Have a wonderful summer and don't forget to read ALL the books!
See? That's me going into Narnia! Sort of.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Off to Narnia
I'm going to be traveling to Narnia this summer and will not have Internet access (us Narnians don't need the international network). That means that I will not be posting anything for a while. I'm not leaving this blog forever, have no fears this is a very good way to waste time very nice way for me to practice writing and reviewing books, so I do not intend to leave anytime soon.
Have a wonderful summer and don't forget to read ALL the books!
See? That's me going into Narnia! Sort of.
Have a wonderful summer and don't forget to read ALL the books!
See? That's me going into Narnia! Sort of.
Heroes, gods and satyrs, oh my!
Remember that time when I said I had specific books to read? Yeah, well, I read one and a half of them.
I kind of knew that I wouldn't read Sherlock Holmes (I'll read that in the plane) but I finished Wildwood and most of the Hobbit. But then, something happened.
My brother.
Okay, that's not entirely true. But he was reading Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan and I hadn't brought my own book, so I started reading it while he was busy. When we got back to the cabin we where staying at, I started reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (which is the first book in the series) and read most of it before realizing that it was midnight and I was tired.
So, instead of talking about the Hobbit or reviewing Wildwood, which I really should be doing, I'm going to do a Series Series for July. And instead of going in chronological order, I will be discussing Heroes of Olympus instead of Percy Jackson. Let me explain.
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Once upon a time, Rick Riordan wrote a series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It was about a boy named Percy who was not as normal as he thought he was: he was the son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. He was brought to Camp Half-Blood, the only safe haven for demigods. There he learned how to fight monsters, how to deal with the gods and that satyrs like to eat enchiladas. He goes on various quests with his friends Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a satyr. At the end of the series, they must save Mt. Olympus from the onslaught of the Titans who have risen once more from Tartarus. Mt. Olympus is located at the very top of the Empire State Building in New York.
I really liked the Percy Jackson series, it's my "I don't know what to read, so here we go again" series. It appeals to boys as much as it does to girls, which is always great.
All of this adds up to why I was really sceptic about Riordan's new series. At first, I didn't really like it: I didn't know these new characters and I didn't want to read about them. Eventually though, I started liking them. There personalities are different from Percy, Annabeth and Grover's, and the writing is just as easy to read. That's the thing I like about these books: they sound like it really could be sixteen-year-olds talking. You know how sometimes an author will try and write a teenager's dialogue and all of us under 18 are just groaning with the cheesiness and falseness? Well, Riordan has overcome that barrier very nicely, in my opinion.
I liked The Lost Hero a lot more than I liked Son of Neptune, the second book in the series. I think it's just because I didn't like the characters in that one aside from Percy (and even he got on my nerves). It felt like Riordan had used up all of his character ideas and was using slightly overused ones in this book.
Then, Mark of Athena came out and I was scared. Seven main characters. That's very hard to juggle. Luckily, only four point of view are used to tell the story and they're the characters that I like. The story is a good one, with interesting creatures from Greek and Roman mythology.
My one major issue with the way these books are written is that most beginning and end of chapters are predictable: at the beginning, something "surprising" is happening, usually an attack, and at the end, there is a "cliffhanger". I put that in quotes because you can't just have a cliffhanger at the end of every single chapter. It becomes boring and predictable. That said, I think that that's what keeps the less interested readers, um... interested (good word choice right there, uh-huh.) Also, whenever a character gets a premonition, say, a dream for example, that dream is always used as an intense detail. "It was all happy but should he tell them about his dream?" "She couldn't stop thinking about her dream." "He felt a sinking feeling: that place looked just like the one in his DREEEAM."
Okay, so I don't like the constant mention of bad things to come. Sometimes they fit and move the plot along, sometimes they just interrupt a moment that didn't need interrupting.
So what do you guys think about Percy Jackson and his demigod friends? I love the books; they're not advanced literature or anything (far from it), but they make me laugh and I like the idea of Greek mythology tangling with the modern world.
Also, last word of advice: if you are considering reading these books after watching the terrible movie that they made out of it, you're in for a treat. They're a million times better.
I kind of knew that I wouldn't read Sherlock Holmes (I'll read that in the plane) but I finished Wildwood and most of the Hobbit. But then, something happened.
