Book Review: Conversion

Posted in Books by

Conversion CoverBook: Conversion by Katherine Howe

Published July 2014 by Putnam Juvenile|402 pages

Where I Got It/Format: a print copy from Barnes & Noble

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary Thriller with a splash of historical fiction

You can find Conversion on goodreads & Katherine Howe on Twitter, Facebook & her website

Goodreads Summary: 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane comes a chilling mystery—Prepmeets The Crucible. 

It’s senior year at St. Joan’s Academy, and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys’ texts: Through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can’t.

First it’s the school’s queen bee, Clara Rutherford, who suddenly falls into uncontrollable tics in the middle of class. Her mystery illness quickly spreads to her closest clique of friends, then more students and symptoms follow: seizures, hair loss, violent coughing fits. St. Joan’s buzzes with rumor; rumor blossoms into full-blown panic.

Soon the media descends on Danvers, Massachusetts, as everyone scrambles to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? Only Colleen—who’s been reading The Crucible for extra credit—comes to realize what nobody else has: Danvers was once Salem Village, where another group of girls suffered from a similarly bizarre epidemic three centuries ago…

Inspired by true events—from seventeenth-century colonial life to the halls of a modern-day high school—Conversion casts a spell. With her signature wit and passion, New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe delivers an exciting and suspenseful novel, a chilling mystery that raises the question, what’s really happening to the girls at St. Joan’s?

What I Thought:

I really liked Conversion!  What’s really interesting about Conversion is that it’s inspired by a real-life event- one that seems vaguely familiar.

I really liked the progression of what caused the Mystery Illness- from a reaction to the HPV vaccine, to weird symptoms that pop up after having strep throat to possibly Tourette’s to environmental concerns before the actually diagnosed conversion disorder.  I liked how everything came together, but there were times I got really frustrated at the characters and some of the events!

I’m actually really curious as to how the school nurse became the spokesperson for St. Joan’s.  That’s really how it came across, and while I understand her role in things, given she’s a nurse and there’s this mysterious illness, it also got to the point where it seemed really odd.  Weren’t there other school officials who could make statements?  Then again…she also seemed to be approached to write a book about what was going on, and as the book went on, someone would come out as the one writing a tell-all book about the odd goings on at this school.

The characters and some of the events are definitely are predictable- from the school nurse to the concerned parent making appearances on local news stations threatening to take action if the school doesn’t figure it out to the parent to the upper school dean getting fired.  Actually, the dean getting fired made me angry!  I get someone had to get fired in the wake of things taking months to get figured out, and someone had to be blamed, but it’s horrible that someone had to get fired.

There was one point in the book (where the environmental factors were brought up), where I seriously stopped reading, looked at the book, and wondered this: “Seriously?  Where are we, Night Vale?”  Some of the parents reported a glow coming from the athletic fields…and I know it’s ripped from the headlines and all, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the glow cloud has a distant relative in Danvers.

I’m not trying to make light of what these students went through, and I get how concerned the parents are.  I know it’s frustrating that they didn’t get the answers they wanted in the way they wanted.  It just brings up so many questions and thoughts for me.  At what point do we stop blaming the school, and at what point do we start going to the Department of Public Health for help on figuring this out?  Why is the school nurse the one who’s appearing on t.v., and why didn’t the school seem to be the ones bringing in experts?

More importantly: what about the pressure we put on ourselves, to the point that we exhibit physical symptoms?  It makes me sad that these girls are under so much pressure and stress themselves out to the point that they lose their hair and have verbal tics and can’t walk and swallow pins but can’t remember swallowing them in the first place.

As far as the Salem Village interludes, I wasn’t sure about it at first.  It’s one of those things that become really clear by the end of the book, and I liked the parallel because two events- one several hundred years in the past, and one that happened recently. It’s strange how looking back, it seems crazy and that in the 1690’s, it really was seen as witchcraft/the devil’s work.  And how several hundred years later, mystery symptoms start appearing, and parents are sure that something is physically wrong with their daughters.  To a certain extent, it was, but in the book, the physical symptoms were a manifestation of stress.  I thought she did great at showing how time and technology can change things.

Let’s Rate It:

I have so many more thoughts about Conversion, but this review is a lot longer than I ever expected it to be! My thoughts are still sort of scattered and all over the place, but I really liked Conversion.  There were times when I expected more connections between Salem and Danvers, and there were a couple things that I wish were explored more that felt a little glossed over, but overall, it’s a really interesting read.  Conversion gets 4 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I’m Not Sure I Want To Read

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Books I’m Not Sure I Want To Read

Today is all about books we’re not sure we want to read!  Sometimes, you want to read something, but you’re not quite sure about it for a number of reasons.  Hopefully, I’m not the only one who’s unsure about some of the books on our TBR-pile!

