The Hunger Games - Reread

I know I talk about this book often after reading it last year.  I decided to re-read The Hunger Games since the movie is about to be released and I knew it would only take me a couple days to get through the book.  It would have only taken me one if I didn't have the kiddies to look after.

Re-reading this book, I found that my emotions still ran high throughout.  In some cases more than before.  I dreaded having to read the scene with Katniss, Rue and the flowers.  I teared up a bit, but held it in.  (I think it’s the song.  It adds to the emotion of the scene.)  I knew what the final scene with Katniss and Peeta was going to be, but I still felt sorry for Katniss and Peeta. Also, a few things came to my attention that I didn’t really take in the first time around.

I read a review recently of The Hunger Games, though I’m sorry, I don’t remember whose blog it was.  In the review, the blogger complained that it wasn’t believable that Katniss and Gale would be the only ones in District 12 who would venture beyond the fence to hunt and forage in the woods.  After reading that in the review, I thought that was a good point.  However, upon reading the book again, right at the beginning on page 5, Katniss mentions “the few of us who hunt.”  Katniss and Gale do not make a few, so presumably, there are others, (Tiny Spoiler) we just don’t meet them in the first novel.  Then just a few lines later, on page 6, Katniss talks about apple picking in the orchard, making it seem like a larger amount of District 12 residents participate.  Though Katniss knows about other hunters, it is only Gale who she partners with.

(Bigger Spoilers)I’ve also read several reviews that have criticized the romance/love-triangle in the book.  I think the romance between Peeta and Katniss is a necessary part of the plot.  Without it, we wouldn’t get the star-crossed lovers double-suicide at the end.  It is the act that defies the Capitol and the most dangerous thing Katniss does in the entire Hunger Games.  Their “love” changes the Games and the Capitol can’t have that.I think that’s it for spoilers

Do I think the “romance” between Gale and Katniss is necessary?  No.  Not in the first book.  Katniss could just say at some point that she thinks of Gale as a brother or something and that could be it.  But this is still a Young Adult book and apparently has to have some kind of love triangle.  At least it’s not the boys fighting over the girl.  It’s about the girl understanding her own emotions and the person she’s become before she can resolve her feelings about the boys.

I loved reading The Hunger Games again.  Suzanne Collins managed to suck me back into Panem.  I’m resisting the urge to re-read the rest of the series.  I’m going to save Catching Fire and Mockingjay for when the other movies come out.  I’m looking forward to them already.  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see The Hunger Games movie this weekend.  But my husband is taking me next weekend, when we can have a nice little date without the kids.  I’m not dragging him to see it either.  He’s actually looking forward to it too.

Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid

Horseradish was just what I needed after some of the books I've read lately.  Lemony Snicket put together a collection of quotes from his Series of Unfortunate Events along with a few other thoughts.  It was great and some of the quotes brought me back to those books.  I've been feeling in a Snicket sort of mood and Horseradish hit the spot.

The "Introduction" at the beginning of the book might be my favourite part of the whole thing.  It's a great, quirky story completely in that Snicket tone with an odd ending.  It was curious and funny and a little sad.  I've had this book for ages, I don't know what took me so long to read it.  If you're a Snicket fan, you should read it too.

Thirteen Judy Blume Novels to be Released as Ebooks

I know this is old news, but for those who don't know, you will now be able to get thirteen Judy Blume books as ebooks.  Enjoy!

Thirteen Judy Blume Novels to be Released as Ebooks

If you liked my Avengers' picture...

You'll appreciate this:

I found this on the Feminist Philosophers website.  The site links to a great article and more great pictures.

If you didn't read my Avengers' Butts post, see here.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

I'll get straight to the point, I loved it.  If you're a zombie fan, you have to read World War Z.  If you're not a zombie fan, I'd still recommend this book.  Max Brooks creates compelling characters who speak about how they suffered and survived the Zombie War.  Their stories are our future.  Many of the characters reference World War II, Castro and allude to President Obama and Nelson Mandela.

In the Blame section of the novel, there is a lot of talking about the recent American administration and recent wars.  The characters don't name anything specifically, but it seems that Brooks is referencing the Gulf/Afghanistan/Iraq and possibly also the previous Bush administration.  I think there are some serious comments made about big business's preconceptions of the American people (its consumers) and capitalism. 

