Love You Hate You Miss You

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Book: Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Pages: 176 (Hardcover)

Review: Love You Hate You Miss You is about Amy and her life after her best friend Julia dies.

While it’s not completely light and fluffy, which I needed after reading Hate List, it’s just light and fluffy enough.  I really liked it.  I loved the structure of it- her daily life after leaving Pinewood and letters to friend Julia.  It worked really well for the book, and everything unfolds at a really nice pace.

I really like how she goes through the different aspects of the title.  She doesn’t want to believe anything bad about Julia, then she experiences hatred towards Julia for leaving her (amongst other things) and then comes to peace with herself and with Julia’s death.

I found Amy very relatable, and her experiences were easy to relate to as well.  Something I found interesting was the fact that she was an accident- her parents never meant to have her.  It seemed like they tended to ignore her and were more interested in their relationship than raising a child…until the car accident that killed her best friend.  As Amy put it, it was her parents with a child tacked on.  It definitely explains some of the issues Amy had and tried to work on throughout the book.

I thought it was pretty realistic, and it was nice to see a character who struggled with issues come from a relatively “normal” home, with parents still together and in love.  There were some issues with her parents, like I said, but I could see how Amy could have gotten from Point A to Point B.

Rating: 3 out of 5.  It was enjoyable, and I liked it, but the fact that I read it right after Hate List may be coloring my judgement a little.

Draco And The Malfoys

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I’ve been listening to Wrock a lot lately, and I have no clue why.  But I’m just going to go with it.  I have Draco And The Malfoys (a self-titled album) and Party Like You’re Evil.  I like both pretty equally, but how you can not like songs titles like Tom Felton’s Kinda Hot, Disembodied Head, and Why Won’t You Shake My Hand?  Seriously, song titles are one reason why I love wizard rock so much.

I think they have a few more albums and some songs that can be found on a multitude of compilation and charity albums, but I’m not completely sure about that.

As for favorite songs, I like Potions Yesterday and 99 Death Eaters from their self-titled album and Party Like You’re Evil! from the album of the same name.  Other good songs from Party Like You’re Evil are Slytherin Pride and We’re Freakin’ Awesome.  I think the thing I like the most about Draco And The Malfoys is the fact that all of their songs are told from the perspective of Draco And The Malfoys.  Actually, that can apply to wizard rock in general, but since this post is (allegedly) about Draco And The Malfoys, maybe I should try to stay on topic.

I honestly don’t listen to them as much as I’d like, which is pretty representative of my music collection in general.  But they’re still one of my favorite bands to listen to, and their songs are always entertaining and fun to listen to.

The River Between Us

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Book: The River Between Us by Richard Peck

Pages: 164 (Hardcover)

Review: The River Between Us is about 18-year-old Tilly, who lives along the Mississippi River.  Her mother takes in 2 strangers who come into town off a steamboat from New Orleans.  It’s also set during the Civil War.

I didn’t like it.  I felt like it was lacking details, and while the Civil War fascinates me, I wasn’t fascinated with this book.  Just when I started to get interested in the book, it was over.  Honestly, it should have been longer, especially since there are so many directions Peck could have gone in for the novel. 

There wasn’t anything really interesting, but some of the traditions that Delphine (one of the strangers from New Orleans) talks about at the end was the most fascinating.  I was bored and there wasn’t anything to really hold my interest.  The length is probably the only reason why I kept reading.

The first chapter and the last chapter…I don’t get why they’re even included.  I felt like they were just tacked on to wordpad- and not only that, but it was a terrible attempt at setting up the story and then telling us what happened to the characters. 

I just couldn’t care about the characters, but Delphine and Calinda were somewhat interesting.  Maybe the story would have been better if they were the narrators. 

Rating: 1 out of 5.  It just wasn’t good.

Hate List: A Novel

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Book: Hate List: A Novel by Jennifer Brown

Pages: 405 (Hardcover)

My Review: Hate List is about a school shooting and the resulting aftermath.  Valerie and her boyfriend had a “hate list,” which was written in a notebook about everyone they hated. 

I…wow.  There are two books that had me sobbing by the end.  The first one is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the other one…is Hate List.  I had to put it down several times just to give myself a break. 

