Alias Grace

Alias Grace was brilliant.  Margaret Atwood created a world I fell completely into each time I opened the book.  Grace Marks was an intriguing, unique character.  Did she do it? Atwood doesn't judge, but gives the reader clues and information needed to make up their mind.  She created a sympathetic character in Grace.  I wanted so much for her to be innocent, but the more I got to know her, the more I knew the answer would be more complex than a simple yes or no.

Simon Jordan was an interesting character.  How much of what happened between him and Mrs. Humphreys did Atwood make up? How would she even verify any rumours?  I don't really want to know. While I enjoyed him as a vehicle for Grace to tell her story, I also enjoyed his own sub-plot.

I loved reading a story set in a place where I've lived (not the penitentiary).  I like that it's the city, but in the past, like looking through a lens backwards in time.  It's interesting hearing about the muddy streets of Toronto and the long journey from there to Richmond Hill.  It added an extra dimension that I found fascinating.

 

There was so much driving this novel.  The plot was flawless.  It was detailed, complex and reality based.  The characters were deep, varied and engaging.  The pacing was steady and quick.  I was surprised at how quickly I read it.  I fell completely into the story, from the descriptions of the penitentiary, to Mr. Kinnear's farm, to all of Grace Mark's inner dialogue.

 

I read Alias Grace as part of the Classics Club Spin.  The spin really encourages me to keep working on my Classics List.  You don't need encouragement though, to read Alias Grace.  It is Atwood at her finest.  It might be my new favourite Atwood.  We'll just see how I feel after I re-read The Handmaid's Tale.

 

Quinoa Salad

Who else has fallen for quinoa salad?  My daughter, my 5-year-old daughter!  I don't know how that happened, but she loves quinoa salad.  Specifically, she loves the one I make (the recipe will be included below).  A couple times I bought pre-made salad.  My Hubby and I liked it fine, but she did not.  She said it tasted funny.  It was a bit oilier and has a slightly different taste than the one I make, but I thought the difference was negligible.  Whatever.  My kid eats quinoa salad.  Even if I have to always make it myself, I call it a win.

Here's what's in it...

Ingredients:

1 cup Quinoa

Cucumber

Bell Peppers

Grape/Cherry Tomatoes

Broccoli

Parsley

Feta

Greek Dressing

Note: I recommend making quinoa according to package directions. I didn't once an the quinoa came out funny.

 

I feel like you could put almost any vegetable you like in this salad and it would still taste good.  I've made it without feta, still good.  I've used various amounts of the veggies and different colours. Orange tomatoes, yellow peppers, whatever.  I don't always put in the broccoli. I'm almost at the point where I would say that quinoa can replace pasta in any pasta salad.  I'm almost there, but not quite.  It's healthy, tasty and simple to make.

Clockwork Princess

I'm not sure how I feel about Clockwork Princess.  I enjoyed it, but I feel like the book was written to make everyone happy.  (If you've read it, you know what I mean and please feel free to discuss in the comments.)  I was excited, entertained, riveted throughout the story.  I love that Tessa comes into her own. I do like that her end and Jem's wasn't as "neat" as Cassandra Clare could have written it.  I loved all the connections to The Mortal Instruments series.  I loved that a man took a woman's name.  There were so many good things about Clockwork Princess.  I may wonder about the end, but I loved it too. So, even if Clare did write it to please as many people as possible, I think it was successful.  Or maybe I'm just jaded because I've read several series where central characters are killed off.... 

The Infernal Devices is a great series.  I can see myself reading it years down the road when I needs something fun and exciting.  I also think it was a lot of fun to read it staggered with the last three books of The Mortal Instruments.  I wonder what the connections will be when I read City of Heavenly Fire.  I can't really say anything else without giving away the whole book.  I feel spoilery even mentioning Henry's red hair!  I'm hoping though, that we'll see Tessa again one day.

Delirium

I seem to be reading books because I "have to" this month. Alias Grace, The Strain and now Delirium. I'm happy to say none of these books have disappointed me.  I heard that the Delirium pilot was going to be made available online for all the fans to watch. I have watched tweet after tweet, comment after comment, loving this pilot that wasn't picked up.  Well, I better read this book and watch this pilot, because for whatever reason* I have to know what's going on.

