The Garden Party and Other Stories

The Garden Party and Other Stories is Katherine Mansfield’s most famous work.  I had heard so many good things about these stories that once I had a copy of the collection, I really had to read them (thank you Project Gutenberg, though the book nerd in me still wants a hard copy).  In general, I thought these were great stories.  I found the characters very believeable.  I wrote a few sentences (or more) on each story.

At The Bay

At The Bay is a good story, but I didn’t see the point.  It was well written and there were definite parts I found interesting, but I didn't feel any real connection to the characters.  I also felt it was very long.
See the full review I wrote for Short Story Monday.

The Garden Party

The Garden Party immediately reminded me of Mrs. Dalloway, though it's been so long since I read that book, I wonder why.

The Garden Party is a great story and deserving of being the title of the collection.  It was easily my favourite. I expected some kind of high society tale. I expected the characters to be more shallow, which many of them were. Laura was different.  Though in the story only for a couple moments, I found her brother Laurie to be different too. They had other dimensions, other facets besides society life. I really enjoyed how Laura grows. She goes from naive girl to a young woman with some new life experience. The end was so unexpected. The entire story was fantastic. 

The Daughters of the Late Colonel

They are the forgotten sisters. It was a well written story, with a pair of very interesting characters, but it was so sad. I didn’t want to end my reading for the day here. I hope Josephine and Constantia find happiness now that they are out from under their oppressive father.

Mr. and Mrs. Dove

This is another sad story, but not in the same way. It's like the opposite of the underdog love story. The poor-ish young man goes to ask the beautiful, wealthy woman to marry him and she says, no. However, she still wants him to be happy. She wants him not to be upset by her answer. She doesn't want them to be like the doves. Then, why does she call him back as he tries to walk away, with what I think is with a last shred of dignity. Why does she call him Mr. Dove? Why does he go back to her when called? Has she changed her mind? I don't know. This is another great story in the collection.

The Young Girl

She's a snobby teenager, who finally gets a moment to be herself. She spends the rest of the time putting on airs.  

See the full review I wrote for Short Story Monday.

Life of Ma Parker

Life of Ma Parker is an utterly depressing story. Mansfield wrote about the saddest life she could conceive of, I think. At least the rain came so she could have her cry.

Marriage a la Mode

Is it terrible that I've read this story and what I'm thinking is: why can't she be a better wife?

The Voyage

A good story, but I'm not sure what to make of it. It's like a life lesson for Fenella. She learns her grandma is more than what she thought. It's also seems to be a glimpse of her traveling, from an old life to a new one.

Miss Brill

She's treating her fur like a pet! She is a weird lady.  The young couple is so mean!  They make fun of the woman and her fur. She puts the fur away, and she continues to talk to and about it like a pet.  She thinks she hears it crying. Another well-written, though also depressing story.

Her First Ball

Are these the same characters from The Garden Party?

This story was only depressing for a moment, when "the fat man" took her for a dance. Really, Leila's first ball is full of hope and nerves and fun. I hope she gets many more.

The Singing Lesson

It's a miracle she's engaged at thirty! Hahaha! Definitely written a long time ago. Though women today are still so affected by men's changes in emotions, but I suppose it is natural when it's the person you love.  Though after her fiancé’s behaviour, I’d have second thoughts about marrying him, even if I was thirty.

The Stranger

Another poor, sad, depressing story. He just wants his wife to be as happy as he is that they are together after her long trip. She can't be. Now he feels like she'll be a stranger forever. Why not a happy reunion? Come on, Katherine Mansfield! Give me a happy (or at least somewhat positive) ending!  It was such a good story, why couldn’t their reunion bring her back to the woman she was?

Bank Holiday

Not a totally depressing story. It's a fun and exciting day outdoors. There is music and all sorts of people. But what's the point? And that's just what Mansfield asks at the end.

An Ideal Family

Another man unsure of his wife... and family. He worked so hard for them, do they take advantage of him? Do they appreciate what he's done? Is it his own fault his son isn't more reliable? I wish this family could have a happy ending too.

