Shocking News

To My Loyal Fans,
   I have some rather shocking news to report. Or maybe it's not shocking as much as jarring, or well really just news. And as I am pretty sure all of you have already seen this news on Facebook this will be less news and more a reminder. So really I'm just using this time to repeat things to you that you already know. You're welcome. 

  I have decided to move on from blogger and go to WordPress. I have a new site up and running over there, slowly I am also bringing over  my body of work from blogger. If you would like to continue to support me and follow my journey through life as a bookwork please go here. It's exciting and new and the fun part is rereading my old posts from when I first starting reviewing things. Wanna see how I've grown? See my ups and downs? See when I used to review movies as well as books? Then head over to WordPress follow my new blog and  go through these new old posts. It's a fun and interesting journey I promise. At least I kind of promise. I promise that I think it is anyway and so does my dad. I'm sure that my mom, and best friend find it so too. Which means the coolest people in the world find it interesting so you should too because otherwise we will judge from far away. Only not really because I try not to judge. 

Anyway the site is up and running pretty smoothly and I have a bunch of old posts on there and a few new ones so if you would like to head over and check it out and follow that would be super. I would love you all forever. Blogger was swell for a very long time but now that I am getting serious about taking my reviewing and writing to a new level I needed a more user friendly space and blogger wasn't playing nice. At least with me. And when friends stop playing well together it is time to move on and remember the good times when things were shiny and new. This is a friendly breakup, I just feel that WordPress is going to be the place for me. I know a lot of people make here on blogger and are wildly successful but it just wasn't meshing with me. So it is time to move on. In a loving way with lots of fond memories that I am slowly stealing and bringing with me to my shiny new toy. Wanna come join us? Please do. 

Thanks for the memories blogger and for all of you who have stuck with me here for so many years. Here is to many more years on WordPress. 

With love and happy reading thoughts,
    The Girl in the Tiny Hat

P.S. The actual web address is www.thegirlinthetinyhat.wordpress.com. That way you can see it and click on the link embedded above or just copy and paste this or share this with your friends or favorite pet. Either way we now have it all ways. Which means we all win. 

The Joy Luck Club-Amy Tan

Title: The Joy Luck Club
Author: Amy Tan
Version: Paperback
How I Heard About It: It's just one of those books that everyone reads and loves and is on every list of 'best books, what to read, top ten..' and so I decided it was time. 

Let's start off by saying firstly that this is not a novel, not really. It is a bunch of vignettes about different Chinese women living in America all squished together and rearranged so that none of it is cohesive, or organized or anything that might resemble a novel. It is about these Chinese mothers that came to America to make better lives for their families and they formed a club that met every week to play mahjong and gossip and have a grand time counting their blessings. Well at least that's what it says it is about. What it's really about are the bratty daughters that came from these women who don't appreciate their mothers, or their culture or their traditions. They are spoiled and horrible and spit on every warning or premonition or offering of luck that their mothers give them. 

These American born women grow up with very traditional Chinese mothers, mothers who risked their lives and at times their happiness to bring them to a safer country then China was at that time. All they ever ask in return is that their daughters love and respect them and take to heart their traditions, which is apparently too much for these daughters to do. There is Waverly Jong who was a child chess prodigy and her mother was so proud to have a genius daughter that she would tell all those she met of her famous chess playing daughter. One day after winning a tournament Waverly and her mother are walking in the market and her mother is telling all the grocers about her smart daughter and Waverly decides she is embarrassed by her mother's boasting yells at her and runs away. 

Jing-Mei Woo's mother tried to instill in her the belief that she could be anything she wanted. So trying to push her to become a child prodigy in something Jing-Mei's mother took her to dance class and made her study history and science until Jing-Mei decided she wanted none of this and stopped trying. When her mother discovered an old piano teacher lived in their building and then saw a young Chinese girl on TV playing the piano Suyuan decided her daughter could do just as well and signed her up for lessons. Of course being stubborn Jing-Mei did the very least that she could and when she realized that her teacher was deaf she basically just went through the motions. Suyuan believing the best of her daughter signed her up for a talent show knowing her daughter would make her proud. When the show came and Jing-Mei hadn't practiced she made a complete fool of herself up on the stage missing notes, playing wrong note after wrong note. She was so bad that she brought shame on her whole family and got nothing but pity from the audience. Her solution to this? Ignore her mother, blame her and start living a life of doing the absolute least she could do. 

These are just a couple small examples of the horridness that were these daughters. All four daughters described in the story were just like this growing up. Stubborn, willful, angry at their mothers for wanting them to take pride in their Chinese heritage. In short they are absolutely awful people. 

I know that there are mothers out there that can be truly terrible people, they hit their kids or worse, the so-called stage moms that try to force their kids into being something they could never be. There are moms that drink and do drugs and moms that leave their kids for no reason and even moms that kill their kids. I know this, I know that their are some women that just should never be moms. I would understand the anger and resentment of those kids, kids that survived a childhood like that. But the women that Amy Tan writes about are kind, and loving, and sacrificing for their daughters. They want only the absolute best for them, the best food, the best education, the best husbands. They want their daughters to understand love and luck and Chinese living and to grow with that knowledge. And their daughters treat them like they are monsters, very few of them even know any form of Chinese. It's one disrespectful act after another towards their moms and it made me want to throw the book out of a moving train. 

Yes I know very little about Chinese history or culture but Amy Tan was not writing that. What she was writing was about the relationships of mothers and daughters. And this I know. As a daughter I know it and even though my mom and I haven't always seen eye to eye in life I have never spit on her way of life or thinking or the traditions she has tried to pass down. Nor would I ever. There is a vast difference between disagreeing with someone and blatantly disrespecting them. The daughters of the Joy Luck Club, Waverly, Jing-Mei, Rose Hsu and Lena spend most of their time intentionally misunderstanding their mothers and what they are trying to accomplish. 

Waverly who was once a chess wizard decided she didn't like the way her mother was taking pride in her and quit chess forever, and now is a tax attorney with one failed marriage and and American fiancee who refuses to even try to get along with her family. Lena works in her husband's agency coming up with spectacular design ideas for innovative restaurants that he eventually takes credit for. He walks all over her and she lets him, and when her mother tries to help give her some spirit Lena dismisses it as silly. Rose who was married and now in the middle of a divorce and feels as if her whole world has come undone. She goes to her mother for comfort and her mother tries to comfort her in the only way she knows how, by sharing the story of her terrible childhood but showing her that in the end it was all for the best. Rose dismisses this as stupid and ridiculous and still whines about how terrible it all is for her. Jing-Mei always blamed her mother for making her want to be average, never let herself try to be anything other than just there. When her mother dies and Jing-Mei is faced with finding her lost twin sisters and finally wanting to know more about her mother she realizes 'oops I guess it's too late now.'

I felt that this was an awful book. The daughter characters are terrible, selfish human beings. They are the worst type of Americans, perhaps this says something about Ms. Tan's views? I have read one other book by Amy Tan and didn't like that one all that much either. There is nothing in her writing or storytelling that blows me away or in anyway makes up for the terrible characters she has depicted. In my opinion, and I know that this will be very much in the minority, this book is not worth the paper it was printed on. The praise and acclaim that this books has garnered is absolutely a mystery to me. There is nothing mind blowing or innovative about it. If it had been a book simply about these brave mothers then I think it could have been something great. Because their stories touched my heart. But Ms. Tan decided instead to shine a spotlight on the daughters and how flat out mean they were to these women that raised them and loved them. It makes my skin crawl thinking about it. 

