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The Sweet Far Thing

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Book: The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Published: December 2012 by Delacorte Books For Young Readers

How I Got It: Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Historical-Fiction/Fantasy

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Libba Bray

Goodreads.com Summary: IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds. The Order – the mysterious group her mother was once part of – is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence’s burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

I loved The Sweet Far Thing.  I think it’s my favorite book in the series, and Bray did a great job with wrapping up the series. I really liked seeing Gemma struggle with having the magic bound to her, and struggling with making alliances.  While the series is somewhat dark, The Sweet Far Thing is the darkest of the three.

I love what Bray did with all the characters, especially Pippa.  I loved how she took a few factory girls under her wing because she wasn’t able to make her debut to society, and how she wanted more magic and loved having girls under her wing.

Gemma, by far, is my favorite character.  She had so many decisions to make, and it’s nice to see her want to include all of the creatures in the Realms.  What’s so interesting about Gemma in this novel is that you really see her unhappiness with the constraints placed on women during that time.  In particular, Gemma and Felicity don’t want the life that is expected of them.  In the end, they make their own way, which I thought was interesting.  It’s much more prominent in this novel, and you really do see that there was a time when women had to make their debut to society and find a good husband…and that it only started to really change in the last 100 years or so.  Women’s rights fit really well with the the magical parts of the book, and I didn’t really mind it that much…but there were times when it was a little too much.

The novel did start off slow, but once things started happening, it was a hard book to put down.  I was so surprised by a lot of things that happened in the book.  I wasn’t expecting Pippa and Felicity to be more than friends, especially given that the series takes place in Victorian England.  But thinking back to the other books, and even this one to a certain extent, there are definitely hints.  I wasn’t expecting Eugenia Spence to be behind everything, nor was I expecting Mrs. Nightwing to know of the Order.

There were times when it felt like things came out of nowhere, but I like that things I wasn’t expecting to happen, did happen.  I love the world Bray created with the realms, and how well it worked with the real world.  There wasn’t as much closure as I expected, but I did like that the book ended with their lives full of possibilities.

Final thoughts: A great ending to the series.  I loved the parallels between the Realms and the real world, and how everything fit together.  It gets a 5 out of 5.

I’m So Behind!

Posted in NaNo by

Since it’s been a while since I’ve talked about NaNo, I thought I’d share my progress.

The problem is that I haven’t really written.  Only two days this month, and I know I have around 896 words typed up.  I have yet to finish typing everything I have written down, and once I do that, I’ll be able to get going with the story.  I’d say I have around 1,200 words, but I’m not completely sure.  That’s my best guess though.

I’m not worried about being so behind.  One, I’m only writing one novel, so catching up will be really easy.  Two, I’ve been behind in previous years, and caught up.  Three… I can’t come up with three, so two it is.  But I’m totally okay with being behind for now.  It’s still early, and it’s still possible to catch up.

It’s too bad I don’t have more of an update on NaNo.  The first few pages are absolutely hysterical, because I’m trying to get used to a different keyboard , and everything is horribly misspelled.  Re-reading it will be funny, I’m sure, and I doubt it will make a lot of sense.  Then again, it’s not like they make a lot of sense to begin with…

I really do think that’s it for today.  It’s time to get some writing done!

And The Band Played On

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Book: And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts

Published November 1987 by St. Martin’s Press

How I Got It: Purchased the paperback, 630 pages

Genre: Non-fiction: GLBT/Medicine/Sociology/Politics

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon

Goodreads.com Summary: Upon it’s first publication twenty years ago, And The Band Played on was quickly recognized as a masterpiece of investigatve reporting. An international bestseller, a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and made into a critically acclaimed movie, Shilts’ expose revealed why AIDS was allowed to spread unchecked during the early 80’s while the most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat.  One of the few true modern classics, it changed and framed how AIDS was discussed in the following years. Now republished in a special 20th Anniversary edition, And the Band Played On remains one of the essential books of our time.

I am so glad I read And The Band Played On!  I watched the movie in health class in high school, and completely forgot about it until it showed up as a recommendation through Goodreads.

