"Listen. You know those days when you've got the mean reds?"
"Same as the blues?"
"No," she said slowly. "No, the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe it's been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is. You've had that feeling?"
"Quite often. Some people call it angst."
"All right. Angst. But what do you do about it?"
"Well, a drink helps."
"I've tried that. I've tried aspirin, too. Rusty thinks I should smoke marijuana, and I did for a while, but it only makes me giggle. What I've found does the most good is just to get into a taxi and go to Tiffany's. It calms me down right away, the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there, not with those kind men in their nice suits, and that lovely smell of silver and alligator wallets. If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name."
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote
"Same as the blues?"
"No," she said slowly. "No, the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe it's been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is. You've had that feeling?"
"Quite often. Some people call it angst."
"All right. Angst. But what do you do about it?"
"Well, a drink helps."
"I've tried that. I've tried aspirin, too. Rusty thinks I should smoke marijuana, and I did for a while, but it only makes me giggle. What I've found does the most good is just to get into a taxi and go to Tiffany's. It calms me down right away, the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there, not with those kind men in their nice suits, and that lovely smell of silver and alligator wallets. If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name."
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote
Well, these have been a strange couple of months. I was going to talk about that—life, earthquakes and all that. However, how dull and depressing is that?
So, I decided to talk about something that makes me very very happy: books! For me, bookstores are MY Tiffany’s. They are the places where I am calm, and happy, and satisfied.
A bunch of really fun books came into my possession recently :) Of course, due to health issues, my brain has been functioning at about 2% of its usual capacity, so I’ve had a TOUGH time reading. Mostly, I like watching TV, because it doesn’t imply any effort on my part. However, I HAVE had more time, so that means more reading :)
I’ve read different kinds of books. After skimming my sister’s copy of “1001 books you should read before you die”, I’ve decided to interlace my normal reads with classics. So, basically, my purpose is to read one YA/Fantasy/Paranormal followed by a book that is either a) a classic, b) in Spanish (or French) or c) both.
So, without further ado, here is my “in my mailbox” or whatever the kids are calling it these days…
1) Radiant Shadows by Melissa MarrThe lovely Melissa Marr sent me this ARC a few months ago :) It is autographed and everything. Unfortunately, with the earthquake, it also disappeared behind my friend Clo’s giant book shelf. =(
Anyway, RS is AMAZING!!! I wasn’t particularly impressed by Fragile Eternity (as is denoted by what Melissa wrote in my book :P). However, RS redeemed the series completely in my eyes. First off, it has the greatest technical achievement of the series so far. In previous books, I’ve had issues with pace (basically, the build up takes forever, and the resolution is rushed). However, RS is fast-paced from the beginning, takes the correct pauses, and, basically, is impossible to put down.
The plot itself is awesome. The main characters are all lovable, sexy, interesting and strong. Ani really is an awesome chick. The resolution is surprising, the climax riveting… basically, it leaves you on the edge of your seat and begging for more. Unfortunately, since RS hasn’t even been released yet, we’ll have to wait another year for the last installment of the Faery Court Books (currently named “Darkest Mercy”).
2) The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong
I was able to catch this one while it was still legally available online for free. There is nothing that I like more than free legal books :)
“The Summoning” wasn’t even on my TBR list. Mostly, because I thought the plot seemed a bit banal, and because ghost books scare the crap out of me.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I’m not going to say it was the most profound book in the world, but it was a fun read. It was a fast-paced and easy read. Predictable enough to not complicate you, twisty enough to not be boring. I’d recommend it for when you don’t want to think much and want to immerse yourself in another world for an afternoon. The characters weren’t exactly spell bounding, but they were nice enough and not annoying (which, IMO, is hard to find in current supernatural YA). The ghost stuff wasn’t an issue, because, other than one scene, the book isn’t scary at all… And that scene probably scared me only because I read it at a time when EVERYTHING scared me. It is the first book in a series, so it DOES leave you hanging, and the sequels ARE now in my TRB.
