Pride and Prejudice

The lovely classic that is Pride and Prejudice.

The Bennet family in regency England has five daughters and no boys to become heir of the family's estate. And what is on the mind of the ever dramatic Mrs. Bennet is to have her daughters married to wealthy young men so they aren't out on the street when "your father is dead." So when a Mr. Bingley purchases Netherfield Park not far away, obviously one of her daughters must marry him. With this entrance comes many more members of society that the Bennet's weren't aware of, such as: their cousin Mr. Collins, the magnificent Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Bingley's meddling sisters, the charismatic Mr. Wickham, and the every handsome but off-putting Mr. Darcy.  All these eligible young men must marry one of the Miss Bennet's, right?! 

This is a great story. One that I happily read and watch over and over again. The story is fantastic; the romances charming; the characters are engaging, villainous when appropriate, and very memorable. 

I think the reason I love this book so much is the characters. I think the reason why this book has stayed so popular over the 200 years it's been around is because of the characters. There are so many with different, full personalities that it seems to breathe. There is no one like Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh let alone their relationship. Charlotte Lucus is understandable and though she makes an unbelievable choice is still in the good graces of all her readers. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are a hoot and a holler and one of my favorite "parental couples" in almost any book. I especially love Mr. Bennet's quotes and his constant picking on his wife, as well as his commentary saying, "My dear child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life" because he most definitely cannot respect his and knows the importance of it. Jane is amazing too and reminds me a lot of myself (though probably not nearly so handsome). The best things I saw online concerning Jane Bennet is this: 

It makes my day. 

It is a classic and a good classic. It was written 200 years ago so the writing style is different and for some may be hard to understand, but persevere my friend! If you a have troubles, go find the movies. There are many to choose from and while many praise Keira Knightly's 2005 version, go for the 1995 one instead. Jennifer Ehle and Collin Firth are amazing and the movie gets so much right! Read and watch it now. Just go! 

A Discovery of Witches

 A Discovery of Witches *sigh, and not in a good way* 

Diana is a witch with a lineage that goes back on both sides to Salam, Mass. c 1600. Matthew is a vamp who has been around for a millennia and a half. She is super powerful though doesn't like to use her powers because she considers it cheating and she wants to get her PHD and other studies the "normal way." He is looking for away to save his kind and stop all these murders that scream vamp all over them. Then there is also the big bad "boss guys" who say they can't get together because... I didn't get that far. 

It... *ugh-sigh* The first reason I gave it a 2 was because it was beyond long winded. Setting and descriptions of everything took forever, and I was reading an audiobook where most of the time that doesn't matter. And I'm all about a beautiful setting and wonderful descriptions, but there was so little poetry behind it all and it took For-E-Ver. The 600-ish pages could have been dropped by at least a quarter if she had been more choosy as to what was needed for the reader to know what was going on. It's a brick and feels as heavy as one. Plus, tea and wine. Tea and wine. Tea and wine. And descriptions on every scent and whiff of tea and wine. O.O UGH! 

My second problem is him. If you go for a "Beauty and the Beast" kinda rage problems but miss the whole story of B&B, you just get a very angry guy who hasn't learned to control his temper in 1500 years. That's a long time. Honestly, if he hasn't learned it by now... If she does anything wrong, especially unknowingly (because "forget everything you thought you knew about vampires"), he practically jumps down her throat. "How dare you do this thing which you didn't think was bad! I'm not going to explain how that was actually kinda rude; I'm just going to yell and pretty much throw a tantrum because I'm only mentally 3." Okay, that was probably a bit mean, but it happened. 

Matthew has this over-protective thing (fidgety feeling) almost out of no where and likes to watch her sleep also and other weird stuff that reminds me heavily of another vamp that sparkles. Many of the characteristics that many people disliked about that vamp is the same thing Matthew has. Red flags of all kinds pop up. Then Diana who is supposed to be this warrior-princess of awesome becomes so passive mess every time he's around it seems. Again, possibly an exaggeration, but I got through about half the book. When he's around, almost all of her brain smarts and goes away. And yes, it's cool that suddenly he became friends with every single person of scientific importance over the last 1500 years, but come on. Let some of her awesomeness shine out. It didn't so much. 