  1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is one of the first books that came to mind.  So many people love it that I’m really scared to read it for fear I’ll be the weirdo who doesn’t like it.  (Especially since that’s what happened with The Book Thief).
  2. 50 Shades Of Gray is the other book I immediately thought of.  I mean, I want to know what everyone’s talking about, and I also want to form my own opinion about it, and I can’t properly do that if I haven’t given it a try.  But I also have a pretty good idea of public opinion about it, and I don’t want people to think less of me just because it’s something I may or may not read one day.  (I also need to worry less about what people think of my reading choices, but that’s a completely different post).
  3. Pretty much any Cassandra Clare series that’s not The Mortal Instruments series.  I’m enjoying that series, but I’m hesitant to read what seems like an overwhelming number of books set in that world.  I don’t know that I enjoy it enough to give her other books a try (although I’ll probably read the Infernal Devices series since I actually own them), and part of me is already kind of sick of this particular world.
  4. The Lying Game series by Sara Shepard.  Mostly because I’m concerned that it’ll drag on for too long (which is how I felt about Pretty Little Liars) but part of me is intrigued enough to at least read the first on.
  5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.  Partly because I bought it ages ago, and now I’m not sure if I’m intrigued enough to actually read it, but enough people seem to like it that I’m worried it won’t live up to the hype.
  6. Working Stiff by Rachel Caine.  I love her other series, and I’m worried that this will be the one series of her I hate.
  7. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson.  What if I don’t love it the way I love her other books?
  8. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  Actually, I’ve already read it (back in high school), but I’m scared to re-read it! Mostly because re-reading books I read as a kid kind of scares me.
  9. Eleanor And Park by Rainbow Rowell.  I almost forgot to include this one, but I’m also not sure about it!  My biggest reason for not being sure is the hype, and how much people seem to love it (which seems one of the themes for today). And it’s something that makes me really nervous, because then I get disappointed when it doesn’t meet the really high expectations for it.
  10. Just One Day by Gayle Forman.  Like several other books I’ve already talked about, the hype surrounding it makes me unsure about reading.  And I loved If I Stay/Where She Went, and I’m worried I won’t love it like I loved those books (also like some of the other books I’ve talked about).

Gilmore Girls 3×17: A Tale Of Poes And Fire

Posted in Season Three, The Gilmore Girls Project by

A Tale Of Poes And Fire originally aired April 15, 2003.  This episode was written by Daniel Palladino and directed by Chris Long.

Gilmore Girls Season 3 Graphic

This episode starts off with Rory and Lorelei working on a pro-con list in Luke’s Diner- the pro-con list that will determine which college Rory should go to.  Luke is confused is to why they’re working on a pro-con list when everyone knows it’s going to be Harvard.  Kirk is also selling t-shirts that have a topical headline of stuff he’s seen around town.

The Poe Society is in town, and Jess gets Employee Of The Month At Wal-Mart.  Luke is confused about how Jess is working a 40 hour shift, and after talking with Lorelei, Luke isn’t sure if Jess is going to school- between the diner, Rory and school, how is he picking up so many extra hours?

The Poe Society is having an event at Miss Patty’s studio and there’s a weird vibe in the room.  Lindsay (Dean’s girlfriend) gives Rory weird looks, and Nicole (Luke’s girlfriend) gives Lorelei weird looks.  Lorelei tells Rory that Yale has a good drama department, so that’s a pro for Yale.  Lorelei needs a pen, and ends up borrowing one from Nicole.  Lorelei thinks Lindsay needs to mellow, and Rory points out that Nicole definitely has Lindsay’s attitude.  Miss Patty wants to know why they’re wasting their time on the pro-con lists when everyone knows it’s going to be Harvard. Lorelei says that if it’s Harvard, the lists will reflect that.

Then, Lorelei gets a call in the middle of the night that the Inn caught fire, and she and Rory rush over there.  No one was harmed, but Lorelei promises to make arrangements, and she, Sookie and Michel get things going.  Sookie is cooking for guests at Luke’s, and Michel set up emergency headquarters at Miss Patty’s. The nearby inns are all booked, so some of the townspeople offer up their houses for guests to stay at if they can’t get home.

At Chilton, Rory asks Madeleine and Louise if they’ve heard from Paris, since Paris has missed a few days of school after the meltdown speech.  They didn’t even know Paris was absent, so Rory goes to see Paris, to drop off her assignments.  Paris is in bed, watching soap operas, and knows Rory got into Harvard.  She hasn’t talked to her parents or to Jamie, and knows where she went wrong in her interview.  Being Paris, she recorded the interview, and even plays a clip for Rory.  Rory, by the way, hates that Paris is torturing herself, and starts telling Paris what to do.  Paris says there’s no alternative to Harvard.

Rory and Lorelei are getting Rory’s room for their house guests, and are talking about Rory’s big decision.  Lorelei believes the pro-con lists have changed, and that Yale is where Rory should go.  Rory isn’t done collecting data, and her wall very much says Harvard.  She also knows Lorelei was resistant to Yale, and doesn’t want Lorelei to hate the school she’s going to.  If it’s right for Rory, it’s right for Lorelei.

Some new guests show up at Lorelei’s, so she goes to stay at Luke’s.  We learn that Nicole is sensitive where Lorelei is concerned, because of Luke’s first date with her, where he kept talking about Lorelei.