The Lady's Maid

Is the lady's maid crazy? How could she give up a happy marriage to stay, no matter how she cared for her lady? It's such a sad story. I wish I could know what was wrong with her.

In conclusion...

The Garden Party is the best story of whole collection. It is the least sad.  I found it very vibrant, especially compared to the rest of the collection.  I really enjoyed The Young Girl and Her First Ball too.  I found most of the other stories depressing.  Well written and engaging, just sad.  They give us a really good look at life at the time.  There are just not a lot of "happily-ever-afters".  Katherine Mansfield tells the stories of many different types of people. Men and women, young and old.  After Mansfield's death, Virginia Woolf wrote in her diary that the only writer she was ever jealous of was Katherine Mansfield.  I can see why.  While maybe not as famous as Woolf, her writing is very readable, even ninety years later.

I know I complained a lot about the depressing and sad feelings prevalent in a lot of the stories, but don't let that be a deterrent.  The Garden Party and Other Stories is an excellent collection.  I think it has more to do with my own reading choices of late.  I need to find a story that I think will have a happy ending....  If you’re a fan of Woolf or of good narratives, The Garden Party and Other Stories is for you.

Behated

Be.hate.d, n. - something hated deep within the heart.  Opposite of beloved.  Examples:  Peter Pan is beloved, Captain Hook is behated.  Sleeping Beauty is beloved, Maleficent is behated.
     - My behated enemy

I think that's the clearest way to explain my new favourite word, behated.  My hubby used it today.  My hubby is a teacher.  He is participating in a fundraiser where the students buy tickets for a draw.  The winner of the draw will get to throw a pie at my husband tomorrow.  More than one teacher is participating.  My hubby has the most tickets in his bowl.  He said that either means he is beloved or behated.  Then we talked about whether behated is a word.  We were pleased with ourselves.  It is not a real word, but it should be.    (Wiktionary was the only place we could find an entry.  I don't think that counts.)  I may start using it in future posts.

Feel For America, by Derek Hayes

Feel For America is the first story in Derek Hayes' collection, The Maladjusted, which I received for review.  Conveniently, Feel For America is available to read on his website.  So I though it would be a good story for this week's Short Story Monday.

I'm not sure what I thought of the story.  It was well written, easy to read with good/interesting character development.  The narrator, John is one of three ex-patriots teaching at an English school in Taiwan.  John is from Toronto, his a-hole roommate and "Academic Director", Adam, is from England and new arrival Samuel is from America.  Mr. Hou, the school's owner, likes John and equates him and Samuel.  He doesn't like the teachers he gets from England.

The story is about the three men and how they react to and interact with each other.  Adam sets out to have conflict.  John is a bit of a pushover and strives to be a peacekeeper.  He also really likes his job.  Samuel is full of ideas as to what this experience is supposed to be like.  I just wanted to yell at him when he was speaking gibberish to that poor man on the street.  There were better ways to deal with it.  I don't know if overseas is where these men belong.  Of course the collection is called, The Maladjusted, so we will just have to see if strange people in strange situations is a theme.

Adam asks Samuel for a Feel For America.  What we end up with is a drunken football player, essentially.  More than that, he's a man who is far from home and I think he misses it.  Feel For America is a good story and I hope the rest of the collection is as interesting.


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

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

I don’t usually buy “companion” books.  Sometimes I think they’re a money grab.  Sometimes I think they’ll just be filled with fan-loved favourites without really giving us anything new to think about.  I couldn’t resist The Sookie Stackhouse Companion though, for one simple reason, I wanted to read the novella.  

