PebHmong Discussion Forum
Entertainment => Books & Magazines => Topic started by: zena on January 19, 2015, 08:51:42 PM
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Finished, A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin last night. It was great! I love how the author kills off good and evil people. Love his writing style. This is my first book I finished this year! It took me just over 2 weeks! LOL!! Normally, I could finish a book this big in at least 3 days so you can see how busy I've been. I am dying to read the 3rd book. I want to so bad but I've got so much on my plate that I really shouldn't.
I've started reading, The Martian, by Andy Weir. Not sure what to think of it yet. It's only 5 hours so I'm hoping to finish it by tomorrow and then, I'll need to take a short break and get other things done before getting into, A Storm of Swords.
Was telling my husband that I'm so addicted to reading that I need to go to BA: books anonymous...li ke, AA: alcoholics anonymous.
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Finished The Martian yesterday. It was okay. Author says they are going to make it into a movie. I hope the movie will be much better than the book.
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Finished, Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro last night. It was good. Started out slow but turned out interesting halfway. What I don't understand about the characters is why they didn't break free. Run away. Fight for their "freedom." They were not completely brainwashed (like in Brave New World), in fact, they weren't really brainwashed. They were treated well as Ms. Emily told them so why they didn't break out of the "mold" is surprising. The ending was pretty sad and reaffirms that it doesn't matter if you were born from a tube or a womb (e.g., Ender's Game - genetically made but inserted in womb to birth) or were genetically mutated in some way (e.g., Divergent trilogy), you will never lose those qualities that make you human.
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Finished, A Storm of Swords, the 3rd book in the Game of Thrones series. Totally amazing pretty much sums it up for me. Dany is one fierce dragon girl and I think I'm in love with Jon Snow. Loved how the wildling girl says, "You know nothing, Jon Snow."
I'll be starting the 4th book after I finish, Messenger, by Lois Lowry, the 3rd book in The Giver Quartet.
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Finished, Messenger. It was okay. Would have liked it to be a little longer with more information. Learned that the guy named Leader is Jonas from the first book. The author doesn't tell you his real name. She just gives clues such as his blue eyes and how he can see beyond. I like the power Matty has. In the book I'm slowly writing, one of the characters has the healing power. I'm still debating on how strong/weak or if she should have some other power that's much stronger and the healing would be just a part of it but now I realize I'm going to make the healing her strength, thanks to Messenger. Now need to dl the 4th book and finish the quartet! Oh wait...I think there is a 5th book added? I'll have to look into it.
Currently reading the 4th book from Game of Thrones, A Feast for Crows. It's starting out a bit different from the first 3 books but still love it.
Btw, husband got me Jon Snow from Game of Thrones. He knows what I think of Jon Snow. ;)
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I think once I finish all the books, I'm going to start watching the HBO Game of Thrones series. I'm really excited.
I was on Instagram and found this:
(https://prettypeonydesigns.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/got2015-02-09_400.jpg)
There is a t-shirt with that phrase. I want it. :D
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When I first read the 3rd book in the Game of Thrones series, I didn't think I'd ever finish it. Didn't know where I'd find over 42 hours to read it. But I finished it and as mentioned have started on the 4th book. The 4th book is only just some 30 hours.
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I'd say, the 3rd book is my favorite so far. Especially because of the dragon girl, Daenerys Targaryen, aka, Dany. The author did an amazing job with her story. I was in tears after I finished one of her chapters. I know. CRAZY. She's smart and brave. And she's only 16. Who knows though, George Martin likes to kill off everyone and he also creates characters that you can't really like 100% because he shows their good and evils sides. For instance, I started out hating Jaime, but then in the 3rd book, his gentle side was revealed (just a smidgen of it) and it was enough for me to see that he could be a good person. I'm sure he will kill someone for no good reason and then I'll hate him. LOL!
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Finished the 4th book in the Game of Thrones series: A Feast for Crows. A lot of people didn't like it but I did. Now onto the 5th book in the series but will have to wait since it is on hold and I'm like 3rd on the wait-list of 6 books. Husband is also reading the series. He loves it too but he doesn't have as much time as I do so he's still on book 1. Just realized that I'm not alone in liking Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and Jon Snow. They are the main characters in book 3 (which was my favorite as mentioned previously). In book 4, the main characters are Jaime, Cersie, Samwell, Sansa, and Brienne. I missed the main characters in book 3 but it was still well written with Cersie being one serious pain-in-the-butt queen. I still like Jaime in this one and I'm always finding myself so worried for Brienne.
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I've started book 5 of the Game of Thrones series, A Dance With Dragons. We are back to Dany, Tyrion, and Jon. I just finished a chapter on Dany and I just love her more everytime I read about her. Here's a clip.
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Btw, my husband and I took a test on FB to see which character we were similar too. I got Tyrion. Husband got Dany (Daenerys). I asked husband if he were to choose which character I best resembled, he said, it would be Tyrion. I said for him, I thought he'd be Jaime or even Jon Snow, but not Dany. LOL!
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Finished reading A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett to my girls. This was the second time I read it to them and the 3rd time I've read the book. I choke back tears each time and my girls cry secretly.
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Finished A Dance with Dragons, the 5th installment of the Game of Thrones series. I can't wait for the 6th book. It should be released in a year? Two maybe? Seriously can't wait. I have a feeling I'll have to buy it 'cause the libraries don't get the books until much later.
I want to see the TV show now...but husband is just barely finishing the first book...LOL! Not sure if I can wait for him to finish all 5 books.
