beginning On Writing by stephen king
ok, i have to share. this book had me giggling to no end the other night. i must have been in a strange mood, but here is the passage that got me going:
…I was enchanted by the idea of shitting like a cowboy. I pretended I was Hopalong Cassidy, squatting in the underbrush with my gun drawn, not to be caught unawares even at such a personal moment. I did my business, and I took care of the cleanup as my older brother had suggested, carefully wiping my ass with big handfuls of shiny green leaves. These turned out to be poison ivy.
Two days later I was bright red from the backs of my knees to my shoulderblades. My penis was spared, but my testicles turned into stoplights. My ass itched all the way up to my ribcage, it seemed. Yet worst of all was the hand I had wiped with; it swelled to the size of Mickey Mouse’s after Donald Duck has bopped it with a hammer, and gigantic blisters formed at the placed where the fingers rubbed together. When they burst they left deep divots of raw pink flesh. For six weeks I sat in lukewarm starch baths, feeling miserable and humiliated and stupid, listening through the open door as my mother and brother laughed and listened to Peter Tripp’s countdown on the radio and played Crazy Eights.
yeah, i know. i’m picking up tidbits of writing advice but i’m mostly just entertained. on a sweet note, i did find an inscription from my dad:
kindred by octavia butler
the cover of this book is so misleading. it features a young black woman above some old housing units. the picture is sort of faded and muted which brings to mind old 19th century photographs. my first impression is that it’s some historical fiction novel. i am not interested. i do not like stories that deal much with history. not to my surprise, the story of Dana is set amidst slavery on the Weylin plantation. but what stunned me about this novel right off the bat is the extremely paranormal piece of it. the paranormal event was the perfect hook to get me into this novel and it was well-placed at the beginning of the story. yes, the novel deals with the lives of slaves on a plantation and explores the hierarchy of command of the plantation owner and his family, but it is only a backdrop of the more intriguing story of how Dana fits in to all of it.
the flow of time in this tale is interesting. it opens with the ending, then starts from the beginning, then proceeds to bounce back and forth through time. without giving away any of the awesome surprises, Dana, who is a young well-educated back woman, becomes eerily connected to Rufus, a white boy who is heir to the plantation and all its slaves. Dana must fight for Rufus’s life or it will mean she will never exist (paradox!), all the while she must adjust to life on a plantation and fight also to save and be with her husband, Kevin (who is white, which helps to twist up the plot).
i found Dana and Kevin to be an incredibly sweet and endearing couple. the understanding and love they shared was absolute. Dana was tough and smart, and she seemed to be much more thoughtful than i would have been in her situation. it is a beautiful story and one that i very much enjoyed. it ends bittersweetly and leaves a few burning questions.
and just in case you’ve read it, what is the significance of her arm?
battle royale, finally!
part 1 review
part 2 review
i am completely surprised. i cried at the end of this book. out of the freakin’ blue the author was strumming my emotions like a guitar. who knew that by the end of the novel Takami had developed an arsenal of well-developed characters? i really didn’t see that coming. i may have been distracted by tediously long descriptions of how to make a bomb and the locations of buildings, houses, etc. on the island–to name a few. i think i could have skipped pages at a time before the plot started rolling along again. i wouldn’t be surprised if another reader gave up less than half-way through due to this. but those over-achievers out there will be nicely rewarded at the end.
i thought Takami did a great job of helping me keep the characters straight. since each chapter is from a different character’s perspective, it can get a little hairy. even if i didn’t recognize who the character was right away, at some point Takami would reference something to spark my memory. i wouldn’t recommend flipping back through to sort everyone out though. when i rarely didn’t recognize someone, i just moved on, no harm done.
the killings continued to be descriptive, gory, and extremely troubling. since Takami provides the train of thought of each character, you can’t help but sympathize with some of them. those that come off as inherently evil at least garner some pity for circumstances beyond their control that turned them that way. the complexity of each character was described or at least hinted at. so everything is not always as it seems. and that helps keep the story intriguing. and the last page: poetic.
new books!
my husband dropped me off at books-a-million yesterday while he took care of some business–bad idea. i spent about a million dollars on books. but i’m truly excited about them!!
the bell jar by sylvia plath
brave new world by aldous huxley
the book thief by markus zusak
linger by maggie stiefvater
angelology by danielle trussoni
battle royale …cont.
