The Little Colonel

Another novel that I had to read for my Children and Culture class, The Little Colonel was actually pretty fun to read. My mother is very interested in the Civil War so reading a book that is set in the South not too long after the war and dealing in part with its aftermath was more interesting to me sue to the fact that I had background knowledge. 

The plot revolves are The Old Colonel who lost his son Tom and his right arm in the war fighting for the South. In the first chapter a small child and dog sneak into the old Colonel's strawberry garden and starts eating his crop. He soon finds out that this child is his own granddaughter, named Lloyd after him, but called the Little Colonel do to her temperament. Lloyd is the child of his only other child, Elizabeth, who the Old Colonel disowned for marrying a man from the North. You soon find out that Mr. Sherman, the Little Colonel's father lost all of his fortune and went out West to make more money while Elizabeth fell back on her inheritance from her mother, a cottage not far from Locust, the Old Colonel's estate. Through her own stubbornness and child like faith the Little Colonel heals her Grandfather's bitter heart as well as the family as a whole.   

Now in class we talked about the racism issue that surrounds the book. The African Americans are referred to in derogatory terms and speak in a dialect that is very stereotypical. I hate to admit that I really wouldn't have thought about it that closely if I had read the book on its own. I mean I would have seen how racist it is, but thinking about how it would effect children reading it never crossed my mind. Sometimes reading books in class doesn't ruin them completely, but makes you think more closely about the messages they convey whether they are positive. negative, conscious, or unconsciously made. 

For a kids book it isn't so bad, but I don't think it is anything that I would read to my child out of choice. I think a 3.2 out of 5 is what I would rate it. I am always struck about how sophisticated children's books in history. I mean this book wasn't extremely dense, but I could see upper elementary school kids reading it, not the age that I believe it was printed for.   

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

I love this series so much it hurts and with the last book coming out this August I figured it was about time I sat down and made sure I was up to date with all the members of the flock.

This story revolves around six extraordinary children, Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. Think there names are weird, well that's because they picked them themselves. All six of them are only 98% human, the other 2% is avian DNA. The were kept in cages, being experimented on and put through hell, until one of the white coats, Jeb Batchelder, took them away to a secluded cabin and raised them. When the story starts Jeb has been missing for two years and Max at fourteen is running the show. Soon however Erasers show up and kidnap Angel. The flock sets out to rescue Angel, sending them back to the School. Soon Max finds out that Jeb isn't dead and she may have been made to save the world. They soon escape and head for New York to see if they can find where they came from and who their parents are. However they are constantly running from Erasers, the most brutal being Ari, and Max can't help but think they are tracking her from the computer chip she discovers in her arm. Max has to fight to keep the flock together, keep her head from exploding, figure out if she is crazy for listening to The Voice in her head, and figure out exactly how she feels about Fang, all while maybe saving the world. 

I want to be like Maximum Ride when I grow up (alright I am already well older then her, but whatever). I instantly connected with her the first time that I read this book. She is smart, snarky, brave, strong, but also has all the insecurities that a normal teenage girl would have. True these insecurities come from trying to keep herself and the rest of the flock alive, but it isn't hard to see a bit of yourself in Max. Many of the chapter are first person in Max's point-of-view so you are naturally more attached to her then the rest of the flock, but Patterson has also made her so believable that it is as if you are her friend as well. I think all of us could be a bit more like Max, well minus The Voice in her head.

Fang is Max's right hand man, and the tall, dark, and handsome type. He doesn't talk a lot, but for any discussions Max goes to Fang. They trust each other with their lives and are a very dynamic duo. Fang also tries to protect Max as well from Ari and other dangers and acts as head when Max is gone. Fang is also an amazing fighter as well as caring of the rest of the flock. Patterson does a great job in making a person who talks very little have such a deep personality. I am personally kind of in love with Fang and is the leading male character that doesn't get annoying or whiny, just a comforting presences that is always there. 

Iggy is the third oldest of the flock, but has the disadvantage of being blind. The White Coats tried to enhance his vision and blinded him. Where he lacks in sight he makes up in hearing and sense of touch. He lets the flock know of approaching danger before they can hear it and can also make a bomb out of almost anything. Iggy has a good bit of angst of him, which at times can be rather annoying, but considering his life so far you can let him off the hook a little. 

Nudge is known for one thing, her ability to talk your ear off. She is a bright and happy eleven year old, but she also has all the vulnerability that cones with that age. She tries her best to act like Max, but her mouth almost works faster then her brain. She also becomes a vegetarian during the story which throws another quark into the flock since they burn a lot of calories fighting. Nudge also has a stubborn streak in her, which gets her and Fang in some trouble, but overall she is really likable. I think you understand her a bit more because we get a chapter or two from her point of view.  

Gasman is the elder brother of Angel and when you think of a cute young boy, Gazzy is really the picture you get. He is named because of unfortunate bodily functions, but his real power is being able to mimic almost any voice. He is only eight years, but with the constant threat to the flock he tries to act older. It really breaks your heart when he breaks down because he is such a cute and likable kid, but you really don't get very close to him. 

Angel is the youngest of the flock and by far the most annoying. Maybe it is just because she is a little kid and little kids are, in fact, annoying, but by the end of the book I honestly have this disliking for her. I mean I know that six year olds are supposed to be a little selfish and under the circumstances a little crankiness can be understood, but there is just something...I don't know. Also I don't think her character is portrayed really well, she doesn't seem any younger then Nudge in the way she talks so it is hard to remember that she is a six year old sometimes. 

Now their are a load of "bad guys" in this book that are just basically labeled Erasers and White Coats. Only a few are mentioned by name, Jeb Batchelder and his son turned Eraser Ari. Jeb was like a father to the flock and saved them from the School where they grew up in cages. However when he took the flock he left his son Ari alone at the lab and he becomes an Eraser, though it isn't specified if it is by choice or not. Most of the book is dealing with Jeb and his betrayal of the flock while Ari beats the crap out of them whenever he gets the chance. At the end of the book Max fights with Ari and kills him while trying to save herself. She feels horrible about it, but when Jeb screams that Ari was actually her brother she becomes even more confused.

