E. D. Baker is the author of the book The Frog Princess, which I'm told inspired the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.
Princess Emeralda is an only child and a huge disappointment to her mother. She cannot seem to do anything gracefully; even her laughter is inelegant. The book does not force her to suffer with a few snorts now and again. No, Emma's problem is much worse: she sounds like a braying donkey.
Her only consolation is her aunt Grassina, the Green Witch of Greater Greensward. The Green Witch is the nicest and most powerful witch in the entire country, and Grassina wants to train Emma to be the next Green Witch.
Sadly, there's a problem here, too. Emma's magic always - always - goes askew. Her baked crabapple goodies actually grow legs and claws and run around pinching everyone. Her cleaning spells toss her favorite ribbons into a dungheap.
One day while trying to find consolation in the swamp outside the castle, Emma runs into a talking frog named Eadric begging for a kiss to turn him human again. Although Emma is fully convinced that the prince, if he is who he says he is, deserved his punishment, she eventually agrees to turn him back human.
Somehow, even this goes wrong. Emma is turned into a frog, and Eadric is unchanged!
The two try to find some other way to reverse the spell and get them both human again. Sadly, the swamp is full of dangers. And of course, Emma can't just find any normal frog prince. She is actually stuck with a frog prince whom she is convinced must be the most annoying prince ever.
Aside from his knack for irritating her and flirting with her, at least Emma believes he is trustworthy.
...Is he?
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Shannon Hale
I guess I've pretty much covered all of Shannon Hale's books that I've read, though she has written other books as well.
Hale has written a series called Austenland, which is apparently based on Jane Austen's books - or was it just based on Pride and Prejudice? I have not read Austen's works, so I have opted not to read this series either.
Hale has another series called Rapunzel's Revenge. She co-wrote this series with her husband, and I'm honestly not sure why I have not read at least the first book in the series. I'll have to see if my library has it.
One of her books is titled The Actor and the Housewife, and I believe it is geared for an older audience. The book's summary says basically that an actor and a man's wife become friends, and just friends - or do they?
Hale also has written a series of books called Ever After High, where the children of fairytale characters get together for school and vow to follow in their parents' footsteps; however, the daughter of a villain doesn't want to be a villain. I've seen bits of the first book in the bookstore, and I'd like to read more. I'm just not sure if I want it badly enough to buy it.
There are a few other books she has written, though I don't believe they are part of a series. Although, I noticed she wrote one book that is number four in a series, but I didn't see any of the other books on her list of written books.
If you would like to see a list of all the books Shannon Hale has written, here is the link to her list on Goodreads. See you tomorrow for a different author!
Hale has written a series called Austenland, which is apparently based on Jane Austen's books - or was it just based on Pride and Prejudice? I have not read Austen's works, so I have opted not to read this series either.
Hale has another series called Rapunzel's Revenge. She co-wrote this series with her husband, and I'm honestly not sure why I have not read at least the first book in the series. I'll have to see if my library has it.
One of her books is titled The Actor and the Housewife, and I believe it is geared for an older audience. The book's summary says basically that an actor and a man's wife become friends, and just friends - or do they?
Hale also has written a series of books called Ever After High, where the children of fairytale characters get together for school and vow to follow in their parents' footsteps; however, the daughter of a villain doesn't want to be a villain. I've seen bits of the first book in the bookstore, and I'd like to read more. I'm just not sure if I want it badly enough to buy it.
There are a few other books she has written, though I don't believe they are part of a series. Although, I noticed she wrote one book that is number four in a series, but I didn't see any of the other books on her list of written books.
If you would like to see a list of all the books Shannon Hale has written, here is the link to her list on Goodreads. See you tomorrow for a different author!
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Book of a Thousand Days
Book of a Thousand Days is a stand-alone book by Shannon Hale, written in the form of a diary.
The protagonist of this book is Dashti, a mucker maid who arrives at a palace to serve her lady Saren just as the Saren's father is locking Saren up in a tower for seven years.
Dashti vows to serve the lady even in the tower, and thus begins years of agonizing darkness and rats and spoiled grain.
When Dashti finally breaks out of the tower, she and Saren find the world completely different from the way they left it. They begin a long journey to Saren's fiance's kingdom, where they will hopefully be safe.
Safety is a major thing for Saren, and it drives Dashti nuts. She tries to faithfully serve Saren no matter what, but Dashti is only human. She can only deal with so much when Saren refuses to tell anyone the reason behind her paranoia.
Then one day, Saren finally spills her terrifying secret to Dashti. Dashti finally realizes why fear has ruled Saren's life.
However, rather than curl up in terror herself, Dashti forms a plan. She is a mucker, after all; muckers are strong, and they survive no matter what the odds.
But has Dashti perhaps finally met her match? She's taking a huge gamble, it could very easily backfire in many ways.
There are bits of this story that I don't really care for, or even really like; but overall, this really is an enjoyable read.
The protagonist of this book is Dashti, a mucker maid who arrives at a palace to serve her lady Saren just as the Saren's father is locking Saren up in a tower for seven years.
Dashti vows to serve the lady even in the tower, and thus begins years of agonizing darkness and rats and spoiled grain.
When Dashti finally breaks out of the tower, she and Saren find the world completely different from the way they left it. They begin a long journey to Saren's fiance's kingdom, where they will hopefully be safe.
Safety is a major thing for Saren, and it drives Dashti nuts. She tries to faithfully serve Saren no matter what, but Dashti is only human. She can only deal with so much when Saren refuses to tell anyone the reason behind her paranoia.
Then one day, Saren finally spills her terrifying secret to Dashti. Dashti finally realizes why fear has ruled Saren's life.
However, rather than curl up in terror herself, Dashti forms a plan. She is a mucker, after all; muckers are strong, and they survive no matter what the odds.
But has Dashti perhaps finally met her match? She's taking a huge gamble, it could very easily backfire in many ways.
There are bits of this story that I don't really care for, or even really like; but overall, this really is an enjoyable read.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Palace of Stone
Shock and surprise - we actually get a repeat protagonist with Shannon Hale!
Miri returns as the heroine in Palace of Stone, the sequel to Princess Academy. Miri is actually leaving her mountain in order to attend her best friend's wedding.
What is waiting for her in the lowlands is more than she could ever have imagined. So many kinds of people, good and bad, rich and poor, most unhappy, enter into Miri's life. She begins to question herself all over again, and there are even times she wonders about her best friend.
While Miri is busy doing what she loves best, learning, her friends are also getting involved in activities in which they can shine.
For time out of mind, the people of Mount Eskel have been considered too stupid for any task but quarrying. To be able to change that stereotype is an adventure, and most of Miri's friends are up to the challenge.
I really enjoyed the repeat protagonist. Miri started out the series completely naive and ignorant. By the end of the first book, she had learned a lot more about herself and her family and her mountain.
But in this book, there is clearly so much more left to learn. The world is much bigger than her mountain; the lowlands are so vast, full of so many strange customs. Miri learned about some of them during her time in the Academy, but actually living them is so different.
Miri's solution to her problem is very Miri-like. Just like the flower she's named after, she eventually finds a way to survive and even thrive against all odds.
Miri returns as the heroine in Palace of Stone, the sequel to Princess Academy. Miri is actually leaving her mountain in order to attend her best friend's wedding.
What is waiting for her in the lowlands is more than she could ever have imagined. So many kinds of people, good and bad, rich and poor, most unhappy, enter into Miri's life. She begins to question herself all over again, and there are even times she wonders about her best friend.
While Miri is busy doing what she loves best, learning, her friends are also getting involved in activities in which they can shine.
For time out of mind, the people of Mount Eskel have been considered too stupid for any task but quarrying. To be able to change that stereotype is an adventure, and most of Miri's friends are up to the challenge.
I really enjoyed the repeat protagonist. Miri started out the series completely naive and ignorant. By the end of the first book, she had learned a lot more about herself and her family and her mountain.
But in this book, there is clearly so much more left to learn. The world is much bigger than her mountain; the lowlands are so vast, full of so many strange customs. Miri learned about some of them during her time in the Academy, but actually living them is so different.
Miri's solution to her problem is very Miri-like. Just like the flower she's named after, she eventually finds a way to survive and even thrive against all odds.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Princess Academy
Shannon Hale has written two other books that she once said she considers to be a part of the same world in which Bayern exists, but in a different time and on a different continent. The first of these books is Princess Academy.
