Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen: Review & Link Up

 Check out the 2014 Jane Austen Challenge!
Upcoming Reminders!
On March 31st, I will post information about Pride & Prejudice.
On April 30th, I will post my review and the linky for Pride & Prejudice.

Thoughtful Thursday: Rereading Books

Thoughtful Thursday

It is time for Thoughtful Thursday and the bookish questions that pop up while I am reading. Please share your thoughts on the bookish question of the week. I am curious to hear what you have to say! There are no wrong answers. Questions about Thoughtful Thursday or future Thoughtful Thursday posts? Check out my Thoughtful Thursday section. Alright, on to the question!

Take Control of Your TBR Pile & COYER Kick Off

Take Control of Your TBR Pile 2014March 2014 COYER Signups



During the month of March, I am going to concentrate on reading down my TBR pile with the Take Control Of Your TBR Pile Read-a-thon and the Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge! I love the folks who run both of these challenges, so I couldn't pick just one.

Top Ten Tuesday Rewind: Top Ten Childhood Favorites

Top Ten Tuesday

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week bloggers post a top ten list related to a specific theme. This week's theme is Top Ten Tuesday Rewind. I get to choose the topic from previous themes! I am doing Top Ten Childhood Favorites!

His Dark Materials Novellas by Philip Pullman: Review

Below are mini-reviews of these two short books. If I gave you a full review, it would be longer than these two books! :)

Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip PullmanTitle: Once Upon a Time in the North
Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Alfred A Knoph
Publication Date: April 2008
Length: 104
Series: His Dark Materials (# 0.5)
Audio or Book: Book
Reason for Discovery: Sword & Laser Book Club











Sunday Update - 2/23

Welcome to my edition of the Caffeinated Book Reviewer's Sunday Post meme and Tynga's Reviews' Stacking the Shelves meme. Check out what I have been doing this week (and will do next week) and my book haul.

Nothing too exciting has been happening this week. I spent most of my free time reading or watching the Olympics. I wish I could say more, but it really has been a quiet week. :)

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin: Audio Book Review

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin
Title: A Wizard of Earthsea
Author: Ursula K Le Guin (Reader: Harlan Ellison)
Publisher: Phoenix Books, Inc
Publication Date: April 2010 (originally published in 1968)
Length: 6 hr 11 min (183 pages)
Series: Earthsea Cycle (#1)
Audio or Book: Audio
Reason for Discovery: Sword & Laser Book Club

From GoodReads:
Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth. Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
Ged is pretty fantastic, and he knows it. At a young age, Ged discovers that he has magical powers. He helps his village and impresses his elders. Ged is sent to the wizardry school to learn how to hone his powers. At first Ged feels a bit intimidated by his peers, because he doesn't know as much as them. Soon, he decides to make his motto: fake it until you make it. With this in mind, on a dare, Ged decides to perform a very powerful spell. This action will change Ged's life forever. 

This book was so much fun. I felt like I was reading a Harry Potter book from a different student's POV. Instead of watching a loving and caring boy make friends and learn about magic, we get to read about the kid who knew he was all that and a bag of chips and watches as his ego blocks him from his dreams. Maybe because I have been reading a lot of books told from the POV of the "nice guy/gal," it was refreshing to read a book that is about a kid that needs to get taken down a notch.

A Wizard of Earthsea was originally published in 1968, and it shows in two major ways. First, this book is less than 200 pages. This means that the story is told at a very fast clip. There are not a lot of scenes that allow the readers to get to know Ged or his friends. Le Guin summarizes chunks of Ged's life when it is convenient. If A Wizard of Earthsea was printed today, it would have been divided into two books that were 500 pages each. Personally, I found this book to be a breath of fresh air. It was so different from the books that I have been reading recently. I enjoyed being able to read an epic-ish tale in under 200 pages. In addition, I was okay with not getting to know the characters super well. I read this book for the adventure, not to know Ged's deepest thoughts.

The second way this book is a product of its time is how women are written. There are not very many female characters, and about half of these female characters are "evil." From what I understand, women are better represented in the other books in this series. I listened to the audio book, and I wasn't paying the best attention at all times, so I didn't notice this issue too much. This is a common complaint for this book, however, so I wanted to make sure that I mentioned it. The treatment of female characters is similar to other books from this era.

