Undead Memories Part 1

I've toyed with the idea of writing a vampire story, but held back because of current trends. I finally gave in and did it for a final project. I'll post it in 3 parts. Here is the first!


From the dark trees across the street, the house looked just the same as it had the last time Edie had seen it. In her memories, she could see the bright sun filling the sky as she and Victoria played in the grass – now brown and withered. That’s all she had left of the sun these days. Memories.

The blue shutters were still there, along with the matching blue door with the gold mail slot. The red brick that made up the façade was perhaps not as bright as it was from childhood, but that’s what happened with age. Things faded.

This was risky, coming back here after all this time. Nikolai had tried to reason with her. In the end, Edie always did what she wanted. At least to the best of her abilities. It was easy for her, being Warrick’s great creation and all – not that she ever asked for any of it. But how often did catastrophic events ask permission before striking?

Warrick could go to hell for all she cared. This was not about her, or him. This was about Victoria, and seeing her one last time. It was a risk she was willing to take. They had been lingering in this town for weeks, but Edie had saved this visit until the last possible moment.

“Once he finds out you don’t plan on coming back, you know this is the first place he’ll look. And if that boy has anything to do with it, you know what he’ll do.”

Edie didn’t look over her shoulder to meet Nikolai’s reason. “Well, then I have some time,” she said, clearly avoiding addressing the subject of Landon.

She had to keep reminding herself that this was not about Landon. This is about Victoria, she thought.

“And if Warrick comes, and asks me directly, I’ll have no choice but to tell him.”

“You breathe a word before that inevitable point in time, and I’ll rip your head off.”

She didn’t have to see him in order to detect the sudden jerk of his body. There was no doubt that she could, and would, rip off that head of his. Not that she wanted to. He was a loyal officer, and was already risking his life for her.

Recycling Books = Awesomeness

In honor of my birthday (which is right now), I'm going to post about gift giving. Don't worry, it's still related to books (in case you didn't figure that out already).

This Christmas season, I've been obsessed with making gifts. Why? Well 1) it's cheaper and I can make the same thing (with slight variations depending on personality) for multiple people, and 2) no holiday shopping at crowded stores trying to find gifts that family and friends may or may not like.

One of these gift ideas involves taking an old book, preferably one that no one will miss, and turning it into nifty box. I'm making 3 of them, and I can't wait to see the look on the recipient's face when they tear open the wrapping paper and their eyes take in the title of a book that they've never heard of and never intended to read. I can hear it now: "Er, thanks, Nicole." Muahaha! They will think I'm a terrible gift-giver. Until they open up the book and see that it's been hollowed out and they can stash all sorts of secrets in there, and no one will ever find them because the book will blend right into the rest of their book collection. Brilliant!

Wait, Nicole, you're going to hollow out a book?

Yes, I am. I am going to take a book, and cut it all up. In my defense, though, no one was ever going to read the books I chose (which was why they were on sale for $1), and I'm totally recycling it! Don't worry, I still love books with a passion and own too many of them to be displayed on my bookshelf. I just think this is a whole new way to enjoy a book.

Alright, so how am I going to go about doing this? It's actually quite easy -- just reeaally time consuming. The gluing of the pages together is easy. It's the cutting out of all the pages that is what takes forever.

Step 1: I found a book.
A fat one. This book is a 500+ page book on the art of bridge. The game. Sounds like one hell of a read, right?











Step 2: Glue!

 I mixed good 'ol Elmers with some water and painted the edges.













Step 3: Cut!

 Once it's dry, it was time for the fun part. Fun for about the first 150 pages...




...and cut some more...

and cut some more...









 
Step 4: More glue! -- no picture for this -- I went ahead and glued some more, this time on the inside edges, and another layer on the outside. After, I glued the pages to the back cover.



 Step 5: Viola!

Beautiful, right? I think so.
















Here is a more specific guide to hollowing out a book, in case you want to do it yourself: How To Make a Secret Hollow Book.

And here's a video, so you can see the process in action.



Happy crafting!

Best Thing I've Ever Written

Well, okay, maybe I'm lying. This isn't the best thing I've ever written, but I was pretty impressed by my ridiculous imagination. See for yourself:


This was just a routine checkup. Working for the force, it was required. Every six months he had to go to the doctor. Or vet. They were the same thing in his mind.

"I'm sorry, Mr. McGruff," the doctor said too calmly, "but you've tested positive for rabies."

The words floated around in the air for a moment. Then, without warning, they attacked. He couldn't even howl. What would be the point?

"Mr. McGruff?"

The doctor's words made him realize he was panting. Slobber was slipping over his pointed teeth.

"I know this is difficult to hear. Do you need a minute alone?"

McGruff didn't say anything. He didn't even hear her leave the office.

But I feel fine, he thought. Fine. Better than fine. I'm at the top of my game, stronger than ever. This has to be a mistake. A damn mistake!

He suddenly heard the words of his commander: Be careful what you take a bite out of, McGruff.

Every sound suddenly became intensified -- the thumping of his heavy tale, the grinding of his sharpened teeth, the patter of footsteps in the hall, the wind against the thin window. It was all so loud. Too loud. Something inside threatened to burst out. Finally, it could no longer be contained. His head drew back, and he howled and howled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Is this pre or post rabies??

Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is an interesting piece of fiction. I guess it was rated one of the best 100 books of 2011 by Amazon (if that really means anything). I never read Before I Fall, her debut novel, which also made some lists, so this was my first whirl with Oliver. Whirl. I like that.

 
Set in some sort of close future, Delirium lets the reader in on a world where love is considered a disease, and it must be cured. Amor deliria nervosa the disease is called. At eighteen, people are required to "get the cure," an operation that makes them ultimately different people. One might say boring, or distant. Then, their whole future is pretty much decided. Before the operation, boys and girls are not allowed to mingle and there are strict curfews. Lena is just months away from her operation and actually can't wait. Considering the history of her family, she sees the cure as a way of being normal.

But oh wait, something happens! Can you guess what it is? Yep, she meets a boy (Alex), and then the world as she always knew it goes up in smoke. You know, the typical stuff. Fall in love, and then find out your whole world has been a huge lie. There is a true awakening, like a good 'ol dystopia novel should have. It kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games -- maybe because I just read it. Lena and Katniss both have obvious awakening moments and both worlds are being controlled by powerful forces. But there's no fighting to the death in Delirium.

