Yesterday I read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Wow. I knew basically what the book was about (girl raped at party, deals with it over the course of the school year) but hadn't expected it to move me so much. Is it because of the (too many) high profile cases we've heard about over the last year? Or because the main character goes by Mel? or just because i'm a human being and the book is so good? probably a combo of all of the above. You absolutely should read this one. a 7.
Today I read Looking for Alaska by John Green. An unexpected Wow. I did not know anything about this one, which I think made it all the better. It's about a boy who goes off to spend his last 2 years of high school at a boarding school in Alabama, in search of life and what he calls The Great Perhaps. And stuff happens. The build up, the events and the fallout all occur naturally. Green is a great writer. Another must read 7!
I read both of these for my upcoming YA Lit class. There's a massive amount of reading 14 (well, 12 now) books plus there will probably be articles/scholarly stuff as well. Getting through these two so quickly does make me think I'll be able to handle it though. I am curious if my attitude towards YA will change. I don't have a bad attitude exactly, and i've read much that i've enjoyed and loved (Harry Potter forever!), but I wonder who exactly these novels are written for. Teens? middle schoolers? I was tearing through adult novels at that time, though I admit plenty were mediocre, in plot and writing. They did introduce me to vocabulary and proper grammar and themes and places. I just wonder if a teen reading mostly YA gets that now. just thoughts...I'll see what I think in August.
18 May 2013
17 May 2013
I finish a Doctor Who novel
I picked up Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand on a whim. I had to go buy a kid's magazine and saw a stack of Doctor Who books on an endcap and plucked one up. I mean, the cover looks fun.
So, The Doctor and Clara find themselves in Dallas the day after JFK was shot, which also happens to be the first day Doctor Who aired on TV. An alien race called the Shroud become attracted to the nations grief and appears to various people in the form of faces of their dead relatives. After getting a hold on a person, the Shroud takes the form of a woman in a veil and begins sucking the life from people. The Doctor and Clara get a crew together and stop them.
I think the book definitely has the feel of an episode of the show. It has some very slapstick moments and plenty of Doctor-speak. It has some touching sequences which I would not at all have understood if I hadn't been watching some of the old episodes. It was a very very fast read though, almost too fast. I do kinda want to see what "downtime" in the Tardis looks like. I mean, even if the Doctor doesn't have to sleep or eat, Clara (or any companion) does, and what are some of those times like? Anyway, I would say this book is for fans of the show, not for someone who's never seen it. a 5 from me.
So, The Doctor and Clara find themselves in Dallas the day after JFK was shot, which also happens to be the first day Doctor Who aired on TV. An alien race called the Shroud become attracted to the nations grief and appears to various people in the form of faces of their dead relatives. After getting a hold on a person, the Shroud takes the form of a woman in a veil and begins sucking the life from people. The Doctor and Clara get a crew together and stop them.
I think the book definitely has the feel of an episode of the show. It has some very slapstick moments and plenty of Doctor-speak. It has some touching sequences which I would not at all have understood if I hadn't been watching some of the old episodes. It was a very very fast read though, almost too fast. I do kinda want to see what "downtime" in the Tardis looks like. I mean, even if the Doctor doesn't have to sleep or eat, Clara (or any companion) does, and what are some of those times like? Anyway, I would say this book is for fans of the show, not for someone who's never seen it. a 5 from me.
16 May 2013
So Instead of working on a school book
I read Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case. It is a big graphic novel; the story of Jeff Jensen's (he writes for Entertainment Weekly and I loved his LOST recaps) dad Thomas Jensen. Thomas Jensen was a police detective who spent years hunting the Green River Killer in Seattle, WA. They finally caught him in 2001 due to new techniques to analyze DNA evidence. The story is told in black and white, very well done and I don't know if I could have handled color murder scenes. It goes back and forth in time as well, contrasting the interrogation with Jensen's early career. It is quite compelling reading a glimpse into the mind of a killer and the man whose career is dedicated to finding him. a 6.
15 May 2013
Vacation Books!
Last night, we got back from our vacation to Vermont. B's cousin got married and we had a good visit with family. I got to meet several people who'd been unable to make it to TN for our wedding last summer which was nice. The weather was fine but got really cold (to me) the last couple days we were up there. The flights were fine too. I have to give big kudos to Southwest. B left his wallet on the very last flight and not only did they find it and return it to us, they got our luggage out so fast that we missed the announcement and had to come back to the airport (a 15 minute drive from our house). Thanks so much Southwest!!!
