The books of January 2011

So I'm still reading, but the following will be about the books that I finished reading during January. Since there's only one day left, I feel like this is a decent time to write...the one I'm reading now is long enough that I don't see myself finishing it anytime in the next two days.

This month I bought more books than anticipated, read most of them and added the others to my reading list: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian - all by Rick Riordan, Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White, Iceland: A Novel by Betsy Tobin, Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess by Jerramy Sage Fine (bought based on the fact that I liked the title, the synopsis, and that she had a quote from Jen Lancaster), Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, and Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson.

The books I read this month are as follows, in the order I read them: Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer, The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan (as stated above, all PJ&tO books are by him), Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, P.S.--I Made This by Erica Domesek (Christmas gift from a friend), Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse, Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth, Iceland: A Novel by Betsy Tobin, Torment: A Fallen Novel by Lauren Kate, Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess by Jerramy Sage Fine, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian, and Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson.

The Percy Jackson series started with my watching the movie on HBO one night. I was very entertained by it, but knowing that generally, the book is better (there are exceptions, but talking to friends, I knew this was not one of the exceptions), I ran out and bought the first two books. I could see why my friends prefer the books...not only is the story richer and more mythologically inclusive, it's funny! Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old boy who finds out that he's a demi-god (his dad is Poseidon) thrown into a world where he must save Olympus or doom it, based on the prophecy of an ancient Oracle. Percy and his new friends (facing more than the usual dose of teen angst about relationships, school, and dealing with their parents) have to deal with being demi-gods and fighting monsters found only in ancient Greece. Over the course of the books, the original Titans, punished by their children (the gods of Olympus), rise and try to take over once again. Will these clever teens with their Scooby gang smarts be able to save Olympus or will they fail, leaving the world in chaos? These stories are all very well done. The last one just came out in paperback last week, so read and find out for yourselves! For those like me who become attached to characters, never fear. Riordan started another series about a new group of demi-gods and I hear that all the characters from this first series are still hanging around.

When I buy a book about an animal...or see a movie about one...I go in knowing that most likely, that animal is going to die. It's how it meets its end that determines if I get really upset or actually enjoy the book. Modoc is a regal elephant, blessed with massive smarts and a loving friend and trainer. Modoc's adventures lead to tear-jerking incidents, but in this book, the ending isn't harsh and abusive. Modoc doesn't have a charmed life, but the trials do make for a stronger elephant and when united with people who truly care, Modoc thrives and is able to perform beyond normal capabilities. Modoc starts with the elephant's birth...and the birth of the man who would eventually be Modoc's caretaker (same day, and I think it was the same hour). The bond between these two is so strong that I felt like their survival was tied to one another. As their story progressed, their ups and downs were so amazing that the book was really hard to put down. They were in the circus; they traveled to India; they were in a hurricane that nearly killed them both at sea; they were separated and ill-treated. But at the end, they were simply a boy and his best friend, who just happened to be an elephant. Read this if you like stories about unusual pets and great accomplishments.

Marian Keyes is a fantastic author. The Brightest Star in the Sky is one of her more recent titles. This book was a surprise. As usual, Keyes combines the fun parts of being alive with the dark underside of what it takes to live sometimes. The story is focused on one apartment building in Ireland. The tenants all have different lives and barely connect with each other or know anything about each other. We follow each of their stories, uncovering their fears, loves, and secrets along the way. Characters who were fading into the background become the backbone of the story...sharing strengths with one another that they didn't even know they had. And the best part is, at the end, the closure to the bad parts of the stories are completely fitting, and the good parts get even better. Keyes takes you on a sometimes sad path to get to a very uplifting place. Still not my favorite one by her (that would be Angels), but definitely a good read.

P.S.--I Made This is a lot of fun. It's more looking at the pictures and finding out how to make the projects than strictly reading. There are three projects that I definitely plan to attempt: making fun, oversized rings out of clip-on earrings; making t-shirt scarves; and blinging out the heels of a pair of shoes that were completely scuffed (and thought dead to me until I saw this project). Crafty ladies, check this one out!


Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven was a hard read. As much as I want to travel, China's never been at the top of my list...and after reading this, it REALLY isn't. The author and her friend travel to China in the 80s...right after it becomes open for tourists...which is not to say that it was ready for tourists. Basically, the author gets sick, but can't do anything about it until she makes it back home because her friend goes completely bonkers. I mean get you locked up forever bonkers. It hurt to read because neither seemed to know what was happening to the other and they didn't know each other well enough to be able to discern from truly needing help to just being selfish. They were able to get out of China, relatively unscathed, with the help of some very friendly strangers, but they never spoke again...other parts of the book have a happier ending...and led to the author traveling around the world...but for the most part, I didn't dig this book all that much. Same with Iceland: A Novel. It was a lot about Norse mythology as it ties to the area...which I didn't know it did, so it was kind of odd. Fast read, but not overly engrossing.

