Harry Potter And The Cursed Child

I loved it. I really did. I loved grown up Harry, Ron and Hermione. I loved grown up Draco. I love the moment of envy and connection he has with Ginny. I loved their children. Albus and Scorpius are unique and different from their fathers. Yet, Albus is more like Harry than he realizes. I loved Rose and wish we had more of her. I enjoyed the whole story. How the characters changed, then changed again. I loved the glimpse of darkness. The Augery. I loved the Harry Potter series and The Cursed Child is a great addition.

Now I'm eager to see it. I hope the production travels. I hope Harry Potter and The Cursed Child comes to Toronto and I get to see it. I'm sure the tickets will be insanely expensive, but I already talked to Hubby, who is also a huge fan, and we'll just splurge. Yes, we're already planning and the play has only been open in another country for just a few weeks.

Yes, this is very much a play. There are definitely some descriptive, beautifully written stage directions, which lend themselves to the telling of the story, but The Cursed Child is a published script, and those are stage directions, not an artfully crafted descriptive paragraph. I've talked to people who have had a hard time with reading plays in the last, not just Shakespeare, but anything non-novel. I've never had a problem with that. Though I would agree seeing a play is better than reading one. I felt that way after reading Death of a Salesman and Cyrano de Bergerac. But really, this is Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling. If you want to know what happened to Harry, Hermione, Ron and many of the rest, this story is a must-read.

I could gush, I could write all kinds of spoiler-y things, but I won't. I'll just say that this story is amazing.

Top Ten Characters I'd Like To Check In With

I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in a really, really, long time. But I saw this week's topic and it really connected with me.  How many times have you read a book and imagined what life was like for the character after the story's end? I know I have. Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever find out.I certainly didn't know there would be a sequel (or two) to Oryx and Crake when I first read it. Margaret Atwood isn't known for writing trilogies, but I'm so glad she created MaddAddam. I didn't think there would be books after Wicked either (and I still have to read them). Sometimes that hope to know what happens to the lives of our favourite characters is fulfilled, but most of the time, nope, we don't get to know.

Here are my top ten characters I'd like to check in with - in no particular order:

1. Offred from The Handmaid's Tale - Never going to happen, because the ending is perfect, but I still wish I knew what happened to her.

2. Roland from The Dark Tower series - I will try not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read the whole series, but I want to know if Roland breaks the cycle.

3. Harry Potter - Harry Potter!

4. Laila from A Thousand Splendid Suns - Did her life turn out okay?  It seemed like it would, but after such a difficult beginning, I'd like to make sure.

5. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird - ... Oh wait....

6. Del from Lives of Girls and Women - I just want to know.

7. Lena from the Delirium series - That ending! Come on!

8. David & Tell Ullman from The Demonologist - That ending! Come on!

9. The Baudelaires from A Series of Unfortunate Events - Who do they become when they grow up?  (Do they grow up?)

10. The Time Traveler from The Time Machine - Where does he end up?

I refrained from including any series that I know has another book out or coming out that I haven't read yet.  As much as I wanted to include Blue Sargent (from The Raven Cycle) or Betsy Taylor (from Undead), I didn't, because there are books to read and maybe once I reach the conclusions of these series I won't be wondering (I know what happens to MaddAddam's Toby and Katniss from The Hunger Games). These are all characters that still capture my imagination. Who do you wonder about you close the book?

The Silkworm

The Silkworm was everything I hoped it would be. Robert Galbraith's* second novel was every bit as good as The Cuckoo's Calling. I love Strike. I love Robin. I'm really interested to see where their relationship is going, as I think it is the driving force behind the book and series. I'm also interested in seeing how Robin and Matthew's relationship changes as she changes.

Minor  Spoilers

In the aftermath of the Lula Landry case, Strike built on his 15 minutes of fame. (It is what I hoped would happen.) Then one day, tired, he takes on a case from pushy Leonora Quine. I really hoped that Galbraith wouldn't do a second time what he did with The Cuckoo's Calling and make the killer the person who hired Strike. I was pleased with that and everything that happened in the novel. It was exciting and fluid. I had to know what happened next.