*spoiler alert*

Alright now I am all for romance as much as the next girl, as I am sure you can tell from the other novels I have posted about, but can I just say that the kiss between Max and Fang literally came out of no where. If there was one major criticism I have about this book is that it seemed that James Patterson just threw in the romance at the last minute. Now I love and want Max and Fang together, but I think if he held off until the second novel to present it I wouldn't feel like it was so forced. This is my second time reading through it and all the parts where you could see maybe some romantic inclination could easily be seen as close friend who have spent their whole lives together. I just think that it could have been set up better, especially since it becomes one of the many running story lines through out the series.

Overall I love this series and I like this book. If you have someone who doesn't like to read, give them this. The chapters are short and their is constant action making it really quick to get through. It is also an easy read so really anyone can enjoy it. The characters are lovable and the dialogue believable on top of an extraordinary plot line that when you think about isn't really that far fetched. I give it a 4.7 out of 5. 

The Secret Garden

I had to read this novel for me Children and Culture class and it happens to be the first time that I have read this book.

The plot of the novel focuses around Mary Lennox and her adventures in The Secret Garden. Mary's parents are killed in India from cholera and Mary is sent to live with her Uncle in London. Mary is a bratty and spoiled child and gets along poorly in London at first until she is told the story of the secret garden that her Uncle, Master Craven and his late wife tended together. After his wife's death Master Craven locked up the garden and buried the key. Mary, with the help of her robin friend, the first friend she had made in her ten years of life, finds the secret garden. Soon she enlists the help of Dickon, a younger brother to one of the maids of the house who has a way with animals, to help her tend to the garden. Mary also learns that she has a cousin part way through the novel. He never lets anyone see him because he is sickly and since he was born everyone has told him that he is going to be a hunchback and die young. His father won't look at him because his eyes are like his mother's but so sad. The Magic of the secret garden helps Colin realize that he is not as weak as everyone thinks he is and helps him get better. Both Colin and Mary at the end of the novel have also worked out their bratty tendencies a little though there is room for improvement. 

I was not a fan of the novel at all until the Dickon and Colin showed up. It might have been because Mary was isolated most of the time or the fact that she had an awful personality before then, but I almost couldn't stand the book until they were introduced. Especially Dickon, I loved his character, but near the end of the book when it was just description after endless description of the garden I just wanted it to be done. It also bothered me that none of the characters really changed except Mary and Collin. It can be said that they were the only characters that really needed to change, but all the other characters just felt so flat to me that it was hard to get into the story. I know that this is supposed to be a children's novel so a lot of complex characters isn't really what you are going for, but I still think that as a child the repetition would have bored me. 

Overall it was cute, but it isn't going to become my favorite children book. I give it a 3.5 out of 5

City of Bones

City of Bones is the first book to one of my all time favorite series, The Mortal Instrument Series. Now the prequel series, Infernal Devices, actually came out after the first three books of this series so this was my first experience in the shadow world. Cassandra Clare really put a lot of effort into making this community and I have been fascinated ever since I first read this book. 

The plot revolves around fifteen year old Clary Fray who is an average teenager in New York City. She spends most of her time drawing and hanging out with her best friend Simon Lewis. However, one night when they are at the club Pandemonium, Clary witnesses three people her age kill another boy who they claim to be a demon. Soon after Clary's mom disappears and she is thrust into a world that is completely different then the one she has been seeing for the past fifteen years, though she hasn't set foot out of the city. As Clary works with the Shadowhunters Jace, Alec, and Isabelle, as well as their tutor Hodge, to find her mother she begins to learn things about herself, her relationships, her past, and her world that she could never imagine.  

The women of this series kick ass. It is as simple as that. Both Clary and Isabelle Lightwood don't let themselves be push around though they do it in two completely different fashions. Even Clary's mother Jocelyn, though absent for most of the book, is painted as a strong willed female. Clary is amazing, funny, quick witted, but still enough of an average girl that the reader can relate to her. She has problems dealing with her mom, her drawings hardly ever come out the way she wants them to, and she thinks she looks twelve instead of almost sixteen. Clary is a wonderful heroine, but she is far from perfect which makes the reader love her even more. Isabelle is what you would expect from a Hollywood leading woman. She is stunningly attractive, all the guys are enchanted by her, and at times she is a complete bitch. Even though Isabelle is a complete bitch there is something about her that you can't help but like, it is really weird. Maybe it is because, like Clary, secretly we all want to be a little like Isabelle. Either way both have no problem speaking their mind and taking out anyone they need to.

The men of this book are just as lovable and as amazing as the women. Jace Wayland is the main male lead (I feel like I am describing a play but this seems like the best way to do it) and a Shadowhunter that lives at the Institute with Alec and Isabelle Lightwood. Jace is a smartass, charming, and just that type of guy that every girl is attracted to, but probably wouldn't want to date because you know he wouldn't be good for you. He is also damaged, he fears loving anything or anyone too much because everything he has ever cared for has been taken from him. Even his best friend and fighting partner Alec can't break through his shell a lot of the time. Alec is almost the opposite of Jace, quite and reserved, almost scared to have people notice him, and yet still as attractive as his sister when someone stops and looks at him. In this novel you really don't like Alec until the end of the book, but his character is well crafted and you can understand his motives even if he pisses you off.

*spoilers past this point*

The two non-shadowhunter men in the book are Simon Lewis, Clary's best friend, and Luke Garroway, who is Clary's mother best friend. Simon is amazing, I can't say enough about his character. He is in love with Clary, who is oblivious to this fact, but also sarcastic, caring, smart, and just nerdy enough to be adorable. Simon and Jace have some of the best lines in the novel and they are so natural as well as funny that it is hard not thinking of them as actually people. Simon, even though he is not a shadow hunter, is also useful to the group and though he makes them get into a pretty bad situation having to go into a vampire lair to get him back  he makes it up for getting them out of one. Luke, though you rather hate him at the beginning of the novel, is really loveable after we find out that he is a werewolf and the story behind how he became a werewolf. It is amazing that within a chapter Luke became probably my favorite character. I love him.

