Taylor will date you. or me.

Here this, ladies!! As soon as he turns legal, watch out!! ;-)


Taylor will date you. or me.: "


From Celebedge:

Twilight star Taylor Lautner has said that he would happily date a fan and said he doesn’t “exclude anyone”. Taylor, 17, plays the role of werewolf Jacob Black in the hit movie series and will reprise his role for the second movie New Moon later this year. He was asked if he would ever date a fan and he said: “I don’t exclude anyone.” Taylor also revealed that he is a fan of chick-flick films and when asked to pick his favourite, he said it was the Rachel McAdams movie The Notebook. He said: “I don’t think I should be embarrassed to admit it, though – it’s a great movie. I’m not embarrassed. I’m saying it proudly.”
"

Hi, my name is Michelle and I'm a Twilight Addict!

Just in case people didn't already know that!  ;-)

In honor of Banned Books Week, I'm re-reading Twilight because yes, it has been challenged in recent years.  Go figure.  Some school libraries felt that it wasn't appropriate for the middle school library and wanted it moved to the high school library.  That challenge was overturned (but not for Breaking Dawn, but that's a whole other story). 

Because it's been a rough day at work and to celebrate how much I love this book, here's the latest posters from Summit.

 Even better, Hot Topic is already promoting t-shirts and other New Moon items.  I can't decide whether I want the green birthday party dress or not.  What do you think?

 

Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday!!

REVIEW - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Title:  Looking for Alaska 

Author:  John Green 

No. of Pages:  221 

First Released:  2005 

Synopsis (Courtesy of B&N):  "Before. Miles 'Pudge' Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave "the Great Perhaps" even more (François Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same." 

Comments and Critiques:  I became interested in this book thanks to a fabulous review by Stephanie at Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic.  Her descriptions of the Before and the After were intriguing and made me want to find out what in the world she was discussing.  Then, like any good reader, I discovered this book has been challenged and been called pornography for children (see my previous post) and I definitely had to find out what all the fuss is.

The fuss is well-deserved - and by fuss I mean the fact that this is a Michael L Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.  Mr. Green does an amazing job of building Pudge's friendships with the Colonel and with Alaska, making them believable and relevant, no matter what the age of the reader.  The countdown to The Event in the Before section only drives the reader's curiosity, making one anxious out of anticipation and out of dread.  The After section is heart-wrenching and surprising, while the reader is left watching in amazement as the characters grow and develop and truly become young adults.

Because it is Banned Book Week, there is some concern by others that this book is pornographic in nature.  Specifically, the language is rough, the characters talk about sex, talk about having sex, and there are a couple of mild sex/make-out scenes in the book.  They also smoke and drink, break curfew, flout the rules, and generally behave like most teenagers.  Based on my research, Mr. Green's target audience is high schoolers, meaning fourteen-year-olds and up.  Considering the main characters are all old enough to drive, I'm not certain anyone younger than fourteen can truly relate to the characters.  Is it offensive?  To me, no, it is not offensive because I think the language and the behavior is fairly typical of most teenagers, which I believe was Mr. Green's intent: using language and behavior that most teenagers use and engage in to drive home the points about life, the Great Perhaps, and the labyrinth of suffering.

This is, simply put, a stunning book.  Equal parts friendship and self-discovery, it is a refreshing look at life and the choices we make in it.  The labyrinth of suffering is something everyone should consider for themselves because the answer is as unique as the individual. The power of the book lies in the Before and After, and I am not about to ruin it for anyone.  Suffice it to say that Mr. Green pulls no punches when it comes to human suffering and driving home his point that life truly is about the choices we make in it.

Most importantly, this message does not pertain to just teenagers on the brink of adulthood.  We should all be considering our own answers to the labyrinth of suffering.  We are never too old to explore the Great Perhaps, for that is how we solve the riddle of the labyrinth.  This is well worth the read.  I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone!  Thanks to Stephanie for putting it on my radar screen!