I really liked all the new characters we got to meet. We got to meet one of Strike's half-siblings on his father's side. I loved Al. I definitely want to get to know him better. I felt so bad for Nina, though she was a bit pushy and presumptuous. Strike has some interesting and diverse friends. I really liked Robin's mother too. I'm excited to see how their social circles expand and collide. I'm already checking, hoping, to soon have another Coromon Strike novel.

* I know it's really J.K. Rowling.  I just like to pretend.

The Cuckoo's Calling

The Cuckoo's Calling was fantastic...  I don't have a great track record with mystery novels.  I've read a few and not liked them.  Honestly, the only ones I can recall liking are the books I've read by Agatha Christie and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but I've read others, a couple that were well-reviewed, that bloggers have loved and I haven't liked them.  So, even though I was very excited to read a book by Robert Galbraith, I went into it a bit nervous.

Cormoran Strike, the private detective, was unique, interesting and felt very real.  I loved Robin, assistant extraordinaire.  Even their first meeting was unexpected.  They were fleshed-out characters, not just shells through which we follow the mystery.  Their lives and histories play into how they handle the case.  Everything about the plot, from beginning to end, had me engaged and excited.  I never wanted to put the book down. The end was also a great surprise.  I thought it was one of two other people.  Strike was right, the person who did it was "bat-shit insane".  I'm excited to read more Cormoran Strike novels. I'm glad that this was just the first.  I'm also wondering if the "lucky suit" will make another appearance.

I could keep going on and on about the amazing plot, multi-faceted characters, but I think I'd give away the plot.  The Cuckoo's Calling surpassed my expectations.  I'm glad that I read it and I've already started recommending it to everyone.  

....Of course I know who Robert Galbraith is, I'm just, you know, going with it....

Time to Lounge In The Sun! Top Ten Beach Reads

It seems like every year just as the beach season starts, The Broke and The Bookish want to know, what are your Top Ten Beach Reads.  This will in fact be my third "beach read" list.  This year the topic also specifically asks how YOU define a beach read.  

Usually, if a list is repeated or I've done something similar, I'll try not to repeat the books.  This time, I'm going to think about what I would want in a beach read and see what makes my top ten this week, even if it was on one of the previous lists.  For me, when I want to take something to the beach, I want it to be a page-turner.  It doesn't have to be fluff, it could be anything that will keep me engaged.  It also needs to be something I can put down at any point and come back to without feeling like I need to catch up.  What if I want to take a dip in the water?  Or build a sand castle?  I don't want to feel like I can't leave the story.  In no particular order, my Top Ten Beach Reads.

1. Anything by Sophie Kinsella.

2. The Undead Series, by MaryJanice Davidson

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

4. The Divergent Trilogy, by Veronica Roth

5. A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket

6. The Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling

7. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

8. Anything by Jane Austen

9. The Sookie Stackhouse Series, by Charlaine Harris

10. Redshirts, by John Scalzi

Well, apparently I like taking mostly genre books to the beach....  What are your favourite beach reads?

What A Surprise! Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know what are the Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did.  I decided to split the list, 5 each.  They're in no particular order.  Hopefully my ramblings are understandable.

I thought I'd like MORE:

(aka, Disappointed)

1. Heavenly Date and Other Flirtations, by Alexander McCall Smith - Everyone seems to love Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books.  I'd heard such good things about them. When I saw a copy of Heavenly Date and Other  Flirtations not only did I pick it up because of Smith's reputation, but I love short stories and I liked the title.  I was sadly disappointed.  I've since read another of Smith's books, a novel, not No. 1 Ladies, and also didn't really like it.  He's not a bad writer, just something about his style doesn't appeal to me.

