The School for Good and Evil

 The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani was strange, mysterious, and very unpredictable. The story is about a school of students taken from their homes (once a year, sometime after they turn twelve-years-old) to study either good or evil and then graduate and, hopefully, become part of a fairy tale. The main focus is on two friends from the town of Gavaldon: Sophie, who loves wearing pink and giving beauty tips, and Agatha, who wears black and lives in a cemetery. They are taken in the middle of the night by the schoolmaster, Sophie to the evil tower and Agatha to the good. Sophie is sure there must be some mistake, and Agatha just wants to go home, but there is no telling where their futures will lie. But why tell you about the book when I can show you?

(Design & Animation: Manny Palad & Michael Blank

Original Music: Luciano Storti)

Have you ever seen a trailer for a BOOK before? This was my first, so I found it really fascinating. Of course, it tells you little of what's actually going on--much like its movie counterparts.

First Impression: The two main characters, Sophie and Agatha, fascinate me a great deal. On the surface they present themselves a certain way, but inside they are different people. On one hand, I'm really interested in this book, and I just want to quickly propel through it. On the other hand, I'm a bit frustrated that I can't predict where it's going. I know, I know, I shouldn't want to predict the ending (or at least the climax), but part of me always has questions about the ending running through my head as I read. The main problem this poses for me is that I'm constantly wondering, "What is 'the point' of this book?" Not that there has to be one, but usually there is in books meant for children and young adults, so that's kind of what I expected. Initially, I thought Sophie and Agatha would discover that they were different from everyone's assumptions about them (including their own). Every time I start to see this, however, there is a twist and the book plunges deeper into something I haven't quite figured out. I feel like I'm rambling now. Anyway, Chainani's novel is keeping me in constant suspense.

Conclusion: This book is so crazy and unexpected, I am in shock. I'm alternately torn between loving the ending and hating it--my emotions have been jerked back-and-forth about a million times. When I first started reading this book, I glanced at the Goodreads reviews, and it didn't seem promising. I always try to finish books I start, however, so I continued on. Thank goodness, because this book is fantastic! Chainani outdoes himself with this debut novel--an original, unique fairy tale in a sea of repeats. Not at all what you would expect, but I would definitely recommend it.

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2013

Today, I found a weekly feature through Word Hits hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that is so much fun! It's called Top Ten Tuesday. Every week, they feature their top ten in something book related, and this week it was Top Ten Books Read So Far in 2013. (Each of those links leads to a different page, so make sure you check them all out!) I decided I'll participate, even though you all have heard about most of these books already, and I've divided them into a couple of sections. The books themselves are in no particular order, and if I've written about them on my blog, I'll link them to the original post as well. Also, some of my entries are actually series which I've finished, and I didn't want to pick a favorite book from the series. I'm not including any books that I re-read this year, that I have yet to finish, or that were written for elementary school ages or younger.

Loved:
Two Guys Read Jane Austen--What a great way to delve further into Jane Austen!

Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 1 & 2--I don't know how many of you have seen The Dark Crystal, but I simply adore that movie! These graphic novels tell the history of Thra (the world in which the movie is set) and how it came to be divided by the devastation of the crystal. I loved being pulled back into this story--it challenged my imagination and my moral compass. Also, the copies that I have included some background information on the making of the movie and the characters, which I found intriguing.

Liked a Lot:
Austenland--This was my first review for the Pride and Prejudice bicentenary challenge. I really enjoyed the playfulness and uniqueness of it.

A Wrinkle in Time--It would be hard for this book to get more awesome. Meg (and all of the main characters) is fantastic, but my favorite is probably Aunt Beast. What a cozy, happy character! I can't believe it took me so long to read this book.

Sookie Stackhouse series--I loved the voice that Charlaine Harris gave Sookie. She may not be my favorite character, but she is definitely unique. Also, I find the mix of mystery, comedy, romance, and paranormal activity very interesting.