The next day, Lorelei gets a call, saying that she can get into the inn.  She and Sookie meet Michel and the fire chief at the inn. They go inside to find the inn pretty destroyed.  While you see Michel, Lorelei and Sookie at the inn, Rory is in her room, looking at her Yale wall.

What I Thought:

We finally get Rory’s college decision!  This is easily the most interesting thing in the episode.  I know Harvard is something they’ve wanted a long time, and in particular, Lorelei really seemed to want it.  As a fan of the show, I knew Rory would go to Yale, but this time around, it seemed really obvious that once Yale came up, Rory would be going there.

I thought everyone’s reaction to the pro-con lists to be annoying.  Yes, Rory has talked about Harvard her whole life, but deciding which college to go to is a really big decision!  I actually thought the pro-con lists were an interesting way to think about the good and bad things about each school.  And honestly?  Just because Rory has talked about one school her whole life doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right school for her.  People change, and things change, and sometimes, a school that Rory has talked about her whole life isn’t going to be the right school for her.

As for the inn, which is the other big thing going on…it hit me a lot more this time around.  Especially in contrast to Rory’s decision…and it really got me emotionally.  The scene at the very end, where you know Rory’s going to Yale, and where Lorelei is in the middle of the lobby…I have no idea how to explain how it made me feel.  I definitely felt like Rory’s story had a new beginning, while things at the Inn are up in the air.

I also wanted to touch on the Lindsay/Nicole stuff for a second.  I get why Nicole is sensitive where Lorelei is concerned, because it is a very Luke thing to talk about another woman (especially one who is not a relative) on a date with someone. And I did get this vibe that maybe Lindsay and Nicole (okay, definitely Nicole) feel threatened by Rory and Lorelei.  I know Rory’s moved on with Jess, but…she was with Dean for a long time, so maybe there’s something going on there that we don’t see.

Favorite Line:

Courtesy of Michel: “I’m looking for my cyanide capsule, have you seen it?”

Pop Culture:

Edgar Allen Poe, Trekkies, Gumby

Let’s Rate It:

Overall, I liked this episode.  It definitely resolved the college decision, while starting an issue with the inn, leaving it’s future up in the air.  I didn’t love it, but it’s what I’ve come to expect for pretty much any Gilmore Girls episode.  This episode gets 3 mugs of coffee.

Book Review: What I Thought Was True

Posted in Books by

What I Thought Was True CoverBook: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Published April 2014 by Dial Books|410 pages

Where I Got It: It’s the hardcover from Barnes And Noble!

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find What I Thought Was True on goodreads & Huntley Fitzpatrick on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

From the author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.

Gwen Castle’s Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He’s a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island’s summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she’ll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen’s dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

A magnetic, push-me-pull-me romance with depth, this is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Deb Caletti.

What I Thought:

After loving My Life Next Door, I was really looking foward to What I Thought Was True.  I was expecting to love it, but sadly, I’m wavering being it being okay, and liking it.

Fitzpatrick does sleepy, coastal beach town really well.  She also does the class divides really well.  She does a great job at writing a novel set during the summer, by the beach.  My Life Next Door had these things, and What I Thought Was True (WITWT) had these elements.  I think it might be her thing, and she does it well.

But I thought the story was slightly confusing.  Everything between Cass and Gwen still makes no sense to me.  You know something happened between them, and she keeps thinking about the summer when they were 8.  All you get is snippets scattered throughout the book, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what on earth happened between them for her to initially have a lot of issues with him spending the summer in Seashell.  I honestly felt like I was missing something, because she kept referring to past mistakes that you saw in bits and pieces.  And so I felt really disconnected from the story, because I had no idea what she was referring to most of the time.

You do get little flashbacks, but they felt really random and out of the blue, because there was no way to differentiate the flashbacks from what was presently going on.

To further add to the confusion, I could never figure out what was going on with her family.  It seemed like her parents were married, but living in different houses.  She lives with her grandpa, her cousin, her younger brother and her mom, but I could never figure out what was going on with her parents- her dad has a house, and it’s clear they have financial issues, and have to pool their resources for when it’s not tourist season.  But it’s never clearly explained what’s going on with her parents.  And as for her cousin Nico, it’s quite a few chapters in before you learn that Nico is living with them because his parents suck.

Overall, the story felt really disjointed because things are hinted at but never explained outright.  Instead, you get things in snippets and flashbacks, and I kept waiting for a big revelation that never came.

I didn’t really get the romance.  It was not really there, and Cass and Gwen just didn’t work for me as a potential couple.  I’m not sure how I feel about Gwen as a character- she was funny at times, but she didn’t seem to learn from her mistakes.  Then again, she’s young, and maybe it’s just not clicking for her.

Let’s Rate It:

I’m really torn on my feelings about What I Thought Was True.  On the one hand, it was really disjointed and I spent a lot of the book confused about what was going on.  At the same time, I liked that class divides and sleepy, coastal touristy beach town during the summer really shone.  What I Thought Was True gets 3 stars– I did bump it a star, even if I’m hesitant to do so because Fitzpatrick does the sleepy East Coast beach town so well.

