So, I have been reading A LOT lately.
Here are my new recommendations:
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett- if you are in the mood for a good old fashioned detective novel... this is the book for you. It comes complete with the private dick sitting behind his desk, a dame who needs rescuing and wears bright red lipstick, and bad guys packing serious heat. The word "look-see" is even used. What more could you ask for?
The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White- An amazing ghost story/ mystery. Not too scary, but I wouldn't recommend reading it alone at night. Plus, a super frustrating almost relationship... I'm a sucker for those.
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson- A mystery wrapped around a totally dysfunctional family that loves and hates each other...
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton- This is about a girl trying to find her grandmother's real family. It goes back a couple of generations and reveals some pretty crazy family secrets. I love the mystery of uncovering family secrets.
If you are looking for a book series may I recommend:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- I seriously couldn't stop reading until both of the books in this series were done. The third one comes out in August. I can't wait. Literally.
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull- This series is geared towards a younger audience (they were recommended to me by a 12 year old). But they are really good. There are secret preserves with mythical creatures, kids with special powers, and awesome demonic dragon bad guys. Truly a fantastic fantasy.
That is all for now. Happy reading.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The Book Boss Strikes Again
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks for a good cry.
Dracula by Bram Stoker for a little mystery, a little vampire hunting, and lots of manly men.
Dracula by Bram Stoker for a little mystery, a little vampire hunting, and lots of manly men.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Dracula
My mom signed up for this book club many moons ago. They send her a leather bound copy of one of the 100 greatest books of all time every month until she has all of them. She started like six years ago. No one has ever read any of them. They just sit on the shelf collecting dust. A travesty. So I decided to read them. All of them. I'm half way through my first selection, Dracula and I am immensely enjoying it. It is a very easy read and it is written beautifully. The only problem is that I'm a big baby and it scares me to read it at night. Haha. I thought that giving updates on what I'm reading and what I think about it would fulfill my Midget's request for a book review (let me know if I'm wrong) and give me something to blog about. So here's to vampires!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Disneyland!!!
So for spring break (yes, I am actually that far behind...) my Ho and I took a trip to Disneyland, aka, the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH (unless you're stupid like my Robert friend and think the happiest place on earth is Zion National Park). We stayed at my mom's house in Vegas the night of Sunday the 14th. Then we woke up around noon and drove to Anaheim. We checked into our hotel and took off to Disney. The first night we hit Pirates of the Caribbean (our favorite), the Haunted Mansion (our least favorite), the finding Nemo submarine ride, and the toy story ride where you shoot things... haha. It was so exciting to be at Disneyland- I hadn't been there since high school and I have to say- it really made me feel like a child again. It's exactly the way it was when I was little so I can still remember how everything seemed like magic then. It's still pretty magical- mainly because of that. We went back to our hotel when the park closed at midnight.
The next day we got up and had breakfast at our hotel- it was possibly the worst service I have ever had in my life... we waited a half an hour for our bill!!! Then we finally got to go to Disneyland! We thought we were going to see Honey I Shrunk the Audience but it was really Captain EO- a Michael Jackson video. It was soooo awesome! haha. We laughed pretty dang hard. I now dream of using a rainbow as a weapon. We went on rides until like four then we went back to the hotel and Casi took a nap. Then we went back to the park to catch the parade. We continued on to ride all the other rides in Disneyland, except Splash Mountain. I remember finding the Alice in Wonderland ride a lot more exciting as a child. And no matter what I always love It's A Small World. I even tried to get Casi to ride it again.
Wednesday we hit California Adventure. It was St. Patrick's Day- my absolute favorite holiday! So of course I was wearing a green Kiss Me I'm Irish shirt. The front of my shirt said kiss me and the back said I'm Irish. While we were standing in line Casi was trying to get a tan so I traded her spots because I had better sun exposure. She thought I was being nice... I turned around and said "read" and she was like "I'm Irish" and I said, "Yes, that's Gaelic for I melt in the sun." Haha. I have to admit the Soaring Over California was pretty cool. However, California Screamer or whatever it is called made me sick to my stomach. We enjoyed the Toy Story shooting ride immensely. And Casi got to know a side of me that she had never seen before. While playing the Toy Story shooting game Casi got a better score than me (she's in the army) but her accuracy was only like 30%. So I had to point out to her that she might have scored more than me, but my shots were 20% more accurate than hers. She turned to me and said, "And I never knew you were so competitive." Haha. We went to the Bug's Life show. I did not like getting slimed, stung, and bitten. Haha. We went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and as we were walking back Casi started cheering, "U-G-L-Y you ain't got no... what the heck is that?" I said, "It's a cheer." And she said, "No, that!" and pointed at a man in a Bubba Gump Shrimp costume that looked kind of like a penis. I said, "Oh, that's a shrimp". We decided that was one of the funnier sounding conversations we have had. We went back to the hotel for another nap after that. It was around this time that I was really wishing I could fly because my feet wanted to disconnect and run away. Haha. We went back to Disneyland and stood around for an hour in the pavilion waiting for the fireworks show. After the fireworks we went on Splash Mountain. I kind of wish we would have gotten the picture because if you could have seen my face you all would have died. I hate log rides. When I was little I used to close my eyes as soon as we got in the log and I wouldn't open them until the ride stopped. As a grown up I only felt the need to close my eyes for the drop. But they were very firmly closed and scrunched up. Haha. Gotta make sure I absolutely do not see any of the drop.
