Musing: Re-reading.... good or bad?

Sometimes, I think it is very good to re-read a book.  Sometimes you do it for something familiar, sometimes you just do it for fun.  I mostly re-read books when another in the series is coming out, or if they're releasing a movie about it... {cough... cough... Twilight... cough...}  I have re-read the entire Twilight series prior to the release of the movies, which means that I have read these four books, plus midnight sun, four times.  I plan on reading them again before the second part of the last one comes out in November.  I think with this series, I feel compelled to read them again, to fall in love with the characters again, to feel how the book made me feel, so that when I go see the movie, I won't be horribly disappointed by the terrible acting or production qualities, that I can hold close the way that I felt when I read the books.

Now, that's not to say that there aren't times when re-reading books can't be wholly for pleasure, and that is the case with the books that I am re-reading right now.  I was flopping about looking for something to read, and for those who know me, know that I read every day.... If I don't have a book to read, I go a little stir crazy.  And sometimes, I just don't feel like trying to figure out what sort of mood I'm in, so I go back to my "comfy shelf" which is filled with books that I could pick up at any time and be happy that I did.  So this time, I flopped to my shelf and I stumbled upon Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...  and oh how I love this series.  They're bizarre, and they're funny, and you'll find yourself laughing and acting out the parts in your head.  It's so easy to picture the craziness, and if you've seen the movie, it's even better, as the movie brings it to life in such an amazing way.  I've seen both the BBC version of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, as well as the more recent US movie release, and let me just say our version does a much better job. 

So I'm reading it, at least for now, I'm not sure that I'll finish the entire series, but I'll at least read this first book, just because it's a go-to on my "comfy shelf"...

Musing: Just finished: Eona by Alison Goodman

Great series, had me on my seat almost the entire time.  While there were times where I was a little irritated with the main character and wanted to give her a swift kick, it kept me entertained the whole way through.  I was a little disappointed with the ending, it was reminiscent of my horror at the ending of the Harry Potter series, swift and left you wanting more.

Now I need something new.... hmmmm what am I in the mood for?

Musing- Current Read: Eona by Alison Goodman

So, I'm currently reading Eona by Alison Goodman.  It's a good read, but there have been several times I've been really peeved with the main character, and some of the transitions between what is going on haven't been clear.  This could be because of the e-reader format, instead of reading it in a book, but it's been a little irritating.  The book itself is pretty good, I'm holding out for a good ending :)

Musing- Current Read: Eon by Alison Goodman

I'm currently working on Eon by Alison Goodman.

This might sound weird, and perhaps it's just a coincidence- but... this book reminds me of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in a way.  The reason I think it might be coincidence is because I started playing Skyrim at exactly the same time that I started reading this book, and there are dragons in it.

and seriously, what book couldn't be made better by dragons?

Musing- Just finished: Passion by Lauren Kate

So last week I was musing over this series and how it reminds me so much of the Twilight series.  I was telling someone about the books and realized that I wasn't really that interested in them, I was more finishing them because once I get into a series, I HAVE to know how it ends.  This isn't the last book in the series (that one comes out in June I think) but it was by far the most interesting book of the series.  It's a total divergence from the romance and feel that it mimicked from the Twilight series and diverged into something more interesting, albeit a little convoluted. 

I finished it in about a day.  Something about it made me have to read it, and that quickly. 

Now, however, I'm stuck waiting until June to find out how it all ends.  Darnit, this is why I don't normally read series until they've all been published.

Oh well.  Off to find something new for my shelf.

Musing- Current Read: Torment by Lauren Kate

I can't help but feel as I'm reading this book that the plot line is very similar to Twilight.  (which I adore)



Ways they're similar:

Luce, like Bella, is a frail girl who is starting her first day at a new school- when she sees him, dark and mysterious across the cafeteria....
Luce and Daniel star crossed lovers
Daniel whisks her away to safety constantly... because there's constant danger.  Constantly.
There's an evil Jacob, and his name is Cam.
The girls are just as superficial.

Ways they're different:

Daniel is an Angel, not a Vampire
Daniel doesn't sparkle, but he does have other crazy powers, and big wings...
The writing is sub par.
The characters are poorly developed (say what you want about Twilight, but I fell in love with the characters)

hmmm.  unsure about where this series is going...