This was one of the most infuriating books I've read in a long time. It was well written and thought out, but so much happened in this story. It was easy to follow and easy to see where it was going, but I was still so angry. Things built up slowly, and then revelations started to occur, and then bigger ones, and then it ended. Wait, it ended? Just like that!? WTF

And then I found out that this is the first book in a trilogy. Oh, well that makes more sense. And the second book, Pandemonium, doesn't come out until March. *#%$! Then, finally, in 2013, the third book will be released. Needless to say, finding all of that out only further pissed me off. But that's to be expected, I get angry with trilogies.

Though it might be cheesy at times (what young adult book isn't?) and I'm sick of reading about girls who think they're normal and have gorgeous friends to rub it in their face until they find a guy who digs them instead, the premise was still so interesting that I had to keep reading. So read Delirium if you may, but just be prepared to wait a few years to finish the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This book also kind of reminded me of this movie. No dancing + no fun = rebellion





Kevin Bacon, you win

Mockingjay (and The Hunger Games Trilogy)

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins concludes with Mockingjay. I read all three books (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) consecutively. The were easy to become lost in and it was impossible to not want to know what was going to happen next.

With that said, Mockingjay was my least favorite book. Catching Fire was somewhat predictable and slow-moving, and left all of the action for the end of the book, but it still had me flipping pages late into the night. The Hunger Games was by far the best (which I talked about here).

Now back to Mockingjay. I liked how this book neatly wrapped up the trilogy. It seemed like a real ending. I liked how people got what was coming to them, and I liked how there were consequences. But (and there's always a but), some of the deaths of characters seemed to come out of no where, like they only happened to make Katniss go a little crazier. Also, the action in Mockingjay just didn't measure up to the two books. It wasn't always easy to follow, either, and felt kind of forced. Though I liked how it ended, some of the characters just dropped off the face of the planet. Did Katniss really never talk to them again?? I didn't buy it. But it is what it is, and I still read it, didn't I?

As a whole, these three books, collectively, made up an excellent series. The movie looks interesting, too. This trailer is better than the last one I shared. And it pretty much sums up the whole first book, so I guess if you watch it, you'll be all set...



I'm super excited for Woody Harrelson to play Haymitch. Squee!

The Haunting of Old Cliff Path

Since it's Halloween, here's another ghost story I wrote, inspired by a hike through Howth and the evil birds I swore were going to eat me. Have fun.



“Some people say this Old Cliff Path is haunted.”

“Who says that? There’s no warnings in this book,” Kelsey said, eyeing the guide in her hands.

“At that pub by the train station, some old guy started talking to me, told me a story.”

“A scary story?” Kelsey asked.

“Yep, about this very path we’re hiking on and planning to camp on. We shouldn’t be here after dark.”

“I didn’t see signs,” Jake said.

“Isn’t everything in Ireland haunted anyway? And here, one wrong step and you land with a smack on those rocks,” Ella said.

“Then those creepy seagulls eat out your eyes.”

“Eww!” Kelsey screeched.

“There’s something about how those things fly in circles by the cliffs, dive into the water to catch food, or sit, stacked on top of one another, that really makes my skin crawl,” Ella said.

“Actually, those birds are part of the story,” Kyle said.

The four briefly stopped talking of ghosts to pitch their tent and grill some food.

“Get to that story,” Jake said.

Kelsey whined, but Ella didn’t care either way. It was now dark and of course the boys wanted to scare them.

“Well, many years ago, on this path, someone fell and died. What was weird about this was that the young woman who died wasn’t someone the locals knew. In fact, no one seemed to know her. There had been no news of someone missing, so when she came up dead, people were stunned. When she was found, her body was bloated from seawater and half eaten by birds. Her identity was never discovered and her death was never solved. Was it suicide? An accident? Murder? No one knew.”

The Hunger Games

I recently finished reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It reminded me of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson -- that story where there's a lottery drawn every June 27th, and the lucky winner gets stoned to death. And then there's that Japanese movie, Battle Royale (it was a book first, written in 1999), about high school kids having to fight to the death until one is left standing in the span of 24 hours. Suzanne Collins' vision is a little different. The Hunger Games take place each year in this fictional world, in a place once known as North America, to instill fear and enforce power over the people. 24 boys and girls -- ranging from 12 to 18 -- are chosen at random to enter the games and fight to the death until only one is left standing. Sounds juicy, right?

What I liked most about this book was the fact that once you started reading, you couldn't seem to put it down. Though it almost seems obvious what will happen in the end, it's the little things that comes up that keeps you flipping pages. And though Katniss at times can be too technical and thinking of strategy that she can't see feelings, she is easily forgiven because she's smart, likable, and not like a lot of heroines. I wish the reader could have seen things from multiple angles, but since the story was told in 1st person, that would have been impossible. Oh well. I still liked the book, and have already started reading the second in the trilogy, Catching Fire.

Like I previously said, The Hunger Games will soon be a movie. Check out the lackluster trailer!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Intrigued by Battle Royale? Well, here's their trailer, too. I think I know which movie I can expect more gore from.

Blerp the Alien

Do you like aliens and government conspiracies? Then have I got the short story for you:

            Blerp knew he was in trouble as soon as he entered the underground base. Blerp was not his real name, but the incompetent humans could not pronounce his real one. Not that he blamed them. Their brains could not comprehend his language.

            1947 was the Earth year his small fleet crashed into the planet. It was not his mission to make contact. Observe. Listen. Take note. Those were his tasks. But then that damn asteroid shower hit out of nowhere.

            Out of the four ships in his small patrol, only one was captured. Blerp could have easily used his technology to get it back, but authorization had not been granted. Besides, it was probably too late. The ships were most likely already taking root in the soil. Instead, he did what any other sensible creature would do. He went to the politicians.

            But his grey exterior and yellow glow screamed suspicion.

            “Alien!”

            “Get him!”

            Twenty soldiers surrounded him.

            “I come in peace. Take me to your leader.”

            The big one in front waved his gun and snorted. “Yeah, right.”

            Blerp grunted. But in the end, his many escorts took him to an isolated base in the desert.

            Next came hours of waiting while soldiers stared and poked until he was finally taken to some place of importance. He was then introduced to two men. Both were older with appalling silver hair. One wore glasses and had his hair combed to one side. Everyone called him Mr. President. The other, called Sir, was obviously the ass kisser.

Horror

Now that Halloween decorations are starting to appear in all kinds of stores, horror is on my mind. I love horror movies. The original Halloween is probably one of my favorites out there. I've seen it countless times, but the music, and Michael Meyers' eerie determination, draws me in every time.

