Whoops... I think I forgot some

I realized that I've not been as dedicated to my blog as I was supposed to. I've read so many books, meanwhile, that I can't list them all. Some great picks were:

Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs - Not for the innocent, but rather interesting. It's the story of one boy's life growing up with a rather strange psychologist as a pseudo-dad.

Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country by Rosalind Miles - I liked this book, in spite of the fact that I've dis-liked Guenevere ever since I read The Mists of Avalon. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm still no fan of Guenevere and I think that making her a pagan while Morgan le Fay becomes a nun who practiced black magic while in the convent is a little far-fetched. Actually, her whole depiction of Morgan was disturbing - a sex-crazed woman who seduces all of the men with her "mind control" abilities. However, I did plow through the whole book, through thigh-friendships thick and thin, which implies that the story line was interesting enough to hold my attention (if only to see how crazy it got).

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - I've decided to pick up some classics in my "old age"(HA!). For some reason, Jane Austen seemed a good place to start, if only because I'm addicted to the A&E production of Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth). I have already read Pride and wanted to move on to another of Austen's novels. Sense seemed like a good choice to me. I enjoyed the book, although the writing style slowed me down a considerable amount. I'm always annoyed at the snobby characters (Fanny, for instance) and their ability to influence those who are weak-minded and rich (John). Silly Marianne has no sense of manners, which makes it easier for men like Willoughby to become attracted to her and consequently, leaves her quite a mess when she realizes that Willoughby can not reciprocate the love she has for him. Elinor, on the other hand, is so intent on doing the right thing that she often harms herself. While keeping little Lucy's secret was the right thing to do, it put an unnecessary hardship upon Elinor that could have been alleviated by telling someone like her sister. Telling Mrs. Jennings, on the other hand, would have been a blunder, as gossip, I think, is her middle name. All in all, I enjoyed the book. I like that when you read Austen's novels, you feel the attachment between the characters without any gratuitous sex scenes.

I find it helpful before reading Austen to check out SparkNotes to get the skinny on the novel and its characters.

15 October

Well, I managed to bang out two Gregor the Overlander books this past weekend, and I have to admit that I'm getting attached to Gregor.

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane is book two in the series and follows Gregor as he tries to unravel Sandwich's prophecy called the Prophecy of Bane. Supposedly, Gregor is supposed to find a giant white rat in a labyrinth in the gnawers side of town. Seems simple enough. We meet some new characters (Twitchtip) and hang out with favorites like Luxa and Ares and the quest this time isn't as simple as before. Oh yes, and Gregor learns a secret about himself. People actually get lost and killed and when the story ends you aren't sure what has happened to everyone. SWEET! That makes me want to read the next book for sure... which I did.

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, book three in the series, is equally great. For starters, we get to know Gregor's mom a little bit better and Gregor gets to go on a new quest with Boots, his sister as he searches for the cure to a plague that has hit the Underlanders (thanks to Sandwich). We meet some new characters as they travel towards the cure and develop more storyline concerning Luxa's family. Speaking of Luxa, we find out what happened to her after the last book. A twist at the end will have them "turn and turn and turn again" in order to find the cure and cause of the plague - very interesting! I love how the ending is not washed over - Gregor's mom has the plague and they simply can't allow her to spread it in the Overland, so she will have to stay. That raises the question, if Gregor's mom is the only one earning money and she's below... how will the family survive? I'm ready for book four.

9 October

Well, I finished Gregor the Overlander last night. I don't hate the book or anything, but I do think there is something a little odd going on. It takes almost three-fourths of the book for Gregor to get himself organized and on the road with his troupe but it only takes him two chapters to rescue his dad and return to Regalia. What's up with that? The build-up is great.. just the ending lacks something. Drama maybe? Suspense? Action? He just walks down some creepy tunnels and suddenly he's reached his dad. No big battle or anything like that. It just sits funny.

On the flipside, I tried to get my six-year-old niece to let me read her Beyond Einstien by Michio Kaku. She humored me, but for some reason she wasn't into the unified field theory at all. I think I read a page.

27 September

I just finished Enna Burning, and I have to say that I think I like it better than The Goose Girl. Or perhaps as much as. I love Enna and the journey she goes through to control her power of fire. I love that Enna set limits for herself that were constantly challenged by her environment and extenuating circumstances. By the second section I was so absorbed into what was happening to Enna, I hated to put the book down. I had to know what happened. How was she going to get away from the crazy guy (Sileph) and what about Finn? How was she going to control the fire and not end up like Leifer? I especially love the bond between Enna and Isi; two best friends who will do anything to protect one another. It doesn't get much better than that.

Again, I already knew what was going to happen, pretty much, but I still enjoyed the proverbial ride.

23 September

I finally finished The Goose Girl and I'm ready to start in on Enna Burning. I loved the character of Ani/Isi who, from the start, is not a "typical" princess. While she can and does suffer hardship because of her gift, she doesn't let this undermine who she becomes. In fact, she uses it to her advantage. The skills and knowledge she learns from her Aunt go dormant while she undergoes her proper Princess training but then resurface when she most needs them. This allows her to face adversity bravely and to not only overcome hardships but to make the world a better place for those less fortunate. I'm excited to see what new adventures lie in the land of Bayern.

It was a little distracting to have read River Secrets before hand, so I don't suggest that you read them out of order. While it doesn't detract from the story itself, it does give away the ending!!!

18 September 2006

I finally got my copies of The Goose Girl and Enna Burning from Amazon. I've started The Goose Girl and I loaned my copy of Enna Burning to a my pseudo-niece. I've enjoyed the book thus far; I just haven't had time to really sit down and read it all. I'm sure it won't take me too long as it isn't a hard read at all. Because I've already read River Secrets I already know the overall outcome, its more the getting there that I'm enjoying.

I'm also trying to re-read Gregor the Overlander. I've read it before, but I see there are a few sequels that I want to read and I don't remember the first book. I do remember that I liked it, so I'm sure that it won't take me too long to re-read it. I've been meaning to re-read Inkheart so I can read Inkspell, but alas, I have too many other books to read. I'll have to put that off until a bit later.

If that wasn't enough, I'm reading a book about Blogs and one about HTML. I think that's why I don't finish books too quickly.

Initial Post - 13 Sept 06

This is my attempt at blogging. I decided to blog about books because books are one of my passions. I am constantly reading books - mostly Children's books - because my job, as a Librarian, depends on me knowing what's in with kids. It is much easier to book talk or "sell" a book you have read than a book you haven't read.

Right now, the Goose Girl and Enna Burning by Shannon Hale are very popular. I haven't read either, but I did order them from Amazon. I also found a copy of the new book, River Secrets, which I did read. Princess Academy was on our state list, so I've read that book as well.

This initial post is partially a test, so I won't linger....

Sarah :)