The main character is Miri, a young girl named after the only flower that can grow on her rocky mountain. Like the flower, Miri is small and, compared to everyone else in the village, weak.
Everyone in the village except Miri works in the quarry; it is the only source of income the people of Mount Eskel have. Miri tends to the goats.
Then, shock and surprise. Important lowlanders show up on the mountain and order almost every eligible girl in the village to walk three hours away to an academy where they're expected to spend the next several months away from family learning how to be proper ladies.
Why? The priests have declared that the prince's next bride is among the girls on Mount Eskel. Miri has a shot at proving her worth!
This book has high points and low, a few danger scenes, and some drama. But best of all, Hale shows us two new things: a new language in something one would never before have expected and more than just the protagonist gets her story wrapped up all nicely with no strings left open.
The main character is Miri, a young girl named after the only flower that can grow on her rocky mountain. Like the flower, Miri is small and, compared to everyone else in the village, weak.
Everyone in the village except Miri works in the quarry; it is the only source of income the people of Mount Eskel have. Miri tends to the goats.
Then, shock and surprise. Important lowlanders show up on the mountain and order almost every eligible girl in the village to walk three hours away to an academy where they're expected to spend the next several months away from family learning how to be proper ladies.
Why? The priests have declared that the prince's next bride is among the girls on Mount Eskel. Miri has a shot at proving her worth!
This book has high points and low, a few danger scenes, and some drama. But best of all, Hale shows us two new things: a new language in something one would never before have expected and more than just the protagonist gets her story wrapped up all nicely with no strings left open.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Forest Born
Hey, sorry this post is so late; my Internet's been acting up. Anyways, the fourth and final book in the Books of Bayern is Forest Born.
This book's protagonist is Rinna, but believe me when I say we get plenty of time with our former lovable characters as well. This book kind of ties everything together.
Rinna is Razo's little sister, but that's about all anyone really knows about her. Rinna doesn't really let anyone see her for who she really is because, frankly, she's afraid of herself. So instead of being herself, she tends to reflect the personalities of those with whom she associates, especially her mother.
But at the point at which the book begins, Rinna is not just afraid; she's scared to death for her life and doesn't know why.
So she runs.
Rinna eventually finds herself invaluable to the queen of Bayern, but it does nothing to ease her terror and dread. She saves lives, but the method she used to do so makes her want to curl up and wither away.
And then she finally learns the reason why, but putting a name to her terror only petrifies her even more.
This book definitely has a darker tone throughout than any of the other books. And I must admit, that's probably the reason I don't particularly care for Rinna, even though she does eventually blossom into a wonderful young woman who knows her place in the world and is comfortable with it.
All in all, a pretty good book. Hopefully there will be more to come, though. I would really like to get to know Rinna better now that she's confronted who she is and realizes that that's not the end of the world.
This book's protagonist is Rinna, but believe me when I say we get plenty of time with our former lovable characters as well. This book kind of ties everything together.
Rinna is Razo's little sister, but that's about all anyone really knows about her. Rinna doesn't really let anyone see her for who she really is because, frankly, she's afraid of herself. So instead of being herself, she tends to reflect the personalities of those with whom she associates, especially her mother.
But at the point at which the book begins, Rinna is not just afraid; she's scared to death for her life and doesn't know why.
So she runs.
Rinna eventually finds herself invaluable to the queen of Bayern, but it does nothing to ease her terror and dread. She saves lives, but the method she used to do so makes her want to curl up and wither away.
And then she finally learns the reason why, but putting a name to her terror only petrifies her even more.
This book definitely has a darker tone throughout than any of the other books. And I must admit, that's probably the reason I don't particularly care for Rinna, even though she does eventually blossom into a wonderful young woman who knows her place in the world and is comfortable with it.
All in all, a pretty good book. Hopefully there will be more to come, though. I would really like to get to know Rinna better now that she's confronted who she is and realizes that that's not the end of the world.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
River Secrets
River Secrets is the third book in Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series.
The protagonist this time is a Razo, a shepherd boy in the first book and a warrior come the second book. Now, Razo is one of the King's Own, a group of one hundred of the best soldiers who serve directly under the king.
Great, right?
Just one problem: No one, especially Razo, can figure out how he's made it this far, and why on earth was he of all people chosen to be among the company going south for a peace trip into the country they had been at war with in just the last book?
Razo quickly finds himself in deeper danger than anyone else in the company. All evidence seems to point that they have a fire-speaker somewhere on the loose, and the fire-speaker plus an angry terrorist organization are after the Bayern diplomat.
Worst of all, Razo fears there is also a people-speaker. Can one sweet, bubbly redhead really be that wonderful, or is she trapping Razo with the power lacing her every word?
I think this book, or Goose Girl, is probably my favorite in the series. Razo is super awesome, even if he doesn't know it. And anytime he does start to get a big head, we can count on something happening instantly to bring him down a notch or two. Aside from some head swelling with pride, we do get to see Razo grow in confidence because for once, he has someone who believes in him and sees something no one else does.
Razo's mischievousness is something that never changes; but by the end of the book, I think it's safe to say our lovable shepherd boy who can never tell a lie has become a man.
The protagonist this time is a Razo, a shepherd boy in the first book and a warrior come the second book. Now, Razo is one of the King's Own, a group of one hundred of the best soldiers who serve directly under the king.
Great, right?
Just one problem: No one, especially Razo, can figure out how he's made it this far, and why on earth was he of all people chosen to be among the company going south for a peace trip into the country they had been at war with in just the last book?
Razo quickly finds himself in deeper danger than anyone else in the company. All evidence seems to point that they have a fire-speaker somewhere on the loose, and the fire-speaker plus an angry terrorist organization are after the Bayern diplomat.
Worst of all, Razo fears there is also a people-speaker. Can one sweet, bubbly redhead really be that wonderful, or is she trapping Razo with the power lacing her every word?
I think this book, or Goose Girl, is probably my favorite in the series. Razo is super awesome, even if he doesn't know it. And anytime he does start to get a big head, we can count on something happening instantly to bring him down a notch or two. Aside from some head swelling with pride, we do get to see Razo grow in confidence because for once, he has someone who believes in him and sees something no one else does.
Razo's mischievousness is something that never changes; but by the end of the book, I think it's safe to say our lovable shepherd boy who can never tell a lie has become a man.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Enna Burning
The next book in Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series is Enna Burning.
The protagonist in this book is Enna, a girl Ani befriended during her time as a goose girl. Enna no longer works at the animal place; she returned home to take care of her brother and sick mother. By the time the story starts, her mother had died.
After a freak accident with fire when her brother loses his temper, Enna seeks out Ani, who is now known by her friends as Isi, for advice.
Spoiler alert for the previous book! Isi had learned the language of the wind, and it helped her survive more than once. But now, the wind has begun overpowering her, and Isi can scarcely hear her friends' voices for the wind's.
Nonetheless, Enna and Isi decide Enna's brother must have somehow learned the language of fire, and that fire was more ferocious than wind, meaning that Enna's brother was losing control more rapidly than Isi was.
There's not really much time to find out, though. Bayern is attacked from the south, and suddenly the country is at war.
Some people die. Some people are changed forever. But mostly, Enna is changed forever.
The protagonist in this book is Enna, a girl Ani befriended during her time as a goose girl. Enna no longer works at the animal place; she returned home to take care of her brother and sick mother. By the time the story starts, her mother had died.
After a freak accident with fire when her brother loses his temper, Enna seeks out Ani, who is now known by her friends as Isi, for advice.
Spoiler alert for the previous book! Isi had learned the language of the wind, and it helped her survive more than once. But now, the wind has begun overpowering her, and Isi can scarcely hear her friends' voices for the wind's.
Nonetheless, Enna and Isi decide Enna's brother must have somehow learned the language of fire, and that fire was more ferocious than wind, meaning that Enna's brother was losing control more rapidly than Isi was.
There's not really much time to find out, though. Bayern is attacked from the south, and suddenly the country is at war.
Some people die. Some people are changed forever. But mostly, Enna is changed forever.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Goose Girl Pt. 2
I barely got into the book last post, so allow me to continue with Goose Girl for a moment, if you please.
Deep in the middle of the Forest, Ani finds herself in a dangerous situation. Only roughly half her guards are loyal to her, and the bigger half is loyal to Selia, who partway into the trip reveals that she had always hated Ani and wants the crown Ani had been born with.
The inevitable disaster strikes, and Selia's fangroup kills Ani's loyal guards. Ani manages to flee, only to slowly fade with lack of food as she wanders the Forest for several days alone.
