Top 10 Reads 2010

I've devotedly kept a reading journal since May 2010. Since then I have completed reading twenty six books and started but haven't finished three. I've been considering starting a book blog, but feel that's getting a little ahead of myself. I still haven't completely caught up with all the entries in my journal; all the books read are listed with a few notes, but some need more elaboration. Reflecting back, my top ten favorite reads of 2010 that I haven't read before are as follows (in order read):

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - This great YA novel shows the effects of trauma on a teenage girl and how she gradually develops the strength and courage to speak out about it.

2. White Cat by Holly Black - I love how carefully this world and the mystery surrounding the main character, Cassle, is developed. I especially liked the theme of power negotiations within different relationships.

3. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - This is an EPICALLY AWESOME novel. There are so many intricate plot details and characters which all weave in, out, and together. Also, greatly appreciate strong female characters that actually feel like legitimate portrayals of medieval women, not token anachronistic female empowerment characters.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Imagine Gladiator set in a post-apocalyptic world with teenagers as the participants. Add in one bad ass female character named Katniss who is intent on survival, and you have one of the best books ever written.

5. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier - I really like how Chevalier takes a work of art and creates a vivid, imaginative story around it. She uses this formula often, but the result is always different. I didn't care about the modern portion of the story, and focused primarily on the historical part; I felt the story of Isabelle Moulin is beautifully told and heartbreaking.

6. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen - It takes real talent to tell a good story in first person, and even more to add in a sub plot taking place in the present while the main story takes place in the past. Gruen perfectly achieves a balance between the two. Her characters are what truly make the story wonderful; they are all incredibly fleshed out and real.

7. Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund - I don't think this sequel matched the caliber of its predecessor, Rampant. However, it was still enjoyable to read. I really liked how the main character, Astrid, began questioning her fate as unicorn hunter and decided to take control of her destiny in order to do something else. I do like the emphasis on the difficulty in making the "right" or at least, most ethical, choice.

8. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - I think anything Gaiman writes is AM-A-ZING! I felt this was an early version of Stardust with the two Londons (Above and Below) one without magic and the other full of it; and a "normal" young man brought into the world of magic to help a girl on a quest. The characters are wonderful, and their adventures exciting; that's breaking it down to the basics because I could go on forever.

9. Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe - I thought this story was absolutely WONDERFUL! It's an incredibly complex coming-of-age story. The journey is more important than the end; and every decision made by main character, Wataru is important. Shit gets real in this book; no other way to put it. I think it certainly compares to and rivals Deathly Hallows.

10. Zombies VS. Unicorns Ed. by Holly Black and Justine Larabalestier - Awesome collection of short stories by some of the best writers. There's a 50/50 ration of zombie to unicorn stories. They range from hilarious to dark and introspective. Strong female characters are in abundance! This book was the most fun to read.

Quickie Blog of Lotsa Topics

Need to go to effing bed and stop dwelling on grad school "dra-ma." I wrote a long convoluted blog to myself to rationalize everything. I know what the answer is, despite how I protest and say I don't care and "fuck this shit!" I do care; I would regret not finishing grad school. So I gotta suck it up, find some way to pay for one more semester of candidacy, and I am going to get my shit together for real.

Gotta get up early; heading to Owensboro tomorrow/today for Rachel and Will's wedding shower. Carpooling with friends Cassie and Matt; road-tripping with multiple people is always fun. Rachel's parents are putting us all up in a nice hotel. :) Bridesmaid luncheon tomorrow too. I forsee lots of Mimosas, laughing, and inappropriate comments and behavior. Then another shower on Sunday with the other side of Rachel's family (her mom's I think); that shower is the "girly" one. Rachel is bringing two of her three kitties and dog; I'm so excited as I love cats, and Bob and Cece are still kittens to boot! And Alice is adorable!

Thank God for Dustin and his awesome family! He puts up with all my grad school drama in addition to whatever craziness is going in my life. His parents took us out to dinner tonight. Then Dustin and I poked around B-A-M, and he offered to buy me Catching Fire, the second book in The Hunger Games series. BEST FIANCE EVER! I told him, he didn't have to get it because he's saving up for bills and tickets to Spring Awakening. However, he insisted; I think it was partially to make up for the fact he bought FFXIV today. I told him to take me to Target because the book was cheaper there despite being in hardback. He was tired by the time we got to Target (he'd been up since 7 AM with almost no break), so he told me to just take his card and go inside to buy the book while he waited in the car. Again, BEST FIANCE EVER! Books are always the best gifts! Love him regardless of presents, but it's always nice when he sporadically buys a book for me.