From a writing point of view I found the dialogue to be absolutely amazing. You never realize how hard it is trying to write how people actually talk until you try to do it yourself. Cassandra Clare captures teenage speech perfectly as well as jokes, back and forth retorts, and sarcastic humor perfectly. The characters themselves are wonderful constructed and become living and breathing as you get further into the story and dialogue is a major way to make this happen.

Overall this book gets a 5 out of 5. I honestly think that everyone should at least give it a shot. The ending is a little...I don't know how to describe it without giving it away, but do not let it stop you from reading the other books, if you liked the story that it. I swear to you it has a gratifying ending, I won't say happy, but definitely gratifying. 

One for the Money

I used my winter break to get some reading done, one of the books I reread was One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I just recently found out that the movie is coming out this January, so excited, so I thought it was a perfect time to reread the series. I actually came by this series in a kind of unusual fashion. My brother, who it two and a half years older then me, was taking a Detective Fiction class in college and this was one of the course books. He had left it on the dinning room table one weekend when he came home and I started leafing through it as I waited for the Sims to load on the computer in the dinning room. I was instantly sucked in and finished it before the weekend was over. Not soon after I started collecting the rest of the series and I haven't regretted a thing. 

This book starts with Stephanie Plum in a very low spot in her life. She was recently laid off and is quickly running out of furniture and appliances to sell to make ends meet. In a moment of complete desperation she blackmails her cousin into giving her a job as a bound enforcement agent, bounty hunter, for his bail bonds office. Her first Failure To Appear she needs to find, none other then vice cop Joe Morelli who has had a very stormy relationship with Stephanie since the train incident in his father's garage when she was six. Now the capture is turning personal, though Stephanie tires to convince herself it is just for the $10,000 she'll make for the capture. As Stephanie gets further into tracking down Morelli she finds out that everything isn't exactly what it seems. Soon someone is trying to kill Stephanie and she has a crazy boxer insistent on doing very bad things to her, Stephanie soon finds herself over her head, but she isn't about to give up.

The characters in this novel, as well as series, are absolutely amazing and very real. Stephanie is a character that almost any woman can relate to. She hates working out and spiders, loves food, and wants to loss weight. She is unique and fun and since the story is told from her point of view you never know what to expect from her next. Ranger, another bond enforcement agent, is all sorts of badass and also helps Stephanie learn the ropes. Though you don't see much of him in his novel, the dynamic between him and Stephanie is wonderfully written. Joe Morelli is a character that is hard to put words to, he is fun and flirty and also a complete asshole. We don't see all that much of him until the very end of the novel and though he is very caring and protective towards Stephanie, he still has the ability to piss her off like no other. The dialogue between the two of them is some of the best in the entire novel. There are many other colorful characters that we run into, like Stephanie's family, but these three are the spotlights of this novel.  

Overall this book gets a 4.7 out of 5. It doesn't get a perfect score because I know it gets better, which is rather unfair, but whatever. If you enjoy mysteries or just want to be very entertained I recommend this book. The characters will quickly grow on you and the dialogue is wonderful. 

   

Eyes Like Stars

What? I have actually finished a book not related to my school work? Trust me I am just as shocked as you are, but it has indeed been done. Now this isn't the first time I have dived into the wonderful world of Theatre Illuminata in Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev, but the book is so good that really I could read every week.

The story revolves around Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, lovingly referred to as Bertie, who lives on the stage of the Theatre Illuminata. Theatre Illuminata is a magical theater that relies on the magic of The Book which binds all the players, who are not just actors, but the actually characters, to the theater. Bertie was brought to the theater by the Mistress of Revels when she was just a baby and ever since Bertie could wonder about her origins she has been trying to figure out who her mother is. However Bertie comes across more problems then her unknown parents when the Theater Manager tells Bertie she can no longer stay in the Theater due to her reckless actions and the effect she has on the players. Bertie convinces the Theater Manager to let her stay if she can restage Hamlet in Egypt and sell out the theater. However while Bertie tries to find her way as the newly appointed director with the help of her fairy companions in only a week to restage the play, the mischievous air elemental Ariel tries to complicate everything by attempting to escape the theater. Nate give Bertie a scrimshaw to protect her from Ariel's magic, but when she takes it off and Ariel steals The Book, Bertie's tears summon Sedna. The angry goddess of the sea tries to capture Bertie, but some magic protects her, so she takes Nate instead. Things become even more complicated when Ariel rips the pages out of the book and set the players free. Now Bertie has to repair the book, fix the Theater, restage Hamlet, and somehow save Nate.     

Bertie is a wonderful main character who is both funny, sarcastic, intelligent, and trying to find her way through her changing world. Sometime she can seem rather dense, but we you realize that the only world Bertie knows are those that she sees in the scenes created on stage it is more understandable. What I really loved is that in most coming of age stories the main character is trying to leave, but Bertie wants nothing but to stay in the theater. Bertie is not perfect, she makes mistake, and let her emotions overrun her better judgement, but that is what it is like to be a teenage girl. She is a character that is easy to want to be friends with and to cheer for while she faces the challenges in front of her. 

Now the two male leads in this act are Nate, a minor player from The Little Mermaid, and Ariel from The Tempest. Nate is Bertie's best friend as well as a steady personality while Bertie is all about impulse. Nate obviously cares deeply for Bertie, but it isn't until the play progresses further that we see it might be more then just friendship that the two feel for each other. Nate is by far one of the most likable pirates I have come across in novels and it still breaks my heart when Sedna takes him. That being said, Ariel is my favorite male lead. Ariel was Bertie's childhood playmate until Mrs. Edith told Bertie she could no longer play with him because she feared he had a bad influence on her. He is so human, well as human as an air elemental can be, with both his actions and his wishes. I wish I had words to properly describe Ariel, but there are none for his wonderful and complex character. I can't wait to see how Bertie's relationship with both boys plays out in the other two novels. 