Banned Book Week - Looking For Alaska by John Green

This week is Banned Books Week, as sponsored by the American Library Association.  According to the ALA,

Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week.  BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

As I've mentioned earlier, I am systematically opposed to any sort of banning, whether it is music, books, media, or other news sources.  No one has the right to tell others what they can or cannot read or watch or listen to, except maybe parents, but even that gets into fuzzy territory after a certain age.  The furor over the movie release of The DaVinci Code or The Golden Compass are great examples.  In both cases, the Catholic Church came out condemning the movies.  My own mother called me to tell me that not only should I not let my children see The Golden Compass, I was not to allow him to read the books because they are anti-Catholic books, and we are a practicing Catholic family.  Um...I don't think so. If anything, my son has a right to make his own decisions regarding religion and should read both anti-religious and religious literature in an effort to get the entire picture.  For when we allow our children to read controversial books, we can open a dialogue with them and carry on an adult conversation about the controversies.  This is how we all grow and learn as humans, no matter what our age.

My first book that I will be reading this week is Looking for Alaska by John Green.  A winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, this book was challenged in 2008 for concerns about graphic language and sexual content.  Specifically, an eleventh-grade English class in New York had to get parental permission to read this award-winner, with three parents denying their child permission.  The website SafeLibraries has a detailed explanation about why this book is challenged, complete with a list of the words and specific quoted scenes, actually going so far as to descry this work as pornography for children.

I did finish the book this afternoon and will be reviewing it later this week, but I find it interesting that while my nine-year-old can listen to similar conversations while sitting on the bus to and from school every day, he is expected to be oblivious to such words and scenarios in literature.  Would I allow him to read this book right now?  I would ask him to wait until he was older.  The book is not marketed for nine-year-olds and he cannot relate with the main characters, who are at least seven years older than him.  However, will I prevent him from reading it in a few years if he wants to do so?  Absolutely not because it does deal with certain difficult situations and has a great message about life that should be passed along to others.  Therein lies the problem with banning or challenging books: by focusing on the language or sexual scenes in such books, people who challenge books miss the overall message of such books.

So, the next time someone descries a book for being obscene or pornographic or inappropriate, ask them what the point of the book is.  I guarantee that the point of the book is not the sex scenes or the language.  And if it is, then why is that message so important.  For in understanding why an author writes a book, we learn more about human nature and about life.

The Sunday Salon - September 27, 2009

Yay for Sundays!!  Things remain chaotic at the Shannon household these days.  Soccer and ballet and piano, oh my!!  Yesterday included the additional stress of hosting the party for my co-workers and boss.  Even though roughly twenty people came, and we didn't have the menu set until four hours before people arrived, I am happy to report that everything went off without a hitch, in spite of my extreme stressing.  (I finally got smart yesterday morning and asked four of my friends to bring the appetizers rather than have to find time to fit those into the preparations as well.)  I got bonus points for having Johnny Walker Red on hand, and my boss loved my leather recliner.  The chili was a hit, as were the burgers, brownies and cake.  Two-and-a-half bottles of wine, a 2/3 bottle of vodka, a half bottle of gin, 1/3 bottle of scotch, a few shots of tequila and two cases of beer later, the last guests left around 2 AM.  Today's agenda?  Relax, relax, relax (and recover).

Tomorrow starts my husband's first day at his new job at my company.  No more second or third shift work and no more working weekends.  It will be the first time in twenty-seven months where this will occur.  We both realize that there is going to be an adjustment period for us all.  I have to get used to sleeping in the same bed with him again and not having the evenings to myself, and he needs to switch his circadian rhythms around again, but it will be nice having him home more often...or at least seeing him awake.

Hopefully, this new job means a better week next week.  This past one was rough.  My coworker/partner went in for surgery and I believe is fighting cancer.  This is the woman who hired me four years ago and was my mentor during the first three years on the job.  I used to work for her until they did some restructuring, and we are now each other's back-up in case one of us is out.  I found out about this surgery and her short-term sick leave three days before she left, and I still do not know when she is coming back.  The stress of filling in for her, and the double work load, is compounded by my concern for her as a friend.  Added to that, the first three days of this week were filled with off-site meetings and after-hour events.  I got absolutely no studying done at all this week with being at the meetings, having to get through the backlog of work after the meetings and just trying to stay on task for the remaining time.  I do not think I had a conversation longer than five minutes with my husband until Saturday morning, and I barely saw my children for longer than an hour each day.  Not a good week.