Hello, I Left My Brain in Faerie World

So last Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite writers, Holly Black. Dustin and I drove to Lexington to Jospeh-Beth Bookstore which was huge, gorgeous, and AH-MAY-ZING! I had one of the best moments of my life and one of the most embarassing. The book talk started at 7:00 PM, and we arrived a little late. I was surprised to see another person talking and standing next to Holly. I didn't know she was touring with another author. I originally thought it might be her agent or a PR person, but I quickly realized she was another writer of urban fantasy. Holly and the other writer began talking about their books and read excerpts from one of their books.

I went over to Dustin and quietly asked him to look up on his phone (he has the internet) who the second writer was. He looked it up and told me it was Cassandra Clare. I was a little puzzled because the book being talked about by the second writer didn't seem like any of the books published by Clare; Dustin mentioned she had said something about writing a prequel. So, I thought "Okay, maybe it's really new, and it's not on her site yet."I was kind of excited because I've been meaning to read Clare's books.

My attention went back to the talk, and when the time came for questions, I asked Holly Black, "Did you ever consider an alternate setting for Tithe because your faeries are very Old World, mysterious, violent, merciless as opposed to the modern, kind of 19th century faeries which are kind, benevolent and beautiful?" She responded, "No. I chose New Jersey because I lived there and it has these old, beautiful, rundown buildings in midst of this new, modern city. My mom and I actually broke into one of these old buildings. We found these beautiful, old carousel horses in one; my mom was a painter and wanted to take photographs of them so she could paint them. I liked the idea of these old creatures living in these rundown buildings in this city. So it made it more real, like you could actually spot them out of the corner of your eye." Some other cool info I learned, is that Tithe took five years to write; it was her first novel, and she struggled writing it and learned a lot. Tithe has also been picked up for a movie--though, I'm uncertain what to expect; crossing my fingers.

Eventually, everyone got the chance to meet and greet the authors and have books signed. I brought with me Tithe and purchased, Holly's new book, White Cat. I gave them to her to sign and talked with her. I told her, "I remember when Tithe first came out, and I loved it. I waited so long for Ironside [the sequel]." She was like, "I bet." There were five years in between the two: 2002-2007.  I meant to get a photograph; Dustin had my camera and everything, but I completely forgot.

I was going to pick up a book out of the second author's series on the table, entitled The Demon's Lexicon and ask the second writer to sign it. However, thinking it was Cassandra Clare, I had told Dustin before we got to the table, I'd like to have the older books (like I said earlier, I thought these were a prequel), such as City of Bones. Then I changed my mind and was going to get one of the books on the table signed, but Dustin was insistent I get City of Bones--he went and found it. So I tell the second writer hello, and say she's been on my to-read list for a while. And Dustin puts the book on the table, she looked puzzled, and nicely said, "That's great, but um, I didn't write that book." I thought, "OH NO! I just made a total idiot of myself, she probably hates me now because I don't know who she is." I profusely apologized, and she just smiled, laughed, and said it was no big deal.

I played it off well though, shifting the blame to Dustin. I said he had told me Cassandra Clare was touring with Holly. And Holly said, yeah the online site had said that, and they were originally, but something changed. I talked to the second writer, who's name was Sarah Rees Brennan, about YA fiction. I said, "I think YA fiction has some of the best stories. I'm 24, and kind of used to be embarrassed because I love YA fiction. However, reading more and talking to people (on book blogs), I realized so many other older people read these books." Sarah agreed with me. Holly added that she believed 90 percent of their readers were adults. We talked a little bit more about Zombies--relating to the current war among writers: Zombies VS. Unicorns; Sarah was Team Zombie (as was Dustin) and Holly and I were Team Unicorn. There's a book called Zombies VS. Unicorns coming out which Holly Black and several other writers duke it out in the form of short stories.

I left feeling exhilarated and embarrassed. I thought about getting the correct book and asking Sarah to sign afterward, but then I felt like, "Nah. I'll get it later, read it, and then twitter her saying 'Hey, I'm the girl who brought you the wrong book to sign, but I read your book now and loved it.'" I'm quite sure I will enjoy her books. As we were leaving the book signing area and going up the escalator, we turned around and saw a big banner that said "Welcome Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan." Felt like a big doofus. I met Holly Black and discovered a YA urban fantasy author, and that's the important part.

