathering equipment and an unwanted lab assistant, Howard builds himself a secret laboratory in his basement and sets to work. A few accidents later and he has his first friend (and monster) on his hands. He names his new friend Franklin Stein and takes him to school...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Franklin is almost instantly a hit with everyone, including the UPs. And it's not long before Howard soaks up the spotlight as well... But Franklin's secret origins won't stay hidden forever, and what happens when Howard no longer needs him?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book is a delight in every way.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I first got the book in the mail, I was lovestruck. "Perfect size! Perfect shape! Perfect color! Perfect cover! Perfect cover material!" For a while I was almost afraid to read it for fear that it would be awful and then the perfection of the physicality of the book would be such a waste.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But I was not disappointed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Howard Boward is a brilliant little nerd with a streak of passive sarcasm, and he's probably one of my favorite main characters of all time. And Franklin... Franklin, Franklin, Franklin. He's the BEST. Oh my gosh he's just so freakin' (franklin?) adorable. I just want to hug him so super duper hard and then I want to smack Howard for being mean to him sometimes. But then not really, because I really love Howard too. Yeah.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Reynolds and Winnie are also superb supporting characters, not to mention the rest of Howard's family. How often do ALL of the supporting characters turn out perfectly? Very, very, very, very, very rarely. All of the characters are simply amazing and they make it an absolute joy to read.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If anyone dares to say that the plot is too crazy and farfetched I might have to punch them in the face, because that is hardly a big issue in this book. I think the plot is perfect. It's one of those great books with character development that isn't <i>too</i> inspirational and meaningful and painstaking, if you know what I mean. Howard goes through a lot and learns a lot of lessons and really does change for the better.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Plus, the illustrations are franklin adorable. Props to André Jolicoeur (um, his last name in French means "pretty heart." That might be the best thing EVER).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>How To Make Friends and Monsters</i> is such a perfect, delightful little book. The orange is so cheerful, the cover illustration so intriguing, the size so perfect, the material so comfortable in your hands. And then you open it up and don't put it down for a few hours until you're done, and you walk on sunshine for the rest of the day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ron Bates hasn't "helped" anyone else write anything yet, but I'll definitely be keeping an out. He's kind of hard to find too, but you can visit his website <a href="http://howtomakefriendsandmonsters.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. Though I recommend you read the book before watching the promotional video...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>You might like this if you</b>: love perfectly sized books; love perfect covers with perfect insides; love adorable illustrations; want a cute, short read; like awesome things; like <i><a href="http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2012/05/persy-one-and-only-ivan-by-ka-applegate.html" target="_blank">The One and Only Ivan</a></i> by Katherine Applegate; or if you have a hard time making friends yourself.</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-90871459455164865822013-08-17T14:01:00.000-07:002013-08-17T14:02:13.003-07:00Persy -- Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30800000/Perfect-Chemistry-perfect-chemistry-30828714-1725-2550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30800000/Perfect-Chemistry-perfect-chemistry-30828714-1725-2550.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div align="justify">
Y'all should be proud. Because even though I just spent my first night in a college dormroom and I've been way too busy the past few weeks to read a reviewable novel... I'm bringing you an ontime review. Shazam.</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
All Brittany wants to do her senior year is maintain the perfect life others see: the clothes, the grades, the cheerleader, the boyfriend. What they don't know is that Brittany struggles to take care of her autistic sister and deal with her distant parents.</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