You shouldn't think of World War Z as just another zombie book.  Brooks' writing is amazing.  The characters each have their own voice and there are a lot of characters.  Their stories are similar, yet different, changing with their age, status in life and cultural background.  I think some serious research went into finding out about the different cultures of the world.  The quality of the writing was just brilliant.  I don't know if I can say enough good things about this book.

spoilers

The social commentary is brilliant.  Universal healthcare.  Cuba having the most desired economy.  The Chinese civil war in the midst of the Zombie War.  The fake drug.  I could keep going on and on, but this is a blog not a book report or essay.

I also have to mention that I loved the surprise at the end of the Redekker section.

No more Spoilers

Apparently there is a movie coming out this December.  I wonder how the book is going to translate onto screen. In flashbacks?  There are so many characters and locations, how did they pick what to keep and what to leave out?  I'm excited and nervous about the movie.

In the end, I just want to say, read it.  Read it!

Could You Survive The Hunger Games?

I got this from Brenna at Literary Musings.

The Young Girl, by Katherine Mansfield

I know it has been a long time since I participated in Short Story Monday.  Now that my baby is older, I’m getting back some of my life, my usual habits and that means I want to read more and Short Story Monday encourages reading.  I'd like to read a new short story every week, but realistically, I'm going to aim for every other week.  So for my first Short Story Monday since my son was born, I thought I'd read an author I've never read before, but have been wanting to for a while.

Katherine Mansfield's, The Young Girl is a curious little story.  Were young socialites really like that back then?  Of course, after I think about it, is she acting any different than someone like Paris Hilton or Heidi Montag or any of those young famous girls that are famous for being famous? (I don't pay a lot of attention to the new batch of famous for nothing people.  Who's the new Paris Hilton?). Also, I thought it was interesting that The Young Girl's mother seems to have a gambling addiction.

I found some of the story a little vague.  I didn't know how young two of the characters were until far into the story.  I had a couple other confusing moments, but I found they didn't really matter.  I enjoyed the story.  It was a "slice of life" that I enjoyed reading about.  I liked the Girl's reaction at the end.  It showed that she wasn’t two-dimensional.  It was a good story and I'm looking forward to reading more stories by Mansfield.

Flight, by Marianne Villaneuva

I usually try not to have any SPOILERS, but this time, it was to difficult.

I was surprised by how much I liked Marianne Villanueva’s Flight.  I found it in this month's issue of PRISM International.  The story is only four pages long but it is full of surprises. At first it seems like a straight fiction story of a child growing up in the Philippines (or some island).  Then elements of fantasy are thrown in.  At first, they could be construed as symbolic, then you begin to feel they are real.

I am so intrigued by this story I want to look up more of Villanueva’s work.

*Rant:  I know it's not a long post, but I'm busy this weekend and was busy last weekend and my daughter is refusing to nap and my son has forgotten how to sleep through the night.  BUT, I really did enjoy this story so I wanted to get it out there. *End of Rant.

I Joined Goodreads and A Few Days Later 49th Shelf

I wasn't sure about joining Goodreads for a long time. I'm still not sure. I'm wondering if I'll eventually find that I'm too busy to maintain my Goodreads account as I have with previous non-blog bookish endeavours. Why then, if I'm concerned that I'll be too busy did I end up with a Goodreads account? One simple reason: the Goodreads app. Do you know that the Goodreads app has a barcode scanning feature? So, instead of having to manually enter my books, all I had to do was scan the barcode with the camera. Is is weird that I thought of barcode scanning as fun? Probably, but I don't care. I really liked that I could scan the book and a picture of the cover would pop up. It made joining Goodreads worth it.

There are other reasons I joined, like finding my blogging friends on Goodreads and entering giveaways. I like the Recommendations feature and the quizzes, browsing them are an excellent time waster.

Will I stick with Goodreads? I think so. Now that I'm on there, it seems pretty easy.  We'll see what happens.

The other site I've joined is 49thShelf.  It's a Canadian Book site.  I actually signed up ages ago, but never did anything about it.  Then, after joining Goodreads, I thought, I could join this one too.  It's Canadian and I'd like to help out my local indie authors if I can.  Plus, I'm always going on about Margaret Atwood, I enjoy Michael Ondaatje and Alice Munro and so many other great Canadians, it seemed natural to sign up here .