Then I started thinking about books, and I have to admit, I haven't read many that were supposed to be strictly horror. The scariest, creepiest books I've read were probably World War Z and The Road. I think the only Stephen King I dove into was Cujo, which I didn't think was scary, but rather interesting (the movie wasn't that good, FYI). The best part was probably getting a peak inside the dog's head as it started to go crazy. And then there's Interview with the Vampire -- more enthralling than frightening. When I was younger, I read a lot of Goosebumps and Fear Street. The one I remember the most is One Evil Summer.

Isn't that cover creepy enough? When someone is holding a cat up in the air and laughing evilly, it's never a good thing. As the book cover clearly states, Chrissy is perfectly evil. And Amanda is the only one that seems to see that something is off. Until Chrissy gets caught trying to murder the family.

Another book that I liked, though I wouldn't classify it as horror, was Twins by Caroline B. Cooney. It was about -- you guessed it -- twins. Except one of them is evil, and when she dies the remaining twin, Mary Lee, takes over her identity. But of course, like every good suspense story, things aren't what they seem, and Mary Lee discovers that her twin wasn't who she thought she was. Hmm, that sounds kind of similar to a few TV shows that are out right now.

  

I've always wanted to read Dracula and The Shining. Maybe I'll do that this October. Have any others to add to my list?

Update: Torrent

I. Heart. This. Book. More like the whole River of Time Series (previously mentioned here). It's just great, fun reading. What more could you want from a series? There's love, drama, suspense, time traveling, ruthless fighting, and happy endings. The happy ending felt deserved, and the reader really wanted things to work out, all the while feeling super jealous that it did. Though Gabriella got everything she wanted, you didn't hate her for it -- unlike other . . . stories that I've read.

Torrent concludes the River of Time Series, but Lisa Bergren might write more in the future, depending on how sales and reception do. Though there were two books behind this one, this book did not fizzle out or lose steam. It was just as suspenseful as the predecessors. Of course it wasn't perfect. There will always be things about books, any book no matter how much I like it, that I dislike (for example, the damsel in distress thing that was recycled, and the cover of the book was supposed to depict Marcello, but instead looked like a 35-year-old creeper), but these things were drowned out compared to the sheer awesomeness of everything else. I'm fine with the books ending with Torrent because it closed nicely without too many lingering questions, but I would welcome more -- and it'd be an interesting twist to follow the secondary love story between Lia and Luca. Though the time travel to the 1300s phenomena was never explained, I did not mind -- it was easy to find the Things Happen For a Reason Even Though They Can't Be Explained theme, which I appreciated.

In the words of LeVar Burton, of course, you don't take my word for it. Go read Torrent for yourself -- just start with Waterfall and Cascade, first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Interested in the world of all things medieval? One of my favorite movies set in the Middle Ages is The Princess Bride. To The Pain!

Galway or Bust

Here's another short story I wrote about Ireland. It was for an assignment, so there were restrictions, but I won't bore you with the details.


Be you still, be you still, trembling heart. Quit jumping and throbbing, damn it. Accept that I went against my parents. Stubborn heart that thinks it knows everything, don’t make me ache, second-guess, and fear. It’s hard to say why I jumped on a plane so suddenly. But I did, and here I am. In Ireland.

God help me.

There was only one real plan, but plans usually bend, unlike iron. Defying my expectations, one hostel mate took me under her wing. We chatted for a while, and then she invited me out. The feathers hanging in her hair, her vintage boots and military jacket, all emitted coolness. I agreed.

“How long are you here for?”

"A few days? I just know I need to get to Galway."

"I like you, lady. You can read minds. I've been meaning to head west!”

I followed her, and her banjo, through Dublin streets. I could not keep my eyes off of people, buildings, or cobblestone streets. Never far from sight were those performing for tips. One group of three performing along Grafton asked her to join them. I watched in awe. Without realizing it, my eyes glued to the man in center, singing and playing guitar. He was, quite possibly, the most gorgeous human being I had ever seen in person.

“Miss Dawn, who’s this?” the gorgeous singer asked.

She introduced me and I learned he was her cousin, Crofton.

“Do you play?”

“A little guitar.”

Crofton handed over his instrument. “Then join us.”

My body jolted. “But . . . but . . . ”

"C, G, and A. You'll figure out the rest."

"Wait!"

But he didn't. And after standing motionless like an idiot, I finally began. My heart was furious and my fingers terrified, but I managed to get through it without losing my breakfast.

River of Time Series

Remember when I said I love books about time travel? Well, I found another one. Three, actually. So far, these three books - Waterfall, Cascade, and Torrent -  make up the River of Time Series and I've read two of them - waiting for the last one to come out in ebook form (because I'm lazy, and don't feel like waiting for it in the mail. If that makes sense).

I found Waterfall randomly on Amazon while searching for something completely non-related. There were two things I liked right off the bat about this love story: time travel and free (at least at the time it was). Woo hoo, I love free things! Then I found out it was a Christian novel. Strange. I was surprised by this, but not bothered -- I just haven't read many Christian books that I didn't have to. Does that scare you -- books having to deal with Christian ideas and morals? Well, it really shouldn't.

Lisa Bergren has written a very interesting series. I read Waterfall in two days, and then immediately jumped into Cascade. Now I'm twiddling my thumbs, waiting for Torrent to officially come out on September 1st. Though there were details about the book that seemed too easy -- like, for example, Gabi and Lia just happened to be trained in some sort of combat, some of the "teenage" lingo made me roll my eyes -- and I hate the book cover for Torrent, these books still had me captivated. Lisa did a nice job of keeping the reader interested and rooting for the characters as they travel back to the 1300s, find love, and fight for their lives and what they believe is right. She was also able to imagine some pretty awesome fighting. I think the medieval battle scenes were my favorite parts. Yep, that's right, I said battle scenes.

So, if you like suspenseful, nail-biting love stories, then you better get your hands on these books before they disappear through the current of time. You never know...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interested in time travel? Here's what Einstein had to say about it.

The Legend of the Lake Isle

Have you read the Yeats poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree? Good, then this story will make a lot more sense. If not, and if you're too lazy to click on the link and listen to Yeats read it himself, then you'll still enjoy it. I was supposed to write a ghost story for my Ireland class, and this is the 2nd one I wrote - for fun. I had to begin with a certain phrase and end on a certain phrase.