An owl finally gives her directions to a house, where the family of two (a mother and her son) bring Ani back to health.
All of her problems cannot be solved overnight, sadly. We follow Ani into the Capital, watch her half-baked plan miserably fail, and suffer with her through goose-herding.
The geese and fellow animal herders actually end up being some of the best medicine a doctor could prescribe for the once spoiled and now terrified princess. Well, with the exception of one.
In all, I really liked this book. I could see what a spoiled princess Ani was in the first section, though she was by no means a spoiled brat. I enjoyed watching her character develop into someone truly worthy of leading a kingdom.
By the end of the book, Ani and I both blessed and thanked her seemingly cruel mother for sending her away.
Deep in the middle of the Forest, Ani finds herself in a dangerous situation. Only roughly half her guards are loyal to her, and the bigger half is loyal to Selia, who partway into the trip reveals that she had always hated Ani and wants the crown Ani had been born with.
The inevitable disaster strikes, and Selia's fangroup kills Ani's loyal guards. Ani manages to flee, only to slowly fade with lack of food as she wanders the Forest for several days alone.
An owl finally gives her directions to a house, where the family of two (a mother and her son) bring Ani back to health.
All of her problems cannot be solved overnight, sadly. We follow Ani into the Capital, watch her half-baked plan miserably fail, and suffer with her through goose-herding.
The geese and fellow animal herders actually end up being some of the best medicine a doctor could prescribe for the once spoiled and now terrified princess. Well, with the exception of one.
In all, I really liked this book. I could see what a spoiled princess Ani was in the first section, though she was by no means a spoiled brat. I enjoyed watching her character develop into someone truly worthy of leading a kingdom.
By the end of the book, Ani and I both blessed and thanked her seemingly cruel mother for sending her away.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Goose Girl
Goose Girl is a book written by Shannon Hale about a princess named Anidori Kiladra Talianna Isilee.
Wow, fancy names in Kildenree, huh? Anyways, Hale sectioned this book off into three parts: Crown Princess, Goose Girl, and Yellow Lady.
"Crown Princess" shows Ani as she grew up, the heir to the throne of Kildenree. As a tiny child, she had little in the way of duties. Her free time was spent secretly learning the languages of animals, especially birds, from her aunt.
And then her aunt left, and Ani's secret was discovered. She had no more opportunity to speak to her beloved swans, and soon she lost all of her free time in the whirl of preparing for the future role of queen.
Then her father died, and her mother dropped a bomb right into the middle of Ani's life: The current queen did not want Ani to succeed her; she wanted Ani married off to the prince of the neighboring kingdom.
Ani could scarcely protest, because her mother had a gift herself: people-speaking, the power to confuse and persuade another person to see things the way the speaker wanted them to.
So a traveling company, complete with Ani's friend and lady-in-waiting Selia, was put together to help Ani on her three-month journey through the Forest to Bayern.
Wow, fancy names in Kildenree, huh? Anyways, Hale sectioned this book off into three parts: Crown Princess, Goose Girl, and Yellow Lady.
"Crown Princess" shows Ani as she grew up, the heir to the throne of Kildenree. As a tiny child, she had little in the way of duties. Her free time was spent secretly learning the languages of animals, especially birds, from her aunt.
And then her aunt left, and Ani's secret was discovered. She had no more opportunity to speak to her beloved swans, and soon she lost all of her free time in the whirl of preparing for the future role of queen.
Then her father died, and her mother dropped a bomb right into the middle of Ani's life: The current queen did not want Ani to succeed her; she wanted Ani married off to the prince of the neighboring kingdom.
Ani could scarcely protest, because her mother had a gift herself: people-speaking, the power to confuse and persuade another person to see things the way the speaker wanted them to.
So a traveling company, complete with Ani's friend and lady-in-waiting Selia, was put together to help Ani on her three-month journey through the Forest to Bayern.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Gail Carson Levine
Gail Carson Levine has written many books that I have enjoyed, though she has also written some other books that I decided I didn't want to finish reading or that I never picked up in the first place.
I began to read Ever, but I stopped before much plot was underway. It just didn't really seem appropriate. I know I'm not explaining well, but I kind of just don't want to. Get this book if you want to; it just wasn't for me.
I went to my library with the intention of borrowing Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, until I found out it a was a book geared towards much younger children.
I've heard about her book Dave at Night, but its description just never sounded interesting enough to get me to go search out a copy.
I believe Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It is a collection of poems Levine has written, and poetry has never interested me before, so I never looked for a copy of this book.
Betsy Who Cried Wolf I think is another book intended for a much younger audience.
So, yes, I've finished telling you about all of her books that I have read. I suppose I should remind you that the series I did a while back on the Princess Tales series was written by Gail Carson Levine as well.
With all that being said, It's probably time to re-shelve Levine and start talking about another author's works. Have a great day, and see you again tomorrow!
I began to read Ever, but I stopped before much plot was underway. It just didn't really seem appropriate. I know I'm not explaining well, but I kind of just don't want to. Get this book if you want to; it just wasn't for me.
I went to my library with the intention of borrowing Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, until I found out it a was a book geared towards much younger children.
I've heard about her book Dave at Night, but its description just never sounded interesting enough to get me to go search out a copy.
I believe Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It is a collection of poems Levine has written, and poetry has never interested me before, so I never looked for a copy of this book.
Betsy Who Cried Wolf I think is another book intended for a much younger audience.
So, yes, I've finished telling you about all of her books that I have read. I suppose I should remind you that the series I did a while back on the Princess Tales series was written by Gail Carson Levine as well.
With all that being said, It's probably time to re-shelve Levine and start talking about another author's works. Have a great day, and see you again tomorrow!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly
Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly is a book by Gail Carson Levine that teaches its reader how to write better.
Each chapter introduces a new point on which good writers focus, such as description or character creation or being able to let your characters suffer. Then, at the end of the chapter, Levine lists a couple writing prompts so the reader can practice what was just learned.
Levine doesn't just help with the finer points of writing, either. If you're struggling with one of the basics, such as writing your story's beginning, middle, or end, she offers help for those too.
Or perhaps you wrote up to a certain point in the story and you don't know what to do next. She offers tips for getting your story moving again.
Although this book is certainly unlike her other books that I've talked about, it is not any less engaging. Even if you don't try any of the writing exercises, even if you just read the book straight through, it's helpful. While you may not be getting the experience that is offered throughout the book, absorbing the information for later is still helpful.
This book isn't just helpful for writing fiction, either, or so Levine claims. Personally, I haven't noticed one way or the other, but supposedly this book helps with letter-writing, essay-writing, and even skywriting. Go figure.
Anyways, it's a very useful and engaging book. I guarantee you'll like learning in this case. =)
Each chapter introduces a new point on which good writers focus, such as description or character creation or being able to let your characters suffer. Then, at the end of the chapter, Levine lists a couple writing prompts so the reader can practice what was just learned.
Levine doesn't just help with the finer points of writing, either. If you're struggling with one of the basics, such as writing your story's beginning, middle, or end, she offers help for those too.
Or perhaps you wrote up to a certain point in the story and you don't know what to do next. She offers tips for getting your story moving again.
Although this book is certainly unlike her other books that I've talked about, it is not any less engaging. Even if you don't try any of the writing exercises, even if you just read the book straight through, it's helpful. While you may not be getting the experience that is offered throughout the book, absorbing the information for later is still helpful.
This book isn't just helpful for writing fiction, either, or so Levine claims. Personally, I haven't noticed one way or the other, but supposedly this book helps with letter-writing, essay-writing, and even skywriting. Go figure.
Anyways, it's a very useful and engaging book. I guarantee you'll like learning in this case. =)
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The Wish
At some point, I also read Gail Carson Levine's The Wish. I'm not sure what happened to my copy of that book, but I haven't been able to find it in years.
At any rate, this book takes place more or less in our world, with one exception: the main character Wilma meets a magical old lady who grants her one wish.
Wilma's life is, sadly, kind of pathetic. She was never very popular to begin with, but after an infamous scene with a school paper read aloud, she became pretty much bottom-of-the-barrel unpopular.
So she makes this wish to the old lady: to be the most popular girl in her school.
It works. Instant celebrity status, instant acceptance into the group of popular kids. Notes are passed in class like crazy, her phone at home rings off the hook; Wilma is asked on so many dates by many, many guys - even some guys who already have girlfriends.