Audio: There are a couple of different version of the A Wizard of Earthsea audio book. I listened to the one by Harlan Ellison. I loved it. He is a bit overdramatic and cheesy, but it really fit the book for me. I imagined that Ellison was my uncle and was reading me a bedtime story. Rob Inglis also read A Wizard of Earthsea, and many people love this version.

Overall, I found this to be a great book. I can't wait to read the other books in this series. If you are looking for an introduction to Ursula K Le Guin, I think A Wizard of Earthsea is a great starting place.


I give this book a 4 out of 5.

Really Good

Thoughtful Thursday: Guilty Pleasure Books

Thoughtful Thursday

It is time for Thoughtful Thursday and the bookish questions that pop up while I am reading. Please share your thoughts on the bookish question of the week. I am curious to hear what you have to say! There are no wrong answers. Questions about Thoughtful Thursday or future Thoughtful Thursday posts? Check out my Thoughtful Thursday section. Alright, on to the question!


Do you have guilty pleasure books that you don't review? Do you feel pressured to rate your guilty pleasure books a certain way?

There used to be books that I read, but I didn't tell anyone that I was reading. These books consisted of the Twilight series, The Series of Unfortunate Events, anything written by Amanda Quick, the Star Wars book, and the Sookie Stackhouse books to name a few. When some of my friends discovered that I read the Twilight books, I would explain that I read them, so I could connect with some of my younger therapy patients (I did work with one patient who thought I was super cool, because I had read the Twilight books and knew about the Magic Kingdom online game). With this explanation, my friends would nod and provide sympathy for this horrible plight. Another friend teased me endlessly for going to the Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows midnight release party. What really got my goat was that she asked if she could borrow the book after I finished, because she figured I would read it super quickly. I told her in no uncertain terms that she was not allowed to tease me about my decision to go to a midnight release party and try to reap the benefits of it in the same breath. I got tired of feeling compelled to come up with excuses for my reading habits or of making self-deprecating comments about my reading habits, so I just stopped mentioning I was reading books when I was reading my "guilty pleasures" (AKA books that I couldn't tell my friends that I was reading).

When I started book blogging, I reviewed my guilty pleasure books, but I found myself rating them lower than other books subconsciously. The idea that guilty pleasure books are not as good as other books had become ingrained in my mind. I think I was afraid that people would judge me for enjoying these books, so I felt that I needed to rate them lower. I wanted to make sure that I looked like a smart and sophisticated reader and blogger. After I started delving deeper into the book blogging community, I discovered that people read all sorts of books. I was so happy to see that people didn't apologize for their reading habits and rated books based on how they felt. I had entered a world devoid of guilty pleasures. There were just pleasurable books.

Although I still find it challenging to rate books that I had previously considered "guilty pleasure books," it is getting easier. I also find myself not apologizing for my reading as much anymore.

Now it is your turn! Do you have guilty pleasure books that you don't review? Do you feel pressured to rate your guilty pleasure books a certain way?






Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken: Review

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
Title: Never Fade
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: October 2013
Length: 507 pages
Series: The Darkest Minds (#2)
Audio or Book: Book
Reason for Discovery: the Internet

There may be The Darkest Minds spoilers. Haven't started the series? Check out my review of The Darkest Minds (book 1).

From GoodReads:

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?


Ruby has been working for the Children's League for a few months and is miserable. She has made a few friends, but she is uncomfortable with the way that the Children's League wants to make use of her Orange abilities. In a happy accident, Ruby meets Liam's older brother and strikes a deal with him: Ruby gets his flashdrive back and Cole improves the stressful situation at the Children's League. Ruby is ready to help; however, getting the flashdrive back means seeing Liam again.

Can my review just be: OMG? Seriously, that is my review. I found my heart beating a mile a minute the entire time I was reading this book. I was out of breath.  

Okay, we need to get serious for a moment. I need to tell you why I loved this book. This book, like The Darkest Minds, was non-stop action. I couldn't put the book down in fear that Ruby would go off an adventure without me. I just kept finding excuses to keep reading. I needed to know what was going to happen to Ruby. I feel that the pacing was great and was even better written than The Darkest Minds. Never Fade does a great job of balancing storytelling with adventure. I didn't feel like Bracken sacrificed plot or action in this book.