part 1 review
you know, when i started reading the first few pages i couldn’t help but think “why is this book boring right now?” it consists mostly of backstory so i chucked it up to that. and since it was originally written in japanese, maybe something got lost in translation? anyway, boooooring. and i was dismayed because the book weighs a ton and i knew i’d never make it through if it kept up that attitude. but like i said before, the story completely captivates once the killing starts. in fact, i’m on page 342 (21 students remaining).
i’m highly impressed that i can recognize each of the 42 students most of the time. especially when they have names like yoshio, keita, tatsumichi, toshinori, etc. That should say wonders about how well the characters are fleshed out. the story is progressing by sorting out who has given into killing and who are the ones determined to survive and escape. lots of violence and the descriptions are pretty darn descriptive. as i’m learning more about the main characters, i find myself more concerned about their well-being. some tricky stuff is coming up in the plot and some ingenious tactics are being used by some smart characters. i feel the rapid page turning about to begin so i’m thinking the next time i post on battle royale, it will be the last.
final review
beginning battle royale by koushun takami
the first thing i noticed was that this book is extremely heavy for its size. weird. i’m on page 78 and it’s been interesting because the killing has started. the plot is that a junior high class in japan is picked to fight to the death in an arena. very “hunger games”-ish, so i like it. there is actually a nice dictionary explanation of this killing ritual know as “the Program”.
Program n. 1. A listing of the order of events and other information […] 4. A battle simulation program conducted by our nation’s ground defense forces, instituted for security reasons. Officially know as Battle Experiment No. 68 Program. The first program was held in 1947. Fifty third-year junior high school classes are selected annually (prior to 1950, 47 classes were selected) to conduct the Program for research purposes. Classmates in each class are forced to fight until one survivor is left. Results from this experiment, including the elapsed time, are entered as data. The final survivor of each class (the winner) is provided with a lifetime pension and a card autographed by The Great Dictator. In reaction to protests and agitation caused by extremists during the first year of its enactment, the 317th Great Dictator gave his famous “April Speech.”
whaaaaaat?! awesomeness. makes for a thrilling and emotional story. and before every chapter there is a current body count. it started with 42 students, 21 girls and boys. i’m currently at “38 students remaining”. so far, the story has been narrated by a boy named Shuya Nanahara who is immediately likable. all the students are on an island and have just been released from the central location to disperse within the island. before dispersing, each student received a bag filled with food, water, and a random weapon. keeps getting better. they each have a metal collar around their neck which will explode if they try to remove it. even better, the island is divided into zones and a computer will randomly select forbidden zones. if you don’t evacuate a forbidden zone by the given time, the collar will explode. keeps the students moving around. there’s so much more but you’ll have to actually read it to get all the details, duh.
Shuya has witnessed the deaths of some classmates and still cannot wrap his head around the idea that they have to kill each other. he’s still holding out hope that he can meet with his classmates and plan a way of escaping. so far, he’s only caught up with one injured girl, Noriko Nakagawa, and they are on the run. will Shuya keep from falling into the government’s trap and believe the only way to survive is to kill his friends? I DON’T KNOW! THIS MESS IS CRAZY!
part 2 review
final review
the dew breaker
i got my mitts on this one from my friend natosha. and just like dean koontz’s “the face” i kept putting it off and making moon eyes at percy jackson. but i got it together and started reading it–it’s really short so it won’t waste too much time. apparently i will never learn that i might actually like a book i know nothing about. it’s been the case many times but bad habits die hard.
this novel is essentially about a man and most everyone connected to him in some way. i don’t think i’ve read anything like this before. each chapter is about a different person and narrated by each one. only through the telling of each person’s story do you figure out who they are in relation to the man and at what time in their lives they were affected by him. we learn that a dew breaker is what torturers are called in haiti back in the day. the man was a dew breaker before he escaped to new york and the story begins with him trying to explain his past life to his daughter.
the story caught me off guard because most novels are written about a central character and their story, with minor or lesser attention to other characters and side stories. “the dew breaker” is written so that each character garners as much devotion from the reader as the man. from the man’s point of view we see that he is just trying to live his life with his past behind him. he has changed his name and appearance and talks little to the people around him. he tries to move on from his past, but in his wake are the stories of those who would never forget what he did. it’s very touching and left me feeling heavy and sad at the end. go read it.