It’s was a great read, especially because most of the events in the book took place before I was born.  I know what AIDS is like now, but I had no idea what it was like when AIDS first started showing up in people.  Reading

One thing I really liked was the day-to-day unfolding of AIDS.  You see what it was like for so many people- the people who had AIDS, their friends and family and the doctors and scientists.  It worked especially well at the beginning, when everyone was trying to figure out what AIDS was.  It did get a little tiresome at times and sometimes, it was hard getting through some of the sections that dealt with funding and some of the more political aspects of the AIDS epidemic.  While we see Reagan, Congress, and whatever agency is in charge of the budget, it’s always through the eyes of researchers, doctors and AIDS patients.  So while it was to follow and a little overwhelming, you see so many different sides to the early years of AIDS.

Shilts’ interest in AIDS really comes through, and what I found fascinating was that he was tested for HIV/AIDS while working on the book.  He waited until it was finished before learning the results and would later die of AIDS.  He didn’t want the results to get in the way with his objectivity.  I felt like there was a little bit of bias, but for the most part, I did feel like it was pretty objective.

It does make you think about why some diseases get more funding and attention then others.  I know we can’t devote equal time and funding to every single disease out there, and that the ones that affect millions of people get more attention/funding than ones that affect hundreds or thousands of people.  It is sad that it took years for anyone to care about AIDS, and I loved the statistics about how many people had AIDS and how many had died from it.

There are definitely a lot of people to keep track of, and while the list of important players was pretty helpful, there were times where I couldn’t remember who was who.  Still, you get pretty invested in their stories, even though a lot of people don’t come off well at times.  That being said, he does hold everyone accountable, and doesn’t place the blame on just one group of people.

You really see the stigma that was attached to the early victims of AIDS, especially because of the heavy toll it took on gay men.  It is sad that it took years for anyone to care, and you have to hope that we’ve learned our lesson.  There are so many what-ifs that you think about.  You can’t help but wonder if doing things differently might have changed how AIDS played out.

I have the 20th anniversary edition, and I thought it was interesting that there wasn’t some kind of update about what AIDS is like now.  I’m not sure if it’s because the author has since passed away, or if there’s some other reason, but considering life before AIDS and life after it, and AIDS before Rock Hudson and AIDS after Rock Hudson was a huge theme in the book, you’d think there’d be something about how far we’ve come with AIDS (and how far we have to go).

Final thoughts: I didn’t love And The Band Played On, but it’s a great read.  Reading it was a little strange, knowing what AIDS is like know, and really seeing how much it’s changed over the last 30 or so years.  It gets a 4 out of 5.

Crewel

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Book: Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Published October 2012 by Farrar, Strauss and Gilroux, 306 pages

How I Got It: Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopic

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Gennifer Albin

Goodreads.com Summary: What a tangled world she weaves… 

For generations, Spinsters have been called by Arras’s Manipulation Services to work the looms and determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But once you become a Spinster, there is no turning back. Now caught in a web of lies and intrigue, Adelice must decide who to trust: her kind mentor, Enora; the handsome and mysterious valet Jost; or the charismatic Guild ambassador Cormac Patton. They each have secrets, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows it.

In a powerful and original debut about a world where the Guild decides everything, one extraordinary girl dares to defy the power of men and the boundaries of love.

This is such a creative book!  I really liked it, and loved the idea of Spinsters and Crewelers and weavers.

Seriously, you have a group of people WHO CAN WEAVE TIME!  And other stuff too, but it’s the weaving of time and raw materials from earth that’s really interesting.  They’re above earth, and mine materials, and if they don’t have a Creweler, then they’ll run out of materials in about 10 years or so.

I loved the world of Arras and how it’s set up.  Jobs are very much determined by gender, and being a Spinster is the only way women have control and power.  It was interesting, but at the same time, it was the least interesting aspect of the novel.  I mean, towns are segregated according to the gender of the children- so do families have all one gender, or can they have both?  If a family has a boy and a girl, and they live in the girl portion of the neighborhood, where does the boy live?  It is an interesting world, I’ll give her that, but I found Adelice’s abilities and the technology much more interesting than how things are set-up.

I have to say, Adelice being a creweler was really obvious.  The second her mentor started explaining the role of the Creweler, I knew Adelice was going to be one.  Given she doesn’t need a loom to weave, it’s not that big of a surprise that something interesting would be in store for her.

Another obvious thing: love triangle!  It’s no surprise that there’s a love triangle, but this one has some potential to be interesting.  Mostly because they’re brothers, but also because one of them was married and has a daughter.  And Ambassador Patton?  It’s not a surprise he wanted to marry Adelice for her abilities.  All in all, the romance is pretty predictable, but it’s not as irritating as it could have been, and Albin did a pretty good job with it.