Delirium was fantastic.  Lauren Oliver creates a world where love is a disease.  Romantic love is the focus of the disease, but by taking that love away, they also take the love a parent feels for a child.  Reading the descriptions of parents ignoring the pained screams of their children when they hurt themselves (even just minor booboos) really resonated with me.  What disturbed me more were the cases of parents who couldn't bond with their child at all.  I know that Delirium has the teen-romance-dystopian thing going on, and it was great, well-written and believable, but that people could choose not to love their children bothered me.

I thought Delirium had a fascinating premise, which is what drew me to it.  The characters, Lena, Alex, Hana, Carol, Grace, they kept me reading.  What I want to know more of is, how did this happen?  How did Romeo and Juliet become a cautionary tale of the love disease?  I'm hoping to find out more in the second book, Pandemonium.  I've noticed this with some YA dystopian series.  The first book hooks you with a crazy story, the second and/or third books gives you the why, the explanation.  I wouldn't have minded a little hint in the first book though.  I would have also liked for Delirium to be a little more enclosed.  It doesn't exist on it's own as a novel as much as other first books have.  The ending was exciting, but there was too much left unwritten.  I'm still prepared to soak up every bit of the series.  

*Honestly, I don't usually read because of hype, but something about Delirium's buzz (and The Strain's), I couldn't resist.

The Strain

The Strain television series is making it's way to FX (and FX Canada) this summer.  I've had The Strain sitting on my shelf for quite some time.  I don't know why I hadn't read it.  With the television show premiere date fast approaching I figured I aught to read it right now.  I don't know why I waiting so long.  The Strain was more than I expected.  It was dark, gruesome without being overly gory.  It reached for my emotions with a stinger.

I loved Eph.  Everything about him.  A scientist, a healer, a father and a vampire hunter.  He was a fantastic main character.  I can't wait to see what he does next.  I'd also like to see what Nora does next.  I feel like she wasn't developed enough and she only existed to deepen Eph's angst.  A few of the characters were like that.  They either existed for Eph or for Setrakian.  I loved Setrakian's story. Holocaust survivor and vampire hunter.  He had a cool basement.

The Strain was creepy, tense and. great flow to the whole story with characters that you care about. I was in the novel's grip.  I wanted to know what happened next.  Too many nights I stayed up because I just had to finish "one more page".  What happened when the flight came down, seemed so real.  If a strain was going to be let loose on a city, they would do it this way.  I'm so excited to read The Fall, which I have... staring at me right now with its red and black eyes....

City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls is the fifth book in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series. Before I get into the story, I have to ask, who is proofing the books? I saw more than one error in City of Lost Souls. It wasn't many, maybe three, but I also noticed it in the last book of Clare's I read. Is it a coincidence? I don't know. What I do know is that I find errors disturbing to the flow of my reading. Please, remember commas.

I loved Isabelle & Simon, and Magnus & Alec. I'm really interested to see how these relationships turn out. They aren't the star couples of the series, but they are the most appealing to me. I'm continually annoyed at Clary. I think the conversation that she and Jace have at the end is to try to justify her behaviour, but I still found some of her decisions questionable. I do like the development of her relationship with Izzy though. Clare has developed Sebastian in Lost Souls. He's grown beyond the monster he was in Fallen Angels.  Sebastian is a complex antagonist and there are moments where you feel sympathy for him. He's batshit crazy, but you know it's because of his father, who treated all his children as experiments.  I'm excited to see what happens to him.

I'm really looking forward to City of Heavenly Fire. I want to see the war they keep portending. I'm looking forward to some shocking, gasp inducing moments. I'm glad I won't be waiting too long.

The Dark Tower: the Gunslinger - The Man In Black

The Dark Tower: the Gunslinger - The Man In Black was everything I've come to expect from the Dark Tower graphic novel series.  The Man In Black is the "end of the beginning".  It deals with Roland's relationship with Jake (just like in the novel), and Walter sends him on the path to the Dark Tower.  I loved that it stayed true to the original story, but with the added bits you can only include in a graphic novel.  The art very much suited the mood of the story, and Roland's appearance in The Man In Black was pretty much how I imagined it for the entire series.