Life couldn't be better, right? Wilma can scarcely do any wrong!
Well, except for bringing a dog to a sleepover and accidentally getting her classmates to gang up on another girl who doesn't go to Wilma's school and doesn't think Wilma is "all that."
It's then that Wilma realizes the horrifying truth: She's only popular at her own middle school; and when she graduates in a few weeks, she'll likely go back to being completely unpopular.
How will she handle it? Did anyone who liked her under the spell like her for who she really was? Would anyone still be her friend?
A suggest a library or bookstore visit or something, and find out for yourself. =)
At any rate, this book takes place more or less in our world, with one exception: the main character Wilma meets a magical old lady who grants her one wish.
Wilma's life is, sadly, kind of pathetic. She was never very popular to begin with, but after an infamous scene with a school paper read aloud, she became pretty much bottom-of-the-barrel unpopular.
So she makes this wish to the old lady: to be the most popular girl in her school.
It works. Instant celebrity status, instant acceptance into the group of popular kids. Notes are passed in class like crazy, her phone at home rings off the hook; Wilma is asked on so many dates by many, many guys - even some guys who already have girlfriends.
Life couldn't be better, right? Wilma can scarcely do any wrong!
Well, except for bringing a dog to a sleepover and accidentally getting her classmates to gang up on another girl who doesn't go to Wilma's school and doesn't think Wilma is "all that."
It's then that Wilma realizes the horrifying truth: She's only popular at her own middle school; and when she graduates in a few weeks, she'll likely go back to being completely unpopular.
How will she handle it? Did anyone who liked her under the spell like her for who she really was? Would anyone still be her friend?
A suggest a library or bookstore visit or something, and find out for yourself. =)
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
A Tale of Two Castles
A Tale of Two Castles is Gail Carson Levine's first mystery book.
Elodie comes to the country's capital via boat, hoping to get taken on as a masioner, a.k.a. actress. However, she has no money to offer, just her skills. Sadly, she is turned away.
Rather than starve to death on the streets, Elodie is then hired by a dragon detective named Meenore and given a dangerous assignment that brings her into firsthand contact with the rulers of both castles in town - one belonging to the grumpy human king and his enthusiastic princess, the other inhabited by a surprisingly sweet ogre.
Elodie's work brings her into contact with all kinds of other characters, too. She has to stay on her toes and keep her eyes peeled for the whited sepulcher. The whited sepulcher refers to a person who seems good and attractive outwardly, but inside is nothing anyone would want to be associated with.
Elodie has incredible acting skills, but can she do more than that? Is she capable of coming up with new acts, of changing her plans on a dime, of staying one step ahead of the whited sepulcher?
She is going to have to be all that and better, if she wants to survive.
I hope you find a copy of this book and enjoy! =D
Elodie comes to the country's capital via boat, hoping to get taken on as a masioner, a.k.a. actress. However, she has no money to offer, just her skills. Sadly, she is turned away.
Rather than starve to death on the streets, Elodie is then hired by a dragon detective named Meenore and given a dangerous assignment that brings her into firsthand contact with the rulers of both castles in town - one belonging to the grumpy human king and his enthusiastic princess, the other inhabited by a surprisingly sweet ogre.
Elodie's work brings her into contact with all kinds of other characters, too. She has to stay on her toes and keep her eyes peeled for the whited sepulcher. The whited sepulcher refers to a person who seems good and attractive outwardly, but inside is nothing anyone would want to be associated with.
Elodie has incredible acting skills, but can she do more than that? Is she capable of coming up with new acts, of changing her plans on a dime, of staying one step ahead of the whited sepulcher?
She is going to have to be all that and better, if she wants to survive.
I hope you find a copy of this book and enjoy! =D
Monday, March 17, 2014
Fairest
Gail Carson Levine's Fairest is a retelling of "Snow White."
However, plot twist: this story's Snow White (Aza) isn't beautiful. In fact, many people might even say she's downright ugly.
Everything that made the original Snow White beautiful seems to clash in this girl. Pale skin contrasts horribly with sooty black hair, and firey-red lips to top it all off. Apparently, her eyes are her one acceptable feature.
There is another plot twist, too. Aza is the adopted daughter of innkeepers, not the sweet naive princess of the original fairy tale. Although we never find her birth family, it is more or less proven that Aza's original family was wealthy, probably nobility or even royalty.
Aza finally makes it to court one day, traveling as a noble lady's replacement companion to witness the wedding of the king to a foreign commoner. Upon discovering Aza extremely fine voice and incredible talent at "illusing" (ventriloquism), the new queen Ivi decides to make Aza her lady-in-waiting.
Scary things begin to happen almost instantly, however. The king is injured protecting his new bride, leaving her in charge of the kingdom until he recovers - if he recovers. Horrifyingly, Ivi doesn't just make a bad ruler; she makes an almost evil ruler. She blackmails Aza, refuses to help starving subjects, and spends all her time on clothes.
Aza's story eventually does follow the original, in that there is an attempt on her life and she flees to spend time with gnomes.
How on earth is this mess going to get straightened out? It's definitely not going to be easy. I suggest you find a copy and read for yourself. It's not as great as Ella Enchanted, but it's still a pretty good book, if you can get past Aza's merciless self-criticisms.
However, plot twist: this story's Snow White (Aza) isn't beautiful. In fact, many people might even say she's downright ugly.
Everything that made the original Snow White beautiful seems to clash in this girl. Pale skin contrasts horribly with sooty black hair, and firey-red lips to top it all off. Apparently, her eyes are her one acceptable feature.
There is another plot twist, too. Aza is the adopted daughter of innkeepers, not the sweet naive princess of the original fairy tale. Although we never find her birth family, it is more or less proven that Aza's original family was wealthy, probably nobility or even royalty.
Aza finally makes it to court one day, traveling as a noble lady's replacement companion to witness the wedding of the king to a foreign commoner. Upon discovering Aza extremely fine voice and incredible talent at "illusing" (ventriloquism), the new queen Ivi decides to make Aza her lady-in-waiting.
Scary things begin to happen almost instantly, however. The king is injured protecting his new bride, leaving her in charge of the kingdom until he recovers - if he recovers. Horrifyingly, Ivi doesn't just make a bad ruler; she makes an almost evil ruler. She blackmails Aza, refuses to help starving subjects, and spends all her time on clothes.
Aza's story eventually does follow the original, in that there is an attempt on her life and she flees to spend time with gnomes.
How on earth is this mess going to get straightened out? It's definitely not going to be easy. I suggest you find a copy and read for yourself. It's not as great as Ella Enchanted, but it's still a pretty good book, if you can get past Aza's merciless self-criticisms.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
The Two Princesses of Bamarre Pt. 2
As I mentioned yesterday, the main protagonist of The Two Princesses of Bamarre is Princess Adelina, nicknamed Addie.
She herself admits to the reader of her book that she is a coward, afraid of everything from monsters to strangers to spiders. But setting aside her fear, she is a sweet girl who idolizes her older sister and is a master at artsy things such as sketching or embroidery. As a young child, whenever her sister wanted to pretend to vanquish monsters and become a hero, Addie always obliged by playing the victim - even if whenever she screamed at an imaginary monster, she was half serious in her fright.
Princess Meryl, Addie's older sister and heir to the throne, is practically the exact opposite of Addie. She is brave, craves adventures, and relocates to the outdoors whatever spider happens to be tormenting Addie by just being in the same room. But they do have one thing in common: their love for each other. Meryl wanted to ride out and fight monsters as soon as she could. However, because Addie was so frightened that Meryl would be killed and leave Addie alone, Meryl swore not to begin her adventures until Addie was happily married.
There is another character who shows up often, though I didn't mentioned him yesterday. Rhys, King Lionel's new sorcerer apprentice. He and Addie hit it off immediately. She wins his eternal admiration when she states (truthfully, I might add) that she is not afraid of contracting the Gray Death. He wins her eternal gratitude when he uses his sorcerer abilities to banish spiders from the castle completely. Over the years, especially in the few weeks before "The Quest" (I don't want to spoil too much here...) begins, the two forge a friendship.
So, yes. Those three are basically the main characters of the book, though of course there are more. Drualt's story is recited often enough to consider him a main character. Bella, the girls' governess, and Milton, the girls' elf nurse, are a big part of the girls' lives. We are also introduced later to a dragon named Vollys who plays a huge role in the story.