So, here I am.  I used to say that I wouldn't do any other book site besides my own blog, but now I've gone and joined two.

What was I thinking?

I've linked to both sites on my sidebar over to the right.  I know many of you are either already on Goodreads or at least know what it's about, but you might not know about 49thShelf.  Both sites are worth a visit.

*I couldn't resist using that picture.

New JK Rowling Novel

Is it going to be hated or loved?  They haven't even given an expected release date.  Come on!

JK Rowling announces new novel - for adults Books guardian.co.uk

It’s Getting Hot In Here!

I’m putting this one out fast.  It’s going to be a busy morning with the kids, but I was thinking about this topic all week.  So quickly, from The Broke and The Bookish, here are the Top Ten Books I'd Save If My House Was On Fire.  In no particular order: 

1. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
2. The MadAddam Trilogy, by Margaret Atwood (I know the third book isn't out yet, but I'm sure I'll want it.)
3. The Hunger Games Series, by Suzanne Collins
4. The Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling
5. The Legend Of Drizzt, by R.A. Salvatore
6. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
7. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
8. The Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series, by Charlaine Harris
9. Sense and Sensibilities, by Jane Austen
10. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

I know there are a lot of series on there.  I couldn't help it.  I love books so much, I’d have a hard time just picking ten.  I’d actually, probably grab the King, Atwood and Rowling books first and then try to get the rest.  My husband would be grabbing the Salvatore books too.

Chronicle

It had been way too long since I saw a movie in theatres.  Babies keep you busy.  But my husband decided we should go out, so the easiest thing for us to do was see a movie.  What movie should we see?  Well, we didn't really know.  We looked at what was playing at our local theatre, then turned to Rotten Tomatoes.  That brought Chronicle to our attention.


I hadn't heard much about Chronicle.  I'd seen one trailer on television after it had already opened and that's it.  I knew what it was generally about, some guys gain telekinetic abilities and we see what results from that.  On its own, it didn't seem particularly appealing, but when saw the 84% Fresh rating, my curiosity was piqued.


Chronicle was fantastic.  I really enjoyed this movie that I had no clue about two weeks ago.  Chronicle is told through various video cameras, mainly the camera of one of the three teenage boys, who decided about a week before they got their powers to video his whole life.  Thereby, the boys getting their powers is on video.  Occasionally there are other videos that come into play, a blogger's videos and various security cameras.  It give the movie a unique feature as the quality of the videos changes with the individual camera, so the quality of what we see changes too.


I really enjoyed how the boys grow and develop individually and together with the fun and responsibility of this new ability. It is a short movie and I was pleasantly surprised at how much action and character development they packed into an hour and twenty-three minutes.  Some of what happened was a bit predictable once the beginning laid everything out, but some of what happened wasn't.  Though there were a few predictable moments, there wasn't a part of this movie I didn't find entertaining.  If you are looking for something to watch the next time you got to the movies, go see Chronicle.

Goodbye Books Giveaway

I'm giving away some books; I was looking at my bookshelves and decided there were a few books I didn't need to keep, for various reasons.  So, I’m parting with them even though I'm a crazy book hoarder.  I'm going to giveaway one book a month, telling you a bit about the book and why I'm giving it away.  Some of the giveaways will be international, some not, because of how much it would cost to mail that book out.

The first is The Red Badge Of Courage, by Stephen Crane.  I'm giving this one away because I have another copy.  It's nothing fancy.  The copy up for grabs is the Dover thrift edition. I don't think I even read this copy.  I'm pretty sure I bought it while in school, forgot I had it and bought it again.  I enjoyed it and I don't tend to gravitate towards war stories.  Since blogging, I reviewed another of Crane's stories, A Poker Game.

This one is international, so if you'd like it, leave a comment below.  I'll choose someone at random on February 29th.