I know there's another Dark Tower graphic novel.  Last Shots I believe tells the story of Sheemie, so it's sort of a prequel/parallel story instead of a continuation.  I wondered as I drew closer to the end of The Man In Black if there would be more graphic novels. The second novel, The Drawing Of The Three is one of my favourite Stephen King books and I'd love to see it in graphic novel form. However, there are eight novels.  They can't all be adapted, right? I'm slightly obsessed with this series though, so if they write them, I will read them.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past was pretty much exactly what I wanted from the latest X-Men film. It brought together the mutants from the old trilogy and the last movie.  They blended together so well.  I really enjoyed the new mutants too, Bishop, Blink, Warpath and Sunspot... and Quicksilver!  I thought teenage Quicksilver was fun, cheeky and added the right bit of humour during an action filled movie.  I love all the moments, the mutants from the past/present/future popping up to say hello.  I love that they acknowledge Wolverine being in First Class.  I loved the end.  I loved the post-credits scene and as soon as I saw the sand, I knew what it was going to be about.

I have a complicated relationship with time travel in movies and television.  Sometimes I hate it.  I hate when no one remembers the original timeline.  I hate when all the characters lose time and it isn't even acknowledged.  I hate when it's used as a tool of convenience.  I like when time travel allows characters to witness events, even if they don't change them.  I have enjoyed time travel as a fix, with a celebration or acknowledgement of the fix by someone.  I liked the time travel in Days of Future Past.  I maybe would have rather had Bishop or Professor X doing the time travelling, but I understand why it was Wolverine.  I also liked that they kept Kitty as the vehicle for the time travel.  I know that a lot of people (including myself) were not happy with the ending of X3, but Days of Future Past makes up for it.  If you haven't seen it yet, Days of Future Past is worth your time.  It might be my favourite of all the X-Men movies.

A Few Words About Alias Grace

Alias Grace was simply amazing.  I don't know why I waited so long to read it.  I'm going to be waiting just a bit longer to post about it.  Alias Grace is my Spin book from the Classics Club.  As such, the post is not supposed to go up until July 7th.  

I started Alias Grace so early because it's not a short book and I wanted to have it completed on time.  When I read Villette I was late and when I read Lives of Girls and Women I barely made it.  Now, I'm much too early, since the post won't be going up for over a month.

I couldn't let this moment pass, however, without saying that I thought Alias Grace was a fantastic novel.  I couldn't stop reading it.  Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite writers and it is because of stories like Alias Grace.

Culling eBooks is SO Much Easier Than Print Books

Why?  Because I don't really get rid of them.  I remove them from my device, but they're still mine.  They exist on the "cloud". Whether it's the Apple Cloud for my iBooks, or the ones for Kindle or Kobo, they are still there.

When I first got my iPad (as an awesome gift from my husband), the first thing I did was get the iBooks app and start downloading all the free classics that I've always wanted to read.  For the classics I couldn't find, I downloaded the Kindle and Kobo apps and started searching.  I just HAD to have them.  I spent a lot of time doing this.  Then, I became a searcher for Kindle and Kobo book deals.  I downloaded a lot of free books that I still haven't read.  I also found it difficult to resist ebooks deals, especially on books that I had my eye on previously.  Soon, about 1/3 of the memory on my iPad was books.  Eventually this became a problem.

I realized that most (not quite all) books I had in my eReading apps would be saved to a cloud.  First, I only deleted books I'd read from my device.  Then as my memory problem worsened, I deleted the books that I knew I wasn't likely to read soon.  It was so easy.  I just had to pay attention to whether the book would be saved on the cloud or not, because there are a few, for whatever reason, that will not save to the cloud; if I delete them, they will be gone forever.  I also don't typically delete books that I've paid money for.  Two reasons: I feel like if I've paid for them, I might read them soon and don't want to wait for the downloading; and because I've paid money for them, I don't want to risk them getting lost, though I know logically that it won't happen.

Print books don't have a cloud.  If I get rid of them, I can't easily get them back if I suddenly decide I want to read them.  If I get rid of a print book, I have to be sure that I will not ever want to grab a hold of it again. There can't be even a remote possibility of me wanting to read it again.  Though my bookshelves are [severely] overcrowded, I can get more shelves for much less than an iPad with a bigger memory.  Also, print books are so much prettier to look at.  I don't see my eBookshelves unless I open the app, then I only see the books that belong to the specific app AND I have to scroll through them instead of just stepping back and staring.  I very much enjoy have both ebooks and print books, I think I will always enjoy having both. Culling eBooks is just easier.