I do not under any circumstances recommend this book to anyone. It is not a testament to anything, or a beautiful struggle between two different generations. It is simply one generation spitting on anything the older generation tries to share. I cannot describe fully how angry this book made me. I get too worked up just thinking about it. So I shall leave you with this warning, don't read it, don't buy into this 'top-ten books to read of all time' hype that surrounds it. After this I will never try another Amy Tan novel again, she has just made me loose all faith in her ability as an author. If I ever decide to read more about China or Chinese stories or novels about the Chinese I will look elsewhere. All I can do now is keep reading, book after book to get the sourness of this atrocity out of my mind. 

The Books of Harper Lee

[Editor's Note: This review contains spoilers. Please do not read on if you have plans to read the novel Go Set a Watchman. I aim only to entertain and give my opinion of things and never to ruin.] 

"For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth." Isaiah 21:6

Most people know the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, it has become a staple of English classes around the country. It has been talked about and debated, turned into an award winning film loved and hated for many, many years. Harper Lee has become one of my favorite authors, even though she only ever had the one book. Or so I thought. 

Months ago a snippet of a rumor started going around about Ms. Lee and how there was a second book about to be released. The very thought of this made me giddy. I think that Harper Lee is brilliant in her writing and her character development so the idea that she was once more gracing us with that skill was almost too good to be true. In fact for a long time there was debate about whether it was indeed true or not. When it was confirmed that Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee would be released on July 14, 2015 I knew that this would be one of the rare times I would be buying a hardback new book. To get prepared for this new book, which was maybe sequel and maybe a prequel and also perhaps a first draft, I decided to reread To Kill a Mockingbird once more, I finished it the Monday before Watchman was released. I walked into Barnes and Noble that Tuesday, picked up Go Set a Watchman off the best seller wall and purchased it for 30% off. I started reading it that day.

I found myself slipping easily into the world of an older Scout, who is now Jean Louise. It was almost strange to see Jean Louise as an older woman with fully grown up thoughts and feelings but it was also a nice surprise. We first meet Jean Louise who is on her way home for her yearly visit. When she pulls into the Maycomb Junction station her long time at home boyfriend Hank is waiting for her. On  the drive home Hank and Jean Louise go back and forth about when she is going to marry him and move back home. Right away it's obvious that this is a conversation they have been having for years. When they arrive at the Finch house Jean Louise's father, our beloved Atticus, and her Aunt Alexandra are waiting for them. At first all things seem exactly like home. Alexandra is giving Jean Louise a hard time about her outfit, her life choices and how important it is to stand up to the name of Finch. Atticus, suffering greatly from arthritis, is silently supporting Jean Louise and her wild independence while vocally agreeing with his sister. All seems well in the world of Jean Louise. At least at first.

After a wild first couple of days things begin to take a turn for the darker. When Hank and Atticus leave for a city council meeting Jean Louise decides to see what exactly this city council is. She sneaks in to the old courthouse and witnesses a city council meeting that changes her life. She sees a man named Grady O'Hanlon start preaching about how great segregation is and how important it is to keep the Negroes in their place. Jean Louise can hardly believe her ears she who has grown up in a house of inclusion and love can hardly breathe watching her father and Hank sit there and listen to this man spew his poison. Jean Louise stumbles out of the courthouse lost and disoriented and stumbles to her old house for a little bit of comfort. Lost in her thoughts of betrayal she takes a trip down memory lane trying to find where the lies began. And trying to discover if her whole childhood had been a lie. 

What follows is a dark journey through discovery and the peeling back of layers of what life in the south is really like. Through memories of her childhood and the things she is living through now Jean Louise finds herself questioning everything that she once took for granted. It's a harrowing journey that ultimately ends up with Jean Louise finally confronting Atticus and asking him, was it all a lie? 

To Kill a Mockingbird is an iconic book, and an iconic movie. The young vibrant view that Scout, as our narrator, brings to the world of the south. In the book Atticus is her hero and quickly becomes ours. It's a beautiful book that gives us faith and makes us feel good about all things. Go Set a Watchman is much darker and much more about the truth of things. For me this darkness and the new view of Atticus didn't ruin the memory of the Atticus I grew up knowing. This new book very much felt to me like a first draft or a first attempt at a book. There were a lot of similarities between the two books including some lines that were almost exactly the same. But there were a lot of discrepancies as well, Hank for instance is supposed to have been a long time childhood friend and he was never seen in the 'first' book. 

I think that Harper Lee is brilliant in her writing, that's just what it is. She has a narrative voice that is astounding and a way to develop her characters that is unsurpassed. Reading Go Set a Watchman gave me a chance to experience that once more. For this I am very grateful but it was not a knock-your-socks off type of book. I have seen a couple of very scathing reviews about this book and I wholeheartedly disagree with what they have said. I don't look at this book as a sequel or prequel or anything like that so nothing from To Kill a Mockingbird has been ruined for me. For me reading Go Set a Watchman  is like seeing into the mind of Harper Lee and watching her work out who she wants her characters to be and what she wants to say. It is an interesting look at the way the minds of white people in the deep south thought during the sixties. All in all it was an interesting study in human nature. 

I enjoyed the book and thought it was well executed and I give it a strong three out of five tips of my hat. It is worth reading as a study of the way Ms. Harper Lee thinks and plots and plans. If you can separate the books as two different stories then I think this could be a good recommendation for you. But if you are worried that this could taint your memory of a great book then I heartily say stay away. As a reader I enjoy looking at the different sides of things so for me this was worth the read. And I sincerely hope that the press around Go Set a Watchman will bring people around to the brilliance of Harper Lee. I know that for me this new book has just reminded me of how amazing she really is. An intense read and one that may shock you in parts but something that is worth it if you can see it objectively. I say thank you Harper Lee for a trip into your mind once more. 

"It Begins with Absence and Desire. It Begins with Blood and Fear. It Begins with a Discovery of Witches."-Deborah Harkness

It was almost exactly three years ago that I first came across a book called A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I was working at Barnes and Noble at the time and we used to have to do this thing during peak hours when the booksellers had to wander around the floor, asking customers if they needed help and then try to con them into buying a membership. It was during one of these times when I was wandering aimlessly, because peak hours were rather slow, and looking over the display tables when I happened to glance this book that intrigued me. Turning it over I read the back and as soon as I discovered that it revolved not only around a strong and stubborn woman but a book I was hooked. When it comes to books about books I'm a pretty easy sell so I decided to go ahead and buy it. It was such an unassuming book, and the title suggested maybe a little bit of a silly story maybe so I wasn't expecting much. The old saying 'never judge a book by it's cover' couldn't have been more right on.

As soon as I started reading I was taken into this world of books, and history, magic and love. It was all intricately woven together with different characters and personalities. It all started with Diana Bishop, Yale University professor on sabbatical at Oxford doing research into the history of alchemy. She is well read, history nut, tea enthusiast, a woman who loves a good row in her boat and who happens to be a witch. The witchy side is something that she has been hiding for as long as she can remember all she wants to do is do her research and teach her students. While at the Bodleian Library one day she calls up a mysterious alchemical text called Ashemole 782. All of a sudden she becomes the center of some very unwanted attention, from other witches (some creepy sinister seeming ones), demons (erratic and scatterbrained though they may be) and vampires. One vampire in particular seems to be annoyingly interested in Diana, a tall gorgeous rather overprotective vampire named Matthew. Despite being unsure of just what she has done to elicit such attention from the creatures of the world Diana finds it hard to resist Matthew's charming desire to protect her. In a non-creepy stalker kind of way, but in a way that she learns to find charming as well as annoying (she is a modern independent woman after all). 