An Otaku Snow Day!

Dustin and I have been snow dancing our butts off and our efforts have definitely paid off. This is the fifth snowday we've had, but today was the first time we actually played out in the snow. Making a snowman didn't quite pan out the way I thought it would, and we eventually abandoned the idea in favor of other snow creations including a snow unicorn! I was going to originally make a 3-d full bodied unicorn snow sculpture, but there were support and snow packing issues. Instead, I made a 3-d unicorn head mixed media sculpture incorporating pine tree branches and a pinecone in with the snow. Dustin & I made snow angels, and I added an anime otaku touch by adding a Bleach squad captain badge and cat ears to them. We slid down the hill behind our apartment building on our butts since we lacked sleds; Dustin rolled down the hill once. I think tomorrow we may try sledding in one of the parks in "sleds" made out of household things like a laundry basket and big tupperware lid. Posted some pictures.

I have a guest post featured on book blog Tempting Persephone for the Pursuing the Lioness Challenge. You guys should check it out and join the challenge if you love the books.

Valentine's day weekend was full and fun. Friday went on a double date with Dustin's parent's + his grandma to Rafferty's and the movies; we saw The Wolfman. It was the first time I'd been to see a scary movie with a boy before. ;) I enjoyed the movie, and glad it reflected the original old Hollywood B-movie style just fancied up with A-movie treatment. I was genuinely scared and grossed out a number of times--had to close my eyes and squeeze the circulation out of Dustin's arms. Saturday, we went to Shogun (a Japanese restuarant); it was packed, but we snagged a table simply by saying we didn't want to sit at the grill. After dinner we saw Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief. It was a fun, epic fantasy movie--just what I wanted to see--with some great twists on traditional Greek mythology. Sunday, Dustin took me to dinner at the local restaurant Avalon on Bardstown road. I've been wanting to go there ever since I first moved to Louisville. It's pricey but not exorbiant. The food is fantastic along with the service. I was disappointed a bit by the plain, modern interior. With a name like Avalon, I was expecting sparkles and Apple trees/garden or maybe something remotely Arthurian related. I'm hoping to go again in the summer, so we can sit on the garden patio with lights all around.

My Life Simply Put

This is almost exactly the conversation I had with Dustin when deciding what to do with the tons of children/early teen books I had stored up over the years. I eventually gave them away to a pair of  teachers. If I actually had a house and knew I wouldn't move again, this would've been the case.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

This is scenario happens on a regular basis; this is what happens when you take a burned out grad student + internet.

Snow Day + Wedding Dress + Red Lobster = Perfect Day

Louisville got snow, though not as much as we were hoping and that the weather people originally predicted. The patterns changed and the southern and western parts of KY got more snow. Makes me a little disgruntled. Though I haven't been one for playing out in the snow much lately. I just think it's pretty and you know always provides a chance to miss school. Yes, I still think snow days are the most awesome thing ever when school is canceled.

Showed my future mother-in-law, Dena, and future sister-in-law, Amanda, my top three dresses today. I've got it pretty much narrowed down to two dresses. I'm 99% sure of which of the two I'll end up choosing. Pictures and other wedding talk on wedding blog.

Reading a new vampire novel by Robin McKinley called Sunshine. I'm not feeling a strong fondness of the book as of yet. I went and looked at some reviews after finishing part one. There's primarily a love it or hate it kind of feel. However, the few on the fence gave the best input--or at least comments I agree with so far; it's an interesting thing to read and see McKinley experiment with a genre she's not written before. I think it's a little tedious, but I think it's purposeful for slowly building suspense and letting the story unfold and tell itself bit by bit. I'm missing my Sookie Stackhouse with the zinger wit and sexy vamps and romance; I really enjoy them for light reading. Not enough funds to purchase a new one and they're too popular to be traded on PaperBackSwap.

Went to Red Lobster on a "double date" with Dustin's mom and stepdad. I ate so much and drank half of a Bahama Mama (which is a lot for a small, asian girl).  I ordered the pick two: grilled salmon and coconut shrimp. It came with two sides, I chose a salad and rice. Then there were biscuits to eat, and on top of that Dustin ordered crab legs which I couldn't let go by without eating a couple. I stuffed myself silly. Thank goodness we didn't get dessert. I felt sick when I got home--a mixture of overeating and alcohol. Dustin's said, "I'm going to go play a game." I promptly replied, "How about we play the game where you get me two pepto and glass of water--warm?" I was joking, but he being the most wonderful boy in the world, did exactly as I asked. Today was one of those perfect days.

