Kнижный · Червь

After LW read A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian, she passed the book to me. Shortly thereafter, it made its way to Angela, a mutual friend of both of us. Judging from our initial reactions to and subsequent conversations about the story, I think it's safe to say we loved it as much as she did. In fact, we just kept talking about it. A week after we'd read it. A month after. And so on.

Now that the book is officially out in stores, Little Willow asked if we'd care to create a collaborative post about it and we said sure, like Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. (Well, not exactly. We didn't say it with Audrey's accent. Pretty much only Little Willow did.)

Welcome to our roundtable. Well, we're sitting at a desk, talking and typing, so it's really more of a line. Well, Alexia calls it a point graph, and I call it my desk, but you'd never know that, since she's the one sitting in the chair. The point is we're all talking about the book at once together here. Via email, blogs, and in-person conversations, we've pieced together one comfy, crazy ALFA quilt.

Because we love the book so much, we didn't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't read it yet. Our goal is to encourage you to go read the book and to share our randomness, so you'll see that we employed fairly basic questions and steered clear from spoilers. However, if you leave a comment or question below, one, two, or all three of us will be more than happy to respond.

Little Willow: I'm trying to think of a clever opening, but let's just be direct: ALFA rocks. I'm so glad that you two read it.

Alexia: Who was your favorite character? For me, it was all about Maria. C'mon. I loved how on the outside, she seemed to be a regular party girl that was kind of cold, but you eventually got to see that she really was a good friend. Yay!

Little Willow: I liked Ruby, the leading lady. She felt REAL.

Alexia: I agree that she was real, but for some reason I didn't connect with her. I'm not really sure why. I think that her emotions were very real, but because our lives are drastically different I had never experienced some of the emotions that Ruby went through. Nonetheless I thought she was a perfect main character for this book.

Angela: I liked them all. I liked Katherine because she seemed like this tough girl, but you got to see her vulnerability. When her friends said that they would go to her basketball game, she lit up. I liked that you could "see" that.

Little Willow: My favorite supporting character was definitely Charlie.

Alexia: Of course, we have Charlie.

Little Willow: (said with appreciation, said rather loudly) Charlie!

(Alexia points out that there's a happy dance too. Little Willow smiles. Angela breaks into a song about Charlie the unicorn, who is not Charlie from this book, but we're having some good times here.)

Angela: He's such a cutie. A big sweetheart. I just want to give him a big hug.

Alexia: My only qualm is that he seems too mature for his age, but it's partially explained by his situation and his past, which made me happy.

Little Willow: I dug Charlie. And the buttons.

Angela: Charlie, Charlie, buttons!

Alexia: None of my high school friends would act like Charlie. But hey, he's nice to dream about. He definitely makes my top 50 guys that should exist but don't. I'm seriously thinking of making that list.

Angela: I enjoyed that Charlie was an artsy who did all of these crafty little things. I love when they go down the hill and take a picture of the giant fishtail, then trace the half of a heart.

Alexia: My utmost favorite moment is when they're sitting on the grass at the college and just talking. I thought it was great and very realistic.

Little Willow: I liked that scene as well. I wanted the "I Don't Go Here" button. I liked pretty much any and every scene involving buttons, badges, photos, or scarves - all these little things that mattered to the characters throughout the entire story.

Alexia: Did Ruby ever find her scarf from Beth?

Little Willow: (looking at the people reading this) If they want to know, they will just have to read the book!

Alexia: I also liked when Ruby was sitting in Maria's car and Charlie walks up to her and her friends start flipping out. That is exactly what we do. I found it so cute. Another favorite scene: When Charlie first walks into the costume party! I remember Ruby thinking, "A Girl Scout cookie box. The perfect compliment to a Girl Scout outfit." ADORABLE.

Angela: I love that he was a cookie box! I love it! I also love that Ruby's Girl Scout patches are her battle wounds, and that she proudly displays them. If Beth doesn't like that, then too bad. Ruby shows her story on her sash. I was a Girl Scout for about two weeks.

Little Willow: I envy Ruby her camera. I've always loved the look of Polaroids, but I've never owned the actual camera. They stopped making the cameras, and now they are ceasing production of the film as well. Of course, just as I finally prepare to get something, it's gone. I am sad.