I fell in love with the story, with the characters and all their stories and I fell in love with Deborah Harkness' writing. I was stunned to discover that this was her debut novel because her writing was so intricate and perfected in a way. I rarely see that in debut novels and so it was hard for me to wrap my head around that. But I liked her even more for it because I knew that she was going to be a force in the writing world and I eagerly awaited the next book. When the second book The Shadow of Night came out I was thankfully still working and Barnes and Noble and so was fortunate enough to be able to borrow the hardback book right away. I read it while in the middle of a move from Brooklyn to Harlem but it was so great that even despite that extra work I finished it long before the two week rental period was up. Again I was swept into the incredible magical world that Ms. Harkness created with Diana, Matthew and all the other amazing characters that come along in the story. I fear giving a description of this second book because I have no wish to accidentally give something away so I'll just say this, the second book was just as thrilling and amazing as the first and set me on the edge of my seat until the third one came out. 

It took awhile for book three, The Book of Life, to come out. And let me tell you it was a long wait. When I found out it was finally coming out I did something that is very rare for me and went online to pre-order a signed hard backed copy of it. Why is this so strange? I usually like to buy soft cover books (more portable), and I enjoy keeping trilogies and series in the same style so paperback series stay paperback etc. But I knew this was going to be a great book and it was one I didn't want to wait to read so I went ahead and did it. Due to quiet a lot of upheavals in my life around the time it was released it took me over a year to get to the book. But one night I decided it was time to read it because I was looking for a magical mystery that is intelligently and creatively written so I knew it was time to turn back to the world of Ms. Harkness' imagination. The Book of Life was even better than I thought it was going to be. 

In my new job at Starbucks I have rather strange hours, what do I mean? Well I have to be at work and clocked in at 4:30am most mornings which means my travel time is around 3am or so. Usually I am much to tired to read, my brain is still struggling to figure why I am awake and trying to function at that hour so reading on the way to work has become a non option. But this book was so good that it made me want to read on my way to work, and at work, and on my way home and at home and everywhere in between. I was so caught up in every aspect of the book and the story that I lost track of time a couple of times while reading. I got wrapped up in everything happening to Diana and Matthew that I would forget for a moment that this is only a trilogy and start finding myself unable to wait of the next book. Imagine my disappointment each time I was brought back to reality. 

The Book of Life is a whole other level of greatness from the other two. I loved them all equally, in fact the entire series has moved into my top trilogies of all time, but the third installment kept me on the edge of my seat unsure of how she was going to wrap things up  and I loved every thrilling second of it. This is a series of books that I highly, highly recommend to everyone! Don't let the title of the first book throw you or scare you away from it because the book is so good. So well written, so well put together that you will be hooked right away. Please if you love fantasy or good stories about books then go out and get a copy because you will not be sorry you did. The description doesn't even do it justice so you have to trust me when I say it is a world that you will want to fall into because it is a world that is worth losing yourself in. 

The Whores of Lost Atlantis-Charles Busch

Let me the first to admit that there have been times that I have indeed judged a book by its cover. Don't shake your head like that, I know you have all done it once or twice as well. With this delightful novel it was the cover and the title that really caught my while book shopping one fine day. I was browsing the $1 book section at a delightful little used bookstore in midtown Manhattan. A favorite past time of mine to be sure but with this particular run I was feeling less than enthusiastic. The selection seemed to be thin, and I just wasn't finding what I was looking for nor anything that I wasn't looking for. Until I came across something called Whores of Lost Atlantis by Charles Busch. I saw the title first and then pulled it off the shelf and saw the cover. At first I was just going to take a picture and send it to a friend who I thought would appreciate it as much as I did. But then I read what it was about and I got hooked. 

Let me give a little background, I have recently become kind of obsessed with drag queens and the whole drag world. Blame it on a truly great film 'To Wong Fu Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar' Starring, John Leguziamo, Wesley Snipes and of course Patrick Swayze all as utterly fabulous drag queens. With a very special appearance by none other than RuPaul. Who is one of the most fabulous people in the world in my opinion. Anyway I saw it again a few months ago and just decided the hour plus was not enough to fulfill my drag queen craving. And so my roommate and I decided to venture into RuPaul's Drag Race. We were instantly in love. We have been faithful fans ever since. In fact we just finished the latest season and we are currently in withdrawal. 

With the love and utter fascination I have for drag queens these days I am obviously on the lookout for anything related. With that in mind (and a rather strange sense of humor) I went book browsing at one of my favorite used bookstores. I came across a title in the $1 book section called Whores of Lost Atlantis and the title alone intrigued me so I pulled it off the shelf. When I saw the cover of a man in drag I got even more excited and so opened it up to read the synopsis. And when I read what it was about, an actor living in New York trying desperately to make his career finally take off by taking a bunch of his actor friends and doing a play where he plays a woman, I was hooked and knew that it was the book for me. And I was correct. 

A semi-autobiographical novel about a young man named Julian, an actor who until recently has spent most of his time traveling around   doing his one man show to great applause. Now he is yet another out of work actor going from temp job to temp job trying to make rent. He has a tight knit group of very loyal, very kind friends (most of whom are also out of work actors) all of whom are very convinced of their own brilliance and just need a way to show the world. When he meets a rather stuck up, annoying performance artist and is invited to her show at a tiny theater on the Lower East Side called the Golgotha he becomes overwhelmed with a certain knowledge. He suddenly knows that this is what he has to be doing, independent off the wall wonderful theater in a place like Golgotha. He gathers together his group of friends and during one day at a temp job writes the script for 'Whores of Lost Atlantis,' a play that is sexy, well put together and most importantly has him in the starring role as Milena the whore who has been dragged to Atlantis as a slave and then plots to overthrow the kingdom and rule. 

Along the way he meets some interesting characters that are inexplicably drawn into his world, finds himself beginning to find a certain type of fame and slowly finding his dreams coming true. With the ups and downs of popularity Julian finds himself wondering who he is, what is real and what is the act and if he makes a better Judy Garland or Sarah Bernhardt? It's quite a ride especially when you bring into it a love triangle, a mysteriously sexy man that takes over Julian's world, a vengeful rival who makes it her mission to ruin Julian and his band of players. I loved every minute of it. 

The author Charles Busch is a playwright and he has a unique voice for fiction writing. He is hilarious, every page, every chapter, every mishap had me laughing out loud. He also brought into it the harrowing truth of men watching their friends and lovers die of AIDS and what it was like to try and survive those losses. It was put together very well the story flowed and all I wanted was to find out what happened next. I always enjoy finding new authors with unique voices and Charles Busch was a truly great surprise. 

The story was wonderful and kept things interesting. Being in love with New York and theater, the fact that this all took place right at the beginning of the art scene on the Lower East Side was really exciting for me. Watching it unfold from the inside was delightful and left me wanting more knowledge. It was a fascinating tale that had me reaching for the book whenever I had the time. And the characters, where to start with them?! They were all hilarious and awesome and three dimensional. I felt like with anyone of them, Julian, his magician friend, the hard ass woman who does his wigs or the slightly off his rocker male stripper, I could be great friends and have strange and sometimes dark adventures. The characters made the book, the story was great, the writing was good, but these characters were the whip cream on top (I don't like cherries very much so the whip cream is the top). It's hard to describe them but they are characters that you don't want to miss. 