The highlight of my week?  Receiving this in the mail!  How cool (and perfect) is this?!?  I requested it from the publisher but had not heard from them.  While at B&N on Friday, killing some time and spending more money on books before going out to dinner with the girls, I saw it on a table of new releases and was tempted to pick it up.  I'm glad I didn't because it was waiting for me on the front stoop when I got home.  I not only did a happy dance, I devoured the first chapter right then and there.  But since I want to savor it properly, I'm going to wait until things die down a bit (i.e. finish taking the second exam) to truly enjoy this one.

As seen by that, not only did I not get any studying done, I'm also behind on my reading.  I didn't finish anything this week.  I got scolded by a publisher for not reading a book/writing a review for one still on my TBR pile.  This week is Banned Book Week, and I have to start at least the one I want to read for that.  I'm now two weeks behind on Of Human Bondage for my online book club.  And did I mention I am now five days behind in studying?  Yeah, another exam in a month, and I barely passed the last one.  I know what I'll be doing once I finish here.

Next week should see me in a normal routine...well, more normal than what we've experienced in the past.  I'm hoping to be better able to use my time wisely during the day to squeeze in some much-needed study time.  And I hope to be better able to concentrate on my studying rather than be so easily distracted as I have been.  I'm going to keep plowing away at Of Human Bondage, but I'm going to focus on my banned book list to help celebrate this important week.  I would really like to finish at least one book this week.  I feel so...incomplete...without having finished something in seven days!

I hope everyone has a great Sunday and an even better week!  Happy reading, everyone!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

As you probably have noticed, I played with code and added an entire sidebar and made it a three-column blog, all on my own (with the help of an online blogger's tips, but who's counting that?)!!  Considering I know nothing about code, I am quite proud of myself.  I was thinking of attempting to add a menu bar, but that might be beyond my capacity to understand, and I'm not certain I need it. 

I do want to change the header.  When I went to adjust the size to match the width of the blog now, it is just too big.  That's a whole lot of dahlia staring at you when you first enter.  So, I'm throwing this out to you all.  What would you like to see?  A new pic completely?  Should I just keep my original pic and the width but crop the height?  Is there a new flower that is a better reflection of my crazy self?  I'm all ears - as I want the header to be a reflection of me but inviting and...well...pretty.  I like pretty things and I adore flowers.  Since I can't grow them, I can at least use them as a header.  (BTW, the lily of the valley pic that adorns my profile is because I was born in May.  I love Lily of the Valley but can never find them and again have no green thumb for flowers...) 

So, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!  Is there any other suggestions that you might have to make Michelle's Masterful Musings as user-friendly and fun as possible?

How to instantly increase your stress levels in a matter of seconds...

My husband has been a team leader for a production plant for the past two years.  During that time, he's worked both second, and most recently, third shift.  He had the opportunity to jump ship and come on board with my company and took it.  On Monday, he starts his new job, which will be during first shift, with my company.  We are all very excited about the chance of being a normal family again.

My husband decided to throw together a party of both friends from his current employer and friends we've made through my work.  Now, you have to understand that my idea of a party is very low-key.  Beer, maybe some wine (but not usually), easy-peasy food to make, nothing fancy.  I stress about these events anyway, so I have been making a concerted effort to reign things in and lower my stress levels.  I like entertaining but with people who are just as low-key and low-maintenance as I am.  ,

So how to instantly increase your stress levels in a matter of seconds?  Your boss accepts your invitation and is going to bring his family.  I got the brilliant idea yesterday to invite my boss. He lives 40 miles away in a house that is immaculate - no spots in the carpet, no dents or marks on the walls, perfectly decorated, huge. My house? It's clean but definitely used. With two big dogs and two kids, the hardwood floors have seen better days, we're actively considering replacing the carpet downstairs, the walls are in desperate need of spackle - you catch my drift.  HS!! When I got his note, my blood pressure immediately spiked.  He's a spirits drinker, and I have none in the house.  He's extremely observant, and my house, again while clean, definitely needs some TLC.  Damn.  I like my boss; he's been very good to me and is very easy to get along with - but it's my boss...in. my. house!! 

So, do I go out and get his favorite types of liquors?  Anyone have any great, easy but more high-brow appetizers or knock-out party dishes that they would recommend?  Because I'm going to have to start cleaning the house tonight...and the party's on Saturday.  Maybe I can find some ways to hide the dented walls and chipped paint? 