Small Town Wedding is a great story.  I love Sam.  I was so glad to see him return to the forefront.  I enjoyed learning about Sam’s family.  They are loving, wonderful people (not to be confused with Sam’s terrible family on True Blood).  Sam’s brother is getting married and even though he’s not a shifter, people protest.  Much of the trouble is caused by a nasty neighbour and a long lost “friend”, of Sookie’s, Sarah Newlin.  It’s nice to find out what happened to her.  Quinn even makes an appearance.  Small Town Wedding brought me back to what I love about the series, especially after a disappointing Dead Reckoning.  

Small Town Wedding takes place before Dead Reckoning and it had a publication date that put it before Dead Reckoning’s release, so why was it pushed back?  The only thing I could think of was the interview with Alan Ball about True Blood.  It was not a feature I remember seeing in the book originally, so I’m guessing it was a late addition.  It’s a good interview, just like the one with series author, Charlaine Harris.  Part of me wishes I had the chance to read the stories in the right order, but another part of me is okay that I read it after, since I was disappointed with the last book.  I also appreciate that the interviews with Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris distinguish the television series and the book series as two separate worlds.  Ball used Harris’s books as source material, but has taken many of the characters (for example, Tara) in different directions. 

This book is definitely a “companion”, it’s really only for fans of the series.  There are some things I didn’t really need, like a summary of the entire series, though it was nice to be reminded of some of the good things and corrected on a couple of things I remembered differently.  I didn’t really like the quiz, mostly because I didn’t know any of the answers.  (I wonder if anyone could get a pass on those questions.)  There are a lot fun things in the book.  I like the character list.  I think it’ll be helpful in a series this long.  I also really like the recipes.  Not that I’ve tried any of them yet, but I enjoy cooking and I’d like to try out some of Bon Temps’s favourites.  The Sookie Stackhouse Companion is a welcome addition to the series.

Side Note:  I know that the next two books will be the end of the series.  On one hand, I’m sad to see it go; I’ve really enjoyed the Southern Vampires.  On the other hand, Dead Reckoning was not that great.  Dead in the Family was better, but I’m in the minority on that opinion.  I have hopes for Deadlocked.  However, if it is on the same level as Dead Reckoning I’m glad that Harris will be ending the series soon.

Roots Day 9: The Finale

The last Roots of Empathy visit was really nice.  The kids were sweet, excited and a little sad that it would be the last visit with the baby.  We talked about how he’s grown and changed.  Since my son has started walking while holding my fingers (parents know what I’m talking about), I walked him around the circle of children instead of carrying him like I usually do.  They got a big kick out of that.  We even put a small chair in the middle of the circle so he could stand and hold himself up and move around.

We got a goodie bag from the class too.  They gave me a little album with a few pictures from each visit.  I got a copy of one of Mary Gordon’s books, Daniel’s Day.  (I haven’t read it yet, but I’m sure I’ll let everyone know what I think.)  The class also made us two books.  One book is full of wishes for my son as he gets older, with drawings of those wishes.  The other book is of wishes for themselves, also with drawings.  We also got a certificate from the official Roots of Empathy office for our participation.  I don’t know what I’m going to do with that.  Put it in some sort of scrapbook?  The other thing I have no idea what I’m going to do with is the giant card the kids made.  It has a photo of all of us from the first day and all the kids signed their name.  Again, it’s really nice and sweet, but where am I going to put it?  It’s huge!

I’ve been going to this class since October.  It’s been nice to see the children smile as we walk in.  I hope that they really have gained something from this experience.

Blockade Billy

Blockade Billy actually consists of two stories.  Blockade Billy is the first and takes up two thirds of the short book and Morality is the “bonus story” that makes up the final third.

Blockade Billy was a great story.  I enjoyed the narrator, Granny.  He was the third base coach of the Titans and he’s the one who tells the story of Blockade Billy Blakely to Mr. King (Stephen King putting himself in another of his works).  Granny is an excellent narrator, he tells the story (with an amazing memory) and keeps his voice.  He gives us the opportunity to feel sympathy, shock and awe as he felt it while telling Blockade Billy’s story.

