It seems like forever since the last time I bloged on Sunday. It seems like forever since I actually read, too, which really isn' like me. Perhaps I need my head examined... or a nice, extra large iced mocha.
This Sunday I'll be reading VAMPIRES ARE FOREVER by Lynsay Sands. I recently finished THE ACCIDENTAL VAMPIRE (also by Lynsay Sands) and I'm not really looking forward to V.A.F. due to the fact that T.A.V. was simply to... well, lame might be too harsh of a word, but I honestly can't thing of another word that fits. The story was just to mellow and unexciting for a novel not marketed as such. Character development was very thin, the ending was extremely anti-climatic, and the town of Port Henry?! Mayberry reincarnate. Sugary sweet is all well and fine, but come on! There are 6 vampires in town and somebody trying to commit murder, spice it up a bit!!
Perhaps it's the fact that I've come in at book 7 that it seems so week, but I seriously hope not. I still have to read VAMPIRE INTERRUPTED after V.A.F.
That would be another thing that makes me twitch. The titles. I'm sure Mrs Sands came up with her titles to be witty and cute, but shesh. Vampire Interrupted=Girl Interrupted, Vampires Are Forever=Diamonds are forever, A Bite To Remember= A night to remember, Bite Me If You Can=Catch Me If You Can... get my drift? She hasn't used One Bite Stand yet, but I'm sure that's either because Nina Bangs beat her to it or it's in the works and just hasn't been published yet. Ug, I hope not.
March 16, 2008
March 6, 2008
What Ever
Long time, not post. Don't ask me why, as I don't have a viable excuse. I don't have any excuse really, save for perhaps I'm lazy. But I felt like I needed to vent, to re-leave pressure, so here I am.
I've been terribly depressed lately and I don't really know why. Perhaps it's the fact that I have no direction in my life, or perhaps it's my lack of ambition, my lack of friends, or my lack of self, my lack of money, my lack of... Needless to say, I look at my self and see nothing I would be proud of. Yes, I admit that I'm nice and friendly, but how far does that get you in life when you don't have anything to back it up? I don't have a job, am too self conscious to get one, and don't have the skills beyond a fry-cook even if I had the nerve. I've put in some applications (at the library, at Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, etc) but don't have the drive to push.
Remember the quiet girl in the back of class who smiled when she was spoken too, was helpful and nice to everyone, but ended up walking home alone to sit in solitary until the next day? That would be me, and right now i feel it. Perhaps I just haven't found my direction in this world and this depression is just everything compressing together. I don't know. It's just horribly annoying.
I'm still in my Japanese snit. It's been roughly a year now, and It's finally escalating. I've started my 'Trip to Japan' jar, my MP3 player has more JRock on it than anything English, I've started learning Japanese (speaking and writing), and I've been watching JDramas so much I have been neglecting my reading (if it wasn't for the one hour load time, the lack of online sources, my small hard drive, and the fact that JDramas are only roughly 10 episodes long, I probably wouldn't function at all.) And before you say 'I do that too,' imagine that it's been roughly a 15hour/day thing for the last month. I'm 26, for goodness' sake! I need to get a life!!
Perhaps I'll go cry my self to sleep and dream I'm rich enough not to have to worry about all this, but instead worry about other things. That way when I wake up in the morning my life won't look quite so bad.
I've been terribly depressed lately and I don't really know why. Perhaps it's the fact that I have no direction in my life, or perhaps it's my lack of ambition, my lack of friends, or my lack of self, my lack of money, my lack of... Needless to say, I look at my self and see nothing I would be proud of. Yes, I admit that I'm nice and friendly, but how far does that get you in life when you don't have anything to back it up? I don't have a job, am too self conscious to get one, and don't have the skills beyond a fry-cook even if I had the nerve. I've put in some applications (at the library, at Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, etc) but don't have the drive to push.
Remember the quiet girl in the back of class who smiled when she was spoken too, was helpful and nice to everyone, but ended up walking home alone to sit in solitary until the next day? That would be me, and right now i feel it. Perhaps I just haven't found my direction in this world and this depression is just everything compressing together. I don't know. It's just horribly annoying.
I'm still in my Japanese snit. It's been roughly a year now, and It's finally escalating. I've started my 'Trip to Japan' jar, my MP3 player has more JRock on it than anything English, I've started learning Japanese (speaking and writing), and I've been watching JDramas so much I have been neglecting my reading (if it wasn't for the one hour load time, the lack of online sources, my small hard drive, and the fact that JDramas are only roughly 10 episodes long, I probably wouldn't function at all.) And before you say 'I do that too,' imagine that it's been roughly a 15hour/day thing for the last month. I'm 26, for goodness' sake! I need to get a life!!