Alexia: We have a Polaroid camera! Honestly, that thing is the best. I never tire of it. I'm sad that they stopped making them.

Alexia: This book taught me to look at things from somebody else's perspective and not to immediately jump to conclusions about other people. I think that Ruby learned a lot when the truth came out about her parents' split. It was a valuable lesson, and I learned it with her.

Angela: People always say, if you can't trust your family, then you can trust your friends, or if you can't trust your friends, then you can trust your family, but it's sad that Ruby feels as though she can't trust either group of people. Maybe when she was little, it wasn't the best time to tell her what really happened with her parents, but she had the right to know. It brings up the question: Who has the right to hide something that major from someone else? It can be argued for both ways. When you're hiding something like that for that long, when can finally tell them?

Little Willow: Trust and forgiveness are tricky little beasts, especially if secrets are involved. They are handled with integrity and respect here.

Angela: With her friends, with Beth, when you have a fight that big with someone who you are close to, you can be friends again, but you have to work through it.

Little Willow: I don't want to wrap this up. I want to keep talking about the book and keep giving Siobhan Vivian kudos for creating such realistic characters.

We will stop for now, though, ONLY because Angela has to go study for her Biology test and Alexia for her Physics test. If you want to discuss this book more in-depth with us, please feel free to leave a comment or question below!

Postscript, side note, pssst: We're thinking of doing a roundtable discussion about John Green's Looking for Alaska next. All three of us have read it and loved it. 

P.S. The original link to this is here: http://slayground.livejournal.com/342368.html . I'm sure most of you recognize the blog. It has great links at the bottom that I did not copy.

Yes, the one that was 3 months ago. I will now discuss it. So I went to Cambridge. That's cool. I met some of the most amazing people I have ever seen! Even cooler. I studied International Espionage for a month. Yes, I did. The coolest experience in the world? WIthout a doubt!

1) I had an attractive teacher. His name was Stuart, he looked like a short Tom Cruise. Unfortunately, he was short. very short!

2) The course was AMAZING! combining hands on excericises with history and theory! amazing!

3) I can now fully discuss "Cross My Heart and Hope To spy" by Ally Carter, and actually know what I'm talking about!

This Is ally's second book in the Gallagher Girl Series. And I sincerely hope that there will be more. Because there are not a lot of books that will keep me from my English essay two nights before it's due, but Cross My Heart did just that. An intriguing novel about an elite private girls school which is in fact a spy school, the second novel follows Cammie's journey as she passes tests, speaks in 8 different languages, and falls in love . . again . . . with an amazingly attractive guy. again. Why does she get all the luck? 

For any girl that has ever dreamt of being a spy I HIGHLY recommend I'd Tell You I love you, but then I'd have to Kill You (The first book by Ally), as well as Cross My Heart. For those of you that have read it - My favorite is Liz. 

Now, I'd like to take a moment and apologize for my disastrous lack of updates. However, since I'm in a list making mood, I will tell it to you in list format.

1) I had a relative visit from far away and I had to chaffeur him around. That's yucky. honestly. especially when he can't speak english. 

2) I've just started one of the most curcial years in my career. It's frightening, and I'm afraid. Yes, but as any good actress/spy/lawyer/journalist I'm good at hiding it!

3) I hold a top notch position on my school paper. Not a bundle of fun. More like a poison typewriter of fun, You type and type until the poison seeps through your fingers, and then you wonder - why inthe world am I here at 12 in the morning when I've got a US HIstory test tomorrow morning? I failed that test by the way. Not a B or a C, but a FAIL. Okay, it was a D, but it's all the same thing!

4) I'm lazy. and I'd much rather be reading than typing!

:)

~Alexia

P.S. Preview of coming attractions:

1) Madonnas of Leningrad <-- VERY GOOD! Historical fiction mixed with drama. and good writing.

2) The Nimble Man - Christopher Golden <-- amazing. No other word for it!

3) 13 Reasons Why <--good, very often reviewed, but good.

4)The Scarlet Letter <-- I know you're wondering why, But we just read it in English, and I've noticed some problems Hathorne has. Yes, even Hawthorne has problems, although my teacher would disagree!

~A.

When I was younger, I was incapable of spelling guilty (I still have trouble with it by the way), I would always spell it quilty. I was absolutely certain that that was in fact the correct way of spelling it and so was not concerned. Until the day my best friend went around shouting I feel QUILTy, because that's how I taught her to spell it. good times.

