Best Book Trailer I've Ever Seen.

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Chaos:: So I was trollin' around and, well, since I had read Immortal City by Scott Speer I went on to find out more about the sequel. Then there it was! The book trailer! BEST ONE I HAVE EVER SEEN! I guess it's kind of cheating since the author is a -director- and is dating Ashley Tisdale *fangirls* but it's GOOD! So here it is, the book trailer to Immortal City....maybe this will convince most of you to go read it......BUT before you buy, borrow, or whatever, go check out my review from before *points up* the red words will redirect you to the page just by giving it a quick click ^_^  *points below* Go ahead and oggle the cover. It's gorgeous. 


SEQUEL Releases in April 2013 by Razorbill

A Review of 'My Name is Memory' by Ann Brashares

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"Lucy is an ordinary girl growing up in the Virginia suburbs, soon to head off to college.  On the night of her last high school dance, she hopes her elusive crush, Daniel Grey, will finally notice her.  But as the night unfolds, Lucy discovers that Daniel is more complicated than she imagined.  Why does he call her Sophia?  And why does he make her feel so strange?

The secret is that Daniel has 'the memory,' the ability to recall past lives and recognize the souls of those he's previously known.  And he has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl.  Life after reincarnated life, spanning continents and dynasties, he and Sophia have been drawn together, and then torn painfully apart-- a love always too short.  And he remembers it all.  Ultimately the two of them must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are to reach their true happy ending."

I love Ann Brashares to death.  I was laughing and crying through The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Sisterhood Everlasting, so I was hoping for this book to be just as nice of a read as those ones.  Brashares is truly meant to be writing romantic stories, so that really shone through in this book, but I still found My Name is Memory to be rather disappointing, compared to her other works.

I was really hoping that Daniel would change more as a character.  I mean, he's been reincarnated a number of times and in a variety of places to grow up from Ancient Turkey to Athens, to England, to Virginia, etc.  He's had families who loved him so dearly and ones who just couldn't care less.  It seems throughout the book that the only thing that changes about Daniel is his memory as he acquires new memories.  It was really disappointing to find that in almost all of his lives (whenever he reached an old enough age), he was always a doctor.  Sure, it's nice to do something familiar, but wouldn't that get boring if you became a doctor five to ten lives in a row?  I realize that Daniel is a complicated character to write, but I was still disappointed.  I didn't care for him as a character.  I didn't really feel the connection between Daniel and Lucy until the end of the book.  I felt it more in Daniel and Constance.

I didn't like that Brashares went through all of Daniel's lives.  It came to a point where I was constantly trying to scramble to connect where Daniel left off, how that will eventually connect to his future and "Sophia's" future as well.  Then after a while, it just got plain boring as Daniel kept finding Sophia, not getting together with her, and dying.  Again and again and again.  These things would have been more interesting if they were shortened or even edited out.

Let me transition to more positive things.

I really liked the cover!  This was a big reason that I picked up the book in the first place.

I also thought Lucy was a decent character.  I preferred it when she didn't know about the transference of souls, but at the same time, I thought it was cool that she was able to figure out who she was in the past.  For me, that would be really interesting to find out.  The story was a lot more interesting when told through the point of view of Lucy (or Sophia).

I also really enjoyed the ending.  That's where everything picked up.  The story transitioned from what felt like a couple hundred pages of explanation to being chased by someone who was incredibly jealous.  Just getting away from this guy (whom Daniel was brothers with in a past life) was kind of exciting.

Overall, this is an okay book.  I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Ann Brashares and also anyone who is in the mood to read something even remotely romantic.

I give 'My Name Is Memory':
Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

P.S. I'll make sure to finish my reviews before posting them next time... my changes must not have saved or something like that.

A Review of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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"Today, F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his novels, but in his lifetime, his fame stemmed from his prolific achievement as one of America's most gifted story writers.  'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' a witty and fantastical satire about aging, is one of his most memorable stories.

In 1860 Benjamin button is born an old man and mysteriously being aging backward.  At the beginning of his life he is withered and worn, but as he continues to grow younger he embraces life-- he goes to war, runs a business, falls in love, has children, goes to college and prep school, and, as his mind begins to devolve, he attends kindergarten and eventually returns to the care of his nurse.

This strange and haunting story embodies the sharp social insight that has made Fitzgerald one of the great voices in the history of American literature."

This book just got sadder and sadder as I read through it.  Since it's only a fifty-two page book, that's a lot of sad in a short amount of time.  I watched the film version of Benjamin Button prior to reading this and though I watched it a while ago, I still don't remember there being this much downtrodden-ness.  I suppose that I should get to the actual review.  I'll start with the things that bothered me so that we can end on a positive note.

One thing that really bothered me was how harsh everyone was with each other.  Right away in the book, upon Benjamin's birth, he's not that well-liked because he's old and sassy-- everything that a newborn ought not to be.  His father is just rough with him from the get-go over something that neither he nor Benjamin has any control over: how Benjamin was born.  Later in the book, after Benjamin has gotten younger, he meets and marries his wife, which is great.  But once she gets older and Benjamin continues to age backwards, he fails to remain attracted to her and he essentially throws her aside.  That is maddening to me.  I can only imagine what Benjamin's wife, Hildegarde, is thinking and feeling as Benjamin stops caring about her and goes off to water and later to join the Yale football team.  He even has a son!  How does he just go off and do these things?  If I were Hildegarde, I'd just be peeved.  But probably something stronger.

