The books of March 2013

March is gone. Easter was nice...and luckily, not nearly as snowy as the Sunday before it. Remember when snow fell in the winter? Yeah. Not this time.

Not even a week after the first day of spring.

That picture was about two and a half hours after it started snowing. This one is from the next day. I kept hearing some noises from outside, but I couldn't see anything on the balcony. Clearly because they weren't on the balcony, duh!

Put a bird on it!

Crafts:

So, I haven't really done a lot crafts-wise. I worked a little on a scarf I started in December or something. I started a friend's birthday present...her birthday came and went and I am still working on her present. I'm thinking maybe I just get a substitute gift and use what I'm working on for her Christmas gift. Way to underestimate time needed! But, here's the one I made a while ago for another friend's birthday...she actually got her gift early (I finished it at like the beginning of February).

Too bad the pattern called for sepia instead of sparkley.

Movies:

Gee, what *did* I do in March? Apparently, not much at all. I only saw two movies. I think maybe my brain is taking it easy and saving all the excitement up for the summer blockbusters (starting with Iron Man 3).

Jack the Giant Slayer wasn't the best movie ever, but I enjoyed it a lot. It was cast well and I enjoyed the new take on the fairy tale. Probably a very solid rental if you have kids who like these kinds of things. 

The other movie I saw was Oz the Great and Powerful...or is it The Great and Powerful Oz? I don't remember. I do not like James Franco. I extremely dislike The Wizard of Oz original movie. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Given the rules they had (for avoiding copyright infringements), I think they did great with the known factors: the munchkins, the yellow brick road, the flying monkeys, etc. The land of Oz was amazing to look at and the monkeys were actually a little scary. The special effects, especially on the wicked witch, were very cool. I liked this more than I expected and could probably watch it again.

Books:

So, yeah, I totally give up on telling you what books I bought. With physical books and eBooks, who can keep track anymore. 

But, I do remember what I read this past month: City of Dark Magic: A Novel by Magnus Flyte, The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates, Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Dream Dark: A Beautiful Creatures Story by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore, and Wolf Hall: A Novel by Hilary Mantel.

I read the back cover introduction for City of Dark Magic one day while browsing at Target. Prague, magic, devils, history, intrigue, mystery...of course I wanted it immediately. I got it on my Kindle for less money and when I needed something fluffy, it was there waiting for me. I really liked the book a lot...contrary to my BFF's opinion. I do believe that we agreed on one thing: the author totally used some old Lonely Planet Prague book or something to define the area and to represent the culture. Which is sad, but not everyone can afford to go to the place he or she is writing about...but maybe next time, grab the DK travel guide and the Rick Steve's travel guide. Between the two, it'll give you a better picture of the where and the what. Anyway, I did enjoy the fictitious background story on the author (I assume it's made up...because I assume the name is made up...what if it isn't? oh man, who would name his or her kid that? the questions never stop...). It's not the best book ever, but I found myself not wanting to put it down. It's a bit jumpy in plot and there might be a bit more subplot than needed, but still, kind of fun. 

I found out midway through reading The Accursed that I had not read the whole description. If I had, I'm not sure I would've checked it out from the library. It really dragged on and on. The story ties the devil, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Sherlock Holmes, Jack London, Grover Cleveland, Upton Sinclair, and so many more into the time when Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton University. It takes the elite white families of the times and tears them completely apart through use of devilry. It was interesting...this social commentary on women's suffrage, racism, and other political concerns...amidst the small, uptight world of privilege. I think I bought into it because of the supernatural aspect, but as I read it, I just wish she'd left that out and called people out for their mistakes. But the manners of the time hadn't gotten that liberal as yet. I don't know...it was tedious reading (that's two things on Wilson now...and I'm feeling no more) and not what I thought it would be at all. I guess if you like Oates and know what to expect, have at it.

Beautiful Darkness is the second of the Beautiful Creatures books. It was a much quicker read than the first one as I already knew most all of the characters and the town. The story continues with the introduction of a few new characters, the rewriting of some history, and further details about the characters and the town's underground. Ethan is still the viewpoint and he's coming into his own more..not just solely focused on Lena. I continue to like how these women collaborate and write together. These books bring that world alive for me...and that is always a good thing. 

Dream Dark is a short story based mainly on Link, Ethan's best friend. It takes place between the second and third books...probably more in the timeline of the second, but you learn about some things that are coming into play for the third book as well. Link was a full participant in the crazy light and dark showdown and got a little power to show for it. I think it's not necessary to read, but it's a nice transition and pretty short if you need some filler.

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat was an interesting read. I thought it sounded kind of good from the brief description I saw, but it was more layered than expected. The Supremes are three best friends who have been friends since high school and are now in their later years. One sees and talks to dead people, one has a cheating husband, and one married a man she didn't love, but they love each other and take care of each other like nobody's business. These are complicated women living sometimes completely different lives from what they show everyone in town. Earl's is the local hangout when they're teens and becomes their place for Sunday brunch after church for the rest of their lives. The townspeople are woven in and out of the story really well and enhance the main story lines without clogging up the reading superficially...every one has a purpose...dead or alive. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this by the end.

Wolf Hall. OK. I like British history that has been fictionalized with discussions and events that we have little to no recorded information about. It's my thing. First, I feel in love with King Arthur stories. Next, it was the Sharon Kay Penman stories of the wars between England and Wales and France. Now, it's pretty much anything I can find on the topic. What I'm saying is that this genre is my guilty pleasure and I am always going to like it. I do understand that not everyone does. This one in particular is named after Jane Seymour's home, Wolf Hall. But, Seymour ages from small child to eighteen or so during the course of the book and she is in no way a major player. This book is about Thomas Cromwell's role in the time Henry VIII is divorcing Katherine, marrying Anne, and trying to keep his kingdom all to himself. Cromwell is a major player for a long time and I like how he is written here. There's dialog that goes on too long and occasionally the details are overwhelming, but I still liked it. It's a lot like reading one of the not-best-selling books by Phillipa Gregory. You can see all the potential, but there's something just a smidge off. But it's still a good read and I'm looking forward to reading the follow up, Bringing Up the Bodies, when it comes out in paperback.

Alrighty...time for spring...and completely different allergies. Later!