Anyway, because I haven't updated in a LONG time, I will not update, with a whole troop of books I've read recently, some for the first time, and some for the zillionth, I will get around to them  . . . eventually. But before I do so, all  Free Monkey lovers, raise your hands, and then slowly lower them to the keyboard and go to Little Willow's page where she has pictures of him with her, and will soon have pics of him with the both of us. yay! he's a good funloving monkey, who enjoys reading (granted), singing (80's pop), and long walks on the beach (we didn't take him there though :( ). 

The story of Free Monkey's journey in California. FM arrives sometime on Monday night (I think) . We proceed to scream and fawn over him on Tuesday morning, we take BAD photos iwth camera phones and the like. He gets a tour of our work area, meets all of the lovely people working there, then spends the day hiding in tall places away from Little Willow. Later on tuesday LW specifically asked me to bring a digital camera. She sent me two emails and i still managed to forget, I guess not everybody is as skillful at forgetting as I am. Wedensday morning I come in see FM, and go "shoot! I forget the bloody camera!" Then in a stroke of brilliance, I get back ito my new car, drive out of the parking lot (where i had been hounded by a creepy guy who parked next to me) and go to Ralphs. There I spent 5 minutes looking for the aisly with disposable cameras. You would never imagine how disorganized those Ralph's places are, until you need to find something before work starts. ah well. mission accomplished = camera found. I zip back into the office, run to FM and we start taking photos, whenever LW processed the photos, you dear readers will see them too. 

And that is FM story! he was dropped off at the post office earlier today. Bon Voyage Free Monkey!

I tried really hard to immitate the cover of the book in the subject line, but it really didn't work. at all. ah well.

I recently (five minutes ago) finished reading "Stargirl" by Spineli. I should have read it years ago, it's been sitting on my "to read" bookshelf for about 6 months but for some reason I kept pushing it away. Everybody and their aunt had borrowed it from me, read it, and loved it, but I never had, until now. and you dear readers are the first to hear of my thought on it!

It was a good book. I will grant it that. as my younger brother (HE read it before me!) said, "it gave a different perspective on life." I agree with that statement, although it wasn't INCREDIBLY original, it was the first book that I had read that had a "quirky" female lead that didn't make me cry from predictability. SG (my abbreviation) was predictable, but you loved her so much, you forgave it. The best analogy I can think up is Topanga from "Boy Meets World." I used to LOVE that show when i was younger, and used to immitate T. whenever i had that chance. I later realized that I wasn't being "original" if I imitated an "original" person, and so I stopped. none the less the rebelious spirit lives on with SG.

SPOILER ZONE ----- DO NOT ENTER, I think the whole world has read the book before me, but i warn those of you who haven't *cricket cricket*

A problem I had with the book was that it didn't feel realistic to me. As someone that was recently in high school, I can tell you with certainty that SG would not have lasted as long as she had. Boundaries and social groups are much harder to break than we think. MUCH HARDER. I was also surprised at how easily she made the transition to being a "normal" person. if that was how she REALLY was, "quirky", then it shouldn't be that simple. she was just like "oh, today i don't feel like being me!" but it's not that easy. My favorite scene is probably when she arrives at the dance. How all the parents had heard about her, but noone knew her. and for a moment she was in the spotlight. What happened afterwards was totally unrealistic. 

I AM glad though that Leo took something away from his experience. Oftentimes, when we finish a book we want to (maybe its just that I want to) know whether the main characters REALLY learned a lesson or not. Leo obviously did, and that made me happy. I'm GLAD he didn't find her again. It made a better ending that was less predictable. I was totally expecting her to be in a coffee shop or something, that he "happened" to stroll into, but nope. she was gone. he let her go.

*END SPOILERS!*****

All in all, it really was a good book. It taught people, young people to be more accepting anad appreciative of "different" characters, and that is always a good thing! A

~A. <-- I feel like M. from James Bond

. . . thanks to Brotherhood 2.(brotherhood2.com) now you can! John, spent a night cataloging his library, I spend 10 minutes a DAY catloging and i'm not done. ah well. It will be updated I promise! 