Blockade Billy is one of the stories King tells which focuses on the horror of individuals rather than the horror of the supernatural.  Though I enjoy these types of stories, they disturb me on a different level.  Of course, I’m reading Stephen King, so what else do I expect?  [Vague allusions to spoilers, but I won’t be specific.]  While I like the actions that constituted the end of the story, I didn’t like the reason for it all.  It left me a little disappointed.  Billy talked to himself.  More than once, he is referred to as a “black hole” for luck, meaning that he sucks away the good luck of those around him.  In the description of the book, it says that he is erased from the game; the entire first half of the Titan’s season is erased.  These sorts of descriptions led me to believe that the reason for Billy’s behaviour and amazing ability would be more… complex.  The reason for it all just seemed too mundane for the build-up.  That being said, I still really liked the story, maybe my expectations were just too high.

Morality is another utterly messed up story from Stephen King.  Morality is another tale that is about the horror of people.  Would you agree to do something awful (and get away with it) for the right price?

I don't really have much more to say on the short piece.  It kept the King creepy vibe going after Blockade Billy.  It was difficult to put down.  I had to be careful when reading though, this story could give me nightmares.

Two great stories, nicely paired.

At The Bay, by Katherine Mansfield

At The Bay is a good story, but I didn’t see the point.  It was well written and there were definitely parts I found interesting, but I didn't feel any real connection to the characters.  I also felt it was very long.

I could do an analysis of the duality of the characters.  The women and children are one person when the man of the house is home and another when he leaves. Even he has his own duality.  I could comment on family life at the time Katherine Mansfield wrote this.  I could discuss gender differences.  I could even talk about the possibility of the mother having post-partum depression and that here is a glimmer of hope of her coming out of it.  All these interesting topics are present within the story. But I don't feel like talking about them.

Does At The Bay have more of a point than the first Mansfield story I read, The Young Girl?  No, I don't think so.  Maybe then, it's the length plus the enigmatic characters. I don't know.  It just left me feeling a bit meh...


Short Story Monday is hosted by The Book Mine Set.

Avengers

I loved The Avengers.  My husband called it outstanding and he’s not one for exaggeration.  I don't even think this will count as a review since I only have good things to say.  The actors brought to life some of my favourite superheroes.  The actions scenes were fluid and amazing.  There was a lot of CG, but it blended well with the real people.  I loved the humour.  Joss Whedon fans can really appreciate his sense of humour.  (Is it bad that in my head I'm comparing some of the movie dialogue to Buffy?)

So, I want to list all the things/scenes/moments I loved, but there are two problems with that.  One, that would be an entire list of spoilers.  Two, it would be a long list.  Let's just say, that I already want to see it again.  (I probably won't though.  The logistics of going out with my hubby to see a movie drives me nuts sometimes.  I'll just highly anticipate the DVD.)

Whatever you do, don't leave the theatre before the credits are completely over.  Three-quarters of the theatre were out, but we and the other geeks waited until the final names rolled by for one last scene with the team.

I don't know if I could have asked for more.

I couldn't resist adding the Lego poster too. They all look so angry

Who's The Richest Fictional Character This Year?

Forbes Fictional richest 15 people are out.  Well, it was actually out on the 23rd.  I'm a bit slow.  Here they are:

1. Smaug

2. Flintheart Glomgold

3. Carlisle Cullen

4. Jed Clampett

5. Tony Stark

6. Richie Rich

7. Charles Foster Kane

8. Bruce Wayne

9. Forrest Gump

10. Mr. Monopoly

11. Lisbeth Salander

12. Tywin Lannister

13. C. Montgomery Burns

14. Robert Crawley

15. Jo Bennett

I had to look up 12, 14 and 15.  I also posted last year's list.  Scrooge McDuck, last year's number 1 isn't even on the list this year.  Smaug came up from last year's 7th place finish.  Also, how is Lisbeth Salander on this list?  I've only read the first book, maybe I need to read the other two?