2. Girl meets boy, by Ali Smith - Girl meets boy is a book from the Canongate Myth Series.  Up until this installment, I had enjoyed each Myth book.  They're all by different authors, so perhaps there was bound to be one I didn't really like.  It's a slim 149 pages, but it took ages for me to get through.

3. Undead Reckoning, by Mike Slabon - I was really looking forward to this self-published zombie-fantasy novel.  I've been getting more into zombies (perhaps blame Walking Dead) and I want to support self-published authors and Slabon seems like a genuinely nice guy.  I really wanted to love this book, but sadly didn't.

4. The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie, by Alan Bradley - Why do people love The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie?  I expected to love it too.  They synopsis, what other people were saying, all indicated to me that I would enjoy the book.  I found Flavia so irritating, I just couldn't handle it.

5. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen - Unlike the other books on this list, I really liked Pride and Prejudice.  I loved Lizzy and Darcy; all the characters were fantastic.  It's a great story.  I read it after I read Sense and Sensibility, which I loved.  The way people spoke about Pride and Prejudice, I expected to love it more than Sense and Sensibility and that just didn't happen.  So while I still enjoyed it, I didn't love it the way I expected.  Right now, Sense and Sensibility is my favourite Austen.

I thought I'd like LESS:

(aka, Pleasantly Surprised)

1. The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling - So many people were complaining about The Casual Vacancy.  It wasn't Harry Potter, it was long, it was boring.  If you went in expecting it to be like Harry Potter then yes, you'd be disappointed, but I knew it wouldn't be.  I read the synopsis.  More than one it was mentioned that this was a book for adults.  It actually reminded me a bit of a Stephen King book.  I really liked it.

2. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey - I knew I'd like Livvy Higgs, I just didn't know I'd love it!  I could seriously gush about it, but it would probably be simpler to read my review.

3. Living Dead In Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse #2), by Charlaine Harris - I read the first book in the series, Dead Until Dark and liked it.  I didn't think it was spectacular, but I had a box set and figured I'd eventually get to the rest of the books.  A while later I read Living Dead In Dallas and that was the surprise   Book 2 hooked me into the series.  I read five books in about two weeks, which is pretty fast for me.  Then, I borrowed book 8 because I just had to know what happened next. (I'm not going to talk about the most recent books.)

4. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - I figured Lee's novel would be okay.  There would be some historical/societal/social stuff, but I didn't know.  I didn't know how amazing this novel really is and why EVERYONE should read it.  Everyone.

5. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts, by Douglas Adams - My hubby told me to read it.  He usually only reads fantasy, but here he was trying to get me to read sci-fi.  I didn't know how awesome  Hitchhiker's  was.  I want to re-read it.  Multiple times.

I Want ALL Your Books: The Authors On My Auto Buy List

The topic from The Broke and The Bookish: "Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List (basically an auto-buy list is no questions asked..you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote next you'd buy regardless of genre or subject matter) "

I'm not sure I have ten authors on my Auto-Buy list.  I also don't tend to buy a lot of new releases.  I already own so many books.... I often wait for sales/specials so as to slow the hoarding...  There are also some authors I love that have large back catalogues.  So I aim to eventually buy all their books, but that takes time and money.  

In no particular order, here is my Auto-Buy List.

1. Stephen King (So many books!)

2. Margaret Atwood (See above!)
3. Michael Ondaatje (I haven't read his newest novel yet.)

4. Alice Munro (Working through her many books.)

5. Lauren DeStefano (Probably the newest addition.)

6. Sophie Kinsella (But not Madeline Wickham?  I haven't actually read anything under Wickham, only Kinsella....)

7. J.K. Rowling (I liked The Causal Vacancy)

8 Veronica Roth might make it on to this list.

I couldn't make it to ten.  Maybe I'm too discriminating... maybe I'm too poor.

Who is on your Auto-Buy List?