This book is hilarious and weird and fun and full of characters that I couldn't get enough of. It is a book that will probably not appeal to many people I know that but I still have to recommend it because I loved it. And what better way to show my love for a book then to try and spread it around to all my faithful readers. Whores of Lost Atlantis by Charles Busch has become one of those books, you know? One of those books that I loved and will always remember fondly but I probably won't go back to simply because the magic of that first read is just too good. But with that said I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a magical first read of a great and rather strange book. But I find that there are times when strange and funny are just what the doctor ordered. So my friends happy reading. 

A Quick Note

My darling readers,

I apologize that it has been so long since I have been seen. But this time I have a truly great excuse I have had no computer with which to write down my words of wisdom. Yes it's true my dear tablet has finally gone the way of the Dinosaurs and blacked out. It took quite awhile for me to finally get to a point where I could justify buying a new computer. But my plan is to start going back to school in the fall (as long as I get accepted that is) and since it is going to be online I needed a computer. So here we are at last. A new laptop computer that will hopefully be all that I hoped for. So far so good seeing as it turned on. 

Now just because I was unable to post updates or review anything doesn't mean I haven't been reading. Slightly slower than normal, I seem to have hit a reading rut and been less than enthusiastic about my books, but still reading. What have I been reading? Well I've really been running the gambit in genres lately. Finished up the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan and it was awesome! Highly recommend it for anyone, again I say anyone that enjoys Greek mythology. Been reading some of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events which is amazing and each book short and so good that I have been devouring one a day like vitamins. I read a historical fiction book called The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian, a mystery about violent murders happening in Italy, a murderer that is taking out an entire family one member at a time. Each chapter is different, one takes place in the present following the detectives investigating the murders, the next taking us back in time to World War 2 and a forbidden love and the next looking at everything from the POV of the killer. It was good, not great but the author did a fantastic job taking us into the mind of the killer. I read Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk a book about an aging porn star attempting to break the world record of sleeping with more than 599 men in one day. I finally read Maya Angelou's first installment in her autobiography entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, haunting and beautiful and incredibly well written I fell in love with Miss Maya Angelou and can't wait to read more. 

There have been a few more since my last post about Rory Gilmore but a couple of them I want to actually review so I'll leave them for now. Currently I am in the middle of reading a couple of books one psychological study called When Rabbit Howls by Truddi Chase about her struggle with her 92 different multiple personalities that all stem from the horrific sexual abuse she endured as a child. And to lighten the mood when that becomes too much I am reading Whores of Lost Atlantis by Charles Busch, a semi autobiographical novel about an actor down on his luck and not really sure how to jump start his career. When he gets together with some of his acting buddies who are also unable to keep steady acting work and puts on a play at an East Village underground club, where he is the leading lady, things begin to turn around for him. So far it's hilarious and awesome in so many different ways. It's well written and endlessly entertaining so I already know I want to recommend it. 

There you have it my dears, a full if not quite complete list of the things that I have been reading in my time away from you. I feel like it was a little bit of everything, but I may be thinking I'm much bigger than my briches. I hope that now that I have a fully equipped and working computer I will be more inclined to post lots more reviews. For the moment I am going to bid you all aideu and go read some more and then go to bed. With my new work schedule I have to be up at 3am so getting to bed at an early hour is the only way I get any sleep. I will be putting my application for school in tomorrow so think accepting thoughts for me! 

Missing You Already,

The Girl in the Tiny Hat

Why I'll Never Be As Well Read As Rory Gilmore

Let me start off by saying that yes I do know that Rory Gilmore is a fictional character and that she didn't actually read all the books that she said did. However knowing all of this has not stopped Rory Gilmore from becoming one of the most beloved reading icons of our time. There are lists on goodreads.com that are dedicated to her books and reading challenges that ask the question 'can you read as many books as Rory Gilmore?' Book nerds all over the place have taken the test on www.listchallenges.com that has a list of 339 books that were mentioned through out the entire 'Gilmore Girls' series and asks 'how many have you read?' I've only read 67 of the 339 books listed which according to the site puts me in the top 25% of challenge takers. For a goodreads list of Gilmore Girls titles go here.

Taking into account that fictional characters have often become ideals for us I set my sites on Rory Gilmore as a reading icon. Basically I hope to be just like her when I grow up. In the sense that she reads everything. I pride myself on being an eclectic reader, I'm not sure if I am one but I certainly like to think of myself as one. But even so I'm sure that I could branch out even further into unknown reading waters and every time I rewatch the 'Gilmore Girls' series I am reminded that there is still so much more for me to read.

Rory doesn't discriminate when it comes to reading, Dorothy Parker, Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, Tolstoy, books about beatniks in Venice beach, history, fiction, philosophy, she reads it all because she loves the act of reading and retaining knowledge. She reads newspapers daily and not just the Stars Hollow Gazette but papers like the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, she knows what is happening in the world. I admire her for this non-discrimination in her reading, I know that I have some discriminations, as do we all, when it comes to reading. Most of us, no matter how book nerdy we are, stick to one genre or sub-genre. Young adult, mystery, romance, paranormal romance, fiction, 'chick-lit,' teen, we can't help ourselves we find an author or genre or series that we can't put down and we get stuck. It's usually very hard for us to break out of our molds and venture into uncharted territories. I try to force myself now and again to try something new or pick up something that someone has suggested to me that I feel isn't really my style. But I know no reader that is as voracious and widely read as Rory Gilmore.

The reason I could never be as well read as Miss Gilmore is simple, I never read the newspaper, and quite a few of the books she has read are ones that I will never pick up. According to www.listchallenges.com one of the many books that were mentioned in the series was 'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides now I tried three times to read this book and was unsuccessful each time. I just couldn't get into it no matter what, the same with 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini I tried and tried but just couldn't get through it. Rory never puts a books down, she tries everything once and moves on to the next. I can't do that, if a book doesn't grab me or the writing is awful or the story so stupid that I just can't get into I have to put it down. Not to say that either of those books are poorly written and I know for a fact that they are both extremely popular books but they weren't my cup of tea.

Rory Gilmore is an inspiration to me, an inspiration to read things that have never tried before, an inspiration to try movies and music that I have never heard of before. I hope one day to be almost as well and widely read as her but I never will be because I know myself and I have limitations on my reading. No matter how hard I try to break out of my molds, one day reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries and the next Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate events and then the next 'Snuff' by Chuck Palahniuk, I just know that I won't be able to pick up 'Beowulf' or 'The Art of War' and sit down and read them cover to cover. I know they are important books and to be fully well read these are ones to read but they aren't books that I will read. I know this about myself and fully except my limitations as a reader.

Reading is about the pleasure of entering a new world, meeting new people, learning something new. If a book isn't bringing pleasure to the reader then the reader has every right to put the book down and start something new. I am very adamant about enjoying what I read so if a book and I aren't getting along then I will graciously put it aside, thank it for its time and move on. Rory Gilmore is a true reading fanatic and will never say no to a book or a subject which is why she has been an icon for book lovers every where. This is why I could never be as well read as Rory Gilmore, I have my few discrimintations. But I intend to keep on trying.   

Thursday Next, Jane Eyre and the Future of Literature

Meet Thursday Next a LitraTec with SpecOps-27 in London 1985. In a world where people routinely have protests over Surrealism vs. the realism of the Renaissance movement and the greatest crime one could commit is the stealing of an original manuscript of Dickens' Thursday's day to day life is anything but extraordinary. She works, goes home to her pet dodo and occasionally runs into her time traveling father and hopes to one day move up in the SpecOps department maybe one day being a SpecOps 9, although no one is very sure what they do.

