The Night Eternal

I totally called the ending. About a third of the way through, I looked over at Hubby and said...* well, I won't say hear what I said, because I was right. Every bit of it. I think that is my only problem with the book, about a third of the way through, I predicted the end.  I'm hoping Hubby doesn't remember what I told him when we start watching the second season of the The Strain television series on Sunday, thought the series has not been exactly following the novels.

The characters kept me hooked on The Strain trilogy.  Eph and his son were a unique pair.  I couldn't have predicted what happened to Zack.  Eph wasn't the perfect hero either, he didn't do what we would expect and at the beginning of The Night Eternal we find out what happened with him and Nora.  "The girl" isn't just a damsel either.  She's badass. She kicks ass and will not be left behind. The butter-knife shank is one of my favourite things, and something I'll have to remember in case of the apocalypse.

Minor Spoilers Below...

As I read about how the Master destroyed the possibility for revolt, taking out world leaders, the strong and willful, how he got rid of "the news", took control of the internet, I thought, this is the way to destroy the world.  The ash cloud was one thing, but the Master didn't even bother with trying to subjugate Presidents and Prime Ministers, any royal family, anyone who showed a strong will, he just killed them all. Why waste the time breaking anyone? He had a herd. He had his B- farms, the tastiest of the humans, and then the average person. By giving them the apparent return to normalcy, he could control the herd better.  There were jobs and television, perpetual re-runs were better than blank sets.  People lived in their homes.  There was only a couple hours of sunlight a day and black rain, but they had the shell of the old world. The Master had a great plan.

I wonder how accurate the atmospheric nuclear fallout was. I should look it up.  Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan thanked Dr. Seth Richardson for help with lore, likely in creating the Lumen, but who helped them with the post-nuclear planet?  The biblical lore was interesting (and so was the space station). I wonder how much of that they made up and how much was from the actual story of Sodom and Gomorrah.  I'm going to have to look that one up too. I really connected to the plot of The Night Eternal, it was so unlike anything else I've read lately and different enough from The Strain and The Fall, that I had to know what happened. (Thank you, for the epilogue.) If you want a good, real, horror series, then pick up The Strain series.  The Strain, The Fall and The Night Eternal do not disappoint.

*This is what I basically said, but I didn't want to include it in the rest of the post because SPOILERS. I wanted to write it down though, because I was right - "Everyone is toast. In the end, it'll be Fet and Nora. Everyone, Eph, his kid, all dead.  I mean, other people in the world will be alive, but from the characters, they're all gone but those two."

Daredevil

I finally finished watching Marvel's Daredevil series on Netflix  It was fantastic.  I know I'm late. Most people probably binge-watched it as soon as it came out. I wanted to do that, but the Hubby and I decided to make it our Walking Dead replacement, and have been watching it together every Sunday night. I could have secretly watched the whole thing ages ago, but I'm a good wife.

I love Charlie Cox, who was the handsome Tristan in Stardust. Matt Murdock is totally the opposite. Matt feels like someone you might know, someone who grew up in darkness, but came out wanting to be a lawyer and trying to change the world. When he explains why he first puts on the black mask, it was so believable, so truthful, it was difficult not to imagine someone actually doing this. I really appreciated the evolution of his suit too.  He didn't come out on day one wearing red leather; he had a basic outfit that changed into something more, when he realized he would need something more.  The horns are a little pointier than I expected them to be, but I like the suit, something that helps define his image while also offering him protection.

I can also see why having Daredevil on Netflix is more appealing than having it on a network. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Agent Carter are great for ABC, but Daredevil could only be what it is as a Netflix series.  It was bloody, there were bad words, I saw bone co,me out of an arm!  A head got smashed by a door!  The shooting style, the cuts and bruises, the grit, it was amazing.

There were so many tense moments, so many times I had to hold my Hubby's hand because I knew something bad was going to happen. The last two episodes had me almost in tears, I could barely hold it together at that funeral. The characters were more than people in cartoon costumes, they were real people with motivations, reasons for the dark and light in their lives.  They had reasons and histories. Fisk and Vanessa, Foggy and Karen, were people that had bad things happen to them, but they also made their choices.  Also, I loved Claire.  I wish we could see more of her, but maybe she will be showing up in Luke Cage.  I can't wait for Jessica Jones (though coming soon to TV date night, The Strain.) If the rest of Marvel's Netflix series are like Daredevil, they are going to be amazing.  

There's so much in this series to connect to, Ben, his wife, what happens to Wesley, Josie, Marcy, wanting to rebuild after "the incident", wanting to make the neighbourhood you grew up in a better place, giving back.  I could talk about how wonderful the show was aesthetically. I could talk about the plot, the twists.  Daredevil's place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and where we might see him in the future.  I appreciate though, that if you have never seen another Marvel film or show, you can watch the Daredevil series and enjoy it.  It alludes to the greater MCU, but it doesn't really effect the show.  You don't ever see Captain America or Iron Man.  Daredevil is given a chance to exist on its own and create its own mark.  Daredevil is for anyone who likes a good action series.