However my favorite characters in the novel are the fairies that are Bertie's companions and best friends. Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, and Moth are players from A Midsummer Night's Dream from Shakespeare. They are the comedic relief, Bertie's support system, and all around difficult to not like. Now I don't remember what the genders are of the fairies in the actually play, if they are specified at all, but I liked how Peaseblossom was the only girl of the many band of fairies. They quickly capture your heart and unlike some other comic relief figures are not just for laughs.

Overall I give this book a 5 out of 5. I wish I could go into more detail, but I refuse to ruin the book for anyone by giving away the end. From a student trying desperately to learn how to write young adult fantasy I am even more deeply in love with the author Lisa Mantchev's work. She creates a world that is so easy to believe even though it makes the most loved characters from plays into a very everyday world. The dialogue is absolutely wonderful and so realistic that this has to be one of the most quotable books I have come across. I can not rave enough about this novel and I can't wait until I get the other books in the series to see how Mantchev pulls the whole story line together. 

Purple Hibiscus

If I had to put my feelings about this book into one word it would be this, rage. Pure and unbridled rage.

The story is centered around Kambili and her brother Jaja. Both children live in a strict catholic family with a father who is not only overbearing, but also abusive. When Kambili and Jaja visit their aunt they are opened to a new world of love and openness that they have never experienced before. While Jaja takes to this new environment right away, Kambili is shy and timid and it takes the provocation of her cousin Amaka and the friendship of the local priest, Father Amadi, for Kambili to finally come out of her shell. When the siblings return to their father's house it is far from a easy transition and soon everything starts to become difficult. 

Why does this novel make me so angry? Because the father is abusive and uses religion to try and justify his horrible actions. He causes his wife to have two miscarriages, breaks his sons finger, burns his daughters feet, beats her until she ends up in the hospital, and yet says it was because of love he does these things. In class some people tried to use the fact that he was an upstanding man in the community to say he wasn't a monster, but I had a hard time the whole novel. ** spoiler alert** When I found out that the mother has poisoned him I might have cheered a little. I don;t care what he did for the community, he brutalized his family and that is unacceptable. 

Overall, I am sure you have guessed, I despised this book and I doubt I will ever pick it up again unless I am forced to for another class. It had nothing to do with the writing of the novel, the imagery was beautiful, but the content. It gets a 1 out of 5

Nervous Conditions

I will get caught up on all these books so help me! Alright the next book I had to read for World Literature in English was Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga.

We finally left India and are now focusing on Africa. This brought on a map quiz of Africa in a literature class, which I wasn't overly happy about, but I think I did alright on it. The novel itself focuses on Tambudzai, referred to as Tambu, and her journey to achieve education. She is born to a lazy father and a poor family, however her Uncle is well educated and wealthy from being taught by the missionaries. Tambu's brother is taken by Babamukuru to the mission and educated, however he dies of an illness while at the mission. Because of this Tambu is given the opportunity to further her education at the mission.

This story isn't just about getting to go to school and learning, it deals with colonization, feminism, religion, and many other complex and difficult issues. Tambu's cousin Nyasha is kind of a teacher that teaches Tambu not to just follow others blindly, but to think for herself. However Nyasha, who lived for five years in England, can not fit into the mold of a proper African girl that Babamukuru wants her to which leads to much hardship for Nyasha.

I rather liked this novel and even though at parts it seemed repeating the same thing and annoying, it had a good message and still interesting. Tambu was a character that you could easily identify with even if you had never been in her situation. It is easy for the reader to get angry with Tambu about how the men at the homestead do nothing, yet they blame everything on lack of money. Overall I will give this novel a 3 out of 5. I wouldn't have picked it up if not for this class, but I am not opposed to reading it again.    

Rich Like Us

Once again I am falling behind in my posting, but I am going to try my best to keep up. Alright so for the most aggravating class this semester, as known as World Literature in English, I have recently had to read Rich Like Us by Nayantara Sahgal.

The novel is told in two point of views, first person when we are following Sonali, and third person when we are with Rose. Rose is and English woman who was taken from her life if hard work in the lower classes for England to India by Ram, who already had a wife. When the reader is following Rose's story we see that though Rose is English she is much more Indian then her own husband and wins the love of both Ram's father, who hates everything English, as well as ram's first wife Mona. However Mona's son Dev, who Rose now lives with due to Ram's stroke, hates Rose. She does not hold her tongue when she sees Dev working with the corrupt government to set up a factory. This brings Sonali into the story who losses her job because she does not approve the factory being brought in from England. Sonali's part of the novel focuses more on current problems in India, such as the Emergency. By intertwining the two characters stories we see both the past and the present easily.

I really don't have much to say about this novel. I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly like it either. It was an easy read and talked about important issues, yet I couldn't really get into Sonali's part of the narrative, I was much more interested in Rose. This might be because I knew about what Rose was talking about, England and WWII, where as I have little knowledge about the Emergency. If you are interested in India or the Emergency in general I think it is worth a read, but otherwise I don't recommend it. Overall it gets a 2.5 out of 5.

A Hundred Years of Solitude

This book has to be the most entertaining I have read for World Literature in English as well as the most bizarre. The story follows a family line who were the founders of the imaginary town of Maconco. This novel is written in the style of magical realism so everyday things are paired with the fantastical, such as washing laundry and then being taken by the wind up to heaven. When reading the novel you really just need to go with the flow and not stop to think about how weird or gross some of the events are or you are never going to get through the entire novel. There is a lot of incest, sex with random women, illegitimate children all over the place, and just plain odd stuff.  

