Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

The story of Grace and Sam is continued in this sequel to Shiver.   This is a “werewolf” tale, but definitely different from most I have read.  The graphic descriptions that you find in others is absent here.  I am surprised at the emphasis on the conflict, love, respect and trust that is explored along with the absence of gore. (applause for the gore lacking)

The main character, Grace, has an  unconventional relationship with her parents.  I am sure most teenagers would love to live her life.  Who would not want to be trusted to come and go as you please.  To be trusted to be left along most nights.  To always cook for yourself and your parents.  Well maybe not cook for your parents.  As Grace reveals details about her day-to-day life you realize that she  does not yearn for the authority of her parents, but she would like to be close with them. Friends. Not taken for granted.  Everyone wants to feel a deep connection with someone.  To have the deep connection with your parents evokes feelings of LHH (love, hope, and happiness). Grace and her parents relationships cannot be described in this way.  Their relationship can best be described as one of acquaintance, each passing the other in the hallway with a polite smile. Even with the conflict and remoteness of her parents, Grace’s  life changing decision near the end of the book was hard for her, but (dare I say this) the best for her.  

Her friend, Isabel, meets someone with just as much attitude as herself. He can be described as having a rockin’ bod and full to the gills with confidence.  They meet in a most shocking way and sparks fly.  Both of them grow during the course of the story.  Their road from selfishness and self-absorption to redemption will challenge your views and will make you think before you judge others.  You never know what is truly going on inside another persons head or for that matter their heart. 

Ms. Stiever cleverly tells two tales in Linger.   To me Isabel turns out to be a very strong character and not as shallow as we are led to believe in Shiver.  She herself does not have an emotionally stable home life, but when needed she rises to the occasion.

Favorite line:  “Isabel had told me to ask Grace how she felt.  To not wait for her to tell me, because she wouldn’t until it was too late.”

How many people have feelings for someone but keep silent. How many times have you heard someone say after the death of a loved one, “If I only had told them I was sorry”, or, “I wish I could tell them I love them”?     The power of  laying out your emotions for someone to either embrace or step on is a freeing experience.  Nerve racking yes, but freeing.  In most cases, either declaring your love or revealing a hurt, the  recipient has no idea that you are attracted to them or that they have hurt you in some way.  Remember, no one can read your mind.  So next time you are faced with this dilemma, take a deep breath, pray for the Lord to give you the words and attitude you need then open your mouth and let the words flow!

LHH!

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Most small towns have that one house, that one family, that one person that appears to be hauntingly different.  The reasons for the rumors and avoidance may be founded in truth or conjecture. 

The Greene family of Hedgerow is just such a family.  As the story of Tam is unveiled you see the town’s reaction to The Greene’s during the day and after night falls.   The interaction within the family itself is, I would say, typical of any family.  I do believe we can all identify with the always happy uncle, the matriarchal grandmother, the seemingly over protective parents and aren’t all siblings cruel?

Tam’s story of growth and maturity is one we all can identify with.  She has a marvelous adventure “time” and “time” again.  Ms. MacCullough’s writing definitely makes you care for everyone associated with the family.  Ms. MacCullough's weaving of the family's practices, beliefs, and generously toward others is truly inspirational.

My favorite line:  “Believe me, what I did….What I will do will never be done lightly.”

When I read this I could so identify with feelings I had and still have in certain situations.  Why can’t I do this or that?  Why did she/he say or do this or that?  We all have these feelings when we are confronted by authority figures.  Rules and reasons are not always clear. This tends to  leave us confused and angry.  When we ask for explanations,  we get “you will understand when you are older”, “I can’t tell you now, you aren’t ready”, Or my favorite, “Because I said so”.  Or better yet, “It’s my way or the highway”.  Well you get the picture.   With age and life experience we are able to have more mature discussions. Others can identify that we are finally capable of understanding  the reason for their withholding certain facts……we weren’t ready!

Note to self.....find myself a clocket. You will have to read the book to find out why it would be so cool to own one…..Enjoy!

This is a totally awesome read and I will be looking for other books by Carolyn MacCullough. 

Mysterious Benedict Society by: Trenton Lee Stewart

Mysterious Benedict Society by: Trenton Lee Stewart


With school starting up, the reading of Mysterious Benedict Society took longer than I anticipated.  It was a most enjoyable little tale and a very easy read. 

The plot is complex yet simple.  A task is set before the children which most adults would find daunting.  The four children that we follow have varying, how should I say, abilities.  They learn many life lessons ranging from how to trust, to what they can each bring to a friendship.

The story line is fast paced, with interesting twists and turns.  I found myself wanting to know what each child was going to face and just how they were going to go about solving their problems.