Books I Couldn’t Finish: The Princess Bride

Posted in Books, Books I Couldn't Finish by

Books I Couldn’t Finish is a very sporadic feature where I talk about the books I couldn’t finish.

Today’s book is The Princess Bride, which I was going to include in my last Books I Couldn’t Finish post.  I decided not to (well, clearly, because it is its own post) because 1- that post was getting a bit lengthy, and 2- I actually have some things to say about why I couldn’t finish it, so it definitely warranted its own post.

The Princess Bride CoverWhat’s It About?

The Princess Bride is a true fantasy classic. William Goldman describes it as a “good parts version” of “S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure.” Morgenstern’s original was filled with details of Florinese history, court etiquette, and Mrs. Morgenstern’s mostly complimentary views of the text. Much admired by academics, the “Classic Tale” nonetheless obscured what Mr. Goldman feels is a story that has everything: “Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.”

Why I Couldn’t Finish It:

First, I have to start off why I read it.  It was basically a required reading that some friends “assigned” to me back in May, and since I’ll read pretty much anything someone recommends, I figured I’d at least try it.

And promptly failed.  I did give it a good effort, and actually kept going a bit longer than I really wanted to.  I really wanted to like it, especially since it’s a favorite of one friend.  And actually, I’ve seen it on a bunch of Top Ten Tuesdays, so that was another reason why I wanted to read it.

The biggest problem is that I’ve seen the movie.  I actually didn’t know there was a book.  I don’t remember how I found out there was a book, but somehow I did.

Seeing the movie isn’t a problem.  Well, normally, it’s not a problem.  I try to see the movie first and then read the book whenever possible.  That did not work with The Princess Bride.  I haven’t seen the movie in forever, but I found that a lot of the book made it into the movie.  I kept picturing the movie whenever I was reading the book.  I just found myself skimming…and skimming…and skimming to get to the parts that I didn’t remember from the movie.  I dreaded picking up, and pretty much had to force myself into reading it.  I was bored…and I had my moments where I was wondering why I was reading the book when I had seen the movie- to me, that’s how closely they matched.  The two did seem identical, but please take that with a grain of salt, as I haven’t seen the movie in a while.  But that really is how it seemed to me.

And…the book really seemed like it came after the movie, so I was quite surprised to learn that the movie was based on the book.  To me, it read like a cute tie-in.  Like, with the t.v. show Castle.  Now, I don’t watch Castle, but I remember something about an actual book written by the fictional character.  Or even Meg Cabot writing a romance novel as Mia Thermopolis. That’s kind of the feel I got from the book- let’s write the book the grandpa was reading in the movie.  And it’s not a bad thing at all, that’s just my impression of what I read.

I will say that I like the idea of the book- a guy hunting down his favorite childhood book and re-writing it so that only the good parts are in the book.  It’s an interesting way to tell a story, but I could have done without the side-notes.  And, I kind of hate to say this (but not really) but The Princess Bride worked so much better as a movie than a book.

To Sum Up:

The Princess Bride didn’t work as a book for me, and I think the structure of it worked better in the movie than in the book. Even though I couldn’t get into, I’m still glad I gave it a try.

Book Review: Tarnish

Posted in Books by

Tarnish CoverBook: Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

Published June 2913 by Penguin|334 pages

Where I Got It: the Nook store

Series: None, but it’s set in the same world as Gilt and Brazen

Genre: YA Historical Fiction- Tudor England

You can find Tarnish on goodreads and Katherine Longshore on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court–and to convince the whole court they’re lovers–she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice–but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart’s desire and the chance to make history.

What I Thought:

After reading Gilt a couple years ago and really liking it, I knew that I would really like Tarnish.  Which I did!

Tarnish focuses on Anne Boleyn, well before she gets involved with Henry VIII.  Which was actually really refreshing, since so much out there seems to focus on her time with him.  I really liked seeing Anne as a teen, and her time at court, especially since she’s newly arrived at the English court after coming over from France. Knowing how everything ends for Anne made Tarnish so much more interesting, because I feel like it starts at such a good place for Anne, and how she became the woman she was.

I thought Longshore did such a great job at showing how Anne really was a product of her time, and how marriage really was her only choice…and that her marriage prospects grew dimmer, because of some decisions she made.  I did like how her relationship with Thomas Wyatt progressed, and that it went much deeper than anyone else seemed to realize.  I think it allowed Anne to figure out what she really wanted, and how much more confident she was by the end of the book.

The family dynamics of the Boleyn family were really interesting in Tarnish.  I don’t typically think of her family, and how her relationship with them shaped her, but through her relationships with her sister, brother and father, you that some of what Anne has done has been influenced by them.  Her sister being the mistress to the king likely had a big impact on Anne’s relationship with Henry, and you have to wonder if that’s why she held out for so long with him.  I’m still not sure how her brother or father influenced Anne as a person, but by the end of the book, you start to see hints of how manipulative Anne could be.