As for what's going on in the 5th book...I was a bit disappointed with Daenerys. I had so much hope for her in this book. I hope that she comes around in the next books. Tyrion continues to be so funny and smart. It's unfortunate how he ended up in Meereen. He had hopes of meeting Daenerys and I was curious as to how it would turn out once they met but he ended being on the wrong end of the hierarchy of things. I'm glad that Ser Jorah Mormont was back in this book. I like him. He was previously Daenerys' knight but because of his lies, she let him go. He's in love with her. Jon Snow is a bit different in this book. He is always so serious though so that hasn't changed. It ends with him getting stabbed but I hope he doesn't die. At first I thought he and Daenerys would be perfect as a couple but after the copulation between her and Daario, I'm not so sure Jon Snow is that kind of man. I missed Gendry in this book. Apparently, he's the bastard son of King Robert. I liked him but there's not very much of him in any of the books. Theon Greyjoy's story is super crazy. Man, Ramsey is one mean prince/lord. I'm interested in how all this will turn out now with the Greyjoys.
I don't think I'm alone in saying this but there is just too much s*x in this series. Sometimes I enjoy it but sometimes it's overdone. It's totally a guys perspective so it's not the romance book type of s*x. I enjoy some copulation in fantasy and sci-fi stories but when it gets to be too much, it kind of ruins everything. BUT, on the other hand, I understand it because in the world Mr. Martin created, I can totally see that s*x is used in differently ways, especially to degrade women and for power/control purposes, as Queen Cersie has done, and some of the lords. Mr. Martin also talks a lot about hands and pus...ew. I try to read past those parts as quickly as possible.
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I took that facebook quiz too. I got Ned Stark. Lol.
Im so excited for you moonangel. omg. Im surprise you havent seen the T.V. series yet. Im begining to like Daeneary's and Jon Snow. I feel a bit sorry for Jamie Lannister in book 3. Liking tyrion is a bit tricky because you'll never know if he becomes a backstabber. An interesting person I also like is Lord Beric. I'm waiting to see if Lord Beric's pov comes up later in the books.
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I took that facebook quiz too. I got Ned Stark. Lol.
Im so excited for you moonangel. omg. Im surprise you havent seen the T.V. series yet. Im begining to like Daeneary's and Jon Snow. I feel a bit sorry for Jamie Lannister in book 3. Liking tyrion is a bit tricky because you'll never know if he becomes a backstabber. An interesting person I also like is Lord Beric. I'm waiting to see if Lord Beric's pov comes up later in the books.
LOL...that's cool you got Ned. My husband said that in real life, I am like Tyrion (Tyrion's dad does not accept him as his son and I've had parts of my life mirror that) so it only makes since that I got him and also that could be why I feel for him so much. I want good things for him because even though he is a Lannister, he's got a good and kind heart. I liked Tyrion from the get-go just by the way he handled himself with Jon Snow, Bran, Catelyn, and Lyssa. I also like how he's gentle and understanding of Sansa before and after they were wed. For the life of me, I can't remember anything about Lord Beric. What is his house name?
As for the TV series, I wanted to read all the books before watching the show, but honestly, I just enjoy really good books and George Martin is amazing with his Game of Thrones series. His writing is poetic and funny and he throws in crazy characters/personalities and settings that I'm just wowed by. When he describes the settings, I feel like I'm there, but not only that, I feel it like an emotion. When he describes the characters, I feel as though I either like them, hate them, or am indifferent because he doesn't give them enough depth and I think he does it purposely. I enjoy this whole world he's created. He doesn't spend endless amounts of time in one setting or one character (you can tell I've had my share of not-so-well-written books, but not bad either). I can go on and on about his writing. It's just so perfect and I want more! ;D
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Books that I tried to read but they are just not well written:
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I'm having a hard time figuring out the characters. There's an issue with who's a he or she. Sometimes, it's "He this and that" and other times, the same he is a she. Author needs to pick a s*x to label them. If they are dual s*x, then create a new name to label them as such. The storyline is clueless. There is no real strong theme other than they are set out in space.
Dying of Light by George R.R. Martin. I really enjoyed Game of Thrones so thought I'd give his sci-fi a try. It's just not the same, however, I realize the story was written/first published in 1977 so maybe I'm just not into it because I'm big on character buildup and this book just seemed all over the place with it. I'm sure if I give it time, it'll come out. I may or may not finish and I'm leaning toward may not but I may try another of his books.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. So wanted to read this book but it's in PDF format and right now I'm not willing to read on my computer. Did that a lot last year but this year, I'm only reading just before bed or when I'm out somewhere bored.
On a brighter note, I just downloaded Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I plan on reading this to my girls at bedtime. I loved the TV show but never read the book. Hopefully it's as good as the TV Show. I can't remember when a TV show was actually better than the book so I'm positive this will be good. I have the DVD set for Anne of Green Gables so after I finish reading the book, we'll be watching the DVD.
Also, I'm finishing up on The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I read halfway, took a hiatus from it, and am now back at it. A couple of weeks ago, I dropped by Barns N Noble to get the soft cover of the 2nd book which just came out, The Mime Order, and learned that new releases only come out in hard cover. It takes about 6 months to a year for the softcover to be released. I'm not going to wait that long to read it and I don't want the hardcover so I'm going to just download it on my Kindle. I'm really excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I started reading Anne of Green Gables to my girls at bedtime. Yesterday, I decided to read a couple of chapters ahead while the girls were at dance lessons just so I know what happens before I read it to them that night and it was so heartbreaking that I cried my eyes red. I don't know if I can read this book to them if I'm going to be so heartbroken over everything. Last night, when I did read to them, I was choking back tears and taking deep breaks trying not to cry. Maybe I need husband to read it to them instead. My 8 year old told me she likes Anne already.