And while I didn't finish it, I did look up the rest of the plot on the interwebs and saw that they made a tv series out of the book and it's two sequels. The big baddies are this counsel who won't let inter-species relations happen. But they really want to, but they can't because laws, but they'll probably do it anyway. There is also supposedly time travel in this book toward the end and it gets to the point where it seems like there is just too much going on. Blood science, problems with reproduction, inter-species relations, "I'm too powerful and don't know how to use it," "Yes we should" "No we shouldn't" dilemma, yoga class gets in there too, history class for the ages, and time travel all with an over abundance of description. 

It's too much. 

I don't really want to read a fanfic written by a Twihard mom who, though clean (I will say that, so far as I read though the series trailer will dispute that), wants a Twilight fix. ((Not to blow up on Twilight or hate on Stephenie Meyer, I just don't think her books were written as well as they could have been, and I wish she'd step away from it instead of writing another Twilight novel "but this time from Edward's point of view" (There I said it). Maybe I'm just upset because she didn't choose Jacob in the end? Who knows?)) Twihard mom's might like it, I do not. 

Moving on to the next book. 

Girl, Wash Your Face

This is a book everyone should read. 
 

"Stop believing the lies about who you are so you can become who you were meant to be!" 

This book is about some of the lies Rachel Hollis has told herself over the years (and I'm sure many of us have told ourselves) and why we need to stop believing them. 

Her chapters include: 

• "The Lie: Something else will make me happy
• The Lie: I'll start tomorrow
• The Lie: I'm not good enough
• The Lie: I'm better than you
• The Lie: Loving him is enough for me
• The Lie: No is the final answer
• The Lie: I'm bad at sex
• The Lie: I don't know how to be a mom
• The Lie: I'm not a good mom 
• The Lie: I should be further along by now
• The Lie: Other people's kids are so much cleaner/better organized/more polite
• The Lie: I need to make myself smaller
• The Lie: I'm going to marry Matt Damon
• The Lie: I'm a terrible writer
• The Lie: I will never get past this
• The Lie: I can't tell the truth: 
• The Lie: I am defined by my weight
• The Lie: I need a drink
• The Lie: There's only one right way
• The Lie: I need a hero"

There are so many things that I knew I tell myself that she discusses and how she and maybe how you can get past these obstacles that are in your way. 

Rachel Hollis is beyond funny and had me laughing aloud multiple times. She is clean (as some might be nervous about the sex chapter) and is Christian so there are many things about God and the relationship she has with him set alongside Bible verses that helped her during hard times. 

This is one that I'm going to buy for my bookshelf and everyone, especially women, should read it. Take a closer look (and really look) at yourself to see how much better you can actually be. 

The Lightning Thief

 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a great series that I read aloud to my son.

Percy is a boy who always seems to get into trouble. He's gotten kicked out of so many schools for things he just can't explain. Now suddenly he slays his math teacher and she turns into a puff of smoke and no one seems to remember her at all? What is going on? Percy goes home for the summer and while on his way to vacation with his mom, they get attacked by a Minotaur. Suddenly he finds out he's a "Half-Blood" and is supposed to believe that the Greek Gods are a real thing and that he's the son of some Olympian. Finally, some things start making sense, but then things go wrong again and he's sent on a quest to find Zeus' Master Bolt that They all think he stole. He need to prove his innocence and catch the thief. 

I love this series. It's one that I've held on to since I was in junior high. It is perfect for young adult kids, especially those seem to be having a hard time--which is most every junior high kid. Percy has a wit and sarcasm that makes everyone smile. The metaphors and similes are hysterical and you can see that by simply looking at the chapter titles. 

This is also a good book to get the basic of the Greek pantheon. From what I know about it, Rick Riordan has done an excellent job at keeping the Greek mythologies accurate while still giving us that modern twist. Having Mt. Olympus in New York City and the Underworld in L.A. is fitting and comical. Minotaur, Furies, chimera, and hell hounds are only a few things that Percy has to face and, again, they are done well. 

It is a very simple read, great for young adult audiences, and one that gives the reader a good sense for the world they are in. If the reader doesn't know anything about the Greek pantheon, then they are given explanations for them, even pronunciations a time or two. We get to know who all of these characters are and how think (or thought in mythology) and have such personalities giving us something new to constantly visit or revisit. 