Clockwork Prince

Cassandra Clare delivers a fast-paced, action packed story with the second book in The Infernal Devices series. Clockwork Prince had everything I expected from Clare. There were secrets, surprises, love, hatred, confusion and vendettas. I'm still enjoying the lives of great-great (etc.) grandparents of characters in The Mortal Instruments. Also, I continue to enjoy Magnus Bane.

Clare knows how to create an intense plot. Everyone keeps moving. Even moments of rest for the characters have something else going on, thoughts and feelings they can't control. I really enjoy Will Herondale. I like that, for a moment, we are reminded that he is just 17 and that the bad thing that happened to him, occurred when he was 12. I think Tessa has so much possibility, I'm eager to see what will happen to her in Clockwork Princess.

I'm not 100% happy with Jem's emotional outburst at the end, the one with Tessa.  I don't want to reveal anything to anyone who hasn't read it yet, but I'm just not sure I liked it.  It was a lot coming from a usually reserved character.  I get that it was suppressed emotion finally bubbling up to the surface, but I still don't know if I'm happy with it.  Poor Jem, though.  I feel like I'm going to spend a large part of the next novel waiting for him to die.  

I know Clare plans on writing other series set after The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.  I know not everyone may like that, but I read series with 15+ books in them.  As long as I'm enjoying the stories, I'll keep reading about Shadowhunters.  I wonder how far Clare can stretch their world.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

The cover for Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is difficult to resist. Reading the synopsis and looking at a couple pictures makes it even more enticing. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children was an exciting read. I don't know why I waited so long. It was a story I could barely put down. The first line was a great hook, "I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen."

The pictures were an interesting, unique addition to the story. I know people love the pictures and I thought they were great, but they didn't make the story for me. I think I would have enjoyed the story as much without the photos. Author Ransom Riggs writes well. I had no problem picturing Emma or Olive after they were described. The vintage photos were interesting though, especially knowing they were real photographs from peoples' private collections. I appreciated Riggs acknowledging everyone at the end of the book.

I really liked all of the characters, Jacob, Emma, the villain. They made the story for me. I liked getting to know Jacob's father, but I would have liked to get to know his mother too. He makes some pretty big decisions without his parents for being just 16. Why was his life so miserable? Why did he have just one friend? Was it just because of his grandfather's influence. I understand the author making him into an outsider, for the various plot reasons, but what I wanted to feel more was why. Maybe with some more information about his relationship with his mother... in Hollow City perhaps... I will understand Jacob's decisions more. That being said, the plot was great.  I loved the twists and turns. There were so many unexpected little quirks. The end was mysterious.  I'm looking forward to Hollow City.

Generation X

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture has been a book I've been wanting to read for years. Even if you don't think it represents all of Generation X (and I don't think it does), it popularized the term. For that alone, I think it is an important book. I've read several of Douglas Coupland's other novels and enjoyed them all. I could have chosen a different Coupland book that I own and haven't read, but Generation X had been waiting too long.

If Generation X was the book of Gen X, then the television show of Gen X was Friends. Though there are only three members of Generation X's group of friends, I found the characters similar, though not the same. Claire very much reminded me of Rachel, but Claire had a certain aloofness that I appreciated. Early on in the novel, I felt like the entire book had been written with a sense of irony. The tone is very similar to the early seasons of Friends. Generation X is not a comedy, but I feel like if you were a fan of the show, you'd like the book.

I found the characters intriguing and I'm a sucker for good characters. Claire made some interesting life choices. Dag did too. Andy was a great narrator. I enjoyed the way he explained things about Dag, Claire, and his life through story. I really liked that the characters told stories to each other. What I found Generation X didn't have was a tangible plot. I don't know if it needed one, but I've been reading a lot of plot heavy books lately and with this book not having one, initially I missed it. Stuff happens in the novel, with personal and familial relationships, jobs, life choices. They just aren't related a clear way. The characters have no goal, no mystery to solve or treasure to find.