the face
this was my first dean koontz novel. i got my hands on it during a book swap with some girlfriends. it took me forever to get started because i wasn’t really that interested. then i realized i needed to give it back, so i opened it. dang, man! that’s some good stuff. one thing that really stood out was how witty it was–i was not expecting that. i was laughing out loud constantly, which made me think “sheesh, this book has everything!” the subject matter is definitely not funny, but when wit and sarcasm are woven in so expertly, you can’t help but think that koontz can write.
the aforementioned subject matter would be creepy death threats, murders, 
anarchists run amuck, neglected children, deaths of loved ones, angels, and the devil. i sort of knew that koontz plays with the supernatural in his books, but that was it. i found it very refreshing and emotional. i think the kid in the book, fric, made me emotional. he was such a bad ass. i wanted to adopt him. i hope i have a kid just like him. he was such a bad ass. there was even a classic twist at the end that blew me away. anyway, stephen king recommended a koontz book called “the good guy” and i always respect stephen’s opinion. i may go hunting for it soon. has anyone read it?
movie notes: nah, it might be lame. the pulse of the story has to do with how the characters are affected internally.
the lovely bones
get your tissue. i’m glad i’ve finally finished this book. i have to say that it took me a while to get through it. not in a bad way. i was frequently finding myself going back over what i had just read. the way alice sebold writes is so leaden with meaning and just so plain beautiful i wanted to make sure i didn’t miss anything. i’ll admit that at the halfway point, the book’s momentum picked up big time and it turned into an unputdownable page turner. i wasn’t expecting that.
i have never come across a story like susie salmon’s before. written from the perspective of a 14 year old in heaven, she brings innocence to the story and surprisingly tells it without judgement. i mean, the girl is murdered for goodness sakes! don’t worry, this is established on the first page of the book. when susie reviews her murder once in heaven she gives a play by play as she’s lured into her murderer’s trap. susie’s companion in heaven Franny eerily says it was “like taking candy from a baby”. i love that line. it caught me by surprise. it was so frank and it set the no-nonsense tone that they have in heaven. the struggle of susie’s family is heartbreaking. the effect her murder has on her friends and community is unexpected.
there is a heavy layer of forgiveness threaded throughout. the relationship of susie’s parents Jack and Abigail was particularly emotional to me. to think that they went through ALL that and they were able to fall in love again…amazing. and jack understanding that what abigail did was her way of coping and the way he patiently waited for her…amazing. at the end of the story i felt as if i had been completely ripped apart then put back together again. it was the best unhappy happy ending i have ever read.
movie notes: i’m so there. i would just like to say that i’m a huge fan of saoirse ronan (atonement) and she is an amazing pick for susie. peter jackson is directing and i think he pulled it off. december 11th. you wouldn’t want to miss it!
book to movie: the host
most avid readers and twilight fans have already heard the news that stephenie meyer’s novel “the host” has been given the okay to become a movie. check out stephenie meyer’s website for more information. here’s her post:
I’m so excited to be working with Nick Weschler, and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz to bring The Host to a visual format. They’ve all been a dream to work with, so lovely and collaborative, and I feel like we’re in a really good place to make a great movie together. And then to have Andrew Niccol writing and directing? Truly awesome. If you’ve never seen Gattaca, go watch it now. One of my favorite movies of all time. It’s such a great example of character driven science fiction, which is ideal for The Host, no? I’m having an absolute blast imagining different dream casts, which I would post if people didn’t take my silly blogs so seriously these days. I’m looking forward to seeing the cast lists you come up with in the fansite forums, and if any of them match mine.
So, very exciting. Yay Host!
XO
Steph
at first i was like “oh neat, guess i should go see that”. then i started to recall the story and got really excited. i remember the beginning grabbing my interest then the last 100 pages or so being crazy suspenseful that i was flipping the pages in a maniacal blur. but the rest of the book was slow going to me: reading about Wanderer wandering around the desert and her experiences in the caves with unbody-snatched people…yeah, pretty cool but i just wasn’t clicking with it. but in movie form???? hellz yeah! i can’t help but think that a movie with help add some umph to the story as they take some liberties with it. maybe condense what happens in the caves so it’s more like “bam! bam! bam! stuff’s happening all over the place!”. i’ll be there to watch it. and meyer tends to take her book to movie transitions very seriously as you can tell from her post, so i’ll bet the movie has something spectacular to offer even if the book was not the ish.
living dead in dallas
well, finally i’m done! i watched the first 2 episodes of true blood on tvshack and it got me all excited about the books again. there’s more murder in this one which forces sookie to join in some erotic escapades later in the story. is it me or does sookie find herself in the most sexually charged environments that have no business being there? practically her whole town participates in sex parties? oh, really? the reason behind the murders in the first book was so much more believable.
luckily, sookie and co. do a stint in dallas when her “gift” is lent out to the head vampire there. this was much more interesting since “the fellowship of the sun” is introduced causing shenanigans in the vampire community. these extremists believe vampires should “meet the dawn” and burn since their very existence is sin. sookie displays her charming train of thought at one point when she asks a fellowship member when their lock-in starts:
“At six-thirty. We want our members to get here before they rise.”