I packed way too many books.
I completed 2 and started Master and Commander. I also bought Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein while I was in VT and started that as well; I have to read it for my summer class.
The Diamond Age, or The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson: I am slowly working my way through Neal Stephenson's work. I really should try to do this more quickly as I have loved everything I read by him. The Diamond Age is no exception. It takes place about 80 years or so in the future. There are no longer countries but enclaves of like-minded individuals, basically with franchises in various places. One of the big ones are the Neo-Victorians who model themselves on British Victorian society but use modern technology. Nanotechnology is ubiquitous and everything can be made through the Feed via a Matter Compiler. The novel follows several strands of story, one major one being the life of Nell, a poor little girl. She receives an amazing book, The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, that teaches, entertains and becomes her constant companion. As she grows and learns the story the Primer tells becomes more interactive and more complex. The novel is really fabulous; very well written. a 7!
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton: This was a reread for me. I loved this book in high school and probably read it 4-5 times back then, as well as most of what Crichton had written by the mid-90's. I probably hadn't read it for 10 years or more though. It actually holds up quite well; the lack of cell phones doesn't stand out as the characters are not in areas they'd be likely to function anyway.
Since I had today off as well, I got through Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland by Bill Willingham. This one was not that impressive. I didn't like the art and I didn't think how the werewolves became werewolves was coherent with the Fables mythology. oh well. a 4.
I've definitely been enjoying my reading and am back in that groove. When I'm not reading I want to be. This is good because I am taking Young Adult Lit this summer and have to read 14(!) books for it. Yikes. I should go read now!
I packed way too many books.
The Diamond Age, or The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson: I am slowly working my way through Neal Stephenson's work. I really should try to do this more quickly as I have loved everything I read by him. The Diamond Age is no exception. It takes place about 80 years or so in the future. There are no longer countries but enclaves of like-minded individuals, basically with franchises in various places. One of the big ones are the Neo-Victorians who model themselves on British Victorian society but use modern technology. Nanotechnology is ubiquitous and everything can be made through the Feed via a Matter Compiler. The novel follows several strands of story, one major one being the life of Nell, a poor little girl. She receives an amazing book, The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, that teaches, entertains and becomes her constant companion. As she grows and learns the story the Primer tells becomes more interactive and more complex. The novel is really fabulous; very well written. a 7!
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton: This was a reread for me. I loved this book in high school and probably read it 4-5 times back then, as well as most of what Crichton had written by the mid-90's. I probably hadn't read it for 10 years or more though. It actually holds up quite well; the lack of cell phones doesn't stand out as the characters are not in areas they'd be likely to function anyway.
Since I had today off as well, I got through Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland by Bill Willingham. This one was not that impressive. I didn't like the art and I didn't think how the werewolves became werewolves was coherent with the Fables mythology. oh well. a 4.
I've definitely been enjoying my reading and am back in that groove. When I'm not reading I want to be. This is good because I am taking Young Adult Lit this summer and have to read 14(!) books for it. Yikes. I should go read now!
03 May 2013
The Madness Underneath
I've been reading this YA series by Maureen Johnson. I read the first book, The Name of the Star in January and got the second, The Madness Underneath, from the library. It was really quite disappointing. The story picks up a few weeks after the end of the first book. Rory is living with her parents in Bristol, recovering from her injuries and the trauma. But how can she recover mentally when she can't tell anyone what happened? She ends up back at school at Wexford and is determined to meet with her ghost-busting friends. Their division is on a bit of a hiatus as the powers-that-be try to decide what to do with them. After about 75% of the book is over, we finally get a bit of a plot and there's a cliffhanger going into book 3.
I guess the main disappointment is in relation to the first book. It was self-contained and a full story, even if there were obvious things that would be left for the further novels. This one felt like there was a whole book written, then it was chopped in half, then a bunch of junk added to the front to make it the same length. The bad guys in this one are rather random and the events are disappointing as well. Is it a spoiler to say things happen that I disagree with but can't talk about because they'd be spoilers? Anyway, this book is a 4 from me.
I guess the main disappointment is in relation to the first book. It was self-contained and a full story, even if there were obvious things that would be left for the further novels. This one felt like there was a whole book written, then it was chopped in half, then a bunch of junk added to the front to make it the same length. The bad guys in this one are rather random and the events are disappointing as well. Is it a spoiler to say things happen that I disagree with but can't talk about because they'd be spoilers? Anyway, this book is a 4 from me.
