Forgot some...

The Dragon series
by Donita K. Paul

I'm on the fourth and final one. I don't know what to think of the huge leap between #3 and #4, (in three years Bardon and Kale got married and have been living in the Bogs) but otherwise I'm excited for this last book.

In general Donita K. Paul has very good, fresh ideas but I cannot relate to the characters at all, they have no individuality. Also sometimes the rhythm isn't quite on, like the scene will completely change with out my noticing it. But still, very good books.

I was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader - Loved it! So light and warm-hearted, I like how the characters sortof/mostly come together in the end. I also love Daniel, he's so cool.

The Stone Light and many others

I'm back! Finally figured out my password and login and such. I've read some super books in the mean time. Some of my favorites (at least the ones I can remember):
The Water Mirror -- really good, love the ideas, wish I could read it in the original German though. Cant wait to finish the series.
Cast Two Shadows -- very good, liked it even better than the author's A Girl in Blue, did a book report on it
Deadline -- by Chris Crutcher. Life changing book. Unbelievably good.
Dairy Queen -- Catherine Murdock. Also amazing, and also about football. And there's a sequel!  'Off Season' I think.
Stormbreaker -- very nice action book, but I was looking for more emotion
Eclipse -- great 3rd book, almost died at the end because I thought there weren't going to be any sequels. The part about Jacob is very controversial, I didn't want Bella to like him at all, but I see what Meyers/Edward said about her healing and a part of her heart belonging to him. It's like in life, we go on and experience new things, there's no way it won't affect us.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- what can I say! Rowling said the epilogue was the only thing that kept her going sometimes, and I know what she means. It was wonderful, except for the 'Albus Severus' part. I agree that that is a lousy name (although well intentioned). The 7th book felt like it was a whole different style/voice, but I guess things are bound to be different without our beloved hoggy Hogwarts. I still don't understand some parts of it, and am not satisfied in some respects, but it was very good.
In the Belly of the Bloodhound -- good, also different; not as much of the high seas-salty-air-ness that is so fun. But what a cliffhanger ending! I wanted to read the next book so badly.

Well there are tonnes and tonnes more but I also have a paper to write. Tally ho!

Total Lack of Determination and Effort

Yes, as you would notice, I'm experiencing a total lack of determination and effort. The past 8 book reviews were posted without a summary, any thought process whatsoever, and half the time, not even the correct picture. I guess you could credit this to burnout (or boredom) but maybe it's just plain laziness. And you know what the sad thing is? I don't think anyone ever reads this anyway, so it makes no difference whatsoever. In that respect I think it can be considered a colossal feat worthy of praise that I even manage to put up corresponding (if not correct) pictures for each and every book. And also, I can't even remember the books I read this month, last week, or even yesterday. But you will never know if I don't write about them anyway.

So there.

The Seven Songs of Merlin

The Seven Songs of Merlin
by: T.A. Barron

This is the second book in a 5 part series and follows "The Lost Years of Merlin."
A plot summary courtesy of Wikipedia:

"The story starts off at the remains of the shrouded castle. Creatures of almost every race appear at the meeting. They decide to do with the Treasures of Fincayra. Since the Dark Hills are still in the Blight, they decide who should heal them using the Flowering Harp. After many try, Merlin tries. At first it appears as if nothing happened, but soon grass appears on his boots. After this, he is chosen to use the Flowering Harp on the Dark Hills, before the goblins and wraiths can come out.

The story continues with Merlin still in the Dark Hills. As soon as that happens, he tries to make a beech bend, so he can go to the top. Rhia though stops him. While they stop to eat, Merlin gets an idea. He goes to the west to see Garlatha and T´eilan in hopes of impressing them with the harp. Rhia starts to follow him, telling him that he still needs a guide. When he gets there he tries to show them the harp but they are more interested in Rhia than Merlin. Upset he storms off.

He sleeps by a river, upset about everything. When he falls asleep, he sees his mother, but then his teeth start growing and they stab his eyes. When he wakes up, he hears crying. He finds that the sobbing is coming from inside the river. He finds a flask. When he opens it, he feels a warm air. Then he hears a voice. The voice tells him her name is Aylah and that she is a wind sister. When he tries to play the harp, instead of everything growing, everything dies. After some probing from Aylah, Merlin realizes that he misses his mother. After he finds a way to bring her to Fincayra, she becomes terribly ill."

Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie

Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie
by: Jordan Sonnenblick

Milkweed

Milkweed
by: Jerry Spinelli

Pretty good, liked it a lot better than Eggs. The whole time I wanted to slap Misha and say, "Rewire your brain, you idiot! You don't think like a normal human being! Snap out of it!" but I guess that isn't really possible. >_<

And also, I love milkweed plants. I have this obsession, everyone thinks of them as weeds (for some odd reason, even though they are sold in fancy garden stores) but I got wild seeds and plant them all over (i.e. my mom's flower beds). It made me a little upset that this book wasn't actually about milkweeds at all, but about some little alien's experience in the ghetto. Whatever.