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1)--With all of the other paranormal books out right now, it's hard to find one that really feels like an original, and this is one. Deborah Harkness has my attention; we'll see what she does with it when I read the second book.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks--Science is not my strong suit, but this book really captured me. Skloot does a fantastic job balancing the family's story of Henrietta with the medical community's story of HeLa.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series--This is the first series I've read by Rick Riordan, and I love how he transformed Greek mythology, adapting it for the modern world and making it more accessible to the reader. Well-written and very inventive.

The School for Good and Evil--Just your typical fairy tale...or is it? This book took me on one of the craziest psychological roller coasters I've ever been on. Chainani plays games with your head and makes you believe things only to switch it up later. I liked this for it's original take on fairy tale ideals and technicalities. Look for a post on this book later this week.

Unbearable Lightness--I have always liked Portia de Rossi for her wit, humor, and "stage presence," but this book gave me another reason to see her as a strong, admirable woman. I am excited that she decided to share the story of her struggle with anorexia and other eating disorders, and I'll be writing a post about this one soon.

Cookbooks: I don't really "read through" cookbooks; I just glance through, reading bits and trying the recipes that sound the best to me. But I've found some interesting ones this year that I wanted to share with you. They're not exactly part of my ten, and I'm still working on a good way to review cookbooks. Meanwhile, find these and rifle through them--I'm sure you'll find something fantastic!

Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook
Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream
The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

Series: Sookie Stackhouse

I recently finished the Sookie Stackhouse series written by Charlaine Harris, which inspired the TV series True Blood. Since I already wrote a short review on Goodreads after reading each book, I just copied them all here for you. As you can see by reading, I really enjoyed this series early on, but Harris began to drag toward the end, which I guess is to be expected with such a long series. The series centers around a young telepathic woman, Sookie Stackhouse, who lives in a small town in Louisiana near her friends and family. It all starts with the first time she meets a vampire, whose thoughts she can't hear, and goes from there on a wild ride of mystery, comedy, and para-normalcy.

#1 Dead Until Dark: This was great! Charlaine Harris creates a world that I find very believable. If vampires were real and "came out of the coffin," as she puts it, I'm pretty sure some parts of the world would be similar to how she writes it. I've seen a little bit of True Blood, so I knew some pieces of story to expect, but I was certainly surprised at some of the differences in character which I found. I also liked the extra background information that I got (as always) from the details in the book that you don't get from television. I enjoyed the book a bit more than the show, and I plan on reading more in this series.

#2 Living Dead in Dallas: I've enjoyed both of the Sookie Stackhouse novels that I've read so far. This one is quite a bit different than the TV show True Blood, while the first one was fairly similar. I figure they'll become more and more different, which is alright. They're both good in their own rights, but I like the books better, to be honest. There are a few things I don't like as much, such as Jason's attitude to Sookie in the first novel, but overall, it seems more real/detailed/enjoyable, etc. The main reason might be Sookie's narration, but I suppose I'll learn more as the series goes on. Overall, it keeps the blood pumping with mystery, action, intrigue, and it's just a nice, quick read.

#3 Club Dead: I'm really enjoying this series. It's almost like a palate cleanser for other things I'm reading, since the language and the general concept are easier to grasp. The best thing about the writing, I think, is that the narration is so consistent. Harris really has a grasp on Sookie's character. One thing I don't like is some of the rehashing. I understand a little rehashing of vampire capabilities and such toward the beginning of each book, I assume for the ease of those who didn't start the series at the beginning, but it bothers me when those comments continue throughout the story, almost to the very end. Even if some of the main characters aren't the smartest people (a flaw which isn't often found in main characters and is appreciated by this reader for its rarity), Harris might improve parts of the book by assuming that her readers are a little smarter. Just a sidenote. In general, I really liked this story and the fact that Sookie decides she isn't willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of a cheating, abusive vampire boyfriend, since every other vampire's girlfriend in modern writing seems compelled to do so.

#4 Dead to the World: I really enjoyed the step aside in Eric's amnesia. This one was a bit different than the usual Sookie Stackhouse book, but not in a bad way. I appreciate how Charlaine Harris can keep two intertwining plot lines going so well; it leaves a really nice way to emphasize her choice of first-person narrative, since Sookie always has suspicions of things being connected in ways that they never are. Also, I liked how she introduced witches to the series, although I think that became a "bark bigger than bite" situation.