As a LitraTec (a Literature Detective) Thursday usually runs down leads on forgeries of Shakespeare's works and occasionally helps out with security on important pieces of literature. Her most recent being the protection of the very rare and very important original manuscript of Dickens's 'Martin Chuzzlewhit,' something she is rather proud of. When the book is mysteriously taken the London LitraTec's are rather befuddled. They bring in Thursday Next to take the case to see if she can figure out how a highly secure book can disappear without a trace. After viewing the security tapes Thursday begins to suspect that maybe an old enemy of hers might just be behind the theft.

When a mysterious man from the mysterious SpecOps-5 approaches her to help them capture one Archeon Hades a mastermind criminal that they believe to be behind the theft Thursday jumps at the chance. After a night that goes bad quickly and lands Thursday in the hospital she decides to move back to her hometown to work for the LitraTec department there. And it is there that the adventures really begin.

It's a world where characters are being kidnapped out of books and people are being trapped in poems. Where bookworms spend their time eating double negatives and extra commas and where cloning has become the natural order of things and dodos are the best pet one can have. When her uncle and his device for jumping into books gets stolen Thursday knows that she will have to find a way to track Hades and stop him once and for all. What follows is quite a journey into some of literature's most well known stories, through a surreal England countryside and at times trough time itself.

Back when I worked at a bookstore, on the book floor, I used to hear about "The Eyre Affair" quite a bit. And although I heard it was good I was never all that interested in reading it. For some reason though it stuck with me and while out book shopping a few months ago at one of my favorite used bookstores I came across it and decided to go ahead and give it a try. After it sitting on my 'to read' shelf for awhile one day I had an urge to pick it up. I don't think I have been so happy that I randomly picked up a book in quite awhile. It had everything in it that I want in a good book. Adventure, romance, suspense, humor, good writing, and love of books. I was hooked from the very beginning and all I wanted to do was read.

It's hard to describe exactly what it is that hooked me so intensely but this book did it. It was well written, funny and full of book humor that only true book nerds would get. I loved the characters and the whole story idea of people being able to jump into there favorite books and mingle with the characters during their down times. I was blown away by the book and I ended up loving it so much that I went out right away to buy the second. I think that I may have a brand new favorite series. The second book was just as good and we got to interact with a lot more fantastic famous characters, the Queen of Hearts makes an appearance and the infinitely interesting Miss Havisham spends some time with us.

The books are just so imaginative and well put together and hilariously written. It is just such a treat to read them and each time I enter the world is so incredible and special. I really love them and have become a huge fan of Jasper Fforde. And if you really love books like really, really love them then I highly recommend the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde because they are incredible books and I can't wait until I can get my hands on the third book. It's a wild ride each time you crack open a Thursday Next story but it's a ride that I have loved and I think that I will continue to love it for as long as Thursday keeps finding herself in literary upheavals.  

The Enchanted Forrest Chronicles-Patricia C. Wrede

So I am a big fan of a lot of things, fairy tales, dragons, quests, witches, a little magic here and there, and of course bad-ass women that take care of their own problems and have a good time doing it thank you very much. Naturally being a book such I am I go in search of books that will meet some or all of these criteria. One day my good friend and I were scrolling through a list of the 50 top women in fiction or something of that sort and I came across one Princess Cimorene and The Enchanted Forrest Chronicles. As soon as I read about Princess Cimorene and how she abandoned her kingdom to go live with dragons I knew I had to read the series.

I went in search of it for the first time back in the summer to no avail. During the fall I had a lot going on and so the search was stalled. But then it was time for the holiday shopping to begin and so I thought how great would it be if I could find the first in the series "Dealing with Dragons" and give it my best friend and fellow book nerd for Christmas, with the intention of borrowing it of course. But alas, alack it was nowhere to be found on my search. Christmas was coming closer and I was getting discouraged, finally I decided to give up the search for the time being and try again another day. On Christmas day my best friend/roommate and I started opening presents and I came across a small book shaped one. Loving books of all sorts I was naturally excited which became overwhelming joy when I opened it and saw that it was 'Dealing with Dragons' the first Princess Cimorene series. Turns out while I was looking for the book as a gift for her my friend was searching for the same book for me. Great minds really do think alike. I started reading that day and couldn't stop. The closer I got to the end the more I realized that I didn't want to read anything but this series. And so I went to amazon.com and purchased the box set of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

Reading these books was like eating potato chips, you can't have just one. I devoured one book after the other loving each and every one of them. Each book brought about a new story, more characters to fall in love with and through them all was kick ads, hardcore, over the top awesome Princess Cimorene. In the first book Princess Cimorene decides that seeing as she can't be a proper princess loving embroidery and table manners she decides she would much rather be a captive princess with the dragons. And so she heads off in search of the dragon caves and when she finds them offers herself up as a willing princess. Although most of the dragon are wary of a 'willing' princess Kazul decides she could use a feisty princess around the place and so their friendship begins. Together they fight off evil wizards, dust treasure and  fend off annoying knights that keep coming around to try and 'rescue' Cimorene. The result of all this fending off and thanks to Cimorene's unbelievably cherries jubilee Kazul and Cimorene become the best of friends.

I have a deep dislike of spoilers and people that ruin great books by revealing too much of the story. I may err on the side of too much caution at times by not telling any part of the story for which I apologize. But with a series you really have to be careful about what you say and the details you reveal. With that in mind all I will tell you about the next three books is this, each book brings a new bunch of characters that are just as loveable or just as hateable as the next bunch and brand new adventures that leave you breathless with excitement. Are these children novels? Yes, yes they are. And I think that that just makes them better! I have no discrimination in my heart when it comes to reading. Or anything else for that matter, so be it children's, adult's, young readers or whatever it may be if it's good I will like it! And with the Cimorene stories especially I felt that because it was written for children and the stories were fun and simple it made them perfect. If it had tried to be more complicated or intricate it would have taken away from the greatness of the characters and the story itself.

All of that is meant to say this, don't be turned off by the fact that they are indeed children's fantasy. They are amazing books and utterly engaging stories for any age as long as you are young at heart!
  

The Beginning of the Beginning

With as much as I have read in my life I have come to fully realize the importance of opening lines. "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." From 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy. "It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.' 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' by JK Rowling. The opening line in any novel is designed to draw a reader in. If it captures its audience the novel will most likely hold a reader captivated for the duration. If however an opening line falls short or is unoriginal it can cost the book a reader.

I am not saying that all great books have great opening lines or that all bad novels have bad opening lines. In fact some of my favorite books have mediocre first sentences while some of the books I loathe have opening lines that entrapped me. But I do find that an opening line can usually be a good indicator of a really good read. "I could hear a roll of muffled drums." From 'The Other Boleyn Girl' by Philippa Gregory a simple but intriguing opening line, a line that turned into one of my favorite books. The opening line is a doorway into the world of the novel, it's the first step on what is usually an incredible journey.

In my opinion an opening sentence should seduce the reader, the length itself doesn't matter, it is the flow that counts. Is it intriguing? Does it have weight? Does it make you want to jump off the cliff into an unknown world that could consume you? It is a quick and tasty sample of what is to come. Some of my favorites listed above, roll off the tongue take you in and perk your interest. A first line should be a part of the novel as a whole but removed in such a way that it can stand alone and leave a reader begging for more. 