I loved how Henry’s court was portrayed, and how much innocent flirtation there was.  One thing that I noticed in Gilt- which also really came through in Tarnish- was that Longshore took some liberties with history while creating this world and story that seemed really accurate.  She has a way of writing about people we all know and showing how complicated they really are, while making them easy to relate to.  I felt like I was transported back to Tudor England and dropped right in the center of Anne’s world.  I also really liked the author’s note at the end of the book, explaining where she got her inspiration and why she wrote the story the way she did.

Let’s Rate It:

I didn’t fall in love with Tarnish, but I really liked that Tarnish focused on a teenage Anne Boleyn who was insecure.  I also liked that it was at the very beginnings of what would be her relationship with Henry VIII. Tarnish gets 4 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books For People Who Have Never Read About The Tudors

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Books For People Who Have Never Read About The Tudors

Tudor England is one of my favorite time periods ever!  I’ve been fascinated with the Tudors ever since I did a research project on Elizabeth 1 in high school, and since it’s the only era in history I’ve consistently read about, I knew it would be a great topic.  I went for a combination of non-fiction and fiction, and you can’t go wrong with any of the books I talk about.  All links will lead you to goodreads!

Non-Fiction:

  1. The Wives Of Henry VIII by Antonia Frasier.  There are a couple other biographies about the 6 women who were married to Henry VIII (that I know of) and I knew I had to include at least one of them.  I’d go with this one, since it gives the best overview of his wives.
  2. Henry VIII: The King And His Court by Alison Weir.  It’s a really good look at Henry VIII himself, and it’s a pretty long book with quite a few details, but it also give really good insight into Henry’s life and who he was.  (I will say, you can’t go wrong with Alison Weir, who is one of my favorite authors).
  3. Winter King: Henry VII And The Dawn Of Tudor England by Thomas Penn.  Initially, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include it on this list, because I actually haven’t finished it…because I put it on hold months ago- like, last year months ago.  But even though I haven’t finished it, it’s still an interesting read, because it touches a bit on the Wars Of The Roses, which led to the Tudors sitting on the throne.
  4. Jane Boleyn: The True Story Of The Infamous Lady Rochford by Julia Fox.  It’s been ages since I’ve read it, but it’s a great biography of the sister-in-law of Anne Boleyn and a lady-in-waiting to three Tudor Queens.
  5. The First Queen Of England: The Myth Of “Bloody Mary” by Linda Porter.  I feel like this biography of Mary is good one to read, since it’s actually a really good introduction to who Mary Tudor was and what influenced her to be the person and Queen she was.

Historical Fiction:

  1. Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb.  It’s a great YA paranormal historical fiction about a witch living during the reign of Mary Tudor…and she just happens to be in service to the future Elizabeth I.  It’s a good look at what life was like during this time.
  2. Gilt by Katherine Longshore.  I was debating whether I wanted to include this one or Tarnish, but I went with Gilt because it’s about Katherine Howard, and she doesn’t pop up too often in books about this time period.  (Well, in books that I’ve read).
  3. Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer.  It’s a great middle grade book about Mary Tudor, and I think it would be a great way to introduce the time period to kids.
  4. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory.  I thought about putting The Other Boleyn Girl on this list, as it’s a book a lot of people probably know.  But I actually like The Boleyn Inheritance better!  Partly because it focuses on Anne Of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Rochford, but also because Gregory can tell a story that keeps you reading.  This one in particular has you invested in the characters.  (Side Note: You can’t go wrong with any of her Tudor Court books.  I haven’t read The Other Queen, but I highly recommend the rest of the series).
  5. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.  I tried really hard to include only one Alison Weir book, which was really hard since I’ve read so many books by her.  She’s made the jump from non-fiction to historical fiction sometime in the last few years, and so I felt like a 2nd appearance was warranted.  Overall, her historical fiction is super-accurate and authentic (for those who like that in historical fiction), which is the direct result of writing historical fiction set during the time periods that she researches for her non-fiction stuff.

Gilmore Girls 3×16: The Big One

Posted in Season Three, The Gilmore Girls Project by

The Big One originally aired February 25, 2003.  This episode was written by Amy Sherman-Palladino and was directed by Jamie Babbit.

Gilmore Girls Season 3 Graphic

This episode starts off with Rory and Lorelei waiting for Rory’s college acceptance letters.  Kirk is the new mail carrier, and is taking his time delivering the mail, sorting it as he goes along his route.

Luke has changed the menus at the diner.  They get completely redesigned, and he’s even added a few new dishes, as well as get rid of dishes that no one ordered.

Meanwhile, the Chilton bicentennial is coming up, and there is going to be a speech aired on C-SPAN.  Paris thinks that her winning the speech contest will be more satisfying if she beats Rory- which leads to Rory entering the contest.  At the inn, Lorelei and Sookie realize that people sending back Sookie’s food because it tastes awful means that Sookie’s pregnant. Sookie tells Jackson, but he crunches numbers, which leaves Sookie feeling like it didn’t go how she wanted it to go.