Heart Breakers! (Books Not Boys)

SPOILERS!!  (sorry)

The Broke and The Bookish are going anti-Valentine’s Day this year.  They want to know who our top ten heart breakers are.  These books are all heart breakers for different reasons.  I’ve tried to explain without giving too much away, but it can't be helped.  In no particular order:

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Houseinni – I know it’s a book I mention a lot, but I just hoped for Miriam so much.
2. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood – Another book I mention a lot and another woman who deserved better than she got.
3. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins – Yet another book that is often found on my lists.  I know it’s not the same as the first two, but I was so sad for Katniss (and Peeta) as they got off the train in District 12.
4. The Chaos Curse, by R.A. Salvatore – After all their battles, it seems like Cadderly is going to die!
5. The Dark Tower 7: The Dark Tower, by Stephen King - I really wanted Roland to find his friends and family and happiness at the end of the journey.  At least there is hope.
6. Eleanor Rigby, by Douglas Coupland - A brilliant story, with a very sad ending.  You really think for a while that the reunion will be enduring.
7. Confessions of an Ugly-Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire – This really is the stepsister’s story and it’s her that you feel for.  You want her and her sister to have a happy life.
8. 1984, by George Orwell - I just hoped their love would win out.
9. The Helmet of Horror, by Victor Pelevin - They were connected, they hoped to find each other, only discover that they couldn't.
10. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker - One heart-breaking moment after another.  You long for Celie to pull through and finally win.

What book breaks your heart?

Roots Day #6 or Getting Excited About Sleep

I can't believe I've done six of these Roots classes already.  The time goes by so fast.  We measured my son in the class today.  It is something that is done three times over the course, beginning middle and end.  The kids were so excited to see how much he's grown.  They were also excited to see how much more he was moving around.  Conveniently for the class, my son started using rolling over as a means of transportation on Tuesday.  So he was moving all around his green blanket.  The kids were excited that he was "coming to see them".  Maybe the next time they see him, he'll be doing more.

The theme for this unit was sleep.  We explained to the kids what his preferences were.  He doesn't sleep with a nightlight.  What kind of blanket does he use?  Dies he sleep with a stuffed animal? - He's too young to sleep with a stuffed animal, plus he doesn't want one.

It was an interesting class; definitely better than the last too.  Now, I'm back to looking forward to the next one.

Will We Have To Defend Ourselves From From A Robot Spider Army?

For the Sci-fi geeks: It's a Replicator!



I don't know what they're actually going to call it.  They have a naming contest going on.  I'm not entering because all I can see are those metal bugs from Stargate.  To go even geekier, the Replicators were initially toys too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o57yDmfw8w

The Hobbit (Graphic Novel Adaptation)

It has been a long time since I read J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit.  Influenced by a review I read at The Book Mine Set, I decided that I would read the graphic novel adaptation of The Hobbit, by David Wenzel and Charles Dixon.  After all, it was just sitting on a shelf.  (I bought it for my husband about four years ago.)  Some of what John at The Book Mine Set said, plus my own memories of the original novel, made me want to see (read) for myself.  Even though I had been planning on reading something else, it was a graphic novel and those don't take long.

I think The Hobbit adaptation is the longest graphic novel I've read.  I haven't read a lot, but I've been reading a few each year for the past while.  Enough to think that at 134 pages, it's long.  It wasn't even just the page count.  There were a lot of those descriptive/narration boxes everywhere (I don't know what they're actually called).  I'm used to the pictures telling the story, with dialogue bubbles and the occasional box.  It didn't make the novel bad, it just made it take a lot longer than I thought it would.
Reading The Hobbit graphic novel, I found myself having similar issues to the ones I had with Dracula.  It was a combination of knowing what would happen, plus not being sure if i was remembering it right and wondering if there were changes made in the adaptation.  It's been over ten years since I read The Hobbit.  It looks like I might have to read it again.  Especially with the movie coming out in December, I want to make sure I remember it right.

One, possibly minor problem i had while reading it, Why did I keep expecting the drawings to look like the actors from the movie, especially Elrond?  The book is separate from the movie.  Maybe part of that issue was that I expected the elves specifically to look different.  Not necessarily ethereal or wispy, but they looked so much like humans, that I had a difficult time identifying them immediately.  Otherwise, I thought the art was just fine.

If you like Tolkien's The Hobbit and you like graphic novels, you may like this book.  I liked it, but I don't think it really changed or enhanced my connection to the original story.  Would I read it before or instead of the original novel? No. It's good, but no way that good.  It was an okay little diversion and reminder of a great movie to come.

When is a quote not a quote?