When Benjamin becomes too young to take care of himself, he moves in with his son, Roscoe, who is also very rough with him.  The story comes full circle as Roscoe angrily implores why his father doesn't stop pretending.  I wanted to slap Roscoe.  You'd think that after spending any amount of time with his father, he'd realize that he's not making this way of being up.  What a stupid git...

This book was also sad because it made me realize how similar birth and death is and how life is so circular. One day you're not there then suddenly you're in existence.  When you die, you're there, then you're not.  You're so helpless at the beginning and end of your life.  You need to be taken care of, whether you like it or not.  I can imagine that when you're at an old age and you suddenly need to be taken care of like a child again that this is very frustrating.  Especially after you're so used to taking care of yourself.

I hope that I don't grow that old...

Overall, this book was terribly depressing and aggravating, but it still managed to evoke a reaction out of me, so that must mean that something was working for me on some level.

I give 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button':
Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak

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“Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.”
I first reviewed this book in December 2010, but I've recently picked it up for a second read (because I'm taking a Literature for Young Adults class and this was my first homework assignment.  My first class meeting was 6 February).  When I initially reviewed it, it had been a while since I had read it first (two years, maybe) and upon re-reading my own review, I realized that it really doesn't do the book justice, despite the positive review.  So here I am again, writing this review.  I hope that my writing has improved a little bit since 2010.

This was indeed a Christmas present many years ago from my Nani and it has since become one of my absolute favorite reads.  The interesting thing about this book is that you only need to read it once in order for it to stick with you.  Not that one read will ever be enough in a lifetime, I mean, look at me, re-reviewing this after another read-through!

One of the strong points in the novel is the characters.  I love that Zusak takes the time and gives each character a personality so distinct from all of the other characters.  Like, there's one character, Pfiffikus, who is rather vulgar and whistles a lot.  He's not a particularly important character in the novel, but characters like Pfiffikus add color to the pages and it's absolutely wonderful.

Liesel and Rudy are two characters I fell in love with.  I love how Liesel feels about books and words and it made me so proud that she put so much work and effort into learning how to read just so that she could understand.  I love how Rudy, while he is very much a typical boy, is also atypical in some ways.  He's a normal boy in that he picks on Liesel (because he likes her) but then he's not so normal because he's so open about his affections for Liesel.  He begs and bargains for her kiss for years.

I'm still giddy with excitement when I remember that the narrator of the novel is Death.  I think that I was able to get more out of what Death was saying, but I also came up with twice as many questions (which is great, because I hope to teach this book in my classroom someday).  It's such an interesting choice for a narrator and his (her?) voice is just wonderful.  I think it was a good choice.  It would have been nice to hear a little bit more from Liesel, but I can't bring myself to be angry or disappointed by the decision to make Death the narrator.  It just fits!

The story itself is just wonderful in general.  Until you get to the ending... then it's just devastating.  But that's a sign of a great book I think: one that makes you feel as the main character does.  And that's exactly what I got out of 'The Book Thief.'

This is a great book if you're a fan of fiction related to World War II, partcularly in Nazi Germany.  It's also good if you're a fan of words or are just looking for something profound to read.

I give 'The Book Thief':
Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

Happy Valentine's Day!

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"Valentine's Day sucks."  "Forever Alone."  "I hate Valentine's Day."

In third grade, I had a crush on this boy in my class.  He had dark hair, had a bigger build, spoke Spanish when he thought no one was listening, and his desk was right across from mine.  I thought he was cute!  I decided to make a card for him.  But not just any old card.  No.  I decided to make a fateful card that would be given to him on that fateful day in third grade.  A Secret Admirer Card.  (Dun dun duuun....).  I was going to day care at my grandma's house at the time and she liked to make cards, so I used some of her supplies.  I made a card with a hedgehog on it.  I punched out hearts, I colored in the hedgehog I stamped on the front, I wrote in awkward cursive:
Dear C,May your day be full of surprises!Love,Your Secret AdmirerI thought I was being poetic.  I was proud of myself.  I kept the card in my folder and made absolute sure that I remembered to take it with me when I went to school.  I handed out my Valentine's to everyone in the class, C included, and then I got my teacher to help me distract C so that I could put my special card in his bag.  Her plan worked and surprisingly, no one saw me.
We all dumped out our bags and started looking through all of our Valentine's, sifting through the candy and colorful pieces of paper.  He spotted my envelope.  It was not like the other Valentine's in his bag.  He slit open the envelope and read the card out loud with a group of his friends.  (I felt stupid as he read it out loud... I hated what I wrote in the card, but I knew it was too late).  His friends were laughing at him as he frantically tried to figure out who had sent him this card.  He accused the girl next to me, LT, but she was adamant that this card wasn't from her.  They had seen her write in cursive, but they hadn't seen me.
At the end of the day, the mystery still wasn't solved.  I was so excited, I just had to tell him.  I pulled him aside and said, "C, I sent The Note."  He nodded at this and walked away.  A week or two later, I decided that I wanted a response, so when I told him again (I'm so stupid) he said, "I don't want girls to like me."  He walked away.  I broke down in tears.

From third grade to eighth grade, he avoided me whenever he possibly could.  When I'd sit next to him, he'd switch seats.  When it came to choosing a high school, we were initially going to the same school, but I'm convinced that he switched schools when he realized we would be in the same building for another four years.

First crushes suck...