#5 Dead as a Doornail: This book was a "win some on this part, lose some on this part" for me. There were definite sections to the book, and I think readers will probably take a very certain stance on which parts they liked and which they did not. What I mean to say is that the entire book will not appeal to one person or another--different parts will appeal to different people. That being said, the parts that I didn't like were excusable because I can still see how it fits in the world Harris is creating. The werewolves' competition for a new packmaster was not something I agreed with or that I would have written, but I can see how it works with the persona of the pack. Also, I'd like to mention that I never quite predict how these Sookie Stackhouse books will end. I like that I can read the series and, although I can predict certain events, I can never completely know what's going to happen. Harris goes very different directions than I would personally, and there's a lot I admire about that. She has a unique way of writing and represents the voice of her main character very well.

#6 Definitely Dead: I'm not sure how to feel about this one. I liked it, but I was suspicious the whole time since there were so many newly-introduced characters. Everything with the Pelts was insane, and I don't like that Sookie keeps getting almost sexually-assaulted. Other than that, the book was really good, and Quinn was a unique addition to the characters.

#7 All Together Dead: What a roller-coaster ride! This book was on high speed almost the whole time, but it almost provides a crazy adrenaline rush for the reader! The vampire summit was a brilliant event idea on Harris's part, I think. It provided new territory with basically unlimited possibilities. I cannot put this series down! You can ask my husband--as soon as I finish one, I pick the next one up. This was one of my favorites in the series so far, and I can't wait to see what's next for Sookie and her (sort-of) friends.

#8 From Dead to Worse: What?! From Dead to Worse is a bit scattered, and boy, does it end with a bombshell! Rather than the usual two plot intertwining, Harris uses a bunch of smaller plots to pull this book together. Between the Were succession, the vampire takeover, Sookie's great-grandfather, and Amelia's witch dilemmas, I think this book is meant to be a segway in the series connecting larger plot lines. Harris puts everything together with clever attention to detail. Harris allows Ms. Stackhouse to make peace with her past and brings in other family so Sookie won't be alone after Jason's mistakes. Also, she makes way for a reconciliation with Bill, more open communication with Sam, and a closer connection to Eric (possibly without the same expectations). And as Sookie appears to break further away from the humans around her, she makes more connections to supes across the country, an effective substitute for the storyline. This book didn't give me the same emotional roller coaster I felt with the others, but it seems to be a very smooth transition, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

#4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 7.1, 8.1 A Touch of Dead: I liked having the short stories that belong in-between the books. It was kind of fun to read some smaller events going on in Sookie's life, although the books are set in such a close timeline to one another that I didn't find it necessary. I was a little surprised that she had such little interaction with some of the main male characters, considering what a large role they play in the books themselves. Overall kind of fun to read through, but I wouldn't spend a lot of time on it or want to own the book.

#9 Dead and Gone: This is the saddest of the Sookie Stackhouse books that I have read so far. In all of the series' books, there is some death and some crazy wars and things, but in this one it becomes personal. Not only is the war taking place primarily centered around Sookie's family, but the people who die are ones you never would have wished or expected, and Sookie is damaged (emotionally and physically) more than ever before. Who knows where the series will go from here.

#10 Dead in the Family: I like how this one started--slowly, with a focus on Sookie's physical and emotional recovery after the insanity of the last book. The entire book was really an aftermath of previous events, a picking-up of pieces, if you will. Although the "mysterious players" (because there's always at least one in each book) in this book were easier to discover than they usually are, the ending was fairly unpredictable. Also, the characters were changing quite a bit as the story went on, which confused me a bit. I understood how they were changing, I just didn't know how to feel about it. I'm still not sure how I feel about some characters that were very clear to me before.