Lorelei stops to get some allergy medicine on her way to Friday night dinner and runs into Max, who asks about Rory.  He’s in town for the Chilton bicentennial events.  Lorelei arrives at the Gilmore house to find that Emily is visiting some of her DAR friends who are in the hospital, which means it’s going to be Richard, Rory and Lorelei for the evening.  Lorelei tells Rory that she ran into Max.  Rory didn’t know he was back in town, since he was on loan somewhere, but she does think Lorelei didn’t treat him well.

Lorelei goes to visit Sookie to see how things are going, and tells her about Max.  Sookie agrees with Rory in that he’s a good guy and Lorelei didn’t treat him well.  Rory and Paris had such great speeches that they are going to combine their speeches into one awesome one.  When working on the speech, Paris announces that she and Jamie had sex, and wants to have a healthy debate with Rory so she can figure out how she should be feeling about it.  Paris asks if Rory’s gone all the way with Jess and Dean, which gets Paris wondering why it’s right for her but not for Rory.  Rory tells her that it’s different because they’re different, as are Jamie and Jess, and that what’s right for Paris isn’t going to be right for Rory.  Lorelei comes in with pizza during this conversation, listening in, before making it obvious she’s there.

And when the C-SPAN-aired speech rolls around, Paris is nowhere to be found until minutes before the speech starts, looking disheveled.  We finally learn that Paris didn’t get into Harvard, and she thinks she deserved to get in because of how she’s worked, but is now being punished for having sex.

Also: before the speech starts, Lorelei sees Max and apologizes for not calling him.  She feels bad for not talking to him since the engagement was called off, and she really wanted to explain why she called it off.  He appreciates it, but it’s not necessary, since he’s moved on and has time to think while he was teaching a class at Stanford.

After Paris has her meltdown, she and Rory are talking.  Paris thinks they must really have not liked her if she didn’t get in, especially since generations of Gellar’s have gone to Harvard.  She also thinks Jamie won’t think she’s special because she didn’t get into Harvard.  Rory knows Paris will do great at whatever schools do accept her and that maybe it’ll be good for her to go to a different school.  Lorelei runs into Max again, and they kiss before he leaves.  Lorelei and Rory go home to find that Rory has several college acceptance letters.

What I Thought:

There is so much to talk about!  Rory getting accepted to everywhere isn’t surprising, but Paris not getting accepted to Harvard is.  I actually feel bad for Paris in this episode, mostly because of comparing herself to Rory and because of how Jamie won’t think she’s special.  And because not getting into Harvard is a punishment.  Although…if Jamie doesn’t think she’s special anymore, than he’s an idiot Paris doesn’t need.

And Paris comparing herself to Rory…I don’t know what to think about this.  I mean, it’s very Paris, since she and Rory are on the same level for many, many things, but Rory also makes a good point that they’re different.  There is a part of me that thinks maybe Paris isn’t ready to have sex if she needs data to back things up and if she needs to have a debate with Rory to figure out how she should feel.  At the same time, though, it’s very Paris to need data and to debate things, and as book-smart as she is, Paris is also kinda socially awkward, which makes it hard to sort out my own feelings about it.

Max and Lorelei is the last thing I wanted to talk about before wrapping things up.  I felt like it came out of nowhere, since we haven’t seen him in forever.  This around, I’m kind of confused as to why he’s suddenly popping up.  It’s nice he’s moved on, and didn’t need the closure, but I found that Lorelei apologizing for not talking to him after she broke off his engagement was odd and annoying.  Mostly because it is pretty typical of Lorelei to do what she did and then apologize later.  I guess his absence was explained by teaching at Stanford, but what high school English teacher goes from teaching high school English to a class at Stanford? Especially on “loan?”  Granted, I’m not in the education field, so my random thoughts about how weird Chilton and Stars Hollow High are could be wrong, but this is another instance where a high school teacher being loaned to a college cross-country seems really out-of-place.

Favorite Line:

Lorelei: “It was comforting, like deep-fried ham soup.”

Pop Culture:

Into The Woods, plus other Broadway references

Let’s Wrap It Up:

Overall, this episode is wavering between me thinking it’s okay and me liking it.  There are some really interesting conversations and things that happened, but the Max thing really seemed to come out of nowhere, and it seemed a little bit unnecessary.  The Big One gets 2.5 mugs of coffee.

Books I Couldn’t Finish: The Random Edition

Posted in Books, Books I Couldn't Finish by

Books I Couldn’t Finish is a very sporadic feature where I talk about the books I start to read and then have to abandon for a multitude of reasons.

And today is one of those days, because I actually have a few books I want to talk about.  So let’s get started.

Book One: Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited coverWhat’s It About?  The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she’s destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton’s tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn’t feel any different, but genes don’t lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he’s not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.