Back in Black

Holly Black, writer of the YA urban fantasy novels Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside and also co-writer of the Spiderwick Chronicles has a new collection of short stories out called The Poison Eaters and Other Stories. Black has long been one of my favorite writers. She has darkly rich style that can move you, frighten you, and make you laugh. She excellently creates and shapes a world that is both beautiful and broken. She takes the standard romanticized view of the faerie world and now the vampire world, and turns it on its head. She shatters the long held image that these creatures are inherently good (or evil) and beautiful and everyone should desire to be like them. I cannot wait to read the rest of the stories. Currently available ONLINE for FREE is her short story The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. READ IT.

Pursuing the Lioness

I found out about this challenge of sorts through one of my favorite book review blogs Angieville. It's being hosted by another book blogger, Chelle, of Tempting Persephone. I constantly gush about Tamora Pierce and how her books (in particular her Lioness Rampant) series has made a huge impact on me. Chelle is challenging those who haven't read the books to read them (it's a quartet) and post their impressions and reactions. She's also asking veteran readers and major fans to write a guest post about their experience with the series. I'm so stoked about this event and will definitely be participating! I just want to spread the word and the love about this awesome event which is going on for 6 MONTHS, January 1- June 30!!! This is a blog challenge I can really get behind and become truly passionate about. I can't wait to read all the responses to the series from both new and old readers. So pick up a copy of Alanna: The First Adventure if you haven't, start reading it! I guarantee you'll love it and be plowing through the rest of the series in no time!

How to Talk to Girls About the Messages of New Moon

My friend Alyssa posted this link to an excellent blog by a female writer and educator named Rachel Simmons. She writes a fantastic blog post about how Twilight can be used by educators as a teaching tool. While, she looks at the two movies, her lesson plans can also extend to the books. So I'm posting part of her blog here along with my response. This is an important issue. As much as I dislike and belittle Twlight, its impact on young, teenage girls in PHENOMENAL which is really disturbing. Someone needs to sit down and have discussion with these girls without belittling them. In the words in Simmons, "Challenging it would be like taking on rock and roll." So here's the post in italics. My comments are below.


I think there’s been enough written about the dizzyingly bad messages “New Moon” telegraphs to girls. Among the cringe-worthy morals of this story: When you’re in love, the only thing that matters in life is your man. If you get dumped, your life is over, so feel free to act suicidal to get him back. Even if he tells you he never wants to see you again, manipulation and game-playing are effective ways to get his attention. Your friends are only ornaments; just kick them to the curb when he comes back.

No matter how you slice it, Bella Swan’s one reason for being is Edward Cullen. She’s got no hobbies. She’s got no opinions. She pretty much has no friends. The girl has nothing on her or about her that extends beyond one burning, fangy desire: Get. Edward. Back. Is it any wonder that when Bella extends her hand to the mind-reading Italian vampire, he is stunned to see “nothing?”

Which puts adults in a thoroughly uncomfortable position. Sitting in a sea of girls twittering and swooning at the phenomenal acting skills of Taylor Lautner’s torso, I found myself praying quietly for a scene where Bella paints, or sits on a bus with the debate team, or does something unrelated to obsessive, self-destructive pining. And I began to wonder how we could talk to girls about this film.
My suggestion is that we don’t come down like a ton of bricks on it. That’s a debate we’re sure to lose. Twilight isn’t just a phenomenon of dollars; it’s a social obsession among girls. It’s something they bond over and believe in together. Challenging it would be like taking on rock and roll.
So let’s talk with girls about New Moon on their terms and ours. This is a terrific opportunity for you to communicate your own values as a parent about intimacy, love and relationships. 

This is a really great work of writing and very informative. I read this to my fiance who is soon to become a high school English teacher; he’s bemoaning the fact that he’s going to have to read Twilight eventually because it’s what the students are reading. I think this a great way to use popular fiction to facilitate class discussion.

I read all four books and saw the first movie, and personally found myself disgusted. I personally found Bella to be very flat and uninspiring. She has zero personality; she defines herself entirely through Edward. Contrary to what some say said, I don’t think Bella has any hobby much less a deep love for reading books. She only reads ONE book (albeit over and over): Wuthering Heights. If you think about it, that’s another book which revolves around a couple with an equally, actually more, destructive relationship. They’d make interesting companion pieces.