From Forbes: "Net worth estimates are based on an analysis of the fictional character’s source material, and where possible, valued against known real-world commodity and share price movements. In the case of privately held fictional concerns, we seek to identify comparable fictional public companies. All figures are as of market close, April 1, 2012."


Where I saw it first:  Stargazing blog by Malene Arpe

Breastfeeding and Oreos (Milk's Favourite Cookie?)

I've talked about breastfeeding before on this blog.  I'm a mother.  I have two kids, one of whom is still being breastfed.  (The other is long past being breastfed.)  Apparently, there's a controversial Oreo ad in South Korea featuring a breastfeeding baby.  My concern over this ad would have more to do with a baby that age eating a cookie, not the breastfeeding.  Facebook has taken down all content showing this ad.  For more information, see the link below.

peaceful parenting: Milk and Cookies: Breastfeeding and Oreos: If you're in North America you'd almost have to be hiding under a rock somewhere to have missed the hoopla that is rumbling across the U...

Fever

Spoilers for Wither. 

I need to take a step back from Lauren DeStefano's Fever.  I've just finished and I thought it was amazing.  It left me on much more of a cliffhanger than Wither did, but I'm sure that's intentional, being the second book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy. I've come to see the Chemical Garden as Rhine's body.  So much stuff has gone in and out of her.  I also wonder if through all of this, from her parents to mad-scientist Vaughn, she isn't the Garden that is growing the cure.  This is all speculation, of course.

Really, I just couldn't put it down.  From the moment Rhine and Gabriel are out of the water, it is one scary situation after another.  They are constantly looking for safety, for escape routes, for a way home to Rhine's brother, Rowan.  Madame's carnival is horrific.  It just misses a worst nightmare, but not by much.  Having them end up there is one of the most horrible things in the story.  Fever is actually rather violent.  Someone is always hurt, or sick or something.  Fever is an apt title.

I feel sorry for Gabriel.  I don't think he really knew what he was getting into when he escaped with Rhine.  She paints an idyllic picture of what her life was like before being brought to the mansion.  He didn’t know she was fallible, that she was remembering with love.  I don't think he would necessarily have changed his mind, but I think he wishes he knew more about the outside world before he was thrust into it.  Also, I think he's unsure of Rhine's feelings for him, which is so sad, given what they've been through together.

I like the characters’ growth in the novel. I think Rhine grows as a person; she's lost whatever rose colour she had to her glasses about her home.  Though, I think the bigger change was in Gabriel.  He learns what the real world is like.  He grew up as a servant, but as a servant used to the safety of the mansion.  Gabriel doesn’t understand why demonstrators would bomb trees.

Linden also learns some of the most important lessons of his life, things he should have known years ago.  I hope in the next book he doesn't just blame Rhine and "the Attendant" for leaving him, but sees that even if Gabriel didn't go with her, Rhine would have run back to her brother anyway.  Linden has the potential to become so much more.  I’d like to see him be more than the dutiful son and to use his newly acquired knowledge for good.

The Gathering of young women/girls in this book is awful and a problem that plagues our world.  The kind of buying, selling and kidnapping DeStefano describes is eerily possible.  That is part of what I think makes a good dystopian novel.  It’s using the problems of now and amplifying them.  I don’t think DeStefano holds back.  There’s death, violence and tragedy throughout Fever.  You can really see what people could be capable of if there were no hope left in the world.  Her writing and subject matter make me forget that her book is Young Adult.

I could talk about all the amazing characters that Lauren DeStefano created, how she makes the decaying world believable, but it’s better if you read the book.  If you like a good dystopian, good writing and interesting, characters, read Wither and then read Fever.  I think it is an excellent continuation of the series and I can’t wait to read the conclusion.

Roots Day 8: Who Am I?

Again, I got busy and I should have written this Wednesday or Thursday, but I just forgot.  (My daughter was sick with croup.  Yikes!  Better now.  Yay!)