Note: best enjoyed in the dark under candlelight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some people swore that the Lake Isle of Innisfree was haunted. A very few. But most people didn’t believe it. The lake isle was such a small, secluded, peaceful place. Of course ghosts and fairies didn’t inhabit the little hump of land. The late, great Mr. Yeats himself wouldn’t have written such a famous poem about finding peace, and tourists wouldn’t want to come see it for themselves if it were. But then there were those who had different experiences.

On what seemed like just another day in July, picturesque in the sense that rain did not threaten the land below and the sun shined with glittering force, two young college graduates stood at the end of the narrow dock, the lake isle in their sights.

“There it is.”

“Yep.”

“Well, it’s quaint. Looks peaceful. But I don’t get it.”

“What?”

“What Yeats saw. What’s so great about it? I see no purple glow.”

“It’s not noon. Maybe we should go there, and see for ourselves.”

“You mean, like arise?”

Leo grinned and shook his head.

“I think Yeats was a crazy bastard. Ms. Sidney, too. We spent a whole month talking about this damn poem. I thought, if nothing more, maybe angels would fly out of the trees and sing us a melody.”

“I don’t remember that in the poem.”

“I was just . . . expecting a little more than this . . . thing.”

“Well, we’re standing on a damn dock. Let’s go there. Hell, let’s stay the night even. Camp out.”

“Can we do that?”

Leo shrugged. “I don’t see anything that says otherwise. We came to Ireland on a whim to be adventurous.”

“And drink.”

“Besides, who’s around? No one.”

“Well, I guess that’s true.” Edgar looked around. “There really is no one around. Where the hell is everyone? I haven’t seen anyone since we’ve been out here. Not even a boat. It’s kind of creepy.”

“Who cares? Let’s go.”

Danny 2

I'm still not sold on this story, especially not this chapter. But I figured it's been awhile since I've posted any of my actual writing, so here is chapter 2 of Danny's story - and you'll just have to deal with mistakes, developing plots, and early editing. I'm not ready to post chapters of other stories yet - sorry. But don't worry, very soon I'll have some sort stories and poetry to post. So for now, just enjoy Danny and his girl problems.

To read the intro, see it here.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Airports and airplanes. I hated them. They required patience and waiting, two things I loathed. Was loathing too harsh a word to describe such common day conveniences and miracles such as flying through the air? No, not in my book.

It was hard saying goodbye to my parents. We had always been close, and not having them around was going to be strange. Knowing I wasn’t going to see them again until Christmas didn’t seem real. My dad, who I liked to describe as a hippie in a scholar’s clothing with glasses, was not just my dad, but also a close friend. When he gave me advice, I took it to heart. My mom, with her light hair and bright eyes, was such a sweet, funny, and all around genuine person. They complimented one another well, and I sometimes wondered how it is that they produced a son like me. It wasn’t that I was so much different than them, but neither of them were athletic like me or cared much for sports. Causes – sustainable living, saving the oceans, promoting organic farming and fresh foods – that’s what they were passionate about. Sustainable architecture was my dad’s specialty, and my mom was always writing letters to congress or local representatives, attending town meetings, passing out fliers and holding fundraisers. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the future of our planet, or the fate of the whales, but as a teenager full of energy, the world’s problems were too much to take on at the moment.

I take after my dad in the sense that I hate sitting still. He’s always running around doing things in the same way that I’m always risking my neck to try a new trick or master a skill. So having to sit in the same seat, next to strangers in tight quarters for hours was not my ideal method of transportation. When teleportation was finally perfected, I would definitely be all over that.

Amanda was waiting for me in the baggage claim area when I finally arrived. When she saw me, she shrieked with delight and jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist as she did. I dropped my bags and returned her embrace. People standing nearby were touched, thinking we were young lovers reunited at last. It was actually quite amusing that they thought so. Amusing and absolutely appalling.

“Holy hell, Danny!” she exclaimed when she finally let me breath. “What did you do to yourself? I hardly recognized you.”

That was a lie. I knew Amanda would always recognize me. But since I had last seen her over winter break, my hair had been bleached blond and now my dark roots were showing, my lip had been pierced, ears had been gauged, and I had probably gained another ten pounds of muscle on my six-foot two-inch frame.

I shrugged. She grabbed my bicep.

“And you keep getting bigger! You’re not so scrawny anymore.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I had always, minus the past few years, resembled a twig. “I’ve been doing a lot of strength training, and eating a hell of a lot. They want me all big and hardy for hockey so I don’t break, or get smashed.”

“Daniel Wilde, if I might say so, you are starting to resemble a real man.”

I laughed again. “Thanks. I think.”

In Other Book-Turned-Movie News

Now it's The Hunger Game's turn to to make its film debut. The scifi-y, post-apocalyptic novel by Suzanne Collins about survival and fights to the death is being configured for movie life. It'll star Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth (who you might remember from The Last Song with good 'ol Miley Cyrus).

I have no real thoughts on this - I'm not familiar with the actors and have yet to read the book. But since it's such a popular book and series, I assume fans are freaking out - out of both glee and horror. I wonder how this will turn out. Blood bath? Success? Should be fun either way.

The movie is set to come out in March of next year. With that said, I have plenty of time to read - and so do you, if you've been late to jump on this band wagon, too.

Jane Eyre

Have you heard of it? It's probably Charlotte Bronte's most popular novel (yes, she wrote more). I recently read it while I was in Ireland (don't you love the way that sounds, while I was in Ireland). Here's why you should read it, too:

~ It's freakin' Jane Eyre. Just do it.
~ If you're lazy and can't make it to the library, you can read it for free online.
~ It's pretty amusing, and at times, in a not-on-purpose sort of way (isn't that the best way?).
~ It's a pretty good example of a female writer doing her thing - back when women weren't supposed to do anything.



It seemed appropriate to post about the book since a new movie came out like 4 months ago. Which surprised me - I didn't even know it was out yet. Now I'll have to try and venture out to see it.

I didn't really know what to expect from this book. I had read Villette a while back and thought it was crazy, and almost frustrating. But with Jane Eyre, I was surprised by the fact that I could not seem to put the book down after I got into it - especially towards the end. There were surprises, twists, tragedies, happy moments. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Now with that said, of course there were times I wanted slap or strangle Jane. The plot seemed to come full circle and things were resolved in this roundabout sort of way that left me rolling my eyes and thinking, oh dear lord. But I will admit, it made sense for the story and for the type of person Jane was for things to unfold how they did. And that's my verdict.