But her first day goes ominously bad. She accidentally amost runs over Alex Fuentes, the toughest guy in school, and then finds out she has to be his partner in chemistry. Yikes.</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Meanwhile, Alex is just trying to take care of his brothers and his mom and protect them from the gangs by being in one of the gangs. But when a bet is placed over Brittany's virginity, his world gets a little more complicated...<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table border="0" cellspacing="1" id="myReview" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><th valign="top"></th><td colspan="1"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview679747567" style="display: none;">I was expecting to either hate the book and quit within the first five chapters or find a surprising new favorite. I actually did neither.<br /><br />My first impression was that Simone Elkeles is trying pretty hard, and almost has really good writing. Instead, it's just pretty good. The best thing this book has going for it is that it's real easy to read quickly, so the 350 pages goes by in a breeze. If it didn't, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have finished the novel.<br /><br />I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a r<a class="actionLinkLite" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4268158-perfect-chemistry#">...more</a></span> <span id="freeTextreview679747567">I was expecting to either hate the book and quit within the first five chapters or find a surprising new favorite. I did neither.<br /><br />My first impression was that Simone Elkeles is trying pretty hard, and almost has really good writing. Instead, it's just pretty good. The best thing this book has going for it is that it's real easy to read quickly, so the 350 pages goes by in a breeze. If it didn't, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have finished the novel.<br /><br />I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a retelling of Romeo and Juliet or not, but it basically is. So I might consider excusing the stupidity and hopelessness of Brittany, the heroine. She's kinda... boring and... silly and... impetuous, in a weird kind of way. I'm honestly not sure what her personality is supposed to be. Alex is a little better, but he's also very dramatic and I can't see why he's so in love with Brittany.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText">I personally like Alex and Shelley, but whatever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText">And then Mrs. Peterson is really cool. In fact, she's probably my favorite character. But whatever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText">Y'know what's really silly? The epilogue. I mean, I guess it's kind of cute in a weird kind of way, but it's also just... silly. Sorry.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText">Overall it's not a <em>bad</em> book, but I certainly wouldn't reread it and I don't think I'm even going to continue the series (the second book is about Alex's little brother and the love he finds in an unexpected place!).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText">--Persy</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="readable reviewText"><strong>You might like this if you:</strong> like shallow romance; like Romeo and Juliet; like high school romance; like forbidden romance; or if you yourself are shallow, in high school, and are involved in a forbidden romance.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-1580448469597608112013-08-12T07:16:00.000-07:002013-08-12T07:16:30.117-07:00Arty -- The Selection by Kiera Cass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1322103400l/10507293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1322103400l/10507293.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Friends, readers, countrymen - I bring you a YA dystopian romance that <i>doesn't completely suck.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I know, I know, <i>le gasp</i>. This is not to say "GO OUT AND BUY THE SELECTION RIGHT NOW CUZ AWESOME!!!1!!" YMMV and I recommend a library read before committing.<br />
<br />
But seriously guys. AMERICA. AND MAXON. AND MARLEE. THESE CHARACTERS.<br />
<br />
Have a Goodreads summary:<br />
<br />
<i>For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I don't actually know what's up with that last paragraph, because... there's nothing much like that in the book at all. Maybe it's a series overview, I dunno. But it makes America sound all dramatic when she's such a down-to-earth kind of person.<br />
<br />
America is what made the book for me, mostly. She has her Weepy Sensitive Heroine moments, and she can jump to some pretty drastic conclusions without a lot of evidence, but for the most part, she's a really <i>friendly</i> girl. Her character is pretty consistent, and along with lovely consistency is likeableness. It's really pretty dang fantastic. The only thing that annoyed me was the constant "Oh boohoo I'm not pretty" when basically everyone else told her she was - why that needs to be a thing, I have no idea. <br />
<br />
Also, MAXON. Maxon is a sweetheart. I don't think Cass was really comfortable writing him at first - he came on kind of stiff, and not just the kind of stiff she was going for - but as it went on, he became a teddy bear. Impulsive and naive, but a teddy bear. And, before the inevitable Love Triangle of Wangst broke in, he and America had the most. adorable. friendship. YOU MEAN BOYS CAN BE FRIENDS WITH GIRLS WITHOUT THERE BEING ROMANTIC INTEREST AT FIRST SIGHT? <br />
<br />
(We don't talk about Aspen. Aspen is a testosterone-fueled child who needs to grow up a few years before getting into a serious romantic relationship. Go away, Aspen, no one likes you.)<br />
<br />
Plotwise, the Selection competition - thirty-five girls being gradually whittled away until Maxon chooses his bride - isn't as fierce as the blurb makes it out to be. Only a few of the girls turn out to be conniving witches; it's even mentioned, a couple times at least, that the majority of the girls are close and don't want to intentionally sabotage the others' chances. I liked that, since most YA likes to depict large crowds of girls evil queen bees with a few honored exceptions (aka, the protag and her one/two friends). Maybe it made the plot less intense, but it was unexpected and there wasn't an overload of the author trying to come up with a load of different ways to tell us "MOST OF THESE GIRLS ARE EVIL."<br />