This class was our penultimate session.  It makes me a little sad for two reasons.  I’ve liked taking my son out to these classes; the kids really do seem to be getting something out of it.  The second reason is a little more selfish.  It means I’ll be heading back to work soon.  Only about 2 and a half months until I have to give my kids to other people to take care of while I work so I can afford to give my kids to other people to take care of.  I miss them just thinking about it.  I digress.

We did two fun/interesting things.  The first is that the class got to watch me feed the baby, now that he’s on solid foods.  The first food I gave him was something he liked, strawberries (not an allergen in my family, so okay).  He loves strawberries (chopped up very fine).  The next food I gave him was supposed to be something he didn’t like.  It was supposed to show the class how he reacted to something he didn’t want to eat.  So, after a couple bites of the yummy fruit, I gave him cold spinach.  He ate it and kept eating it.  I told the Roots instructor and the teacher I was sorry, he didn’t like it the last time I gave it to him.  The teacher was smart and used it as a teaching moment for the class.  She said, even though the baby didn’t like it the first time he ate it, he tried it again and likes it now.  So when you think you don’t like a food, give it another chance, you might change your mind.  I thought it was smart of her.

The other fun thing we did was discuss my son’s name.  I know I don’t use my kids’ names on the blog and I don’t plan to.  I also don’t use my husband's.  While I like all my readers/followers/blogging buddies, I like to keep a level of anonymity on the blog.  So, I’ll talk about the name thing in a general sort of way.  What the instructor wanted me to explain to the class is how my husband and I picked our son’s name and if it had any meaning to us.  I told them that my husband and I are from two different cultures, so we decided that one of his names would reflect my culture and one my husband's.  The class’s assignment was to go home and ask their parents why they were given their particular name.  I thought it was a nice way to end the session.

In about three weeks, we’ll have our last visit with the class.  Then that will be it for Roots of Empathy.  I think it really has been worth it so far.

AmaZing Books: From A to Z

I saw this meme about a week ago at Brenna’s Literary Musings (I’m slow, I know).  I thought at first I had done it already, but what I actually did was list a favourite author for each letter of the alphabet way back in May.  Some of the letters were really difficult, like A and G, and too many others.  But, I followed the rules and picked just one book for each letter.  If I were to do it again, however, I don’t know if all my choices would be the same.

A: As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
B: The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
C: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire
D: Dead To The World, by Charlaine Harris
E: Eleanor Rigby, by Douglas Coupland
F: Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
G: Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
H: The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
I: In The Skin Of A Lion, by Michael Ondaatje
J: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë
K:  Kindred, by Octavia Butler
L: Lives of Girls and Women, by Alice Munro
M: Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
N: Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell
O: Orlando, by Virginia Woolf
P: Pride and Prejudice [and Zombies], by Jane Austen [and Seth Grahame-Smith]
Q: Nope.
R: Remember Me?, by Sophie Kinsella
S: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
T: The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James
U: Undead Series, by MaryJanice Davidson
V: Nope.
W: World War Z, by Max Brooks
X: Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood (I’m using Brenna’s cheat.*)
Y: Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood
Z: Nope.

I was trying not to use series and only do individual books.  That’s why there isn’t The Dark Tower or The Legend of Drizzt up there.  I couldn’t help it with the Undead series though.  All the book titles are “Undead and …” and to pick out one book would be too difficult… though maybe the first or the third…

Obviously, I cheated for X.   I wasn’t surprised by not having a Q or Z.  The only V I could think of I hated.  So if you have a Q, V, X or Z recommendation, I’d love to hear it.  I’d like to have a complete list.

Unsolicited Advice: Top Ten Tips For New Book Bloggers

The Broke and The Bookish have asked for advice to give new book bloggers.  I don't know if I should be giving advice, but here goes, in no particular order.

1. Read at your own pace.  Don't think you have to post a review everyday, otherwise you risk reader burn-out.  When you read, it should be because you want to.

2. Visit other bloggers.  Other bloggers can be a great source of inspiration for posts and a great source for your next read.