Now for a featurette:

Sligo and Yeats

Quick update from Sligo, Ireland:

See here none other than the Lake Isle of Innisfree, the very one that Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, wrote about.

Read the poem here (but also google Yeats reading it himself - it's awesome):

http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~keith/poems/Innisfree.html

Oscar Wilde - RIP

Quick update from Paris:

See here Oscar Wilde's grave, covered in lipstick and quotes. This totally made me happy, and made the trek through the city in flats and 90 degree weather totally worth it. Oh, Oscar, how I love you.

Now go read The Picture of Dorian Gray! It's free via ebook, FYI

Next stop - Ireland...

Hemingway and Paris

Bonjour! Quick update from Paris.

Hemingway lived here! On the second floor after he left Hadley (did I spell that right?) Read all about it in A Moveable Feast

Bloomsday

Happy Bloomsday! Er, well almost. Bloomsday is officially June 16th, but seeing as that will be my first day in Europe, I doubt I'll really find an Internet cafe to blog about Ulysses and James Joyce. I'll be gone for five weeks, so don't expect many blog posts during the month of July (I know, you're super upset).

So, what's Bloomsday, anyway? Well, in short, it's a day where the events of the novel, Ulysses, are recreated and the life of the famous Irish writer, James Joyce, is celebrated. It's a pretty big deal in Dublin, but cities around the world celebrate it, too. Everything that takes place in the book happens on one single day - June 16th - in Dublin, 1904, and the main character in the story is Leopold Bloom.

Ta-dah! Bloomsday.



A typical Bloomsday involves different readings and dramatizations of Ulysses, pub crawls, and dressing up in old clothing. Participants retrace Bloom's route around Dublin and people who are really into it have been known to hold epic readings of the entire novel in one day. If you've picked up a copy of the book, you'll know how thick that thing is. And if you've ever thumbed through it, or even read it, you know what a strange and difficult story it is to read.

So this year, on June 16th, why don't you dust off that copy of Ulysses, listen to it on the radio, or watch the movie, and celebrate with a pint (if you're of age, of course).

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Here's a clip from the documentary, Joyce to the World.



And here's the first 8 minutes of the 1960's Ulysses movie. Mind you, it's pretty damn weird.

Recently Read: Where She Went

I downloaded Where She Went, the sequel to If I Stay, onto my kindle and read it in pretty much one sitting. Now, if you remember back when I first posted about this book in April, I had my reservations about the story and plot and being able to connect with the characters. Obviously, it was an easy read, and obviously I didn't hate it if I read it in one day. To be honest, it was a cute story - annoying and cheesy at times (but hey, I do cheese quite well) - but enjoyable. There were no surprises though. I kept thinking the same thing over and over in my head - this is gonna happen like this.

But a good story doesn't need to have surprises, twists and turns to be a good story. There were times that I wanted to slap Adam, the narrator, because he just seemed so damn pathetic - in love with a girl who broke his heart, he was never able to get over her, and now he has a nervous twitch. But don't feel sorry for him, he has a gorgeous actress girlfriend and is the singer of the super popular Shooting Star. What about Mia? Well, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her, either, for having such a perfect New York life. Though I rolled my eyes and wanted to slap people, I was equally amused and entertained. So if you're looking for something with a happy ending (and you've read the first book, of course) then go ahead and read Where She Went. It'll leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.



Oh, book trailers, how you make me laugh, and how ridiculous you are.

Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever.

Are you looking for vampires that sparkle, or brooding vampires and werewolves that fall in love with teenage girls? Then this is not the book for you. Interested in a different type of vampire story? Well, how about taking a peek at this one?



Oh Jane Jones, how it sucks to be a vampire. At least for her. She's not beautiful, doesn't fit in with other vampires, or humans for that matter, doesn't have guys drooling all over her. And oh yeah, she's allergic to blood. Plain Jane Jones really does sound like the worst vampire ever. Thank goodness.

But of course it wouldn't be a good story if other things didn't happen to her, like battling vampire mean girls, dealing with enemies from the past, finding out a possible cure for vampirism, and actually finding out that two very different boys are interested in her. And is it funny? Of course. How could it not be, when author Caissie St. Onge used to write for the Late Show and VH1's Best Week Ever? It's hard to not love a book about the struggles of forever having to deal with those pesky, awkward teen years, especially with lines like: "Leave it to me to be the first vampire in history to trip on her shoelace and stake herself through the heart." And even if you're not a vampire, it won't be hard to relate to some of the problems of her teenage angst.

I've only read two types of vampire books: Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer (Lestat is really the coolest vampire ever, sorry Steph). Considering that vampires are quite popular at the moment, I should probably jump on the bandwagon and start reading these books. And I'll start with this one... right after I get back from Europe.

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Vampires suck. Or do they bite?

Danny 1

(A work in progress. Also, to read the intro, see previous entry.)

When I got home from work, I only had one thing on my mind. At seventeen, my life revolved around being active. I was not the kind of teenager that would be found in the library, stuck in front of the television, watching shows or playing video games, or glued to the computer, wasting my time on social networking sites or looking for ways to save and waste my money. If I wasn’t being held down by classes or a part time job, I was getting sweaty outdoors or in an ice rink. Because it was summer and snow and ice no longer covered the ground, all I wanted was to grab my skateboard and get out to the skate park.

“Wait, Danny,” my mom said. “We need to talk.”

“I’m in a hurry,” I said, impatient and reluctant to hear her out.

Dad stood from the sofa and took Mom’s side. “You’re always in a hurry, son, and you’re always out doing something. But this is serious.”

I sighed and slumped back into the living room. I hated serious talks with my parents. The last one we had involved Grandma having a stroke.

They looked at one another, and then me.

“So, what’s going on?” I asked when no one spoke.

Mom took a deep breath, but Dad was the one to speak.

“I got this great opportunity to work in China.”

This was not a surprise. Dad’s work as an architect was what brought us to New England in the first place, so that he could teach at a prestigious school. When he was not teaching, he always had opportunities overseas to teach or be involved in some sort of project. I was already well prepared to hear of these kinds of arrangements, so I didn’t understand why they were making it seem like it was some big deal. And why the hell were they looking at me like they were trying too hard to keep a straight face?

The joke’s on me, right?

“Well, Danny, I’m going to be in China for over a year, perhaps more.”