I can see how New Moon in some ways, accurately captures the loss and despair teenage girls feel after a break up (the whole world is over; I’ll never find love again). But the level of obsession, to the point of danger, that Bella has is disturbing. I really dislike the way she treats Jacob. I personally think he was better for her; their relationship seemed more playful and intimate than the control, distance, mixed with intense, obssessive passion that characterized her and Edward’s relationship. However, after Edward comes back Jacob turns into a total jerk. Both are at least borderline abusive towards her; it's a running joke that while watching the Twilight movies you can check off all the things on the domestic abuse hotline list.

Issues about sexual activity also need to be discussed. To me the whole book reads like tract on on abstinence. Edwards constantly tells Bella they cannot have sex until they are married. Bella just throws herself at Edward, not concerned the least bit about the consequences emotional or physical. Edward's reason for not wanting to have sex seem more belittling than noble; he's afraid of "breaking" or "hurting" her. Way to perpetuate the stereotype and paranoia. Granted, Bella enjoys it later on in spite of all the injuries. Why is it the fact after all the hinting and denying, when the two are finally married, the reader never sees them having sex?! It's like saying, this is something secret girls aren't allowed to see. I'm not in favor of a hardcore smut scene, but it'd be nice to see a little action, even if cloaked in metaphors, like romance novels. Lastly, comparing Twilight to other “high school” or “teenage” vampire novels to see how they treat similar issues could make another great lesson.

Fantasy Friday: The Last Unicorn

I've decided to implement the use of theme days in my blog simply because it helps me focus my writing. The genre of Fantasy is my favorite book/movie genre. It's what led me down the road to Medieval Studies. Unicorns are among the most common creatures found in Fantasy. My favorite unicorn of all time is Peter S. Beagle's Last Unicorn. This movie and book has been in my life ever since I can remember and has had a profound influence on me. Every year, I always rewatch the movie and reread, at least, my favorite parts of the novel.

The story is summed up in the title: The Last Unicorn. One day, a unicorn hears two hunters in her wood talking; before leaving, the older hunter urges her to stay in her wood where she is safe for she is the last unicorn in the world. Later the unicorn learns all the other unicorns were driven into the sea by the Red Bull. The unicorn ventures out into the world to in search of her kind. She encounters a clumsy magician, Schmendrick and a sharp-tongued, older woman named Molly Grue. Together they journey to find the Red Bull and the other unicorns. Daring adventures and romance occur throughout their journey. At the end, all the unicorns are freed. The unicorn finds her companions have left as great an impact on her life as she has theirs.

This is one of the most beautiful stories ever told. The plot is intricately woven with excitement, passion, and sadness. It's very creative and not in any way predictable. The prose flows naturally and easily. Many different themes appear within the story such as what constitutes happiness; how much control do we have over our fate; death or immortality: which would you choose; what is the nature of a hero; what purpose do fairytales serve; and of course, true love never fails. There is lots of play with illusion and reality. The descriptions of settings and characters are vivid. Songs are interspersed throughout the book. Furthermore, there are so many memorable lines both witty and moving.  I found myself completely immersed in the world, watching all the events unfold before me. The ending is powerful, bittersweet, and perfect. Every time, I read or watch it, I am deeply moved.

The characters are multi-dimensional, and I cared about them all. No one is unforgettable, not even the side characters that appear in one or two chapters. There are no "stock-characters." Everyone has a purpose and reason for going on the journey. I really like how the unicorn's character is a paradox, both simple and complex. A struggle of identity can be seen when she is transformed into a human; she becomes undefinable. Furthermore, her relationship with the humans is not portrayed as being perfect, wonderful, friends for life. Schmendrick may be a poor excuse for a magician and makes lots of jokes, but he's not in the story only for comic relief. Molly Grue is not a Maid Marian-damsel-in-distress type; as I mentioned before, she's an older woman (likely in her 30s), with a sharp tongue and mind; she's strong and fiercely protective of the unicorn. She's more the protector of the group than Schmendrick. In a way, all the main characters in the book start out lost and search for something whether it be power, a new life, love, happiness, or simply unicorns.

The movie follows very closely with the book as Peter S. Beagle did write the screenplay. The voice actors are stellar. The movie is very beautifully animated and full of lush colors and detailed scenery. The unicorn is drawn like the traditional medieval unicorn--"Tail like a lion's tail, deerlegs, goatfeet..."--in other words it does not look like a horse with a horn on it's head (Beagle is really adamant about that fact).