I hate this misuse of quotation marks.  It annoys me every time I see it.  Click the link below for more pictures.

Stargazing blog by Malene Arpe

On Gender And Babies

Do you differentiate between "girl" toys and "boy" toys?  My daughter loves trains and cars.  A stuffed Spiderman is among her favourite toys.  She loves dragons and spaceships.  She also enjoys dolls, skirts and Tinkerbell.  We've given her options and she gravitates towards whatever she likes.  We do the same with our son.  My daughter has already "loaned" him a pink and purple cabbage patch doll.  Right now, he likes to chew on the face...  I wouldn't take it away from him just because it's pink.

There are some parents who have said to me, oh sorry, your daughter won't have anything to play with because I only have boy toys.  Really?  My daughter won't want to play with any of the same things as your son?  Not one thing?  I mean, I don't think we should be as crazy as that lady in The Toronto Star article from last year.  But I also don't think we should draw a line with girl stuff on one side and boy stuff on the other.

My hubby pointed out that we don't live in the city.  Well, we don't live in the boonies either.  Besides, that shouldn't even matter.  This is the twenty-first century!  Small town or city dweller, it shouldn’t matter what toys your child likes.  All that matters is that they’re happy and healthy.

*Imagine me saying this, more or less, in a rant to my husband as he’s doing the dishes, our 7-month-old son is playing with his feet and our 2 ½ year old daughter is pushing a musical train around her little brother. *

Dracula (The Movie)

The official title of the film is Bram Stoker's Dracula, but I'm not sure if it really is.  One argument for this being Stoker's Dracula is that there are lines the characters say that are right out of the book, which I really liked.  Much of the characters personalities are there.  But holy crap, there are a lot of boobies.

As I said in my review of the book, it had been many years since I watched the movie.  It was so long ago that I didn't remember a lot of it, just the general story.  Re-watching it, the movie came back.  I knew I remembered some sort of romantic storyline between Mina and Dracula.  A storyline which is absent in the book.  The movie gives Dracula a more romantic, tragic air, coupled with his viciousness, serves to make him a more sympathetic, even relatable character for cinematic audiences.

I understand that vampires are probably the most seductive and sexual of the supernatural creatures.  There is the sucking and penetration, much of which is in the neck area, an erotic area of the body.  There is also the romantic idea of being together for eternity.  In the book, Dracula's "brides" are fairly sexual, wanting, even craving Harker.  In transferring the characters from book to film, it seems that all the characters have had their sex drives ramped up to match the brides.  (However, compared to True Blood and other contemporary vampiric incarnations, the Dracula movie is not outrageous.)

I enjoyed the movie.  I think I enjoyed it more the first time, not knowing how it was going to end and without the book fresh in my mind.  It definitely has a dark and creepy air.  The scenery and sets felt a little more obvious this time, now that I'm used to big budgets and CGI.  The lunatic asylum threw me off too. (Were they really like that back then?)  It just seemed so wild and dirty, where in the book, everything felt more clean and organized. 

I really liked the atmosphere, with darkness surrounding the characters, highlighting just what was necessarily, creating an engaging mood and environment.  The actors were great, taking us back to seeing young Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder.  Also, Gary Oldman looks the same and it’s been ten years.  So does Anthony Hopkins, who is a good Van Helsing.  Also, I love Cary Elwes.  I’m not sure if I actually liked Winona Ryder as Mina Harker, though.  At least not the Mina from the book. 

I feel like someone is going to make another Drucula movie in the future.  I don’t think people can help making remakes/reboots these days.  The book is such a rich source material; I can see it constantly attracting people to it.

I’m not sure I like the end of this review/post.  But I don’t have anything else to say except, it was a good movie.  If you like vampires, you should watch it.

I Want To Be In Your Club!

What are your Top Ten Book Club Picks?  This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know.  I’m not sure if my books are going to work.  I’ve never been part of a book club, so I don’t know what kinds of books are normally chosen.  So, I’ve decided to theme my book club picks.

1.     If the book club read Zombie books:  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Graeme-Smith.

2.     If the book club read Vampire books:  Dracula, by Bram Stoker or Interview with a Vampire, by Anne Rice.

3.     If the book club read Dystopian books:  The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

4.     If the book club read Young Adult fantasy books:  Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling or The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

5.     If the book club read Fantasy books:  The Crystal Shard, by R.A. Salvatore.

6.     If the book club read Classics:  Flush, by Virginia Woolf.

7.     If the book club read Mysteries:  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson or Murder On The Orient Express, by Agatha Christie.