I’m still not completely sure how to review this book!  I just can’t wrap my mind around this book.  There are a lot of things I like, and I really like that it feels like a fantasy but has elements of science fiction in it.  I just…I really like it!

Final thoughts: I didn’t love it, but it is so creative, and words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book!  I’m utterly astounded with the world Albin created, and I definitely have questions that need to be answered.  Crewel gets a 4 out of 5.  Plus, any novel that started out as something written during NaNoWriMo is just cool.

A Thousand Lives

Posted in Audiobooks, Books by

Book: A Thousand Lives by Julia Scheeres

Narrated By: Robin Miles

Run Time: 10 hours, 53 minutes

How I Got It: Audiobook, via Audible

Genre: Non-fiction: Sociology, Psychology

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Julia Scheeres

Goodreads.com Summary: They left America for the jungles of Guyana to start a better life. Yet what started as a Utopian dream soon devolved into a terrifying work camp run by a madman, ending in the mass murder-suicide of 914 members in November 1978. 

In A Thousand Lives, the New York Times best-selling memoirist Julia Scheeres traces the fates of five individuals who followed Jim Jones to South America as they struggled to first build their paradise, and then survive it. Each went for different reasons – some were drawn to Jones for his progressive attitudes towards racial equality, others were dazzled by his claims to be a faith healer. But once in Guyana, Jones’ drug addiction, mental decay, and sexual depredations quickly eroded the idealistic community. 

For this groundbreaking book, Scheeres examined more than 50,000 pages of newly released documents that the FBI collected from the camp after the massacre – including diaries, crop reports, and letters that were never sent home – as well as hundreds of audiotapes of Jones addressing his group. 

Scheeres’s own experience at a religious boot camp in the Dominican Republic, detailed in her unforgettable debut memoir Jesus Land, gives her unique insight into this chilling tale. 

Haunting and vividly written, A Thousand Lives is a story of blind loyalty and daring escapes, of corrupted ideals and senseless, searing loss.

A Thousand Lives was really interesting.  I had a general idea of what happened at Jonestown, but this was a really interesting and personal look at what it was like for some of the people who survived Jonestown.  You get a great look at the kind of people who were drawn to Jim Jones, and how he went from a charismatic guy on a corner, to someone who was addicted to drugs and seemed paranoid.

You see people who were so full of hope at the beginning, and so full of despair at the end.  I liked that you see how long it took for People’s Temple to go from one end of the spectrum to the other.  You see why they stayed loyal to him, even when they didn’t want to, and that the signs of his own instability were there long before the group committed mass suicide. You see everyone from well-educated people to people who were in prison who would follow him to the ends of the earth.

I definitely got the sense that Scheeres really identified with the members of People’s Temple.  You really feel for them at times, and she does do a great job with showing why people didn’t try to leave.  At the same time, though, it focused more on the people in Jonestown and not enough on Jim Jones.  I would have liked more background on him.  It definitely leans towards portraying him in a negative light.  I get why, but more of his childhood, and more about him would have been nice.

It does jump around a lot in terms of timeline, and keeping track of people was somewhat difficult, which made it a little harder to keep track of what was going on.

As far as the narration goes, Robin Miles did a great job narrating.

Final thoughts: I liked it, and thought it was an interesting look at Jonestown.  It gets a 3 out of 5.

Top 10 Tuesday: Freebie!

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Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own Top 10 list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

Freebie: 10 Reasons Why I Love YA

This week, we get to pick any topic we want, and this week, it’s why I love young adult.  I love YA, which should be really obvious by now.  But there are so many reasons why I love it, and I’m sharing some of those reasons today.