Harry Potter: The Prequel

I had heard years ago (probably over four) that J.K. Rowling had written a short  Harry Potter prequel story.  At about 800 words, it is very short.  Why did it take me so many years to read it?  I'm not sure.  I knew it was there, and I wanted to read it, it just never happened.  I'm sorry I waited so long, yet I'm also not sorry.  I love the Harry Potter series.  I was sad when it came to its inevitable end.  It has been several years since I read the final book, The Deathly Hallows.  Reading The Prequel was like indulging in a bit of nostalgia.  I really enjoyed a peak at what James and Sirius were like when they were young.  It made me smile.  It made me wish there was more.  I know that Rowling will likely not write about Harry Potter and the wizarding world again, but she hasn't said never.  Who knows how she'll feel in ten or twenty years.  The Prequel has made me want to read the books again, possibly along with Pottermore.  800 words certainly made me think about a lot of things....

Short Story Monday is presented by John Mutford at The Book Mine Set.

End of Year Book Survey.

I'm so excited to be doing Jamie's End of the Year Book Survey.  I enjoyed it last year.  I find it a nice way to reflect back on a year of reading, as well as other stuff that happened, that you might have blogged about.  Do you agree/disagree with any of my answers?  Please leave a comment!  Also, let me know if you've done the survey too.  Happy Holidays!

1. Best Book You Read In 2012?

I decided to go with Jamie’s suggestion (cheat) of breaking it down by genre. I read some really great books this year. This list isn’t even half of them.

Best Children’s Book – Go Away, Big Green Monster, by Ed Emberly
Best Zombie Book – World War Z, by Max Brooks
Best Non-Fiction – How To Be A Woman, by Caitlin Moran
Best Classic – Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Best Short Story Collection – Forty Stories, edited by Cal Morgan
Best Literary/General Fiction – Canada, by Richard Ford
Best Fantasy – The Magician’s Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
Best Science-Fiction – Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling – It was slow to begin with, but it did pick up. In the end, I did enjoy it, but I didn’t love it. You can read my thoughts here.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

I knew I would probably like Night of the Living Trekkies, but I didn’t know how much I would love it. I loved every single quirky, geeky reference. It was so much fun!

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

For people who like literary fiction, I probably recommended Canada, by Richard Ford.
For genre lovers, I recommended Night of the Living Trekkies and Divergent…. and maybe World War Z.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Divergent! I can’t wait until the third book is out.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Is this new to me - like the Top Ten list I did recently - or new as in first book? For new-to-me, check out my Top Ten list from December 11th.

If it’s first books, then I really enjoyed The Maladjusted, by Derek Hayes. Also Darcy Pattison’s non-fiction picture book, Wisdom, the Midway Albatross.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I read a lot of genres, but something I don’t read a lot of is non-fiction and I actually read three this year!  My favourite was How To Be A Woman, by Caitlin Moran. So fantastic.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

I read a few unputdownable books this year including: Divergent, Insurgent, How to be a Woman and Night of the Living Trekkies.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

I don’t re-read a lot. If I do, it’s likely not a book that I only read a year before. But to answer the question, of all the books, I’d most likely re-read Night of the Living Trekkies.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I can’t decide between:

Insurgent and World War Z.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Frankenstein’s creature from Frankenstein.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

Canada, by Richard Ford

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

Greatest impact? How To Be A Woman and maybe The Causal Vacancy.  They dealt with social issues, that continue to resonate with me.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2012 to finally read?

The Garden Party and Other Stories, by Katherine Mansfield.  She was the only writer Virginia Woolf said she was jealous off.  How did I wait so long to read her?

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

"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 from Dracula, by Bram Stoker.

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

By Page Count:
Longest: 541 – City of Glass, The Mortal Instruments #3, by Cassandra Clare
Shortest: 16 – I Love You, Stinky Face, by Lisa McCourt (Children's Book) OR 112 – Matchless, by Gregory Maguire

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling… so many WTF scenes.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

For very different reasons: 

Jim Pike & Leia, from Night of the Living Trekkies
Mina and Van Helsing, from Dracula
Sukvinder and Gaia, from The Causal Vacancy

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

Blockade Billy, by Stephen King
Fever, by Lauren DeStefano

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Like I said previously, I don’t read a lot of non-fiction. If I wasn’t recommended How To Be A Woman by a few bloggers I like and respect, as well as one of my real-life friends, whose reading tastes are very similar to mine, I don’t know if I would have picked it up.