What are you waiting for? This book is awesome! =D
She herself admits to the reader of her book that she is a coward, afraid of everything from monsters to strangers to spiders. But setting aside her fear, she is a sweet girl who idolizes her older sister and is a master at artsy things such as sketching or embroidery. As a young child, whenever her sister wanted to pretend to vanquish monsters and become a hero, Addie always obliged by playing the victim - even if whenever she screamed at an imaginary monster, she was half serious in her fright.
Princess Meryl, Addie's older sister and heir to the throne, is practically the exact opposite of Addie. She is brave, craves adventures, and relocates to the outdoors whatever spider happens to be tormenting Addie by just being in the same room. But they do have one thing in common: their love for each other. Meryl wanted to ride out and fight monsters as soon as she could. However, because Addie was so frightened that Meryl would be killed and leave Addie alone, Meryl swore not to begin her adventures until Addie was happily married.
There is another character who shows up often, though I didn't mentioned him yesterday. Rhys, King Lionel's new sorcerer apprentice. He and Addie hit it off immediately. She wins his eternal admiration when she states (truthfully, I might add) that she is not afraid of contracting the Gray Death. He wins her eternal gratitude when he uses his sorcerer abilities to banish spiders from the castle completely. Over the years, especially in the few weeks before "The Quest" (I don't want to spoil too much here...) begins, the two forge a friendship.
So, yes. Those three are basically the main characters of the book, though of course there are more. Drualt's story is recited often enough to consider him a main character. Bella, the girls' governess, and Milton, the girls' elf nurse, are a big part of the girls' lives. We are also introduced later to a dragon named Vollys who plays a huge role in the story.
What are you waiting for? This book is awesome! =D
Saturday, March 15, 2014
The Two Princesses of Bamarre
The Two Princesses of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine, is my favorite book by her.
The main character, Princess Adelina, is the cowardly younger sister of the brave and adventurous Princess Meryl. Their father, King Lionel, is an even bigger coward than Addie. Not much information was given about Queen Daria, as the girls' mother died of the Gray Death when they were very young.
The Gray Death. The disease that claims far too many lives in the kingdom of Bamarre. The first stage of the Gray Death is weakness; the victim slowly (or swiftly, sometimes) loses their strength until they finally succumb to the second stage.
The second stage is slumber - always nine days. The victim sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps, until the third and final stage strikes.
Fever. Three days of fever, and then the victim dies.
No cure is known - no way to even fight it for more time. Addie has a plan, in case she is chosen by the Gray Death before Meryl's plans to find the cure come to pass. However, no one has any way of knowing if it would actually work.
If only the kingdom had a true hero still, a hero such as their legendary Drualt. He helped found the kingdom of Bamarre, and he led armies until they grew too fearful of monsters to fight with him longer. In the end, he fought his battles alone beside his sweetheart Freya, until she died in battle because the nearby village was too cowardly to help.
Then Drualt finally abandoned the kingdom that had abandoned him.
Had the kingdom not driven him away, would Drualt have found the cure for the Gray Death? Would the kingdom not be forced to suffer like this?
This is a lot of background plot, but I want to talk about the characters some more. I guess I'll do that tomorrow.
The main character, Princess Adelina, is the cowardly younger sister of the brave and adventurous Princess Meryl. Their father, King Lionel, is an even bigger coward than Addie. Not much information was given about Queen Daria, as the girls' mother died of the Gray Death when they were very young.
The Gray Death. The disease that claims far too many lives in the kingdom of Bamarre. The first stage of the Gray Death is weakness; the victim slowly (or swiftly, sometimes) loses their strength until they finally succumb to the second stage.
The second stage is slumber - always nine days. The victim sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps, until the third and final stage strikes.
Fever. Three days of fever, and then the victim dies.
No cure is known - no way to even fight it for more time. Addie has a plan, in case she is chosen by the Gray Death before Meryl's plans to find the cure come to pass. However, no one has any way of knowing if it would actually work.
If only the kingdom had a true hero still, a hero such as their legendary Drualt. He helped found the kingdom of Bamarre, and he led armies until they grew too fearful of monsters to fight with him longer. In the end, he fought his battles alone beside his sweetheart Freya, until she died in battle because the nearby village was too cowardly to help.
Then Drualt finally abandoned the kingdom that had abandoned him.
Had the kingdom not driven him away, would Drualt have found the cure for the Gray Death? Would the kingdom not be forced to suffer like this?
This is a lot of background plot, but I want to talk about the characters some more. I guess I'll do that tomorrow.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Ella Enchanted Pt. 3
The movie Ella Enchanted has the majority of the right characters, but the plotline has been completely rewritten.
In the book, Ella's main struggle was against the curse inside of herself. In the movie, Ella struggled against the curse, yes, but there was also a large fight throughout the movie against a malicious ruler - Prince Char's uncle.
The whole way Ella and Char fell in love is different too. The book started them off in building up a friendship, particularly based on Ella's ability to make Prince Char laugh. The movie showed their relationship as one stronger from the beginning: Ella hates Prince Char because of his fan club and his uncle.
I think I have mentioned this before, but I don't dislike the movie. I like the book better, yes, but I also enjoy the movie.
As one point for the movie, I think Prince Char himself might be shown to have better character development in the movie. He goes from a reluctant prince, totally unsure of himself but afraid to say so, to a willing king, completely capable of making the right decisions for the country.
The main elf in the book is also given more of a character arc. In the book, he was only mentioned in a few pages, but he's a major character in the movie.
I've heard some say that the book's and movie's plotlines are so different that it's really sort of impossible to legitimately compare the two. They might be right, they might not. Maybe you should read the book and see the movie for yourself. =)
In the book, Ella's main struggle was against the curse inside of herself. In the movie, Ella struggled against the curse, yes, but there was also a large fight throughout the movie against a malicious ruler - Prince Char's uncle.
The whole way Ella and Char fell in love is different too. The book started them off in building up a friendship, particularly based on Ella's ability to make Prince Char laugh. The movie showed their relationship as one stronger from the beginning: Ella hates Prince Char because of his fan club and his uncle.
I think I have mentioned this before, but I don't dislike the movie. I like the book better, yes, but I also enjoy the movie.
As one point for the movie, I think Prince Char himself might be shown to have better character development in the movie. He goes from a reluctant prince, totally unsure of himself but afraid to say so, to a willing king, completely capable of making the right decisions for the country.
The main elf in the book is also given more of a character arc. In the book, he was only mentioned in a few pages, but he's a major character in the movie.
I've heard some say that the book's and movie's plotlines are so different that it's really sort of impossible to legitimately compare the two. They might be right, they might not. Maybe you should read the book and see the movie for yourself. =)
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Ella Enchanted Pt. 2
Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine, is about a girl named Ella who has been enchanted since birth.
Her curse? Obedience.
Whenever someone issues an order, Ella must obey, like it or not. Over time, she figures out how to delay her obedience, but in the end she must always carry out the order.
This makes Ella's life not only a nuisance, but also extremely dangerous. What could be done to her or to those she loved if someone malicious - if even her own father - found out about the curse?
Ella's story is a retelling of "Cinderella." This version was the result of Levine's thinking that Cinderella was too much of a goody two-shoes, so what if she was forced to always be obedient?
All the right ingredients are there: the evil step-family, the glass slippers, the Prince Charming (literally,the prince's name "Charmont" is a variation on the French word for charming), the royal ball, and the fairy godmother.
Unlike the original fairy tale, however, most of the book is devoted to Ella's life prior to the ball (there are three parties, all three nights in a row, in this case). She meets her Prince Charming more than a year before the original Cinderella did.
Interested? I hope so, because there's no way this Cinderella can marry a prince - not cursed, not when she could potentially be forced to end her prince's life. Go find a copy of Ella Enchanted and find out what happens!
Her curse? Obedience.
Whenever someone issues an order, Ella must obey, like it or not. Over time, she figures out how to delay her obedience, but in the end she must always carry out the order.
This makes Ella's life not only a nuisance, but also extremely dangerous. What could be done to her or to those she loved if someone malicious - if even her own father - found out about the curse?
Ella's story is a retelling of "Cinderella." This version was the result of Levine's thinking that Cinderella was too much of a goody two-shoes, so what if she was forced to always be obedient?
All the right ingredients are there: the evil step-family, the glass slippers, the Prince Charming (literally,the prince's name "Charmont" is a variation on the French word for charming), the royal ball, and the fairy godmother.