Thursday we decided to just take pictures. Here they are. For you my Midget. We actually stood in line for like an hour and a half to get our pictures taken with the Princesses. Tiana was very spunky- we liked her a lot.
We got to meet Minnie, my favorite... see our Minnie ears and my Minnie shirt?
And Mickey- while we were standing in line to meet Mickey, Minnie cut the line and made-out with him! Scandalous! Haha. Did you know that they are just dating after all these years? Men.
Jasmine...
Belle is my Princess! Nicole is Ariel, Bridget is Aurora, Casi is Mulan, and I am Belle. She has brown hair and likes to read... ME!
This was in Minnie's house. Her fashion magazine has Jessica Rabbit on the cover. Love it!
After we finished taking pictures we thought our feet needed to be amputated. Then we got lost in Anaheim. Then stuck on the 91 for a good two hours. Haha. It was an excellent trip over all. I loved going to Disneyland, meeting all our favorite characters, and spending four days with one of my best friends in the whole universe. Thanks for a great week Ho! I love you to pieces!
The next day we got up and had breakfast at our hotel- it was possibly the worst service I have ever had in my life... we waited a half an hour for our bill!!! Then we finally got to go to Disneyland! We thought we were going to see Honey I Shrunk the Audience but it was really Captain EO- a Michael Jackson video. It was soooo awesome! haha. We laughed pretty dang hard. I now dream of using a rainbow as a weapon. We went on rides until like four then we went back to the hotel and Casi took a nap. Then we went back to the park to catch the parade. We continued on to ride all the other rides in Disneyland, except Splash Mountain. I remember finding the Alice in Wonderland ride a lot more exciting as a child. And no matter what I always love It's A Small World. I even tried to get Casi to ride it again.
Wednesday we hit California Adventure. It was St. Patrick's Day- my absolute favorite holiday! So of course I was wearing a green Kiss Me I'm Irish shirt. The front of my shirt said kiss me and the back said I'm Irish. While we were standing in line Casi was trying to get a tan so I traded her spots because I had better sun exposure. She thought I was being nice... I turned around and said "read" and she was like "I'm Irish" and I said, "Yes, that's Gaelic for I melt in the sun." Haha. I have to admit the Soaring Over California was pretty cool. However, California Screamer or whatever it is called made me sick to my stomach. We enjoyed the Toy Story shooting ride immensely. And Casi got to know a side of me that she had never seen before. While playing the Toy Story shooting game Casi got a better score than me (she's in the army) but her accuracy was only like 30%. So I had to point out to her that she might have scored more than me, but my shots were 20% more accurate than hers. She turned to me and said, "And I never knew you were so competitive." Haha. We went to the Bug's Life show. I did not like getting slimed, stung, and bitten. Haha. We went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and as we were walking back Casi started cheering, "U-G-L-Y you ain't got no... what the heck is that?" I said, "It's a cheer." And she said, "No, that!" and pointed at a man in a Bubba Gump Shrimp costume that looked kind of like a penis. I said, "Oh, that's a shrimp". We decided that was one of the funnier sounding conversations we have had. We went back to the hotel for another nap after that. It was around this time that I was really wishing I could fly because my feet wanted to disconnect and run away. Haha. We went back to Disneyland and stood around for an hour in the pavilion waiting for the fireworks show. After the fireworks we went on Splash Mountain. I kind of wish we would have gotten the picture because if you could have seen my face you all would have died. I hate log rides. When I was little I used to close my eyes as soon as we got in the log and I wouldn't open them until the ride stopped. As a grown up I only felt the need to close my eyes for the drop. But they were very firmly closed and scrunched up. Haha. Gotta make sure I absolutely do not see any of the drop.
Thursday we decided to just take pictures. Here they are. For you my Midget. We actually stood in line for like an hour and a half to get our pictures taken with the Princesses. Tiana was very spunky- we liked her a lot.
We got to meet Minnie, my favorite... see our Minnie ears and my Minnie shirt? 