One part early on that I found funny and ironic, in a non-intentional sort of way, was when Andy was talking about communicating in short blurbs.... If only these guys knew about Twitter and other social media! I don't know what Andy would think of 140 characters or less. In some ways, I can relate to these characters, but since this book is so 90s, it's almost a period piece. Does that make sense?

Will Generation X be a modern classic? I don't know, but I think it might be. I'm not sure what else I can say about this novel. It made me think a lot. I like to think sometimes. 

The Spin Spun

...and the number is 1!!

Which means I will be reading Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood.

I'm excited and nervous.  I love Atwood and Alias Grace is one of her most famous novels.  I think the main reason I haven't read it yet is that it is a big book.  I tend to delay reading big books.  I want to read ALL the books, and big ones take longer.  The Classics Club Spin is just the push I need to cross this big book off my list. Hopefully, my post on Alias Grace will be up on July 7th!

The Fiction Writer's Handbook

This post has been sitting in my drafts for ages.  I don't know why I didn't get around to finishing it.  I guess I just wasn't sure what to say. I didn't know what to expect when I won The Fiction Writer's Handbook from Goodreads.  I was very excited.  There's a forward by Christopher Moore, followed by some interested instructions for how to use this book.  The Fiction Writer's Handbook isn't necessarily a book you're going to read from start to finish. Though Moore and author Shelly Lowenkopf do recommend that you read the whole book. It's structured more like a reference book, but after reading several entries, I can see what they mean.

I thought that I'd try to read the book from the beginning, but it didn't feel right.  My next thought was to begin my journey through the book with an entry that had already jumped out at me.  I started with Agenda. Agenda referenced 18 more entries.  With that kind of start, I figure by the time I was done, I would have read the whole book or at least close to it.  I started with the first reference term, Character, read it, then instead of going back to the next term mentioned in Agenda, I went to Narrative, the first term referenced in Character.  So many terms are referenced in each entry that after a while, I knew I couldn't keep reading it like this.

In the end, I'm treating it like a reference book.  If I want to know something or am stuck somewhere, I can pick it up. I can also pick it up and browse a few terms if I'm feeling stuck. Moore's introduction was definitely worth the read.  I think one day I might read it from beginning to end.  The descriptions of each term are in depth and interesting.  I keep it nearby when writing as I think it is helpful.  To read it like I would another book, I just can't do it.  If you are a writer or interested in writing, however, I do think this is a great book to have in your reference collection.  

Popular Authors I've Never Read

When I tell people I love reading, many (usually the ones who don't read very much or at all) assume I read the "bestsellers" or the very popular authors that even non-readers know of (usually through their books being made into movies).  My usual response is something like, I've heard her/his books are good. I'd like to read them at some point, I'll get to them one day, etc. ,whether it is my actual intention to "get to them" or not.

I thought I'd compile a short list of authors that are popular, who I'm frequently asked if I've read.  

1. John Grisham - I keep thinking I aught to read him.  He has written so much, I wouldn't know where to start. I'm also not sure his stuff is for me.

2. E.L. James - and I won't.  Ever.

3. Nicolas Sparks - I probably won't ever read him either.  For more than one reason.

4. George R.R. Martin - I aught to read him. It seems like he writes stuff I'd like to read, but the books are just... so... big!

5. John Green - see #1

6. James Patterson - see #1

7. Mary Higgins Clark - see #1

The same goes for classics. I've never read:

8. Fyodor Dostoyevsky - So intimidating.

9. Anne Brontë - Though I've read both Emily and Charlotte.

I also haven't read some of the really popular current authors like:

10. Gillian Flynn - I feel like there's too much hype for me to be objective.

11. Rainbow Rowell - I really want to read Attachments.  Of all her books, the story appeals to me the most, though I know Eleanor and Park is being made into a movie.

I think the above eleven are enough.  Which popular authors have you never read?  Why? 

Another Classics Spin

I couldn't resist another Classics Club spin. I was so happy about my last selection. I hope that this one is just as enjoyable. If you want to join in, posts up by May 12. Books are supposed to be read by July 7, but it's okay if they aren't. I've had a late book... 