Booking Through Thursday - Recent Sadness

Another Thursday is here, and we are one step closer to the weekend.  It's been a rough week at work, so I, for one, am counting down to that weekend with every fiber of my being.  To get us through another day of work, it's time for Booking Through Thursday!

What’s the saddest book you’ve read recently?

I feel like I'm repeating my books over and over again here. The first one that comes to mind is Marley and Me.  It is definitely sad, as any pet owner knows.  But the sadness is also one of joy and more of a celebration and tribute to one of the goofiest and yet lovable dogs you'll ever get the pleasure of meeting.  John Grogan's tribute to Marley will leave you in tears, but they are well worth it.

Another book that comes to mind is Fredrica Wagman's The Lie.  If you haven't had the pleasure of reading this book yet, I highly recommend it.  The struggle of a very young woman to understand and overcome childhood trauma and how that trauma affects her marriage and relationship with her children will haunt you for weeks after finishing it. 

The last book I would recommend for sadness is Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.  This story of three brothers, their boorish father, set in pre-revolutionary Russia is equal parts comical and gut-wrenching.  As each brother struggles with his beliefs, his relationships, and human nature, the reader is sent on an emotional rollar coaster.  This book has been declared by some critics as one of the best novels of all time.  While others might debate that claim, make no mistake that it is definitely one for the ages.  The reader is emotional wrung-out at the end of it, and yet the questions keep coming and coming - well after finishing the last sentence.  It's a bear of a read but definitely worth the effort.

So, what is the saddest book you've read recently?  Is this the type of book you like to read? 

Stephenie Announces 'The Host' Movie + Wants Your Fun Casting Suggestions :-)

Okay, this is going to be interesting - who's up for Stephenie's challenge?


Stephenie Announces 'The Host' Movie + Wants Your Fun Casting Suggestions :-): "From Goddess' official website:

Hey guys, great news! The Host is on its way to the big screen:
Variety.com: 'Twilight's Meyer...'
I'm so excited to be working with Nick Weschler, and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz to bring The Host to a visual format. They've all been a dream to work with, so lovely and collaborative, and I feel like we're in a really good place to make a great movie together. And then to have Andrew Niccol writing and directing? Truly awesome. If you've never seen Gattaca, go watch it now. One of my favorite movies of all time. It's such a great example of character driven science fiction, which is ideal for The Host, no? I'm having an absolute blast imagining different dream casts, which I would post if people didn't take my silly blogs so seriously these days. I'm looking forward to seeing the cast lists you come up with in the fansite forums, and if any of them match mine.
So, very exciting. Yay Host!
XO
Steph

Wow, a challenge from Stephenie for us! Who would you cast??

Bookmark this on Delicious

"

REVIEW - The Awakening and The Struggle by L. J. Smith

Title: The Awakening and The Struggle


Author: L. J. Smith

No. of Pages: 253 and 236


First Released: June 2007 

Synopsis (Courtesy of B&N): "A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
Elena - Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.
Stefan - Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.
Damon - Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.

The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them." 

Comments and Critiques:I will admit that I only read this book because of the TV show.  I am one of those that will always try out the originating story no matter what.  I actually read this on my phone, as part of a new application I downloaded that allowed me to download the book for free.  It was my first experience reading a book in an e-format, and it did take me some time to get used to having to scroll down constantly.  However, I found myself completely sucked into the story and breezed through the book in what I feel is a record amount of time - complete losses of time while reading.

As with a lot of what I've been reading lately, this isn't going to win any awards.  The audience is definitely a teenage one, filled with the misunderstood homecoming queen, the brooding new high school hunk, the mysterious bad boy.  It's a quintessential teenage story, but again, I'm not going to hold that against it.

I found that I couldn't scroll down fast enough. There really was something compelling about the animosity between Damon and Stefan.  Ms. Smith kept me wanting to read more, only because I was impatient to find out who triumphs in this battle.  She takes the word "cliffhanger" to an entire new level and could definitely give Suzanne Collins a run for her money on abrupt endings.  It is a very effective plot device that had me downloading the next book immediately upon finishing the previous one.