#11 Dead Reckoning: This book was...complicated and frustrating, to say the least. Not that it wasn't good. It's one of those where you want to yell at the characters constantly for saying certain things or not taking action that makes sense to you. Also, most of the Sookie Stackhouse books end somewhat happily, but this one didn't. Each plot within the story culminates into something sad or horrible from which Sookie might never recover. Harris's book ends with a cliffhanger of epic proportions, and I know I'm nearing the end of the series. I believe there is one book after this one and one that has yet to be published, but I might be wrong. There are about six reasonable pathways I could see this story taking. I won't reveal them at this moment, but I'm waiting on the edge of my seat to see what will happen to complete the Sookie Stackhouse series.

#11.5 The Sookie Stackhouse Companion: I was a bit disappointed by this book. I guess I didn't really understand what it was supposed to be until I read it. I'll explain: the book is a companion, as it's described, and it contains lots of recap information to keep the book straight as well as some extra information. I'll cover this in three sections. Parts I knew I wouldn't care for: the recap of each story (I already read the books), the index of everyone in the series (read above parentheses), and the fan narrative (pointless?). Okay parts that disappointed me: the interviews with the author and the director of True Blood (these were interesting, but not enough for me to ever read again--they might make more sense as a magazine article or a post online) and the secret conversations between Eric and Bill (I was really excited about these and expected them to have new, interesting information, but there was only enough to brush the references in the series to their conversations). The third part is the short story in the beginning, which saved this book for me. I think my problem was in buying the book. I never had any trouble keeping track of the characters or events in the series itself, and the primary purpose of the book (apparently) was to lay-out these things. I should have borrowed it from the library or tried to find it used. I'll probably pass my copy on to someone else and never pick it up again.

#12 Deadlocked: Wow. I'll be honest: after everything that has happened in this series, I don't like the characters nearly as much as I did before. I guess I still like some of them, but their actions make it harder for me to root for anyone to survive or be happy. I guess this is good, since the series is almost over. It makes it easier for me to let go. I really feel like I've been watching a TV show rather than reading a series, which I guess is why it translates so well into the show True Blood (although they've changed it quite a bit for the show). Although I'm not as emotionally invested in the series since my disappointment in the characters, I've still enjoyed reading it, and I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion in May.

#13 Dead Ever After: I can't decide what to say about this book because it's the ending of such a long series. I won't say I'm disappointed, but I will say that this book felt anti-climactic to me. Harris does a good job pulling in a lot of loose threads from the old books. Unfortunately, she also pulls in some threads that I thought were tied and could have been left out. Without ruining it for anyone who doesn't know, I'll say this: Instead of taking care of random people I barely remembered, she could have spent a little more time settling things with the people I did. Harris uses her beloved signature writing style for this book, which still makes it worth the read, but it felt like she just put together a bunch of little ideas for ending the series, and the only way they connected was in having contact with Sookie at some point in the series.

P&P Challenge: Two Guys Read Jane Austen

This month for the Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge, I read Two Guys Read Jane Austen by Steve Chandler and Terrence N. Hill. This book is composed of e-mails and letters exchanged between Chandler and Hill while reading Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park, both by Jane Austen. They discuss their thoughts on the novels, what is happening in their own lives, and how everything we read and do affects us.

(cover designed by Cleone Lyvonne;

cover photos by Kathy Eimers and Jon Helgason)

First Impression: This is such a fun book! Chandler and Hill approach Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park with commentary rather than criticism. Their analyses are mingled with the application of ideas to their own lives and general thoughts on seemingly unrelated topics. I like the comfortable, laid-back feel of this book--just two long-time friends e-mailing and writing each other with discussions of the books they're both reading. Also, I find that I agree with a lot of their thoughts and ideas, probably more than I do with most women and people closer to me in age--what does that mean?

Conclusion: I love Two Guys Read Jane Austen! In college, I read quite a bit of literary criticism. This book has just as much value with a much more casual approach. Throughout the book, Chandler and Hill refer to experiences from their own lives and thoughts on other things they were reading at the time. They relate reality to the novels without pining after Elizabeth Bennet or Fanny Price, which I appreciate. (That's not to say they don't reflect on the romantic value of the characters, because they do.) And I love my fellow Austen readers, but let's face it, most of us are women, right? It's nice to get a different perspective on Austen from a man's eyes--and two men reading it for fun, nonetheless.

