Lost in a Book

Hey! Sorry it's been so long, things have been pretty hectic around here. Not stopping anytime soon either! But I did manage to get a little reading in, and one of the books I read was a new one, called lost in a book, by Jennifer Donnelly. It's based off Beauty and the Beast, which obviously is back in everyone's minds due to the movie (which was awesome btw). It's actually a good read, more in depth and 'realistic' than the cartoon movie, or even the new movie. Death and Love fight each other all the time, and make bets. Love bets Death that Belle will fall in love with the Beast. Rather than lose, Death decides to cheat, and give Belle a book that lets her visit Death's realm. If she leaves behind three things, and eats three things, she will be trapped there forever. Not knowing this, Belle is entranced by the seemingly beautiful place that she can visit in the pages of a magic book. Eventually, death even promises Belle can see her father. All is most certainly not as it seems there though, and Belle begins to understand that, but is it too late? It is a good read, pretty quick, and I just love revisiting Disney movies, so it really hits the spot for me! I do wish it went on a little more at the end though, it did kind of feel slightly unfinished. Still, I'd give it a 8.5/10. Have fun!!

Here is the link to the amazon page:
https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Beast-Lost-Jennifer-Donnelly/dp/1484780981/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493921228&sr=8-1&keywords=lost+in+a+book

Threshold

So, it's been a while since I've written anything. It's just been hectic around here! We're flooding, and Latah County declared a state of emergency. Luckily our house is fine, but hopefully the sun will come out soon!!! Anyways, I was able to do a little more reading, and I went back to another old favorite, Threshold. This book is about a slave girl, named Tirzah. She is able to hear voices in glass, and because of it, she is a master glass cager. Tirzah and her father are sold to a build site for a massive structure, threshold, where they are told to blow, shape, and cage the glass with symbols. It isn't long before she figures out that something is wrong with the threshold, but they don't know what! As it continues to get built, the master mathematician Boaz who helped design threshold orders her to his chambers. Despite her fears, it is not to summon her to bed, but to teach her to read and write. This is not easy, however, because Boaz has a bad temper, and she is reluctant to learn how to write. It is said that these magician/mathematicians can enslave your soul via writing! However, she pushes through many hardships, and slowly falls in love with Boaz. The threshold gets finished, and instead of providing power as Boaz had thought, it lets a horrendous creature in! They must battle this creature, and his minions, to save the people of threshold, and the world!
It's a very good book, full of trials and troubles for Tirzah, but also happiness and love. Sara Douglass is a extremely good author, and she doesn't fall short in this book! I hope you like it! :) If it's sunny wherever you are, soak it in! I look like a ghost!! Hopefully the rain will stop soon, and we can warm up a little as well. 40's and rainy is not my favorite weather... Looking forward to late spring! :)

Not overly original, but hey, it's Harry Potter

So I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd. I'm a Ravenclaw, and I love it! I've got jewelry, clothes, and of course, all the books (several times over). My husband got me the set that makes Hogwarts on the spines when they're all lined up (Yep, he's a catch!). I know that by now, most people that are going to read Harry Potter already have. Someday, that'll change a little. I imagine it's going to turn into lord of the rings, a very famous set of books, but ones not everyone has read (although I have). Anyways, for now, most of you have read it. Therefore, I'm not asking you to read it for the first time, I think that you should read them again. If you've only read them once, or maybe a couple times, or it's been a while since you've read all of them in order, you should! It obviously takes a while, the first through third go fast, but then you've got four through seven that are much longer. It's worth it though! You get to re-immerse yourself in a magical world, where almost anything is possible (except for apparating and disapparating into and out of Hogwarts). For me, my favorite book in the series is actually a tie. I love the classic first book, but I also absolutely love the third too. I was at the magical age for these books, I was six when the first book came out, and ten when they made the first movie. I still remember reading the chamber of secrets the first time, non stop until about 2am (when I finished it), and then I promptly had nightmares about basilisks! Got over it fast though, there was no way ANYTHING was gonna stop me from reading and re-reading those books! Growing up and reading them was absolutely magical, but reading them now, as an adult, it's another experience. It goes deeper, and it teaches you a lot of life lessons, while giving you this magical world. I know it's very nerdy of me to still be so into Harry Potter, I'm an adult, so I shouldn't be walking about with my Ravenclaw beanie, snitch necklace, and books, right? I think that these books made me who I am, and to deny something that has given me so much happiness, and still does, is wrong. I'm going to read these books to my kids someday (and have them read them, when they can), and hopefully impart some of that happiness on to them. Anyways, I hope if you can find the time (even if it's only for 10 minutes in bed) to re-read this series, and have fun! Thanks! If you have any favorite books, or suggestions, please let me know, and I'll give them a whirl! :)

Arrows Trilogy

One of my favorite authors is Mercedes Lackey. I know, I already wrote about her with Beauty and the Werewolf, but I figured I'd go over another universe of hers, Valdemar. Valdemar is a country founded by Lord Valdemar (go figure) who wanted to give his people freedom. When he needed help the most, he prayed to every god and goddess he could think of, and his prayers were answered with companions. Might sound dirty, but it's not! Companions are look like magnificent horses, but with quite human minds, and speed and endurance like no horse. Heralds are picked by the companions to help the King. So, ages later, when Valdemar is quite established, there was a girl, whose name was Talia. She was raised in a highly strict religious household, and at 13, was told she was to get married. Terrified at the thought of marriage, she runs away. Scared, lonely, and wondering what on Earth she was going to do, she hears a sound like no other, a companion's bells! She runs out, and promptly falls right down the hill to land at it's feet. She realizes that the companion is alone, and decides she must return it to the capital. Once there, she finds out she has been chosen to be a herald, and starts down a long road of hope, love, danger, and adventure! The "Arrows" trilogy is very good, and it's the first books she writes in this world. Once you finish it, you could read others from the same timeline, like 'To Catch a Thief', or 'Exile's Honor' (there are more too), or you could choose to read from another timeline, like that of the last herald mage, Vanyel, or of the firestarter, Lavan. I would, however, start with her entry into the world, as it might explain a few things you could find missing or confusing from the rest. Hope you enjoy!