The first two books in the Vampire Diaries series were light reads but extremely enjoyable.  It's already taken so many different twists and turns that it is not your typical teenage vampire drama. I find myself waffling between the good vampire and the bad vampire, which only keeps me engaged.    I would recommend this to any vampire lovers out there and can't wait to finish the series.

REVIEW - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

No. of Pages: 332

First Released: August 2007

Synopsis (Courtesy of B&N): "St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever."

Comments and Critiques: Just when I thought I had read everything there was about vampires, I am introduced to the world of Moroi, dhampirs, and Strigoi.  It is an unusual mythology but it works.  Vampires who are alive, part-human part-vampire, and evil vampires who are officially dead - they make for an intriguing mix, fantastically believable.

Make no mistake, this is not going to win any awards.  Ms. Mead is no Shakespeare.  The vocabulary is weak, and there are way too many grammatical errors in this book.  For a moment, I thought I was reading an ARC, but alas, I paid money for it.  The errors definitely detracted from the book.  The dialogue wavers from waxing poetic to being overly stilted.  However, anyone who reads this is not expecting Tolstoy-type work.  What makes this book work is the characters.  Rose is an amazing example of female power and a great role model for teenage girls.  She grows from a spoiled teen to someone who realizes and accepts her responsibilities with the proper mix of respect and grace.  It's refreshing to see a teenager grow that much in one short book.  In addition, the fact that she excels in a male-dominated role is an even greater example of female power.  If anyone proves that women can play with the big boys, Rose does.  Rose definitely reminds me of Buffy, and that's definitely not a bad thing.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Rose, Lissa, and Dimitri.  I'm anxious to read what else happens, if Rose will ever get her man, and if Lissa will ever be able to resolve her powers.  I would love to see more of the Strigoi and see how Rose handles them.  It was a light, fun read that I would recommend to the young-at-heart and fantasy-inclined.

What did you think?  Agree or disagree?

Fall Into Reading Challenge

It's fall!!  The most wonderful time of the year - when the leaves turn to beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow, when the sun loses some of its intensity but the days are still pleasant, when visions of pumpkins and cornstalks and jack-o-lanterns dot the neighborhoods.  It also means cool nights in front of a fireplace with hot cups of tea snuggled under blankets while reading.  Because fall and reading go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly, Katrina at Callapidder Days is hosting the 2009 Fall Into Reading Challenge from September 22th through December 20th.  As she terms it, here are the "rules":

To participate, here’s what you need to do:

• Create a list of some books you’d like to read or finish this fall. This is the only real requirement for participating in the challenge.

• Feel free to set some additional reading goals (such as reading to your kids two hours per week, getting through your pile of magazines, etc.). However, this is not required; setting additional goals is completely optional.

• Write a blog post that includes the list of books you want to read (and any additional goals you’ve set), and get ready to post it on your blog on September 22nd.

• Visit Callapidder Days on September 22nd to sign up for the challenge. I’ll have an official launch post up that morning, complete with an area for you to submit a link to your personal Fall Into Reading post, where it will be added to the master list of participants.

• Read! Work on your goals throughout Fall 2009.

• Report your results. Write another blog post in December to let everyone know how you did. (I’ll post an official wrap-up to the challenge on December 21st, where you’ll be able to share your results.)

• Have fun! Visit other participants to see what they’re reading. Write reviews if 

• you’re so inclined. But most of all, enjoy your fall reading!

This challenge excites me to no end, and I'm going to use it as a chance to get through some books I've really wanted to read but have been putting off for whatever reason.  Here's my list so far.  I'm not certain if I can get through this many before December 20th, but I'm certainly going to give it the old college try!

• 1. Sweet Mary by Liz Balmaseda
• 2. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
• 3. Across the Endless River by Thad Carhart
• 4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
• 5. Everything Sucks by Hannah Friedman
• 6. The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson
• 7. The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell
• 8. Playing House by Fredrica Wagman

Are you participating?  What are you going to read?  Are you as excited for this challenge as I am?

O.M.E. (or things that got me through me day-long meetings)

New Moon comes out in sixty days (count them 6-0), so the hype has already started to build.  David Strick's Hollywood Backlot just posted 41 behind-the-scenes photos that are so drool-worthy, it just might be dangerous to your computer.  I've only highlighted my favorites.  This is DEFINITELY a must-see!!

