Books, Books, Books

I've gone through a myriad of books at a surprisingly fast pace, even for myself, I think. As a teen, I read because it took me elsewhere, and now I've returned to that habit, pushed there from boredom, or sadness, or anxiety. I could list the many books that I've read in the past two weeks, but I'll only mention two: the first I finished last night before drifting off to sleep at one in the morning. I've noticed Lillith Saintcrow's books on the sci-fi/fantasy shelves for quite awhile, and I finally bought one. I enjoyed the book, but as of yet have not been able to get a hold of the following two in the series, which are apparently available, but always sold out. So, I moved to her more well known series, the Dante Valentine books. Or the first one, at least. Working for the Devil was so good, despite it's sadness. It mixes a futuristic view of the world with a unique twist on how close Hell is to the world at large. I can't say that I appreciated her view of Hell as less evil and more a parralell universe with different ideas of how things are, or even the idea that we, as humans, were created -not by God, but by demons. Yet somehow it all combined into a fascinating, fast-paced, magick-filled story that makes me really look forward to the next in the series.

The book I moved on to today is Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire. I've read a few of his books, beginning with Wicked, and I keep coming back to them. There's something about the way he takes a well-known fairy tale and flips it around, letting you see the other side of what it could be; somehow fitting his ideas into the fairy tale and yet making an entirely new one at the same time. When you read a fairy tale as a child, the story is what it is: oh, yes Hansel and Gretel survive after almost being eaten by a wicked witch. The End. But Gregory Maguire seems to see beyond the story: why was the witch the way she was? What brought her to that point? What must her life have been like? Were Hansel and Gretel really good little children? Or was there something beneath the surface that, in the end, makes you wonder if the witch should have won instead?

I've only just begun Confessions, but already I am enthralled. This story does not use the point of view of Cinderella, or Clara as she is so named in this book, but is told through the eyes and voice of Iris, the younger step-sister. Already the fairy tale is taking shape, and yet forming a new one all its own.

Making History

In my previous post, I mentioned the books I bought on a recent shopping trip. I started the first one from that grab bag of goodies today, and I am going to have to say something unprecedented, not only about the book, but just in general. My sister was right.

Queen of Babble in the Big City, by Meg Cabot, is already annoying me, and I've only gotten through the first chapter. She talks. A lot. In fact, she blabs on about worth-less things that I'd really rather not have to read about. And she does it in a manner that makes her sound like she is still in the sixth grade. I've noticed a trend among Meg Cabot's characters, and that is that they are all the same. They have the same cadence when they speak; the same sense of humor; the same attitude. It's like she's using the same character in every book and is just applying different names.

Usually, I'm inclined to give a book a chance, but I think I'll lay this one aside and pick another. The Queen of Babble will just have to wait for a day when I have nothing better to read.

Weekends, Weekends . . .

My sister came down this past Saturday to hang out and shop with me, which was a lot of fun. I hardly ever get a chance to be really girly unless I'm with her, and I'm usually not in the mood to be girly unless I'm with her. Lol. Funny how that works out . . . We hit the mall first, stopping off at several clothing stores. I was looking for shirts and pants appropriate for working in, but still cute enough to wear whenever, and my sister was looking for beauty products and such. I'm big on trying to hit only sales racks, but that doesn't mean I'll settle for crap, so it's hard to find exactly what I want sometimes. In the end, I walked out with two t-shirts and an ADORABLE wallet that I did not need, but bought because . . . well, it was adorable. It was just fun in general to be shopping, even if I didn't buy a lot. We went to a few shoe stores, and one of them even had my favorite brand name, SUGAR, which makes adorable shoes, but I wasn't up for buying them because none of them really grabbed me. : (

Afterward, we went to my favorite store on the planet: Barnes and Noble. Of course, I immediately left my sister's side to peruse the aisles. At one point, I think I told her to go do something else besides following me. : P I bought four books: When Demons Walk, by Patricia Briggs; The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova; Night Shift, by Lilith Saintcrow; and Queen of Babble in the Big City, by Meg Cabot, which is a favorite author of both me and my sister. All in all I was very proud of myself, because I didn't spend more than the budget I had set for myself.

We then went to my aunt's house to visit my cousin Sara, since my sister hasn't seen her in forever. We went out to eat and acted crazy and cracked other up. Then we went back to my aunt's place and took some pictures, after which, I got bored and watched TV while they played on MySpace and messed around with make-up and such. I might be in a girly mood, but I am not a big fan of make-up. And I'm not the kind of person that can play on MySpace for hours. I have to have something else to do, or I go nuts. So, I watched Just Friends. At one point I started to get really grumpy and worried because it was getting so late and my sister still had the hour and a half drive to go before making it back home.

When she finally dropped me back off at my house, I told her to call me as soon as she made it home, otherwise I would call her. I was determined to stay awake until that call, so I read a book, and even though I was getting so sleepy my eyes were going blurry, I just shut one and read with the other, clearer one, until my sister called at 1 in the morning to say that she had made. Phew. I fell asleep soon after.