A look back at YA

Today, I thought I'd talk about a series that I still enjoy going back and reading, that I started when I was maybe 11. It's the Immortals series by Tamora Pierce. It follows a young girl (13 in the first book) who discovers her 'knack with animals' is really what they call 'wild magic'. She learns how to talk to immortals, heal animals, call them when they're needed, and explain what she needs them to do. She plays a crucial role in a war, both keeping the animals safe, and using them to defeat the enemy. In time, she learns the identity of her father, and what makes her so unique. It's a really good book series to show your kids, and also a good series to read if you feel like it yourself! Tamora Pierce actually writes a total of four (I think) series in this realm and timeline. The first is the 'song of the lioness' series, which follows Alanna on her path to becoming a knight, even though she's (in secret) a woman. Then comes this series, and then 'the protector of the small', which follows a young woman who wants to become a female knight like Alanna, and her struggles. Finally, 'daughter of the lioness' follows Aly as she struggles to make her own way, apart from her family. All of these are good books, and you can't go wrong with any of them. If you're going to have your youngish child read them, I'd suggest starting with the first book of 'song of the lioness' and the first book of 'the immortals'. As the characters grow up (a little in the second, more so in the third and fourth book of each series), the content does some as well, although never explicit. It's a good series for your 13-15 year old teens, although 10-12 is still fine, and I still enjoy them now. I've looked in the YA sections a couple times recently, and I've noticed, it's almost all 'twilight' type books, so I'm not sure if Tamora Pierce is still a 'popular' writer or not... That being said, you can always buy them online, and there's a plethora of used versions too. Have fun, and let me know what you think!

A slightly different book... :)

Most people now don't read the classics for fun... they are often too hard to read, because the language has changed so much from when they were written, and it just will never do it justice to 'translate' it into modern English. That being said, one book that remains a classic is Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. It is a romance novel, filled to the brim with heart fluttering moments, and I absolutely love it! It is the story of Elizabeth, the second of five daughters. Her mother is desperate to marry them off, as they have no brothers to inherit once their father dies. Her older sister Jane is the beauty of the area, but Elizabeth is also quite handsome, so their mother has high hopes. When Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy come to town, it seems those hopes could be fulfilled, but there is always a catch, and they will have to overcome some obstacles (like their pride, and their prejudice) before they can live happily ever after.
It can be difficult to read, but if you can work through the language barrier, it is completely worth it! Like I said, it just can't be translated into today's language... I do suggest getting the print version, for a couple of reasons: First, you can easily lose your place in an ebook, and it's not as easy to find it again. Second, It is a classic book, and there is just something romantic about reading it the 'classic' way. I think Jane Austen deserves a little space in your bookcase! But, if you are a die hard kindle person, no worries! It is usually free on kindles, so that may influence your decision too. Once you've read the book, and can fully appreciate it, I would suggest watching the movie from 2005. If you've already seen it, rewatch it! I think it's a marvelous rendering, which I don't normally say. Most books, turned into movies, just ruin it. This movie, however, does a wonderful job at translating it into film, so it's worth it! Of course, if you haven't seen the 'American Ending', that is also necessary. For a while, I didn't even know some versions came without it! Seems like now it's hard to find it with it... It just shows Mr. and Mrs. Darcy after the wedding, and it's the perfect, most romantic ending ever! If you get a copy without it, it's on youtube. Anyways, that's my classic throwback for today! I hope you take some time out to try to read this classic, and let me know what you think! :)

Beauty and the Werewolf

Today, I wanted to talk about a book by an author that I really enjoy, Mercedes Lackey. This book specifically is Beauty and the werewolf, a story about a girl who visits an old woman in the woods. This woman teaches her about magic, and all manner of useful things. During her walk back home, she is attacked by a large wolf, and escapes but for a bite to the leg. Once it is discovered that she was bitten, she is carted off to a fort away from anyone she might hurt, as she was bitten by a werewolf. This werewolf, however, was not a typical one, but a nobleman who doesn't know how he became a werewolf. To find out if she becomes one, they must keep her secluded but for the company of the man who bit her. She learns many things in her time there, and finding out how the nobleman became a werewolf is the most dangerous discovery of all...
It's a fun spin on the typical tales of both beauty and the beast, and red riding hood. If, like me, you thoroughly enjoyed anything 'fairy tale' like as a child, you'll love this! It is part of a set of books about the 'five hundred kingdoms', so if you enjoy this book, you can read many more like it by Mercedes Lackey. Her bibliography says there are seven books in this series, but it hasn't been updated in a few years, and I know for a fact there are more. Beyond the five hundred kingdoms, she also writes about another couple of worlds, Elemental Masters (very similar to this one, in fact it seems to overlap quite a bit), and the Valdemar universe. She has written quite a few other books/worlds, but those are my other favorites. One thing that is nice about Mercedes Lackey, if you haven't read her yet, is that there are so many books that she's written. It's hard to read them all right away, so unlike some authors that only write a couple, if you find yourself craving another book like the one you just read, she's got many! I've personally got probably about 30 books written by her at home, and I've probably read them all at least three times. She's written about 140 books, so clearly I've got a ways to go in my collection!! This book is quite a bit easier to read than 'Through Wolf's Eyes', so I can usually read it in about an hour to an hour and a half, but I'm a fast reader as well. It's 408 pages long, but like I said, it's easy reading, so it just breezes by! :) Have fun!