Unlike the original fairy tale, however, most of the book is devoted to Ella's life prior to the ball (there are three parties, all three nights in a row, in this case). She meets her Prince Charming more than a year before the original Cinderella did.
Interested? I hope so, because there's no way this Cinderella can marry a prince - not cursed, not when she could potentially be forced to end her prince's life. Go find a copy of Ella Enchanted and find out what happens!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Ella Enchanted
One of the first fantasy books I ever read was, I think, Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine.
I only read it because I had seen the movie previously and randomly realized in a bookstore that it was a book as well. Sadly, the first time I picked the book up, it was sooo different from the movie that I didn't even make it to the second chapter before I slammed the book shut and went off in search of something better to read.
Fortunately, curiosity got the better of me some time later. I forget if it was weeks or months or what, but eventually I did pick the book up again and read it all the way through.
I figured out then and there that the thing about the books always being better than the movies was true.
I still liked the movie, maybe because I had seen it first, or maybe because the plotlines were so different that they really couldn't be compared very easily. But I definitely loved the book best.
Because of my love for that first book I read, I looked for more books that Levine had written. The Two Princesses of Bamarre is my favorite book by her, but I stopped reading Ever after the first two or so chapter and I have no intention of picking it back up.
I've already posted about Levine's Princess Tales. Maybe it's time to write about some of her other, longer stories.
I only read it because I had seen the movie previously and randomly realized in a bookstore that it was a book as well. Sadly, the first time I picked the book up, it was sooo different from the movie that I didn't even make it to the second chapter before I slammed the book shut and went off in search of something better to read.
Fortunately, curiosity got the better of me some time later. I forget if it was weeks or months or what, but eventually I did pick the book up again and read it all the way through.
I figured out then and there that the thing about the books always being better than the movies was true.
I still liked the movie, maybe because I had seen it first, or maybe because the plotlines were so different that they really couldn't be compared very easily. But I definitely loved the book best.
Because of my love for that first book I read, I looked for more books that Levine had written. The Two Princesses of Bamarre is my favorite book by her, but I stopped reading Ever after the first two or so chapter and I have no intention of picking it back up.
I've already posted about Levine's Princess Tales. Maybe it's time to write about some of her other, longer stories.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Books and Categories
Hmm, lately, I've been talking a lot about books.
Is that a good thing? Do you enjoy learning about the books I like? Should I keep talking about books until I run out?
I can do that, you know. It will take a few months, at least, if I dedicate one post to each book I've read, even not counting the books I've already mentioned in this blog. And I kind of suspect some books will take multiple posts, like The Messenger did the other day.
Speaking of past posts, I wonder if I should try to figure out how to group similar posts together.
I think I've seen it in another blog using blogger. I could maybe make categories like books or video games or randomness.
That way, if you're looking for a specific post, you won't have to remember what date I posted it to find it again. I don't know if any of you would like to reread any of my posts, but I know I sometimes like to do that to other blogs.
Well, I guess I'll give it a look-see. If it's too complicated to set up, we may have to wait for summer before I'll have the time to really mess with it.
But we'll see. Maybe it'll be easy.
Is that a good thing? Do you enjoy learning about the books I like? Should I keep talking about books until I run out?
I can do that, you know. It will take a few months, at least, if I dedicate one post to each book I've read, even not counting the books I've already mentioned in this blog. And I kind of suspect some books will take multiple posts, like The Messenger did the other day.
Speaking of past posts, I wonder if I should try to figure out how to group similar posts together.
I think I've seen it in another blog using blogger. I could maybe make categories like books or video games or randomness.
That way, if you're looking for a specific post, you won't have to remember what date I posted it to find it again. I don't know if any of you would like to reread any of my posts, but I know I sometimes like to do that to other blogs.
Well, I guess I'll give it a look-see. If it's too complicated to set up, we may have to wait for summer before I'll have the time to really mess with it.
But we'll see. Maybe it'll be easy.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Son
Okay, so we have finally reached the last book in this series by Lois Lowry: Son.
Very simple title, but it is exactly what the entire book revolves around.
Claire is a 13-year-old Birthmother in Jonas's community - at this point in Claire's story, Jonas has yet to leave his community.
So Claire, just a young girl, is giving birth. She is experiencing pain for the very first time.
And then something goes wrong.
Though both Claire and her son survive, two dreadful things happen at once. First, like normal, her child is taken from her. Second, very decidedly not normal, Claire is told that she was never fit to be a Birthmother in the first place and is sent packing.
At first, Claire struggles to accept her new life as normal, struggles to fit in among her new coworkers and the fish they all work with. She also struggles with the guilt that told her she failed.
However, she cannot forget her son.
She finds him in the Nursery and, against all odds and probably a dozen rules, begins to take an active part in his life.
But although Claire gets away with all of these rule infractions, gets away with actually caring, her son is not so lucky. Simply because he cannot sleep well at night, the higher-ups have decided to get rid of him.
And then Jonas steals the child away in the night.
Claire, heartbroken that her son is gone, runs away as well. Beneath all the tears, however, she is fully determined to find him again.
Very simple title, but it is exactly what the entire book revolves around.
Claire is a 13-year-old Birthmother in Jonas's community - at this point in Claire's story, Jonas has yet to leave his community.
So Claire, just a young girl, is giving birth. She is experiencing pain for the very first time.
And then something goes wrong.
Though both Claire and her son survive, two dreadful things happen at once. First, like normal, her child is taken from her. Second, very decidedly not normal, Claire is told that she was never fit to be a Birthmother in the first place and is sent packing.
At first, Claire struggles to accept her new life as normal, struggles to fit in among her new coworkers and the fish they all work with. She also struggles with the guilt that told her she failed.
However, she cannot forget her son.
She finds him in the Nursery and, against all odds and probably a dozen rules, begins to take an active part in his life.
But although Claire gets away with all of these rule infractions, gets away with actually caring, her son is not so lucky. Simply because he cannot sleep well at night, the higher-ups have decided to get rid of him.
And then Jonas steals the child away in the night.
Claire, heartbroken that her son is gone, runs away as well. Beneath all the tears, however, she is fully determined to find him again.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
The Messenger Pt. 2
The Messenger, third out of four books in a series by Lois Lowry, focuses on a boy named Matty in a community that is made up of people who have migrated from other (usually awful) communities.
Well, that was how the community was built, but lately people have wanted to close their borders so as not to allow anyone new to arrive. They're tired of being so nice - their wording, basically.
These people used to be the kindest ever. Matty wonders why they're suddenly behaving so selfishly. Along with the sudden change in attitude is a sudden new tradition: trading.
I'm not talking about the kind of trading where I say I'll give you my dog or some food or money for your cat or food or books.
I'm talking about the kind of trading where there's a third party involved, and all trades go through him. I'm talking about the kind of trading where I would ask him for beauty or fame or health. The kind of trading where I would offer up my honesty or love or youth for what I wanted.
That kind of power is what Matty must bring down, teaming up with Jonas and Kira in the process.
What is Matty's gift?
You'll find out soon enough if you pick up the book yourself. For now, let me just say that it is more than Jonas's or Kira's gift. But sadly, it also comes at a higher price.
Much higher.
Well, that was how the community was built, but lately people have wanted to close their borders so as not to allow anyone new to arrive. They're tired of being so nice - their wording, basically.
These people used to be the kindest ever. Matty wonders why they're suddenly behaving so selfishly. Along with the sudden change in attitude is a sudden new tradition: trading.
I'm not talking about the kind of trading where I say I'll give you my dog or some food or money for your cat or food or books.
I'm talking about the kind of trading where there's a third party involved, and all trades go through him. I'm talking about the kind of trading where I would ask him for beauty or fame or health. The kind of trading where I would offer up my honesty or love or youth for what I wanted.
That kind of power is what Matty must bring down, teaming up with Jonas and Kira in the process.
What is Matty's gift?
You'll find out soon enough if you pick up the book yourself. For now, let me just say that it is more than Jonas's or Kira's gift. But sadly, it also comes at a higher price.
Much higher.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
The Messenger
I suppose I may as well continue this book series, yes? After The Giver and Gathering Blue is The Messenger.
This third book sort of ties the first two together. Matty, the main character, was a dirty street kid from Kira's community in Gathering Blue, and he now lives in the community where Jonas now resides.
This book also delves more deeply into the concept the the main characters' gifts. In The Giver, Jonas was shown to have the ability to See Beyond, but the only aspect of that that we saw was his ability to see colors even though the community kept everyone drugged to only see in black and white. In Gathering Blue, Kira's stitching is shown to have a magical, almost prophetic, quality; but the only bits of that seen were in her scrap of cloth that warned or comforted her at times.