It is a heavy, intense read, and very realistic.  I could picture everything in my mind so well- the descriptions were so vivid.  I felt like I was Valerie, and I found myself getting angry at so many of the people around her, and hoping they would give her a chance.  I get why people ignored her and didn’t want her around, as she helped create the list and was indirectly involved with the school shooting.  But at the same time, she didn’t pull the trigger.  She went running after her boyfriend, and jumped in front of another student to stop it from getting worse. 

I don’t even know where to start.  It’s such an emotional book, and one that could happen anywhere, anytime.  I certainly commend Brown for tackling school shootings.  But it’s not just about school shootings.  It’s also about how words can hurt, and how something that people don’t think matters, can.  It’s about moving on, and struggling with a world in which everything is falling apart. 

Even now, some time after finishing the book, I feel emotional.  Brown did such a good job of portraying everyone and their points of view.  And I really liked how the book was set up.  There are news articles about each of the victims and the events that took place at the high school.  Each chapter number is in a drop of blood- which is weird but cool.  And it jumps around a bit before settling into the present time.  It goes back and forth between present time and the actual shooting.  It was unsettling to watch things unfold…it really felt like it was happening.  I hope no one has a drinking game going for how many times I’m going to say “it felt like it was happening.”  That might come up a lot! 

But it all seriousness, it was a great book.  Definitely powerful, and EVERYONE needs to read this book.  Go get it.  Now.  I don’t think you’ll regret it.  I feel so strongly about this book that I’m posting this review shortly after finishing the book.   

Rating: 5 out of 5.  There are no words to describe how much I liked this book.  It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster, but it is so worth it!

TV!

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Pan Am and Terra Nova- I like these shows for now, but I’m still not sure about them, so I’ll keep watching them for now.  I’m not sure about the flashbacks for Pan Am, but maybe they’ll ease up on them once the show gets going.  And we did learn about what happened to Bridget, the one who disappeared.  Terra Nova really reminds me of Lost. 

I’ve also been watching Unforgettable, which is about a cop who remembers everything.  It’s interesting so far, but I can’t imagine remembering every single thing that’s every happened to you.  I really like Revenge too, and the plot is definitely thickening.  And Person Of Interest is getting good too but it’s definitely a show you need to pay attention to so you don’t miss what’s going on.  I think it might take me a while to get into it.

House!  This was another show I’ve been waiting all summer for.  Looking back on last season, I didn’t like it too much, and I’m hoping this season is better.  House is in jail.  Raise your hand if you’re surprised by that.  I’m not raising my hand right now, in case you’re wondering.  The episode was okay, but House does try to solve a mysterious case…silly House for thinking it was lupus at the beginning of the episode.  It’s never lupus!  I am surprised that House wanted to go to jail, but it looks like he’ll be out next week…and no one wants to talk to him.  Maybe this season will be really interesting, and I hope that we find out happens with Cuddy.

NCIS was great this week.  I’ve been excited about this episode ever since I heard that Lily Tomlin was going to be playing McGee’s grandma.  Wheat grass squares…that made me giggle.  And post-coital embrace…that got another giggle.  It was great- McGee’s strait-laced, and his grandma seems to be a hippie!  It seems like they’re close, maybe it has to do with the issues he had with his dad that they alluded to.  I really wanted to give McGee a hug- first his sister is accused of murdering someone a few seasons ago, and then his grandma knew the dead sailor and was connected to his murder because of something that she worked on a few decades ago.  I love McGee-centric episodes, seeing as we don’t get seem to get them as often as the Tony, Ziva or Gibbs-centric episodes.

Grey’s Anatomy- My favorite line of the episode was big accident at the convention center…human stampede at a comic convention!  That’s certainly an image that hilarious and entertaining.  Especially with a zombie nurse and a stormtrooper making appearances!  I have to say, it’s sad Richard stepped down but at the same time, Richard as a regular surgeon and not as chief is slightly entertaining.  He seemed a little out of his element at first.  It’s all dramatic and over-the-top, but that’s why I love it!  Next weeks episode looks really good…

I think that’s it for today, so have a great weekend!

Fablehaven

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Book: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Pages: 351 (Hardcover)

Review: Fablehaven is a hidden refuge where any mythical creatures you can think of gather.  This sanctuary helps to preserve fairies, naiads, and satyrs, among other creatures.  However, on Midsummer Night’s Eve, Seth ignores his grandfather’s rules to stay in his bed all night, and helsp unleash evil.  Kendra helps save Fablehaven and her family.