I've decided to continue splitting up my list the same way as I've done for the previous spins. I've kept a lot of the same titles as last time with just a few changes. 

Novels

1. Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood

2. Appointment with Death, by Agatha Christie

3. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Brontë

Short Stories / Novellas

5. Sherlock Holmes: A Study In Scarlett, by Arthur Conan Doyle

6. The Big and The Little, by Isaac Asimov

7. Dracula's Guest, by Bram Stoker

8. Under the Knife, by H.G. Wells

Poetry / Theatre

9. Lady Lazarus, by Sylvia Plath

10. Queen Mab, by Percy Bysshe Shelley

11. Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmund Rostand

12. Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller

Children’s / Young Adult / Juvenilia

13. Tales of Angria, by Charlotte Brontë

14. Tales from Hans Christian Andersen, by Hans Christian Andersen

15. The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

16. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

Re-Reads

17. Middlemarch, by George Eliot
18. The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence

19. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery

20. Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

What are you looking forward to? What are you dreading?

Macaroni, Cheese & Spinach Cups

Really, this recipe needs a new name.  But it's an accurate description of what I made.  I've made it a few times and it gets tastier with each batch.  I was inspired by a recipe I saw on Pinterest (yes, I make things I find on Pinterest), so I want to definitely credit the original recipe.  The original is healthy. Me? I think I'm kind of half way.  I used 2% milk.  I used regular cheddar and old cheddar (Mmm...)  I also add a dash of nutmeg and two dashes of cayenne.  I also used rotini instead of macaroni, mostly that's because of what I had on hand... and I think rotini is fun.  I should try it with macaroni and see if it makes difference.  I also used fresh spinach. - Honestly, I always forget to thaw frozen spinach before I'm ready to make something. Then I have to do a "quick thaw" under the tap.  Then it's too soggy and I get too much water in my recipe. In general, using fresh spinach is easier for me.

The adults who ate it had lots of compliments.  The children looked at me like, what the f* is this?  It's the green.  It doesn't matter what you do, if they see that wilty green, they don't want it.  You can't even really taste it.  Most of the time I throw spinach in stuff for the health benefits.  I'm not a fan of cooked, straight up spinach either.  In the cups, you mostly taste the cheese and garlic.  Since I love cheese and garlic, that's awesome.

In pictures, here's what happened:

I got out my muffin tin and sprayed it with cooking spray.

I chopped some spinach.

I made the sauce.  I made sure to whisk in the milk gradually, so I wouldn't get any lumps.

Mixed in the spinach.

Mixed in the pasta that I had to wait a few minutes for. Now, I will remember to set the pasta to boil before I start.  I forgot until after I had chopped the spinach and had to wait.  Ugh.

Into the pan it goes. The above picture is actually after it has been in the oven for 13 minutes.

There are two Cups on a plate.

I'm not sure how copyright works with recipes.  I like blogging about food, but I don't know if I can type out the whole recipe without getting in trouble... even though I made some changes: adding nutmeg and cayenne, using 2% milk, using fresh spinach.  I linked to my source; what else can I do?

Also, all these photos were taken with my iPhone. I don't know what it is about my kitchen. The photos always seem to have a yellowish tinge to them.

I'm looking at these pictures and I'm hungry.  I hope my kids learn to like this recipe, because it is a hit with the adults.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I finally got to see Catching Fire this weekend.  I tried to see it in theatres, but that was a very busy time for me and it just didn't happen. There was just never any time. I don't know when my life became so busy!  I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner.

I don't know if I've ever been happier with a book adaptation. Though there were a few bits and pieces missing from Catching Fire, the movie captured the spirit of the book. As we were watching it, my Hubby called it a stressful movie. The tension that I loved in the book was playing out on screen. I was glad that we watched it together and I could hear his comments as someone who had not read the books and was seeing the story unfold for the first time.  

I love Finnick and Johanna.  I loved them in the book.  They were fantastic on screen.  I think the casting was perfect.  I was so happy that they kept Johanna stripping in the elevator.  I think it's fun and some needed relief when so much death and craziness is happening.  

