Bad Habits

I have a confession to make about a bad habit I have fed for the past four years. If I think a book is becoming too popular, I put off reading it.

It’s true, and I know it makes no sense. The good reviews should mean it’s a great book! So why do I resist until I feel compelled to see what the hype is about??? I just finished one such book, The Hunger Games. It definitely lived up to my expectations.

I appreciate Katniss’ struggle, and her sacrificial love of her sister. Unfortunately, I also found her to be rather clueless about relationships. I realize not everyone is attuned to changes in relationships, but I just don’t understand how Katniss misinterprets almost everything. Her prowess at hunting is nice, but, like other authors, Collins has forced her character to be rather unfeminine.

I love the descriptions of Cinna’s creations, and the mockingjay is a wonderful creation. All in all, I truly loved the book, and I’m looking forward to picking up the sequel (Catching Fire) at the library as soon as possible!

Vampires and Sunshine

Sunshine by Robin McKinley has a much more urgent and adult feel than her other books. The book, though an interesting take on pre-Twilight vampires and the possibility of human-vampire relations, leaves a bit to be desired in the character development of Mel, Rae’s mother, and several other characters. It is rather choppy and hard to follow at times, but worth the read once you figure out who is who.

Also, the novel leaves numerous unanswered questions and has no sequel. McKinley must have some sort of dislike for sequels, for she has none. Although I enjoyed several of her books for children, Sunshine is not my favorite work of hers. I applaud her for tackling the idea of a “good vampire” or perhaps a “less evil than expected vampire” in the days before Stephenie Meyer conned people into thinking vampires are sparkly and like cuddling, and if you like vampires, gore, and magic, this is a good choice for you.

YA Fantasy

I did read some of the books on my list! Hooray! Here is a little information and what I thought was good about each.

1. Fire by Kristin Cashore. This book was even better than Graceling, and Fire is another strong female character. I identify more with Fire than Katsa simply because Kasta is very strong and hides her emotions well, while Fire physically is not particularly strong but is more emotionally open. I love the descriptions of Fire’s beauty, especially her hair with it’s reds, oranges and pinks. I appreciate Fire’s struggle about whether or not to have children. However, I felt most of the “twists” were rather predictable, such as the relationships and the ending chapters of the book. Bottom line: Fire is heroic, has special powers, and is beautiful. What’s not to love?

I am hoping that Cashore will include some of the characters from the Dells in her next novel, the much anticipated Bitterblue. Bitterblue is a character in Graceling and a rather major plot point for the novel. I am excited to see how she has grown and what kind of woman she will be in this third book of the trilogy. Cashore has a way of bringing strong heroines to life in her stories, and though they have some similarities, there are several differences, showing us different kinds of strengths as well.

2. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund. Unicorns as a menace, a cloister of chaste huntresses, and a seriously good book that promotes virginity? YES! I liked this book quite a bit. Astrid is your typical 16-year-old girl, minus her amazing unicorn hunting abilities. Action, adventure, and romance all combine in this fun story.

One bad thing about Rampant is the hunters are not really 3 dimensional characters. Each huntress has one characteristic that Peterfreund really expounds on and she leaves the other nuances of the girls’ personalities out. The exceptions are the three main girls, Cory, Phil, and, of course, Astrid.

Also, there are a few loose ends that Peterfreund did not tie up in the final chapters. These are not part of the main plot, but are rather unnecessary information if there is not subplot, or if the subplot was abandoned. Perhaps there will be a sequel? I sincerely hope so.

Edit: There will be a sequel to Rampant, entitled Ascendant due out sometime this year.

Reading List

If you are still in high school, you would not believe how busy college is, and if you are out of college, you may not remember. Let me be the one to remind you–college students are VERY BUSY!

With that said, I haven’t been able to read as much as I like, especially in the fiction genre, YA or Adult. I have been much too busy reading books about the scientific revolution and writing an enormous paper on it, for which I received an A.

Anyway, here are some novels I’m planning to read over this long weekend, though some may not be read until the end of the month.

1. The Last Sin Eater, by Francine Rivers. This novel is set in a colony of Welsh Americans, and the main character is 10-year-old Cadi Forbes. Cadi hopes to find relief from her sins by finding the village Sin Eater, but finds more than she bargained for, and eventually the One who can forgive her of all her sins.

Classic Francine Rivers, inspirational and with great reviews and a movie to watch as a follow up.

2. Fire, by Kristin Cashore. This is the prequel-ish novel to Graceling, which I absolutely loved. Though set some while before Graceling, it is the second in Cashore’s planned trilogy. The reviews paint this novel to be a little more mature, as her writing has matured, and the characters look to be a bit more complex with their abilities and desires.

3. The Other Queen, by Philippa Gregory. A novel about Queen Mary of Scotts in typical Gregory style. I borrowed this book from a friend a while ago and need to read it and return very soon.