I loved the premise of the book, but the execution was terrible.  I didn’t find any of the main characters likeable, and the writing was somewhat amateur-ish.  Seth was selfish, stupid and bratty, and Kendra was a know-it-all who doesn’t get into trouble.  A lot of the things that happen in the book are the result of Seth being stupid and not listening and Kendra seems to go along for the ride.  Their relationship with each other was not that great either.  A lot of times, they were downright mean to each other.  Their grandfather was fairly irresponsible, and most of the things that happen in the book happen because he isn’t upfront with the kids, wanting them to discover things on their own.  Either he doesn’t trust them or he thinks things are on a need-to-know basis.  He even says that what they don’t know can hurt them, and yet he doesn’t bother to fill them in on anything.

That being said, I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next, especially the last 4 or 5 chapters.  I have no idea why, since there doesn’t seem to be any main conflict.  Where’s the tension and what are they trying to accomplish?  There are small conflicts which usually consist of Seth wanting to do something and doing it even after Kendra tells him not to.  At the end, Kendra, Seth and their grandmother try to stop this really evil creature from destroying Fablehaven.  So while there is some build-up to this, and it was pretty the book was going towards that ending, it was still annoying.

I found that the magical preserve was just a dumping ground for whatever magical creatures popped into Mull’s head.  And instead of being about caring for the different creatures taking refuge there, it was about kids breaking the rules and almost destroying the sanctuary.

I think the main reason why I kept reading was because I liked the idea of the story more than the actual story.  I can see kids really liking it, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Rating: 2 out of 5.  It’s another case of good idea but bad execution.

Research

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As November approaches, I’ve actually been working on my plots.  I’ve only been working on one, the one about the 2 friends who make a pact.  I’ve narrowed things down to either fairies or mermaids, but even more questions have popped up.  There are definitely a lot of things I need to work out between now and November.  Like, how is it going to kill her?  Is it something she’s allergic to?  Why can’t her body handle the fairy or the mermaid part of her?  Are there other people who are having the same problems as Poppy?  Does the fairy blood/mermaid whatever show up as something foreign or does everything appear normal because people think fairies and mermaids don’t exist?  Or is it a combination of both where there’s something weird but no one realizes it’s because she’s a fairie and so they think it’s some new disease or something?  How did she become part-fairie or part-mermaid?  Is one of her parents a fairie or a mermaid or is it some totally bizarre genetic mutation that turns people into mythological creatures?  Or maybe everyone has the ability to be a fairie or mermaid but only a certain segment of the population becomes a fairie because of a random mutation?

So, you can see my problem in actually working out some of the details, but I’m determined to make it work.  I think it’ll be easier to work out some of these questions once I actually pick something.  This is why I prefer to (mostly) wing it.  It’s just easier to make stuff up as I go along, but unfortunately, this isn’t something I can really make up as I go along.  I can, but I think I’m going to have to put in a lot of work ahead of time.  I’m thinking about shifting between her journal entries and the present but I’m not sure yet.  If I can think up of some more characters, and *maybe* plan some of the journal entries, then I’ll do that.  Otherwise, I’m not sure how I’m going to do this.  I definitely need to go back and forth between past and present…somehow.

I generally avoid research, but I have it to, I try to do just enough to get me through NaNo.  It’s interesting that after several years, I’m shifting more towards things that require me to do research.  I usually avoid research because I’ll focus too much on research and not enough on everything else.  I still have trouble finding the right balance, but maybe I’ll get better at it as I keep coming up with ideas where I actually need to research stuff before writing it.  I suppose I could always just ignore any research and write things that are potentially inaccurate, but where’s the fun in that?  I think I’m going to let the novel dictate how much I research because different things require different amounts of planning.  You wouldn’t plan historical fiction and fanfiction the same way, and you wouldn’t approach fantasy and romance the same way, so I really should try to let the novel dictate the amount of effort I put into planning and researching it.

Hopefully the research I do turns out okay, and it’s definitely going to be fun!

Guenevere, Queen Of The Summer Country

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Book: Guenevere, Queen Of The Summer Country by Rosalind Miles

Pages: 544 (Paperback)

Review: Guenevere, Queen Of The Summer Country is about Queen Guenevere.  She’s the last of a long line of queens who ruled the Summer Country, but when her mother dies, the only way to claim her mother’s throne is to marry King Arthur.