3. Comment.  Don't just throw out a standard "form" comment of "nice review".  Actually read the post and make it a quality comment relating to whatever the blogger has just written.

4. ALWAYS warn if you're post has spoilers.  I read a post once that didn't and it was a little upsetting.

5. Disclose where you got the book from.  Whether from and author, agent, publisher or you won it from Goodreads or a blog giveaway or some other contest.

6. Don't make make your post/review long because you think you have to.  If what you have to say can be stated in one paragraph or even a few sentences, that's fine.  If you need longer, that's fine too, as long as it doesn't feel like you're forcing some kind of word count.

7. Be honest.  Don't just like a book because everyone else does. Also, don't pretend to read a book you haven't.

8. Let your personality show.  Reviews don't have to be essay style.  Own your voice.

9. It's nice to throw in the occasional non-bookish post.  It's nice to know if you're in school or have kids or heading for retirement.  I'm not saying reveal your whole life, I certainly don't. It's just nice to know a little about who you're reading.

10. Variety is the spice of life.  Take from that what you will

What's your advice for new book bloggers?  Are you a new book blogger trying to find your way in the blogosphere?

In Case You Didn't Know...

The sinking of the Titanic was real.  I can't believe people don't know that.  I know it happened a long time ago, but still.  It was one of the most monumental catastrophes of the modern age.

via Gizmodo

Source:  Stargazing blog by Malene Arpe

Here's a picture of the Titanic from Wikipedia when it set sail:

Here's what it looked like photographed in 2004 (It's under water):

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8: Retreat

I loved the two short stories at the end of Retreat. Harmony talks to Stephen Colbert and Buffy has a very bad dream. These stories really lightened the rest of the heavy, action-packed volume.

Retreat has Oz! I was so excited when I saw him there on the front cover (not a spoiler since he’s on the front cover). Even if they drew him a little too tall, it was Oz.  Amidst all the battles, we get to find out what happened to Oz after he left Sunnydale for Tibet the second time.  However, as happy as I am to see Oz, it has brought me to my complaint about the art. Where is his red hair? His hair is brown as we read the story. If his hair was also brown on the cover, then though I'd be sad they didn't use his red hair, I probably wouldn't complain about it. I just like consistency.

As for the actual story, Retreat was great. It had every character you could want make an appearance. It was nice seeing everyone together.  They fight, they argue and there’s a surprise appearance at the end.  Retreat didn't disappoint.  I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the next installment of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8.

Don’t Stop! Top Ten Books To Read In A Day

Some of these Top Ten Books are to Read In A Day, because they are quick reads.  Others are for one day reading because it's difficult to put them down.

1.     The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins - You could potentially read the whole series in a day.

2.     Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris - It's easy to fall for Sookie and Bill in one day.

3.     Undead and Unwed, by Maryjanice Davidson - Decide if you love Betsy or can't stand her craziness.  I love her and you can decide in a day.

4.     Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella - You can get excited and feel embarrassed with Becky.  Go through this fun Chick Lit adventure easily in one day.

5.     Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling - It's been so long since I read the first Harry Potter book.  It would be nice to sit back and take in Harry's first adventure in just a day.

6.     A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Houseinni - It would be a long, emotional day and you might cry at the end, but this book is so difficult to put down.

7.     The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland - Coupland's writing is so fluid, it is difficult tear yourself away; you want to know what is going to happen to these characters.

8.     Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams - So good and fun and I think it would be easy to read in a day.

9.     The Helmet of Horror, by Victor Pelevin - I read this in a day by accident.  It was such an easy read, I was sitting with my hubby and the next thing I knew it was done!

10. The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood - An easy, potentially one-day read, for any Atwood fan.  You really want to know what happens to Penelope in end.

Except for The Helmut of Horror, all of these books took me more than a day to read.  It's been a long time since I've had the kind of time where I can just sit and read my time away.  But if I was without the children, maybe on a vacation or something, I could read any of those books in a day.

Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for another great topic.