The introduction looks like a moving version of the famous, medieval unicorn tapestries. The music is very soft and beautiful and mostly performed by the band America. There are some exceptions, the song "Now That I'm a Woman" performed by Mia Farrow (the voice of the unicorn) is not that stellar. However, another singer replaced her in the duet "That's All I Have to Say"--which is a very pretty song. The intro song has actually been covered by a band called In-Mood featuring the female vocalist Juliette. The movie was animated by TopCraft Studio which later became the now famous Studio Ghibli (which produces Hayao Miyazaki's films like Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke).



I highly recommend both the novel and movie. The novel has been republished In spite of the fact that he said he never would, Beagle has also written a sequel or coda to The Last Unicorn; it is entitled: Two Hearts and features all the same characters as the first book and new one, Sooz--who will be the protagonist in another novel. You can read the the story for free on his site.  Also, if you can find it, there is The Last Unicorn: The Lost Version which is essentially the unfinished, rough draft of The Last Unicorn; it's very different from the final product and worth reading to see the evolution of the story. Most importantly, I urge that you support Peter S. Beagle by purchasing both from Conlan Press. He has been in an ongoing legal battle with Granada Studios over the money he was never given for writing the screenplay The Last Unicorn. You can find all the details at Conlan Press's website. If you purchase from there, half the money goes to Peter S. Beagle.

Lastly, I just found out there was stage production of The Last Unicorn written and performed. Apparently it has been rewritten and scheduled to be performed this Fall by the Promethean Theatre Ensemble in Chicago. Opening night is October 17! They have a blog of progress too! If anyone goes to see this let me know how it turned out!

The Black Death, Epic Church Building, and Killer Unicorns

So, for my history course on the Black Death, I'm reading this book and reviewing it. Small crisis surrounding this; didn't realize my critical review of it was due today in class until yesterday when I was going to work. I hadn't even started the book. I genuinely thought the book was going to be the last text read in class and the review was due sometime in November. Thankfully, my professor was very understanding and lenient, especially since this is a grad class (albeit mixed with undergrad). He's letting me turn it in Friday for a late grade. I was half expecting to be denounced as a heretic and burned at the stake for suggesting such a thing. All my professor said was "Friday?" Anyway, started the book last night when I got home, and decided I don't like. It's boring and Lame--note the capital L.

I think Hatcher is a historical snob--especially reading his preface. The book is a rather dull read and Hatcher keeps beating you over the head with the same words and themes over and over. He's trying for a blend of fiction and history and failing miserably. He doesn't seek to try to develop his characters (because oh no, that's going into the bad, evil, dirty territory of "the novel") and really doesn't allow for them to be even human. It's realistic to believe Master John (the main character and a fictional one)  was a devout priest, strictly by the rules, kind of guy. However, for him to never get irritated with his congregation--who act like a bunch of scared, dumb sheep, wailing and lamenting all the time--or think about anything other than his congregation and the plague is silly. At some point, he has to think of himself, if only in the sense of "I'm hungry and need sleep." Hatcher is trying to be too objective and so focused on historical accuracy, that he can't even create interesting dialogue. Everything sounds like something that was previously written down in a sermon or parish court or manorial court document.  There are many historical books that can read as easily as fiction or blend the lines between, for example Four Queens by Nancy Goldstone. There are other novels that are very grounded in history for example Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. Really, Hatcher doesn't provide the reader with any more insight to the mind of 14th century witness to the plague than any other well written history book on the subject. He really should just have dropped the pretense of fiction altogether and written a history book. He could have left out Master John and everything would've been about the same. I could have read the parish and manorial court documents myself and gotten the same story.

Moving on to another Medieval book that is fiction but well grounded in history is Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth. It's about the building of a major Cathedral in a town called Kingsbridge and the interactions between the people involved in building it. I've been intrigued by this book for a long time, but daunted by its size. I believe it's 900 pages. The book has great renown among the mainstream readers and apparently historians too. The book was brought up in class today as an example of a novel that succeeds in keeping true to history. I've been looking for a good Medieval novel to read (as I keep reading a slew of bad ones: The Illuminator and Mistress of the Art of Death; granted I haven't finished the latter, but so far I'm unimpressed) that has a merging of romance of action with strong female characters. This just might be what I'm looking for! It has the added bonus of smut--LOLZ. Apparently, there's also an 8 hour tv series being made based on the book; here's a link to the site. It looks very impressive and grand scale! Anyone read this book and if so, impressions?