And Mickey- while we were standing in line to meet Mickey, Minnie cut the line and made-out with him! Scandalous! Haha. Did you know that they are just dating after all these years? Men.
Jasmine...
Belle is my Princess! Nicole is Ariel, Bridget is Aurora, Casi is Mulan, and I am Belle. She has brown hair and likes to read... ME!
This was in Minnie's house. Her fashion magazine has Jessica Rabbit on the cover. Love it!
After we finished taking pictures we thought our feet needed to be amputated. Then we got lost in Anaheim. Then stuck on the 91 for a good two hours. Haha. It was an excellent trip over all. I loved going to Disneyland, meeting all our favorite characters, and spending four days with one of my best friends in the whole universe. Thanks for a great week Ho! I love you to pieces!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Being bookwormy and bossy
Ok, so my midget wants me to write a blog suggesting books for others to read. Not that she has the time to read, but whatever... I aim to please. Haha. I figured I should probably stick to books that I have already read... which means that I reserve the right to add to this list at a future date, probably multiple future dates. For now I am suggesting my absolute all time favorites and a few that I have recently read. So here goes: (These are in no particular order...)
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- I'm going to be honest and say that this is not my favorite Jane Austen book, however, it is most people's and a good gateway to reading Jane Austen's other works. Which, if it didn't sound overly ambitious, I would just say read the complete works of Jane Austen because I love all the rules and I love how everything turns out just right in the end... I frequently wish the real world was like a Jane Austen novel.
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- you had to know I was going to slip my classics in... Here's the reason I love Jane Eyre, it's a classic love story/mystery. It has it all. Including a crazy lady living in the attic.
3. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett- This book is like a combination of all my favorite classics, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, etc. However, there's this wonderful plot twist of magicians and witches and all sorts of lovely magic and bad guys.
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- I just love the imagery in this book. Fitzgerald paints this beautiful picture of life in the 1920's and I want to go there.
5. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger- This book has haunted me since the first time I read it. Some parts are a little inappropriate I suggest skipping over them, the book is totally worth it. It's probably one of the most beautiful and complicated love stories I've ever read.
6. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan- This book is about a child who thinks she can fly and solve a murder. Anyone who has ever met me should understand why this appeals to me... The way the novel is written is almost like a song in itself- it's beautiful.
7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier- This is probably my favorite book of all time. But the first chapter is really hard to get through so just bear with it for a while. This novel has a love story, a crazy mystery, and it is also kind of haunting. My three favorite things in a book.
8. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz- This is a book about a fry cook who can see ghosts. Thomas is so charming and so awkward and the story is different from anything else you will ever read. Which is why I love it.
9. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks- in a way, I hate this book. Like really hate it. But, the story stays with you for a long time after you finish it and after a while it seems like it might have ended right after all.
10. Atonement by Ian McEwan- I love this story because it starts from a child's point of view. I also love this story because everything goes gloriously wrong because a child's imagination goes wild. The characters in this book seem real to me, they are probably the most real character descriptions I have ever read.
11. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale- This is a nice, light, easy read. It is entertaining the whole time. And as opposed to most of my favorites, it doesn't make you think too much and it doesn't leave you feeling haunted by the story. It's just a really fun fairytale.
12. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous- This is a journal written by a young woman who becomes addicted to drugs. If you've ever had an interest in the mind of drug addict this is a fascinating read. It also describes what it's like to do LSD and serves as a cautionary tale.
13. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman- This book is written backwards. I love that. It starts now and then tells the story of the generation before. I like it because you start out knowing the end, but not the beginning.
14. The Givenchy Code and the Manolo Matrix by Julie Kenner- This is actually two books. But they are by the same author so I counted them as one. These books have the cyphers and codes of an awesome mystery combined with cool locations in New York and fashion... need I say more.
15. The Work and the Glory by Gerald Lund- amazing stories that actually teach you church history.
16. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks- Everytime I pick up an old book I wonder who made the book, how it was made, and I wonder about the people who read it before me. This book is about a special book and tells the stories of all those different people. Plus, there is a mystery!
17. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell- I'm going to admit upfront that this is a really long book but it doesn't seem like it while you're reading it. The main character is so flawed in this book, but you are still drawn to her and her story. Plus, it's an excellent way to get interested in the civil war.
18. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood- probably my favorite dystopian novel. It shows you what the possibilities are when the world goes crazy. It's not a world I would want to live in, but I found it incredibly interesting.
19. 1984 by George Orwell- It's a pretty easy read and I support anything that encourages a healthy suspicion and questioning of authority. It might make you a little paranoid of big brother for a while, but who says that's a bad thing?