You are probably wondering why I have not revealed to you the task that the children face or how it turns out, well, that is part of the fun and the adventure.  You discover along with the characters just what they are expected to do and, (got ya! You thought I was going to tell)

My favorite lines:  “She couldn’t do everything by herself. She realized that now.”  This realization came after many trials. 

I believe that we all begin out teenage years with the outlook of “we can do it all and we don’t need anyone“.  In reality we all, or maybe I should say most, of us realize over time that we need others in our life for support, guidance, encouragement, and along side of us to help fight life’s battles. I am fortunate in the fact that God has given me a loving and supportive family.  I now know the issues I face in life cannot be faced alone, but it has been a long maturing process.  I would not trade my life battles, experiences, for anything.  They make me who I am, for better or worse.  Hopefully, others have found as I have, depending on family and friends is not weakness, it is a sign of strength.     

I am looking forward to the next installment by Mr. Stewart.  Wonder what situations the children will find themselves in next?

Short Second Life of Bree Tanner By: Stephenie Meyer

Short Second Life of Bree Tanner By: Stephenie Meyer

I must confess that during my initial reading of Eclipse, I completely ignored Bree Tanner.   While waiting for my copy of the Short Second Life to arrive, I re-read Eclipse and went to the movie paying close attention to this short lived character.

Bree is turned my “her“.  Riley has been recruited by “her” to keep the newbies under control.  He does this the way most dictator type leaders keep control; my bulling, fear, intimidation and half truths.

“She” likes the newbies, because they don’t think.  They cower and run for cover as the dawn approaches.  Bree is befriended by Diego and they have actual conversations. They do more than just hunt.  They think.  They reason.

Bree is excited and unsure at the same time.  Her first life of almost 15 years was not an easy life.  She confesses that after running away from her abusive father, hunger and facing the possibility of starvation, left her on the brink of drugs and other not so socially acceptable activities.

 As Bree’s story developed, I found that I was not consciously thinking of Eclipse, but as the “four in Goth dress” approach.  As “she” is more involved. The words and scenes from Eclipse tumbled through my mind and I found a smile crossing my face.  I knew exactly who “she” is and the identity of “the four“.

Writing is such an awe inspiring process to us non-published types.  Stephenie allows us a glimpse into her creative mind during the introduction.  The instance of a secondary character taking on a life of their own is an interesting thing to ponder.  I am certain that as I read any story from hereon, I will think more of the secondary characters and possibly  exercise my imagination as to their lives.

Bravo Stephenie Meyer, you have again created a new angle for all of us Twilighters to explore.

Shiver by: Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by: Maggie Stiefvater

Caution:  Sexual content

The pace of this story is much slower than previous reads this summer.  This was a nice change, but I kept waiting. Don’t get me wrong, there was action, suspense, and speculation.  I kept hanging in there and sure enough, I was not disappointed. 

Grace, our main character, has two BFF’s, Olivia and Rachel.  Olivia’s favorite hobby is photography.  She takes pictures and documents everything; nature, wolves, her friends. Olivia is very observant but has a “it see to believe it” attitude.

Grace’s story had hardly began when a young man is killed.  As tragic as this is, the circumstances and the evidence point the blame to the wolf population that live in the nearby wood. Strangely his body goes missing from the morgue.  Was the body stolen? Did he walk away? 

This can be classified as a love story, but between which characters.  I would also say it is a study of friendships and loyalty.  Grace comes to realize that some friends will be with you forever and are with you no matter what.  While some people turn their back and still others willingly step up the friendship ladder when needed. 

Grace’s character shows us that if we live with an open mind and heart, we will find more people willing to come to our aid and support. But as Grace shows us, you have to (as they say) be a friend to have a friend.

Favorite line; “So what am I suppose to tell the parental units?”  This is my favorite because I so use that phrase “parental units”.

My copy of Linger, the next in this series, should be here next week. Yea!

City of Bones By: Cassandra Clare

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments Book One)
By: Cassandra Clare

The story revolves around a small group of teenagers; Clary, Simon, Isabelle, Alex, and Jace.  No big deal you say. Just another teenage vampire/werewolf tale.  I think not.  This story is like a riding a roller coaster.  It is fast paced and you don’t want it to end.

The first time I read City of Bones,  I literally skimmed paragraphs.  I could not wait to see what was going to happen next.  You are so sure you “know”, but as you turn the page, BAMM you are hit by a surprise.  This second reading I willed myself to slow down and absorb all of the details.  I tried I really did, but I had to keeping taking deep breaths and telling myself to slow down. 