Fast forward to October of ninth grade.  I meet this neat guy.  He has brown hair, he's freakishly tall, he's a talented artist and he folds a lot of airplanes.  I ask him to Sadie Hawkins.  He said 'yes.'  Two months later, he asks me out.  I said 'yes.'  Over four years later, we're still going very strong!  I foresee a long future ahead of us.  Valentine's Day is no longer a traumatic time for me (I'm using 'traumatic' loosely here) and it's actually one of my favorite days of the year!  I couldn't be happier to have found my special someone :)

So no matter if you've found The One, are still looking around, or have no interest whatsoever in this kind of thing and whether you like this day or not, I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!  It's a day to celebrate those you love, so go remind those you love (family, friends, etc.) that you're thinking about them!

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'My Name is Memory' by Ann Brashares

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"Lucy is an ordinary girl growing up in the Virginia suburbs, soon to head off to college.  On the night of her last high school dance, she hopes her elusive crush, Daniel Grey, will finally notice her.  But as the night unfolds, Lucy discovers that Daniel is more complicated than she imagined.  Why does he call her Sophia?  And why does he make her feel so strange?

The secret is that Daniel has 'the memory,' the ability to recall past lives and recognize the souls of those he's previously known.  And he has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl.  Life after reincarnated life, spanning continents and dynasties, he and Sophia have been drawn together, and then torn painfully apart-- a love always too short.  And he remembers it all.  Ultimately the two of them must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are to reach their true happy ending."

I love Ann Brashares to death.  I was laughing and crying through The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Sisterhood Everlasting, so I was hoping for this book to be just as nice of a read as those ones.  Brashares is truly meant to be writing romantic stories, so that really shone through in this book, but I still found My Name is Memory to be rather disappointing, compared to her other works.

I was really hoping that Daniel would change more as a character.  I mean, he's been reincarnated a number of times and in a variety of places to grow up from Ancient Turkey to Athens, to England, to Virginia, etc.  He's had families who loved him so dearly and ones who just couldn't care less.  It seems throughout the book that the only thing that changes about Daniel is his memory as he acquires new memories.  It was really disappointing to find that in almost all of his lives (whenever he reached an old enough age), he was always a doctor.  Sure, it's nice to do something familiar, but wouldn't that get boring if you became a doctor five to ten lives in a row?  I realize that Daniel is a complicated character to write, but I was still disappointed.  I didn't care for him as a character.  I didn't really feel the connection between Daniel and Lucy until the end of the book.  I felt it more in Daniel and Constance.

I didn't like that Brashares went through all of Daniel's lives.  It came to a point where I was constantly trying to scramble to connect where Daniel left off, how that will eventually connect to his future and "Sophia's" future as well.  Then after a while, it just got plain boring as Daniel kept finding Sophia, not getting together with her, and dying.  Again and again and again.  These things would have been more interesting if they were shortened or even edited out.

Let me transition to more positive things.

I really liked the cover!  This was a big reason that I picked up the book in the first place.

I also thought Lucy was a decent character.  I preferred it when she didn't know about the transference of souls, but at the same time, I thought it was cool that she was able to figure out who she was in the past.  For me, that would be really interesting to find out.  The story was a lot more interesting when told through the point of view of Lucy (or Sophia).

I also really enjoyed the ending.  That's where everything picked up.  The story transitioned from what felt like a couple hundred pages of explanation to being chased by someone who was incredibly jealous.  Just getting away from this guy (whom Daniel was brothers with in a past life) was kind of exciting.

Overall, this is an okay book.  I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Ann Brashares and also anyone who is in the mood to read something even remotely romantic.

I give 'My Name Is Memory':
Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

P.S. I'll make sure to finish my reviews before posting them next time... my changes must not have saved or something like that.

A Review of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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"Today, F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his novels, but in his lifetime, his fame stemmed from his prolific achievement as one of America's most gifted story writers.  'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' a witty and fantastical satire about aging, is one of his most memorable stories.

In 1860 Benjamin button is born an old man and mysteriously being aging backward.  At the beginning of his life he is withered and worn, but as he continues to grow younger he embraces life-- he goes to war, runs a business, falls in love, has children, goes to college and prep school, and, as his mind begins to devolve, he attends kindergarten and eventually returns to the care of his nurse.

This strange and haunting story embodies the sharp social insight that has made Fitzgerald one of the great voices in the history of American literature."

This book just got sadder and sadder as I read through it.  Since it's only a fifty-two page book, that's a lot of sad in a short amount of time.  I watched the film version of Benjamin Button prior to reading this and though I watched it a while ago, I still don't remember there being this much downtrodden-ness.  I suppose that I should get to the actual review.  I'll start with the things that bothered me so that we can end on a positive note.

One thing that really bothered me was how harsh everyone was with each other.  Right away in the book, upon Benjamin's birth, he's not that well-liked because he's old and sassy-- everything that a newborn ought not to be.  His father is just rough with him from the get-go over something that neither he nor Benjamin has any control over: how Benjamin was born.  Later in the book, after Benjamin has gotten younger, he meets and marries his wife, which is great.  But once she gets older and Benjamin continues to age backwards, he fails to remain attracted to her and he essentially throws her aside.  That is maddening to me.  I can only imagine what Benjamin's wife, Hildegarde, is thinking and feeling as Benjamin stops caring about her and goes off to water and later to join the Yale football team.  He even has a son!  How does he just go off and do these things?  If I were Hildegarde, I'd just be peeved.  But probably something stronger.

When Benjamin becomes too young to take care of himself, he moves in with his son, Roscoe, who is also very rough with him.  The story comes full circle as Roscoe angrily implores why his father doesn't stop pretending.  I wanted to slap Roscoe.  You'd think that after spending any amount of time with his father, he'd realize that he's not making this way of being up.  What a stupid git...