That set an alarm off. He had never been away for that long before. “What are you saying?” I asked carefully, afraid of what they might be thinking. “You can’t expect me to move to another country my senior year!”

“You’re right, that wouldn’t be fair. But, we’re making many sacrifices so that I can take advantage of this opportunity.”

Mom finally spoke up. “This isn’t something I could let your dad pass up. And because we don’t know exactly how long this project will take, I’ll go with him.”

I took a deep breath. Okay, my parents leaving would be hard, especially during my last year in high school when I had so many things going for me, but if it’s what they wanted, I could deal with it. For as long as I could remember – minus those awkward few years of middle school when I hated everyone – my parents and I had always had a close relationship. It was easy to talk to them about my personal life without feeling embarrassed or without them having to force information out of me. Not having them around was hard to imagine, but I was a practical guy, even at seventeen. I knew I was just about to hit adulthood and my parents would have a whole new life after that, one that did not involve raising a kid. So if they wanted to get an early start on that, I could respect that.

“With Grandma’s health problems, and her moving, she couldn’t possibly take on the task as your guardian.”

Grandma, a lively, energetic old woman who loved to use her hands and travel, and made the best damn blueberry cookies in the world, had decided to move into a senior living center after her small stroke. Her two-story house on the outskirts of town resembled a mini museum, filled with treasures collected from her travels around the world in her younger days. The yard, especially the back, was a massive garden overflowing with exotic plants and flowers, a pond with a waterfall and working windmill that was home to frogs and fish. As a kid, when I still lived on the other side of the country, I used to poke at the life in the water with a stick, convinced there were monsters in there. It was a beautiful property and we all hated to see it go, but Grandma was older now, and was in no condition to maintain it herself, even with the help of a gardener. She was such an independent, vibrant women that it had shocked us all when she told us she had decided to move.

Grandma moving still wasn’t a big deal. This was an easy fix. I could just live with Ryan, my best friend and partner in crime.

“Danny, I don’t think you’re completely grasping the situation. We’re not making you move to China, but you’re not staying here.”

Something inside me started to twist and stir the liquids of what was supposed to be my stomach. “What does that mean?”

But I already knew. They didn’t have to tell me. Without them having to actually come out and say it, I could envision the scenario they had planned for me. There was only one other place they would send me, a place I was more than happy to avoid.

Danny: The Beginning

I've been hesitant to post anything about this story - just because it's one of those I started writing like, 12 years ago and put on the back burner. When I came across it again years later, I was so disgusted by how crappy a story it was that I didn't even want to look at it. But then I started working on it, eventually, and giving it a new direction, and thought it would be a nice little experiment. If you haven't been able to tell by now, I hate writing in first person - it's too constricting. When I first started writing stories way back in elementary school, first person was all I wrote in, until I finally discovered the joys and wonders of being able to look at things from multiple angles. So when I found this story again, I thought, hey, why not go with it. And this has been the result.

A little blurb before the intro? Well, I'll let the intro give you a little guess into what this story might be about. To get you started, Danny - Daniel Wilde - is a teenager who's life revolves around sports, being active, and having plans. Everything is always so nicely scheduled and mapped out, whether he likes it that way or not. But life hardly ever turns out how one expects it, for good or for worse, and plans almost always get broken.

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It’s easy to judge when you weren’t apart of it. It’s easy to make assumptions and come to false conclusions when you weren’t there, didn’t see it with your own eyes, or weren’t around to witness the pieces slowly falling apart, realizing no matter what you did, you couldn’t keep the walls from crumbling. But I was – maybe not from the beginning, but I was still there. And it’s still a part of me.

That day stands out so vividly in my head, more than a lot of others, when it really shouldn’t have. It was just another typical, busy day. Busy. Demanding. Hectic. Tiring. Those were just the words that described my day-to-day life. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a day with nothing to do, a day where all I got to do was sleep in, shove potato chips in my mouth and watch television. I think I remember learning in health class that teenagers are supposed to get around ten hours of sleep a night, and that getting enough sleep is one of the most important determinants of health. If that’s true, than I don’t know how I managed my teenage years without catching more than a common cold because I never got that much sleep. Not even close.

And that day was no different. At least to start with. There was an ugly rain and windstorm, which only grew more powerful as the day went on until it finally flexed its muscles and knocked the power out of half the town, including the skate rink. There were backup generators, but practice was canceled for the day anyway. Maybe that should have been a sign.

On the Road

A great American Novel, written by Jack Kerouac in the 1950s. I so want to read this book, and even more so before December roles around.

Why?

Because it's been turned into a movie, damn it. And my favorite actress, Kristen Stewart, is in it. Wait, did I say favorite? I totally meant non-favorite.

It's probably been a long time coming and was going to happen sooner or later, but I really wish Hollywood would stop ruining books. Don't get me wrong, I really hope this movie doesn't suck, and I honestly don't care that much that Stewart's in the film, but movies from books aren't usually as awesome as they are in my head - my head's pretty awesome, just so you know. Of course these movies don't all suck, but it still worries me. Maybe with Walter Salles as the director (The Motorcycle Diaries - also a book, and a pretty cool movie - and a short from Paris, Je T'Aime), this new movie will stand a chance.



So, what's this story all about, anyway? Well, being on the road. Duh. It's actually a lightly fictitious autobiography of Kerouac and the road trips he and his friends would take. This book has greatly defined the Beat Generation. The story is narrated by Sal Paradise, a guy looking for freedom, and sets out to travel the country - exploring friendship, booze, drugs, women, and jazz along the way. Sounds awesome, right? I think so.

What I also find interesting is how the original manuscript of On the Road was typed on a 120 foot scroll of tracing paper sheets that Kerouac cut to size and taped together. That's dedication.



Popular musicians influenced by the Beats? Jim Morrison, the Beatles (or should I say Beat-les), and Bob Dylan.

Stay

Stay is a novel by Deb Caletti that came out last month. I'll say this right off the bat, without going into some speech about what is supposed to be good and bad about this book: I want to read this book. And I would have already, but haven't brought myself to go out and purchase it, download it, or rent it because then I know I would have no self control and would read it until I was finished. Unfortunately, I can't afford for that to happen right now. I'm already reading two Hemingway books, James Joyce (do it), and a flurry of other early American literature. Poor me, right?



Ah, young love gone horribly wrong. What more could an avid reader of young adult stories want? A boy meets girl, falls in love and lives happily ever after kind of thing? Psshhh. Bor-ing.

But wait, I thought you loved cheesy happy endings?