Clary is a normal teenager with a very dedicated best friend, Simon.  Isabelle, Alex, and Jace are shadowhunters.    They kill downworlders. You ask what is a downwarder.  Well that category consist of vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc. Shadowhunters and downworlders cannot be seen unless you have “the sight”.  Guess who discovers they have the sight?  I am not going to tell you. That you must discover for yourselves.

The Shadowhunters are on a quest for the Mortal Cup as well as a search for a very important person.  They must secure the cup and keep it away from a most evil gentlemen.

Along the way they each discover things about themselves and each other.  The ending is a cliffhanger.  Questions are answered, discoveries are made, but there is so much more to know.  So let the story continue.  On to book two,  City of Ashes.

My favorite line: “If you were half as funny as you thought you were, my boy, you’d be twice as funny as you are.”  I do hope I can remember this line.

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

By now most everyone is somewhat if not completely familiar with the Twilight Saga.  I debated whether to write a review, but after making a few notes and reflecting on the main characters, I decided to go ahead and share my observations. Please note that I am only referencing the four main characters at this point.  I may explore other characters at a later time.

Bella is torn between her best friend and her boyfriend.  If you have ever been in this position, or any situation caught  between two opposing views, you know the mental stress this can cause. She wants everyone to be happy.  This attitude rarely works; it only servers to make yourself and others miserable.  She has good intentions, since she feels she cannot tell her father the truth.  Bella feels that half truths and sneaking around are her only option. Again, this is never a good road.

Regrettably in life you sometimes have to choose between friends, goals, and paths.  Praying to God for guidance is a sure fire way to know the road to travel.  The evil forces in the world will place doubt and guilt in your mind, but the Lord does not inflict guilt. He (God) will direct you and happiness will follow.  Other parties involved will feel sadness or anger if you did not choose the path they want.  No one wants to be rejected and not everyone will support your prayer based decision.  Over time, others will come to respect your standing firm.

Edward, the boyfriend,  tries to control Bella.  He feels that he can keep her safe and that no one can do this but himself. He finds this path is not so easy.

Jacob, the best friend, also wants Bella to be safe and thinks that Edward is being a control freak.  He also feels that Bella is being somewhat of a wimp.  Does time change his mind?

Charlie, Bella’s father, does not like Edward.  He feels that Edward is keeping Bella isolated and will not allow her to be with other people. As a parent, Charlie does not wish his daughter to be manipulated by anyone.   He does not want any outside influence to keep her away from her friends.  As a parent, you feel that boyfriends will come and go.  Once you are outside your friends circle and the boyfriend moves on, it is sometimes difficult for our peers to forgive and accept you again.

All views could be considered correct.  Each feel they are right and the others are wrong.  No one can see the big picture or any other viewpoint.

Both Edward and Jacob feel they can see he situatio than Bella and where her loyalty should be.

I believe the wide attraction of this series is that everyone on the planet can identify with the conflict within at least one if not more of the characters.

Parents want what is best of their children, but are not always sure about the best way to parent. Asking what did I do wrong is a question that parents ask almost daily.

Children thinking they cannot confide in their parents because of something they know, something they have done, or something they are considering doing.  They want parental approval and not to disappoint.  Children do not realize that most parents have faced similar situations growing up. While the parent may get upset, they are usually upset out of fear of loosing their child either physically or emotionally.

Friends want what is best for each other, but usually this is contingent on what their agenda is based on.  This could be anything from lack of experience, expectations, greed, jealously, this list could be endless. In the back of their minds, a friend may feel that your decision can help them influence a parent in a certain direction.

My favorite line, “She was forever trying to make me be human the way she thought humans should be.”  Don’t we do the same thing with those around us. We spend so much time trying to change others to be like ourselves or make them the way we think they should be instead of accepting their differences. In the past, I have found myself attempting to changes others without really realizing how my attitude was hurting them.  Just as Alice was trying to “help” Bella, don’t we find ourselves “helping” others in areas of their lives that are in our view is  “just not quite right”?  In truth, we all have “little areas” that need tweaking. If we would allow ourselves to truly open our eyes and hearts, we would realize we can learn from others and allow the Lord to make positive changes within us.

Overall this is a very well written series.  If you have not read Eclipse, I would suggest that you do not assume you know how things are going to end.  If you have seen the movie, as I did last night, and have not read the book, I strongly suggest you dig in the pages for yourselves.  The movie follows the book, but so much has not been included.

My first reading was just fun.  This second time around I am seeing a much deeper meaning. I wonder what the third reading will bring to light?

Proofed by Laura Simmons.

The Necromancer Secrets of Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Wow! I finished reading The Necromancer Secrets of Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott. This is the fourth in the series and it was riveting.