<br />
The rebellion groups - nice, realistic touch, there being more than one rebellion group - weren't very intimidating except for one scene, mostly because the worldbuilding in <i>The Selection</i> is the very weakest part of this book. (It tends to be, I've noticed, in most new YA dystopian romance.) There is the mystery of one group (I can't remember whether it was the Southern or the Northern group) trying to get inside the castle to steal something, but it was hardly a major plot point.<br />
<br />
I can't talk about this book without going into massive hysteria about the last chapter, which should be entitled "In Which America does what Every Female in the Typical YA Love Triangle should Do but usually Doesn't." No spoilers other than that, but it just made me really, really happy and put me firmly in the court of Team America.<br />
<br />
Weak and cheesy writing - on an infrequent but consistent basis. Not really that much conflict - yes. Almost total lack of worldbuilding - yeah. However, <i>The Selection</i> has a great MC, a <i>great</i> prince/friend/love interest, and genuine hope for an even more awesome sequel. Definitely a recommend!Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-35476115736751301902013-08-07T10:41:00.000-07:002015-06-03T19:45:10.929-07:00Wednesday Scrolls -- RAMFAP Requiem AKA July Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://chahshue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/july-dragonfly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://chahshue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/july-dragonfly.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="justify">
Last year, RAMFAP was quite a momentous occassion. I read so many books. Had so much fun. Not that I didn't have any fun this year either... </div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
For RAMFAP 2013, I read a total of 7<strong> </strong>favorite books, with <strong>1,612 </strong>pages read not counting an unpaged manga and an unpaged children's book. I actually read a total of <strong>11 </strong>books in July, with <strong>3,328 </strong>pages read, but not all of those were for RAMFAP. Honestly, I don't think I did too shabby considering all the stuff I've been busy with.</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
Here's my favorites book list from RAMFAP 2013:</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
<em>Chicka Chicka Boom Boom </em>by Bill Martin Jr, John Archambault, and Lois Ehlert<br />
<em>Generation Dead </em>by Daniel Waters</div>
<div align="justify">
<em>Mara, Daughter of the Nile </em>by Eloise Jarvis McGraw</div>
<div align="justify">
<em>Dragon Flight </em>by Jessica Day George</div>
<div align="justify">
<em>Flora Segunda </em>by Ysabeau S. Wilce</div>
<div align="justify">
<em>Maid-Sama! Vol. 6 </em>by Hiro Fujiwara</div>
<div align="justify">
<em>Night Gate </em>by Isobelle Carmody</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
It's interesting to note that <em>Night Gate </em>is the only book that has been in both RAMFAP lists so far -- I tried to keep this year's priority list limited to the books I didn't get to last year, but <em>Night Gate </em>snuck to the top anyway.</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
How did y'all do, if y'all participated? I'm hoping for a good August!</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
--Persy<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><br /></em></strong>
<strong><em><br /></em></strong>
<b>Arty </b>here. Yes. The Arty who hasn't written a review in ages. COLLEGE, GUYS. *lame excuses*<br />
<br />
For RAMFAP... I reread one book. And it turns out I probably shouldn't have, because <i>The Angel Experiment,</i> the first book in the Maximum Ride series, was a lot better when I was thirteen than it is now. I still really like the story, but... sorry, Max, you're just not one of my favorites anymore. Except for maybe nostalgia. <br />
<br />
I did get to read around thirteen other books - what can I say, July caught me when my to-read stacks were high and I had succumbed to multiple library temptation. Some of them were pretty lame - the <i>Supernatural </i>tie-in novel, <i>One Year Gone</i>, was disappointing, as was <i>Mortlock</i> by Jon Mayhew (it had black page edges - black page edges!) - but some of them were pretty dang fantastic and destined to end up on the next RAMFAP list. <i>Such Wicked Intent,</i> the second book in the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series by Kenneth Oppel, and <i>Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection</i> by Matt Dembicki are destined for my favorites shelf.<br />
<br />
August is already looking pretty good - hope you all have similar prospects!<br />
<br />
-Arty </div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-61771417215558741442013-07-10T08:49:00.003-07:002015-06-03T19:45:10.956-07:00Persy - Wednesday Scrolls - RAMFAP 2013!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.glastonburyus.org/curriculum/englishlanguagearts/languageartsreading/resourcesforparents/tipsandstrategies/PublishingImages/PMreadingboy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://www.glastonburyus.org/curriculum/englishlanguagearts/languageartsreading/resourcesforparents/tipsandstrategies/PublishingImages/PMreadingboy.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="justify">
It's that time of the year again, folks... Yes, it's back. Are you ready?</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
For RAMFAP 2013!!!!!!</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