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012 

1. New favourite book blog you discovered in 2012?

Probably Bridget’s Books.  I only just started following this contributor to The Broke and The Bookish. She has an entire reading project about Stephen King! So awesome.


2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

If I have to pick one, I’d say, Forty Stories, edited by Cal Morgan. I did Twitter sized reviews. It was fun.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

The best discussions/comments I had this year weren't on posts about books.  There were on my posts: Image Use, where I talked about copyright and someone getting sued for using images on their website and I Am Without Job, where I talked about getting laid off this year.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

I read the blog, Feminist Philosophers a lot.  It's not a book blogs, though they discuss books sometimes.  I always find myself diving into their posts about genderized products.  I especially enjoyed reading about the new "BiC for Her" pen.  It's so awful.  Ellen even made a video about it on her show a few months back.  

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

I don’t get a lot of event in my neck of the woods. I’d have to drive an hour to go to any bookish events and with the little ones, that’s not happening.  I do enjoy Short Story Monday and Top Ten Tuesday.  I participate in them as often as I can, but it's been a while since I did Short Story Monday.  There's a story I plan on reading this week...

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Even though it’s not bookish, it happened because I blog about books -I appreciate all the support I got when I posted about losing my job. Thank you again, everyone.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

By views, my most popular post was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! Such a great book.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

This one is a little difficult. I feel pretty loved. My posts get an okay amount of views (okay to me, I guess). In general, I’d like more comments and more discussions about the books (or whatever) I’ve posted about. But there isn’t one post that’s fallen by the wayside. So thanks for the love everyone!

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I just started using Goodreads this year. It’s a little addictive. I love scanning books with the Goodreads app. I like tracking my progress through a book; I find it encouraging.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I don’t join challenges, but I set myself a personal goal of reading 26 books (one every two weeks), which I decided to track on Goodreads since joining this year. I’m at 32 right now. I might get to 33 or 34 before the end of 2012.

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Hmm… Number 1 Priority?? I plan on reading His Dark Materials next. However, I did buy The Raven Boys a couple months ago and didn’t read it right away. I don’t want to let it sit on my shelf too long like some other books I have.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Though I’m excited for Dead Ever After (I'm loving the cover) and Divergent #3, the book I’m most looking forward to in 2013 is Sever, by Lauren DeStefano. I loved Wither and Fever had me longing for more. Just a couple more months until February!

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

I want to read more. I’d like to decrease the number of books I’ve owned for years and haven’t read yet. I’d especially like to read more Stephen King and Margaret Atwood and catch up on the Legend of Drizzt, by R. A. Salvatore.

I guess that’s it for the survey. Thanks to everyone who made it all the way to the end. See you in the blogosphere!

Word of the Week(s)!

*I started Word(s) of the Week ages ago so that I could share all the new, brilliant, crazy words I kept coming across in my readings of fiction, articles, blogs, etc.*

This week (month) I'm thanking two brilliant ladies for words.

I don't know if this really goes
with the word...

From Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling:

Obstreperous (pg 53):

1. Attended by, or making, a loud and tumultuous noise; boisterous.

"The obstreperous mirth swiftly turned into yells of dismay."

2. Noisily and stubbornly defiant.

I think my toddler can be obstreperous.... 

Prurience (pg 216):  The quality of being prurient.

Prurient: 

1. Uneasy with desire; itching; especially, having a lascivious anxiety or propensity; lustful.

2. Arousing or appealing to sexual desire.

3. Curious, especially inappropriately so.

From Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley:

Rembrant

Syndics (pg 31)

1. A government official, a magistrate, especially one of the Chief Magistrates of Geneva.

2. (law) An agent of a corporation, or of any body of people engaged in a business enterprise; an advocate or patron; an assignee.