Loser/Queen is a teen novel about a girl who's weird, has few friends, and doesn't fit in at high school. Someone decides to elevate her status through both good and bad deeds, having her take the place of the reigning popular girl. I bought this because the cover has two little knitted creatures on the cover (she sublimates her rage via knitting wee animals at the beginning of the book). I didn't expect much, but it wasn't a bad way to spend a few hours. Torment is book two of the Fallen series. It's about a relationship between a human girl and the angel who loves her and what their relationship does to the age-old battle between good an evil. The books are ok. It's nice to see another take on the supernatural that isn't simply werewolves or vampires.

Someday My Prince Will Come is a hilarious, if not completely unbelievable biography about a girl who wanted nothing more than to be a princess and spent her life trying to make it happen. England being a place pretty much at the top of the travel list, I understand her need to be there...although the princess thing isn't totally me, I get the attraction to it. I thoroughly enjoyed her story...and read (with a steady commentary of asides to my roommate about how I couldn't believe that she made all this happen) it with the hope that it would work out and she would be a princess by the end of the book. While it didn't quite go down the way either of us hoped, she does now (according to the internets) run Princess Prep in London for girls who are equally princess-obsessed. The only downside? I'm not in the age group to attend!

Last, but not least (more like the saved the best for...), is Long May She Reign. I started this series from Ellen Emerson White a long time ago...going so far as to email White about continuing the story of the main character, Meg. The first book, The President's Daughter, is about Meg's mom running for president of the United States and winning. Meg and her family have to adapt more than usual to her mom's new job and the strain it puts on all of their familial relationships and friendships. The second book, White House Autumn, is a good follow-up about how things are going with the first family and their friends. The third book, Long Live the Queen, is a departure. Meg is kidnapped by terrorists and the book focuses on the horrible strains faced by everyone in these books so far and how they try to get through the worst nightmare that any of them could...or even couldn't...imagine. That's where it stopped for a long time. White published Long May She Reign in 2007. I had given up looking for a fourth book a long time ago, but I was ecstatic to find this latest addition! And it did not disappoint! Meg is back and still trying to cope with the ordeal of book three...as are her family and friends. Meg has always pushed herself to achieve and now that college is part of her life, she's not changing that side of herself...even though she needs to learn to cut herself a bit of slack here and there. Of Meg's college friends, there is the addition of an unexpected modern-day news character. The book isn't a short one, but it's so completely engaging (and great to have Meg back in my reading life) that even being long, it still wasn't long enough. Here's hoping that White writes more and more about Meg...she's one of my favorite fictional characters to make it into print.

That's it for this month I think. I've started Cleopatra: A Life, but since it's a pretty hefty biography, I'm taking my time with it and reading other books in between. The pile of books on my nightstand (and on the floor...and in the living room...and, well, you get the picture) continues to grow and even reading the books I covered this month, I feel as though I made no dent at all. But, what I'm remembering with this little project is how much I love to read...all kinds of books...despite the heavy leanings toward young adult fiction seen in this month's list. Next month, I'll also try to cover the Oscars, so I might cut short the reading time. Seeing the movie list, I have some catching up to do!

It's coming along...

I feel like all I've done is read, but that can't be true. I seem to know too much about what's happened lately on the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Jersey Shore, Top Chef, and a couple of shows about people losing weight. So clearly I've been doing more than reading. All the TV watching led to the completion of a fairly long knitted scarf with a discernible pattern (my first true one like that) and a small cross-stitched gift for a friend's birthday.

I did a little shopping with some girlfriends last week. Gift cards are the best. Thanks, Santa! That same day, my roommate and I watched that Valentine's Day that was out last year...the one with like a billion famous people in it. It wasn't great, but at least not everyone ended up with the perfect cookie cutter romantic relationship...and Julia Roberts totally did an old school prop for Pretty Woman in the bits during the credits.

My roommate and I also watched War, Inc. with John Cusack. I can't believe I hadn't seen it! It was so very funny...very much the feel of a sequel to Gross Point Blank...you know, like if Dan Ackroyd's character actually managed to get everyone together and unionize the hit men instead watching TV a little too up-close and personal. If you're not a die-hard, ultra-right-wing conservative Republican with no sense of humor, you should really like this movie (from what I can tell, that's part of the population that would most likely skip reading my little blog anyway).

My plans for the weekend are to talk about the Hunger Games trilogy (finished well before the New Year, sorry) over dinner, go to two birthday celebrations, meet various friends over the course of two days, and hopefully make something for this week's IronCraft challenge (cup cozies are the theme). Next week I plan to purchase the last of a five-part book series (teen) because it will be out in paperback finally. Those teen books are what will make the list for the month seem so big. Short reading time, but thoroughly entertaining.

New year, new blog, new post

I realize the new year started almost two weeks ago...and I realize that I tend toward the lazy when it comes to blogging. These two things together don't really inspire confidence that I'm going to do this project. But I  am fairly committed to it. If I can't do one post a month for twelve months, then something is wrong. The "and stuff" is for when I feel like posting something that isn't about what I've read. Nick Hornby, the inspiration behind this endeavor, would occasionally write his month's piece about why he didn't read some of the books on his list. I may do that too, but I'm really going to try to cover the books...even if it's a re-read of something.

So until the first post about the books, know that I'm reading...and watching TV...and doing all the other things I like to do in my free time. I'll pop in every once in a while to put up something silly, I'm sure.