Lastly, I was in the bookstore the other day looking at the Tamora Pierce books trying to find one in a size big enough to turn into a purse. I saw this book entitled Rampant which had a woman, a sword, and unicorn on it. For a moment, I thought it was an awesome new cover Tamora Pierce's Lioness Rampant. As many of you know, Sword +  Woman + Unicorn = instant win for Lan. I was intrigued, so I read the summary on the inside of the cover. It's about KILLER UNICORNS and a girl who slays them! 

Official Summary:

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed ather eccentric mother’s stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods – thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom – Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters, all is not what is seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to – perhaps most dangerously of all – her growing attraction to a handsome art student… and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.

I grew up with image of magical, beautiful, sometimes dangerous, but never evil unicorns. I'm very much steeped in the tradition of Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn. I'm not gonna lie, I'm still very much a little girl at heart when it comes to unicorns. I love them and always will. However, this is a story that is supposed to, when reading, create a strong dislike if not hatred of them. I don't know how I feel about this. Confused, afraid, angry. How dare you turn unicorns from shining, beautiful, wondrous creatures to venomous, blood thirsty beasts? Though now that I think about it, that's kind of how the unicorn hunters view the unicorns in Bruce Coville's Into the Land of Unicorns series. Anyway, it's different, so maybe I'll give it a shot. Though, I'm not sure how I feel about the modern setting. This book could go terribly wrong or could be a distinct work of genius. Again, any readers with opinions to share?

St. James Art Fair & Fashionable Reading

So I went to the St. James Art Fair this weekend. I think it's like Louisville's own holiday considering how massive it is, the renown, the huge number of people; they close down like 3rd and 4th street for the whole weekend and some schools even get out for it. It's held in St. James Court--the nice, historic part of Old Louisville. In addition to artists from Louisville, there's tons of artists from all over the nation. There's a variety of artwork from paintings, photographs, sculptures, metal work, jewelry, clothes, and other accessories. Just about everything imaginable. You get to walk by all the beautiful, historic mansions--including my favorite, the pink house--it's haunted too!


The past two years, I've bought prints from artist Vincent Flemming. He paints gorgeous fantasy images in oil. Most of them include fairies, unicorns, and dragons and books.

This year though, I discovered and had to have a book purse! I spotted the Twilight purse hanging up from a distance. I thought, "oooh that looks pretty, let's see what else is in that booth" (note: I dislike the book, but the purse was beautiful). I poked my head in and lo and behold, I saw a purple Shakespeare purse! Then I saw a Wicked (the musical) purse! I was squeeing like a little kid and babbling excitedly to Dustin.

The artist is Karla Staley and here's a link to her site. She makes purses out of playbills, book covers, record albums, game boards and magazine covers. Her Harry Potter purses are actually touring with the Magic of Harry Potter exhibit that was in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry! The purses normally sell for around $52 dollars, the museum gift shop was selling them for $100!

She's really nice; I talked to her about how the purses were made, and she told me she was stickler for quality. She uses real book covers, though that means she has to take the pages out of them. She promised if I had any problems with the purse to contact her and she'd repair it. She also does custom purses! I bought the purple Shakespeare sonnet purse. As you can see it has a gorgeous double, beaded handle, and is an "open clasp" style. I can adjust the "string" part to allow for expansion. It's pretty awesome! I'm asking for another purse for my birthday. I'm also looking for a copy of one of Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness books that's big enough to be made into a purse.

St. James is so fantastic; it's a place to find and buy unique stuff no one else has. I love seeing and drooling over all the gorgeous artwork! If only, I was loaded and had a huge house. One of my favorite events of the year! Already, I've received so many compliments of my purse! Plus, it's a great way of expressing my personality as a reader and English major. I was telling the artist I should create a collection of classic literature purses; and she was like, "Please do!" :)

Wanted: Compass or Really Fancy GPS; Job Description: Give Directions on Where to Go In Life