The City of Ember

The City of Ember
by: Jeanne DuPrau

The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1
The Lightning Thief
by: Rick Riordan

Can't wait to read the sequel, The Sea of Monsters. Very good book, read it in a snap. Couldn't believe how long it took me to figure out that Percy was short for Perseus...


I have so many posts saved as drafts right now... I am definately procrastinating. I have the feeling quite a lot of them will be put up with just a picture.

Henry V

Henry V
by: William Shakespeare

Straw into Gold

Straw into Gold
by: Gary D. Schmidt

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
by: Robert Louis Stevenson

Ptolemy's Gate

Ptolemy's Gate
by: Jonathan Stroud

Eggs

Eggs
by: Jerry Spinelli

Not really about eggs, even though the cover art is quite cool. I liked this book okay, but I'm not one for Spinelli's wishy-washy style.

Gossamer

Gossamer
by: Lois Lowry

Amazing. This is the 2nd fastest I've ever read a book, which means it is pretty darn good. It is so much better than the preview summary makes it out to be.

Stephenie Meyer said that there are two ways of writing, about Extraordinary characters in Ordinary circumstances or Ordinary characters in Extraordinary circumstances. That is like this book, the characters are so very extraordinary and the circumstances are so very common.
Another way one could look at this book is to say it is superb writing paired with a not-so-fantastical event, whileas I've read books with huge, fantastical events combined with poor writing.

Anyway, I'm trying to say that the writing was superb. The whole book felt like a dream. Littlest One was vividly described, and she was also the most dynamic character in the book.

The word 'gossamer' intrigued me and I decided to look up more about it. This according to Curious Word Origins:
gossamer - the slender cobweb-like threads floating in the air in calm weather, produced by small spiders
This comes directly from 'goose-summer' (gossomer, in Middle English), an unusually warm period or Indian summer occurring in mid-November. This is the time of year when spiders are wont to spread their delicate webs across lawns and bushes and when St Martin's Day is traditionally celebrated with a goose dinner.
By the beginning of the 14th century gossamer came to be applied to filmy spiders webs and similar material, such as fine gauze. The rationale for the transference of meaning is unclear. Most probably it was simply that the webs were most often seen during goose- summer, but an association with the fuzzy down plucked from geese and the delicate webs drifting through the autumn air may also have played a part.

But, as with (seemingly) all books, the end came too soon, and I wished the book went on forever.



Also, while searching for a picture of the Gossamer book cover, I stumbled upon this cover, which strikingly reminds me of the other book.
The Faeries of Gossamer Glen

Among the Hidden Series

Among the Hidden - Among the Impostors - Among the Betrayed - Among the Barons - Among the Brave
by: Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea
by: Ernest Hemingway

Thwonk!

Thwonk
by: Joan Bauer

The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War
by: Robert Cormier

Small Steps

Small Steps
by: Louis Sachar

Very, very, very different than the book it comes after, Holes. It follows the life of two kids from Camp Green Lake, Armpit and X-Ray. I liked it a lot.

It is a very different tone than Holes, none of the magical-tale feeling, more down-to-earth.

One thing I didn't like was the ending. It was way too practical for my liking. I was looking forward to something romantic, such as Armpit rushing off to makeup with Keira. Also, Ginny had a large role early on in the book, but was then cast off like she had served her purpose.

The Hero and the Crown

The Hero and the Crown
by: Robin McKinley

Love it love it love it! This was a precursor to The Blue Sword, also a very good book. What surprised me the most was how different they were. I like parts of this one better, but there are parts of the other book I wouldn't give up either. I don't like the beginning of The Blue Sword, I thought it was like mid-1800's, and then the whole scene and mood changes throughout the book, which I found very confusing.

In The Hero and the Crown I hate how inevitable everything seems to be. She just had to fight the dragon by herself, she just couldn't recover, she had to go up the staircase for centuries, she had to come back at the very last minute. Also, why did king Arlbeth have to die?

I do like how the author handled Aerin's mortal and not-quite-mortal sides, and the fact that Aerin could live a full life and still go back to love Luthe. I was really dreading her final decision.

It would be interesting to read a story continueing this one, where we get to see how strong Aerin's magic really is. Now that I've read this book I want to go back and read The Blue Sword, a lot of things will make more sense. But I still advise that you read the Blue Sword first, then The Hero and the Crown.