30 April 2013
April Movies
Argo: very good! I thought it was a fabulous movie and bit off a few nails towards the end. 6
Cabaret: I saw the play live in March and was absolutely blown away. I'd never seen it and only knew the vaguest outline. The movie was fine, different but fine. Just not as amazing as the live show. a 5
Skyfall: practically a 7 but B didn't like it as much as I did and felt it wasn't "fun" the way a Bond movie normally is. I loved it though I still can't decide if i think Daniel Craig is handsome or not...nice eyes though. a 6.
Snow White and the Huntsman: Way better than we expected! shame about the dwarves though. a 5.
We've also watched a bunch of Doctor Who and Game of Throne which will continue through May! Also, I intend to see a ton of movies in the theater May, a few of which I hope to love enough to put up whole posts about. don't let me down, Iron Man 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness!
Cabaret: I saw the play live in March and was absolutely blown away. I'd never seen it and only knew the vaguest outline. The movie was fine, different but fine. Just not as amazing as the live show. a 5
Skyfall: practically a 7 but B didn't like it as much as I did and felt it wasn't "fun" the way a Bond movie normally is. I loved it though I still can't decide if i think Daniel Craig is handsome or not...nice eyes though. a 6.
Snow White and the Huntsman: Way better than we expected! shame about the dwarves though. a 5.
We've also watched a bunch of Doctor Who and Game of Throne which will continue through May! Also, I intend to see a ton of movies in the theater May, a few of which I hope to love enough to put up whole posts about. don't let me down, Iron Man 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness!
20 April 2013
A bit of Kid's Non-fiction
For class, I had to read 2 non-fiction books for the Under-13 set. I ended up reading 3 because I had to write a paper on one and wanted to give myself options. All were Sibert Medal Honor/Award books.
Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer- This was the one I wrote my paper on, getting full marks! It's about the Salem Witch trials and I really liked it, all the way up until the last sentence. Until then, it was really good about explaining what happened, how the Puritan worldview led that to happen, and then the outcomes. It shared the blame around and I loved that it showed, by this incredibly bad series of events, the benefits of rational thinking and skepticism without specifically saying that. However, at the very end it says something like "these things will never happen again---or will they?" I actually heard the dramatic "duh-duh-DUH!!" in my head reading it. it was such an odd change in tone; none of the events/attitudes of the time were connected to events/attitudes today. If they had been, then the rhetorical question ending would have worked for me. i recommend it anyway. also, the art was great! a 6.
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy--definitely terrifying. I ended up using this one in my reading record. This one was about an epidemic in Philadelphia and all the terrible things that happened. Made me very, very glad i live now and not then. Did you know there's no cure for yellow fever yet? a 6.
Vincent van Gogh by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan-- my extra book. It was fine, informative, clear and interesting. Many direct quotes and several pages of pictures helped too. I learned some things and have picked up the giant Van Gogh: The Life to read more. I just didn't feel as strongly about it as the above two so I didn't end up suing it. a 5. Has anybody else read a Van Gogh biography and pictured the Van Gogh from Doctor Who?
Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer- This was the one I wrote my paper on, getting full marks! It's about the Salem Witch trials and I really liked it, all the way up until the last sentence. Until then, it was really good about explaining what happened, how the Puritan worldview led that to happen, and then the outcomes. It shared the blame around and I loved that it showed, by this incredibly bad series of events, the benefits of rational thinking and skepticism without specifically saying that. However, at the very end it says something like "these things will never happen again---or will they?" I actually heard the dramatic "duh-duh-DUH!!" in my head reading it. it was such an odd change in tone; none of the events/attitudes of the time were connected to events/attitudes today. If they had been, then the rhetorical question ending would have worked for me. i recommend it anyway. also, the art was great! a 6.
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy--definitely terrifying. I ended up using this one in my reading record. This one was about an epidemic in Philadelphia and all the terrible things that happened. Made me very, very glad i live now and not then. Did you know there's no cure for yellow fever yet? a 6.
Vincent van Gogh by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan-- my extra book. It was fine, informative, clear and interesting. Many direct quotes and several pages of pictures helped too. I learned some things and have picked up the giant Van Gogh: The Life to read more. I just didn't feel as strongly about it as the above two so I didn't end up suing it. a 5. Has anybody else read a Van Gogh biography and pictured the Van Gogh from Doctor Who?
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