I enjoyed the ending of the novel. It came full circle, like Ursula had has been saying the whole novel, back to the gypsies and the scrolls. To be honest at this point and time I was just happy that the book was over, 417 pages of all that nonsense was a little much, but looking back it was a good way to end the novel. I also enjoyed the fact that the thing Ursula feared the most, the dreaded pig tail, was on the child that would have saved the line if he had lived. We talked a lot in class that all the mental instability in the family was actually the pig tail and the child born with the actual tail would have been sane. However you never find out since the father totally abandons the child after the mother's death and the child is eaten by ant (yes you read that right, ants) 

Now the most confusing thing about this novel was that every male in the novel had almost the same name or at least a name close to that of his father. In the first couple of generations it wasn't a huge issue, but with all the children, grand children, and onward it was extremely difficult to remember who belonged to who and which geberation the person belonged to. By the fourth generation I just gave up and kept reading thinking that I would get a marker somewhere to know which person it was. 

Overall it was fun to read, but I don't think I will read it again for a long time. Maybe over the summer if I am truly bored I will go back and take my time reading through it. Rating wise I give it a 3.5 out of 5 due to confusing parts, names, and overall just being much too long. If you are interested in Latin America or magical realism give it a read, but allow yourself time and don't get too frustrated. After a while it will either start making sense or you will just go with the flow. 

The Curse of the Pharaohs

The second book in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters is just as good as the first. For some reason the first book has a very special place in my heart, even though it is not the first book of this series I read, so even though I really love this one as well it can not top it. Because of the start of the school year it took me entirely too long to finish this book, but luckily because I have read this book before I had knew what was going on. I loved all the new characters that Elizabeth Peters created, my favorite being the journalist Mr. O'Connell who reappears in later novels. I had a soft spot for him ever since the beginning, I don't know if it was because of his happy go lucky attitude or the fact that I rather like Irishmen and redheads, but I could help but love him. 

In this novel we start in cold and dreary England and learn through the wonderful narration of Mrs. Amelia Peabody Emerson that after the birth of their son Ramses, which is a nickname due to his resemblance to the pharaoh is looks and attitude, she has not been back to Egypt. However events that are happening in Luxor, namely the death of quite a few members of a tomb evacuation, makes a former acquaintance of Emerson's to come and ask him to head the excavation. Soon more deaths, work of the curse of the pharaoh, happen at the tomb and Amelia must work to save her husband from an unknown murder. Among the list of suspects is a horrid woman who believes she was a lover of Emerson's in a past life, an American who has sites on the widow of Lord Baskersville and his tomb, a villainous Egyptian who murder his daughter, and many other interesting characters.     

One thing that I admire as an amateur writer is the characterization that Elizabeth Peters achieves with every character she introduces. Whether it is a main character or someone only in that narrative for a few paragraphs it is not hard to picture the person. I was especially impressed with Lady Berengeria in this novel because you couldn't help but cringe at the pictures Peters creates. You can't help but dislike her and when a writer can get that type of response from a writer she is doing something right. Also as a parallel she makes Lady Berengeria's daughter so likable that you can understand how they are related. 

Now this series combines everything I love (Victorian times, Egyptology, adventure, romance, mystery, and humor) and is by far my favorite series. Even if you don't care about the archaeology part of the novels you can still get wrapped up in the mystery of the events unfolding around the Emerson family as well as fall in love with them. If nothing out writing style is entertaining enough to keep someone reading because it is done as if it was a personal journal. I give this book a 5 out 5 and recommend not only it but the entire series.

Untouchable

I know I still have a bunch of posts to catch up on, but keeping in the theme of reviewing a book right after I finish it I am going to do things a little out of order. I promise I will make a post about Dragon*Con as well as first day reactions to my other two classes very soon.

This story follows the life if a sweeper-boy, Bakha, through a day in his life. It is set in India during British occupation and the influence of the British has a strong influence on Bakha who has adapted their clothing. As a sweeper Bakha cleans the latrines and the streets of excrement that the upper-caste members leave. However this job makes him seen as unclean by the other members of the Hindu religion and he is no allowed in their homes, to touch them, and a number of other actions without the member interacted with being purified. This of course leads to a lot of conflict and shame in Bakha's life. The story ends with words from a Christian missoriany, Ganhdi, and a poet who all have different ideas about how the Untouchables can raise above their fate. 

I personally found the story interesting in subject matter, but boring in the way it is written. I know little to nothing about India besides that it was a colony of the British Empire for quite some time so it was interesting to get a look into the culture. However following one character mostly for just one day was rather boring and after a while I found myself uninteresting in what was going on. I also felt that the entire meaning of the story was crammed into the last ten pages or so. I would have much rather we start or have a small  lead up to the three ways to escape untouchable status and then see what Bakha does with this knowledge. The style was rather slow and even the action sequences were not all that exciting to read. 

If you are interested in Indian culture and way of life I recommend you read this, it is a little dated obviously since there is no toilets in the town where Bakha lives, but still an interesting incite into the culture. If you aren't interested in that sort of thing, well, it would be a good idea to leave this book alone. Maybe it is just me, but if I didn't have to read this for World Literature in English I would have felt like I wasted my time reading the 156 or so pages. I found the preface more interesting then the actual book. It gets a 1.5 out of 5. 

Clockwork Angel

Now I have been a fan of Cassandra Clare since I read City of Bones, which is the first book in her Mortal Instrument series. Clockwork Angel is the first book of the Infernal Devices series, which is set in London, with the same magical world she set up in the first series but with different main characters. This series is set hundreds or so years before the first book in Victorian Times. However the characters that are present are relatives or somehow present in the first series and a few do show up in the Mortal Instrument series.

The story follows Theresa Grey, called Tessa, and her life after she comes to London to find her brother Nathaniel. She is first met by the Dark Sisters who say that they are friends of her brothers. However Tessa soon finds out exactly what the Dark Sisters are, warlocks, and they train Tessa to change into people by holding onto objects that they own, such as clothes or watches. Tessa does whatever they ask because they hold her brother captive and threaten to kill him if she does not obey. Tessa thinks there is no escape until William Herondale appears in her room. She is soon wist off to the Institute where she learns a lot in quite a short amount of time. Soon she is going to vampire parties, disguised as a vampire, fighting with Shadowhunters, running from mechanical men trying to kidnap her, a mysterious Magister who wants her, falling in love, and learning that she is more special then she even cared to realize. Soon Tessa is questioning her humanity, her brother, her feelings, and just about everything around her. 