This book was also sad because it made me realize how similar birth and death is and how life is so circular. One day you're not there then suddenly you're in existence.  When you die, you're there, then you're not.  You're so helpless at the beginning and end of your life.  You need to be taken care of, whether you like it or not.  I can imagine that when you're at an old age and you suddenly need to be taken care of like a child again that this is very frustrating.  Especially after you're so used to taking care of yourself.

I hope that I don't grow that old...

Overall, this book was terribly depressing and aggravating, but it still managed to evoke a reaction out of me, so that must mean that something was working for me on some level.

I give 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button':
Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak

To contact us Click HERE

“Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.”
I first reviewed this book in December 2010, but I've recently picked it up for a second read (because I'm taking a Literature for Young Adults class and this was my first homework assignment.  My first class meeting was 6 February).  When I initially reviewed it, it had been a while since I had read it first (two years, maybe) and upon re-reading my own review, I realized that it really doesn't do the book justice, despite the positive review.  So here I am again, writing this review.  I hope that my writing has improved a little bit since 2010.

This was indeed a Christmas present many years ago from my Nani and it has since become one of my absolute favorite reads.  The interesting thing about this book is that you only need to read it once in order for it to stick with you.  Not that one read will ever be enough in a lifetime, I mean, look at me, re-reviewing this after another read-through!

One of the strong points in the novel is the characters.  I love that Zusak takes the time and gives each character a personality so distinct from all of the other characters.  Like, there's one character, Pfiffikus, who is rather vulgar and whistles a lot.  He's not a particularly important character in the novel, but characters like Pfiffikus add color to the pages and it's absolutely wonderful.

Liesel and Rudy are two characters I fell in love with.  I love how Liesel feels about books and words and it made me so proud that she put so much work and effort into learning how to read just so that she could understand.  I love how Rudy, while he is very much a typical boy, is also atypical in some ways.  He's a normal boy in that he picks on Liesel (because he likes her) but then he's not so normal because he's so open about his affections for Liesel.  He begs and bargains for her kiss for years.

I'm still giddy with excitement when I remember that the narrator of the novel is Death.  I think that I was able to get more out of what Death was saying, but I also came up with twice as many questions (which is great, because I hope to teach this book in my classroom someday).  It's such an interesting choice for a narrator and his (her?) voice is just wonderful.  I think it was a good choice.  It would have been nice to hear a little bit more from Liesel, but I can't bring myself to be angry or disappointed by the decision to make Death the narrator.  It just fits!

The story itself is just wonderful in general.  Until you get to the ending... then it's just devastating.  But that's a sign of a great book I think: one that makes you feel as the main character does.  And that's exactly what I got out of 'The Book Thief.'

This is a great book if you're a fan of fiction related to World War II, partcularly in Nazi Germany.  It's also good if you're a fan of words or are just looking for something profound to read.

I give 'The Book Thief':
Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

Happy Valentine's Day!

To contact us Click HERE
"Valentine's Day sucks."  "Forever Alone."  "I hate Valentine's Day."

In third grade, I had a crush on this boy in my class.  He had dark hair, had a bigger build, spoke Spanish when he thought no one was listening, and his desk was right across from mine.  I thought he was cute!  I decided to make a card for him.  But not just any old card.  No.  I decided to make a fateful card that would be given to him on that fateful day in third grade.  A Secret Admirer Card.  (Dun dun duuun....).  I was going to day care at my grandma's house at the time and she liked to make cards, so I used some of her supplies.  I made a card with a hedgehog on it.  I punched out hearts, I colored in the hedgehog I stamped on the front, I wrote in awkward cursive:
Dear C,May your day be full of surprises!Love,Your Secret AdmirerI thought I was being poetic.  I was proud of myself.  I kept the card in my folder and made absolute sure that I remembered to take it with me when I went to school.  I handed out my Valentine's to everyone in the class, C included, and then I got my teacher to help me distract C so that I could put my special card in his bag.  Her plan worked and surprisingly, no one saw me.
We all dumped out our bags and started looking through all of our Valentine's, sifting through the candy and colorful pieces of paper.  He spotted my envelope.  It was not like the other Valentine's in his bag.  He slit open the envelope and read the card out loud with a group of his friends.  (I felt stupid as he read it out loud... I hated what I wrote in the card, but I knew it was too late).  His friends were laughing at him as he frantically tried to figure out who had sent him this card.  He accused the girl next to me, LT, but she was adamant that this card wasn't from her.  They had seen her write in cursive, but they hadn't seen me.
At the end of the day, the mystery still wasn't solved.  I was so excited, I just had to tell him.  I pulled him aside and said, "C, I sent The Note."  He nodded at this and walked away.  A week or two later, I decided that I wanted a response, so when I told him again (I'm so stupid) he said, "I don't want girls to like me."  He walked away.  I broke down in tears.

From third grade to eighth grade, he avoided me whenever he possibly could.  When I'd sit next to him, he'd switch seats.  When it came to choosing a high school, we were initially going to the same school, but I'm convinced that he switched schools when he realized we would be in the same building for another four years.

First crushes suck...

Fast forward to October of ninth grade.  I meet this neat guy.  He has brown hair, he's freakishly tall, he's a talented artist and he folds a lot of airplanes.  I ask him to Sadie Hawkins.  He said 'yes.'  Two months later, he asks me out.  I said 'yes.'  Over four years later, we're still going very strong!  I foresee a long future ahead of us.  Valentine's Day is no longer a traumatic time for me (I'm using 'traumatic' loosely here) and it's actually one of my favorite days of the year!  I couldn't be happier to have found my special someone :)

So no matter if you've found The One, are still looking around, or have no interest whatsoever in this kind of thing and whether you like this day or not, I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!  It's a day to celebrate those you love, so go remind those you love (family, friends, etc.) that you're thinking about them!