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Finished The Bone Season a week or so ago. Ready for the next book but I'm actually getting into Dying of Light so I hope to finish it.
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Wow...my review on Dying of Light is missing.
Anyway, I finished Fatal Boarding by E.R. Mason. Liked it but it was really just an okay sci-fi. Too may grammar and typo errors. It was a free Kindle book.
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Finished Date Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner. Based on the reviews it said this book was supposed to have humor but for some reason I didn't catch any of it. It's about a girl who goes on these dates with robots, aliens, humans, etc. The ending wasn't very clear but she ends up getting married like within 5 minutes of meeting the the guy, wedding, "I do's," and all. Way too unrealistic for me. This was also a free Kindle book.
I am now on a book called, The Last Praetorian, by Mike Smith. I'm actually halfway done. It's pretty interesting although some parts don't add up. It's also a free Kindle book.
Btw, I finally told my husband about the 2 stories in my head. I was so nerve wrecked. I've been married to him for almost 14 years and I've never shared my stories with him...LOL! He asked me why I waited so long because he said they were very interesting. I told him they were close to my heart and anything bad he says about them would make me go hide in a cave (other people's critique I can handle, just not from my husband), but he assured me he'd never be that way. It's good to know. The reason I told him was because I'm getting ready to purchase a software for writing the books and wanted him to know that I already have the stories...some parts are already written out in MS Word, etc., with some written over a decade ago+. I just need a writing software specifically for writing and finally found one through a FB writer's user group I follow.
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Here's my review of The Last Praetorian on goodreads:
I would have given this book a 3 star, however, because of all the "however's" used both in the author's pov and the characters' conversations, I now have that word in my head 24-7.
I really wanted to love this book. At first I wasn't so into it because it felt like Star Wars...with the princess and all but then it got a little interesting and kept me reading. However, as the story picked up, it pretty much went all over the place. I didn't get a good feel for the main character, Jon. He seemed like a nice brave guy but he was too perfect. They have to have some bad or something that makes you question their goodness to create a character that's likeable.
Also,there was a scene where Jon rescues a pole dancer girl named Felicity, but after they made it to a safe place, she suddenly disappears with no explanation as to where she went or how she disappeared. I had to reread that part a second time just to make sure I didn't accidentally miss a brief sentence somewhere but there was nada. The story would have worked out without that part so I was confused as to the relevance of that scene.
Btw, I rarely use the word "however" so you can see what this book has done to me. :)
One more thing, there were lots of typos and grammatical errors.
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Finished, Sapphires of Fairies (Sword of Heavens #1). It's a fantasy about a prophecy that one of the teens born during the "collapse" will rise to destroy the evil one. The pacing was a bit off. It was a long drawn out story but then ended really quickly with very little explanation.
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Finished The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien. It was okay. I read it 'cause I wanted to know about the story before watching the movies. I'm surprised they're able to get 3 movies out of this one book.
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Finished, Son, by Lois Lowry. I really enjoyed the beginning but halfway through the story became less clear and was moved along too quick.
The story is about the girl who gave birth to Gabrielle (aka Gabe), the baby boy Jonas escaped with in the first book, The Giver. I liked the beginning because it touches on how a mother in a post apocalyptic world deals with a baby she isn't suppose to care about but somehow things are mishandled and she learns a bit about him and begins to feel what a mother would feel when she can't be near her baby.
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Finished, Anne of Green Gables. It was good. I think the tv show is better. Watched it when I was in high school and a few years back with my oldest daughter. Going to watch it now with my youngest and maybe my oldest again.
I still haven't watched the Hobbit. Not sure how I'm going to get access to it at the moment. As for Anne of Green Gables, I have the DVD set.
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Finished, The Mime Order, by Samantha Shannon. It's the second book in The Bone Season series (which will be a movie soon! Can't wait!!!).
I was a little let down by The Mime Order. It started out very slow and kind of just dragged along until halfway passed middle then things picked up. It got more interesting but wasn't as great as The Bone Season. It's interesting how it ended and now I'm excited about the next book.
Again, the author did great with world building and character building...alt hough some characters kind of seemed like a blur or had similar personalities but it was rare.
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Finished, Heir to the Sundered Crown (The Sundered Crown Saga Book 1), a few days ago. I was given this book to read and review. You can read my review on my blog, on amazon (UK and USA), or on goodreads, here (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1276176119).
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Re-reading, A Little Princess, for the 3rd time to my kids. The 4th time for me. I could never get board of this book. If I could recommend a book to anyone, it would be this one.
It is about a little girl named Sara who's father is a soldier and who's mother has passed away. Her father is wealthy but they lived in India and he didn't feel that was a good place for his daughter to grow up in so he took her to England to a young women's school. He returned to India and tried to make a fortune in the diamond mines but died. Sara at first was treated very well by the owner of the school, Mrs. Minchin, because of their wealth but after her father's death, there wasn't any more money so Mrs. Minchin made Sara into a servant, replacing all her luxuries with an old black dress she was to wear every day, and moved her up into the attic next to a scullery made named Becky. Sara has an amazing imagination which helps her through the difficult times as a servant, but even her imaginings were difficult in those times. There was a house next to the school that was unoccupied for some time but suddenly someone moved in. Sara ran errands for Mrs. Minchin almost every day and she would always wonder who moved in. She finds out in the end who that man is and her world turns around.