A quick recap of what it is: Reread-As-Many-Favorites-As-Possible month! And it's as easy as that. All you have to do is reread a minimum of <em>one </em>favorite book. I like to make it a challenge and see how many I can squeeze into the month of July, but that's definitely not a requirement. All it is is one month devoted to favorite books. Other than that, it's open to everyone's unique interpretation.</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
I honestly wasn't sure I would participate this year, because my reading kind of fell behind due to ballet, school, and college prep. We were in a week into July when I realized how ridiculous I was being. Heck <em>yeah </em>I'm gonna participate! And you should too! There's really no excuse <em>not </em>to pick up a favorite novel and give it another read!</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
So please, if you do participate, let us know! Start a conversation! Both Arty and I will gladly talk for hours on the subject of literature (as you've surely discovered by now). What book(s) are you reading this month?</div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
--Persy</div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-21071704141081494962013-07-07T12:41:00.002-07:002013-07-10T08:53:43.959-07:00Persy -- The Passage by Justin Cronin<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_los0c8fIBB1qiyw9ro1_r1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_los0c8fIBB1qiyw9ro1_r1_400.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Are you ready for my round of excuses? Well, I was out of the country for almost a month, and then I got the chickenpox...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Science is cruising along, forever searching for the equivalent of the fountain of youth. Someone thinks they've found it... but is it what they think it is? Meanwhile, a young girl named Amy is abandoned to a group of nuns, and then kidnapped by the government. She becomes part of the experiments and while the world falls to ruins around her, she remains... Amy. And something a little bit more.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Almost a hundred years later, the story takes up with the small community of survivors who live inside a walled city with electric lights that will eventually shut off for good. And once that happens, no one will be able to stop the "smokes" from getting in and killing everyone.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The smokes are what happened when they tried spreading their fountain of youth. They got youth all right, but also a lot more. Superhuman abilities and a dose of insanity, and insatiable thirst and hunger for blood...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The little community's fragile peace is disturbed when Peter Jaxon runs into a Walker outside of the wall, a young girl who cannot speak with her mouth but somehow communicates exactly what she needs to say. No one knows where she came from, but it doesn't take Michael long to find the chip in her neck, put their years ago by the military. And it doesn't take him much longer to find a signal being sent out <em>for </em>her, asking for her return.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the little community crumbles and the infected breach the walls, Peter leaves with a small crew to find the source of the signal, and, just maybe, other survivors.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book took me <em>over four months to read.</em> That is a <em>freaking long time.</em> Geez. Admittedly, part of the problem was just crazy life stuff, but still. I mean, thinking about all the other things that have happened in the last four months, it's ridiculous to think that <em>I've been reading the same book the whole freaking time.</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyway. All that said, it makes it rather remarkable that I didn't just give up on the stupid thing. For some reason, I just kept on reading, kept re-checking it out at the library.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The beginning really drew me in, but the sudden drastic setting change really disoriented me, and for a long time I was really irritated about it. It took me a <em>very </em>long time to warm up to the new characters in the new setting. And once I had started to like them, Justin Cronin goes off and kills one of them and then has the other go through such a drastic character growth that he's not even the same character anymore. I'm still a little pissed off about that.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Two of the characters, Peter and Sara, really do have nice character growth. Peter was just "meh" in the beginning, but by the end he was awesome. Sara was "meeeeeeeh" and then she was "DON'T DIE, SARA." Theo and Maus, however, are just dull the whole way through.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The ending, OH THE ENDING. It was so sharp, so sudden, so unexpected, so... AAAUGH. It's amazing. I had to reread it five times to make sure I'd understood it correctly. Geez. Man. Wow. Golly what an ending. Major points for that one.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Justin Cronin has a very insensitive writing style. It's rather dry and there's not a whole lot of emotion in his characters (other than the occasional maniacal rage). It's not like I want an epic love story or anything, but <em>something</em> might be nice. Instead, you've got nothing. And then when he does put a bit of emotion in, it feels weird and...alien. Maybe he was just trying to sum up the world he created, but I don't really like it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All in all it's... weird. The story and characters and writing is all just... weird. And long. Man. I would honestly only recommend this book to people who specifically like ridiculously long books. I don't think anyone else could get through it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I also discovered that there's a sequel, and I'm not sure if I want to put my time and strength into that...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