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger

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"Anyone who has read J.D. Salinger's New Yorker stories, particularly A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, The Laughing Man, and For Esme, With Love and Squalor, will not be surprised by the fact that his first novel is fully of children.  the hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield.  Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days.  The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story.  Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to adult voices, underground voices-- but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all.  Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure.  However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself.  The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart.  It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep."

I'm really sad that this was never assigned to me in school... I feel terribly behind!  Thank goodness for this YA Lit class I'm taking!

I can see why this is a book that teens also choose to read.  It's a very approachable book with such an interesting narrator.  In fact, that's what I enjoyed most about this book.  Holden Caulfield has such a way of speaking that I actually burst out laughing a few times!  What I really didn't like about Holden though was how skeptical he was of other people.  The descriptor that came to mind for Holden was "1940s Hipster."  I'm not sure how accurate this is, but that's what I thought the entire time.  He just seems to enjoy different things than everyone else.  And he's alone in this respect (or at least, that's how he presents it).

Another reason why I really like this book is because it shows Holden struggling with making decisions for himself.  But it's not exactly the same as YA reads today where the main character struggles with a love triangle.  No, he struggles with decisions like, "Should I stay in school?"  "What's out there for me?"  "What's the point?"  To me, these are very real things for a teen to grapple with, which makes this a wonderful read.

It's so wonderful that this book that was published as a book in 1951 can transcend time and still be applicable to the lives of others today.  Now that's a sign of a great read!

I hope that this book continues to be read in schools in the future!

Overall, this book is good if you're hoping to visit an old school read, get a good laugh, or read something refreshing (compared to current YA Lit).

I give 'The Catcher in the Rye':
Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

Happy Halloween Eve!

To contact us Click HERE

Happy Halloween!
Ok, so it's not Halloween yet, but I don't normally like posting on Saturdays and with the way my week has been if I don't schedule this post now it won't get posted. I made this cake for my work Halloween party--the tombstones are made from Milano cookies, the ghosts from marshmallows speared by pretzels, the trees from bigger pretzels piped with frosting, the bones and skulls are little candies, and of course the beloved pumpkins (although I think Brach's changed their recipe!). The cake is vanilla because I don't like chocolate cake and refuse to make it, but the icing is chocolate (which strangely I do like).

It's a little busy and I don't know how we'll cut and eat the cake, but I'm pretty excited to have made my first cake where a teacher wasn't telling me what to do. Doesn't it look yummy??

We don't have any plans for Halloween yet. We'll have some company this weekend, but other than that I hope for a quiet weekend where I can catch up a bit on life. The house is a wreck, laundry needs to be done, I need to do some serious running, and of course blog stuff. Hopefully aside from all of that I'll have some time to curl up with Hunger Games!

What plans do you have for the weekend?

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show - Frank Delany

To contact us Click HERE
Title: Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show
Author: Frank Delany
Published: 2010 Pages: 427
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

Venetia Kelly came into the world in a fashion of mythic proportions: "She sprang from the womb and waved to the crowd. Then she smiled and took a bow" (3). What do you say about a book that begins with such oomph? Set mostly in 1930s Ireland during a tumultuous political period, Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show is one man's attempt the understand how his world all of a sudden tumbled upside down. Writing the story as an aging man, Ben looks back to when he was eighteen years old and met the wondrous and compelling Venetia Kelly.

This book is so many things that it is difficult to capture in a short synopsis. It is a book about a young man who is asked to do things he should have never been asked to do; political development and upheaval during a time when the world was spinning faster than it was turning; young but forbidden love of two people who so belonged together but didn't; storytelling--how can you have a book set in Ireland without storytelling? Ben is a wonderful narrator who spares no details in his stories, and even though he is a self-proclaimed digressor (one who digresses?) every bit of his story is intriguing.

I have very little complaint about Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show. I did have troubles getting into the story at first, much like I did with Delaney's novel Ireland*, and I can't quite put my finger on why. The writing, though sprawling, is very dense and detailed, and I found myself having to pay close attention to the story as small bits and pieces would resurface. But once immersed into the writing I found I wanted to read one more chapter and then another and then cursing that my lunch break was over and I'd have to wait to read more (the chapters are generally short and usually cliffhangery).

I think my 4.5/5 rating shows that I would highly recommend Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show, but I'll say it again. This book is a perfect blend of plot and characters and I was sad when I came upon the last page of the book. I was so caught up in the story and felt so much emotion for the characters that I even got misty-eyed over the ending. Narrator Ben explains at the beginning of the book that the story isn't over and that was a tough pill to swallow, but in the end this was a very satisfying read--a read that satisfied my love of literature and beautiful writing but also my love of a good story that had me at the edge of my seat wanting to know more until I turned the last page.

*Back in my first week of blogging I wrote some thoughts of Ireland. It's actually pretty funny to read now as I mention my tendency to ramble which has only gotten worse (?) as the years have gone on.

A big thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour. And a big thanks to Frank Delany for sharing the lives of Ben, Venetia, and even Blarney.

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

Saying Goodbye to Trish's Reading Nook - TSS

To contact us Click HERE

It is with much sadness that today I say goodbye to Trish's Reading Nook. I have been blogging here just shy of three years with 367 posts. Many of you have probably noticed my absence over the past five months. I've had some incredibly happy things happen--a new house and a new position at work--that have kept me busy and some sad things that have prevented me from spending too much time online. In the past five months I've experienced major blogger burnout and for a multitude of reasons I've decided it's time for me to hang up my hat here.