I really wish it were that easy. I'm so utterly miserable in grad school right now. I never thought I'd say it. The academic burnout--I've got it bad. I just feel like I'm flailing around, and not sure of myself or what I want to do anymore. I'm tired of working a crappy retail job to pay rent and be able to take classes. I'm tired of having 300+ pages of homework every week. I don't want to think about taking the foreign language exam and especially don't want to think about my thesis/culminating project. It could be the fact I'm taking 4 classes and working on two degrees at the same time. Plus I've been in school for 18 1/2 years spanning from Kindergarten all the way to where I am now in the first semester of my second year of grad school. No breaks, just straight through; almost everyday sitting in a class with my butt in a desk, pencil and paper in hand, and 20+ people around me. I've been having to cram so much crap in my head that I don't even care or intend to write about. And then I'm ALWAYS BEHIND, no matter how much I try to catch up. I'm always exhausted, and my social life is pretty much nil. I miss being able to go home whenever the weekend comes. I'm just really lost right now. I'm torn; I have a love for learning and desire to be involved the academy; yet I want to be part of the "real world" with a 9-5 job that has insurance and pays at least $20,000/year; and I want to have time to write. Grad school is killing my soul and crushing my dreams, and it's causing me to rebel hardcore and  almost consider dropping.


I try to pep myself up with inspirational movie scenes and stories and characters from books. Whenever I feel down and out, one of the books I never fail to pull out is: Alanna: The First Adventure. For those of you unfamiliar with the text, it's a story (rather series) about a girl who wants to and eventually becomes a knight. I was rereading Alanna for about the millionth time, and a scene really resonated with me. It's when she starts to fall behind in her classes and chores.


"Face it," Gary told her kindly. "You'll never catch up. You just do as much as you can and take the punishments without saying anything. Sometimes I wonder if that isn't what they're really trying to teach us--to take plenty and keep our mouths shut.
Alanna after this conversation goes back to her room and orders Coram to pack for home.

"I never figured ye for a quitter," Coram interupted softly.

"I'm not quitting!" Alanna snapped. "I--I'm protesting! I'm protesting unfair treatment--and--being worked till I drop. I want to have time to myself. I want to learn to fight with a sword now, not when they decide. I want--"

"Ye want. Ye want. 'Tis something different ye're learning here. It's called 'discipline.' The world won't always order itself the way ye want. Ye have to learn discipline."

In the end, Alanna of course decides to stay, and she eventually becomes a knight by the end of the series. Yay, role models and inspiration! I say grad school is a worthy analogy to knighthood--though lacking the physical fighting; it's made up for by all the intellectual arguing you have to do; both are pretty brutal.

I mentioned also, I like somewhat cheesy, inspirational, follow your dreams films that surprise me and defy my expectations. For example, Brave New Girl; yes, it's an ABC movie directed/produced by Britney Spears; something so fun and reaffirms your faith in your decision to follow your dreams and be happy. ;) I love the scene where the main character performs Habanera from Carmen, and then does her own twist on it.

Last thing to make me feel better is always the wonderful Idina Menzel. I think "Brave" is a song that really defines my life right now--state of transition, constant changes, and somewhat scary grown up things. I'm gonna face it all and make it through grad school!

Bookstore Bliss

Bookstores always have a calming, happy feel to them. I know the ins and outs of each store whether used, new, local or chain. I weigh the pros and cons of the memberships of the main stores. Some people are shopaholics, go nuts and spend tons on designer clothes, shoes, accessories. All rules and budget ideas go out the window in the bookstore, especially if there's a good variety in the clearance section. Also, just simply being in a bookstore helps cure the blues and make you forget about life. It's a whole different world in the bookstore--each has their own ambiance. I bought the beautiful leather collector's edition of Wicked and Son of Witch (combined in one) for only $19.98.

I found a really great book which I didn't purchase, but am planning to. It's called More than Heaving Bosoms; it's all about the genre of romance novels and why women love them. I read bits and pieces in the store. It's so funny and doesn't make me feel guilty for wanting to read trashy romance novels or at least the smutty parts. One of the cool things discussed in the book is the transition in plot formulas from the 70s-80s to the 90s-2000s. The writers also have a blog called Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

Other books of note: 500 Manga Heroes and Villians and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane--the latter is recommended by Barnes and Noble and sounds really fascinating.

My other aunt from California is flying in tomorrow. It's becoming easier to forget somebody who really wasn't part of our family to begin with. My mom's biggest worries about the debt left behind have been eased; she's not responsible--thanks goodness. It's been the three of us for so long, and it's not hard to go back to it. I think it was the trauma of the event that made us all feel so horrible and sad. This is the last I'm talking/thinking about it today. No more. Hopefully, soon, I'll get to the point where I don't think about it at all.

Going back to watching the Starter Wife--I'm hooked. My sister and I rented it from the library and been watching non-stop.