In regards to the characters, I was also very pleased with Never Fade. I fell even more in love with Ruby. I thought that she was a bit more of the "strong female hero character" in this book; however, her evolution as a character made sense and it wasn't weird that she had gained some confidence between The Darkest Minds and Never Fade. I didn't notice a drastic shift in her character, she was just a bit braver this time around. I really enjoyed seeing characters from The Darkest Minds and meeting new characters. I was surprised how quickly I became emotionally attached to everyone.

This book addressed my world building questions from The Darkest Minds. First, there was a little more information on how long the virus has been affecting children and how long the children have their powers. Second, there was more information about the powers the different kids have. In The Darkest Minds, I wasn't sure what the Red and Green kids could do exactly.

This book was awesome. I can't wait for the next book. I give this book a 5 out of 5. 
Excellent
 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Book Blogger/Reader

Top Ten Tuesday

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week bloggers post a top ten list related to a specific theme. This week's theme is Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Book Blogger/Reader.

Book Blogger

1. Meet new people
I have met so many people from around the world, since I started book blogging.

2. Discuss my favorite books
My friends who I see on a daily basis don't read the same books that I do. I love being able to talk with people who love the same books that I do.

3. Books
I have been able to get books for free (and prior to publication dates), since I became a book blogger.

4. Read-a-Thons & Challenges
I have become addicted to read-a-thons and challenges, since I became a book blogger.

5. Learn New Things
I have learned how to use GIMP, how to do some basic coding, and how to use some social media, since I became a blogger.

Reader

6. Visit new worlds
In books I can see worlds that I never dreamed were possible.

7. Learn new things
I do read some non-fiction just to learn new things like coding. :)

8. Visit real places
Through books, I have seen parts of the world that I will probably never have the opportunity to visit in real life.

9. Have new experiences
I am never going to go to the Olympics or solve intricate crimes; however, in books I can follow people as they do amazing things.

10. Take a break from the world
Sometimes I just need to take a break from the world. Reading is my escape.

Wicked Valentine's Read-a-Thon Wrap Up

Wicked Valentine's Read-a-Thon

The lovely Tabitha and April from My Shelf Confessions hosted the Wicked Valentine's Read-a-Thon from February 7th to February 17th. Let's see how I did!

My Book Goals
* Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen -- READ
* Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan -- READ
* Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor -- READ
* Honor Among Thieves by James SA Corey -- READ
* In Time by Alexandra Bracken -- READ
* Cinder by Marissa Meyer -- READ
 
* S. by JJ Abrams & Doug Dorst -- READ

I read all of the books on my list AND S. :)

My Non-Book Goals
* Attend the Twitter party -- I attended the first Twitter party.
* Participate in the challenges -- I have participated in two of the challenges, I should complete the others today.
* Visit 10 new-to-me blogs-- This is my goal for today!

All in all, I really enjoyed this read-a-thon. I got so much reading done. I am quite pleased with myself, if I do say so myself. :)

Sunday Update - 2/16

Welcome to my edition of the Caffeinated Book Reviewer's Sunday Post meme and Tynga's Reviews' Stacking the Shelves meme. Check out what I have been doing this week (and will do next week) and my book haul.

This has been a much better week than last week. I have gotten a ton of reading done. I also caught up on some book reviews that I neglected due to the reading marathon I was having. When I wasn't reading this week, I was watching the Olympics. I am so impressed with how amazing these athletes are. Since Friday, however, the TV has been tuned to Netflix and House of Cards. My husband and I have been eagerly anticipating season two, which premiered on Valentine's Day. As I write this, we have three more episodes left. I am so impressed with how strong this season has been!

Last Week on the Blog

This Week on the Blog
Monday: Wicked Valentine's Read-a-Thon Wrap Up
Tuesday: TTT: Top 10 Reasons I Love Being a Blogger/Reader
Wednesday: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken: Book Review
Thursday: Thoughtful Thursday: Guilty Pleasure Books
Friday: The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin: Audio Book Review

Book Haul  


I got three books this week. I received The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher from Tara at The Librarian Who Doesn't Say Shhh! I picked up two books at the library: S. by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.

Currently Reading 


Definitely Dead: This book seems to be meandering a bit more than the previous books, but it is still a great before bedtime read.

S.: I am not sure what to say about this book so far. I think I need to read the whole thing before I say anything.