I'm know I'm late to the Catching Fire movie party, so I don't think I'll add anything else... except for a bunch of movie posters.  In general, I enjoy movie posters, but the ones for Catching Fire I found very "Capitol".  One more thing, I forgot that they were splitting Mockingjay into two movies. Apparently this is a thing now.  So, I'm exciting for November 2014 and November 2015 and hopefully my life won't be as busy and I'll get to watch the movies in the theatre.

My Basil Plant

This is my new basil plant. I saw it at the grocery store, sitting among the fruit and vegetables.  I've always wanted to grow my own fresh herbs and the plants were one sale, so I bought it. Then it sat. For over a week. I didn't use it for anything. I started to wonder how I would ever use it. Now I've used it twice.  Once to add a little flavour to a sandwich.  Mozzarella, chicken and spinach, with a little fresh basil.  I was pleased with myself.  Then, I used it for a bocconcini and tomato salad.  Yum.  I also made my own balsamic vinaigrette.  It came out great.  

Maybe I'll get more plants!

The Dream Thieves

I couldn't resist Maggie Stiefvater's second book in The Raven Cycle. The Dream Thieves was captivating. It shifted focus of the story to Ronan, Gansey's oldest friend among the group. We continue to get chapters with Blue, Gansey, some much needed time with Adam, and, like The Raven Boys, the villain. The Dream Theives, however feels like Ronan's book. I wonder if the other books will shift focus again, which I would like.

Ronan is a wonderful character. He is unique and complex. He even has a twist at the end, just to make things even more complicated. Though we learn so much about Ronan and his family, the novel still leaves me wondering about Declan. There is something we don't know about him yet.

I like that Blue's family and the boys are growing closer. There seems to be a member of Blue's family with an affinity for each of the boys. Calla is for Ronan, Persephone for Adam. Orla is bit for all of them though.... Who gets Noah? It's an interesting contrast of the teenage boys and the adult women. I wonder how things will play out with Mr. Grey and Butternut...

There are a lot of questions still. I'm excited for The Raven Cycle to continue. The growth of the world, the changes in the characters, are intriguing. I'm itching to know what happens next. I'm also very interested in reading Steifvater's other books. I'll be on the lookout, though, for the release of the yet to be titled Raven Cycle #3. 

Fool

Fool was hilarious. It was funny and cheeky and thoroughly entertaining. Christopher Moore has written a lot of books, and I know several people who are big fans. At first, I didn't know where to start. Should I start with Bloodsucking Fiends or Sacré Bleu? Lamb? Fool kept staring out at me from the bookshelf. A retelling of King Lear, I had to read it.

Pocket was an interesting, complex character. As the fool, he had access to more information than anyone else and could manipulate the nobles from behind the scenes. Many did not expect the fool to be so intelligent. His origins were not what I expected. Raised by nuns in a convent, Pocket had an interesting perspective and a large working knowledge of Christianity. For a time, he thought he would become a priest, a member of the clergy, perhaps copying tomes for the bulk of his life. Then he had to get himself thrown out. I think the below quote really sums up Pockets attitude about most everything.

"You might think that it was cruel of her to spend her only time in contact with the outside world telling lies to a little boy, but then, the first story that Mother Basil had told me was about a talking snake who gave tainted fruit to naked people, and the bishop had made her an abbess." (pg 67)

Pocket is referring to the anchoress, someone who is supposed to be praying for the sins of the king. She is more important than he knows.

There is a lot of shagging in Fool. A lot. There is swearing and snogging and shagging and this novel is not for the faint of heart. Everything is written humourously; this is a very funny book and it's meant to be. However, if you don't want to hear about wanks, tossers and such, be warned.

(Did you know that when I typed "fool" into Google, the first thing that came up was stock investing advice?  Seems counter-intuitive, no?)

The Host

The Host was better than I thought it would be.  It wasn't perfect. I really liked the novel. It has an interesting premise and though it is still adolescent romance, it was an engaging story. I wanted the movie to be as engaging as the book. I had heard the movie wasn't; that it was bad. It received poor ratings and did not make what I think people expected from something related to Twilight. (Love it or hate it, Twilight made a lot of money.)

From what I had heard, I expected The Host to be completely toneless. It almost was.  The movie had the bones of the novel.  There were no gradual build-ups. The characters would meet, do what they're supposed to do, then they are suddenly in love, or forgive each other or hate each other. Relationships, romantic and otherwise, need to develop.  They did not, they were whatever they were supposed to be.