Book Review: Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

For this review, I'm not writing about just a single book, but a series of books instead.  I read all 13 books in Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."  This series is geared toward children ages 10+ and grades 5 and up.

First off, let me start by talking genre.  This book falls into several different genres, including Absurdist Fiction, Children's Fiction, Children's Fantasy, Gothic Literature and Black Comedy.  These are the wildly fantastic tales of the Baudelaire children, whom you are warned on the very first page do not have a happy tale.  What ensues is a wildly funny, yet dark tale of three children and their bad luck in life, how they keep themselves in good spirits and a close knit feeling of family.  The villain in the story, Count Olaf, is as ridiculous as he is scary, and you will find yourself constantly cheering for the Baudelaires as they repeatedly escape his clutches through means of sheer ingenuity.

It has many good life lessons for children, such as teamwork, family bonds, and the importance of constantly expanding one's mind.  Throughout the book, they continually have to work together to solve riddles, escape sticky situations and escape Count Olaf's deadly but ridiculous traps.  Their family values always remain strong, even through trying and stressful situations, and even when they get frustrated with one another, they are able to recognize their bond and apologize.

Each of the Baudelaire children has a favorite pastime or study that they engage in, for Violet, it is her love of inventing and all things mechanical, for Klaus it is his love of researching and reading, and as Sunny comes of age(so to speak), she displays remarkable culinary talent.  Through these studies, they are always able to find a solution to even the hardest problem, and even as an adult, I am often left wondering what they're next move will be.  It encourages children to explore their interests and how to use them in a variety of situations in their lives.

The story, as I said is ridiculous, funny, dark and scary and yet leaves you hungering to read more!  The best part of the books, however, is coming from my viewpoint as a Mom.  Throughout the book, the author continually uses very large words or tricky idioms that most children at this age are either just getting a grasp on or are getting close to. Instead of leaving your child to have to either look it up in a dictionary or try to figure out what it means themselves (which you have to admit with many idioms it is rather difficult to discern their meaning if you weren't familiar with them),  the author is kind enough to include in text definitions.  These definitions not only include what the word/phrase means in this particular context, but also what it might mean if you used it in a different situation.   Here are a couple of examples:

I find this to be excellent for several reasons,
1- it expands your child's vocabulary by not only making it accessible but also providing extra contextual situations for your child to further understand the definition.
2- it does a great job building suspense throughout the story
3-It's just a fun read.

My negative point about the book was that at certain points it seems to be rambling and I found myself wanting to skip over these sections entirely... which might not be good for a budding attention span.
All in all, a great series.  One that I look forward to introducing my children to... when they get to be the right age, of course.

Beware though, there isn't really a certain happy ending...

The Hunger Games Book Review

I had recently heard many people discussing Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" Trilogy, and I have to admit, when I first heard the plot, I wasn't very interested.  It wasn't until I went and saw Breaking Dawn (yes, I'm a Twilight junkie as well) and I saw the movie preview for "The Hunger Games" that I was really interested in reading it.  I found that I was very surprised with the series and couldn't put the books down!

These books are geared toward ages 12+ and grades 7 and above.  It is categorized in multiple genres, including Science Fiction, Dystopic Literature and Adventure.  The books center around Katniss Everdeen, who takes the place of her sister to be in her districts Hunger Games, of which there can only be one survivor.

The book deals with some heavy themes, with the overall theme being the struggle for self preservation throughout the districts and often the decisions made by the main characters often are walking the line between right and wrong.   An overwhelming sense of Big Brother-esque control runs throughout the books as the characters are forced to take part in the Hunger Games, perform cheap labor and entertainment and as they are forced into compliance you can feel their pain and will root for them to overcome the capitol.


The books have won several awards, including Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year" in 2008 and a The New York Times "Notable Children's Book of 2008".  It was the 2009 winner of the Golden Duck Award in the Young Adult Fiction Category. The Hunger Games was also a "2008 Cybil Winner" for fantasy and science-fiction books along with The Graveyard Book. It also one of School Library Journal's "Best Books 2008" and a "Booklist Editors' Choice" in 2008. In 2011, the book won the California Young Reader Medal.

All in all, the story is compelling, and the books are guaranteed to suck you in, no matter what age you are.  These books earns 5 out of 5 Hearts from me!