  1. It’s so creative!  Adult fiction can be creative too, but there are so many great ideas in YA, and they are most certainly things you wouldn’t see over in the adult section.  There are so many great YA books out there, and I’m amazed at how fun, thoughtful, and interesting YA is.  Even when I don’t like a book, a lot of times, I do like the premise of the novel, and love that you see authors going for something different.
  2. Length.  I’m not going to lie, the length is part of why I love YA.  The more I read YA, the less I pay attention to the length, but I do like that they’re (generally speaking) shorter than “adult” books.
  3. There are a lot more options in the YA section than there were when I was in high school.  I graduated from high school 8 years ago, and even then, it didn’t seem like there was much to choose from.  Now?  I don’t even know where to start half the time!  I love that it’s growing so much, and that there’s almost always something to fit my mood!
  4. I find the characters and what they’re going through a lot easier to relate to.  Reading about characters who are trying to find their place in the world and figuring out who they are is so much more fun to read.
  5. I love that it’s so hopeful!  No matter what happens, there’s always hope that things will get better, that the characters can make a difference or get through whatever’s going on.  YA is good at reminding me that there is both good and bad in the world.
  6. YA authors seem so supportive of each other.  From a few interviews I’ve heard, and based on some acknowledgements I’ve read, it seems like quite a few YA authors really like each author, and are super-supportive of other YA authors.  This is seriously cool, and it’s nice to know that they support each other.
  7. YA authors also seem a lot more accessible than other authors.  Then again, I pay more attention to YA authors because it’s most of what I read, but I feel like I can tweet them, or comment on their blog or whatever, and that they might actually answer back.
  8. YA brings out a lot of emotions.  I’ve laughed until I’ve cried, I’ve sobbed, and I’ve done happy dances.  I’ve yelled at books, and fought the urge to throw some books at the wall.
  9. I’ve read so much YA that I am now inspired to write my own!  Thank you YA!
  10. There’s something comforting about YA, and I think it’s reading about characters who have so much potential and opportunities.  It’s a good reminder of who we can be.  Reading YA usually makes me feel better.

GG 1 x 12: Double Date

Posted in Season One, The Gilmore Girls Project by

Double Date originally aired January 18, 2001.  It was written by Amy Sherman-Palladino and was directed by Lev L. Spiro.

In Double Date, Lorelei goes on a double date with Sookie and Jackson, and ends up with a horribly rude blind date!  Lane goes on a double date, and gets in serious trouble with her mom.

We open with Lorelei and Rory’s morning routine.  From there, we see Lane asking Rory to set up her and Dean’s friend Todd, who is the current love of her life.  Lane’s love life (or lack thereof) is always entertaining.

Things are awkward between Sookie and Jackson, and we see that she never did anything after asking Jackson if he wanted to go out sometime.  She finally sets up a date…and it’s a double date, because Jackson’s cousin Roon is in town, and it never occurred to Sookie to reschedule the date.  Sookie is kinda clueless at times, but it is kind of endearing.

Dean and Rory set up the date with Lane and Todd.  I have to say, watching Rory talk to Dean about setting up Lane and Todd…it was a hard scene to watch.  Rory’s so eager and persistent, but for some reason, Rory was really annoying in this scene.

We move on to date night, and Sookie’s nervous.  Lorelei’s helping her get ready, and Rory and Lane are getting ready for their night, all while trying to figure out what to tell Lorelei.

Meeting Roon was interesting.  He’s not happy about being set up with Lorelei, mostly because she’s tall…I was amused by his issue with her height.  As someone who’s not quite 5 feet tall, it’s nice when there’s someone tall, because they can get things off the top shelf.  Then again, it could be different for guys.

Sookie’s chattering away nervously, and the dinner really isn’t going well.  I vaguely remember Jackson looking a little bored, Roon is still annoyed he has to be there with Lorelei, and Lorelei is trying to get Sookie to talk to Jackson instead of her.

Meanwhile, Lane’s date with Todd isn’t going well either.  She realizes that he’s not her soulmate.  I seriously want to know more about these Connecticut schools!  Todd is majoring in gym…in high school!  I know it’s a fictional town, on a t.v. show…but that is one nice public high school if they have majors.  Did the writers not notice this or something?  I just think it’s weird.  But whatever.  I’ll go with it.

Lorelei, Sookie, Jackson and Roon leave the restaurant they’re at, and go to Luke’s instead.  Roon leaves, and wants Jackson to go with him, but Jackson ends up staying with Sookie.  Luke plays cards (poker, I think) with Lorelei so that she’s not alone.  Mrs. Kim comes in, looking for Lane, and that’s when they realize Rory and Lane weren’t completely honest with them.  They all go home, and Lane gets grounded, while Lorelei just talks to Rory about what happened.

Later, Lorelei talks to Mrs. Kim about how Lane’s a good kid, and to ease up a little.  You really see how differently they parent their kids, but you also see that they want the best for their kids and for them to be safe.  Mrs. Kim is one of my favorite characters on the show, and while strict now, she does become a lot cooler later on in the series.  We see that Lane can go in the front yard, as long as she stands behind the sign in the front yard.