A Dance with Dragons: I have put the audio book on hold, and I started reading the e-book. The book is moving faster now. :)
  
Read This Week
 

In Time by Alexandra Bracken
Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
Honor Among Thieves by James SA Corey
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Wicked Valentine's Read-a-Thon

I am so excited about my progress for the Wicked Valentine's Read-a-Thon! I finished all of the books on my TBR list for this read-a-thon. I need to just finish up some of my non-book goals now. :)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber: Audio Book Review


The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber
Title: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Author: James Thurber (Reader: Ben Stiller)
Publisher: Audible
Publication Date: 1939 (original pub date)
Length: 32 pages (0 h 15 min)
Series: Stand Alone
Audio or Book: Audio
Reason for Discovery: Audible Freebie

From Audible:

Mild-mannered Walter Mitty is a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. This well-known and beloved tale has launched its famous protagonist into the cultural lexicon, warranting his inclusion in English-language dictionaries and countless anthologies. Stiller's imaginative performance as Mitty is the perfect re-introduction to the classic character and a great preface to the upcoming film, for longtime fans and new listeners alike.

Walter Mitty is spending the day in town with his wife. While going on mundane errands, Mitty fantasizes about being in exciting and dangerous adventures. Mitty always seems to be able to create an imaginary scenario that is more adventurous than what he is doing in his real life.

When The Secret Life of Walter Mitty came out, I got an email from Audible stating that I could get a free copy of the short story. If you are in the US and click the Audible link above, you should be able to get your own copy too, at least that is true as of typing these words. I decided to read this book, because I have heard people refer to the character of Walter Mitty at times and even one of my therapy supervisors had encouraged me to check it out. 

According to Wikipedia:
The name Walter Mitty and the derivative word "Mittyesque" have entered the English language, denoting an ineffectual person who spends more time in heroic daydreams than paying attention to the real world, or more seriously, one who intentionally attempts to mislead or convince others that he is something that he is not. In military circles, this usually refers to people who try to fake an impressive career.
As you can see from the Wikipedia entry, someone who is Mittyesque or a Walter Mitty is someone who spends more of their time fantasizing than living in the real world. I am sure that a lot of you like to day dream (I do too), but Mitty takes it to the extreme. As you read the short story, you see that Mitty does not have any agency or the desire to gain any. Mitty would rather live in his dream world than in the real world (a patient that my supervisor and I were seeing at the time shared this same quality) This short story is a bit of a downer; however, the character of Mitty is fascinating, because he is a fleshed-out character, even if he is a sad one. 

An important note is that the Ben Stiller movie is VERY different from the short story. I have not seen the movie, but just based on the trailer, I can see that outside of the fantasizing, the movie is completely different from the short story. I have a feeling that Walter Mitty in the movie is not as Mittyesque as he is in the short story. 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty won't take you very long to read. The book version is listed at 32 pages; however, I am sure that this page count takes into account analysis of the book. I cannot imagine it being longer than 20 pages. This short story, however, is everything that you want in a short story. You have a fully-realized character that you quickly grow to understand even if you are completely frustrated with him. 

Audio: I was pleasantly surprised with how well Ben Stiller read this short story. I was quite impressed, and I hope that Ben Stiller decides to do more voice over work in the future.

I give this short story a 5 out of 5.
 
Excellent

Thoughtful Thursday: How Do You Rate Books That Are Not Intended For You?

Thoughtful Thursday

It is time for Thoughtful Thursday and the bookish questions that pop up while I am reading. Please share your thoughts on the bookish question of the week. I am curious to hear what you have to say! There are no wrong answers. Questions about Thoughtful Thursday or future Thoughtful Thursday posts? Check out my Thoughtful Thursday section. Alright, on to the question!

How do you rate books that are out of your age demographic (e.g., an adult rating YA or MG or a YA rating adult or MG)?

As an early 30-something year old, I have left the middle grade (MG) and young adult (YA) age brackets quite a few years ago; however, over the course of the last year, I have read quite a number of middle grade (MG) and young adult (YA) books. Recently, I have realized that I treat YA books like adult books and rate them according to my typical book preferences. For example, when I read The Hunger Games I expected a certain standard in writing, plotting, and characters. A 3 out of 5 for a YA book is going to be the same as a 3 out of 5 for an adult book for me. I do give some allowances in YA books. I don't expect romantic moments to be as explicit as they may be in an adult book or for there to be multiple plots/a very complicated plot, for example. I realize that it probably isn't fair to rate YA books against books for my age bracket, but, overall, I haven't found it to be too much of a problem.