Halfway Through 2015 and What Have I Done?

In real life, my daughter turned 6!  Yup.  6.  I feel old.  What happened to my baby? Also, I'm planning my son's 4th birthday.  4!  My baby boy!

Awesome Books I Read:

Lots of Grisha! 1, 2 + short story

Northanger Abbey

The Demonologist

Death of a Salesman

The Flying Troutmans

The Girl Who Played with Fire & Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Dawn of the Dreadfuls

Dreadfully Ever After

Wild Seed

Mind of My Mind

Fun Movies I Saw:

The Cabin in the Woods

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Mirror Mirror

Mockingjay - Part 1

- Apparently I haven't watched that many movies lately

Food!!

Turkey Breast

Garlic Spread

Malai Kofta Kabab

What's in the Fridge Pasta Sauce

Also, I bought a bunch of books when a bookstore closed. *sniff* I got a job! *cheers*, but not before I compared interviews to blind dates and discovered my most disliked interview question. Not in that order. Did I mention that I had two printers and they both broke at the same time! Let's not forget - and maybe I should have led with this - I met Andrew Pyper!

I really need to make that Kofta Kabab again.  It was so tasty.  I also have two more Grisha short stories and the final novel calling my name. I'm thinking of trying my next turkey breast on the barbecue. I also plan on watching a couple more movies.  I used to watch movies all the time.  What happened? I think I'll be tackling a few more classics, like maybe Mansfield Park.  I hope everyone else has had a great first half of 2015.

The Closing of a Bookstore

I went to a charity book sale on the weekend.  I was so excited when I heard about it, I couldn't resist. I spent only $23 and got 16 books!  It was a three-day sale, but I didn't get to go until the third day.  I imagine I would have bought even MORE BOOKS if I was there on the first day.  As it was, I had to put stuff back, not that I couldn't afford it, but I couldn't imagine where I was going to put them.  My shelves are already overflowing and here I've added 16 more books (plus I ordered some online recently too, they're just not here yet.)  I'm turning into a book hoarder.  Shh... Don't tell my husband.

It's a bit sad though.  The book sale was put on by the local Literacy Council, because the local used bookstore had to close its doors.  They downsized last summer/fall, but it wasn't enough.  Rumour has it that the owner financed the store out of love, which is nice.  Until she passed and the people who were working there had to figure out a way to make it a viable business.  They tried and it didn't work out. The Literacy Council was brought in to liquidate the inventory. I'm sorry that this store, that I bought many books from over the years, closed.  I think at least a quarter of all the books in my house came from there.  I hope the books went to good homes. 

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

Lisbeth Salander is amazing. So is Mikael Blomkvist.  So are Annika Giannini, Erika Berger, and Monica Figuerola. Stieg Larsson created some amazing characters, strong female characters that I appreciate, but not to the detriment of intelligent, caring male characters.  The balance is fantastic, from the characters, to the slow and quick points in the plot, the action and the thought. I also loved that there were basically two climaxes.  I wondered after the first one, why there was so much book left, I thought maybe an extended prologue, Lisbeth and Mikael working out their problems or something, but nope.  It was lulling us into a false sense of completeness before more danger crept up. Honestly, I had kind of forgotten about that guy, as I was wrapped up in the court trial and the bad men being arrested and the bad doctor being shredded. Those court scenes were amazing.

I started reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest with a lot of eager anticipation. I was not disappointed. The beginning of the novel primarily focused on Blomkvist and his quest to save Salander.  I love the character, even though he's a bit of a womanizer, though kind of not on purpose. Maybe that's what lets me enjoy him, that he is himself and doesn't pretend to be something else.  As the beginning was dominated by Blomkvist, the end was all Salander. I enjoyed following her journey.  I wondered how self-destructive it would become or if she would become a citizen of the world.  The two main characters of the story barely spent anytime together, but everything they did affected the other.

I really enjoyed Larsson's bits about the Amazons throughout the novel. He littered the Millenium trilogy with his own Amazons.  Lisbeth Salader, Berger, Linder, Figuerola, Giannini, Modig, all strong women.

I can't really go on without spoilers, so, you've been warned.

I can't believe they shot Zalachenko so soon.  He's creeping around, I'm getting ready for him to do something to Lisbeth, for some kind of confrontation, a final, epic struggle, then BAM!  He's shot and Lisbeth doesn't have to worry about him any more.  Also, who thought it was a good idea to put them two doors down from each other in the hospital? It was frustrating, but a good fake-out by Larsson. The story gets you thinking one thing, but then takes a sharp turn and there is something else to worry about.