Perhaps I'll go cry my self to sleep and dream I'm rich enough not to have to worry about all this, but instead worry about other things. That way when I wake up in the morning my life won't look quite so bad.
Read more!
January 31, 2008
January's Reads - A Recap
January, I'm surprised to say, was a very productive month. I've managed to fix most of the site and read 7 novels and 9 mangas. I'm so amazed and proud of my self. I never get this much work done. Ok, so a quick recap.
Satisfaction by Marianne Stillings
This one had a great start. Very cleanly written, plotted, and executed. The novel began to feel a bit stretched towards the end, though. Read it if you want a quick read; that's about all.
Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery
This one was very well written, witty, and entertaining (ok, emotional). The characters where very well portrayed and I liked them or hated them, depending on what the writer wanted you to feel. Very much recommend.
Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori
vols 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
The first book was a bit blah. Read it or put it down, I could have done either, but I'm glad I kept reading. Around book 3 (maybe 4) the series started picking up. I love how Haruhi doesn't really care. About anything, really. She just 'is'. He's so like me, it's scary. Loved it and can't wait for the next 10 (yah, I said 10!)
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn {blog post}
This one was very well written. Raybourn has created a novel with the voice of England pounded into the pages. If you read it, I'm sure you'll love it.
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
The beginning was a bit modern for me. The characters are so... Gossip Girl. Really, it was annoying how many 'pure' young ladies where sleeping around. Shesh. But it picked up and was actually fun to read.
This Is How It Happened by Jo Barrett
Jo Barrett has a wildly funny sense of humor. I loved this one, even though the alternating past/present chapter switch was annoying. You really do have to read it though.
The Wicked Ways of a Duke by Laura Lee Guhrke
Nicely written. Very Victorian, which you just don't see very much of in MM publications now a-days. This slipped a bit towards the end, but there was still a hint of it there. Not bad, I think.
The Good Liar by Laura Caldwell
Normally I'm not one for suspense. This one, on the other hand, was very well written. The plot was quite complex but tied up very nicely. It was also addicting! I read it in less than 3 days!! You really must read this one!
So there you have it. Hopefully next month is just a productive. Crap, I hope I didn't just jinx myself...
Satisfaction by Marianne Stillings
This one had a great start. Very cleanly written, plotted, and executed. The novel began to feel a bit stretched towards the end, though. Read it if you want a quick read; that's about all.
Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery
This one was very well written, witty, and entertaining (ok, emotional). The characters where very well portrayed and I liked them or hated them, depending on what the writer wanted you to feel. Very much recommend.
Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori
vols 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
The first book was a bit blah. Read it or put it down, I could have done either, but I'm glad I kept reading. Around book 3 (maybe 4) the series started picking up. I love how Haruhi doesn't really care. About anything, really. She just 'is'. He's so like me, it's scary. Loved it and can't wait for the next 10 (yah, I said 10!)
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn {blog post}
This one was very well written. Raybourn has created a novel with the voice of England pounded into the pages. If you read it, I'm sure you'll love it.
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
The beginning was a bit modern for me. The characters are so... Gossip Girl. Really, it was annoying how many 'pure' young ladies where sleeping around. Shesh. But it picked up and was actually fun to read.
This Is How It Happened by Jo Barrett
Jo Barrett has a wildly funny sense of humor. I loved this one, even though the alternating past/present chapter switch was annoying. You really do have to read it though.
The Wicked Ways of a Duke by Laura Lee Guhrke
Nicely written. Very Victorian, which you just don't see very much of in MM publications now a-days. This slipped a bit towards the end, but there was still a hint of it there. Not bad, I think.
The Good Liar by Laura Caldwell
Normally I'm not one for suspense. This one, on the other hand, was very well written. The plot was quite complex but tied up very nicely. It was also addicting! I read it in less than 3 days!! You really must read this one!
So there you have it. Hopefully next month is just a productive. Crap, I hope I didn't just jinx myself...
Read more!
January 20, 2008
It's Sunday? Again?!
It's Sunday again and I'm not reading or participating in Sunday Salon (TSS). Ok, I'm kinda reading The Luxe by Anna Godbersen, but not officially (can you not read a book officially?) and I've posed this which I guess could be participation...