Things get a bit tricky when I rate MG (and younger) books. I am more likely to give the book more allowances. For example, I am cool with using literary tropes more freely and with  mysteries being a bit more obvious. I do expect the book to be well written and "good," but I also understand that a 10-year old and a 30-year old have different expectations on plot complexity. Given these allowances, I find that it is easy for me to rate a MG book a 3 out of 5 ("good") fairly easily. When it comes to rating a MG book a 4 out of 5 ("very good") or a 5 out of 5 ("excellent)," things get tricky. Unless the book has overtones that make it a good read for an adult as well as the intended audience, I have a hard time giving a MG book a 4 or 5 out of 5 even though an adult is not the intended audience. Sometimes I am able to do this, but most of the time, I really struggle with it. 

These difficulties in rating MG and YA books have been on my mind more and more in the last few months. I am beginning to think that MG and YA books just aren't for me anymore. I am having trouble connecting with these characters, because I am not in the right place in my life. There are MG and YA books that I know that I will reread (e.g., Harry Potter); however, I am not sure if any new YA/MG series will capture my heart like Harry Potter, because I am not at the right place for it in my life anymore.

Now it is your turn! How do you rate books that are out of your age demographic (e.g., an adult rating YA or MG or a YA rating adult or MG)?








Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris: Audio Book Review

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine HarrisTitle: Dead as a Doornail
Author: Charlaine Harris (Reader: Johanna Parker)
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date: May 2005
Length: 295 pages (10hr 2min)
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (#5)
Audio or Book: Audio
Reason for Discovery: I got addicted to this series.

From GoodReads:
Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural, but now it’s really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks unless the killer decides to find her first!

Supernatural trouble is going down in Sookie's hometown. Like in Harris' previous books, there are two major plots happening. In plot A, there is a sniper in town who has it in for shifters. The shifter population is freaking out, and they want to blame someone right now. The shifters start to think that their new pack mate Jason (Sookie's brother) may be the sniper, because he was an unwilling new member to the pack. Sookie needs to figure out who is targeting the shifters, before the shifters start targeting Jason! In plot B, Alcide (Sookie's former "almost boyfriend") is desperate for Sookie's help. Alcide's dad is in the running to be the new leader of their pack and there may be shenanigans afoot.

The Kelis song Milkshake kept ringing through my head as I listened to this book: "My milkshake brings all the boys to yard." Seriously, Sookie has all the boys in Bon Temps (and beyond) interested in her. She has at least two vampires and three shifters/weres who want to take care of her. Girl! You have it going on. I am excited to see who Sookie decides to date next. Besides being very impressed with Sookie's ability to get all the guys to follow her around and help out in all of her Scooby Doo capers, I just really love Sookie as a person. She will fight to the death for one of her friends, has a good work ethic, is frugal (I love that she goes to the library), and seems like a good person. Although I wouldn't want to get caught up in Sookie's adventures, I would enjoy hanging out with her. 

I must admit that I don't read these books for the mysteries. We have gotten far enough into the series that as a reader, I know who is most likely not going to be the killer/kidnapper/sniper/villain, so I just look for who else is left in the book. It is the Murder, She Wrote complex, Cabot Cove and Bon Temps are only so big. With that said, there were some pretty exciting sequences in this book, and I wasn't sure how some of them are going to end. Sure, there are certain key characters in this series, but besides Sookie, I could see anyone being killed at any moment. And what does dead really mean in a series with vampires anyway?

So what do I read these books for if not for the mysteries? I have gotten attached to the characters. I never liked Jason on the one season of True Blood that I watched, because he seemed like an idiot. In the books, he is a player, but he works hard and tries his best. I also find how the vampires and other supernatural folk who live in this universe to be really interesting. I like learning about the politics within and between these groups. 

Audio: I love Johanna Parker so much. She is Sookie Stackhouse to me. I know some people complain about Harris' writing, but when I listen to these books, I don't even pay attention to the words. I couldn't even tell you what I thought about the writing. When I listen to these books, it is like Sookie is just telling me about her day. The book reads like someone telling me a story. I just sit back and take it in.

Overall, I really enjoyed this addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series, and I am looking forward to listening to the next one. I am so glad that I found this series, because they are the perfect style and length for when I want something fun to read.

I give this book a 4 out of 5.
 
Very Good

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