Now though I did enjoy the book, it didn't hold the same pull as The Mortal Instrument Series did. I wasn't finding myself having to keep reading to find out what happened next except in a few places. I don't know whether it was because it was a different set of characters or whether it was because a lot more explaining is done in this book, about the world that Cassandra Clare created along with Victorian London, then is given in the first series. This series is supposed to stand on its own, but also help understand certain aspects and actions that take place in the other series so the explanation is necessary, but I think it might have slowed down the pace compared to the other books. 

I am a sucker for Victorian Times, maybe just because I think I would look good wearing a corset, so that really did interest me and I like how she kept their language as if it was from that period. I also loved how she describe all the clothes because not only did it give a clearer picture, but it put us more in that time period. I especially liked the uneasiness Tessa felt seeing Charlotte dressed "as a man" in her Shadowhunter gear. I also like how they had a very striking example of a Lady in Jessamine. She wants nothing to do with fighting or Downworlders, she just wants to have a nice house, nice clothes, and a man to dote on her.

Alright, time for some girl talk. The leading male characters are certainly easily likable and you find yourself soon drifting to one or the other depending on your taste in men. I personally liked Jem (James) a lot better then Will. I know you are supposed to, Will being the dark and brooding male, but even knowing that Jem was just so smart, sweet, and kind. He was intelligent and reassuring and I just liked that about his character. His illness might have also lead me to soften up to him a lot more then Will who was basically the picture of health. I felt for William and at times found myself liking him as well and maybe I will like him better when we get a bit more of his back story, but I have always enjoyed the quite intelligent type over the loud and obnoxious ones. If Jem dies I will be extremely and utterly upset. 

As for Tessa, I liked her but also found her a bit annoying. I have a brother myself so I felt for her in trying to help and protect him, but it was a little over the top. Maybe it is another one of those things that was lost in the era, but the blind trust she had in a brother she knew was weak and easily manipulated was a bit foolish. In her situation, finding out so much about yourself and your parents in such a short time, I might not blame her for clinging onto the one thing that was from her normal life. However after I found out about what he had done, I probably would have strangled him with my own hands.

Overall I did enjoy the book, but it took me longer to read then the other books by Cassandra Clare. I am waiting for the next one because I have a feeling the further I get into the series the more I will enjoy each book. The battle scenes were wonderful and the few intimate scenes were extremely well written. Oddly enough I also liked that people well known and liked by the reader died. Most of the main characters survived all throughout the Mortal Instruments and it was nice to see that Clare wasn't scared to take out characters. Not everyone can survive battle. For some reason however I could not dive into it as I did City of Bones. It gets a 4.3 out of 5.

STOP AND READ PLEASE!

As you know (or not) I am an avid reader and am always looking for new series or books to sink my teeth into. That being said I would like some suggestion on what you guys think are books worth reading. I really don't care the genre or reading level as long as they are in English I will try and get my hands on a copy.

So leave you suggestions in the comments and I will see what I can do. Even if you just stumbled upon my blog I want to know what you think

Crocodile on the Sandbank

"Crocodile on the Sandbank" is the first of the Amelia Peabody mystery series which has to be one of the best series I have ever read. This has to be at least the fifth time I have read it, maybe more, and it still holds as much appeal and interest as it did the first time I picked it up. Elizabeth Peters has a wonderful plot, interesting characters, and incredible writing style that keep you interested cover to cover. Even if you don't like mystery novels or Victorian pieces, because it is set in the 19th century, I think you should at least give it a few chapters. You will quickly fall in love with Amelia's witty and smart personality and interested in the world that Peters has created. 

Most of the story takes place in Egypt mostly in Cairo and Amarna. Now I hadn't heard of Amarna, but I had heard of the Pharaoh Khuenaten. *here is a map of Egypt so you can see where everything is* 

Now I am very interested in Egyptian mythology and the whole of ancient Egypt, so this book instantly interested me, but even for someone who knows nothing about Egypt or archaeology it is easy to enjoy. It isn't bogged down with a lot of technical terms or boring scientific mumbo jumbo. Peters doesn't brush off the scientific aspect of archaeology, but also doesn't occupy the entire book or make it slow and dull. 

Now this is a mystery novel after all so it can't just be digging in the sand for 262 pages. Amelia is traveling for pleasure when she encounters Evelyn Forbes who has been left penniless after being abandoned by her lover. Amelia soon decides to ask Evelyn to be her companion and they set up to travel down the Nile. When in Cairo they meet the Emerson brothers, the younger Walter and the older and much louder Radcliffe. After this chance meeting Amelia and Evelyn soon become tied up in the affairs and excavation of the Emersons. After being prolonged at the Emersons' work site due to illness, a mummy soon starts haunting the party with designs on Evelyn. As the book progresses further twists and turns present themselves so that the ending is absolutely fabulous.

The dialogue between the characters is so wonderful and quotable in this novel. Amelia is witty, stubborn, and not afraid to take on anyone, even a mummy. When paired with the loud, smart, and confident Radcliffe, who is referred to as just Emerson, the sarcastic and scathing comments give the novel just the right amount of humor. The mix of humor, mystery, adventure, and domestication is great and appeals to almost every reader. It is written in the first person from Amelia's point of view, since it is supposed to be her diary we are reading, giving you a look into her thoughts on the events that surround the group. I am partial to first person female novels in the first place so that just made it all the more enjoyable for me to read. 

Overall I love everything about this series from the writing to the characters to the plot. I love it all and the rest of the novels are just as well done. It gets a five out of five from this college kid and I recommend at least reading the first book I am sure you will love it.           