True, but there's nothing like a story about perfect love turning into hellish and dangerous obsession. Especially when it's done right. I've tried writing stories like this, but it either turns out too dark or too fluffy, and no one likes a story where everyone goes crazy and kills everyone, right?

This book isn't just about a good relationship gone bad, it's about growing up and moving on. Of course I've read the good and bad reviews, but I really just want to experience this one for myself. The fact that Clara, the main character, finds a new man while she flees from her ex is kind of obnoxious, but from what I've read so far (an excerpt) I've liked it - and my opinion is the only one that really matters anyway, so...

From Deb's website (because the book cover said it so well):
"Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is - and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city - and Christian - behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What did The Bride do with her abusive relationship? Got even.



And going back to James Joyce for a moment. Doesn't he look like a badass in this photo? Hero. Please read Dubliners in your lifetime.

New Release: Where She Went

Earlier this month, the anticipated companion to If I Stay was released to the public.


Now I went out and bought If I Stay by Gayle Forman on a whim because I kept walking by it at work and the cover kept jumping out at me. After reading what it was about, I was intrigued by the comparison to it and The Lovely Bones (I had just seen the movie and it was fresh in my head). As soon as I slumped down into a seat on the bus, I immediately started in. It was an easy read and I finished it in one day. Though I couldn't put the book down, I was let down in the end. Of course she was going to stay was all I kept thinking throughout the whole thing, and that's exactly what happened. Perhaps I just don't have a normal reaction to these types of books - maybe because I write about the same general thing? Who knows. But the fact that there is now a sequel kind of blows my mind. Sure, the ending to If I Stay was kind of frustrating, but I thought the story was pretty much finished. She stayed, so why did it matter what happened after that?

Well, apparently it matters a hell of a lot. Where She Went is told from Adam's point of view, Mia's boyfriend from If I Stay. This story is set three years after Mia's accident, and reveals that Mia is living her dream in New York, and Adam is living his as a rock star - but they are no longer a couple.

I started reading the first chapter of this new book, but I just don't see how this story can measure up to its precursor. While If I Stay had a mystical element to it - as well as a young love story - Where She Went is just a love story. I don't see, in my critical mind, why I should care. Perhaps I should care whether or not Mia and Adam end up together, but I feel like they'd be fine either way, whereas with epic romances, such as Romeo and Juliet, they would die if they couldn't be with one another (literally). You'd think with the kind of crap I write, that I'd be rooting for Mia and Adam, and I guess I am. I've already started reading it, so I'll finish it when I have time (School. Sigh). And hey, other people really like the book, so who knows, maybe my mind will change after I'm done.

But if you've read If I Stay, you should probably get your hands on this book, and see for yourself what all the buzz is about and why it's Amazon's Best Book of the Month. And if you haven't read If I Stay, then I would recommend it. The story has an interesting concept and has even provided inspiration for new projects in my little head. And according to the cover, it "will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight" (which cracked me up because the two really have nothing in common, other than the fact that romance is involved), so now you really have to read it!

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This has absolutely nothing to do with this post, other than the fact that when I was searching for videos, this one came up in relation to the book for some odd reason. I thought it was hilarious, and I love the song! So enjoy. Randomly.

The Greatest Books. Ever.

I started a mission a little while back - to discover the best novels ever written, and read them. Well, damn, that sounds like one hell of a task. And the thing I soon realized is that no one agrees on the subject. When it comes to great literature, people have their own humble opinions.

But many thanks to you, good ol' Internet, for your endless possibilities. Through my seemingly endless search, I did start to notice a trend. Most lists I chose to read (out of the hundreds) had a common book at the top.

Say hello to Anna Karenina.


A beautifully intelligent, compassionate, yet selfish and absurd woman. As Leo Tolstoy's great masterpiece, Anna Karenina follows the paths of a handful of people, their lives entwined with one another, and watches as they rise to embrace happiness but also stumble and fall to misery.

Rather watch a movie then read the massive book (you should still read it)? Don't fear, there are plenty of adaptations to watch. I've been afraid to watch any of them, but hear the 1935 version staring Greta Garbo is the best (I always envisioned Anna Karenina as being played by Vivien Leigh, though). And I hear there is a new version by Joe Wright (Atonement) that will soon be in the works, staring, of course, Keira Knightley (Um, Anna Karenina is supposed to be so beautiful that people can't help but to stop and stare. I can name 5 other actresses off the top of my head who are more gorgeous than she. So boo).

As for the other greatest books of all time? That's still up for debate - and probably always will be. But I really liked this list of the top 10 greatest books from TIME. From reading what they have to say, it seems pretty respectable. Here are the next four books on their list:

2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
To see the complete list, check out the article.

I tried, with less luck, to find an equally respectable list of the top books for young adults. I enjoyed this list more than others because it included less recent titles.
1. The Giver by Lois Lowry
2. The entire Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
3. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Want to see what else this English teacher had to say? Click here.

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"I feel like Alice in Wonderland. Maybe Lewis G. Carroll was on drugs too." - Go Ask Alice

A lyric in this song, White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane (written about drug references that may have been in Alice in Wonderland) is where the book got its name.

New Release: Wither

Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy #1) by Lauren DeStefano is a type of YA book I have yet to venture into - dystopian/post-apocalyptic. I've read post-apocalyptic books before, such as The Road, World War Z (great books, by the way. The Road I actually read on a road trip, in the dark with a book light so it was extra creepy, and World War Z gave me effed up dreams for a looong time), but never something geared towards young adults. If you're familiar with the popular The Hunger Games, then this is supposed to be similar.


The story: In the future, genetic engineering has royally messed things up for future generations. Girls don't live past the age of 20 and guys don't live past the age of 25. Because of this, many young girls are kidnapped and sold into marriage where they are forced into having children to populate the dying-off of the human race. Sixteen-year-old Rhine is one such girl who is kidnapped and sold into a polygamist marriage. Her young husband, Linden, is the son of a rich man, Housemaster Vaughn, a "mad" scientist working hard to come up with a cure for the virus that causes young people to die so young, and needs new test subjects. Though Rhine and her "sister-wives," Jenna and Cecily, are treated quite well, Rhine is still suspicious, and longs to escape and find her twin brother.

The story sounds interesting, but it reminded me of this story I read when I was in middle school. Day of the Barney.

That's right, I said Barney, and I meant that purple freak familiar in so many childhoods. Though I haven't read it in years, Day of the Barney by Brian Bull is one scary ass story about the evilness that is Barney the Purple Dinosaur.