The past three years have been amazing. I've met some wonderful wonderful people and I've been stretched and pulled in directions I could have never imagined. The love of books in this community has been a constant joy for me and I would have never experienced this joy if not for blogging, reading challenges, and different blogging events such as the 24-hour-readathon. I've read things I never thought I'd read and been introduced to authors I was unfamiliar with. I've added hundreds of books to my shelves and even more to my wishlist. I've met bibliophiles from all corners of the world and connected on all different levels. And I've read more than probably all other years combined. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to leave me a comment, took the time to get to know me and allow me to get to know them, took the time to participant in my reading challenges (Classics Challenge, Non-Fiction Five Challenge, and even the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge). Thank you to the publishers and authors who have sent me books over the past two years. And finally thank you to the community for taking me in and allowing me to grow with you. According to Feedburner I currently have over 500 subscribers and I'm constantly baffled as that number continues to climb and grow even as my blogging has waned. I would have never imagined so many people would take an interest in my thoughts on books! And let me tell you that's a tough thing to give up--quite scary actually.

But with 500 subscribers also comes the pressure of maintaining this blog. Self-inflicted pressure, of course, but nonetheless. Without going too much into the negative (because, really what does it matter what my opinions are about the evolution of book blogging over the past several years), I simply feel as though I need to scale down a bit and simplify my blogging habits. I have started blogging again (although not bloghopping yet) and after months of mulling things over I've decided the best thing is to combine my efforts into one blog. Friends have asked if it might not be simpler to transfer my other blogging to this blog, but I kind of like the idea of a fresh start. And it is tough knowing that I've put hours and hours into this blog and hours and hours more into cultivating relationships with other bloggers and maintaining my place within the community. Of course I'll always consider myself a book blogger because that's how I started, but I don't want to be just a book blogger any longer. I want to have freedom to blog about what I would like to blog and I don't feel that I have that here. Silly, I know, but if you've been following for a while you know that my feelings are not always rational. :)

I'd love to invite you to visit me at my other blog: Love, Laughter, and Insanity. It is a blog where I post about personal aspects of my life but I have transfered all 367 posts and 7,000 comments from this blog over there--and in a way book blogging is personal as well. I do hope to continue blogging about books because I love writing about my feelings of what I read. I do plan to start bloghopping again--my apologies for not being around much these past five months. Whether or not you've missed me I have missed you and the interaction. Simply put I've felt overwhelmed and have needed to take a few months to clear my head and find my place. I partially feel like I'm running away from this blog, but I need a place that can be inclusive of all my blogging.

Plans for this blog. I'm not sure. For now I'm going to devote it entirely to the Non-Fiction Five Challenge. If you're signed up for the challenge, no worries--nothing will change. I'll probably change the name of the blog from Trish's Reading Nook to NFF and after that...I don't know. Honestly I don't want to think that far in advance. Classics Challenge is currently going on at its own blog (same as past two years).

Man--if I hit that "publish post" button this is really official huh? :)

Best Wishes and Happy Reading,

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

I've Moved Blogs!

To contact us Click HERE
I've moved to a new blog!  You can now find me at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity. 

www.lovelaughterinsanity.com

I'm still mostly on the bookish side of blogging, but the new home provides me a place where I can blog about all aspects of life.

I hope you'll visit if you haven't already!

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

Deleting Trish's Reading Nook

To contact us Click HERE
It's time y'all. Time to let this blog go. 

I will be deleting this blog on October 5, 2012. If you are still subscribed to this blog or still have it included in your sidebars, please update your information to Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity.

You can subscribe in a feed reader:
Or subscribe by email:

I truly appreciate you sticking with me all these years.

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart

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Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Author: E. Lockhart
Published: 2008 Pages: 342
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: 4.25/5

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is one of those books that I heard about all over the blogosphere and finally grabbed my own copy at Borders Bookstore from one of their bargain shelves. I'm kind of funny when it comes to reading reviews--I don't read a lot of summaries and I have a terrible memory, so I often go into books not knowing very much about them except that others really liked them. The case was the same for this one--and what a delightful surprise!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks besides having a terribly long title is the story of Frankie Landau-Banks during her sophomore year of high school when she decides to take down the school's secret society. After living in her older sister's footsteps during her freshman year, Frankie finally makes a breakout during her sophomore year and becomes involved with some of the cooler and older kids at school. One of the seniors, Matthew, begins courting her and thus begins a whirlwind romance as well as her secret involvement in the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, the secret male-only society. Upset about the continual lies, deceit, and hypocrisy, Frankie decides to take down the Loyal Order one prank at a time.

Mostly this book was just a lot of fun. Although Frankie is not the narrator, the narration focuses around her thoughts and actions, so we get to know her really well throughout the book. Frankie is a little insecure and eager to be accepted among her peers. Her mother still thinks Frankie is her little "Bunny Rabbit" and is constantly undermining her abilities and intelligence. Even in her involvement with Matthew, Frankie shows how important it is for her to make a name for herself and to be taken seriously.

The meat of the book comes from Frankie's growth and development throughout the book and her desire to become her own person. Frankie shows that she is every bit as clever and quick-witted as her male counterparts, but she must do most of this through a covert cover and the leader of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, Alpha, quickly takes credit for Frankie's work--even as the pranks become more and more serious. My favorite bit about Frankie, though, is her playfulness with the English language:

"[Matthew] got up from the desk, walked over to the couch on which she sat, and kissed her on the lips. There was nothing else around.

'Mmmm,' she whispered. 'Now I'm gruntled.'

'What?'