The Divide

The Divide
by: Elizabeth Kay

Le Corbeau et le Renard

Le Corbeau et le renard

Maître corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître renard, par l'odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :
« Hé ! bonjour Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le phénix des hôtes de ces bois. »
A ces mots, le corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le renard s'en saisit, et dit : « Mon bon monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l'écoute.
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage sans doute. »
Le corbeau honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard , qu'on ne l'y prendrait plus.

Jean de LA FONTAINE
Fables, livre I (1668)

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Silas Marner

Silas Marner

The Weaver of Raveloe
by: George Elliot

My sister gave me this book for Christmas, and I had seen 2 TV versions before I read this. Wishbone, which was very good (I always love Wishbone), the more modern-ish Steve Martin one.  It is so nice to finally read the book and learn all of the details left out on film.  For example the story of the Cass brothers and their money schemes, plus Godfrey's situation with Nancy Lammeter.  But even more nice to know is Silas' background, the story of his epileptic fits and his horrible friend who kicks him out to steal his fiancée.  Not as nice to know is how very sad his condition has become, and how much the villagers fear/dispise him.

There isn't much for descriptions of English scenery in this novel, surprising to me.

Sometimes I wish George Eliot (a woman btw, Mary Ann Evans) would get to the point sooner, I just know what will happen but it takes forever to get there!

According to Wikipedia, "Ultimately, Silas Marner is a tale of familial love and loyalty, reward and punishment, humble friendships."

*New layout btw. I like this one, it is more airy and spread-out. Reminds me of imagining and reading books.

A Well-Timed Enchantment

A Well-Timed Enchantment
by: Vivian Vande Velde

(Amazing pen name, btw. I think I'll name my first child Vivian Vande Velde.)
I also read her book "Dragon's Bait" which was more geered towards an older audience, which I also liked.

Even though this book is meant for under 14 year olds I liked it. It has good ideas and a good ending, but the details aren't as fully developped as I would have liked. (But of course if I had my way all books would be about twice as long!) The ending comes too soon.
There are some pretty silly puns laced in and the main character doesn't grow a backbone until the end of the book.

It is very quirky and light-hearted, fast-paced, enjoyable.

Daughter of the Forest

Daughter of the Forest
by: Juliet Marillier

Very good. It reminds me a lot of Marillier's book Wolfskin, which was also excellent.

At some parts I cursed the characters' stupidity, and fervently wished that they would breach the gap of hate between the Britons and Sevenwaters, such as the brothers' constant hostility (except for Finbar), and the awful rumors told by the Britons.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Son of the Shadows.

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising
by: Pam Muñoz Ryan

I had heard about this book so much that I just had to read it, even though it is meant for a younger audience. I love the cover art, her rising above her challenges, with the roses of memory. Esperanza means 'hope' in Spanish.

Some of my favorite parts:
Anza and her father listening to the earth's heart beat, then later on Anza and Miguel. Anza had to find her inner peace, and be around those she loved, to be able to hear the heart. Anza giving her doll to Isabel after she was not chosen for the Queen of May. Miguel bringing back Abuelita, a happy ending at last.

This is a true story about the author's grandmother.

A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities
by: Charles Dickens

Review
I absolutely loved this book. I was slow to get into it, but that's to be expected since it is written in a different style than I'm used to and it was an assigned book in English.

My favorite part was at the end when Sydney Carton meets the girl Charles Darnay had befriended. She instantly recognizes that he's not Darnay, but they give each other comfort until the end, and Carton truly feels happy.

I never noticed before how many things incorporate the idea of people looking alike and using it to their advantage or causing havoc, also seen in Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona".

Before I read A Tale of Two Cities, I had a murky conception of this book being a story about two gentlemen wanting to see what life was like in the other's city, a notion I discerned from a kid's book about two frogs. After I got the gist of the story I remembered a Wish Bone episode I had seen, and everything fit into place.

One thing that helped me to understand this book and lessen my confusion was reading "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. It is a much simpler book to read, and less in depth, but just as enjoyable in my opinion.

La Cigale et La Fourmi

La Cigale, ayant chanté
Tout l'été,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Quand la bise fut venue.
Pas un seul petit morceau
De mouche ou de vermisseau.
Elle alla crier famine
Chez la fourmi sa voisine,
La priant de lui prêter
Quelque grain pour subsister
Jusqu'à la saison nouvelle.
« Je vous paierai, lui dit-elle,
Avant l'oût, foi d'animal,
Intérêt et principal. »
La Fourmi n'est pas prêteuse;
C'est là son moindre défaut.
« Que faisiez-vous au temps chaud?
Dit-elle à cette emprunteuse.
--Nuit et jour à tout venant
Je chantais, ne vous déplaise.
--Vous chantiez? j'en suis fort aise.
Eh bien! dansez maintenant. »

Jean de LA FONTAINE
Fables, livre I (1668)


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