I am sure that the previous tales have been full of wisdom,  but a couple of  things really “jumped out” at me.  Such as; ”In every war, both sides believe they are in the right.”  My thought, wars can be global or between friends.  Another line that spoke to me; “He had a rule to never allow anger to cloud his judgment.”  This line I need to memorize and act upon almost daily.

There is a recurring theme of trust.  Questions we all face on a daily basis.  Who can we trust?  Why should we trust?  The fact that each of us has a deep rooted need to trust.  As we follow Sophie and Josh during this phase of their lives we see each side, both good and evil bending the truth to fit their needs.  I found myself wanting to reach out and help them along their quest.   This need was met in the book in several surprising ways. 

I love the way Mr. Scott takes us from one book to the next in only a heartbeat of time.  The next book, The Warlock, will not be out until 2011 and I cannot wait to pre-order a copy. 

Back to the Books

Last week was very hectic.  Our church held Vacation Bible School and I helped in the kitchen.  Boy was it hot.  Preparing food for an average of 150 children for five nights was fun, but tiring.  I pray that the lessons the students heard will stay with them.

I so missed reading, but I was just too brain dead to absorb and enjoy much of anything.  After a very relaxing and sleep filled weekend.....I am back and ready to continue on......Sophie and Josh here I come!

The Sorceress by Michael Scott

The Sorceress by Michael Scott

This third installment of the twins adventure begins exactly where The Magician ends.  Like the previous stories, The Sorceress is extremely fast paced.  The locations, moods, and actions are very well described.  I felt I was experiencing each situation along with Josh and Sophie.   Mr. Scott has done an exemplary job weaving a tale of past, present, myth, fact and fantasy as well as including one well know person of literature into the plot.

Book four, The Necromaner, was delivered today.  If you come to my door, send an email or text and you don’t receive a quick reply…..please forgive, I will once again be by the twins side as they see what awaits them around the  next turn…

General Book Reviews

I have read so many books that I would like to review. The decision I am trying to make is this, should I write an overall review of a series or review individual books within the series. Example: The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan; The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare; The Wrinkle in Time Series by Madeleine L'Engle. There are so many titles I would like to address that are not in a series. Example: Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway; Angelology by Danielle Trussoni. This is only a partial list.

On my "to be read" stack I have The Sorceress by Michael Scott (3rd in the Nicholas Flamel Series); The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (1st in the Kane Series); The Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull (all five); Into the Wild by Erin Hunter (1st in the Warriors Series).

It seems to be an overwhelming task, but one that I am excited about.

The Magician (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

The Magician by Michael Scott

I have started the second installment in the Nicholas Flamel story and so far I have not been disappointed.  The tale begins from the exact point the first book, The Alchemyst, ends.  The twins along with Scatty and Nicolas are now in Paris and they are faced with difficult situations immediately.

What allies will they find, what evil will they face, what decisions will be made?  I am anxious to see.

Just finished this exciting squeal to The Alchemyst and there is no way I am going to reveal the direction the end of this chapter in the lives of the characters have taken.  I encourage you to check out images on the web to see the mystical beings and actual places that are visited. For me, this process enhances the reading experience.

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

If you are a fan of  Harry Potter, you will remember Nicholas Flamel was credited with the creation of the sorcerer's stone (philosopher's stone) in the first book in the series. My initial impression of The Alchemyst, is very positive.  So far there are no "four-letter words" and contains no sexual overtones. 

The setting is current times with Nicholas and his wife being approximately 600 plus years old.  Teenage twins accidentally witness Nicholas being threatened followed by his wife being abducted and a very valuable item stolen. 

The tale is fast paced but with enough details included that you did not feel like the story is lacking or rushed.  I felt as if I was along side the characters as they were speeding along their journey.

One of the intriguing elements to this story is the use of real people, people of legends, and characters of mythology.

I would definitely recommend this book.

Monday, May 24, 2010

I am new to this concept of blogging. So for awhile I will probably be very random. I encourage any comments and/or observations.

I enjoy reading. Biography, self-help, explicit sex content does not interest me. I enjoy fantasy.....Harry Potter, Nicholas Flamel, Mortal Instruments, Mary Higgins Clark. Totally unreal, but fun. Well Mary Higgins Clark plots could happen, but...well let's just say she has an awesome "look out" on crime. There are other authors I like and many I do not. At this point I should say that the opinions on books that I will be giving will be purely my own, (unless otherwise stated).

Titles that I read are largely recommended by the students at our school. If I am familiar with the plot, I am able to do my job as librarian more efficiently.

I am subscribing to a website to begin book reviews. So we will see how that goes.