It's a wonderful book about how a young girl handles life's hardships and difficulties. You will dislike Mrs. Minchin for how cruel she treated Sara and Becky. There is cattiness and jealousy from the other wealthy girls at the school. They made fun of Sara and her father's diamond mines. It's so heartbreaking. This book is so well written. It's hard to find books written this well these days. Books that you can read over and over and never get tired.
If you have kids, or nieces and nephews, read this book to them (but first read it to yourself because you want to be ready for those parts that will - or might - make you teary). My 8-year-old cries all the time when I get to the sad parts. She says, "Mrs. Minchin treats all the kids like robots and kids are NOT robots. They are human."
I still get teary-eyed reading it the fourth time.
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While I am re-reading A Little Princess to my daughter, I am also re-reading Divergent for myself. Not bad the second time around. It's funny because when I first read it, I imagined what the characters looked like. Now, I see the faces of the actors.
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I just got notification that Maze Runner by James Dashner is available for download (I was on a waitlist) but when I went to download it (full of giddiness), it said there was an error. :-\ I need to read all three books that are currently out in this series, especially the first two for now, because the second movie is coming out this fall and I want to have read the first and second book then go see the movie. I missed out on the first movie but I plan to rent that.
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Finished, Divergent.
*Spoiler Alert* Don't read my review unless you've already read the book. :)
I first read this book in 2013 and totally enjoyed it. This is my second time reading it and I still enjoyed it, but this time around a couple of things stood out more. There is a lot about bravery. Not that I didn't notice it before but it stood out as a different kind of bravery, like a sacrificial kind. Her mother tells her to be brave. So does her father and Four and so does Will with his quote. It's almost like they are telling her to sacrifice herself for others, not to be strong or keep fighting, but to give her life. She learns that her mother is Divergent and then her mother goes and sacrifices herself to the serum-operated Dauntless soldiers, to save Tris of course, but still, to the eyes of a teenager, that is a very strange message about being brave, and in a way, that part is sort of like a foreshadow of Tris's own demise down the road.
What really makes this book is the tension buildup. Each chapter leaves me wondering when Tris will break. It is done so well that when she finally breaks down, I do too.
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Finished, The Maze Runner, by James Dashner. Really enjoyed it. I may do a short review after I let it soak in.
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Reviewed The Maze Runner, here (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1287866724).
Also finished reading, The Scorch Trials. I ended up buying the e-book because I couldn't wait for my library's wait-list but I will be waiting for the 3rd book.
Here's the review:
I thought I'd be as intrigued by this book as I was by the first book (The Maze Runner) but it was a disappointment . The conversations kept getting interrupted with non-sense things, the love triangle was super cheesy and didn't feel wholesome or real, I couldn't figure out who Thomas should trust and it wasn't in a good way, but rather annoying. I wanted to get to the end so that I could finally understand why these teens were put to the test. It turns out really silly. I was also deeply annoyed by the over usage of words like, "crap, crappy, holy crap." Do people really think or speak with those words? The biggest reason why I couldn't read past chapter 2 in Fifty Shades of Grey was because every other word was "crap." Two different genres, but still, over usage of a word (esp. that word) ruins it for me.
What I did enjoy about the book was the steady pace. It was a little bit on the fast side but it was consistent. The fight scenes, the mysteriousness of the barg...piqued my curiosity about where the place that machine came from looks like, etc., I will be reading the 3rd book because I want to know where this leads and how it ends, but if I come across a lot of silliness, I'll probably just to skim.
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I didn't want it to come to this but...I'm reading Insurgent again.
Half of me wishes that the guy who played Thomas in The Maze Runner movie should have played Four in Divergent. He matches the character much better.
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BTW, I'm over 5,000 words on my fantasy story!!!!! OMG. Never thought I'd get that far. Too much fear but I'm happy that I've passed that threshold. :) :D
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Finished, A Little Princess, for the 4th time. Read it to my 8-year-old at bedtime. This is the only book she wants me to read to her. Nothing else compares.
Btw, just took a quiz on the book and got 100%!
A quote from one of my favorite parts:
“When people are insulting you, there is nothing so good for them as not to say a word -- just to look at them and think. When you will not fly into a passion people know you are stronger than they are, because you are strong enough to hold in your rage, and they are not, and they say stupid things they wished they hadn't said afterward. There's nothing so strong as rage, except what makes you hold it in -- that's stronger. It's a good thing not to answer your enemies.”
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This is a favorite part of mine in A Little Princess when Sara realized that she was the one that changed, not her friend, Ermengarde St. James.
“Yes," answered Sara, nodding. "Adversity tries people, and mine has tried you and proved how nice you are.”
:'(
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Currently reading (Insurgent's on the back burner for a week), Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse Book 1), by James S.A. Corey. It's such a long drawn out book. Not a bad book but not a great book either. I can't wait to finish and then be done with it. I will review it once I'm done.
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Disappointed in Leviathan Wakes. I mean, it was a good read but it somehow just didn't live up to my expectation of sci-fi. It reminded me so much of books #2-4 of Ender's Game. Was going to do a bigger review but I don't think it's worth it. The beginning was pretty intriguing but then it just became really strange and for some reason couldn't hold my attention.
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Reached my goal of reading 25 books this year. :hello2: I really should have set the bar a bit higher. :-[
This was the book that put me at my goal:
The Death Cure (Maze Runner Book #3), by James Dashner.