Maybe I should turn this into "new words whenever I get time to share them"....?

The Casual Vacancy

Vaguely Spoilery

In the first thirty pages of The Casual Vacancy, I must have read words like penis, erection, vulva, breasts and all sorts of "adult" words several dozen times.  It was wildly advertised that J.K. Rowling's new novel was for adults, but just in case the reader didn't know, she makes it obvious right away. 

If the beginning of the book moved like the middle and the end, I would have liked The Casual Vacancy a lot more.  It wasn't a story I expected. It was rough and violent.  It wasn't tempered by magic like Harry Potter.  Though, I think people sometimes forget how dark Harry Potter actually is.  His parents are brutally murdered by a megalomaniacal serial killer.  He is taken in by relatives that treat him like a burden and obviously don't want him.  There is bullying.  There are slaves.  There is war. So many people die.  The magic is what makes it less scary; there is no magic in Casual Vacancy. This is reality.

There was a lot of setup and character introduction in the first fifty pages.  Maybe it was more. It actually reminded me very much of a Stephen King novel.  He often introduces loads of characters (just have them die brutally.) Rowling didn't give us one person to root for, to focus on as the "hero" of the tale.  She gave us several people, some you liked more than others, who felt very real and part of a community.  I think there was one real villain, however.  I could not find one thing redeeming about Howard Mollison.  I have to say, of all the characters, I really connected with Sukvinder on a personal level.  I've never gone to her extremes, but many of her problems brought back memories of my own high school/teenage issues.  I also wish that the Weedon's story wasn't so tragic and that Krystal and Robbie could have had a happy ending.

Everyone seemed so trapped in Pagford. This sense of being trapped actually reminded me of a specific Stephen King book, Under The Dome.  In both books, we have a big fat guy trying to control a small town (though admittedly, Howard is no where near as bad as Big Jim).  Everyone knows everyone!  That kind of community might drive me crazy.  Kay Bawden couldn't talk about her work without people figuring out who she was talking about!

I think a lot of the people in Pagford would benefit from a change of scenery.  Whether a move, or just a vacation, weekend trips to London!  Can you always exist the same small town for your whole life?  If you're like some of the people in Pagford, you might go crazy....  There was a lot of crazy in Pagford. Rowling did not disappoint.  She went into the darkest parts of a person's mind and pulled it out for us to see.  Rowling did not hold back.  She can still craft a powerful scene.

Rowling is a brilliant writer.  I enjoyed The Casual Vacancy immensely.  If you only really like sci-fi and fantasy type genres, this may not be the book for you.  If you just like to read a good story, then you'll enjoy the stories woven together in The Casual Vacancy.

Other Thoughts and Opinions:
Bridget's Books
The Blue Bookcase
Night Sky Reviews
Literary Musings
Tea and Text

This Time They Talk About The Casual Vacancy

The Broke and The Bookish have started a new weekly event.  This week they're talking about what everyone in the book community is probably talking about: The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling.  They're asking if you plan on reading it.  I do.  I pre-ordered it.  I wasn't sure if I was going to.  I decided that I want to read it before I hear to much about it from critics, bloggers, etc.  I don't expect it to be like Harry Potter, but not all the books I read are like Harry Potter.  Variety is good.  I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also trying not to let my expectations get out of control.

Head over to The Broke and The Bookish to get a variety of opinions.

The Broke and the Bookish - A Book Blog For The Eclectic Reader: A Cocktail & Conversation -- JK Rowling's Newest B...: Every other Thursday here at the Broke & The Bookish is going to be A Cocktail & Conversation time. We'll pose a question to 2-3 member...