That's it. I hope you find something on my list that you want to read or at the very least that it inspires you to pick up a book. Happy Reading!
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- I'm going to be honest and say that this is not my favorite Jane Austen book, however, it is most people's and a good gateway to reading Jane Austen's other works. Which, if it didn't sound overly ambitious, I would just say read the complete works of Jane Austen because I love all the rules and I love how everything turns out just right in the end... I frequently wish the real world was like a Jane Austen novel.
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- you had to know I was going to slip my classics in... Here's the reason I love Jane Eyre, it's a classic love story/mystery. It has it all. Including a crazy lady living in the attic.
3. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett- This book is like a combination of all my favorite classics, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, etc. However, there's this wonderful plot twist of magicians and witches and all sorts of lovely magic and bad guys.
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- I just love the imagery in this book. Fitzgerald paints this beautiful picture of life in the 1920's and I want to go there.
5. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger- This book has haunted me since the first time I read it. Some parts are a little inappropriate I suggest skipping over them, the book is totally worth it. It's probably one of the most beautiful and complicated love stories I've ever read.
6. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan- This book is about a child who thinks she can fly and solve a murder. Anyone who has ever met me should understand why this appeals to me... The way the novel is written is almost like a song in itself- it's beautiful.
7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier- This is probably my favorite book of all time. But the first chapter is really hard to get through so just bear with it for a while. This novel has a love story, a crazy mystery, and it is also kind of haunting. My three favorite things in a book.
8. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz- This is a book about a fry cook who can see ghosts. Thomas is so charming and so awkward and the story is different from anything else you will ever read. Which is why I love it.
9. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks- in a way, I hate this book. Like really hate it. But, the story stays with you for a long time after you finish it and after a while it seems like it might have ended right after all.
10. Atonement by Ian McEwan- I love this story because it starts from a child's point of view. I also love this story because everything goes gloriously wrong because a child's imagination goes wild. The characters in this book seem real to me, they are probably the most real character descriptions I have ever read.
11. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale- This is a nice, light, easy read. It is entertaining the whole time. And as opposed to most of my favorites, it doesn't make you think too much and it doesn't leave you feeling haunted by the story. It's just a really fun fairytale.
12. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous- This is a journal written by a young woman who becomes addicted to drugs. If you've ever had an interest in the mind of drug addict this is a fascinating read. It also describes what it's like to do LSD and serves as a cautionary tale.
13. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman- This book is written backwards. I love that. It starts now and then tells the story of the generation before. I like it because you start out knowing the end, but not the beginning.
14. The Givenchy Code and the Manolo Matrix by Julie Kenner- This is actually two books. But they are by the same author so I counted them as one. These books have the cyphers and codes of an awesome mystery combined with cool locations in New York and fashion... need I say more.
15. The Work and the Glory by Gerald Lund- amazing stories that actually teach you church history.
16. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks- Everytime I pick up an old book I wonder who made the book, how it was made, and I wonder about the people who read it before me. This book is about a special book and tells the stories of all those different people. Plus, there is a mystery!
17. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell- I'm going to admit upfront that this is a really long book but it doesn't seem like it while you're reading it. The main character is so flawed in this book, but you are still drawn to her and her story. Plus, it's an excellent way to get interested in the civil war.
18. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood- probably my favorite dystopian novel. It shows you what the possibilities are when the world goes crazy. It's not a world I would want to live in, but I found it incredibly interesting.
19. 1984 by George Orwell- It's a pretty easy read and I support anything that encourages a healthy suspicion and questioning of authority. It might make you a little paranoid of big brother for a while, but who says that's a bad thing?
That's it. I hope you find something on my list that you want to read or at the very least that it inspires you to pick up a book. Happy Reading!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
My Other Resolution Was A Lie!
Since making my non-New Year's resolution, I have become addicted to The Legend of The Seeker. And therefore my actual New Year's resolution is to become this lady:
Her name is Kahlan and she is super pretty, kicks serious bad guy trash, and has the ability to make any man her love slave! This might even supercede my childhood wish to become Wonder Woman... it's hard to tell. Kahlan can use her powers to discern the truth- Wonder Woman has a lasso of truth. And it's a toss-up who has a better outfit... So yeah, that's my new quest. Anyway you can help me achieve this goal would be much appreciated. Haha. You know you love me!
Her name is Kahlan and she is super pretty, kicks serious bad guy trash, and has the ability to make any man her love slave! This might even supercede my childhood wish to become Wonder Woman... it's hard to tell. Kahlan can use her powers to discern the truth- Wonder Woman has a lasso of truth. And it's a toss-up who has a better outfit... So yeah, that's my new quest. Anyway you can help me achieve this goal would be much appreciated. Haha. You know you love me!
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