I enjoyed the action and the suspense. I also liked the follow through with the deterioration of one of their close friends. The story talks so much about how the Flare takes over a person, and most the time we get a glimpse of the beginning or the end (mostly the end), but with the friend, we can actually see it happening.
I didn't get a good feel for the world building. No where did I feel they were actually in Denver. There were no strong landmark(s) mentioned to give that affect. Mountains to the west just doesn't do it. Also, I found it difficult to truly appreciate and like the protagonist because there were so many other characters involved that the protagonist got pushed into the shadows. The pacing in this book was pretty fast. A lot was happening all the time. Yet, nothing truly worthwhile stood out.
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Finished, Insurgent, by Veronica Roth.
I read this book in 2013 and liked it but not as much as the first and third book. For some reason after reading it the second time, I like it so much more. I think before I really just wanted to know what would happen to Tris but this time, because I knew her story, I focused more on the other things going on.
I did find that there was too much going on with too many people and that made this book a little confusing. I'm surprised I didn't notice this the first time but I'm pretty sure I was so focused on Tris's story that everyone else was just a blur.
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Finished, The Water and the Wild, by K.E. Ormsbee. It was a fantasy kids book and it was just okay. A little confusing at first but got interesting. It's about a girl who is desperate to heal her best friend who somehow finds herself in a different world where she learns she's actually a type of fairy.
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Finished, Allegiant, by Veronica Roth. This was my second time reading it and I loved it more than the first. I knew the ending but it was still sad. I got to the sad part while at the pool waiting for my daughter while she was in swim lessons and I just started balling...LOL. Learned my lesson. It was embarrassing. Luckily I didn't wear any makeup otherwise I would have looked horrendous.
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Finished, Alice Adams, by Booth Tarkington. A great classic. I loved it.
A couple of quotes from the book:
“...I suppose about the only good in pretending is the fun we get out of fooling ourselves that we fool somebody.”
AND
“You see?" she said. "I've been leading you without you knowing it. Of course that's because you're new to the town, and you give yourself up to the guidance of an old citizen."
"I'm not so sure, Miss Adams. It might mean that I don't care where I follow so long as I follow you.”
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Okay, went ahead and did a review on Alice Adams. :)
**Spoiler***
Took some time to think over the story. I wasn't going to review it but after thinking it over I figured I should.
Basically the story is about wealth and status in America. Alice is a young adult who finds herself having to "pretend" so she could fit in with the wealthy, something she was once familiar with, but because her father never advanced, her family fell backwards while her friends and neighbors moved forward. None of her old friends liked her anymore because she (and her family) can't live up to their standards, yet she tries extra hard to fit in knowing deep down that it may never be.
In the early 1900's, meeting a good looking and wealthy man was part of the status. There was pressure to be the perfect girl. Alice kept her hopes up and when she meets Arthur Russell, she falls so deeply for him that she tries to warn him of the gossips about her and her family. He is very sweet and likes her a lot but she is so clouded by status and wealth that she can't see how much he really likes her.
In the end, she decides to take matters into her own hands and attend a trade college for women. This was something that was looked down upon but she did it anyway (there's more to it but that's as much as I'll say). I found her very brave for taking that step.
I love how the author wrote from Alice's POV. It's odd how he nailed her because as a young girl, I felt pressured too. Pressure to be perfect and to pretend so that I could meet the good looking and wealthy boys. I was brought up in a different culture but it's all the same: wealth and status. Alice was fortunate to have met Arthur Russell, someone who just wanted to be with her for no other reason than to be around her, but even then, she didn't fall for that. She held onto the belief that Arthur was still going to find out things about her that would change his mind about her. There is also another way to look at their relationship. I mean, Arthur did like her a lot but I believe he could have done a lot more to show that he wanted to be with her. Maybe that's what she sensed and she just couldn't wait around for him to make a bigger move...if at all.
In this day and age, we don't have that kind of pressure anymore. No one needs a man to provide and there is no status to having a man or not so the story might come across as out-dated. I love the story for the fact that it once was true and that I can relate to some of it. Of course, I loved how well the story was written too.
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Finished an erotica romance titled, Priest: A Love Story by Sierra Simone. Here's my review:
I was intrigued by the synopsis and the title. Unfortunately, it wasn't at all anything close to what I thought. The storyline was lame and boring. I knew exactly what was going to happen. "It" was repetitive. The priest was ordinary. There was nothing about him that felt priest-ish. His mind was always in the gutter and he became possessive, envious, and jealous, which was freaky and disgusting. I would run far from him even if he was the most handsome man in the world.
This is not the first erotica book I've read so I do know that they can be written much better. This one was like 50 Shades (I never finished 50 Shades because of the over use of "crap") but with slightly better language. Although, I found it unreal that the priest cussed way too much. I found myself thinking, "C'mon dude, just let her go. She's really a slut. How can you possibly want to marry a slut?"
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Finished The Kill Order by James Dashner. It's the prequel to The Maze Runner.
Wasn't very good. Too much action...unnec essary action. No substance. Doesn't even explain the reason behind all the craziness with the flare and the people behind it. Barely touched on it. :(
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Finished the following books:
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Condo
Flying the Storm by C.S. Arnot
Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) by Hugh Howey
Vows by LaVyrle Spencer (this was a re-read. First read was in high school).
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Here are my scheduled books to read. I'm wait listed so whenever they become available is when I'll get to them. These are not in any particular order:
Relic by Preston Douglas - I actually had a chance to read this earlier in the year but the book with a bunch of others became available all at once so I had to decide which ones to read first. I just had to let this one go but now I have the time for it.