Why I Couldn’t Finish It: Here’s the thing about Uninvited.  I LOVE the idea of the book, because it’s such an interesting idea.  But in the part I read, I felt a little confused about what was going on, and HTS didn’t seem to be explained well, and I have no idea why it was such a big problem, or how they figured out that there is a kill gene.  It’s entirely possible that I didn’t actually get to that part of the book, given I didn’t actually finish it, but I was bored and uninterested.  Which is a shame, because it could have been really interesting.  On a random note, there are snippets of articles and interviews and statistics, which is really cool, and it gave you a sense of what was going on.  Just in the part I read, I could see the connection to The Scarlet Letter, and it’s kind of a modern-day version of it…but with a kill gene instead of adultery.  I’m not sure about the connection to Minority Report, since the only thing I actually know about is that it’s a movie.  Still, I did like the connection to The Scarlet Letter, and it would have been interesting to see if that continued throughout the book. Overall, I wanted to like Uninvited, since I did like the overall idea, and random snippets about HTS, but I just couldn’t get into it.

Book Two: After The End by Amy Plum

After The End CoverWhat’s It About? She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They’ve survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she’s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

Why I Couldn’t Finish It: It’s another book with an interesting idea.  Escaping to Alaska because of World War III, and a group of people who apparently have supernatural powers.  It wasn’t until I read the summary that I realized that Juneau’s clan vanished, which led her to go find them…so I don’t know if it wasn’t explained well, or I just wasn’t paying attention (although I suspect it’s the latter).  And she finds out that everything she was told growing up was a lie.  I don’t know how I feel about that, because I was expecting something more post-apocalyptic…and didn’t get it.  Which is my own fault for not reading the summary.  Part of me was intrigued by the idea of survivors in Alaska, since you don’t normally read about people escaping there.  At the same time, I kind of like that it was a lie, because you’re left wondering what happened.

Personally, I didn’t care enough to keep going, and After The End also seemed slightly confusing.  There are hints that something’s going on, and that Juneau is the key to something, but you don’t know what.   It just felt like the things I wanted to know weren’t going to be revealed anytime soon, if at all.  Also: Juneau narrates part of the book, while Miles narrates the other half of the novel, and I found that I didn’t care about either narrator, who seemed very much the same to me.  I honestly couldn’t tell you anything about Miles, since his chapters were only a page or two.  And the only thing I remember about Juneau is that she seems to have a supernatural ability.  Interesting idea, but not for me.

Another Little Piece CoverBook Three: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

What’s It About? The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn’s haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor…and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese’s fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

Why I Couldn’t Finish It: I felt like the story was really confusing.  I get she remembers nothing from that night, but the way she refered to herself and to her family just didn’t work for me.  I didn’t really get a Stephen King or Pretty Little Liars vibe from the book, so I’m not really sure where those comparisons are coming from.  Unless they just happen to show up after I stopped reading…

It’s been a while since I attempted to read it back in June, so my memory of this book is really fuzzy, and I have to desire to go back and try to read it again.  Another Little Piece seems like one of those books where you have to stick with it to the end for everything to come together and make sense, and I just wasn’t willing to stick it out to the end.  I think it had the potential to be an interesting horror/mystery, but it just didn’t work for me.  Still, other people might find it interesting, so if it seems like your thing, don’t hesitate to give it a try.

To Wrap Up:

The general theme for today seems to be a general confusion about the different worlds and a general disinterest in the three books mentioned.  Clearly, they’re not for me, but I will say that if they seem like something you’d want to try, go for it!

Currently Obsessed With: Where Did July Go?!?!?!

Posted in Currently Obsessed With by

Currently Obsessed With is a monthly feature where I talk about my favorite stuff and interesting things from the last month and also where I talk about what’s been going on in my life!

I can’t believe July is over.  Really, I can’t!  It went by really, really fast!

Nails (And A Bit Of Beauty):

Left To Right: Linden, Dawn & Braiden, Add-On is Lissa

Left To Right: Linden, Dawn & Braiden, Add-On is Lissa

After skipping the Maven box for a couple months, I’m back to getting it again!  I’ve tried out all of the colors, and I’m not a big fan of Dawn, which is the yellow one.  It’ll be fine as an accent color, or maybe on my toes, but I can’t picture myself wearing it.  Linden and Lissa (Linden’s from my box, and Lissa is an add-on) are great, and while I like Braiden as a color and a glitter-y, texturized nail polish, it’s also a major pain to take off, so I may not wear it often.  Also, I wish the picture came out better, but that really is the best one I could get…

Also: I’m kind of obsessed with the matte top coat from Nicole by OPI.  Plus, I got a reflective top coat from Sephora’s Formula X for Sephora line, so I’m looking forward to trying that out.  I also got a nail hydration treatment from Sephora’s Formula X For Sephora line, because my nails have been cracking and peeling, so I’m hoping this will help.  Not wearing nail polish may also help, but that never seems to last long…

Left To Right: Formula X Nail Hydration Treatment, Formula X Reflective Top Coat, Nicole By OPI Matte Top Coat, Too Faced LashGASM

Left To Right: Formula X Nail Hydration Treatment, Formula X Reflective Top Coat, Nicole By OPI Matte Top Coat, Too Faced LashGASM

I used to be a big Sephora person years ago, but due to unfortunate circumstances, could no longer afford to shop at Sephora. And then I got into the habit of not going, which is probably good for my bank account, because Sephora is a bit on the pricey side.  But I kind of miss it, because for some reason, it doesn’t feel as overwhelming as getting beauty products at CVS or Target.