 The other completely awesome news I heard today?  Muse is going to be on the New Moon soundtrack!!  I love how they continue to incorporate Stephenie's favorite band in the movie.  Confessions of a TwiCrack Addict has all the information.

Wait - the news doesn't stop there!  They finally released the New Moon soundtrack playlist!!  Check this out -

* DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE — MEET ME ON THE EQUINOX
* BAND OF SKULLS — FRIENDS
* THOM YORKE — HEARING DAMAGE
* LYKKE LI — POSSIBILITY
* THE KILLERS — A WHITE DEMON LOVE SONG
* ANYA MARINA — SATELLITE HEART
* MUSE — I BELONG TO YOU (NEW MOON)
* BON IVER & ST. VINCENT — ROSYLN
* BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB — DONE ALL WRONG
* HURRICANE BELLS — MONSTERS
* SEA WOLF — THE VIOLET HOUR
* OK GO — SHOOTING THE MOON
* GRIZZLY BEAR — SLOW LIFE
* EDITORS — NO SOUND BUT THE WIND
* ALEXANDRE DESPLAT — NEW MOON (THE MEADOW)

According to Stephenie Meyer's website, all the music is going to be original and exlusive to the soundtrack.  Sounds like a must-buy to me!

Sarbear, I mean my kindred spirit, at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale gave me another award!  Considering that our tastes in books are scarily alike, I think it is a very apt one.  Thanks, girlie!  I'm giving it right back to you! 

 This goes out to my fellow blogging sisters.  Your blogs are the first ones I read each day!!

1. Stephanie at Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic
2. Hope at The Blog of Hope
3. Ceri at Not in the Pink
4. Amy at My Friend Amy
5. Kelly at The Written Word 

I have another day of off-site meetings tomorrow.  I'm hoping that it is another newsworthy day as well to help me get through it.

I Read Banned Books!

That's right.  So sue me.  Actually, nothing, and I mean nothing, gets me angrier than people telling me not to read a book or that a book is banned.  But I suspect that most of you feel the same way.

Anyhoo, Bibliobrat has issued a challenge to anyone who is also angered by this unfair violation of our freedom to read whatever we want.  Banned Book Week is September 26th through October 3rd.  During this particular week, Bibliobrat wants us to read at least one banned book in protest.  Not one to turn down this type of challenge, I hereby commit myself to reading at least one banned book that week.  Here's my list:

• 1. Looking for Alaska by John Green
• 2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• 3. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
• 4. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

I am still in shock that the Twilight Series has been banned by some libraries, but I'll save my indignation for Banned Books Week.

So, which banned books are you going to read this important week?

REVIEW - From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Title:  From Dead to Worse

Author: Charlaine Harris

No. of Pages: 303

First Released: May 2008

Synopsis (Courtesy of B&N): "After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone—human and otherwise—is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.

It's clear that things are changing—whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie—Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community—is caught up in the changes.

In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered."

Comments and Critiques: You all know how I feel about this series.  I have been drawn to it from the very beginning.  Shapeshifters, vampires, witches, fairies, telepaths - seriously, what's not to like?  So, when I decided to read the eighth book of the series for the RIP Challenge, I couldn't wait to get started. 

The book started out promisingly.  Ms. Harris inserts plenty of action and suspense to keep the reader turning the pages.  Unfortunately, it fizzles out halfway through the book.  She resolves the issues fairly early in the book.  Either that, or I just wasn't feeling it this time.  I didn't fear for Sookie's life as much as I probably should have. 

Given how this book ends, I'm concerned what else could be in store for Sookie.  Every guy she finds ends up hurting her in some way.  Why?  Can't she get a happy ending?  Or is Ms. Harris trying to tell us that we do not need a man to be happy?  I'm not quite certain I buy this argument because Sookie is not happy.  She wants to get married and have a family; after eight books, I'm ready for her to be happy.  She definitely deserves it.

I found it difficult to truly immerse myself in this book.  I feel like it was too easy for me to read while distracted and still follow the book.  My ability to lose myself in these books is exactly why I like the series, so the fact that I couldn't do it with this one left me very disappointed. 