3) The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
I borrowed this one from Clo (in exchange for the RS ARC). It is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of “The Summoning”. I had a really really hard time getting into DL at first. Yes, partly due to the fact that my brain was working at 2%, but also because it is much more complex than “The Summoning”, both in plot AND in character development. However, this book DOES trap you and it does AFFECT you in a way that “The Summoning” doesn’t. I started off by hating the MC (Nick). However, I ended up not only liking him, but feeling identified with him. The plot is surprising, twisty, and unpredictable. There is such good world building that when you reach the last page you hate having to close the book. So, I recommend this one all the way :)
4) Desayuno en Tiffany’s (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) by Truman Capote
Mauri and I bought this one as part of our plan to include more “classics” in our literary diet. Basically, we went to Feria del Disco and picked out the cheapest classic that we could find. I had read a couple of Capote books before, but this one is completely different than what I had read. Despite the ridiculous Spanish (as in from Spain) translation, I really enjoyed it. The edition has four stories, including Tiffany’s. They are all very real, a little sweet, a little pathetic, a little ironic, and a little sad. However, it’s not the sort of sadness that made me want to stop reading (like when I tried to read Oscar Wilde’s complete short stories). It is a sadness that makes you love the characters and, as a result, love people a bit more. Tiffany’s is NOTHING like the movie, and Golightly is NOTHING like Hepburn. The aptly named Golightly of the book starts off as charming, then gets annoying, then becomes a heroine, and then you just feel sorry for her, and feel like giving her a hug. Basically, this is great storytelling.
5) Vivir sin Miedo by Warren Manell and el Humano Amenazado by Sergio Zamora
So, I decided to talk about something that makes me very very happy: books! For me, bookstores are MY Tiffany’s. They are the places where I am calm, and happy, and satisfied.
A bunch of really fun books came into my possession recently :) Of course, due to health issues, my brain has been functioning at about 2% of its usual capacity, so I’ve had a TOUGH time reading. Mostly, I like watching TV, because it doesn’t imply any effort on my part. However, I HAVE had more time, so that means more reading :)
I’ve read different kinds of books. After skimming my sister’s copy of “1001 books you should read before you die”, I’ve decided to interlace my normal reads with classics. So, basically, my purpose is to read one YA/Fantasy/Paranormal followed by a book that is either a) a classic, b) in Spanish (or French) or c) both.
So, without further ado, here is my “in my mailbox” or whatever the kids are calling it these days…
1) Radiant Shadows by Melissa MarrThe lovely Melissa Marr sent me this ARC a few months ago :) It is autographed and everything. Unfortunately, with the earthquake, it also disappeared behind my friend Clo’s giant book shelf. =(
Anyway, RS is AMAZING!!! I wasn’t particularly impressed by Fragile Eternity (as is denoted by what Melissa wrote in my book :P). However, RS redeemed the series completely in my eyes. First off, it has the greatest technical achievement of the series so far. In previous books, I’ve had issues with pace (basically, the build up takes forever, and the resolution is rushed). However, RS is fast-paced from the beginning, takes the correct pauses, and, basically, is impossible to put down.
The plot itself is awesome. The main characters are all lovable, sexy, interesting and strong. Ani really is an awesome chick. The resolution is surprising, the climax riveting… basically, it leaves you on the edge of your seat and begging for more. Unfortunately, since RS hasn’t even been released yet, we’ll have to wait another year for the last installment of the Faery Court Books (currently named “Darkest Mercy”).
2) The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong
I was able to catch this one while it was still legally available online for free. There is nothing that I like more than free legal books :)
“The Summoning” wasn’t even on my TBR list. Mostly, because I thought the plot seemed a bit banal, and because ghost books scare the crap out of me.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I’m not going to say it was the most profound book in the world, but it was a fun read. It was a fast-paced and easy read. Predictable enough to not complicate you, twisty enough to not be boring. I’d recommend it for when you don’t want to think much and want to immerse yourself in another world for an afternoon. The characters weren’t exactly spell bounding, but they were nice enough and not annoying (which, IMO, is hard to find in current supernatural YA). The ghost stuff wasn’t an issue, because, other than one scene, the book isn’t scary at all… And that scene probably scared me only because I read it at a time when EVERYTHING scared me. It is the first book in a series, so it DOES leave you hanging, and the sequels ARE now in my TRB.