'Gruntled. I was disgruntled before.'

'Why?'

'It's drizzling, there's nothing to do but study, the vending machine's broken. You know, disgruntled.'

'And now you're...'

'Gruntled.'" (110).

Frankie is such a likeable character, and while some might be annoyed by her antics, I think Lockhart portrays Frankie as many teenaged girls are--someone who is just looking to become a part. My only regret about the book is the ending when although Frankie has learned a lot and accomplished a lot, she's still the teenaged girl who second guesses herself. This book has received some mixed-reviews, but generally I would recommend it. I certainly really enjoyed it!




On a side note: I'm taking a bit of a blogging break. I'm tired of whining about blogging, so I'm making this announcement kind of quietly. And who knows--maybe in a few days I'll change my mind. Ideally I'd still like to get my pending reviews written and posted, but I fear that otherwise I might be a bit sparse around the blogosphere. I've felt that blogging lately has become a lot of pressure and I'm trying to alleviate some of that pressure (mostly self-induced) and until I can figure that out...I'm in a state of avoidance. :) ____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show - Frank Delany

To contact us Click HERE
Title: Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show
Author: Frank Delany
Published: 2010 Pages: 427
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

Venetia Kelly came into the world in a fashion of mythic proportions: "She sprang from the womb and waved to the crowd. Then she smiled and took a bow" (3). What do you say about a book that begins with such oomph? Set mostly in 1930s Ireland during a tumultuous political period, Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show is one man's attempt the understand how his world all of a sudden tumbled upside down. Writing the story as an aging man, Ben looks back to when he was eighteen years old and met the wondrous and compelling Venetia Kelly.

This book is so many things that it is difficult to capture in a short synopsis. It is a book about a young man who is asked to do things he should have never been asked to do; political development and upheaval during a time when the world was spinning faster than it was turning; young but forbidden love of two people who so belonged together but didn't; storytelling--how can you have a book set in Ireland without storytelling? Ben is a wonderful narrator who spares no details in his stories, and even though he is a self-proclaimed digressor (one who digresses?) every bit of his story is intriguing.

I have very little complaint about Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show. I did have troubles getting into the story at first, much like I did with Delaney's novel Ireland*, and I can't quite put my finger on why. The writing, though sprawling, is very dense and detailed, and I found myself having to pay close attention to the story as small bits and pieces would resurface. But once immersed into the writing I found I wanted to read one more chapter and then another and then cursing that my lunch break was over and I'd have to wait to read more (the chapters are generally short and usually cliffhangery).

I think my 4.5/5 rating shows that I would highly recommend Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show, but I'll say it again. This book is a perfect blend of plot and characters and I was sad when I came upon the last page of the book. I was so caught up in the story and felt so much emotion for the characters that I even got misty-eyed over the ending. Narrator Ben explains at the beginning of the book that the story isn't over and that was a tough pill to swallow, but in the end this was a very satisfying read--a read that satisfied my love of literature and beautiful writing but also my love of a good story that had me at the edge of my seat wanting to know more until I turned the last page.

*Back in my first week of blogging I wrote some thoughts of Ireland. It's actually pretty funny to read now as I mention my tendency to ramble which has only gotten worse (?) as the years have gone on.

A big thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour. And a big thanks to Frank Delany for sharing the lives of Ben, Venetia, and even Blarney.

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

Saying Goodbye to Trish's Reading Nook - TSS

To contact us Click HERE

It is with much sadness that today I say goodbye to Trish's Reading Nook. I have been blogging here just shy of three years with 367 posts. Many of you have probably noticed my absence over the past five months. I've had some incredibly happy things happen--a new house and a new position at work--that have kept me busy and some sad things that have prevented me from spending too much time online. In the past five months I've experienced major blogger burnout and for a multitude of reasons I've decided it's time for me to hang up my hat here.

The past three years have been amazing. I've met some wonderful wonderful people and I've been stretched and pulled in directions I could have never imagined. The love of books in this community has been a constant joy for me and I would have never experienced this joy if not for blogging, reading challenges, and different blogging events such as the 24-hour-readathon. I've read things I never thought I'd read and been introduced to authors I was unfamiliar with. I've added hundreds of books to my shelves and even more to my wishlist. I've met bibliophiles from all corners of the world and connected on all different levels. And I've read more than probably all other years combined. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to leave me a comment, took the time to get to know me and allow me to get to know them, took the time to participant in my reading challenges (Classics Challenge, Non-Fiction Five Challenge, and even the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge). Thank you to the publishers and authors who have sent me books over the past two years. And finally thank you to the community for taking me in and allowing me to grow with you. According to Feedburner I currently have over 500 subscribers and I'm constantly baffled as that number continues to climb and grow even as my blogging has waned. I would have never imagined so many people would take an interest in my thoughts on books! And let me tell you that's a tough thing to give up--quite scary actually.