It’s Always Difficult To Pick Favourites

My blog has been around a long time.  I started it back in 2006.  Six years!  I’ve read a lot of books.  As The Broke and The Bookish have requested, I’ve narrowed it down to ten (or thirteen).  You can see the progression, looking back at 2006 to now, how much more verbose I am in my reviews.  I’ve also read across the genre and age spectrum.  In no particular order, here are the Top Ten Favourite Books I’ve Read During The Lifespan of My Blog.

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseinni
2. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
3. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
5. 1984, by George Orwell
6. Wicked:  The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire
7. The Dark Tower III:  The Waste Lands, by Stephen King
8. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (re-read)
9. Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris
10. The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland
11. The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch
12. Wither, by Lauren DeStefano
13. World War Z, by Max Brooks

I couldn’t do it!  I couldn’t just pick ten.  What are your favourite books that you’ve blogged about?

* Some of the early reviews seem to not have any spoiler warnings on them.  Oops!

*All book links lead to my reviews.

The Book World to Real Life – Could They Make It?

This week’s topic from The Broke and The Bookish made me think.  A lot.  I considered what obstacles the couples had to overcome, as well as the foundations of their relationships.  I didn’t want to just throw together a list of romantic couples, that would be too easy…  So here we are, my Top Ten (Eight) Couples Who Might Make It In The Real World.

1. Ron and Hermione (Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling) – I know it’s almost cliché, but clichés exist for a reason.  They work through the antagonistic feelings to become friends, then from friends to more.  They would be those friends you have to dinner with who tell you how they hated each other, but now, it’s funny to think back on.

2. Eddie and Susannah (Dark Tower series, by Stephen King) – I know they’re not exactly a well known “romance”, but they are a couple that went through a lot.  Not even death could stop them from being together.  Eddie didn’t see Susannah as disabled, he saw her as someone he could love forever.  In the end, they did get a chance to make it in the real world and you’re left with the feeling that they do.

3. Lizzy and Darcy (Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen) – I know everyone will probably have Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy on their list.  But I don’t care.  They are a great couple.  It wasn’t love at first site and that makes is so much more real.

4. Katniss and Peeta (The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins) – I think it’s the epilogue at the end of Mockingjay that really makes me feel like Katniss and Peeta could have a real relationship in the real world.

5. Becky Bloomwood and Luke Brandon (Shopaholic Series, by Sophie Kinsella) – Though exaggerated for the books, Becky and Luke seem to have real problems, like working too much or shopping too much and they work through them.

6. Sookie and Sam (Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris) – Yup, that’s right, I said Sam.  Bill lied and Eric is too selfish.  After Deadlocked I think that’s who Sookie is going to end up with.  Sam is kind and has been a good friend to her no matter which crazy vampire or shifter she’s dated.

7. Jane and Rochester (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë) – If you want to read about a woman who doesn’t change her values just to be with a man, then read this book.  They still end up together.

8. Henry and Clare (The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger) – I know this has been on a lot of lists too, but even without the time traveling, I think they could make their lives work.

That’s it.  Eight.  I can think of lots of couples in books, but I doubt the staying power of their relationships.  I thought of adding Harry and Ginny, but thought one Harry Potter couple was enough, so I picked the one I thought more likely to work.  I know there are people who picked Edward Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility, but if this were the real world, Elinor would have found someone else ages before Edward came around.  Except for the first two, I kind of doubt my own choices too.  Relationships in the real world are difficult, wonderful and amazing, but difficult.

What do you think?

It’s Hot Out Here!

It’s been a while since I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday, from the Broke and The Bookish, but I saw this week’s topic, Top Ten Beach Reads and started listing off books in my head.  There are more than ten here.  Most of the books I’ve listed are actually series.  They are in no particular order.

1. The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins
2. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
3. Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyer
4. The Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris
5. The Undead series, by MaryJanice Davidson
6. Wither and Fever, by Lauren DeStefano
7. The Legend of Drizzt series, by R.A. Salvatore
8. World War Z, by Max Brooks
9. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire
10. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, by Douglas Adams

What will you be reading at the beach?