3) The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
I borrowed this one from Clo (in exchange for the RS ARC). It is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of “The Summoning”. I had a really really hard time getting into DL at first. Yes, partly due to the fact that my brain was working at 2%, but also because it is much more complex than “The Summoning”, both in plot AND in character development. However, this book DOES trap you and it does AFFECT you in a way that “The Summoning” doesn’t. I started off by hating the MC (Nick). However, I ended up not only liking him, but feeling identified with him. The plot is surprising, twisty, and unpredictable. There is such good world building that when you reach the last page you hate having to close the book. So, I recommend this one all the way :)
4) Desayuno en Tiffany’s (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) by Truman Capote
Mauri and I bought this one as part of our plan to include more “classics” in our literary diet. Basically, we went to Feria del Disco and picked out the cheapest classic that we could find. I had read a couple of Capote books before, but this one is completely different than what I had read. Despite the ridiculous Spanish (as in from Spain) translation, I really enjoyed it. The edition has four stories, including Tiffany’s. They are all very real, a little sweet, a little pathetic, a little ironic, and a little sad. However, it’s not the sort of sadness that made me want to stop reading (like when I tried to read Oscar Wilde’s complete short stories). It is a sadness that makes you love the characters and, as a result, love people a bit more. Tiffany’s is NOTHING like the movie, and Golightly is NOTHING like Hepburn. The aptly named Golightly of the book starts off as charming, then gets annoying, then becomes a heroine, and then you just feel sorry for her, and feel like giving her a hug. Basically, this is great storytelling.
5) Vivir sin Miedo by Warren Manell and el Humano Amenazado by Sergio Zamora
The first book, bought for me by my daddy, and the second book, written and given to me by my shrink, both deal with the issues of anxiety and fear. Out of respect for my shrink, I’m not going to rant about grammar and book edition. However, there is one thing I learnt from skimming through both these books: the best way to overcome anxiety is NOT to read books about overcoming anxiety, because all they do is make you think about it more.
6) My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
I got this one, as well as “Confessions…” from my sis Angi :) She sent them to me from Australia, and I opened them the day after the earthquake :) Both were in the infamous Amazon Cart, which has now been edited to erase them. I am reading “My Soul to Take” right now. So far, it is an easy read. The characters are annoying me, but characters always annoy me at the beginning of YA books. Since it has Melissa’s recommendation, I’m hoping my POV of them will change.
6) My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
I got this one, as well as “Confessions…” from my sis Angi :) She sent them to me from Australia, and I opened them the day after the earthquake :) Both were in the infamous Amazon Cart, which has now been edited to erase them. I am reading “My Soul to Take” right now. So far, it is an easy read. The characters are annoying me, but characters always annoy me at the beginning of YA books. Since it has Melissa’s recommendation, I’m hoping my POV of them will change.
7) Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
I’ve wanted to read this for so long! I’m so happy to finally see it on my shelf!
8) El Violinista de Los Brazos Largos by Ana María GüiraldesAlso lent to me by Clo. It is her fave book, so I’m really looking forward to reading it. It is the next one on my list, after I finish “My Soul to Take”.
9) El Reloj Mecánico ( Clockwork) by Phillip PullmanSpanish edition bought for me by my daddy (along with Vivir Sin Miedo). I still have to finish reading the “His Dark Materials” trilogy (I have the Omnibus, but have only read book one). However, I really like Pullman.
10) El Libro del Cementerio (The Graveyard Book) by Neil GaimanYay!!! I’ve wanted to read this a long long time. My friends (Jorge, Myriam and Clo) got it for me for my birthday J I’m really hoping the Spanish translation won’t spoil Gaiman.
11) The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
I won this ARC from Ms. Black herself =D It is signed and everything. Unfortunately, because of the earthquake, mailing took so long that by the time the book got here it was no longer an ARC. However, I love love love love LOVE Holly Black, so I can’t wait to read it.
12) The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
This is another book that I’ve been wanting to read for ages and that was in my Amazon Cart. This one was sent by Angi and Marcelo for my b-day. I actually am leaving this one on hold for a bit: I’ve wanted to read it for so long, that I don’t want to rush through the excitement. :P
13) Unknown
Alas, the birthday pack sent to me by my sis Clau disappeared in the post-earthquake mail =(. I DO know it included a book and I am hoping to get it someday. *Crosses fingers*
1 comment:
hmmm.... you, or your sister, might like a copy of the spreadsheet for the 1001 books list.
Get it here if you want it
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