My brother.
Okay, that's not entirely true. But he was reading Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan and I hadn't brought my own book, so I started reading it while he was busy. When we got back to the cabin we where staying at, I started reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (which is the first book in the series) and read most of it before realizing that it was midnight and I was tired.
So, instead of talking about the Hobbit or reviewing Wildwood, which I really should be doing, I'm going to do a Series Series for July. And instead of going in chronological order, I will be discussing Heroes of Olympus instead of Percy Jackson. Let me explain.
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Once upon a time, Rick Riordan wrote a series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It was about a boy named Percy who was not as normal as he thought he was: he was the son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. He was brought to Camp Half-Blood, the only safe haven for demigods. There he learned how to fight monsters, how to deal with the gods and that satyrs like to eat enchiladas. He goes on various quests with his friends Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a satyr. At the end of the series, they must save Mt. Olympus from the onslaught of the Titans who have risen once more from Tartarus. Mt. Olympus is located at the very top of the Empire State Building in New York.
I really liked the Percy Jackson series, it's my "I don't know what to read, so here we go again" series. It appeals to boys as much as it does to girls, which is always great.
All of this adds up to why I was really sceptic about Riordan's new series. At first, I didn't really like it: I didn't know these new characters and I didn't want to read about them. Eventually though, I started liking them. There personalities are different from Percy, Annabeth and Grover's, and the writing is just as easy to read. That's the thing I like about these books: they sound like it really could be sixteen-year-olds talking. You know how sometimes an author will try and write a teenager's dialogue and all of us under 18 are just groaning with the cheesiness and falseness? Well, Riordan has overcome that barrier very nicely, in my opinion.
I liked The Lost Hero a lot more than I liked Son of Neptune, the second book in the series. I think it's just because I didn't like the characters in that one aside from Percy (and even he got on my nerves). It felt like Riordan had used up all of his character ideas and was using slightly overused ones in this book.
Then, Mark of Athena came out and I was scared. Seven main characters. That's very hard to juggle. Luckily, only four point of view are used to tell the story and they're the characters that I like. The story is a good one, with interesting creatures from Greek and Roman mythology.
My one major issue with the way these books are written is that most beginning and end of chapters are predictable: at the beginning, something "surprising" is happening, usually an attack, and at the end, there is a "cliffhanger". I put that in quotes because you can't just have a cliffhanger at the end of every single chapter. It becomes boring and predictable. That said, I think that that's what keeps the less interested readers, um... interested (good word choice right there, uh-huh.) Also, whenever a character gets a premonition, say, a dream for example, that dream is always used as an intense detail. "It was all happy but should he tell them about his dream?" "She couldn't stop thinking about her dream." "He felt a sinking feeling: that place looked just like the one in his DREEEAM."
Okay, so I don't like the constant mention of bad things to come. Sometimes they fit and move the plot along, sometimes they just interrupt a moment that didn't need interrupting.
So what do you guys think about Percy Jackson and his demigod friends? I love the books; they're not advanced literature or anything (far from it), but they make me laugh and I like the idea of Greek mythology tangling with the modern world.
Also, last word of advice: if you are considering reading these books after watching the terrible movie that they made out of it, you're in for a treat. They're a million times better.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
A fine reading selection
Okay, the title is misleading. This is more of an eclectic platter of various books.
We're going on a trip up north to Minnesota and I, of course, will be bringing books. Let me explain my selection.
First, Wildwood by Colin Meloy. (I'll probably review this one when we get back)
I am in the process of reading this one, so he had to come, and we are going to the Northern Woods. This book is called Wildwood. The setting is quite perfect. I am loving this book and I really want to see what happens, so that is a must have.
Second, The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien.
As a general rule, when I am traveling, I bring a book that I have already read. When I know that there will be a long wait (I'm thinking layovers when flying to and from France) I bring a long book that I know I will like. It's generally not one that I have read recently, so I'm still interested in it despite knowing what it is. For this trip, there won't be a layover and I can't read in the car, so length wasn't as important as interest. I haven't read The Hobbit in a while, which is why I chose it instead of Harry Potter (there's also the fact that I read the entire Chamber of Secrets in a two hour flight, so it's not the best travel choice for me). In addition, the book is called There and Back Again and is the story of a long journey. I like to imagine that I'm riding my pony besides Thorin's company.