I liked that Larsson did not blame all of the Security Police for what happened.  It was just a small part of Säpo doing these things, not the entire organization. When Figuerola told Blomkvist about why she worked there and the good work that she did, it really spoke to how Larsson handled the separation between Säpo and the Section for Special Analysis.  It was the Section, working on its own, that did this to Lisbeth Salader, that caused her not to trust psychiatrists and the police. It was good to see that as the story unfolded, Lisbeth could admit to herself that Modig and Bublanski were on her side, even though they were the authorities.

Have I mentioned how much I liked the Berger subplot? Another woman being threatened by a man in the Millennium series. Even though Lisbeth starts out not liking Berger, this is something she won't stand for. With Salander's secret help and the help of Milton's employee, Linder (another strong female), Berger is able to break through the threats and do what is right, not just for the child labourers in Vietnam, but for herself.

I haven't even mentioned Dr. Jonasson. I thought he was fantastic. I liked how his relationship with Lisbeth evolved beyond a doctor/patient one. I really like how he shut down Teleborian. I liked that he gave Teleborian an alternative diagnosis and became very suspicious as soon as he was shot down. I wonder if we will see him in any subsequent books or if Larsson ever intended on ever bringing him back. 

Where is Camilla Salander? I want to know. Is that in the unpublished material that we might not ever get to read?  Zalachenko talks about the children he has fathered, is there more information on any of them? Mostly though, I wonder about Camilla. She just left her sister and mother? She has her own classified file, is there something more? I wonder if any of her story will be dealt with in The Girl in the Spider's Web.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest kind of feels like the conclusion to a trilogy. There is the possibility for more, but with both Blomkvist and Salander finished with the Section and Zalachenko, there isn't anything else pressing them. Is it left open for the possibility of another book more like the end of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo? Yes. There are loads of stories that would have been possible, if Larsson had lived and decided to write them.  If he had decided to never publish another Millennium book again, I don't know if we'd miss it in the same was as if there wasn't another book after The Girl Who Played with Fire. 

I was excited by the story from the first page of The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. The entire Millennium trilogy was brilliant. I'm glad I've finally read all the books and even if you don't like mysteries, I would recommend them to everyone.

Clay's Ark

There is a ship, Clay's Ark, which takes Earth's first ever interstellar explorers to another planet. That doesn't turn out so well. The last surviving crew member makes it back to Earth and goes into hiding. There is also a family. A doctor and his two daughters, their mother having died some time ago. It is 2021 and America does not seem like a great place to live. Smash all that together and we have the story of Clay's Ark.

What I liked most about Clay's Ark was Octavia E. Butler's allusions to the future.  Clay's Ark was published in 1984. To me, it doesn't seem that long ago, but it has been 31 years (and that makes me feel old).  Talking about her grandparents, Keira "wanted to visit them in the flesh, not just see them on a phone screen." That's something we can relate to now. We Skype and FaceTime our family and friends who live far away, even ones who don't, but sometimes it is nice to be with them in real life. Even the main character's name is called into question.  When Eli asks where Keira got "a name like that", her response is that her mother didn't want her children "to have names that sounded like everybody's." To which Eli starts calling her Kerry.  If Butler only knew, I know more than one Kiera (and Keiran) and her sister Rane does not have an unusual name for the 21st century either. At one point, the characters "turned on the map", which I think means they turned on the GPS.  From the descriptions of the screen in the car, I'm sure it's an onboard GPS. The vocabulary to describe it was just different in the early 80s.

Of all the things that were part of the "future", this quote struck me most, "She knew about ugly reactions. Probably Jacob knew more, or would learn more, but walking down a city street between her mother and her father had taught her quite a bit." Keira's mother was black and her father is white.  She remembers the racism she has had to deal with in her life (though Butler never uses the term "racism" throughout the entire novel), about people not believing Blake is her "real" father, as she is darker skinned than her sister.  I hope we are mostly past these reactions. I haven't experienced them here, but maybe that is also about where I live.  I have gone to other places and felt "different", a feeling I hope my children never experience.  I sometimes wonder if it would be worse for them too, because their father is white. Nobody has ever stared at them though, except to say that they are adorable. I appreciate Butler writing these kinds of characters in the 70s and 80s. I've read other works by her with interracial couples and I feel like those stories might have been difficult to get published.

The story takes place in 2021, which was a long time away for people living in 1984, but that is only six years from now.  Are we going to Proxima Centauri in six years? I doubt it. Though how they got there was not based on current technology (that of the 80s or of now). Here's how they did it...