And Then There Were None

I actually learned about this book through the video game of the same title (which is awesome and I recommend you play it if you like puzzle games), but the book was just as awesome. I have always loved mystery books, I have a huge collection of Nancy Drew book, but this was the first novel I have read by Agatha Christie and I have to say that I love it. The story line is wonderful, I love the twists and turns, and the fact that it is from all the characters point of view really made me love this novel. It is a rather quick read and even though this was my second time reading through the novel, I still found it hard to put down.

Ten people are invited to Indian Island by various friends for a free summer holiday. All accept, yet when they arrive on the island no one is there to great them except a married couple who have been hired to be the butler and the maid. That evening after they all dine it is revealed that all ten of them have committed some act that resulted in a persons death. Soon after this announcement one of the guests dies in the same manner as the nursery rhythm "Ten Little Indians" which is hanging up in all the rooms of the house. A little Indian figurine is also missing from the center piece of the dining room table. Soon more guest dye in the same manner as the poem suggests and it is a race to find out who the murder is before they are all killed.

The ending is absolutely wonderful and I really don't know how she thought of it, but then again she isn't one of the best known mystery writers for nothing. Even though this was my second time reading through the novel I had a hard time picking up on all the clues that were left for the reader to use to figure out who the killer was. However Agatha Christie also used the multiple points of view to hide certain events from the readers to make the novel suspenseful as well as the ending very unpredictable. It is just a wonderfully put together book and I am going to read more of her books in the future for sure since I am a giant fan of mystery novels. 

The idea that guilt is such a powerful emotion that it can drive people mad is a rather interesting idea that is lightly touched on this novel in the form of Vera Claythorne. She did not directly kill anyone yet the death cost her everything and in the end it is what causes her demise. How does a person live with the knowledge that they killed someone? It is probably a very hard burden to bear no matter how the death came about. I really don't understand how people can go around killing people everyday in the form of crime, gang wars, and other instances. It is hard to imagine what someone with the type of guilt feels, thinks, and does everyday.

          

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac Take 2

After watching and falling in love with the movie, my friend (the same one who showed me the movie as well as Battle Royale) let me borrow the novel written by Gabrielle Zevin.

Now I was extremely pleased as well as surprised to see just how close the Japanese movie of the same title followed the novel (for movie see other post) Because I have already made a post about the movie I didn't want to just repeat myself so I am going to focus on the differences between the two because sometimes what is changed is just as interesting as what wasn't. Of course there were a few name changes. Mirai in the movie is William in the novel and Yuji is James, but the personalities are the same. I also want to give a lot of credit to the casting director for picking almost perfect actors for the roles. Other major changes:

1. Naomi is adopted and her mother is still alive. The fact that she was an orphan is pulled through the novel much as the picture motif is pulled through the movie. I don't whether it was because of time constraints or not wanting to have another subplot why they didn't keep Naomi's mother, but I can't say she was overly missed from the movie. It was an interesting part of the book, but it was more filler then anything else and just adds more stuff cluttering up Naomi's life. 

2. Naomi doesn't use the project of throwing the camera's down the stairs as her final project. I thought it was really interesting that they used this project of thinking up another one after seeing that Naomi used a project about her adoption as her final project. I guess it fit with the pictures idea, but I also think it would have been really interesting to see what they could have come up with as an alternative project. Again I am thinking time constraints and the need to keep the plot linear for cinematic sake is probably why the stairs project stayed. 

3. More in depth about William's family as well as his and Naomi's friendship. I really loved how this was more filled out in the book. In the movie we are told that they are best friends, but the novel really shows this through both dialogue as well as Naomi's internal monologue. A part that I really loved was the record player that she got him to play his father's albums on. The fact that we get to know more about Will lets us know more about Naomi. I just loved their friendship and really want something like this in my life. 

4. Naomi's dad plays a much bigger part in the novel then in the movie. He is a semi-famous writer who wrote books which Naomi's mother took the photographs for. I liked that he was more involved in the book then just showing up once or twice. His and Naomi's relationship also adds a lot to the overall story line as well as his fiance Rosa Rivera and Naomi adjusting to her. I don't know why I found this more important then Naomi's mother story line, but I did. Maybe I was just partial to her dad. 

Another awesome thing about the book is that the author included a list of songs that Will put on the mixes for Naomi. I always like to know what the author had in mind when they vaguely hint at a song or group or when the mention the song and I have never heard it before, which was 99% of the songs. I always listen to music while I write so I love to see what other authors get their inspiration from musically. 

I also just really loved Zevin's style of writing. It was easy to read yet had a sort of poetry to it. She also has so many good, quotable lines. Her characters were believable and likable, but not perfect or annoying. You find yourself in love with James though also a little leery of him. You love Will, but don't completely understand him. You fight with and for Naomi though at times you can't understand how she could be so stupid. Her imagery was perfect, not too much and not too little and she always paid attention to detail when it mattered, like Will's odd clothes. I just loved everything about this book. It gets 5 out of 5 stars.  

Battle Royale

This book was recommendation from a friend of mine (she is also the friend that recommended Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac) and once again I am a fan of her pick. I have only read the novel, but there is also a manga as well as a movie made that I plan on watching and reading very soon. The whole premise of the story is a little bizarre, but easy enough to understand, a class of 42 students are left on an island and have to kill each other until only one survives. This is a program that is run by the government that is said to help national defenses, but it is just a way for the government to exert it's power over the people and keep them from rebelling. The book is set in Japan, which is called the Republic of Eastern Asia and is a totalitarian government. You follow mostly the struggle of Shogo Kawada, Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nakagawa to survive in the game, but you also gets glimpse into other characters head and there are a few other subplots going on. This was probably my favorite aspect of the book because I love books that let you see the same event through different perspectives.

Koushun Takami however didn't just makes this a blood and guts book, though there is more then enough of that to go around, but he also dives into so many back stories that it makes each chapter interesting and it helps the reader connect with characters even if it is only for a few pages. You get to see all the different spectrum of the game through these different characters and I am really impressed with how the situation is seen in all these lights. You have the totally scared and terrified students, the ones trying to save everyone, and then those that are participating in the game because they have already given up on others and the world. As someone who plans on majoring in fiction writing it was really interesting for me to see him effectively write so many different personalities.