The Hunger Games (The Movie)

I loved The Hunger Games movie.  I will try to be as vague as possible, so that I don't spoil anything for those who haven't seen the movie yet.  Yes, there were a few bits that I would have liked to be more like the book, especially the muttations, but whenever a book gets made into a movie, things have to go.  Also, I would have liked the end of the movie to be a bit more like the book, concerning Katniss and Peeta's relationship, it was too positive.  The movie was a lot of action; a lot of the explanatory parts were very condensed, but since the movie was almost 2.5 hours, that is understandable.  Gale also felt a little stuffed into the movie, but whatever.

Overall, I was not disappointed.  I enjoyed The Hunger Games and my hubby did too.  If they made my hubby like this movie, I think they did a good job.  This movie is definitely not just for fans of the book.  People who like action movies will probably like this too.  A warning for those who think it’s all about the “teen romance”, it’s not.  There is death, a lot of it (not that it’s brutally violent, it’s rated PG-13).  It’s about 12-18 year-olds killing each other.  In The Hunger Games, the rules are 24 go in, only one comes out.  Some of the people in the theatre sounded shocked at some of the death scenes; what did you think was going to happen?  I described it once to someone as homicidal Survivor… with teens.

One more thing, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  It must still be leftover pregnancy hormones or something (they can last for a year post-partum), because the same scene that got me a bit teary in the book, got me in the movie too.  I’m so crazy!  It’s not like I haven’t read the book twice!  I knew it was coming, but it was so wonderfully done and pretty much what I had pictured in my head.  There is a lot of emotion in this movie, so don’t be surprised if you end up feeling whatever it is Katniss is feeling too.

They Saw It Too:

Literary Musings

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Lucybird’s Book Blog

Wom, by Michael Joll

Wom is a weird story.  It does not match the picture on the website.   It is a story about post-apocalyptic survival.  At first it seems like it might be almost peaceful, but it lulls you into a false sense of security.  It's violent.  The entire story.  So many sentences punch at you.  It's not just the actual violence, but the way the story is written carries an urgent undertone.  Yet, the characters all seem alarmingly indifferent.  They lack emotions; the kind of emotions we would feel if in their situation.  I think that's done on purpose.  Except for a few spoken phrases, these people are nothing like us.  SPOILER!  Wom does not fight for her survival in the end, she just accepts her fate.

Is "Wom" short for woman?
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Wom will cause a reaction in anyone who reads it.  You might like the story, you might hate it, but once you read it, I doubt you can ignore it.  Wom provokes feelings in the reader, though they are absent from the characters.  It is well-written, but as I write this, I still don't know if I liked the story.  Because of the content, I don't know if I'd read something by Joll again.

Thanks to John Mutford at The Book Mine Set for hosting Short Story Monday. 

Roots Day #7 or Talk To Me, Baby

I should have posted this last week, but it’s been busy and I completely forgot.

This session’s Roots of Empathy topic was communication.  I talked about how I know what my son needs and how he is feeling based on his facial expressions, cries and body language.  Then the teacher related this to the kids when they hurt themselves.  She said something like, she can tell if they’re really hurt or if they just got a little boo-boo based on how they are crying.  I thought it was a good example and she explained it much better than I just did.

What got my attention this week is how much bolder they kids are getting in their attempts to touch my baby.  It’s a rule that they are not supposed to touch me or my son.  It’s a combination of germs (kindergarteners have A LOT of germs that aren’t good for an infant) and if one of them gets to hug him, they all will want to and not all of them know how to be gentle.  They keep trying to grab his hand (which goes directly into his mouth) or they ask if they can hug him.  I feel a little bad that I have to say no; they look a little sad, but those are the rules. Plus, I honestly don’t want the kids touching my son in case he gets sick.  The flu on a 5-year-old is much different than the flu on a 9-month-old.

The kids seem to still be really enjoying the visits and my little baby (who is not so little) seems to really like it too.  I think only two more visits left to go!