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://www.librarything.com/jswidget.php?reporton=newestmaurader&show=recent&header=1&num=12&covers=small-fixed-width&text=none&onlycovers=1&tag=alltags&css=1&style=5&version=1">
</script>

UPDATE: it doesn't work for livejournal. thanks for letting me know NOW!

UPDATE 2, if you are still dying, being the daughter of a doctor, I must help you! go here: http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=newestmaurader --> enjoy!

Somebody, you know who you are, I won't publicly humiliate you . . . yet, recently told me that I was, yes she really said these cruel words, a "blog slack[er]". Cruelty = unbearable! ah well. Since everybody's missed me so much, ha! *aside* this reminds me of an old russian saying, that if you don't praise yourself, you'll never get a compliment, that's my motto *end aside* I shall return to this beautiful blog.

On today's agenda.

1. New books I read - 
               a. Looking for Mockingbird - Loretta Ellsworth
               b.  Someone Like Summer - M.E. Kerr
               c. The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney - Suzanne Harper 
               d. Dragon's Keep - Janet Lee Carey
2. John and Hank Green's Blog
               a. very interesting 
               b. not entirely new, but new to me
               c. watch it!
3. New books from Barnes and Noble. LOTS of them!
4. This list is starting to REALLY looking like my histroy notes

So I will go down the list chronologically. I am critical, I forewarn you. I LIKE critisizing. 

Looking for Mockingbird -  The basic plot of this book is about a girl whose dead mother had left her a diary and a worn copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird". The girl, Erin *interestingly the name of one of my best friends*, goes on an adventure to track down Harper Lee, to speak to her and gain a better understanding of her mother. Idea wise, this book is wonderful, a cute coming of age story that takes us back to the days when we sat and stared in awe at Mockingbird *okay, maybe it was just me.* Complete with cute sidekicks, in the form of various bus passengers, the book tells the perfect story of different people coming together by circumstance.

Okay, back from spoiler central. In general it was a good book, I'd give it a solid B+, but I'm picky. My problems aside, there were GREAT quotes. I've picked some that don't have to do with the central plot and added them below. Enjoy the book if you read it! Let me know what you think! 

Someone Like Summer - "What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!"

While this book claims to be a modernization of Romeo and Juliet it succeeds only marginally. As I've stated earlier, I am NOT a fan of modernizations. Especially bad modernizations, that sell themselves from a story then don't follow the plot. The back says "interracial Romeo and Juliet story" I was expecting a balcony, two young lovers, a death. no, yes, no. 1 of 3 doesn't cut it. sorry. writing wise, it was decent nothing exceptional, although it touched on racey subjects and then promptly skirted away. Problems I had with the books (it's not in the spoilers section because i won't spoil anything): 1) The plot was utterly predictable. The best parts of the books were the song lyrics "Romeo", and I use this loosely, sings. The characters although well developed had no original flavors, just like in most any other book, they are predictable. I was just frustrated with this book, and I apologize for bashing it (although I don't think I did) but it felt unfinished. It has some potential, it just needs to be reworked. A LOT.

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney - cute, cute cute. Brief summary: girl in a family of psychics. She is propheted to be more powerful than them all. Contrary to their wants, she wants to be a regular teen. Things go upside down when a murder comes to town.  For a HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of CSI (Littly Willow, don't even start, she believes that its gone downhill, I didn't watch it in the beginning, thus have nothing to compare it to, and thus am still in love with it!) this book was awesome! it combined good characters, slightly predictable, with a stellar plot and fun active writing. I highly recommend it to many people. Favorite character's = the Ghost Guides. VERY reminiscent of "The Haunted Mansion" in Disneyland. read it if you want a nice fun clean read that mixes ghosts, happiness, murders, and romance. hoorah! A.

Dragon's Keep - As a particular fan of dragons, princesses, and king arthur, I will admit that I'm biased. This was a good book (unbiased); this was a FANTASTIC book, that I would give to all of me friends (biased). It had good, well developed, likeable characters (U); it had characters that you fall in love with and if you wrote a 4th grade english paper on your idol you would pick one of them (B). The plot was well developed, easy to follow, and not tedious (U), the plot was page turning, and phenomenal, I loved and adored it, If I had an ideal book this would be it (B). Now that we see the comparison, I shall move on.