The Prince Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins - have been waiting for this one to become available at my library. It finally did so I'll be reading this one, I believe, first.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - This one was like Relic's situation.
The Obsidian Mirror by K.D. Keenan - I don't read too many books on Native American in fantasy so this sounds intriguing. Learned about this book on a FB fantasy writers group. I will probably have to buy it (on Kindle) because it's not at my library.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - This book was one I was looking to read for awhile but just didn't want to be on hold. Guess I don't have a choice if I want to read it.
A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley
The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley
BTW...my Kindle that I got from husband about 3 years ago, died. Yep. Will not turn on. The green light comes on (stating it's charged) when I turn it on but no screen. Luckily, my husband has a Kindle too so I'm using his. Lets hope his lasts longer. I really miss my Kindle though. It was a touch screen. Husband's isn't. I still find myself touching the screen to go to the next page only to realize it doesn't work that way. Very heartbroken. :'(
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The Prince Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins
I only read to chapter 7 and won't be reading any further. Horrible. Horrible book. This is pretty much how the story began...
The main character meets the prince out in the woods. He asks for her name but she refuses to give it to him. He gives his name in hopes that she will give hers in return but she still doesn't. He isn't so perfect either. He doesn't tell her he's a prince. He is living in the house (castle) of a well known man who is going to throw a ball. So the main character goes home and she has 2 step sisters who heard rumors about the ball and of this prince and how they would love to kiss him if he was handsome. The main characters doesn't tell them that she had already met him and that they kissed. She played nonchalant on the outside but inside she is overwhelmingly in love with him.
Anyway, I stopped after the mom comes down the stairs swinging her arms in the air holding an envelope that is the invitation to the ball. So as she's coming toward the girls, she's all excited, "Girls! I've got great news in this envelope! I can't wait to share it with all of you!!!! You will be be soooooooooo excited!!!!" Not word for word of course, but pretty close. One daughter starts jumping up and down excited just like her mom but her mom shoots her down by saying, "Calm down daughter. You must be lady like and sit quietly." I was like...WTF? You just got her all excited and now you expect her to sit calmly? The daughter does it though with her hands on her lap and all and quiet as a mouse. Then the mom looks over to the step daughter (the main character...th e one who met the prince but he didn't tell her he was the prince and in which they kissed after only having met for like 5 minutes), and says, "OH...your dress is so ugly. Look at that stain." The MC says, "It's all I have." The mom says, "You need to go change right now. I can't have you wearing that in front of me." The MC says, "Okay. Let me go change..." I'm like...WHAT? Mom, you just came down the stairs swinging the envelope in your hands in the air like a crazy lunatic all excited like you were about to explode and now you'd rather pay attention to your step daughters ugly dress? NOT REAL. And very stupid.
Sometimes I wonder how these books get so popular but then I realize the average reader is not a college graduate or English major or anything near that. :-[
I'm not having good morning if you ask.
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Oh...btw, in the book above, the MC is 24 years old. She acts like my 13 year old daughter.
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Have you seen some of the movies that were made from books? I find that they're normally disappointing and not as I imagined.
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Most movies made from books are never that great. The only book to movie that I found was great was Ender's Game. I am planning on watching Sense and Sensibility (with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet) again so we'll see how that goes. It's been a very long time and I pretty much just saw the last 30 minutes of it. The book was just okay so this will be interesting.
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I agree that most movies aren't as good as the book. If you thought the book "Sense and Sensibility" was ok, hopefully you won't be disappointed in the movie. I wasn't too impressed with it.
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We'll see. When I saw the 30 mins piece, I loved it but I was also much younger then too. The author's writing is always great just like her other stories. The beginning was very interesting but the rest was bland. It became a very boring book.
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Funny. There are so many authors and writers out there but I can't seem to find a good book. :dontknow:
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Do you like young adult books? I just finished one called Scorpio Races. Couldn't stop thinking about it for days.
What is it about?
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I'll give it a shot. Thanks.
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Finished The Scorpio Race by Maggie Stiefvater. Here's my review on goodreads:
It was okay. Why they'd race mysterious horses that come from the ocean to eat them is beyond me. World building wasn't done very well. Couldn't tell if they were in the past (found out they weren't when cars were mentioned later on), present, or future. Couldn't tell what island they were on because it was never mentioned. If Thisby is a made up island, it would be nice to know the history behind it, like how it became an island, and distance wise from it to the mainland. Character development was a mess. The double first person thing didn't work. Puck and Sean's first person were exactly the same. I had to make sure I read the chapter title to know who's POV I was reading from. There was very little substance in the characters so it was hard to feel for them.
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I started to read a post apocalyptic book about a surrogate young mother written in first person but I just couldn't get past the vernacular.
The Maze Runner had funny vernacular too (which I did find a bit annoying) but the author was able to write it in a way that was bearable. Although, I still find it unbelievable that just after 2 years in the maze, the boys lost proper English.
Anyway, I also want to make it clear that when I read, I'm doing it for the enjoyment, and not to dislike an author or someone's recommendation . If a books is truly of good taste, I will state it. I'm not here to pick and choose, although, I do realize that I do have a personal preference with writing style/voice, etc., but I'm not really picky.
I just started reading a book from Stephen King, and I kid you not, it's very well written and entertaining and it's such a relief to find a good book like this. I'll post more on it once I finish.
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Finished, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King.