8.     If the book club read Horror:  The Stand, by Stephen King (even though I haven’t read it yet…)

9.     If the book club read Historical Fiction:  The Wars, by Timothy Findley.

10. If the book club read Paranormal Romance:  Undead and Unwed, by MaryJanice Davidson.

What is your book club going to read?

The Silver Chair

The Silver Chair is the forth book I’ve read in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.  It is labeled as the sixth book, but as some people may be aware, there is a disagreement as to what order the books should be read.  Some say that you should read them in the order Lewis published them; others say that they should be read according to time the story takes place.  I’ve chosen to read them in the order they were published.  One article pointed out, there are references in some of the books that make more sense if you read the books in the order Lewis wrote them.

Enough of that, back to the book.  The Silver Chair continues the story of Eustace Scrubb, cousin to the Pevensies, the siblings who once ruled Narnia. As the story begins, we find Jill Pole, a schoolmate of Eustace’s, as she is trying to escape the bullies.  Eustace finds her.  This is not a coincidence.  Visitors to Narnia are called in some kind of magical way.

It is nice to see Eustace is still himself, but with the goodness and bravery he learned in Narnia.  He still gets annoyed at things the way he did in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but he isn’t in disbelief and he strives to do the right thing.  Jill is now the one who places blame, even when she knows she’s in the wrong.  It’s another story where the children grow and learn about themselves and the world.

We also revisit Caspian.  Many years have passed.  (This is all in the beginning of the book.)  It made Eustace sad to see a once great warrior grown so old, but I saw it differently.  I thought it was great that Caspian lived a long life, ruling kindly over the land.  I like looking back at characters in a series or even over a long novel.  I know Narnia is a bit different, as the stories don’t necessarily need to be read in order, but it is still nice to know what happened to a character you had grown to care for.

The Silver Chair is a good story.  It made me wonder if the white witch and the green witch are somehow related.  I’ve looked on the interweb and I’m not the only one who wonders at the relationship between the green and white witches.  I also want to know, who will threaten Narnia next?  There always seems to be something to fight.

Roots Day #5 Or, The Day I Forgot To Write About

I guess I've been so busy with the kids, I forgot to write about the Roots class last week.  Class 5 dealt with emotions.  We talked about why my son would be happy, mad, sad or scared and then the children related it to their own lives.  I think it was an important topic for the class. 

For some reason, this class didn’t make that much of an impression on me.  The kids were the same, the carpet, the art and thankfully the teachers.  It wasn’t particularly crazy or boring or inspiring.  It was regular.  Maybe I had higher expectations after such a disappointing class in December.  I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see what February’s class brings.

Bad Grammar From A Bookstore

I have an extreme dislike of bad grammar.  Accidental typos and honest mistakes are one thing; you learn from them and move on.  To choose bad grammar makes my skin crawl.  Click the link for more information. Also, I don't think and apostrophe really makes a difference to a search engine.

Ten Canadian Authors

This week is Freebie week over at The Broke and TheBookish.  I was inspired by 1girl at AllThe Books I Can Read, who decided that she would name the top ten books by Australian authors.  Naming ten specific books might be a little to difficult for this time of night, but I do want to recommend ten great Canadian authors.  Are they the top ten?  I don’t know, but I certainly like them.

1. Alice Munro
2. Michael Ondaatje
3. Rabindranath Maharaj
4. Sinclair Ross
5. Douglas Coupland
6. Helen Humphreys
7. Timothy Findley
8. Margaret Laurence
9. Gwendolyn MacEwen
10. Lucy Maud Montgomery

Narrowing it down to ten was not easy.  I purposely did not include Margaret Atwood, because I talk about her all the time.  I hope some of these authors make it onto your shelves.