Plot summary, girl (princess duh) born with dragon finger. OH NO! mom is mad, wants to hook her up with cute prince across the pond. girl rebels. hoorah! that was without spoilers. for the most part. What I really liked about this book was that it combined a good young adult plot with very mature and excellent writing. At first I thought this was a drawback, now I've changed my mind. This is excellent. Give the masses a good story and make it in proper English with GOOD writing. perfect, what more could you want? 

I think that this is a VERY good book for any fan of fiction and fantasy to read. as Lloyd Alexander cleverly said, "myth becomes history and history transformed into myth - a remarkable achievement." Remarkable indeed. Ms Carey I commend you fully. A.

*Aside* my hands are getting tired, so I'm going to stop it here, and continue about john and his blog and my new books tomorrow. my hands are literally falling off. possible due to fifteen IM convo's im carrying on right now, and the csi episode I'm watching on TV (although that would make me EYES hurt, not my hands) *end aside*

Good Night and Good Luck

So I posted the thingie below, and then realized that there were two more books that I had read, that I should review. Here they are. By the way, in case you haven't noticed, I am a HUGE fan of the LJ cuts. 

So, for anybody who didn't know (I don't expect many of you!) I review books for the HP program, First Look. This month I got two lovely books called "The Chaos King" by Laura Ruby, and "Repossesed" By A. M. Jenkins. 

Below are the reviews I sent to HP, they contain slight spoilers but nothing that you pretty much wouldn't have gotten from reading the back of the book. if spoilers REALLY bother you DO NOT READ!

Both books come out on Jun 1, 2007.

If you are at all interested in this super fun program, visit: http://www.harperteen.com/firstlook/index.asp

As promised, I will now review some HF novels I've read recently. At the end, I'll rate the novels on a scale, and give you a list of the best novels. Enjoy. 

~A.

P.S. I will be updating it throughout today, so these books won't be ALL of the books, but most.

As I try to overcome my extreme sunBURN (not tan, BURN) I will force my burnt fingers (who burns their fingers?) to type this message. I'm sorry for neglecting my page for so long! I got back from Mexico late last night, and this is the first time my eyes have seen a computer screen in 48 hours, that has NEVER happened to me. EVER. its shocking actually . . . . 

Anyway, the purpose of this ramble was toi let you know the next couple of books I'll be reviewing. Some of these books I read earlier in the year, some I've only recently read. ALL will be reviewed by this Sunday. Scouts honor. (I've never been a scout, but I've always wanted to say that!)

1. Blind Faith - Wittlinger
2. Things you Either Hate or Love - Lowry (No connection Lois Lowry, but good nonetheless!)
3. Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend - Jones
4. A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life - Reinhardt
5. Incantation - I will not stop looking up the authors, and instead add them all when I actually review the books. Sorry.
6. Tithe
7. Repossesed
8. The Chaos King - Ruby
9. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
10. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Willig (Along with all the sequels, which I will glump together!)
11. Heart of Gold - Shinn
12. The Wizard, The Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey
13. 1984 - Orwell
14. The Lightning Thief - Riordan
15. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
16. The Club Dumas

hoorah!

LW - I KNOW there were others I borrowed, read, and loved. Can you remember them?

~Alexia

P.S. Starting school again after spreak is NO FUN! 

~A.

P.P.S. I did get my liscence though!

~A.

P.P.P.S. The point of this message was to barter for time until I had to start my history essay. Ah well. Must go now!

~A.

Pretty self explanatory. The readergirlz is a wonderful website promoting reading brought about by four amazing authors - Janet Lee Carey, Lorie Ann Grover, Dia Calhoun and Justina Chen Headley. They strive to provide worthy reading material for young adult girls (and boys), and to allow these same young adults to discuss the books in a helpful and easy to access forum. I salute them - for their excellent idea and an excellent execution. 

April's Issue features On Pointe by Lorie Ann Grover, as part of their salute to poetry month.

Okay, so maybe their not real interviews - but emails count. Two lovely authors - John Green and Sharon Shinn, have recently responded to my emailed letters to them, and here's what they had to say:

Thank you both for sharing your thoughts with me! I recommend both of these authors profusely, and hope that they have a long and succesful career in front of them like they deserve.

Happy Passover, Happy Easter from both the Russian Orthodox and the Jewish side of my family!