For a second, I envisioned a tray of rolls set in some warm place.
oh, sookie.
anyway, sookie helps rescue a dallas vampire from the hands of the fellowship then returns to bon temps to solve the murder of her friend…blah blah blah. it’s all pretty airy. but sookie does refine her telepathic ability and is able to communicate with other telepaths. sookie and bill break up then get back together something fierce. oh, there is also a nice twist on who bill’s descendants are. i guess i found book 2 interesting enough, but book 1 sat better with me. i hear they get better so i’m sticking to it. anyway, more fellowship of the sun please! thanks.
tv notes: i’m working on it. i’ve watched approximately 2.5 episodes which rejuvenates my interest in the books. so i need a little bit of this to want a little bit of that.
nourishment!
i finally made it to a bookstore (books a million) and came away with 3 wonderful finds. i’m in the process of reading the second sookie stackhouse novel and i told myself i need to finish it before i start one of my new books, but i have ants in my pants about it. 
ahem! i have the following: the lovely bones by alice sebold, shiver by maggie stiefvater, and city of glass by cassandra clare. i have heard great things about all. any suggestions on where i should start?
the little lady agency
hurrah! i’ve finished the little lady agency and i totally wish i was british (speaking of being british, my dad’s making yorkshire pudding tonight which is so random). i had such a good time with this book. it really reminded me of bridget jones but was original enough to keep my interest. the main character melissa is the “little lady” in question who starts her own “homme improvement” business helping helpless men with their social lives. she struggles to find a career, love, and happiness and does it all with the humor and grace of an upbeat woman stumbling through life. there was nothing super exceptional about the story, nothing magnificently awesome (like, say, an episode of LOST is from beginning to end) but it was gratifying to root for melissa’s success and see her end up with something good. the story includes a few juicy twists for good measure.
the little lady agency
i have to say that when melissa mentioned topshop i beamed since that is simply my favorite shop at the moment! and when she said she drives a subaru forrester i got so excited i told my husband who, incidentally, could care less (i am a subie owner by the way). i have the next two books at my disposal which i will get around to eventually but we all should know that fantasy/sci fi takes precedence in my life.
movie notes: non-existent
dead until dark
finished the first book in the popular sookie stackhouse series which we all probably know is the basis for the show “true blood”. my first impression is that it was entertaining. this take on vampires was very adult, so that was a nice change from previous books i’ve read. i also liked the bits of southern charm peppered throughout (story takes place in Louisiana). reading this book actually made me feel like i was indulging in a guilty pleasure because it only appealed to my superficial senses. i mean, how many times did sookie and bill need to bed each other?? (aaawwww, sookie sookie!)
book 1
i was sucked into the story only after the murders started happening. the descriptions of sookie and bill at the beginning just weren’t enough to fully capture my interest. but as my friend mendie agrees, i always appreciate a story that surprises me, and the resolution at the end of the whodunnit murder spree was an eye-popper. i’m looking forward to development of the main characters in the rest of the books ’cause right now, bill and sookie seem kind of shallow. although i will say that i love sam and hope to see a lot more of him (in whatever form). and why does sookie get the dickens beat out of her all the time and not seem that upset? and why does she act all scared just running from house to car (and vice-versa) yet when the murderer is in the dark woods around her house she decides her best bet is to run throughout the woods? enough questions. i did like how she got all katniss everdeen in those woods though (the hunger games, people!). anyway…
i will read the rest of the series as soon as i can get my greedy hands on them. does anyone know if the series is complete? (leave comments guys!!!) i’m into buying completed boxed sets these days. i would recommend these books to everyone of course because they’re so easy to read. and sometimes its nice to have a brainless, carnal read.
tv notes: i don’t have hbo. boo!!! as usual, i’m going to have to buy this series because all i do is read about how awesomely awesome it is. as if i have enough money to fund all of my diversions.
the bookend. 