In other news. Our house, an old double wide modular that looks as if it's seen more bad days than good, is sitting on what used to be an orchard. Now, I don't know how many of you have walked through an orchard in spring or winter, but the ground is so soft and moist it causes things to, well, shift and sink. I'm not saying the house is officially tipping, but it sure feels and looks that way. Or at least half of it does. That being the case we are looking to move. I'd love to get my Grandmother's old place, but unless the roof has been replaced that's a no-go (there was an electrical fire, supposedly. I have other ideas.) That leaves me with a house to clean just in case I find something. Up here, things go fast and deposits are a killer; there's no way I'm going to pay rent for two houses when I' only living in one.
Now, off to clean this warmth-forsaken place so I can get back to work. Reading!
In other news. Our house, an old double wide modular that looks as if it's seen more bad days than good, is sitting on what used to be an orchard. Now, I don't know how many of you have walked through an orchard in spring or winter, but the ground is so soft and moist it causes things to, well, shift and sink. I'm not saying the house is officially tipping, but it sure feels and looks that way. Or at least half of it does. That being the case we are looking to move. I'd love to get my Grandmother's old place, but unless the roof has been replaced that's a no-go (there was an electrical fire, supposedly. I have other ideas.) That leaves me with a house to clean just in case I find something. Up here, things go fast and deposits are a killer; there's no way I'm going to pay rent for two houses when I' only living in one.
Now, off to clean this warmth-forsaken place so I can get back to work. Reading!
Read more!
January 17, 2008
Silent In the Sanctuary
One of the best thing to do (and quite honestly, one of the only things to do) on a cold and blistery day, is to curl up with a cat on your lap to read a good book. Luckily for me as the winds outside whipped up to 30 mph and the temperature dropped to 40F, I had a copy of Deanna Raybourn's Silent in the Sanctuary in my grubby little hands.
For coming into a series on the second book, I have to admit I wasn't too horribly lost. Raybourn did a wonderful job of dispensing enough back story through-out the book while still leaving enough mystery intact to leave one interested in reading the first novel. I must also admit that reading the first novel would probably have been a very good idea, if only to give me a better grasp on the character's previous life, motivation, and character.
One must complement Raybourn on the wonderfully realistic dialog and banter that is the character Julia Gray. Julia is a most likable character with her Victorian wit and sensibilities, reminiscent of Jane Austin's own works. The pages themselves fairly "popped" with the essence of England and I wasn't at all surprised when I could hear accents clearly in my head.
I only have two complaints with this novel as a whole. The first would be the incredibly detailed scenes. Raybourn has build a truly wonderful and in-depth environment, fallowing Julia as she lives out her days from morning to night, and beyond. But having come from reading more fast paced novels, reading through a dinner party from first course to bed seams a bit tedious especially when it fails to move the plot along. My second complaint would be the prolonged delay and avoidance of certain topics only to keep the reader in suspense. Several times Raybourn avoided stating a name or object in hopes of building suspense to instead build annoyance.
All together I must say Silent in the Sanctuary was well worth the read and has indeed whet my apatite for more Julia Gray mysteries and more of Deanna Raybourn.
Now, to write my formal review. Don't be surprised if you see the majority of this post in it.
For coming into a series on the second book, I have to admit I wasn't too horribly lost. Raybourn did a wonderful job of dispensing enough back story through-out the book while still leaving enough mystery intact to leave one interested in reading the first novel. I must also admit that reading the first novel would probably have been a very good idea, if only to give me a better grasp on the character's previous life, motivation, and character.One must complement Raybourn on the wonderfully realistic dialog and banter that is the character Julia Gray. Julia is a most likable character with her Victorian wit and sensibilities, reminiscent of Jane Austin's own works. The pages themselves fairly "popped" with the essence of England and I wasn't at all surprised when I could hear accents clearly in my head.
I only have two complaints with this novel as a whole. The first would be the incredibly detailed scenes. Raybourn has build a truly wonderful and in-depth environment, fallowing Julia as she lives out her days from morning to night, and beyond. But having come from reading more fast paced novels, reading through a dinner party from first course to bed seams a bit tedious especially when it fails to move the plot along. My second complaint would be the prolonged delay and avoidance of certain topics only to keep the reader in suspense. Several times Raybourn avoided stating a name or object in hopes of building suspense to instead build annoyance.
All together I must say Silent in the Sanctuary was well worth the read and has indeed whet my apatite for more Julia Gray mysteries and more of Deanna Raybourn.
Now, to write my formal review. Don't be surprised if you see the majority of this post in it.
Read more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)