Favorite scenes: Lorelei not wanting to study; anything with Michel is great

Pop Culture: Yoko Ono breaking up the Beatles, Sylvia Plath’s autobiography

Final thoughts: I liked seeing the start of Jackson and Sookie’s relationship.  I love Mrs. Kim, and she always makes me laugh, but she really is a great character.  It was a fun episode, and it got quite a few giggles.  It was fun, and I liked it!  It gets 3.5 mugs of coffee!

Princess In The Spotlight

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Book: Princess In The Spotlight by Meg Cabot

Published July 2000 by HarperCollins Publishers, 256 pages

How I Got The Book: Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Meg Cabot

Goodreads.com Summary: No one ever said being a princess was easy.

Just when Mia thought she had the whole princess thing under control, things get out of hand, fast. First there’s an unexpected announcement from her mother. Then Grandmère arranges a national primetime interview for the brand-new crown princess of Genovia. On top of that, intriguing, exasperating letters from a secret admirer begin to arrive.

Before she even has the chance to wonder who those letters are from, Mia is swept up in a whirlwind of royal intrigue the likes of which hasn’t been seen since volume I of The Princess Diaries.

I really like The Princess Diaries series.  Princess In The Spotlight is a fun read, and things really do move fast.  We learn that Mia’s mom is pregnant, so she’s going to have a sibling, and she also has a secret admirer.  She has to deal with the aftermath of an interview that she gave, and manages to annoy people at school, mention her mom’s relationship on national t.v., and has a fight with Lily because her first interview wasn’t on Lily’s t.v. show.  Sometimes, I wonder why Mia and Lily are friends, but at least Lily isn’t just talking to her because of her being a princess.

I love that it’s in diary form, and how we get to see what Mia’s thinking and feeling about her new life as a princess.  I also love the random lists throughout the book.  Mia’s so easy to relate to, and I can relate to a lot of her insecurities.  And she’s such a fun character- she is starting to grow into her role as a princess, and she’s definitely facing a lot of interesting challenges because she’s balancing a normal life with one of duty to Genovia.  She’s just a girl trying to get through high school, and she really feels like someone I could be friends with.

I just love that things don’t come easy for Mia.  She’s certainly not perfect, but I love that about her because being a princess isn’t as glamorous as it seems.  It’s actually refreshing to see a character who has to struggle with her new life and that it doesn’t automatically work out for her.

Final Thoughts: I didn’t love Princess In The Spotlight, but it’s a fun read, and a great addition to the series.

Some Nights

Posted in Music, Music Video by

Right now, one of my favorite songs is Some Nights by Fun.  It’s a great song, and I can’t stop listening to it.  I love the video- it wasn’t what I was expecting, but it’s still great.  Enjoy!

A Fractured Light

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Book: A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies

Published September 2012 by HarperTeen

Where I Got It: Purchased for my Nook, 352 pages

Genre: YA- Paranormal

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Jocelyn Davies

Goodreads.com Summary: When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. It’s not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she’ll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.

Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she’s capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can’t forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.

A Fractured Light is the sequel to A Beautiful Dark, and I can honestly say that I’m glad I didn’t stop with the first book!  I really liked A Fractured Light, and liked seeing Skye struggle with both the light and the dark that’s in her.  Was her decision a little predictable?  Yeah, but it’s also a good reminder that balance is good.  I also like that she’s learning to control all of her powers, and not just one side of them.

I liked learning more about Skye’s family, and how she decided that she needed to make her own way.  She has the best of the Order and the Rebellion, and eliminating one of those groups isn’t going to be good.  For anyone.  I did like that she didn’t automatically join the Rebellion even though she knew what the Order was like, and she seems intent on following her own path.  As for Asher and Devin, I’m not sure who I want her to end up with.  I feel like she’s going to end up with one of them, and I like that you can make a good case for either guy.  But Skye is also different enough that I feel like I’m going to be disappointed with whoever she doesn’t end up with.

We learn of Rogues, who don’t fit in with the Rebellion or the Order, and that Aunt Jo is a Rogue.  It’s an interesting idea, and one that will likely be important in the next book.  There wasn’t a lot of action, which means the epic battle between light and dark will be eventful and in the third book.  Still, we did learn a little more of the mythology, which was cool.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed A Fractured Light.  It was slightly predictable at times, but I loved the new things we learned, and how much Skye is changing.  It gets a 4 out of 5.