I truly love the very beginning sentences of new books. It's just so exciting to begin something new, a new fantastical journey, a glimpse into someone's incredible life. Just thinking about a brand new book and the world inside gives me tingle and the very first taste of that new world is the opening line. It can be very exciting all on it's own. My darling readers I leave you with this thought, do not judge a book by it's cover instead crack open the first page and take a taste of the world you are about to enter by reading that first line and see if it tickles your imagination, spurs your drive to want to know more and seduces you into taking that first leap of faith. Here's wishing you the perfect first sentences readers.    

Blue Lily, Lily Blue- by Maggie Stiefvater

Everyone that has been reading the words of this girl in the tiny hat knows how much I have enjoyed Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys Cycle books. When I finally read the ARC of "The Raven Boys" I loved it so much that I kind of mentally kicked myself for not reading it sooner. You know how you do when you read a really good book after it has sat on your shelf for awhile? You mentally yell at yourself 'WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?! OMG THIS IS AWESOME!!!' Yes I do it in all caps and everything. Then with the second book in the series "The Dream Thieves" I was even more blown away, enough so that I went and bought the hardcover autographed edition of it. In total-honest-truth-telling fact I liked it more then the first. Which is usually a good thing because it just means that the author is really finding a voice for these characters and that things are just going to keep getting better. Knowing this when I heard about the third installment "Blue Lily, Lily Blue" coming out I gave a little fan girl squeal and did a little happy dance. Then proceeded to eagerly await the day I could go and pick it up. And then the day finally came! I was so happy and started it right away.

The first few lines scared me a bit simply because they were a little over the top. A little bit like she was trying really hard for poetry when she should of just stuck to the brilliance of the story that was already there. Don't get me wrong I think that Ms. Stiefvater is a brilliant writer and I love her Raven Boys books with a passion but I love them so because they are beautiful and intriguing and utterly amazing in their simplicity. Anyway being the faithful reader that I am I forged ahead and was relieved when things started feeling more Raven and less 'hello I am fancy pants.' As the story really got going I started feeling lost and confused and at times a little bit hurt. It just didn't have the same feel as the first two. Something felt off and still after a couple months of thinking on it I can't quite pinpoint what it was that threw me. What I can tell you is this, the writing was mostly as good there were times when she went off on overly lyrical flights of fancy that ground my teeth a bit. The characters that I grew to love were all there in abundance and the story progressed a bit. But what I found was that many the writing was off at times because she was maybe trying too hard to take it to a new level which in my humble opinion was unnecessary.

The characters that I have grown to love were all there, Ganesy and Blue, Adam and Ronan, Chainsaw the raven and course Blue's aunts and their very special brand of crazy. But Ms. Stiefvater also felt it was time to add in some brand new characters to add some spice. Which is usually always a good thing, new characters with new plot lines usually mean big things are happening and to keep an eye out. Unless of course you are going for the 'War & Peace' vibe in which case you are simply adding characters because you have nothing better to do. I fear that Ms. Stiefvater had a little 'War & Peace' syndrome going on. There were just too many new characters with brand new plot lines to follow that were added on top of all the old loveable characters and all their plot lines that it kind of got twisted and confused a bit. I felt a little lost and confused at times which made it hard to speed through this one the way I did with the first two.

Maggie Stiefvater is a great storyteller. I've never read anything by her other than The Raven Boys cycle books but I think that she is just brilliant n her storytelling ways. That being said in "Blue Lily, Lily Blue" the story got a little lost or maybe it simply took a nap in Cabeswater and woke to find itself in another time and place. Whatever the reason I struggled to follow it and found myself wading through pools too deep for me. Again it was the simplicity of the story that was the brilliance of both "The Raven Boys" and "Dream Thieves." But in "Blue Lily, Lily Blue" things felt too complicated, too all over the place for me. It was still a decent story and towards the end things begin to shift back into perspective a bit so it is worth the read if you are a fan of the series. I recommend it solely based on the fact that it is the third in the series and it helps (somewhat) to guide us to the next plot point. I am of course excited about book 4 whenever that may be coming out but this time I plan on going into it with a little bit of reserve.

I tip my hat (my almost forgotten rating system) 3 times to Maggie Stiefvater's "Blue Lily, Lily Blue" not the best book I've read this year but not the worst by far. Well folks it has been quite a reading year. Less with the reviewing part and I apologize for that but a reading year indeed. I can't wait for 2015 and the many, many books that are awaiting us. So for the last time this year my dear, dear readers happy reading!

Joss Whedon is Even Cooler Than I Thought He Was

I have internet again!!!! I am soo very excited to be back up and running! With that being said it is a well established fact, that is if you have been paying attention, that I am a book nerd. What is less well known is that I am a nerd in many other ways as well. There is the comic book hero nerd in me, such as worshipping Batman and all things Batman (my phone case is the Bat symbol). The movie nerd, rather obsessed with movies and TV (thank the Netflix Gods for making it easier for me to enjoy such things) and then there is the Joss Whedon nerd. What does this mean you may ask? It means that I am totally obsessed with all things Whedonverse. Ever since the very first time I saw the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer I was hooked. There was just something about the perfect blend of humor and darkness that I just couldn't get enough of. Luckily for me one of my best friends is also a huge fan of Joss Whedon and when I went to visit her, many years ago now, she introduced me to the wonderful world of Firefly also by Joss Whedon. We spent a very rainy weekend watching all 14 episodes plus the movie 'Serenity.' This just cemented my obsession even more.

When I read that there was going to be a biography coming out about him I naturally was immediately intrigued and just knew I had to read it. I borrowed it from work and it was awesome, no it was amazing, no, no tubular? No matter what word you use to describe it, it is super good and well worth the read. The book 'Joss Whedon: the Biography' by Amy Pascal was filled with not only factual tidbits like the fact that when he was young he went to school in England and grew up in a feminist household where his mom would hold Shakespeare dinners. But fun facts as well such as while growing up he loved old westerns and science fiction so much that when he was grown and trying to decide what his next project was going to be he decided why not mix the two? And the magic that was Firefly was born.

Nowadays everyone knows who Joss Whedon is, 'oh yeah he's the dude that did the Avengers right?' And everyone nods in unison and smiles 'oh yeah that guy. The Avengers was awesome.' But Mr. Whedon didn't always spark that kind of recognition to the public. He was this kind of strange wide eyed hopeful young guy that was trying to make it in Hollywood's cut throat world of script writing. Landing a job on the new show 'Rosanne' was a huge deal for young Joss. A new type of show talking about some real issues was just the place that Joss was hoping to find a home. But it wasn't all that he was hoping for and though one of his scripts made it on air, with quite a few rewrites, 'Rosanne' turns out to be just a place to stop for awhile and not the home Joss was looking for.

Joss started bouncing around trying to find a place that felt right. He worked as a script doctor for awhile, including doing some work on the dialogue in 'Toy Story,' making a name for himself as an excellent wordsmith. While making a name for himself as the go-to script doctor Joss was writing a full length script if his own. A script that would go on to become a niche classic that took the 'vulnerable' young girl running from the bad guy story and turn it on its head. A script titled 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' When the directing/producing team, the Kuzuis, bought the script Joss had a feeling that this was finally going to be the break he had been hoping for. He got especially excited when the project was greenlit and the cast was in place. Things were looking up and he started getting excited, the cast was listening to him about his ideas for his characters and things were moving along rather smoothly. And then they started filming. And the studio had all these ideas and the Kuzui team had all these ideas and Donald Sutherland who was playing Buffy's watcher (don't know what that means? Look it up! XD) had some very specific ideas about his character. Eventually the rewrites to his script and demands from the studio make more than Joss wanted to deal with and he walked away before production finished.