I waited for half the book to tell me about Clay Dana and why Eli's ship was called "Clay's Ark". Then, it was barely a couple pages of information, about Clay Dana giving over information for interstellar drives, based on his own psionic powers and how the potential for these powers in others could power the drive.  I'm not sure I'm on board with this reasoning, but it is what happened.   The part that irked me the most was that the ship was the only information we got about Clay.  What about him as a person?  Yes, he was with Eli and the other astronauts, but what about his life?  Who was he with?  Did he have a wife and family? What was his life like after he left his brother behind? Where is he now? What about his brother and the Patternist people?

In the end, I felt like Clay's Ark was a set-up book.  With Doro gone by the end of Mind of my Mind, the Patternists had no enemies, no one to stand against them as they spread.  By the end of Clay's Ark, there is something that can now threaten the survival of the Patternists.  It had to come from outer space, but it is on earth now.  I wonder what the Patternists are going to do about it, but I also wonder if we needed a whole book to give the organism a back story.  I think I would have liked the story better if it felt more connected to the series, instead of me just waiting for information that was never coming.  Clay's Ark was okay.  I think the story had more potential, but it didn't dive deep enough.  It did make me think though, and I can always appreciate that. I am looking forward to Patternmaster. I have a feeling there is a showdown coming.

Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm was the perfect book for my mood. I wanted excitement, emotion, love, hate and the unexpected. Siege and Storm delivered all of that. I'll try to be vague with the spoilers, but there will be some. If you skip the rest of the post, just know that I loved the second book in Liegh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy and I'm happy that I already have a copy of Ruin and Rising. I devoured Siege and Storm, and I think book #3 is going to get the same treatment.

The story was full of the unexpected. I was really surprised that they found the sea whip so soon. I thought it would be more of a journey, like with the stag. I think there is something more to Mal. He can't be that good. I thought so when he found the stag in Shadow and Bone, but after the sea whip, I feel so certain of it. I am excited to see what happens with him in the next book. I was also surprised that we didn't get to spend more time with Alina and Mal on the run, especially after reading the synopsis. I thought there would be more build up, but if there were more, the book would have had to be longer and I think it was the right length.

I loved Sturmhond. Everything about him. The surprising and a bit of the expected, but in a good way. I was worried he'd turn out to be like his brother or the Darkling, but he was just right. He was coated in lies and personas, but I think there was truth there, genuine emotion and attachment to Alina and even Mal. His surprise was one of my favourites.

The twins were fantastic. Tamar and Tolya brought a new perspective to the Grisha, powerful people, who didn't rely solely on their power or want to be part of the Second Army. I think their surprise might be my actual favourite... Not that I necessary agreed with it, but I liked it in the story.

Honestly, all of the, all the characters, new and old, throughout Seige and Storm were wonderful. Genya! David! Nadia! They had purpose, they contributed to the plot. They moved the story along, but also showed unique personalities and growth, everyone from Alina to Zoya.

Alina's transformation was (of course) the most dramatic. Once the sea whip became a part of her, her personality started to alter. The Darkling got into her head, but the end, with the two of them, was amazing. Part of me thinks Mal shouldn't have gone back for her, for the sake of their country, but he had to, because he's Mal and he's a hero. Also, then the series would be over and we can't have that!

I can't wait to see what will happen to the white hair.  The country. The firebird. The cult. There are two short stories to read too, The Little Knife and The Demon in the Wood.  I'm excited for them. I love Bardugo's short stories in the world of the Grisha. I will be reading those before I get to Ruin and Rising.  A lot of reading to do, fun, tense, exciting read.

The Cabin In The Woods

I don't know how to talk about The Cabin in the Woods without splashing spoilers all over the place....bloody, bloody, spoilers. So, I'll just start by saying that The Cabin in the Woods is a fantastic movie.  It's a horror movie about five friends who head up to a cabin for some weekend fun, but from the first scene, you know that's not all their is.  I liked how the trailers hinted at it being something else, but mostly focused on the five friends. The trailers made Chris Hemsworth's character look like a dumb jock, but he's not. He's smart and he suffers and he wants to save his friends. Nothing is what these friends think.  If you haven't seen the movie yet, even if you think you know about it (like me) there is more.

I loved Marty. He was the perfect fool. Like King Lear's fool, he saw everything more clearly than his friends, though they were being manipulated A LOT. These friends were each playing a role. The fool is the one who connects the pieces. He saves the virgin, not the jock or the scholar. Of course the whore is the first, but is that a horror movie cliché or is it that way for another reason? In the first scene of the movie, we know they were chosen. They were sent to the cabin. The scene in the cellar was creepy and cool. That was the moment where the friends got to make a choice.  The only right one was not to go down there though, but curiosity apparently always wins out. Though I think each character played their part, I feel so bad for the blond, who was pre-med, but had to dye her hair and change her fate. Marty definitely won the day for me.  Yay, to the end of the world!