--Persy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>You might like this if you:</strong> love ridiculously long novels; like horror vampire stories; like apocalyptic stories; don't much care about emotion (except for maniacal rage); or if you're dreaming about a mean fat woman and have an imaginary friend named Babcock.<em></em></div>
Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4449941783768704173.post-42403355120439133682013-05-06T17:52:00.003-07:002013-05-06T17:52:40.715-07:00Arty -- Jinx by Sage Blackwood<a href="http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/files/2012/10/Jinx-198x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/files/2012/10/Jinx-198x300.jpg" /></a>Heeere's Arty!<br />
<br />
Yeah, I'm colossally late. Who's surprised by now.<br />
<br />
Okay. <i>Jinx</i>. I picked this up initially because all there was on the spine was 'Blackwood' and I really, really hoped Gary Blackwood had a new book out. If he does, this isn't it, but it was still a really great book to pick out.<br />
<br />
<i>Jinx</i> has a pretty basic premise, one I didn't have much hope for. I mainly kept it because, let's face it, that cover is gorgeous, and I was probably still subconsciously affected by the magical Blackwood surname. Here's the summary from Goodreads:<br />
<br />
<i>In the Urwald, you don't step off the path. Trolls, werewolves, and butterchurn riding witches lurk amid the clawing branches, eager to swoop up the unwary. Jinx has always feared leaving th epath - then he meets the wizard Simon Magus.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Jinx knows that wizards are evil. But Simon's kitchen is cozy, and he seems cranky rather than wicked. Staying with him appears to be Jinx's safest, and perhaps only, option. As Jinx's curiosity about magic grows, he learns to listen to the trees as closely as he does to Simon's unusual visitors. The more Jinx discovers, the more determined he becomes to explore beyond the security of the well-trod paths. But in the Urwald, a little healthy fear is never out of place, for magic - and magicians - can be as dangerous as the forest, and soon Jinx must decide which is the greater threat.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Pretty simple. Or so it seems.<br />
<br />
<i>Jinx,</i> for a book firmly in the children's section of the library, goes surprisingly deep into characterization - there aren't any blazing pieces of brilliance like Sydney Carton or Severus Snape, but Jinx, Simon, the Bonemaster, Sophie, and even characters I didn't think I'd like much were well-written. The story, too, dives off the expected end of "as-good-as orphan gets taken in by a wizard and learns that he's three times as powerful as anyone else after he beats the Big Bad."<br />
<br />
Jinx has a great ability - a sixth sense, rather - of being able to see the thoughts of others as colored clouds of emotion. I love what Blackwood does with the ability - no spoilers, but the different twists and turns the story takes around this ability and around Jinx himself actually caught me by surprise. That's not easy to do. Simon and Sophie, too, are anything but cliché characters. (Even though they greatly reminded me of <i>Howl's Moving Castle,</i> down to Sophie's name - turns out Blackwood is a Diana Wynne Jones fan, and it shows by the way her plot/magic/character development works.) I could never really tell where either of them came from until the end, some good writing that actually made Jinx's conundrums feel real.<br />
<br />
I was reading with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm until about halfway through. Then the story took another turn, in which Simon and Sophie greatly leave the picture, the story takes on a more adventurous turn, and two characters take Simon and Sophie's places - Reven the thief, and Elfwyn the granddaughter of a witch. I did not like Reven or Elfwyn. I wanted Sophie and Simon (especially Simon) back. Especially when Elfwyn started turning into your usual girl-with-two-boys-as-friends girl, an obnoxious, domineering sort that the boys tolerated because - well, they liked her for some reason.<br />
<br />
But, as much as I hate to admit it, they did grow on me - a little. Their curses amused me. Reven, especially, with his antiquarian way of speech and his more interesting curse, got to be one of my favorites. They made suitable replacements for Simon and Sophie - logical ones, since Jinx couldn't have too much magic on his side, or everything would be too easy.<br />
<br />
The book ends slowly, but in a good way. The climax occurs and then another sixty or so pages are dedicated to resolution - which is something I really enjoyed. Even if the ending as is dragged a bit, rushed would have been worse. And while I think Blackwood could have taken more time sewing up loose subplot ends, the main plot was magnificently concluded.<br />
<br />
<i>Jinx</i> is a great book with a great main character and a great supporting cast and a great plot and I'm hoping for a sequel sometime. Definitely a recommendation.Persy and Artyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13670986370281902248noreply@blogger.com0