Oddly enough I didn't feel overly connected to a lot of the characters as I have in some of the other novels I have read. You feel for all of them, but maybe because you are always switching from person to person I didn't connect instantly with one person. I did however come up with a few favorites. My two favorite guy characters had to be Hiroki Sugimura and Shogo Kawada. Hiroki was very true to his thoughts and personality throughout the whole novel and thought I was very sad when he died, I was happy that he finally accomplished what he had been trying to do the whole game, which was finding Kayoko Kotohiki. Though I was sad he died, I found his death oddly peaceful in a way. Shogo Kawada was just a badass and a good guy which is what made him my favorite over Kazuo Kiriyama who was just a badass. The fact that Shogo takes care of Shuya and Noriko. He was smart and talented and at the end of the novel I realized just how much I loved him as a character. My two favorite female characters had to be Noriko Nakagawa and Yukie Utsumi. Noriko is such a strong character through out the novel even though she isn't as fierce as a lot of the other female characters. She is the rock of the little group and is always usually the voice of reason for the boys. She is observant and smart though she is quite. She also killed Kazuo which instantly made her my favorite. Yukie is my second favorite because I related to her a lot more then the other characters in the novel. She is smart and loyal and tries, even though it backfires, to save her friends. She also saves the man she loves even if it is against her friends wishes. I really wish she was in novel more because she is so interesting and likable.

Now you can't read this book, or at least I couldn't, without thinking about what I would do if I was in this situation. I came to the scary conclusion that I would probably kill one of my classmates in order to survive. I wouldn't go out of my way to find them and kill them, but if it was between me and them I would pick me. My whole attitude would also depend on what weapon I received. If I had a gun then I would find somewhere to sit and pray that everyone else just killed each other off, though if I had a close friend or boyfriend this might change. The character I think I would act most like is probably either Yukie or Kayoko. If I had a group of good friends that I could trust I would find a few of them and hide out, though that backfired I would try to run things or I would hide by myself for the entire game in complete and utter fear by myself.

The fact that I think I would take someones life is really kind of scary, but this is the kind of questions that the novel wants to bring up. Under the entertaining and thrilling story of these kids killing one another it is also dealing with so many deep issues like the power of the government and human nature. I highly recommend

The Man Who Liked Slow Tomatoes

So compared to "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" (see other post) this book was more enjoyable to read, but it was not one of my favorite books and I probably won't read it again. Now the author K.C. Constantine is from a town around Pittsburgh so the professor basically told us that one of the major reasons he had us read the book was to give money to the author. At least he was honest.

Mario Balzic is the chief of police in Rockburg and is trying to keep his sanity as the city is going through negotiations about the new police contract. That is really the back story and the only reason that Balzic works on the case of the missing Jimmy Romanelli. Jimmy's wife, Mary Francis, is worried that Jimmy has been gone for a few days and knows that something bad has happened to him, but Mario is not so sure. Mario had learned from a local bartender that Jimmy had been in there a few hours before selling tomatoes early in the season. Mario goes back to talk to Francis again when no other then Jimmy walks in the door and throws Mario out. Mario suspects that Jimmy, who is abusive to his wife, is messed up in drugs and heads to a Spaghetti restaurant where drug trade is said to be located. Jimmy goes missing once again and Frances is a wreck. After shaking up a few people in the parking lot Mario runs into problems with the drug department who threaten to get him fired. The case is broken when a crazy neighbor says that she saw Jimmy get killed by Francis's father Mike in her dream. Mario goes digging in Mike's tomato patch and finds Jimmy's body. Mike says it is because Jimmy hit his daughter that he killed him, but Mario thinks it might be because Jimmy won the beat between them to see who could grow their tomatoes the fastest. The book ends with Frances killing herself because of her husbands death, her father not being convicted and dying a year after his daughter, the contract is resolved in favor of the police, and Mario goes on being police chief. 

Overall the novel was alright, but it wasn't something I would read again. Mario was a likable character and you got to see him with his family. You understand that he has a drinking problem as well as not being close to his family, but you find that as part of his charm. The plot was slightly boring because the missing person really wasn't missing until the very end. Also the story is more about Jimmy getting over his respect and fear of Mike then the actual crime.      

The Friends of Eddie Coyle

The thing I remember most about this novel is how much I hated it and that is about the only thing that I remembered about it. I had to go and look up summaries and things online to even remember character names and plot points. Now I did read this a couple months ago, but I feel as if I just blocked it from my memory because of the horribleness of this novel.

Eddie Coyle, the main character of sorts, is a small time criminal that is also trying to inform to the police in exchange to avoid going to jail in New Hampshire after transporting liquor. Eddie at the time is also by guns for bank robberies for mob members lead by Jimmy Scalisi and Artie Van. Jackie Brown is the gun dealer and the first character that we are introduced to who is also trying to sell machine guns to a young couple. Coyle wants to turn over Brown to Dave Foley, an ATF, in return for staying out of jail. Foley captures Brown when he goes to sell the machine guns, but he tells Coyle that this isn't enough to keep him out of jail. Coyle is going to tell Foley about the bank robberies, but Foley has already been informed about it after Scalisi's disrespected the woman he was living with and she told a cop friend she ran into. The robbers are busted and Coyle is pinned as being the informant. Dillion, the local bar owner and hit man, is hired and after taking Eddie out of the town shots him.

I seriously took and hour looking all this up because I couldn't remember a lot of it so here is hoping that this isn't a major part of the test. Overall I extremely disliked this book and it seems that I am in the minority. Higgins is a great writer, but the characters were unsympathetic and the plot was rather boring. It was just really dark and boring for me, but it seems that a lot of other people really enjoyed it. Maybe I am just not into dark detective novels or I just don't know what I am talking about, but I would not recommend this novel to anyone.