Enjoyed it. It was a well needed book after reading so many not-so-great books. It wasn't a fiction and I'm still staying away from non-fiction but I was curious about what King had to say about writing so I gave in. I found the book to be interesting and educational. The first half of the book he talks about how he grew up and how he got into writing. I totally feel for him because I struggled similarly. I cried too when his wife cried when they finally learned they'd make enough money from his writing to not worry about food or where to live or how to pay for a doctor's visit. I love the humor. Especially during this conversation when he got his first big break from I believe his novel, Carrie: (not word for word)
"Did you say forty thousand?" King said to his agent.
"Four-hundred thousand."
"Can you repeat it?" King asked.
"Yes, four-hundred thousand dollars. A four then five zeroes after it; then a dot, then two zeroes after that."
LOL!
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Have you read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel? It's a graphic memoir, not unlike Persepolis, but very unlike Persepolis. I just recently finished it. Would like to hear your take.
Thanks for the recommend. I'll keep this in mind when I do read memoirs again. Currently I am still obsessed with the fantasy and sci-fi genres. And, to break that down even further, I'm digging apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic more than anything else. It is totally a phase right now, for I'm pretty sure one day, I will be sick of it.
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Finished, Splendour Falls, by Susanna Kearsley. My good reads review: It was too slow moving and there were too many people involved that I couldn't connect with any of them. I couldn't get myself to accept that people died just for some ancient diamonds. I liked the historical stuff but wish there was more written on it.
Currently reading, City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare. I've read another book by this author and didn't like it very much but this seems to be written a little better. I'm only a few pages in so we'll see how it turns out. I'm really hoping this one is much better. Daughter recommended.
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City of Bones was okay. I liked the idea but I'm not big into vampires and werewolves. I already knew this book was about vampires and werewolves because daughter talked a lot of about the book and the movie. I've also seen the movie. Saw it before I read the book. I thought the movie was much better than the book. In the book the teens were very snotty and they jumped every time someone walks into the room or calls their name and they're not aware. At one point, the author wrote (not word for word), Clary leaped to her feet and was so jittery she couldn't sit down anymore. This was after she learned who her father was, a father she never even knew. Also, the dialogues were annoying. They were pointless. I did enjoy the fight scene near the end.
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Finished, The Stand, by Stephen King. What can I say. It was pretty awesome. Nick Andros is my guy.
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Finished, A Desperate Fortune, by Susanna Kearsley. Here's my review:
Really enjoyed this book. The modern story (in first person) was okay. The historical story was what I fell in love with. After reading the book through once, I went back and re-read just the historical story. I wanted the full story without the interruption of the modern story.
I liked how the author was able to show us two different relationships in two different times pointing out what was important then and now. That was well done.
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Finished, The Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey.
It was okay. Lot of examples from people who got out of debt. Didn't help me much because I've heard of everything already. Just wanted to know if there was anything I missed. A lot of these people in debt spent way too much, even Ramsey himself. I have never spent much in my life. I've had some bad luck with finances but pulled out of it. I wish he would talk more about just debts in difficult situations, not debts because of over spending.
I did take down the worksheets he included in his book so maybe I might work on that when I have time and see where I stand on his worksheets. I already have my own budget worksheets and husband and I already have a plan to tackle our debts, which are just student loans (that's all we have as far as debt goes besides our houses). As for an emergency fund, we have one and we're continuing to put money into it. We also have 401K's, stocks, and kids savings accts. I do need to work on the will though.
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Finished, The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
It was intense and dark. Very dark. The writing was a bit unusual. The author does not use proper punctuation so it might seem annoying. It didn't bother me much except for when he wrote can't without the apostrophe. The ending left me in tears but relieved. Amazing story and written in a way that put me on the edge of my seat.
It's about a man and his son and their trek through a post-apocalyptic land. They learn who they can and can't trust while struggling to survive.
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A few days ago I tried reading, "Hush Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick. It's a YA paranormal fantasy. I got the book for $.50 at Goodwill. I could barely finish the 2nd chapter and tried to start on the 3rd chapter but couldn't go any further. I wanted to like it so bad. I mean, I don't know about other readers but I truly try to get into the book before I give up. The prologue was interesting. It was dark and mysterious. I have a thing for dark winged angels and so that part hooked me. But, then when the actual story started, it was horrible. The main character couldn't decide if she liked the new guy. She hates him but she has to spend time with him. Yet, she wants him. That just does not make sense. When they are together they are always attacking each other. They're never in a good calm conversation.
Anyway... ::)
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Last night, I finished, Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
Great story. Really enjoyed it. Bought this book at Goodwill for $.50 too. Hoping to watch the movie soon.
This was a fiction taken from true facts so it really touched me. The author's note (her research) mentioned that one of the elephants she took information from named, Topsy, was electrocuted with 66 hundred volts sent through her killing her in 10 seconds. This was when Thomas Edison, who believed direct current (DC) was the future, was going through some serious competition with Tesla and his alternating current (AC) theory and was trying to prove a point. I had to put the book down and allow myself to cry for this poor innocent elephant. I woke up with red swollen eyes and now just the thought of it still gives me tears. This is why I cannot read non-fiction.
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City of Bones was okay. I liked the idea but I'm not big into vampires and werewolves. I already knew this book was about vampires and werewolves because daughter talked a lot of about the book and the movie. I've also seen the movie. Saw it before I read the book. I thought the movie was much better than the book. In the book the teens were very snotty and they jumped every time someone walks into the room or calls their name and they're not aware. At one point, the author wrote (not word for word), Clary leaped to her feet and was so jittery she couldn't sit down anymore. This was after she learned who her father was, a father she never even knew. Also, the dialogues were annoying. They were pointless. I did enjoy the fight scene near the end.