In The Messenger, Jonas is able to stand at a window, look out at a forest, and watch the progress of Matty and Kira as they make the journey from Kira's community, a hike lasting several days even for a person without a crippled leg like Kira. As for Kira's gift, she displayed it to Matty when he came to collect her. She could sew with her eyes closed; and once she finished sewing, the picture she created changed, displaying a scene in which she enters the forest with Matty.
Whew, that's a lot of background and not very much story. But this book does clear up and add to a lot of the stuff we have seen in the previous books. Maybe tomorrow, I'll tell you more about Matty's story.
This third book sort of ties the first two together. Matty, the main character, was a dirty street kid from Kira's community in Gathering Blue, and he now lives in the community where Jonas now resides.
This book also delves more deeply into the concept the the main characters' gifts. In The Giver, Jonas was shown to have the ability to See Beyond, but the only aspect of that that we saw was his ability to see colors even though the community kept everyone drugged to only see in black and white. In Gathering Blue, Kira's stitching is shown to have a magical, almost prophetic, quality; but the only bits of that seen were in her scrap of cloth that warned or comforted her at times.
In The Messenger, Jonas is able to stand at a window, look out at a forest, and watch the progress of Matty and Kira as they make the journey from Kira's community, a hike lasting several days even for a person without a crippled leg like Kira. As for Kira's gift, she displayed it to Matty when he came to collect her. She could sew with her eyes closed; and once she finished sewing, the picture she created changed, displaying a scene in which she enters the forest with Matty.
Whew, that's a lot of background and not very much story. But this book does clear up and add to a lot of the stuff we have seen in the previous books. Maybe tomorrow, I'll tell you more about Matty's story.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Gathering Blue
The Giver is the first book in a series of four. Next in line is Gathering Blue.
This book's setting is about as opposite to Jonas's world as it can get. The people are taught to, and even thrive off of, fear. The village is dirty and full of dirty people, many of whom would stab a person in the back if given half a reason. The only form of government these people have is another Council, made up of only men, that rarely interferes with any matter (in a good way, anyways) unless asked.
The main character for this story is a crippled girl named Kira. She would have been killed at birth, as was the custom for deformed babies, but her mother fought for her daughter. By this time, Katrina, Kira's mother, was widowed because her husband had been in a hunting accident. Katrina was not about to lose her husband and daughter.
But by the start of the book, Kira is a full orphan; Katrina died of a disease.
Kira once again faced death at the hands of other villagers, because she had no one left to protect her. At the last moment, however, she talked her main enemy into taking the matter to the Council. The Council ruled in favor of keeping Kira in the only modern building of the community and giving Kira's mother's land to the woman who wished to kill Kira.
Why would the Council do such a thing? Why take on a crippled orphan girl barely in her teens?
Kira had a gift. She could sew like no other, and there were times when her sewing could even tell the future.
Oh, yes, the Council wanted that gift. Wanted it desperately.
How far would they go to keep Kira with them? How far had they gone before this point? What else will be revealed along the way? Gathering Blue holds all the answers.
This book's setting is about as opposite to Jonas's world as it can get. The people are taught to, and even thrive off of, fear. The village is dirty and full of dirty people, many of whom would stab a person in the back if given half a reason. The only form of government these people have is another Council, made up of only men, that rarely interferes with any matter (in a good way, anyways) unless asked.
The main character for this story is a crippled girl named Kira. She would have been killed at birth, as was the custom for deformed babies, but her mother fought for her daughter. By this time, Katrina, Kira's mother, was widowed because her husband had been in a hunting accident. Katrina was not about to lose her husband and daughter.
But by the start of the book, Kira is a full orphan; Katrina died of a disease.
Kira once again faced death at the hands of other villagers, because she had no one left to protect her. At the last moment, however, she talked her main enemy into taking the matter to the Council. The Council ruled in favor of keeping Kira in the only modern building of the community and giving Kira's mother's land to the woman who wished to kill Kira.
Why would the Council do such a thing? Why take on a crippled orphan girl barely in her teens?
Kira had a gift. She could sew like no other, and there were times when her sewing could even tell the future.
Oh, yes, the Council wanted that gift. Wanted it desperately.
How far would they go to keep Kira with them? How far had they gone before this point? What else will be revealed along the way? Gathering Blue holds all the answers.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
The Giver
I can't remember when I first read The Giver by Lois Lowry, but I reread it with my class in 9th grade.
A 12-year-old boy named Jonas lives in the perfect community. Everyone is the same, everyone gets the perfect job assignment when they reach their 12th ceremony in December, and no one is left out or rude. And should anyone feel out of place, or break the rules more than twice, they are simply and quietly released from the community.
Perfect, right?
That's what Jonas always thought, until he was selected to be the next Receiver of Memories. Transmitted by touch, memories are the skeleton in the Council's closet. They don't like or want the memories, but they need them all the same. And so they choose one person every generation or so to bear those memories all on his or her own.
Some memories are fantastic - like color, or snow, or sunshine, or rainbows!
Some are horrible - like war, or broken bones, or hunger, or abandonment.
Whether good or bad, the Receiver of Memories bears them all alone. Once in a while, he uses those memories to aid the Council in a difficult decision, and they often listen; but they don't want to hear about why the Receiver recommends this action, how he knows the best course to take. They don't want that burden.
Jonas is in for a major cultural shock. And as if it weren't shocking enough to discover color or animals or real pain (emotional and physical), he soon finds out his own community is darker than he ever knew.
A 12-year-old boy named Jonas lives in the perfect community. Everyone is the same, everyone gets the perfect job assignment when they reach their 12th ceremony in December, and no one is left out or rude. And should anyone feel out of place, or break the rules more than twice, they are simply and quietly released from the community.
Perfect, right?
That's what Jonas always thought, until he was selected to be the next Receiver of Memories. Transmitted by touch, memories are the skeleton in the Council's closet. They don't like or want the memories, but they need them all the same. And so they choose one person every generation or so to bear those memories all on his or her own.
Some memories are fantastic - like color, or snow, or sunshine, or rainbows!
Some are horrible - like war, or broken bones, or hunger, or abandonment.
Whether good or bad, the Receiver of Memories bears them all alone. Once in a while, he uses those memories to aid the Council in a difficult decision, and they often listen; but they don't want to hear about why the Receiver recommends this action, how he knows the best course to take. They don't want that burden.
Jonas is in for a major cultural shock. And as if it weren't shocking enough to discover color or animals or real pain (emotional and physical), he soon finds out his own community is darker than he ever knew.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Oracles of Fire
Lately, I've been talking about Bryan Davis's series Dragons in our Midst. Davis also wrote a sort of "sequel series" called Oracles of Fire.
The series Oracles of Fire continues to follow the adventures of the heroes we fell in love with in Dragons in our Midst, but the first book doesn't mention any of the humans we knew until the end of the book.
Why?
Because the first book, Eye of the Oracle, begins in Noah's day - right before God sends rain for the first time and floods the entire earth. And this same book ends about where the last book of the first series ends.
The storyline tends to jump from character to character, a few of whom actually survive a few thousand years to the present. Lilith (also known as Morgan), Namaah, Makaidos, Thigocia.
And Sapphira Adi.
Sapphira, once known as Mara, is a slave girl living in an underground world. She is the main character for this book.
Or maybe one of the main characters. Hmm, it's been so long since I've read it, I can't remember. I do remember the book focuses a lot on Sapphira, but it also focuses a lot elsewhere too. I guess if there is a main character other than Sapphira, it's probably Makaidos, the dragon king.
So, yup, that's the "sequel series" for you - the first book of it, anyways. I didn't really give you any plot, sorry. It's kind of hard to sum up something that takes place over the course of four thousand years. But it's definitely very interesting, even if I don't agree with how Davis portrayed some of the biblical events.
The series Oracles of Fire continues to follow the adventures of the heroes we fell in love with in Dragons in our Midst, but the first book doesn't mention any of the humans we knew until the end of the book.
Why?
Because the first book, Eye of the Oracle, begins in Noah's day - right before God sends rain for the first time and floods the entire earth. And this same book ends about where the last book of the first series ends.
The storyline tends to jump from character to character, a few of whom actually survive a few thousand years to the present. Lilith (also known as Morgan), Namaah, Makaidos, Thigocia.