A quick comment about the Japanese school girls: they were amazing.  They were nine and didn't need anyone else.  I loved the bowl of flowers, I loved the frog.

Also, when Curt jumped with the bike.  They were so full of hope, but the audience knew what was going to happen.

The crew, the people behind the scenes, watching the monitors were interesting.  On one hand, they were doing what they believed in, on the other, they were killing four to five people.  Apparently, it is optional for the virgin to die. I don't know entirely how I feel about them.  I think the new security guard, Truman, really gave a voice to humanity and compassion.  If he had to live with his acts as long as some of the others, maybe he would have been placing bets too, but he balanced those people nicely.

The end was amazing.  Perfect and surprising.  The gun, the werewolf, the Director, the hand, it was all perfect.  I don't know how someone could come up with that ending, with those sequence of events.  I wish I could see what happened after.  I doubt we will ever be able to, because that was a serious ending.  I know The Cabin in the Woods came out all the way in 2012, but if you haven't seen it yet, make sure you do.  It was a great, fun, exciting movie.

The Tailor, by Leigh Bardugo

The Tailor is a fantastic short story, by Leigh Bardugo.  It is a story told from Genya's point of view, the only Grisha with her particular abilities (as far as we know) and a maybe friend of Alina, the main character in Bardugo's Grisha series.  In about 16 pages, Genya breaks your heart.  Alina is possibly her only friend, but Genya has endured so much, living in the palace with a vengeful Queen and a lecherous King, that she makes a decision that she believes will result in her freedom.  I appreciate that Bardugo doesn't soften things in the palace, she gives Genya very believable, though horrible reasons for doing what she did.

I've read Bardugo's other Grisha related short stories, but The Witch of Duva and The Too-Clever Fox were both "folk tales". The Tailor is the first Grisha short story I have read that is from the perspective of one of the other characters. I really enjoyed the folk tales.  Those stories are what motivated me to read the Grisha series. The Tailor, however, sheds light on a character's motivations that are hinted at in the first novel, but don't get fully explored.  I also appreciate that this story is available for free, something that couldn't fit in the first novel, but fans of Bardugo's would want to read.  The Tailor is the perfect set up for Siege and Storm, not that it hints at anything or even feels like a set up, but it made me energized to read the second Grisha novel and more by Bardugo. 

The Waves

Stream of consciousness. Experimental. MENTAL. We spend all our time in these characters heads. Though they interact with each other, we are never privy to their actual conversations, the exchanges of words. We have to discern what they are doing based on what they are thinking.  At least, that's what I've decided is happening.  Also, nothing happens.  I mean, stuff happens, but it is difficult to engage with a plot when we are never there, in the outside world, just in the character's minds.

The whole time I was reading The Waves I kept thinking, I would enjoy this more if I listened to it.  I think The Waves might be better as an audiobook, not that I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Actually, I've only listened to one, just to see if I'd like them.  It was Pride and Prejudice and I'd already read it, so I knew what was going to happen. The flow of The Waves, the lyricism of the words, made me feel as though I would enjoy listening to it.  The characters, never speak to each other, they only speak to you.

I knew - sort of - what was going to happen in The Waves. This was my second reading, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I didn't really remember it.  I wondered why. Now I know. Nothing happens.  As I said, we are so much in the heads of the characters, that we don't really experience them doing anything, I don't feel like there is really a plot to engage with. They all just live their lives and have feelings about them.

The Waves is called Virginia Woolf's most experimental piece of fiction.  I can see why it would be called such.  I have read many of Woolf's novels.  Though To The Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway are "stream of consciousness", they are not like The Waves.  The Waves exists almost on its own.

The book starts out with six friends in childhood, all living together somewhere. They stay connected, though not physically, but mentally and emotionally for their entire lives. Eventually, the boys go to an all-boys school and the girls go to their own school - I think, they are definitely separated during this time, but the girls know Percival and they adore and admire him as much as the boys do.  Percival is the "silent" seventh character, who (spoiler*) dies midway through the novel. He is missed throughout the second half of the book, as the characters have him up on a pedestal, a young man who died in his prime, on an adventure.

Though we stay inside the character's minds through the book, they each have a distinct voice.  I could tell which character I was with, just based on the way they spoke (soliloquized) and what they were talking about.  They each had their own wants, worries, and opinions. I found it fitting that the novel ended with Bernard.  He was the storyteller.  He was always searching for words. Through him, I think the reader learns the most about what is happening in the lives of the characters.