With his pet project not panning out the way he was hoping Joss started thinking on a smaller scale. He thought to himself 'why not try writing my Badass girl story for TV?' And so the show 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' was born. A show that would continue on for seven seasons, inspire a spin off series, comic books, video games, and a cult following unlike anything that had been seen before. From the fame of Buffy Joss went on to start 'Firefly' (which was unappreciated in it's time and therefore cancelled before it should have been) and with Buffy's success came Angel's and he went off to start his own show. Joss continued to work on projects and ideas that he was passionate about. Creating not only 'Angel,' 'Firefly,' and 'Dollhouse' but also writing, directing and producing a mini web series/musical 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.' A brilliant piece of musical theater about a wannabe super villain that just wants to get the girl. Later Joss would go on to produce a film version of 'Much Ado About Nothing,' filmed at the beautiful home that his amazing wife Kai designed and built for them. Who starred in it? His 'found' family of actors that had been working in the Whedonverse for years at this point.

Let's recap shall we? Why do I like Joss Whedon so much? He is a feminist with some of the greatest ideas about equality I've heard in a long time. He says of women that he has '...an unseemly fascination with these women and at the same time a desire to empower and protect them so that they could in return empower and protect me.' I mean how right on is that? Although he has been clear about his views on equality 'Q: so why do you write these strong female characters? A: Because equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for.  It's a necessity...' Some people don't seem to quite get it:

He has a brilliant mind, a healthy love of Shakespeare (he has dinner parties where they sit around and read Shakespeare plays with each other) and is an absolute genius when it comes to writing. He is all around a pretty cool guy. I just think he is brilliant. And to illustrate such a brilliant man properly you have to have a brilliant biographer. And with Amy Pascale we as readers get just that. She takes the life and times of Joss Whedon and turns them into an ongoing conversation that you never want to end. She not only gives us the facts and fun but she does it such a Joss Whedon way that it felt like talking to him. She captured not only his style, that unique ability to blend action, comedy and tragedy seamlessly, but she captured his essence on the pages as well. I thought that Amy Pascale did a great job of bringing Joss Whedon to the page.

 

Basically this book is for Whedonverse junkies such as myself. In order to truly appreciate this book and the man that it is about you have to really love and respect Joss Whedon and all that he does. I do and I thought this was a great book. It really made me want to meet Joss and Kai and sit and shoot the shit for awhile. They seem like the type of people that would be really great to just chat with for a few hours about anything. Of course this sitting and chatting would come after the crazy fan girl nerd out that I would have. But that happens to the best of us right?

The Mime Order-Samantha Shannon

Alright so I am not really going to tell you guys what the book is about. Because that would be cheating and revealing way too much information that would no doubt ruin the book. So I am going to be magnanimous and say nothing about the story or what happens to Paige after she escaped from Sheol 1. I'm not going to say anything about what happens when she sees Jaxon again or what 'The Mime Order' is. I'm not gonna say anything about anything. Well except what I felt about it.

In short it was amazing. 100% edge of your seat, can't stop reading, heart racing, page turning amazing. Samantha Shannon is a force of nature as we saw in her debut novel 'The Bone Season,' (reviewed here) but she has surpassed herself with her second novel. She has grown as a writer by leaps and bounds, and I just know that she is going to continue to do so. With this second novel she was able to more seamlessly blend action and dialogue. Her down moments weren't too slow or overly drawn out, every bit of the book was crafted just so and I couldn't stop reading or thinking about it.

The story was of course incredible as we knew it would be. So much was brought into the light in this tale and Paige alone was fleshed out so much more. She became so very real and so three dimensional that she leapt off the page and I fell in love with her even more. Paige turned into a character that you not only rooted for but someone that I wanted to meet, to help and I wanted nothing more to be in there with her fighting the good fight. I felt like everything became much more intricate and well put together in this second adventure. And I have to tell you I was so very swept away this time, I mean don't get me wrong I loved the first book so much, but because Ms. Shannon has grown so much as a writer 'The Mime Order' is even better. I really can't wait to see where Samantha Shannon takes us next.

This time around the characters were even fuller and richer than in 'The Bone Season.' This was really a great chance for Ms. Shannon to take already great characters and really flesh them out turn them into unforgettable and truly incredible people. Each character became so much more real and likeable or unlikable as the case may be. If characters can leap off the page and make me feel something viscerally I know that the author has done a superb job in creating them. And every character in 'The Mime Order' leapt off those pages and made me feel something. Samantha Shannon really did a great job bringing her characters to life and I think that with each book she is only going to get better and better.

I know, I know I was super vague and annoying. But I really did it for you guys, I didn't want to give anything away. This is the kind of book that even the slightest detail would be too much so I kept it vague and short. Trust me when you read it, it comes out January 2015, you will thank me for not giving anything away. Because guys this book is so good and reading it the first time will be mind blowing and absolutely wonderful. Be ready dear readers because co me January 2015 all your lives will get better because Samantha Shannon's 'The Mime Order' will be out. Make sure to set aside a couple days where you do nothing but read because once you start there will be no stopping. With this book sleep is for the weak.

Leaving Time-by Jodi Picoult

Ok so it has been well established that I love Jodi Picoult and am pretty much determined to read everything by her. This fact is so well known that anytime there is anything related to Jodi Picoult people at work come to ask me if I know about it. With this in mind one of the managers at work, and a thank you to Peter for his kindness, saw an ARC for Ms. Picoult's newest novel entitled 'Leaving Time' and hid it away for me. It made my day when I saw it and I started reading it right away.

It is the story of young Jenna Metcalf and her decade long search for the truth about what happened to her mother. Her mom, Alice Metcalf studied grief among elephants. After a tragic accident at the elephant sanctuary that she ran with her husband, Alice disappeared leaving behind a three-year-old daughter and what appears to be a body trampled by an elephant. Ten years later Jenna pores over her mother's old journals trying to find a hidden clue meant just for her to tell her she hadn't been abandoned. When she turns 13 Jenna decides that it's time to take matters into her own hands and starts her own search for her mother. Enlisting the help of two rather unusual allies, a disgraced psychic who was once the biggest name in helping to find missing persons and a drunken private detective that was once a detective assigned to her mother's case, the three begin a journey that takes them to unexpected places.

Going between journal entries from Alice's past and the search that Jenna and her oddball companions are putting on Jodi Picoult has come away with another winner. Blended into the story are some fascinating facts about elephant tribes and the way they grieve and raise their young. The beauty of the moments that Alice witnesses is stunning and heartbreaking in equal measure. As Jenna and her unlikely team try to retrace her mother's steps and find the truth of what happened at the sanctuary that last night we watch as Alice struggles through love, grief, and secrets that no one should ever have to keep.

As always Jodi Picoult weaves together a story both simple and beautiful and heart racingly dark. A story that kept me sucked in until the very end. I really enjoyed the way it tied itself up in knots and then at the end it found a clever way of untangling itself. It is a story that is worth reading because it takes a usual story and tells it in an unusual way. I was surprised by it which is always something that I look for in a good book and I think that it is one that will surprise you as well.

Ms. Picoult knows how to write and so that was never in question when I first opened the book. What really struck me this time around was the depth of what she wrote. All of her novels are impeccably written but with this I felt that there was a special level of care that went into each word. Maybe it was because her subject matter was so deep in and of itself but there seemed to be more weight behind each word, each sentence. And I loved it, I really found myself feeling the story which was just great.