Saoirse Ronan, who played Wanderer/Melanie was the bright spot for me.  Lucky for the movie, she was the lead actor, or they would have had nothing.  Ronan was lovely. I think she was able to create two distinct personalities in Melanie, the human, and Wanderer, the alien who inhabits her body. Ronan brought emotion to the characters and the movie, but she can't be expected to carry the whole thing on her own.

The movie existed at the same tone for the entire two hours.  There were not ups and downs except for the end during Wanderer's "final" words.  Everything else was even. The story from the book is a good one.  A movie with emotional valleys and mountains could have been great, it could have been better than Twilight.  It wasn't.  It wasn't horrid, at least.

(Wow... That's an awful last sentence to end on... Oh well.)

Masked Mosaic

Masked Mosaic was an interesting collection of Canadian super hero stories.  I first heard about this book from Sarah at Workaday Reads, who I then won the ebook from. I was really excited to begin reading this collection. At first it wasn't what I thought. The super hero stories were dark. They deal with gritty, honest emotions and the heroes aren't just good. They are complex individuals. 

After about the first third of the book, something happened. I lost interest a bit. I think it was the story I read, it through me off. So I left it for a little while. Since it was short stories, it was easy to let it fall to the side. Then one day, I finished whatever book I was reading and I needed something, so I started reading the stories again and I was hooked more completely. Maybe I just like the latter two thirds of the collection better? Actually, that's not a maybe. I really, really enjoyed the rest of the stories. There was more heart, they were more exciting. From the story Kid Wonder to the end, that's where my favourites are. I loved The Seamstress Without A Costume and The Shield Maiden. There were so many great stories. The collection is definitely worth the time to see what Canadian Super Stories are like.

It seems that one of the editors, Claude Lalumière has another super hero short story collection.  I'd like to have a look at those stories and see if he collected another gritty group of heroes.  I'll also be on the lookout for all the wonderful authors who contributed to this collection.  It is a fantastic group of stories from a fantastic group of writers.

100,000 Pageviews

It looks like sometime yesterday morning, I passed 100,000 pageviews.  Seems like a lot.  Is that a lot? Thanks to everyone who stops by my blog and reads my posts.  I've appreciated and enjoyed all the conversations they've created.  I look forward to more conversations about books, movies, and whatever else we come up with. *hugs*

The Raven Boys

The first and last lines of Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys are amazing. "Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love." It's a great first line. It's not just saying that she will kill her true love, but she's been told and told so often that she's lost count. She's so frightened of this fact (because this is a fact to her) that she doesn't date and will not even kiss a boy, love, like or nothing. I won't include the last line. It gives away too much. I feel like it sums up the tone of the entire novel. 

I was riveted. I enjoyed the book from the beginning, but something happened about halfway though and I couldn't put it down. It think it's when Blue and the Boys' stories really merge. I had to know what happened next. Some of the situations seemed a little far-fetched, but I didn't care. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and dived deeper into the story. 

I appreciated the inclusion of a real life, bad situation. It was woven in to the supernatural stories of Blue and the Boys, but it also stood out. It was real and the reactions of the characters I found appropriate to how I imagine teens would react. I hope that was vague enough. I don't want to give anything away, but I thought the reality put up against the quest was grounding. 

The characters are what made the story for me. The boys and the women in Blue's house were two very different groups, but how they felt about each other is similar. I liked their relationships. I think their friendships are natural and believeable. (Except for the surprise from one of the boys. I did not see that coming; I loved Noah.) I liked that a boy saw a girl and wanted to talk to her. I liked the stuff that happened right before they talked. It seemed like something that probably happens all the time. 

One thing I'm having a bit of a hard time with is that Blue has no girlfriends. Not one. It's not that she's a nerd or unpopular, she's just weird...  Stiefvater addresses it in the context of the story, but really? That's the reason? There's not one other weird person at her whole school? Not even just a study partner? I know she has her mother and the other women in the house and I know they're all psychic, but they're her mother's age... It's fine. A friend would just complicate the plot, I suppose. 

I'm excited to read the next book in The Raven Cycle. I think The Dream Thieves is going to be every bit as captivating as The Raven Boys.