Though it did take me a long time to read a short book, I'm glad I did.  It was one of the most beautifully written pieces of fiction I've ever read.  Many times I found myself thinking that The Waves was actually a very long poem.  Every word felt carefully chosen, every phrase was eloquent.  It is one of the reasons I think it would be better to listen to The Waves; hearing the words might enhance the experience.  I think one day, though not anytime soon, I'll find myself with the urge to listen to Woolf's most experimental work.

* I'm not sure about the spoiler warning.  I mean, it's a classic Virginia Woolf book and I'm pretty sure Percival's death is in the synopsis on some editions.

On a side note, I recently came across a post on The Guardian's book blog all about Virginia Woolf, her work and her death.  Honestly, I know how Woolf died, but I don't typically think about that when I read her work.  It's an interesting post.

Also, 20/60 for my classics list.

The Waves - I'm Not Finished

Why am I not finished yet?  I had the due date for the Classics Club Spin ages ago.  I started the book weeks ago.  It's not very long, not even 250 pages.  Here's the problem: It makes me sleepy.  I can barely get through a page without starting the yawn.  It's been really helpful with my insomnia.  I push myself to try to read five or ten pages, but I think only once have I been able to do more.  That one time was when I had to go into the city and was on the train for an hour both ways.  Even that wasn't enough.  I think I only managed to get through about 50 pages that day.  On this train ride, which I do about once a month, I can often finish half a book or more!  I just couldn't keep reading without wanting to shut my eyes.

Thus far, Virginia Woolf's The Waves is a beautiful piece of literature.  It's lyrical and visual and I do like it.  It's just so very STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS.  Very.  

I mentioned in my Spin post, this is my second time reading it.  I wondered why I didn't remember what happened the first time, and now I think I know why.

Also, the Spin was a little funny this time around.  The original post said the Spin date was May 15 (today), but on May 5 a post went up.  No one changed anything, though many Clubbers mentioned the error in the comments.  It was probably either a typo or a mis-scheduling of the post. 5/15, very close.  Oh well.  

When will I finished The Waves?  I hope soon.  Afterwards, I'm going to find something light. I have some options. I think that I want no thinking, maybe lots of feelings and action.

Continuing A Series After The Author's Death

The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, The Wheel of Time and The Millennium Series, all have something in common (besides being on my bookshelves); after the death of their authors, someone else has continued the series. Why does an author feel compelled to do that, finish someone else's series? Is it love? Why does a publisher go ahead with this? Is it money? Is it also love?

Though all these series are in my home, I haven't read them all. The Wheel of Time is my Hubby's. I'm not sure if I'll read it one day or not. I want to, but the books are huge! I have read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and recently The Girl Who Played With Fire (finally), but not The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. I don't know why, I suppose I just haven't gotten around to it. I have read the five Hitchhiker books and loved them. Was I a fan of the ending? Not necessarily, but it felt like an ending; it was complete. When I heard about Eoin Colfer's book And Another Thing, as a continuation, I was excited and hesitant. I managed to pick it up (a long time ago - my son was an infant) at a charity book sale. It still sits unread on my shelf.

I've been thinking about this lately. I've also been making an effort to read the books that have been on my shelf for a while, like And Another Thing.  I'm so hesitant to read it, but I want to and I want to love it.  I'm concerned that my expectations are too high. I know Hitchhikers isn't for everyone, but I loved it. What if I hate this "sixth" book?  Would it ruin the series for me? Would my ire be worse than normal? Am I over thinking this?

What do you think about authors who continue a series?  I know I mentioned The Wheel of Time, but that was a different case, right? From what I understand, the series was clearly not finished and Brandon Sanderson worked from Robert Jordan's notes. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.  That is not the case with Millennium, as the author is creating a completely new work, not using the partially finished manuscript Stieg Larrson's girlfriend controls (not that I expect anyone to ever have a chance to finish that novel).  I don't know if Douglas Adams left notes for another book.  Did Eoin Colfer write a book to give himself and fans a better ending to the series? I thought the end of Adams' fifth book was pretty final.

I should just read them, right? No? Do I want to read David Lagercrantz's The Girl in the Spider's Web? I don't know. Yes and no.  If I ever decide to read The Wheel of Time, I will read the books written by Sandersen. That case is different, right? I would go into the series knowing it would be finished by someone else. I finished Hitchhikers years before Colfer wrote his book.  I started reading Millennium as a trilogy. I love reading, and I want to give authors a chance. My fear is that they will change how I feel about Larsson and Adams' work. Though at the rate I'm going, it'll be years before I get around to reading these books.

Mirror Mirror

It is rare for Julia Roberts play the villain. I can't even think of another time. It's one of the reasons I wanted to see Mirror Mirror. Another, is that I enjoy fairy tale retellings, especially if the heroine gets to be more heroic than in the classic tales. I know the movie is a few years old and it didn't get the best rating, but I was trying to decide what to watch, I felt like I wanted something where I didn't have to think.  I was also thinking about my children and wanted to preview some of the options on Netflix for appropriateness. (I pre-screen occasionally. A while ago, my daughter saw the Waynes getting shot and I had to do some quick talking.  Not making that mistake again.)