The only book about Arthurian legend was The Mists Of Avalon, which is one of my favorite books of all-time.  I was expecting something very similar to The Mists Of Avalon, so I suppose I was disappointed when this book didn’t live up to what I thought it would be.

I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I thought I would- in fact, I didn’t like it all.  While I like the fact that the book focused on Guenevere, I found her to be such an unsympathetic character.  It was clear that we were supposed to like her, and that she was this amazing, perfect woman, when, in fact, I thought her to be moody, naive, petty, and at times, desperate.

The characters were so different from what I expected.  Merlin was this crazy, sex-obsessed man, and I couldn’t figure out if he was a Druid or a Christian.  Arthur was weak, somewhat easy to manipulate, and had trouble making a decision without Merlin.  The way she painted some of the characters…they’re so very different from the actual legends.

The characters fell flat, and were pretty stereotypical/one-dimensional, and the storyline was fairly typical.  That being said, there wasn’t anything to really hold my interest.  Seriously, the most memorable parts of the book were the sex scenes, which made the book a little more smutty than I expected.  It’s classified as historical fiction, but nothing really felt historical- it seemed more like a really boring romance than anything remotely historical.  The pacing was awfully slow and I was really bored reading it.

Rating: 1 out of 5.  I just didn’t like it, and I’m not at all interested in reading the other 2 books in the trilogy.

Lady Antebellum

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One of my favorite bands right now is Lady Antebellum.  They’re a country band and one of my favorite songs right now is Just A Kiss.  They have 3 albums out right now- Lady Antebellum is their first.  It’s followed up Need You Now, and Own The Night is their most recent.

I have a confession.  Their first album is the only one I have in it’s entirety.  I have a few songs from Need You Now, and just one from Own The Night.  Still, I like the songs they put out as singles.  And because I only have one full album, I’m not going to do an album ranking.  I will, however, tell you about what other songs I like.  I like American Honey, Love This Pain and Our Kind Of Love from Need You Now.  And Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, Long Gone, All We’d Ever Need and Home Is Where The Heart Is are my favorites from their self-titled album.

My least favorite song is Need You Now.  I liked it at first…and it got played so much that I got sick of it hearing all the time.  I also dislike I Run To You.  Don’t know why, but the song is just annoying.  They’re a big fan of the long song…and the song of the broken-hearted.  In the songs I’ve heard, especially with the singles they release, they don’t really stray too far from that.  The two who sing- Hillary Scott and Josh Kelley’s brother, make their songs come to life and really believable.  I sometimes find myself singing along to some of their upbeat songs, and their songs are always good to listen to if I need to get into a “love is great” or “love sucks” mood when I’m writing.

I’m a fan, and I can’t wait to see what else they come out with!

Just Like Beauty

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Book: Just Like Beauty: A Novel by Lisa Lerner

Pages: 272 (Hardcover)

The Review: This book was odd- I’ll even go so far as to say that this is one of the oddest books I’ve read in a long time.

The best way to describe this book is: a coming-of-age story set in the dystopic suburban near-future.  The book is about 14-year-old Edie, who is training for her town’s annual Feminine Woman of Conscience Pageant.  The girls compete in…erotic and other womanly arts.  There were a few tasks that jumped out at me- Mysterious Powders, which Edie was really good at, a task where she had to train a rabbit and then kill it to make something out of it’s fur, and another task that involves simulating sex with a plastic dummy.  That last task I mentioned?  It’s how the book opens, with Edie practicing for that portion of the Pageant.

The town is really futuristic, with restaurants like Just Like Meat Planet, and products like Just Like Beans.

I liked the premise of the novel, but I felt like it started in the middle of the story.  There was a lot missing-  basic details about how this town got to be so futuristic, what the pageant is really all about, and critical parts of the story weren’t explained very well, and that’s if they were explained at all.  Edie’s first love, her relationship with her parents, and why her mother was the way she was weren’t really developed.

The book does make you think, and I have all kinds of questions.  Why is society is okay with their teenage daughter performing sex acts on a plastic dummy?  Why are teen boys allowed to run amok?  Why are there people “torching” the girls in the pageant?

Rating: 2 out of 5.  She had the wrong kind of details- she went on too long about how futuristic the society was but glossed over the back story of how this town came to be and why things were the way they were.