And Sapphira Adi.
Sapphira, once known as Mara, is a slave girl living in an underground world. She is the main character for this book.
Or maybe one of the main characters. Hmm, it's been so long since I've read it, I can't remember. I do remember the book focuses a lot on Sapphira, but it also focuses a lot elsewhere too. I guess if there is a main character other than Sapphira, it's probably Makaidos, the dragon king.
So, yup, that's the "sequel series" for you - the first book of it, anyways. I didn't really give you any plot, sorry. It's kind of hard to sum up something that takes place over the course of four thousand years. But it's definitely very interesting, even if I don't agree with how Davis portrayed some of the biblical events.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Raising Dragons: The Movie
Yesterday, as I was poking around online to remember parts of the Dragons in our Midst series, I realized someone had made (or was in the process of making, or perhaps even had abandoned the making of) a movie based on the first book, Raising Dragons!
I think it's fan-made, though they have a professional name for themselves, I believe. And they worked together with the author Bryan Davis himself. And their website has a couple of trailers for the movie.
Honestly, I couldn't stand the trailers. The first one had a typo in it, or maybe someone did it that way on purpose, not knowing there was a difference between were and where... -_-
I don't actually know exactly what it was about the trailers I couldn't stand. I can overlook typos. And besides, the music was pretty great.
I don't know. I should try not to influence your opinion too much, because I was excited to learn they were making a movie based on the book. And maybe I will try to watch the movie itself if it's actually done.
But I kind of get the impression it was never finished. Am I wrong?
If I am, would you mind please letting me know? I know you readers don't like to talk to me, but this time I'd really like you to. Where can I get/watch the movie Raising Dragons?
I think it's fan-made, though they have a professional name for themselves, I believe. And they worked together with the author Bryan Davis himself. And their website has a couple of trailers for the movie.
Honestly, I couldn't stand the trailers. The first one had a typo in it, or maybe someone did it that way on purpose, not knowing there was a difference between were and where... -_-
I don't actually know exactly what it was about the trailers I couldn't stand. I can overlook typos. And besides, the music was pretty great.
I don't know. I should try not to influence your opinion too much, because I was excited to learn they were making a movie based on the book. And maybe I will try to watch the movie itself if it's actually done.
But I kind of get the impression it was never finished. Am I wrong?
If I am, would you mind please letting me know? I know you readers don't like to talk to me, but this time I'd really like you to. Where can I get/watch the movie Raising Dragons?
Monday, March 3, 2014
Dragons in our Midst
Have you ever read the Dragons in our Midst series by Bryan Davis?
The books are a little hard to get into at first, but eventually the characters are really wonderful. It's sort of a Christian fantasy series, but it takes place (at least for the most part) in our world, maybe a few decades back.
When I first started reading, it was kind of hard to get through the first few chapters of the first book. And even when I finished that first book, I might not have gotten the next books in the series had it not been for one character: Walter Foley.
He's the main character's best friend, and is he ever awesome! I was a little worried at first that he would turn out to be the best friend that ditches his friend when certain truths are made known, but not only does he stick by his friend, but he doesn't even let on that he knows anything until the friend(/main character) tells Walter himself.
Also, Walter, I believe, is the first ever character in a book to make me laugh out loud. He is renowned among his friends for his sense of humor, and it translates very well from the page to the reader. I could hardly keep reading, I was laughing so hard at one point.
And once I loved Walter enough to keep reading, I soon fell in love with the other characters: Bonnie Silver, Clefspeare, and eventually even Billy Bannister. For some reason, the main character was the slowest to worm his way into my affections, but maybe it had a lot to do with the fact that he had a lot of spiritual growth to go through. Bonnie almost seemed like a spiritual crutch for him at first, before he learned to stand on his own.
Hmmm, I think I may have just talked myself into rereading the series. It's been a while... xD Have a great day, dear readers!
The books are a little hard to get into at first, but eventually the characters are really wonderful. It's sort of a Christian fantasy series, but it takes place (at least for the most part) in our world, maybe a few decades back.
When I first started reading, it was kind of hard to get through the first few chapters of the first book. And even when I finished that first book, I might not have gotten the next books in the series had it not been for one character: Walter Foley.
He's the main character's best friend, and is he ever awesome! I was a little worried at first that he would turn out to be the best friend that ditches his friend when certain truths are made known, but not only does he stick by his friend, but he doesn't even let on that he knows anything until the friend(/main character) tells Walter himself.
Also, Walter, I believe, is the first ever character in a book to make me laugh out loud. He is renowned among his friends for his sense of humor, and it translates very well from the page to the reader. I could hardly keep reading, I was laughing so hard at one point.
And once I loved Walter enough to keep reading, I soon fell in love with the other characters: Bonnie Silver, Clefspeare, and eventually even Billy Bannister. For some reason, the main character was the slowest to worm his way into my affections, but maybe it had a lot to do with the fact that he had a lot of spiritual growth to go through. Bonnie almost seemed like a spiritual crutch for him at first, before he learned to stand on his own.
Hmmm, I think I may have just talked myself into rereading the series. It's been a while... xD Have a great day, dear readers!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Spring Break Pt. 2
Something else occurred to me as I was writing yesterday about my spring break.
It's not Easter yet.
For as long as I can remember, I'm pretty sure my spring break has been an Easter break as well.
But this year, I do not get an Easter break. Well, I get the Friday before off, but not the week following. My spring break is long before Easter.
I've heard the reason is so that the politically correct term is spring break, rather than Easter. Sort of what they're trying to do to turn Christmas break into winter break.
Now, I'm not going to go into some huge long tirade about how wrong that is and why. You've probably heard that story dozens of times from dozens of other sources. I'm just going to say it bothers me.
Because, worse than anyone else putting God out of these holidays, what if I'm letting it affect me?
Sometimes, I do interchange the terms Christmas break and winter break. And this year, technically I don't really seem to have Easter break at all.
Que Dieu m'assiste. May God help me. Have a great Sunday, everyone!
It's not Easter yet.
For as long as I can remember, I'm pretty sure my spring break has been an Easter break as well.
But this year, I do not get an Easter break. Well, I get the Friday before off, but not the week following. My spring break is long before Easter.
I've heard the reason is so that the politically correct term is spring break, rather than Easter. Sort of what they're trying to do to turn Christmas break into winter break.
Now, I'm not going to go into some huge long tirade about how wrong that is and why. You've probably heard that story dozens of times from dozens of other sources. I'm just going to say it bothers me.
Because, worse than anyone else putting God out of these holidays, what if I'm letting it affect me?
Sometimes, I do interchange the terms Christmas break and winter break. And this year, technically I don't really seem to have Easter break at all.
Que Dieu m'assiste. May God help me. Have a great Sunday, everyone!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Spring Break
I'm on spring break! Woo-hoo!
As excited as I am for this break, I do have a lot of homework to do. =/
Yesterday, I managed to complete the bulk of my homework list, but I still have the bulk of my homework work ahead of me, if that makes any sense.
In other words, the stuff I finished yesterday were stuff that could be done in a few hours collectively. The stuff I have left to do will probably take a few hours per assignment.
Ouch.
But I have a full week to do them, so hopefully I'll still be able to enjoy this time off. Yay!
Wish me luck! I have to study for a test, write two papers, write a post for my class blog, and take at least 10 professionalish-looking pictures for that blog.
I'mma buckle down, get to work, and hopefully have it all done by Tuesday or Wednesday!
...Except maybe the studying part. I should probably keep working on that all week. Yeah...
But anyways! I'm ready to go, ready to work for relaxation, even though that totally sounds like a paradox! Have a great day!
As excited as I am for this break, I do have a lot of homework to do. =/
Yesterday, I managed to complete the bulk of my homework list, but I still have the bulk of my homework work ahead of me, if that makes any sense.
In other words, the stuff I finished yesterday were stuff that could be done in a few hours collectively. The stuff I have left to do will probably take a few hours per assignment.
Ouch.
But I have a full week to do them, so hopefully I'll still be able to enjoy this time off. Yay!
Wish me luck! I have to study for a test, write two papers, write a post for my class blog, and take at least 10 professionalish-looking pictures for that blog.
I'mma buckle down, get to work, and hopefully have it all done by Tuesday or Wednesday!
...Except maybe the studying part. I should probably keep working on that all week. Yeah...
But anyways! I'm ready to go, ready to work for relaxation, even though that totally sounds like a paradox! Have a great day!
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