4. Rampant, by Diana Peterfreund. As you may have noticed if you have read any of my other lists, this book has been on at least one previous one, but has not been read yet. I read the first few chapters of Rampant in a bookstore, or perhaps online, but did not end up buying it, as I have very little money (college student!). I placed a hold on it at my local library, but forgot to pick it up, and have just now come into contact with it again. As such, I hope I enjoy the rest of the novel about unicorn hunting as much as the first few chapters.

5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. This book has had fabulous reviews and I hope it is worth it. I like books with a futuristic setting in a society that seems better but is so flawed under the surface such as Lowry’s The Giver, Westerfield’s Uglies series, or Orwell’s 1984. Also, I have always had a soft spot for romance, so this novel should be right up my adventure-loving, science-fiction-reading, romantic alley.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

By acclaimed authors John Green (Looking for Alaska) and David Levithan (Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist) comes a new collaborative tale about two teens both names Will Grayson. The Wills’ lives began to converge and they must deal with each other’s influences on their lives and their own feelings about the other.

I’m looking forward to this book as it should be up to John Green’s standards and I love all 3 of his novels. I’m not as familiar with David Levithan’s work, but he has great reviews. Hope someone out there is as excited as I am about this!

The release date for the book is April 28, so look for it on shelves then!

Redeeming Love

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a powerful love story set in 1800s California. The main characters, Michael Hosea and Angel are settlers in this lonely land. Angel, a former prostitute, struggles through the trials of being with Michael while he struggles to breach her defences and touch her heart. Based on the book of Hosea, Francine Rivers brings a wonderful homespun feeling to the story and creates a beautiful love story that will thrill and inspire. Through divine providence, Michael and Angel find each other and the redeeming love that comes from a relationship with God.
Five stars.

Looking for…

I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been very busy and haven’t even had much time to read (gasp!). However, I have managed to read some excellent novels over this winter break, and am looking forward to reading some more.

Here is my list of top 5 to read soon:

1. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund. What could be more interesting than killer unicorns and a girl with a destiny???

2. Splendor by Anna Godbersen. I’m looking forward to the end of this series starring socialites from the late 1800s.

3. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. This Christian author has taken the book of Hosea and set the story in the wild west.

4. Warrior Princess 2, Destiny’s Path by Frewin Jones. I like finishing stories, regardless of whether the ending is in the same book as the beginning, though that would be nice.

5. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. Because I want to see the movie and because Nicholas Sparks writes wonderful books.

Great books, summer 2009

I’ve been very busy for the past few months, but here are some  books I’ve read that I really enjoyed.

1. The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares. This book is potentially my new favorite book. You will laugh and you should cry during this beautiful novel.

2. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. With this book, Dessen has once again created a complicated but plausible plot while adding in mentions of several of her other beloved characters (and a few not so beloved). This book deals with Auden’s parents’ divorce and her acceptance of her father’s new family while trying to prepare for college which are fairly common problems in today’s world. I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to Dessen’s fabulous list of novels.

3. The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti. Once again, Caletti creates a strong heroine with a mission. In this novel, Quinn sets out to right her father’s wrongs to a few of the women from his past. A touching story of seeing the truth and overcoming it’s implications, forming bonds and letting some things go.

4. Harriet and Isabella by Patricia O’Brien. This amazing historical fiction novel tells the story of one of America’s most famous authors and her family. Alternating between Harriet and Isabella’s perspectives, readers learn the secrets of the great Beecher family: the rifts and reasons behind their actions and hope for reconcililation.

Graceling

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore, creates a fabulous world where only a few are “graced” with a special skill. Graced people have eyes of two colors and special skills sometimes used to their detriment and Katsa’s skill is killing. When she meets her match in the stranger with gold and silver eyes, Po, Katsa embarks on a journey to discover new truths about Graces and herself.

Told in three parts, Cashore has created a facinating maincharacter and several engaging supporting characters. Isolated because of her Grace, Katsa finds friends in unlikely places while fighting bring justice to the seven kingdoms. Five stars.

Eva Ibbotson

Having read four of Ibbotson’s YA books, I can safely say that I love her writing and am looking forward to her new book, The Reluctant Heiress. Though her books always end happily (as they should), and may sometimes be as coincidental  as Jane Eyre, they are tales of perseverance, hope, and misunderstandings being righted.

As everyone can relate to misunderstandings, everyone can learn from Ibbotson’s books how important it is to correct the misunderstandings in our relationships and try to end as happily as most of her characters.

Anna from A Countess Below Stairs, Ruth from The Morning Gift, Harriet from A Company of Swans, and Ellen from A Song for Summer are very different girls, but all are beautiful in their own way and all are essentially good. Their acts of kindness endear them to everyone in the books, as well as the readers. I enjoy each new character’s perspective on things, as well as the historical parts of the books.

The Reluctant Heiress is on shelves April 30, 2009.