I would recommend this to anyone who is in love with the series, but this is definitely not a book you can pick up and expect to understand what is happening.  Ms. Harris definitely builds upon each book, and I found that she draws all seven books for this one. 

I'm curious - was anyone as disappointed with it as I was?  What are your thoughts?

September Update - Random Reading Challenge

In my excitement over Carl's RIP Challenge, I've neglected this very fun challenge hosted by Wendy at Caribou's Mom.  It's such a fun challenge, in addition to being helpful.  Sometimes, a gal just can't figure out which book to read next!  So, why not let a random number generator help you figure it out?  It works as well as any other method...like closing your eyes and grabbing or letting your son choose for you. 

Rather than just randomly choosing books from my TBR pile, I just went with all of them.  There are only thirty books I have physically on-hand, so it wasn't a huge list.  The randomness of the choices was more in how they were listed.  The magical random number generator thought that the fifth book on my list would be a great next read.  So, that means that Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is my next book (after I finish Grace Hammer, that is)!  Tammy at Tammy's Book Nook is the one who got me intrigued by this book and is the reason I picked it up at the bookstore several months ago.  I am very excited to read it!

The Sunday Salon - September 20, 2009

BBAW is now over.  I am still riding the high from reading so many new blogs and the general love for bloggers that was in the air throughout the week.  I am amazed at the work that went into it and feel that Amy deserves her own special award for putting everything together.  Like everyone else, I added several dozen new blogs to my Reader and have been enjoying getting to know them all.  It's one of my favorite part of the day, logging in to see what new posts are waiting for me.  Congratulations to everyone who were nominated, short-listed and won a blogging award this year!  The fact that so many were nominated and that the choices were so difficult this year highlights the high quality of book bloggers we have here.  I feel blessed to be a part of it all!

I was downloading new apps for my Blackberry last week and discovered a free e-reader that allows me to download books right to my phone.  I downloaded it and had to figure out what to read.  With all the hype regarding The Vampire Diaries, I thought that would be a great first novel to try out on any sort of e-reader.  My thoughts?  Having an e-reader on your phone, which you carry with you everywhere is extremely dangerous.  I can't even begin to count how many hours I've lost because I went to read a few lines and ended up reading a few chapters.  Granted, the book itself is not difficult reading, but I was almost appalled at myself for how quickly I could lose track of time with my phone.  Since I already have Facebook, receive tweets and e-mails from all of my various accounts on my phone, adding this application was probably not the wisest of decisions.  Although, having access to a book even when I forget to tote one in my purse is very, very nice.  So, I think I'm going to limit myself to the rest of the Vampire Diaries and decide what to do after that.

Speaking of reading, somehow I managed to finish the first two books of the Vampire Diaries this week.  I also finished the first book in the Vampire Academy series, Vampire Academy.  I started reading my win from LibraryThing, Grace Hammer by Sara Stockbridge.  Of course, I am still reading Maugham's Of Human Bondage.  I promised myself that I would get caught up in all of my reviews today.  In addition, the Fall Into Reading Challenge starts on Tuesday, and I need to get ready for the Banned Book Challenge next week.  I've viewing these as great opportunities to clear off my TBR and ARC piles and can't wait to compile my lists!

Personally, life remains hectic.  In addition to our regular soccer, ballet, and piano activities, I get the pleasure of attending our quarterly sales meeting with long days of meetings and at least one evening activity.  Squeezing reading into that schedule while also staying on top of my studying will be challenging this week, but I'm getting used to having three activities each night.  I don't know whether to be sad about that or just take it in stride.

I'm off to cook!  It is something I truly love to do, and just the other day, I was wondering why I had let this particular hobby of mine fall by the wayside.  Today is the first day where you can feel fall in the air - it's gloomy and rainy and damp.  I'm wearing sweats and have been drinking tea, and today is the first day in a long time where I couldn't wait to make something for my family.  Moment of self-realization - apparently, I'm a winter, comfort food-type of chef.  I'm cracking open my homemade mac and cheese recipe tonight and can't wait!!  (Now, if only the Packers had won against the Bengals; I'm going to hear about this one at work tomorrow...)

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday doing whatever it is that makes you happy.  Have a great week and happy reading!!