Saturday, September 7, 2013

City of Ashes: A Book Review



I'm blushing thinking of how quickly I tore through this book - and some of those scenes, phew. My first read through this book was simply for the answer to Book One's question (I won't give it away, in case you're one of the three people who hasn't read it yet), I didn't linger on the story. This time, knowing the answers already, I was able to enjoy the story, take it all in, revel in Clare's cruel twists of my heart strings knowing it was all going to be okay (well, as okay as Jace and Clary's life could ever be).

Friday, September 6, 2013

Top Ten Dinner Party Guests

When asked the question, who would you most like to have dinner with out of history, do you ever feel stumped? While looking for the end of the internet today, I stumbled across a series of people who have answered this question in all too typical ways (basics from Abraham Lincoln and Jesus, to Mother Theresa and Elvis). Limiting myself to modern history and trying to pull people together who would have something to talk about, this is what I came up with.
The most interesting dinner party that I'd love to attend. 


T. S. Eliot 
This is a man whose brain I'd like to pick for a few minutes. Plus, I need to do a little gushing since he wrote two of my top five favorite poems ever.

Oscar Wilde
No entertaining party would be complete without Mr. Wilde's antics ... I wonder if he'd be on time?

Marilyn Monroe
Although she was quite the sexpot, I think of Marilyn as a poet and a reader (you have to read this book if you haven't already) and I think that she would love to sit with poets, writers, and adventures - we are kindred spirits in that way. 

Nikola Tesla
The inventor himself. I'd love to see what he thinks of all our modern things, plus be able to listen to him as one of the greatest inventors, just talk, tell us stories about misadventures while inventing, and so forth.

Sigmund Freud
I am aware that he would have more than a few thoughts on our other dinner party guests, but the man had a singular mind and I'd be interested on talking to him about how his own life plays out in his theories. 

Jane Austen
As a single girl, I think that Jane Austen would find my dinner party cause for a new novel, however I hope we would have the chance to converse about the true romantics that we are.

Amelia Earhart
The girl fears nothing and takes the world by storm. I hope that while we share dinner some of her fearlessness and sense of adventure wears off on me.

Shakespeare
One question: did you write them or not? After he answers it for us we can all go on and have a lovely dinner. He might even spoil us with a tale or two.

Emily Dickenson
Since we would be one of the few dinner parties Emily will have ever graced with her presence, just being there is reason enough for me to invite her. However, I'd love to see through her eyes for a few moments, having her describe what she sees through a window in my house would be the high point of my year.

James Franco
Aside from not wanting to be the only person in the room who has used a cell phone, I think that James Franco is both interesting and educated enough to hold his own at this dinner party. He is quite the modern Renaissance Man who would enjoy most of my guests, I believe. 

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Series or Stand-Alone Books?


I recently read a great blog post over at Book Revels that listed 25 stand-alone books to read after series burn out ... series burn out? What's that? Personally I love the trilogies and other series that are being published today. Many of them have great character and story development that grows over the series. In fact, I love series so much that I had to really think about the last "stand-alone" book I even read. Even harder was one I had both read and liked. 

When an author writes a stand-alone book the plot has to move fast without being rushed and the characters need to feel dimensional and grow without the book feeling character-centric. For many authors this isn't in the cards - for many readers, this isn't a preferred style.

The only recent read I can think of that I enjoyed was "The Night Circus" ... I'll blog more on that later.  But it is one of my favorites :)

I wanted to list out more books, but I'm really obsessed with series, plus it seems like all that is being written these days (probably the publishers see it as a way to make more $$, but I won't vent about evil publishing houses right now). Almost every book I've reviewed in the last two years falls under a series, at least the ones I've truly enjoyed do :)

I'm challenging myself to add a stand-alone book to my Fall Reading List. I choose "Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater as recommended by Book Reveals. I had looked at this book before, but didn't check it out from the library BECAUSE it wasn't in a series. What happens after I fall in love with the characters and the book ends? It is over. Those characters are finished. Sigh, not sure I can handle this emotionally, but I'm going to make an effort. 

However, if you are looking for some great stand-alone reads, check out Book Reveals' list. There are some fantastic YA and Adult lit titles on there. What are you looking forward to reading? 


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Top Five: Poetry


You may feel that a couple of these are cliched (Sonnet XLIII by EBB, I know, but I love it), here is why I love them ...

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Book Musings Version III

It's been awhile since we mused about the gloriousness that is a great book - so here we go :)


Monday, September 2, 2013

Book Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Nice to meet you Tumblr!



I'm stepping up in the world, I've now added a 

Tumblr Account

to Lizz the Librarian's web prescence.

Check it out! It is an easy way to follow what I'm reading, as well as what I'm obsessing over right now ;)

Oh, and have a little patience, there is a little learning curve to everything. 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Book Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick



Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick



September 1st

Now, as much as I enjoyed the Angel/fallen angel/human component that was Falling. Under, Hush, Hush blew me away. My review doesn't even have parts, I read almost the whole thing in one sitting (who says sleep is important).

Nora is your average teenage girl. She has a best friend, a crazy Biology teacher, a working mom who is gone almost all of the time. However, her life quickly goes from normal to crazy by being biology partners with a fearsome, untrustworthy, inappropriate guy. Even though he is a jerk 80% of the time, Nora is still drawn to him. Even though Vee doesn't like him and tries to set Nora up with someone else, Nora is still drawn to him. Even when Nora feels like she could be going crazy, Nora is drawn to him. This can't end well.

Patch is pretty mysterious, in fact, for the first 2/3 of the year, no one has really heard him say anything.  Tall, dark, and brooding, he does seem to know aLOT about our girl from the very beginning. His fuse his short and he plays this hot and cold game that it is his favorite sport. In the first chapter I though Patch was the love-interested. In the next chapters I thought he was the enemy. Now I feel like I'm going a little crazy.

Okay, so this story may seem like all of the others. In one aspect the storyline is very similar to Falling Under. However, there are so many layers. So many people I don't know if I can trust. Just as I'm starting to think someone is the "good guy," they come along and do something terrible. This story isn't just about angels/fallen angels/humans interacting - no, there is another whole crazy storyline thrown in on top for good measure. I won't give too much away, but it really has some great twists & turns, and as soon as you start to get comfortable, rely on Becca Fitzpatrick to pull the run out from under you.

Oh, and before I go, kudos to Hush, Hush for extending out the romance. It was such a relief to not guess who the good guy was from the first page and for the first kiss to come so far into the book. It made for SUCH a great read.