New Entertainment

First off, if you haven't downloaded the latest Firefox, DO IT NOW. It looks better, and it has nicer features. Not only does it drop down on the address bar to give you the address you may be looking for if it has been previously visited, it also gives a brief description of the address, in case you can't remember where the heck www.jfhhr.com takes you. I've installed a few add-ons myself, such as Colored Tabs, FireNes, and PicLens (check those out if their names appeal), but I've kept the standard theme because I like it's clean, minimalist look and feel.
On a different note, I've finished two books hours away from each other. My friend gushed over new sensation Stephanie Meyer, and I was hooked. Of course, I'd been eying her newest adult fiction release, The Host, ever since it came out in May, so I read that one first. It tells the story of an alien take-over where the aliens actually use the human body. Not only does it tell this story from the alien's perspective, but it tells it from the human's perspective as well, because the human who is taken over by "Wanderer" is not letting go. She convinces her alien enemy to join the human side, and together they go out in search of the human's brother, and the love of her life. Tears, people! There will be tears!
As soon as I finished that novel, I immediately moved to the first in her Twilight series (the aptly named Twilight), which I finished in a day. I was a little unsure about it at first, because of it's young adult spin, but I have to say that I liked it. Kudos to the author for getting me to like a novel situated around a teenager's life. It tells the story of a teen who moves to the rainiest place in America, Forks, where she discovers a whole new kind of love. Definite page-turner, and no raunchy sex parts! I'm a little upset at myself for not having bought the following two books in the series, because I want to continue with my reading bender, but I had to settle for another book. This is why having a "too read" pile is a good idea. I had Orson Scott Card's Empire waiting for me, which I've already started.
I seriously can't seem to help myself! I gobble up whatever I have to read whenever I can, and if you give me a day to myself, chances are I'll spend it with a book (or two).

Winner!

I, like many others, regularly keep track of certain blogs that I find interesting and entertaining. On one of these blogs, the blogger is giving away a free book every month right out of her own bookshop. Not one to pass up the chance for a free book, but pretty sure I would lose, I signed up. And I won! I won a free book! And I got it in the mail today!

At first, I thought, "Oh, hey, look! A package!" Then I thought," Oh, hey, look! It's my book I've been waiting for!" I was a very happy camper. Along with the book came an adorable little bookmark with a drawing of the store's resident kitty cat, Sam, and underneath is all the store's information. This book not only looks good, but bulks up my "to read" pile, which always makes a book geek like me ecstatic. I prefer to have several books waiting in the wings for when I complete my current readings. One must have several to choose from, after all.

One Novel in One Day

Today was my first true day off in what feels like forever. I had no real obligations that couldn't be put off until tomorrow, so instead I spoiled myself. I took a long morning nap, and spent almost the entire rest of the day playing casual downloaded game demos and reading one of my new novels, which I finished. It has been so long since I have been able to read a book for as long as I want to without having to put it down and go. It was so nice.
The novel was by one of my newer favorite authors who pens fantasy novels: Patricia Briggs. I've gotten into her Mercy Thompson series, but I've read all of those novels that are out and am eagerly awaiting the release of the newest next month. In the meantime, I decided to try one of her other novels, of which she has several. I chose one that was not part of a series, because - let's face it- when you start to get into fantasy novels, you end up reading "endless series'" and adding to it is probably not such a great idea. Besides, I plan on beginning the Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyer, very soon.
Anywho, the novel I chose was The Hob's Bargain. I enjoyed it, and would probably give it a three and a half out of five. Just the kind of novel one wouldn't mind reading to while away a day. It's got your basic supernatural/fantasy features, with a heroine that I find I can identify with, and the ending nearly had me in tears. Just great for a day of lazy reading.

It's Just Wrong

I went to a bookstore yesterday and was APALLED at how much it took to buy four paperback novels. I have to pay more for my gas, my milk, my corn and my flour, but when the heck did they decide that books had to be more expensive, too? Are they using some sort of magical ink? Did they use eighty blind monks to bind them over the course of a six month period? Is the paper suddenly genuine vellum? Why is each novel ten dollars?!

I've been complaining about the prices of books for awhile now, but it really bothers me when I have to PUT A BOOK BACK because I'm not comfortable spending over forty dollars for four novels that will last me a week, a week and a half - tops. I know, I know- someone is going to make a smart comment about the local library, but it's cheaper for me to buy my books than pay the fine. Seriously, I'm going to have to wait until next pay day for that. And besides, it's never guarenteed that they have what I want: usually what I'm looking for is either checked out or "lost." So, HA to the Smarty-Pants people!