Mirror Mirror is a visually engaging movie; it's total eye candy. The sets were fantastic, but the costumes stole the show. The Queen's dresses were brilliantly elaborate. The costumes from the party scene were hilarious and wonderful. Whatever Nathan Lane was wearing on his head was perfect. The simplicity of the dress that the Queen's reflection wore was a fantastic contrast.  The sets and especially the costumes add a lot to the movie.

The movie had a lot of great moments.  One-liners, scenes that were fun, funny and sweet.  I really liked the twist at the end.  I liked the fight between Snow White and the prince; it was a fun way for them to get to know each other a little more, to become confused.  The prince under the spell was hilarious.  The actor did a great job.  It could not have been easy, there must have been some great outtakes.  The plot of the movie wasn't....the best.  It was okay. I think my daughter might like it, though there were a couple of slower parts, so there's a possibility of her getting bored halfway through.  We'll see.  I'm glad I watched it.  It was fun brain candy.

Shadow and Bone

I am so glad that I have the next two books in the Grisha trilogy. Shadow and Bone was fantastic. I couldn't put it down. It's been a long time since I read a book so fast. I loved Alina. I appreciated that she didn't start out as a typically/tragically beautiful girl who was unaware of her own beauty. She's skinny, with dark circles under her eyes. In the army, her nickname is Sticks. What Alina needed to do more than anything was accept herself. I like the idea that you have to accept who you are on the inside before you can change on the outside. Alina learns to find the strength in herself before she can move forward with anything, whether with her powers or with love.

I kind of loved the Darkling. As a character, he was brilliant. He's called "the Darkling" so there's already a foreboding feeling before you even meet him. But when he sits by the fire with Alina and when they're together by the lake, you think, maybe... and maybe... I'm interested to see how his character evolves through the next two books.  Plus, the book cover, now that I have read the story, I feel like so much of it is him. The swirling shadows and the bone.

The world that Leigh Bardugo creates is brilliant. It feels very real. Traveling with Alina, the reader gets to see much of Ravka, from the poor villages, to the opulent palace, to the Fold. Bardugo writes about each place with such amazing, engaging detail, it is easy to picture the characters almost getting run over by a carriage, sleeping in the forest or fighting outside a tavern.  I am eager to see where else Bardugo takes us in her world, will we get to visit the other countries, places that sound very different from Ravka? There's a whole world still to explore.

I think they're going to make a movie of Shadow and Bone.  I'm not surprised. As I was reading the novel, imaging all the powers of the Grisha, the palaces, the landscapes and the Unsea, I thought it would make a visually stunning movie.  As long as they cast well and the script is good.... I'm a little weary of all the Young Adult novels making their way to the "big screen".  It seems like there are so many, but only a few really good ones.  Not everything has been a Harry Potter or Hunger Games or even Twilight.  There have been some serious flops, but with all of Shadow and Bone's potential, I hope it isn't one.

I don't know why it took me so long to start the Grisha trilogy - probably because I have so many other series on the go.  I'm glad I did though.  Shadow and Bone was just what I needed.  It was fast-paced, exciting and full of emotion.  I can't wait to read Siege and Storm and future books by Leigh Bardugo.

Dreadfully Ever After

Dreadfully Ever After was exactly what I wanted it to be. It was exciting, fun, and full of zombies! It had most of the characters I wanted to see and some that I was surprised with. I loved Kitty. Who expected her to grow the way she did? Without Lydia around, she became her own person. Though I loved Lizzy and Oscar Bennet, Kitty stood out for me. I found Mary more predictable, her journey based on her experiences in Dawn of the Dreadfuls, was what I thought it would be. I was a little sad that there were no real interactions with Jane and Lizzy, though. I keep coming back to Kitty. She really held my attention. She broke out from what people expected her to be, what they wanted her to be. She became her own person. Steve Hockensmith created a Kitty I could love.

Darcy's family was a little crazy. More than a little. Dreadfully Ever After starts out with Mr. Darcy being bit. This is not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book. Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy can't let her beloved husband turn into a dreadful and she can't cut off his head either, so she sets out on a quest to find the rumoured cure. The only way to do this is through Lady Catherine. The same Lady Catherine who tried to kill Lizzy with ninjas in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  Knowing that Lady Catherine prolonged Charlotte's life, Lizzy has no one else to turn to in order to save her husband. Lady Catharine sends Lizzy off to London and away from Darcy, leaving him vulnerable to Anne. I saw what what coming with Anne, from the first time Darcy touched her hand. On the topic of Darcy's family, I wish we had more time with Georgiana Darcy, how would she have reacted to Anne and Lady Catherine's revelation? She seemed to have a great relationship with her brother and his wife and I wish that we could have seen what her journey in Scotland was like. It wouldn't have had to be long. Just a chapter, maybe. 