Some reviews for this stated that it's similar to her Draco Trilogy. Would you say this to be true if you've read those?
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Some reviews for this stated that it's similar to her Draco Trilogy. Would you say this to be true if you've read those?
I've not read those but based on goodreads reviews, they are fanfiction based on Harry Potter. I have read her other trilogy, The Infernal Devices. I read the first book, Clockworks, and it wasn't my taste. Author spends about 5 pages each on silly conversations about nothing really. I think she does that just to add fillers. Her world building and early-on character development aren't bad but then the characters all become (I don't want to use this word but...) stupid. And of course, as mentioned, the conversation fillers are horrible. Reading them is like trying to eat slimy okra.
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Yes, I did read that as well. Some reviews say that if you've read the DT, then you've read "City of Bones." I saw the movie and wasn't too impressed. It was slow for me, personally, and the characters didn't have depth.
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Yes, I did read that as well. Some reviews say that if you've read the DT, then you've read "City of Bones." I saw the movie and wasn't too impressed. It was slow for me, personally, and the characters didn't have depth.
Well, I don't care too much for City of Bones so I won't be reading DT. If the movie wasn't so great for you, then City of Bones book will be even worse. The movie wasn't that great but it was better than the book, if I were to compare the two.
If you haven't already I'd recommend, The Bone Season, by Samantha Shannon. No werewolves or vampires but it is paranormal . It's an adult novel but no real strong sexual content, just some cuss words. I allowed my daughter to read it and she totally loved it. Most the world building happens in the beginning to create the atmosphere for what's to come. Some might say it's a bit slow at first but I actually enjoyed it. Her second book of the series, The Mime Order, was not that great though.
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Were Clary and Jace really siblings or was it a trick fabricated by Clary's father?
Thanks for the recommendation . I don't read much paranormal (fictional?) books, I'm more of a self-help and business type of book person.
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Finished Relic by Douglas Preston. It was okay. The idea was cool but the characters weren't so smart and were unwilling to work together. It just doesn't make sense that all these scientists and police/FBI people are not willing to work together. But, not only that, they were bickering and just rude and mean.
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Were Clary and Jace really siblings or was it a trick fabricated by Clary's father?
Thanks for the recommendation . I don't read much paranormal (fictional?) books, I'm more of a self-help and business type of book person.
I'm not sure. I think they were though. As mentioned, I just was not that into it.
No prob. I'm not a big paranormal reader either. I am a post-apocalyptic sci-fi-er. It's good you are reading business. No more business books for me because I read a ton in college and out of college when I was learning to create my own business (I do follow business articles on FB though but I can only take it in small doses at this time). Self help books were really big in the late 90's and early 2k's and I got a giant dose that will last me a lifetime. Went to see the grandfather of self-help: Dr. Wayne Dyer some time ago. Loved everything about him. He died this year and I'm so grateful to have met him in Teton Valley in Wyoming at a talk.
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IF they were, that would have been gross since they were attracted to each other.
Interesting. Dr. Wayne Dyer, huh? I've heard of a couple of books that he wrote but haven't read them. What was it about him that you loved or appreciated?
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Yeah, I can see how it can be gross but it just doesn't matter to me because I really didn't enjoy anything about the book.
Dr. Dyer is a knowledgeable and extremely inspirational person. I'd recommend everyone to watch and read his stuff. I don't think it's even possible to pick what I love and appreciate. It's everything. Franklin Covey is also up there with him along with Zig and Tony Robbins.
But honestly, the self help stuff was needed when I was going through my darkest times. They made me feel human and normal. So not everyone will need it. If Dr. Dyer was big right now, I probably would not be into it because right now my life is stable and perfect. And perfect, I don't mean better than anyone else's. My life has turned out just the way I wanted it and that's perfect in my eyes. It wasn't an easy road...in fact it felt more like having gone straight through a tornado in which you never knew when it'll ever end. Still, even though things are bright nowadays, there are bad days and good days and horrible days and extremely exciting superbly happy days but it's life and it's good. I'm always thankful for freedom and for the struggles my parents went through from Laos to the Thailand refugee camps to the U.S. and that greater power I call God whom guided my parents and my two sisters and I (now there are more of us) safely to the camp and the wonderful family who sponsored us to the U.S. And, I'm grateful for a wonderful loving, over loving husband who's worked so hard to provide for me and our two daughters. And of course, I couldn't be more happier and grateful for my two girls who love me more than the universe itself.
But having said all that, my heart is still in the sci-fi world when it comes to reading. I love the feel of shining metal, matted metal, outer space, stars, starships, outer space suits and gears. I can't resist the destruction of a world (not alway earth but a made up world works perfect) where everything is displaced and people have to start over, or if they have started over, what they do with their lives and how they live in their new world. And, most of all, I love great description and character development of protagonists and antagonists that really bring the stories to life.
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Finished the following books:
MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Anthony Robbins
The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell
Matched (#1) by Ally Condie
My reviews are on goodreads.com.
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Also finished, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.
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Happy 2016!
I'm going to start a new thread with new books I'll be reading, but in the meantime, I did finish two more books in 2015.
They are children/YA books I read to my 8-year-old at bedtime:
At First Bite by Ruth Ames
Dawn of the Dead by Catherine Hapka
My goal was to read 25 books. I ended up reading 51 books.