BUT.

I got the most amazing mascara, and I love it to pieces.  I’ve tried a few different mascara over the years.  Like a bottle of mascara from Tarte, and I think I used it once for a cousins wedding last year.  I’ve also liked Clinique’s naturally glossy mascara. But the LashGASM mascara from TooFaced is my current obsession!  I’m usually a lip gloss and nail polish person, and I’ll sometimes wear mascara.  I may have spent $20 on a bottle of mascara, but it’s so worth every penny, because my eye lashes look amazing!  Not even kidding.

Let’s Talk Books:

So, I’ve been on quite the print kick this month!  I’m very much an e-book girl, but for whatever reason, print seems to be my reading thing right now, so I’ll go with it.  I’ve been in this weird reading funk where I’m reading stuff, and liking it, but I really haven’t been super-jazzed about anything.  And as much as I love my e-reader, e-books aren’t completely doing it for me, so I’ll probably be reading quite a few print books and listening to quite a few audio books.  Also, I haven’t wanted to read as much, which is bugging me, because reading is one of my things, you know?  I suppose it was bound to happen at some point, given how much I read, so maybe…I need to figure something out.  Like, reading, but not as much or something.

I usually get one book a month with audible (this month’s credit went to Gated by Amy Christine Parker), but I also got Septimus Heap (random audible sales are awesome!), Roanoke Vanishing and Beholding Bee.  I’m not sure why I got more audio books, since I have quite the backlog of audio books, but I’ve been in a mood for them, so why not add a few more?  Also: listening seems to get me reading.

As for print, you can see them below.

Lots and lots of books!

Lots and lots of books!

As you can see, it’s quite the stack.  I’m really hoping one of them will get me out of this reading slump I’m in.

T.V. And Movies:

I saw Lucy this month, which was really odd but interesting.  It started off super-weird, and I wasn’t sure if I should have gone with something else, but it turned out to be an okay movie.  Once you get past the set-up, it got a lot more interesting.  It definitely was more appealing than Planet Of The Apes and Transformers, which were the other two options…but I’d say wait until it’s available on RedBox or something if you’re interested in seeing it.

As for T.V., I haven’t been watching much of it.  I’m watching Gilmore Girls again, after a several month-long break.  I’ve also been watching Blue Bloods on Hulu, so I’ll keep watching that.  Oddly enough, it’s a CBS show (at least, Season 1 is), and that’s sort of confusing because CBS is weird, and only makes current shows available on their website.  But I’ll take it, even I need to hunt down the most recent season.

I actually really hate watching t.v. shows on the network websites, because I’ve always had HUGE issues with watching an entire episode.  Like, lots of buffering and poor issue quality, which really turned me off to watching stuff on the network site. Granted, that was several years ago, and it could have been my computer, but it was enough to make me never want to do that again.

Crochet:

There’s not much going on in the crochet department.  I’m working on another hat, and I’m currently looking at other projects, because I’m going to need one when my hat is finished.  Between Pinterest, ravelry and a few crochet books I have, I should be able to find something.  (And hopefully, I’ll already have the yarn for it).

Around The Internet:

There’s a lot of interesting stuff out there!

Like this article about an Oregon School Board reversing their pre-emptive ban on The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian.  Also: a school board gets rid of a summer reading list for incoming freshman, as talked about in this article.

I like this article that talks about where To Kill A Mockingbird would be shelved if it were published today.  It’s interesting to think about this in regards to other classics, and how people may categorize other books.

I’m not sure how I feel about a couple of the things mentioned in an article about YA heroines, but I do agree with the idea that we need to see all kinds of females in YA.  Also: this topic is a can of worms that really does warrant its own post.

A really interesting blog post about the grey areas of spoilers.  Eventually, I’m going to do a post on spoilers, because I can’t limit it to a couple sentences.

The science of old book smell.  I know there are people who really do like the smell of books, but sometimes, I feel like people say that to make themselves look super-impressive and are just lying about it.  As much as I love to read, I’ve never understood why some people love the smell of books.

E-book bundling needs to be a thing, so I’m glad HarperCollins is trying something out.  HarperCollins (more than the other 4 major publishers) seems to be more on-board with trying this stuff out.

Also: the Nostalgia Machine is totally awesome.  90’s music, here I come!

Music: 

Speaking of music, I’ve been on a music kick this month!  Not enough to do a separate post, but I did get some new stuff recently so there will probably be more music next month.  Since this post is getting really long, I’m just going to leave you with a couple of my favorite songs right now.

1- Fancy by Iggy Azalea and Charlie XCX.  If you like Lorde, you’ll probably like Iggy.

2- Ain’t It Fun by Paramore.  I can’t stop singing along to this one.

I hope everyone has a great August and a great weekend!