All in all 'Leaving Time' was a good read and one that I recommend for an October read. It comes out October 14th and I think that it's going to be not only worth the wait but worth buying the hardcover. It's a beautiful story and as always it's well written and full of characters that I think you will find utterly fascinating. I really enjoyed reading the book and I hope that you read it and enjoy it as well. It is one of those perfect beginning of fall books that you can easily curl up with and enjoy with a good cup of your favorite tea. Be warned though you may end up unable to put the book down so make sure you get real comfortable!

A Trip Down Memory Lane Part 2

So one post was clearly not enough to talk about all the books that have left an impact on me. I'm sure that 100 posts would not be enough but I think I'll cap it at 2 for now and just stick with some of the most important books. I've already talked about some of the classics that have changed the way I read or stayed with me so I figured that in part 2 I'll go a little more modern.

A couple years ago I came across a non-fiction book call 'The Kennedy Detail: JFK's Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence.' Being fascinated by history I picked it up and simply devoured it. It was heart breaking and terrifying and in many ways beautiful. I think the reason it stuck with me so much was because of the love that these agents felt for the Kennedy family and the feeling of guilt that they felt after Kennedy was shot. The thing that was truly amazing was the fact that when Kennedy first took office none of the agents were happy about their new assignment. As time went on and the agents got to know their protectees their duty became a joy. Reading this account of the months and days leading up to the assassination was moving and it really affected me. If you can stand non-fiction I highly recommend this unique view on the Kennedy assassination.

Now I know that the next book I'm going to talk about is probably on everyone's list but I just can't forgive myself if I don't mention it. 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' by JK Rowling. Now to be clear this isn't my favorite Harry Potter book but it is the one that started the obsession. To be honest I don't remember how I came upon Harry and his world of magic. I'm sure I started reading it because everyone was reading it and it was fresh and just becoming super popular. I do remember falling instantly in love with it and that was that. I read through all the ones available, which at the time were the first three I believe, and eagerly awaiting the next installment. I rarely, rarely buy hardcover books but when the fourth Harry Potter came out I made my dad buy it for me. It was the only book I was allowed that month but I was perfectly content with that. Because of reading that very first book I discovered a world that I love and a series that I can't get enough of. And so 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' makes the list of books that have had a huge impact on me. Because it was my entry into the incredible world that has since become an obsession.

I never used to like fantasy books, I guess I felt that they just weren't my cup of tea. I absolutely refused to read anything fantasy until one day I accidentally picked up a book that changed my mind totally. The book was 'The Summer Tree' by Guy Gavriel Kay and it changed my mind about fantasy for good. I remember the day I finished it, I had just come home from school and was sitting in my favorite reading chair and as soon as I finished I called my mom who was out running errands and asked her to go to a used bookstore and pick up the next two in the trilogy. As I have mentioned before this is now my favorite trilogy, one that I have read over and over again and in fact just finished a reread a few weeks ago. I know I don't know much about fantasy and I have been told that this is 'average' fantasy but I found 'The Summer Tree' to be well written, thought out and all around really, really good! In truth the whole trilogy has stuck with me in a very important way and whenever I have a hard time or need to remember why I love reading I go back to the wonderful work of Guy Gavriel Kay. He opened my eyes to a whole new genre that I now really enjoy. And it's all thanks to that first accidental encounter with a book called 'The Summer Tree.'

Well friends I hope you enjoyed this special two part post about some of my important books. Short posts for sure but important and fun ones I hope. They were certainly fun for me to write. More posts to come soon. Next? A review of a new Jodi Picoult! Keep your eyes peeled for it! =D



 

A Trip Down Memory Lane

It's been a long while I know. It's been a rough few months and a lot has been happening so it's been tough to sit down and write. But here I am now, ready and willing to entertain the masses with my often brilliant and occasionally witty reviews. I had planned on writing of the new Jodi Picoult book due out in October. But I changed my mind. I'm going to leave that for next time and instead tonight I am going to write about books that not only touched me as a person but helped to shape me as a reader. As some of you know there is a post going around Facebook where you tag ten people and ask them to make a list of 10 books that stuck with them. Although I knew almost right away what I wanted my 10 books to be, I realized (as I scrolled through my read list on Goodreads) that there were just so many more than 10 that have stuck with me in one way or another. Realizing this I was inspired to write a post about some of these incredible books.

First and foremost I have to mention a couple of the ones I posted on Facebook, 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott and 'Gone With the Wind' by Margaret Mitchell. I honestly don't remember when or where 'Little Women' came into my life but I do have a very clear memory of reading the book. I have this vivid memory of coming home from school one day hopping on my bed, shoes and all, and reading straight through until dinner. I think this was the very first book that I got truly lost in. A simple book I know but one that showed me for the first time what it was to get so swept up that I lose track of time. For this reason 'Little Women' has become one of my favorite books. One that I have gone back to time and again and each time I get lost and with that the memory of getting lost for the first time returns. 

When it comes to 'Gone with the Wind' I have a very clear memory of the first time I read it. I was at a friend's house and we had been playing inside all day and were getting restless. I guess we started getting a little rowdy and loud and her mom told us that we had to do a quiet activity for a half hour. Our options were reading or cleaning. Being more partial to books than household chores I went over to the bookshelf, and thinking a little highly of my reading skills, I picks up their mass market version of 'Gone with the Wind.' In that scant half hour of reading time my whole reading self was turned upside down. I fell in love with Ms. Mitchell's words, her characters the story. It was a big project to get trough it but once I did I realized how wonderful reading a classic could be. Before diving into her world I had been nervous about reading classic literature. What if I didn't like one of the 'great' novels? I feared that people would look at me and think 'oh she isn't a real reader.' But once I made my way through 'Gone with the Wind' I discovered just how great a classic could be and I was hooked. Today some of my all time favorite novels and authors are the classics. All thanks to Margaret Mitchell and her brilliant novel 'Gone with the Wind.'

A book that was not on my Facebook list but had a huge impact on me was 'The Green Mile' by Stephen King. Now growing up I knew who Stephen King was, I had seen 'The Stand' and 'Carrie.' I heard people say that Stephen King was the 'master of horror' but I never had any inclination to go out and read his work. Until that is I saw the film 'The Green Mile' and I discovered that it was based on a book by Stephen King. When I realized that a story of such depth and emotion came from the 'master of horror' flabbergasted me to such an extent that I went right out and bought a copy of the book. And I fell instantly in love. His writing threw me for a loop, and his story telling was out of this world. I became obsessed and decided that I had to devour a much of Stephen King's novels as I possibly could. I now follow him on Twitter, Facebook, I keep track of all the release dates of his novels and I currently have two waiting for me on my nook. He's become one of my top read authors and it was all thanks to that very first read of 'The Green Mile.' 

Another Facebook mention was 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen. I love Austen, I have since the very first time I read 'Sense & Sensibility.' All her novels are beautiful and I have read them at least two times each. But there is something about 'Persuasion' that ha just stayed with in ways that the others haven't. It's a story about a true underdog. Anne Elliot is her family's punching bag in many ways. She was once in love but because her family convinced her that he just wasn't good enough for her she turned down his proposal. Many years later when she has been swindled into coming and taking care of her neurotic sister and her family she runs into the man of her dreams once more. The story from there is all about finding worth within oneself, and learning to maybe do things for yourself rather than everyone else. Imagine a woman in Austen's time writing about that? I just find 'Persuasion' to be inspiring, well written and totally engaging. To this day it is my favorite Austen without a doubt. 

Well friends that is the end of part one for tonight. Part two coming soon with a few more books that have stuck with me in one way or another. In the meantime what are some books that have stuck with you? Feel free to leave them in the comment section! And be on the lookout for part 2!