New Book Not So Great

I've been reading a book that I had high hopes for, a science fiction collector's edition novel containing the first three novels in the Annja Creed/Rogue Angel series by Alex Archer. This novel is pretty thick, and mixes archeology, history, and mystery together in a creation that I'd hoped would make for good reading. In fact, it's this very creation - really the mixing of history and mystery, not to mention supernatural- that keeps me reading.
The author has managed to write moments of interest interspersed in the story, but it lacks a *sparkle* that I was really hoping to find. I suppose I've read too many really great fantasy novels (it only takes one) and too much Orson Scott Card, and such readings have made me look for equal greatness in all the novels I read. But Rogue Angel is sort of cut and dry; smash and grab; straight-forward. It just doesn't float my boat, you know? And I really hate it when a novel fails my expectations, especially one with so much potential. Its only saving grace is that it may be based on a comic book: I wouldn't mind taking a trip into the comic book/ graphic novel scene.

New Book!

Ok, I am aware that I have neglected to write a new post for awhile. This is not intentional; I have just been going through finals week, which (between work and final papers and projects) has left me little time to blog anything worth reading, really. However, as a literary geek, I am constantly buying new books to replenish my diminishing "must read" pile. Recently, I purchased a book, Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters That Ruled Europe, by Nancy Goldstone, that I had assumed would be a historical novel, the story of 4 sisters in the thirteenth century who practically ruled Europe due to their smarts and advantageous marriages. As soon as I returned home, I started to read it, just to see if it was as interesting as I'd anticipated. However, it was MORE interesting than I'd anticipated. It is not a work of fiction, but an actual historical biography, and I am just fascinated by it. The sisters become the Queens of England, France, Sicily and Germany, and apparently they wielded subtle yet strong influence over all that went on under their reign. I've only started reading it last night, but I have been reading it whenever I get the chance. Now I just need to avoid the temptation to stop working on such-and-such project to read just one. . .more. . . chapter.

Little Addictions

As a geek, I harbor many little addictions that would not surprise other, fellow geeks. But just what are these addictions, you may wonder? Prepared to be awed as one Geek Girl puts it all out there for others to slowly shake their heads at and tsk.

1. Dr. Pepper - I'm a southern Geek Girl, and geeks everywhere know that you have to have a convenient, sugar-y, caffeine-laden drink nearby so that you can play games with one hand and remain awake and hydrated with the other.
   
2. DreamFall: The Longest Journey - My newest game. Rich worlds, characters, and story lines keep me glued to my laptop for hours. Literally. This is where those Dr. Peppers come in handy!
3. Sci-Fi/Fantasy/ Fiction - I've always been addicted to books of all kinds. Of course I have preferred genres, but I'm open for any and all suggestions, as long as they seem interesting.
4. Geeksugar.com - A site dedicated to Geek Girls everywhere? Say no more! I love this site. It keeps me up-to-date on all things tech and gadget, and it gives me a fix when I desperately need a little geek sugar. It's definitely a site worth visiting.
5. My Cellphone - Ok, so my cellphone is total crap. In fact, I'm hoping and praying that my paycheck will be miraculously huge this time around so that I can purchase the newest upcoming iPhone (hey, miracles happen!). But I have my cellphone with me AT ALL TIMES. It is my lifeline. It may be an oldie, but it hasn't let me down yet (except when it drops my calls . . . or dies.)
6. My Laptop - I have it with me almost everywhere. I cannot go on a trip without it. And I'm usually on it for most of the day. I love it, and I don't know what I'd do without it.
   

Ok, so those are my addictions. The few that I could think of at the moment. They're hardly gossip-worthy, but I can bet that geeks everywhere will be nodding there heads and agreeing that all of the above mentioned addictions are necessary to make us geek-happy.

New Reading!

I've moved on to a new book, and it happens to be a sci-fi/fantasy novel. The Secret History of Moscow, by Ekaterina Sedia. Not only does she have a uniquely gorgeous name, but an intriguing novel that manages to comment on the state of affairs of Russia in the 90's while maintaining a definite fantasy slant.
A little from the back (since I haven't read far enough to explain much):

"A dark, cavernous world of magic, weeping trees, and albino jackdaws, where exiled
pagan deities and fairytale creatures whisper strange tales to those who listen."

The main character, Galina, sets out to find her sister, who has turned into a jackdaw after giving birth and flown away. Galina joins ranks with a young cop investigating recent disappearances and, together with a drunkard named Fyodor, they head into the dark and mysterious unknown of the underworld beneath Moscow, a sort of "safe place" for all that has been turned out of Moscow's minds and beliefs. This underworld is where the fantasy and "archetypes" of Old Russia abound. Interesting, no?

Readings and Such

The title of the novel which I am currently reading and have nearly completed is Mirror, Mirror, by Gregory Maguire. You may recognize the name from his previous novels, one of which, Wicked, I have also read. It's his most known work, I believe, having been turned into a Broadway play that I hear is sensational. I enjoyed the book greatly, and so purchased Mirror, Mirror as my next foray into his wonderful, weird, gritty, and somehow realistic views of old fairy tales. As you may have guessed, Mirror, Mirror is a re-telling of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" and to read the way this author has interpreted and worked this tale is really quite amazing, if not a little mind-boggling. It can be really detailed in some of it's grittier scenes, which can be a little off-putting, but I still plan on purchasing his other novels: Son of a Witch, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, and Lost.