The story is about how Barney gets all of the children of the world to kill off the adults, and pretty much becomes king of the world. He then uses the young girls to grow his offspring inside of, and murders the boys when they turn thirteen. I always knew Barney was too happy to be genuine! I couldn't find the old website I had originally found the story on (doesn't surprise me, since it was like 10 years ago), which is sad since there were other stories I can't remember the names of, as well as pictures.

Anyway, Wither. There are many mixed reviews about this story - that the world in which it takes place needs to be better developed, and that there are holes in the story. But everyone seems to agree that the characters are really well done and that they really come to life. Being as this book is the first in a trilogy (of course it is), I won't be rushing out to read it (but I plan to someday).

Wither doesn't come out until March 22nd, but you can read Day of the Barney now! In fact, I plan to.




I couldn't find a cool evil Barney video, so here's the trailer to The Road. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm sure the book was better. Warning: BBQ babies. Don't wanna know? Don't read the book.

Timeless

Like I promised, I finally read Timeless by Alexandra Monir. Was it everything I expected and more? Meh, it was okay.

Alright, maybe I'm being a little harsh, it was more than okay. I liked it enough to be pissed off at the sudden ending and the giant "To Be Continued" line on the last page. It's an interesting story, but there's still lots of questions I want answered, ones that I felt should have been covered in this book - hopefully the next one will uncover them . . . in 2012 (curses! And this is why I hate books in a series. Sigh).

The story: Michele Windsor lives with her single mother in sunny California. Her best friends are awesome and other than the recent breakup from her boyfriend, and the strange reoccurring dream of the handsome man she's had since childhood, Michele's life is pretty great.

But oh no! Tragedy strikes (dun dun duuuun). Her mother dies suddenly in a car accident and she is sent to New York to live with the rich grandparents she has never know. While adjusting to this new life, strange things start to happen, and she discovers a key, and diary, that has the power to send her back and time.

And what does she do in time, 100 years back? Solve problems, of course. Oh, and meets the boy from her dreams. They fall in love (duh), and Michele travels through the decades, helping family along the way and uncovering more mysteries, to make sure her beau, Philip Walker, hasn't perished or suffered because of her.

Unsurprisingly, I found this story to be predictable (am I ever surprised?). The research was done quite well, but some of the dialogue I just couldn't find to be believable. Some other things bugged me, but I don't want to spoil too much of the plot. Nonetheless, what can I say, I'm a sucker for romance and time travel, so I will definitely be reading the sequel. In 2012. Sigh.

I think what impressed me the most about this novel is the fact that Monir is my age, and this is her debut novel. It's pretty damn good for a debut, which should imply she will only get better. And I think it was quite clever how she tied in her passion for music. Music plays a major part in this novel, and luckily for you, you can actually listen to the songs (if you're into that sort of thing). Getting people to interact with the story, outside of just reading it, is a good way to get people hooked. I didn't bother to listen to the songs (because I just wasn't motivated to), but I'm sure they're good.

So, have you been convinced yet? Are you at least curious now? You should be. And because of that, enjoy this "teaser" trailer. It's official.

New Release: Cryer's Cross

When a book description introduces a character as struggling with OCD, I cannot help but be drawn in. I've watched enough MTV True Life in my teen years to somewhat understand, and can minutely identify, on a very small scale, with having to do weird rituals - like counting stairs and putting things in equal portions. But who doesn't have little things they have to do? But regardless, the disorder has always interested me, so the idea of reading about someone who not only has to deal with OCD, but also happens to hear the souls of the missing sounds tense. And who doesn't like tense?

Hello, Cryer's Cross.




Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann is meant to be a creepy mystery about a town's secret and a girl, Kendall, and her quest to unlock the truth. Unsurprisingly, along the way she stumbles across romance. This book has not yet been released, and being naturally curious and impatient, I've read reviews from those who have somehow gotten advanced copies. The less enthusiastic reviews haven't veered my interest from wanting to get to know the characters and exploring the story for myself - but they hardly ever do anyway; I like to give things the benefit of the doubt. So obviously, since I have chosen to write about it, I will add this book to my growing list of things to read.

Get the book February 8th!

Also by Lisa McMann: Wake, the first of a trilogy (ugh)



I'm not the biggest fan of trilogies, or books in a series, but I've heard the Wake trilogy is quite good. It is, after all, currently being developed into a movie that Miley Cyrus may or may not play a role in (boo if it turns out to be true). The story centers around a teen, Janie, who has the unwilling ability to see into the dreams of others - a dream catcher as it's known. She develops a relationship with the misunderstood Cabel, and I'm sure lots of interesting and exciting things happen to her, and them, along the way. I guess I'll find out when I eventually read it.

The Spirit Window and All You Get is Me

When I heard about All You Get Is Me by Yvonne Prinz, it made me think of Joyce Sweeney's The Spirit Window. The stories probably have little in common, but they both involve a teenager who loves photography, are thrust into nature, not knowing what to expect, and in turn learn valuable life lessons along the way.

I read The Spirit Window by Joyce Sweeney years ago, when I was a sophomore in high school, determined to read a new book as often as possible. In my English class, there was a certain amount of pages we had to read each semester, and the more you read, the more extra credit you got, and the person who read the most got a prize. Back when I was 15, I lived on the other side of town from my best friend and only got to see her on weekends, and did not fit in with the rich preps my school was made up of. Reading, and writing, were my two favorite activities to pass the time. Unfortunately, I moved away before I was able to claim my prize, but this book was one I discovered during that period of time.



It wasn't the most exciting book in the world, but it's a cute story of family, friendship, finding first love, and understanding nature. Teenager, Miranda, travels to Florida to visit her estranged grandmother with her father and stepmother. Unsure what to expect, she is introduced to the land that her grandmother loves, the land her father wants to dig up and build on top of. There are no big surprises and the relationship involving Miranda and Adam is predictable, but I would recommend reading it nonetheless for a quick, memorable read.

I have not had a chance to read All You Get Is Me, but I'm interested in getting my hands on it. From what I've read about it, there are many things going on in this book that the main character, Roar (Roar? Forest? Storm? Ugh), is dealing with and experiencing - a broken family, leaving the city for farm life, a budding romance, friendships, and rights for immigrant workers. It all sounds interesting. I'm afraid, though, that there might be too much going on in this book, but my curiosity has been roused enough to find out for myself what happens.