Steve Chandler and Terrence N. Hill provide a fresh and exciting perspective on an old favorite. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Jane Austen and even to anyone who has their doubts about her--maybe it will change your mind!

Book Club: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

 
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is the true story of a woman (Henrietta Lacks) who died in the 1950s and what was done with the cells taken from her cervix before she died of cervical cancer. HeLa cells (as they're called in the medical and scientific communities) have been used to study everything from polio to atom bombs. Her family first found out over twenty years after scientists and doctors began to study HeLa cells, and after many bad experiences with doctors, reporters, and others, they were wary to talk to Skloot about their experiences and their memories of Henrietta. Once they realized that Skloot wanted to learn about Henrietta and HeLa cells for some of the same reasons they did, however, they helped her discover things she never expected.

First Impression: I like the comfortable way in which Skloot writes. She knows Henrietta's story inside-and-out. She's been studying it for a good chunk of her life. I'm not a very scientific person, so this is an unusual book for me, but I'm finding the technical side of the book interesting as well.

Conclusion: I listened to the Random House Audio unabridged version, which was read by Cassandra Campbell and Bahni Turpin. Having two narrators provided for good contrast between Skloot's words and those she recorded from the Lacks family and friends. I have never been very good at science in school. So when I say I enjoyed this novel, you'll know one of two things: 1) not much science was involved, or 2) everything scientific was fully explained and well-integrated with the other parts of the story. The second one is true of Skloot's book. She finds a really great balance between the story of the HeLa cells and the story of the Lacks family. Obviously, the discovery that HeLa cells were being grown and sold for profit over twenty years after Henrietta's death was a huge blow to the family. They weren't even told enough to know how they felt about it for a long time. Skloot recognized that their story played a big part in the book she wanted to write, and she fit it all together seamlessly. The writing style itself has a good storytelling quality for those of us who are used to reading fiction. Another thing I was really glad the author didn't overlook was straightforward organization of the book. Skloot set it across a timeline, starting with Henrietta's childhood and ending with her own book being published. She also clearly stated where we were on the timeline when there was a shift, which is something I've sadly missed in many nonfiction books I've read. I expected to be bored by this book, but I wasn't at all. I would definitely recommend The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, even if you don't read very much nonfiction or know very much about science and cells.

This is a book I read for the book club that I attend in person. I'm working on some tweaks and also some big changes for the blog, so keep your eyes open! Also, if you have any suggestions, please feel free to share. I don't just write these reviews for myself!

P&P Challenge: Lost in Austen (2008) with Elliot Cowan and Jemima Rooper

I did not like the first half of the movie Lost in Austen. I wasn't a big fan of the acting at that point, and everything seemed very casual and a little confusing. However, this is one of those times when the end of the movie completely redeems the rest.

Where I agree with Elizabeth's actions in Pride and Prejudice, I disagree with Amanda's actions in Lost in Austen. She encourages candor and excitement wherever she goes, however, and that brings about an acceptable (if somewhat altered) resolution to the story. I think the actors became much more comfortable in their roles as they played the parts out, because I thought the acting fit perfectly toward the conclusion. The girl playing Jane did the best in my opinion, but I have yet to find any interpretation of Austen's novel where Jane was not in the top five. And Mrs. Bennet's role was completely different from the usual! While we always see a side of her that is focused on seeing her daughters married, this one certainly had a more ruthless and straightforward edge to her. At first this rubbed me the wrong way, but I realize it's just another interpretation of how her character might be up close and personal.

The three altered characters I really didn't like were Charlotte Lucas, Georgiana Darcy, and Mr. Collins. While Charlotte takes a stand for herself and sets off to be independent as a missionary, she is basically a miserable creature who has no other choice. She doesn't even seem to have the sensible composure I've come to know and love from the original character. Georgiana Darcy is basically a selfish child. When she doesn't get what she wants, she ruins someone else's life over it? That's not the sweet young woman I remember, although it does provide a happy alternative of character for George Wickham. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins is a pretentious, bumbling man, but he's not impossible to stand. He's not a romantic choice for a husband, but he is an acceptable one (for Charlotte anyway). In Lost in Austen, Mr. Collins is a disgusting creature. I'm not even sure how to describe him, because it makes me shudder just to think about it. Suffice it to say you would NEVER in a million years want to be his wife, or even the person to whom he's speaking, because he might be touching your hand or looking at you.