I think the thing that I love most of this is that Percy is a troubled kid. He struggles in the "real world" with creatures constantly attacking him (though that was unknown to him in the beginning), struggling in school, ADHD, and dyslexia (which I also have). They are real life problems yet are given reasons as to why he has them. ADHD so he can take more in and fight better when the badies come around and dyslexia because his mind is "set" for ancient Greek not American English. It helps the reader think more about what they might consider "disabilities" or "flaws" and gives us a little hope that there is a real reason behind it beyond "Oh, it's just in your DNA," but that they can be used to for our benefit. I also really love the fact that he has a horrible stepdad. There are many kids who have similar struggles and, in the end, those get resolved--and the fact that his mom pulls out something big and has major character growth (that made me very happy). 

It's a great story that I believe should be reread on occasion. It's not just a book that you can read once and never want to pick up again, but one that has more to it and funny humor. 

Storm Front

 

The first of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. 

Harry Dresden is a wizard in Chicago who works as a wizard for hire. You can find his add in the newspaper. Most of the time he finds keys or other lost items. Other times he works as a "psychic" with the Chicago PD when cases have a occult feel to them. He doesn't often take missing person's cases from people who find his add and this case the police are working on is beyond morbid. Bills need to be paid, but he might be over his head on this one. 

I was first told to read this when I was in high school. I would not have been okay to read this one in high school. There was more than a handful of profanity and these murder scenes would not have been one I would want to look at even on TV. Grotesque, bloody, something that even C.S.I. wouldn't have let air. If this was a movie or show, I wouldn't watch it. The fact that I can mentally jump over the profane words and do my best to not remember unwanted scenes vividly is the only reason I actually got through it. If you don't want to handle those things, go ahead and skip it. If you can or don't mind, enjoy the rest of the book. 

It is an interesting mystery with the major twist of our detective being a wizard. There are normal human bad guys, but then also other wizards, demons, and vampires. Typical supernatural creatures and things that go bump in the night. The mystery was interesting and well lead the story along. 

Characters were interesting and the big ones will do well, I think, in the sixteen other books. The way they interact is great and will have many adventures to come. I really liked Harry Dresdens' sly, sarcastic personality. It was fun to see through his eyes. 

I listened to this book. The reader is James Marsters, Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I great reader even if he didn't keep his British accent. He did the voices well and gave a good depth to Dresden and his emotions. 

Good book, but, wow, the profanity and scenes where he lost his bath towel... they could have done without. I'm going to be wary of the next book, which I plan to read. If it continues to be ridiculous in those aspects or if there are actually steamy scenes, I will not pick up another one. 

Heartless

 

The tale of the Queen of Hearts. 

Catherine is the daughter of nobility, but she'd prefer to make cakes. She doesn't care for the parties and courtly appointments, she prefers to get her hands, dress, and the backs of her ears covered in flour. But that is not what her mother wants, not what the King wants. Suddenly she is nearly engaged to the King of Hearts who loves her creations and finds her just as delicious. As she tries to escape the proposal, the Jabberwaky attacks and she is saved during a corset affiliated fainting spell by the new court Joker. Now with her eyes locked on lemon colored Joker eyes, she even less interest in the King and being his Queen of Hearts, because hers heart is already taken. 

It was a charming story, read well by Rebecca Soler who did all the voices superbly! One with many loved characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. The Hatter before he's mad, the March Hare, the White Rabbit, flamingos and hedgehogs for crochet, and all the other outrageous characters that is part of the land of Hearts. The world is very comically odd as the way Wonderland is supposed to be. It is fabulously portrayed and written, just as Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles did with Cinder(ella) and the rest. 

It is also a love story between the Joker and Catherine. He has a mission and she has dreams. They both have tricks and are bound to lose their hearts, but to each other? They are fun characters with interesting adventures. 

(Spoiler!!) Sadly, though, we know the story of the Queen of Hearts from Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. The Queen is not a happy person. She is heartless and, oh, so willing to take off a person's head. This story is not a happy one. It is a fragility with a comic as it's star. You hope and you read on because "Maybe it's different" "Maybe there is a change" "Maybe she's not that Queen" "Maybe..." But her's is not a happy tale. And this, I think will be the only time I read it. 

I can't give it five stars because it didn't end how I wanted it too!! Written well, yes! Mastered beautifully, yes! But I wanted it different. And what happens to Jest was so quick it almost didn't seem real. Well done, but I didn't want to be sad with this book.