Dracula

In recent years, I feel like we've been inundated with sparkly-inspired vampires.  Vampires that are your boyfriend, that walk around in the daytime and are all brooding and cute.  What happened to the vampire who only wants to rip out your throat? I love Lestat, the vampires of Blade and Buffy. (I know Buffy also started as a teenager, but she killed almost every vampire and demon that crossed her path; she saved the world on a regular basis.  Yes, she dated a vampire too, but she also sent him to hell to save the world.)  I wanted a dark vampire story, where the vampire is the villain and the heroes work tirelessly to save the ones they love and maybe they aren't always successful. 


I recently re-read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and felt that another classic horror was calling to me.  Dracula was the answer.  It was classic, with blood, violence and death.  Anyone who calls themselves a vampire fan, has to read this novel.  Bram Stoker is the one who really started the modern fascination worth vampires.  Yes, there have been different authors, television shows and movies during the various surges in popularity, but without Dracula, would it be the same?  Dracula will wine and dine you, before killing you.  Dracula will steal your loved ones from you, just for fun.  Dracula is the immortal serial killer. 


I really enjoyed Dracula.  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel in the end.  The entire novel is told through various letters, journals, articles, etc., which is fine; I've read stories like that before.  I liked the different perspectives and narrators.  The first part of the novel is told through Jonathan Harker's journal; he is the young lawyer who travels to Castle Dracula.  It was intense, going along with him into all the dark parts of the castle, through all his discoveries and the realization that he was trapped.  It was exciting.


Then we moved to Mina, Jonathan's fiancée and her friend Lucy.  I was bored by these two ladies.  I wasn't sure I'd make it through the novel at a few points.  Some of the information was necessary to set up the rest of the novel, but it seemed to go on forever.  I'm glad I pushed through.  Once the men start trying to save Lucy, it gets more interesting and we are finally introduced to Professor Van Helsing.  


Van Helsing is crazy and fantastic.  How does he know what he knows?  If Dr. Seward didn't know him, they would have lost.  Van Helsing was the key.  He knew what to do.  He told them that Dracula/the Undead/vampires were repelled by something sacred, like a crucifix or holy water.  My side question here, sacred to who?  If it is anything sacred, would the Star of David or Om work as well?  Also, garlic, how did he figure that one out?  


One other point about Van Helsing, I know that he's from Amaterdam, but did Stoker have to write his speech that way.  Occasionally, when reading certain notes or dialogue from Van Helsing, I had to re-read it to understand what he was saying.  Stoker also did this with other people who weren't speaking perfect English.  Trying to read accents and dialects was not always fun.


Perhaps a minor spoiler here:  Another part I found frustrating was when they are at Dr. Seward's, first Mina, then others, talk about the mist.  How do they not know? Dracula is the mist! They're trying so hard to protect Mina that they're ignoring the signs. Very frustrating.  I hope I'm not giving anything away, but was so obvious to me.


[I'm moving past the men protecting women issue (man-brain, woman-brain, really?), because of the era of the novel.]


One continuity note, when Dr. Seward is introducing the men to Renfield, where did Harker go?


Reading Dracula has made me want to watch the movie.  We have it.  I'm not sure how long it has been since I watched it.  I barely remember it.  That's good, I think, for reading the novel, but I know there are differences and I want to see now how it compares.  That might be something for this weekend.


So now I've read and enjoyed the big three of classic horror, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein.  It's been a whole decade since I read Frankenstein.  I think I'll re-read it in October.


"Do you not think that there are things which you cannot understand, and yet which are; that some people see things that others cannot?" - Dr. Van Helsing.

20 000!

I just thought I'd mention, I've reached over 20 000 hits.  It happened sometime yesterday.  Yay for me!

Artist Ryan Larvin

I am going to tell you something important about Ryan Larvin.  Ryan is a fantastic artist. I love his paintings. I am excited to write about his work and have his paintings on my blog.  Ryan's work makes me think of love and family.  There is a beauty and fluidity in his art that can make you feel comfortable and warm, even if it's a painting of a snowy hill.

Currently, Ryan resides in Leeds. He is often in Canada.  He will do work on commission and has work on sale at Brown's Gallery in the UK.  Customers can customize their paintings by choosing colours and by having their initials painted on a the tree.  Each member of a family can be included in the paintings too.  Please visit his website for more information.

Leeds Fine art Artist Ryan Larvin Original modern fine art! personalised for your home interior

Giveaway at Literary Musings - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favourite novels.  When I saw that it was being given away at Literary Musings, I had to post the link!