Overall, Amanda Price is pretty much what you never would but probably should expect from a modern, dissatisfied Austen fan thrown into the world of Pride and Prejudice in a different way and for a much longer time than she had originally planned. In the end (after the incredibly redeeming second half), I really enjoyed this movie. Because of the difference in the first and second halves, I'm halfway between keeping it and giving it to a friend.

Name Challenge: A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is about a professor and researcher of alchemical history, Diana Bishop, who also happens to be a witch. Ever since the murder of her parents when she was a child, Diana does not use her magic; instead, she focuses on living her life as a human, but she never quite blends in. While studying some manuscripts in the university library one day, she accidentally unlocks a magical binding on an old alchemical manuscript which describes the secret to the philosopher's stone as well as some very powerful, as-yet-unknown information about "creatures." Harkness separates the individuals living on Earth into two categories: humans and creatures. Creatures consist of vampires, witches, and daemons, each category typically staying away from those in the other two categories. After Diana unlocks this manuscript, however, creatures from all over the world are drawn to her for one purpose or another. And when Matthew Clairmont, a vampire, starts following her around and asking her questions about the manuscript and herself, she begins to discover that there is much more to learn about the world of creatures and her place in that world.

First Impression: Harkness's novel is both surprising and familiar. She takes old ideas and gives them a new spin. Witches, vampires, and daemons, for example, are not really as they would be in a different book. Harkness makes them more similar to humans than one might expect, and she addresses the scientific side of why these creatures are the way they are, which I find incredibly interesting and unique. The author stays true to the third-person limited point-of-view, and I don't always know what is going on, but I like the underlying feel of mystery. Also, every once in a while there is a chapter told from Matthew's or someone else's point-of-view, which clears up enough of the mystery so that it does not become frustrating. I like being personally involved with at least two characters--it gives a sense of balance that I don't always find in a first-person narrative. There are a few things niggling at the back of my mind right now, but I am going to wait until I'm further along to comment on them in case they are not consistent.

Conclusion: The bookmark I was using while reading this book says, "'Fall into a good book!' --Penworthy Bear." This is going to sound cheesy, but I definitely felt as though I "fell into" this book. Harkness's novel was 579 pages but it felt like 50. I became so absorbed in what was going on that pages went by when I wasn't noticing--I had no idea how much I had read at the end of each day, only how much had occurred in the storyline and character development. Kudos to Deborah Harkness! I cannot wait to read more of this series!

I will allow myself a little rant here, because there's a common problem I've noticed in a lot of dark fantasy books, TV shows, etc that I've seen recently: vampires treating humans like possessions. This isn't always the case, but it permeates a lot of stories, and it's always a male vampire w/ a female human or witch or whatever. You have these strong female characters who claim they are independent and don't need a relationship, but then they come to a point where they have to make a choice: to be bossed around (and not just in a bossy, we can argue about this and come to a compromise way, but being told what to do and threatened otherwise) or to part ways with the man they care about. And they always choose to be bossed around! In my opinion, it doesn't matter if that guy saved her life, she needs to think for herself. Really, it's the final, "No matter what you say, my word will win out," that bugs me. There should be room for compromise. Secondly, why does everyone suddenly acquiesce to all of the killing? Sure, if someone is literally choking you to death, I can see defending yourself or letting your boyfriend at them. But they threaten you from afar and your boyfriend kills them, and suddenly it's no big deal because at least he's doing it out of love for you? No. Okay, I'm finished with my feminist rant. I will say that when Matthew and Diana drifted into this state of mind, it didn't last for very long, so I was able to continue enjoying the book.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed A Discovery of Witches and will read it again at some point. If you like fantasy (even you typically only read mass-market-sized books from a long series), you will like this.