But with 500 subscribers also comes the pressure of maintaining this blog. Self-inflicted pressure, of course, but nonetheless. Without going too much into the negative (because, really what does it matter what my opinions are about the evolution of book blogging over the past several years), I simply feel as though I need to scale down a bit and simplify my blogging habits. I have started blogging again (although not bloghopping yet) and after months of mulling things over I've decided the best thing is to combine my efforts into one blog. Friends have asked if it might not be simpler to transfer my other blogging to this blog, but I kind of like the idea of a fresh start. And it is tough knowing that I've put hours and hours into this blog and hours and hours more into cultivating relationships with other bloggers and maintaining my place within the community. Of course I'll always consider myself a book blogger because that's how I started, but I don't want to be just a book blogger any longer. I want to have freedom to blog about what I would like to blog and I don't feel that I have that here. Silly, I know, but if you've been following for a while you know that my feelings are not always rational. :)

I'd love to invite you to visit me at my other blog: Love, Laughter, and Insanity. It is a blog where I post about personal aspects of my life but I have transfered all 367 posts and 7,000 comments from this blog over there--and in a way book blogging is personal as well. I do hope to continue blogging about books because I love writing about my feelings of what I read. I do plan to start bloghopping again--my apologies for not being around much these past five months. Whether or not you've missed me I have missed you and the interaction. Simply put I've felt overwhelmed and have needed to take a few months to clear my head and find my place. I partially feel like I'm running away from this blog, but I need a place that can be inclusive of all my blogging.

Plans for this blog. I'm not sure. For now I'm going to devote it entirely to the Non-Fiction Five Challenge. If you're signed up for the challenge, no worries--nothing will change. I'll probably change the name of the blog from Trish's Reading Nook to NFF and after that...I don't know. Honestly I don't want to think that far in advance. Classics Challenge is currently going on at its own blog (same as past two years).

Man--if I hit that "publish post" button this is really official huh? :)

Best Wishes and Happy Reading,

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

I've Moved Blogs!

To contact us Click HERE
I've moved to a new blog!  You can now find me at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity. 

www.lovelaughterinsanity.com

I'm still mostly on the bookish side of blogging, but the new home provides me a place where I can blog about all aspects of life.

I hope you'll visit if you haven't already!

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

Deleting Trish's Reading Nook

To contact us Click HERE
It's time y'all. Time to let this blog go. 

I will be deleting this blog on October 5, 2012. If you are still subscribed to this blog or still have it included in your sidebars, please update your information to Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity.

You can subscribe in a feed reader:
Or subscribe by email:

I truly appreciate you sticking with me all these years.

____________________________________ Come visit me at my new blog: Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity

His Name was Raoul Wallenberg: Courage, Rescue and Mystery During World War II by Louise Borden

To contact us Click HERE
In January, I was very pleased to learn that Louise Borden and her book His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg had been named winner of the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers by the Association of Jewish Libraries.  The Sydney Taylor Book Awards are given annually to those outstanding works that authentically portray the Jewish experience.

Born into a relatively well-to-do family of bankers in Stockholm, Sweden in 1912, Raoul Wallenberg was always excited and curious about everything and his endeavors were encouraged and supported by his family.  At age 11, he traveled alone from Sweden to Turkey on the Orient Express to visit his grandfather, Gustaf Wallenberg, Sweden's minister to Turkey.  And at age 19, he left Sweden to attend college at the University of Michigan, majoring in Engineering.  When he returned to Europe, Raoul spent time travelling and as he did, he began to hear stories from Jews who has escaped Hitler's Germany, stories about new laws, beatings and even murder inflicted on Jews by the Nazi government.

Raoul had taken a job and was an excellent salesman, helped by his ability to speak different languages.   But pretty soon the world was at war.  As he watched country after country fall to Nazi occupation, he worried about Sweden's neutrality.  Denmark and Norway, close neighbor, had already fallen to the Nazis.  When roundups and deportations were announced in Denmark in 1943, Sweden gave permission for Danish Jews to enter the country, saved by the many Danish fisherman willing to sail them there.  Swedish freedom and neutrality remained intact.

Hungary was also a country with a large Jewish population, but it was not a neutral and in 1944, it, too, became a Nazi occupied country.  Roundups and deportations of Hungarian Jews began and many went to the Swedish embassy seeking visas to Sweden.  But the War Refugee Board in America wanted a neutral Swede to organize some relief for the Jews in Hungary.  Raoul Wallenberg, with his  many languages and skill as a salesman, was just the person they needed.

Wallenberg devised a legal looking Protection Pass or Schutzpass that were like Swedish passports and protected the bearer from deportation.   Wallenberg even created a single Schutzpass that protected whole families.  But the Schutzpass, which probably saved around 20,000 people, was only one way Wallenberg worked to help Hungarian Jews.

Ironically, the man who worked tirelessly to save Jews, was picked up by the Soviet military in Hungary and on January 17, 1945, he was last seen being driven away in a Soviet car, and was never to be heard from again.

The details of Wallenberg's life and the work he did saving Jews in Hungary are all nicely detailed in-depth in Borden's free verse biography of this incredible man.  His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg is beautifully put together, divided into 15 sections, each one chronicling a period of Wallenberg's life with a wealth of supporting photographs and other documents that give a comprehensive picture of his life as he grows and changes and even goes beyond his disappearance up to the present.   As you will discover when you read the Author's Note at the back, Borden had the privilege of working closely with his family over many years and so had much more personal insight into the real child and man that was Raoul Wallenberg than biographers are generally privy to.  And that shows throughout the book.

But His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg is more than just a biography, it is a shining example of one man who rose to the challenge at a very bleak time in history and who made a difference in the world, saving so many Hungarian Jews from certain death.  Borden has written a book that is a fine addition to the whole body of Holocaust literature and anyone interested in the Jewish experience at that time.

Raoul Wallenberg was named Righteous Among The Nations by Yad Vashem in 1963 in Israel.

Come back tomorrow for an interview with Louise Borden.

This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was purchased for my personal library

You can find more information about Raoul Wallenberg at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, here

You can find more on Raoul Wallenberg and the plight of Hungarian Jews at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum here

Be sure to visit Louise Borden's website here

This review also appears on my other blog Randomly Reading

Nonfiction Monday is hosted this week byAbby the Librarian