Literary Musings: Giveaway: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: I was organizing my bookshelves and notice I have two copies of The Handmaid's Tale , one with my penciled annotations and underlines and an...

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8: Predators and Prey

Giant killer kitty, a submarine and Harmony.  What more can you ask for?  Seriously, Harmany, what is she doing?  When did she think that was a good idea?  She didn't think of it herself... did she?  Volume 5 is crazy!

Predators and Prey gives us a look at all the Buffy, Season 8 characters.  We get to see what everyone has been up to since the story left them behind.  I like that we see what's happened to Faith and Giles, which I've been wondering about.  We also see what caused Dawn to turn into a giant and a centaur and a new incarnation. There’s Kennedy and Satsu, which is great.  There’s even Anderson Cooper.  I like a little bit of real life bleeding through onto the Buffy page.

Predators and Prey was such a crazy volume, it's difficult to know what to say.  I loved it.  There was action, adventure and excitement.  I found the Buffy gang as engaging as ever.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop over at Crazy-For-Books is back and a bit different. It's now a monthly event. I'm glad to have a place to read new blogs. Thanks to everyone who drops by!

I Want More!

First my post published before it was ready, then it was deleted altogether.  I also can't get rid of the background...  This post did not go smoothly...


The Broke and The Bookish really made me think this week.  I wasn't sure if I could make it, but here are the Top Ten authors I wish would [have] write[n] more. Except for the first book, they are in no particular order.

1. Harper Lee - She wrote one of the best books of the twentieth century, To Kill A Mockingbird. She's in her eighties now, with no plans to ever write a second book.
2. Lauren DeStefano - Oh, wait...  After I read Wither, I was so sad that there was nothing else by her, now I'm eagerly waiting.
3. Khaled Hosseini - It has been five years since A Thousand Splendid Suns was published, one of my favourite novels. 
4. J.R.R. Tolkien - He wrote some literary criticism and started other things, but nothing like Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit.
5. Emily Brontë - Love it or hate it, Wuthering Heights is an English classic.  It is a dark, moody story and I would have loved to see what else this Brontë sister could have created.
6. Alice Sebold - It has been five years since, The Almost Moon. The Lovely Bones was intense. She' only 48, What's next?
7. J.K. Rowling - How difficult must it be to even begin something new after the massive success of Harry Potter?  I do hear there is something new in the works, but who knows when that will come out.
8. Douglas Adams - I loved the Hitchhicker's series. I should read The Salmon Doubt, my husband owns a copy.
9. Stieg Larsson - I think the only mystery writer I like.
10. Sylvia Plath - The Bell Jar was amazing. She also wrote brilliant poetry, but I can't help that she wrote more novels.


Who do you wish wrote more?

Ack!

I hate when I accidentally publish a draft before it's ready.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

A teacher recommended I read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for a project I did on horror in high school. I remember this novel being one of the highlights of my research. I loved it. My second reading of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was as good as the first. It might even have been better since the first time I read it, I was so young, I think grade 12. My reading tastes have broadened and matured; I think it helps give me new appreciation for the work. Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of "mystery and suspense" was my example of a classic horror. It isn't horrific because of gruesome killing scenes; it's horrible because something like Hyde could be living in all of us. It makes you wonder who would succumb to temptation of letting it loose, like Jekyll. 

I think it is safe to say that most people know the general story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde even if they haven't read the novel. I saw it portrayed in a re-run of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. It makes of wonder if I'm missing something when I read this story. Stevenson's original readers didn't know what was going to happen; they didn't know who Hyde really was or the hold he had over Dr. Jekyll. I think much of the intended mystery and suspense didn't exist for me. Though I read the novel knowing what the big twist at the end of the novel was, it was still really enjoyable. What I didn’t know when I first read it was that it was told from the point of view of Mr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll’s friend. It was interesting to follow Utterson and watch the story unfold through his eyes. While a reader of the 21st century might know the secret, Utterson doesn't; I went through the novel anticipating his surprise and being excited when he finally learned the truth. 

The appeal of the story is broad; it has mysterious settings, violence and excellent characters. More than anything, this story is driven by its characters. Utterson and Jekyll/Hyde move the plot forward, taking the reader on a dark journey. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a book not just for those who love horror and those who love classics, but those who love compelling characters.