Third, Sherlock Holmes Volume II, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
This is on my list of books to read and it's just a bunch of short stories so I can read one here and there when I don't want to listen to the trolls fighting over how to cook dwarf. Also, Sherlock. I couldn't not bring him.
So there you go, my reading selection for this week: an "in progress" book, a "pre-read" book and a "to read" book. While I'm gone, you guys can amuse yourselves by answering these questions in the comments below!
What books do you like to bring when you travel and why?
Are you going anywhere book-related this year (say, Hobbiton, New Zealand)?
Can you read in the car or are you like me and it gives you an instant headache?
We're going on a trip up north to Minnesota and I, of course, will be bringing books. Let me explain my selection.
First, Wildwood by Colin Meloy. (I'll probably review this one when we get back)
I am in the process of reading this one, so he had to come, and we are going to the Northern Woods. This book is called Wildwood. The setting is quite perfect. I am loving this book and I really want to see what happens, so that is a must have.
Second, The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien.
As a general rule, when I am traveling, I bring a book that I have already read. When I know that there will be a long wait (I'm thinking layovers when flying to and from France) I bring a long book that I know I will like. It's generally not one that I have read recently, so I'm still interested in it despite knowing what it is. For this trip, there won't be a layover and I can't read in the car, so length wasn't as important as interest. I haven't read The Hobbit in a while, which is why I chose it instead of Harry Potter (there's also the fact that I read the entire Chamber of Secrets in a two hour flight, so it's not the best travel choice for me). In addition, the book is called There and Back Again and is the story of a long journey. I like to imagine that I'm riding my pony besides Thorin's company.
Third, Sherlock Holmes Volume II, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
This is on my list of books to read and it's just a bunch of short stories so I can read one here and there when I don't want to listen to the trolls fighting over how to cook dwarf. Also, Sherlock. I couldn't not bring him.
So there you go, my reading selection for this week: an "in progress" book, a "pre-read" book and a "to read" book. While I'm gone, you guys can amuse yourselves by answering these questions in the comments below!
What books do you like to bring when you travel and why?
Are you going anywhere book-related this year (say, Hobbiton, New Zealand)?
Can you read in the car or are you like me and it gives you an instant headache?
Sunday, June 23, 2013
An Unexpected Read
I went to the library to get a drink of water. Let's just start by pointing that out. I had no intentions of getting a book. I wasn't even finished Narnia and had barely started Wildwood. So no, no books.
But this one, this one drew me in. It had a strange shape, square instead of rectangular. The cover was strange and the title was barely legible. I don't know why that made it particularly attractive, but it did. I picked it up off the shelf, read the summary, leafed through a few pages, as you do. Then...I slid to the floor and started reading it in the middle of the aisle. Well then, that plan failed.
The Wikkeling by Steven Arnston.
The cover is creepy, indeed some parts of the story are creepy too, but my goodness, I loved it.
It takes place in a new society (dystopian, just the way I like it) but it was still believable. It's a lovely, random story. The characters are attaching, the setting is convincing and the villain is uncomfortably creepy (sign of a good villain). Also, there's an illustrated bestiary in the middle, which I loved.
I highly recommend this book if you have a few hours to kill. It's an über quick read and interesting all the way through. I didn't mean to pick it up but I'm so glad I did.
But this one, this one drew me in. It had a strange shape, square instead of rectangular. The cover was strange and the title was barely legible. I don't know why that made it particularly attractive, but it did. I picked it up off the shelf, read the summary, leafed through a few pages, as you do. Then...I slid to the floor and started reading it in the middle of the aisle. Well then, that plan failed.
The Wikkeling by Steven Arnston.
The cover is creepy, indeed some parts of the story are creepy too, but my goodness, I loved it.
It takes place in a new society (dystopian, just the way I like it) but it was still believable. It's a lovely, random story. The characters are attaching, the setting is convincing and the villain is uncomfortably creepy (sign of a good villain). Also, there's an illustrated bestiary in the middle, which I loved.
I highly recommend this book if you have a few hours to kill. It's an über quick read and interesting all the way through. I didn't mean to pick it up but I'm so glad I did.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Based on a cover
I finished Sherlock Holmes Volume I and will eventually start Volume II. I won't review it because I absolutely loved it and my review would be completely pointless. It was clever, well paced, interesting, funny at times, generally wonderful. Also, very useful in impressing people.