The Bennets went through some ups and downs looking for the cure. There were dreadfuls, children, dandies and ninjas. I think the man in the box redeemed himself, but I would have liked a closer look; naturally, it was Mary who found him. They struggled to do what they thought was the right thing, with ninjas constantly hovering nearby. I really enjoy Nezu, my favourite ninja.  It's another reason I would have liked to see more Georgina, she spent a lot of time with ninjas too. 

The characters are really what made the story for me. There was growth, doubt, sadness, tragedy and love. I was up late many nights because I had to know what happened next. Lizzy was caught between two worlds. So was Darcy. So was Anne. And Kitty. And Nezu. They all had to make choices. Making those choices was difficult. I enjoyed reading about their struggle and following them on their journeys to the end. Also, the chapter with the king, fantastic!

I suppose that's it for novels in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series.  There's really not much left to say in the life of Lizzy (Bennet) Darcy.  If Steve Hockensmith wrote another one, I would definitely read it though.  Maybe there will be one about Kitty or Georgiana.  If not, that's okay too, because those "dreadful" books were wonderful.

Mind of My Mind

I can't believe Mind of My Mind ended that way. I saw the situation, the final scene of the end sequence coming; it was only logical. The result of the final scene was the surprise. Especially after reading the first book, Wild Seed, there were certain characters I thought would continue, would have to continue. Honestly, I'm not sure how to process the end. I don't even know how to talk about it without giving it away...and I don't  want to. I want people to read Seed to Harvest / Patternmaster series. I want people to read Octavia E. Butler. The first two Patternmaster books were amazing. Mind of My Mind kept me up late for a lot of nights. I just can't talk about the amazing ending anymore. 

I wanted more Emma. Emma is the name that Anyanwu took at the end of Wild Seed. I thought Wild Seed was amazing and I loved Anyanwu. Though I also thought Mind of My Mind was brilliant, I missed her. I wanted to know more about Emma, her thoughts and feelings in this new world. I wanted to know how much she agreed with Doro, how much she fought him. I wanted to spend time more time with her. Now, I don't know if I'm ever going to find out anything more about her. 

Though I missed Emma, Mary was a great new lead female character. I thought her and Karl were wonderful. I liked that their relationship grew over the course of the novel, that there was hate and love, mistrust and affection. Mary was so complex. She was young, but developed an unexpected wisdom. I enjoyed all of the "First Family". I could easily see how Jesse and Rachel would be pulled towards each other. I really liked Seth and Clay, and wished I could spend more time with them too. The next book is titled Clay's Ark, so maybe I'll see them again soon. 

I appreciated the metaphor (allegory?) of the race of telepaths enslaving the "mutes". To the Patternists, skin colour didn't matter, it was irrelevant. What mattered was their telepathic abilities, their intelligence and maturity. To them, however, if they needed something from a non-telepath, they took it; they used their mental abilities to tweek people, making them compliant and willing helpers. They used them as foster parents, they took over a school, invaded homes. They made it seem nice and they made sure that their mutes were happy, but they weren't free. Is it real happiness if they have no choice.  The breakdown of the girl Page with Ada was what really brought it home. She called Ada and the first family on what they were doing and basically Ada said that they do what they must. It broke Page's heart.

From Wild Seed to Mind of My Mind, the story jumped a large amount of time, probably one hundred years.  So the more I think about it, the more I wonder if Clay and his brother will actually be in Clay's Ark.  Will he turn out to be immortal like Doro?  Will it be about something Clay built?  I was so happy for his and his brother's happiness.  After centuries of manipulation, Doro's people were finally becoming a community.  I want to know more.  I hope to find out what happened to them, even if, like Emma, I don't get to spend a lot of time with them.  I am very much looking forward to the second half of the Patternmaster series.

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?

Thoughts On My Spin Book

The spin number is 2!!

That means I'll be reading The Waves, by Virginia Woolf.  This one will be a reread for me.  Though it might be like the first time.  I read The Waves the first time about a decade ago in school.  I wrote a whole essay on it.  I got a decent mark too.  Ask me what it's about.  I have no idea.  I can't remember.  There's some people.  Friends.  I think they have dinner together.  Is someone missing.  I'm not even sure.  I don't know why I don't remember.  I could tell you all about Orlando (my favourite Woolf) or Flush, which I read at about the same time.  Oh well, I'll be reading The Waves really soon and I'm eagerly anticipating relearning the story.