"What's that huge book you're reading? Oh the complete novels and short stories of Sherlock Holmes? That's pretty amazing for someone your age." Feel free to bow and tip your deerstalker hat to those people.
I have started to read Wildwood by Colin Meloy. I will admit that I was completely smitten with the cover and that that's the main reason why I bought it in the first place. It's gorgeous.
"What's that huge book you're reading? Oh the complete novels and short stories of Sherlock Holmes? That's pretty amazing for someone your age." Feel free to bow and tip your deerstalker hat to those people.
I have started to read Wildwood by Colin Meloy. I will admit that I was completely smitten with the cover and that that's the main reason why I bought it in the first place. It's gorgeous.
I mean look at it. How could I not buy it? And the book is very thick and the pages are uneven and it smells just like a book should. As for the story inside the book, I'll keep you updated on that because I've only read a few chapters so far.
This is a funny contrast, I just realized. I finished a literary classic and have now begun reading a kid's book. My book tastes are kind of all over the place, aren't they? For the record, my two favorite genres are epic fantasy and dystopian. I'll probably write a whole post about why I love those, but that's a story for another day.
Also, no matter how unnecessary this may be, I will share a few words of wisdom with you. If you're like me, you're terrible at remembering a good joke (or any joke for that matter). I have two jokes that I can remember. One is a blonde joke (And before you get all offended, I'm blonde, so it's funny. Also, I indirectly learned it from Richard Armitage, so there.) and the other is a nerd joke. Here it is for your convenience.
An elf walked into a bar. The hobbit laughed and walked under it.
You're welcome.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The White Woods and the Demon Hunters
At the moment, I am reading two books (yes, I know, shame on me and all that), one of which is Sherlock Holmes, the other is Narnia.
I love Narnia. Well, I loved the movies, but I had only read the Magician's Nephew which didn't really speak to me. Then I went to the library with a friend and she told me to take out The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I love it.
I love the way I can see it all in my head, the way that I can see the woods and Mr. Tumnus' cave and the Beavers' dam. I love that it's set in winter because, in my opinion, most fairy tales should take place with white snow and icicles. Even if the snow is the curse of an evil witch queen.
I'm not done yet, because I only ever read it before going to bed, one chapter a day. Sherlock is my day read but I like me a good fairy tale before going to sleep. It makes me feel little again, you know?
Also, it's a good way to counter-balance the freakiness of the new show I've been watching on Netflix, Supernatural. Basically, two siblings, Sam and Dean, go around the country killing demons and creatures of evil. It's awesome but scary, which leaves me very conflicted and afraid of the dark. I highly recommend it (if you're not too squeamish, it is a bit gory).
In other news, today is my last day of school! I have finished the first round of high school, only three left to go.
I love the way I can see it all in my head, the way that I can see the woods and Mr. Tumnus' cave and the Beavers' dam. I love that it's set in winter because, in my opinion, most fairy tales should take place with white snow and icicles. Even if the snow is the curse of an evil witch queen.
I'm not done yet, because I only ever read it before going to bed, one chapter a day. Sherlock is my day read but I like me a good fairy tale before going to sleep. It makes me feel little again, you know?
Also, it's a good way to counter-balance the freakiness of the new show I've been watching on Netflix, Supernatural. Basically, two siblings, Sam and Dean, go around the country killing demons and creatures of evil. It's awesome but scary, which leaves me very conflicted and afraid of the dark. I highly recommend it (if you're not too squeamish, it is a bit gory).
In other news, today is my last day of school! I have finished the first round of high school, only three left to go.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Brief Public Servic Announcement
Stop whatever it is that you're doing! Just stop right now.
It's here!
It's here!
Martin-Jawn-Bilbo-Baggins and a Benedict Dragon!
I am of course speaking of the trailer of The Desolation of Smaug.
It's here, oh my goodness.
That is all. You may now continue on with your day.
It's here!
It's here!
Martin-Jawn-Bilbo-Baggins and a Benedict Dragon!
I am of course speaking of the trailer of The Desolation of Smaug.
It's here, oh my goodness.
That is all. You may now continue on with your day.
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