I thought the subject was clever :), as this post is about the vampire books I've read recently, thanks to Little Willow's recommendations. 

The first of the two series, by Serena Robar, includes "Braced 2 Bite", and "Fangs 4 Freaks." The books follow the story of Colby Blanchard, a high school student, part of the "in-crowd", and suddenly bloodthirsty vampire. Mix in an attractive vampire investigator and a cute romantic comedy is in order. The books themself are very amusing providing the perfect light entertainment for a fall day (that's when I read them). With fast paced action and lovable characters they grip readers to the end. However be warned, if you are not interested in a playful book that does not dwell deeply into the mysteries of life, then you will not appreciate this book. What makes this book noteworthy however is the playful comedy side. People with dentists/orthodontists for parents should run to the nearest bookstore and buy it (my mom and grandfather are both dentists) as quickly as possible. The book also does an amazing job at exploring the other side of vampires, not a novel in the spirit of Anne Rice. but special in it's own way. 

Final thoughts: great for anyone who enjoys a light read (me), who falls in love with the hero everytime (me), and who believes, sympathizes, and supports the heroine (me again). A+ 

The second series is by Mari Mancussi, and includes "Boys That Bite," and "Stake That!". The heroine's in this novel, are sisters Sunshine and Rayne (yes I cracked up too,) both high schoolers, but with opposing personalities. Sunshine, is everything her name implies - bright, happy, popular, and perfectly content. Rayne on the other hand is more interested in seperating herself from the crowd, a self-proclaimed "Goth" she admires vampires, and has recently finished a course allowing her to become one. Dreams end for Rayne however, when her identical twin is bitten instead. The book is written with a fresh style, and superimposes Sunny's sweetness and light comedy with Rayne's witty and sarcastic remarks. Another book that should be read on the beach, or on the plane. While Sunny is a typical character found in many teenage novels (the popular girl who finds herself in trouble, and must remake herself, etc.), with Rayne we come to see a deeper character, who through her desire to make herself different, has changed her personality deliberately so that people perceive her a specific way. 

The second book, follows Rayne's journey after the scandal with Sunny. This book, while written in the same fast pace as its predecessor, has more of the darker humor that marks Rayne. Exploring the history of the vampire race, the novel lends a depth to BTB, that makes readers want to go back and reread the book with their new information on hand. As romantic comedies go, the heroes in both books are equally loveable: for Sunny comes Magnus - her bloodmate - and the unwary vampire that bit her. For Rayne - Jareth, the misunderstood vampire with a hidden past. While not entirely conventional in their descriptions, they find a way into their hearts, despite their eyeliner and fangs. 

Final thoughts: darker than Robar's series, but with a tinge more depth. Mancussi does an excellent job of retelling an old story using new props and fun characters. Two thumbs up! 

For those of you that haven't fallen asleep at your keyboards, Good Night, and Good Luck. (I've always wanted to say that!)

9. The Book Thief - Little Willow, finally I will, I promise!
10. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
11. On Pointe - Lorie Ann Grover
12. Tithe - Holly Black - I think I've actually read it, but for some reason the cover picture and opening scene aren't jogging my memory. 
13. Heart of Gold - Sharon Shinn
14. Beka Cooper - Tamora Pierce
15. A Countess Below Stairs - Eva Ibbotson

These were all recommended to me today, so continue recommending more, please!

I'm now sitting with my kitty - Yago - on my lap, crocheting (yes, I can crochet, well) legwarmers. I am convinced that they will make a comeback! :)

Here is my book/author list for March. Feel free to recommend books, i love finding new things!

1. Christopher Golden
2. The Alchemist - Coelho
3. The Ruby Ring - Diane Haeger
4. Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) - Justine Headley
5. The Importance of being Earnest - Oscar Wilde
6. Stargirl - Spinelli
7. The Fire Rose - Mercedes Lackey
8. The Thorn Birds - mcCullough

I think thats all I've got lined up for the moment. I'm sure Little Willow, If you haven't met her yet, you will soon, will shove more my way, and when that happens, you'll know!

Starting out. Ok, since this just started I'm going to explain (hopefully briefly) how my blog with work - if all goes well. I'm hoping to have a running list, updated once in a while, of books that people must read. Then I will have my monthly picks posted, you guessed it at the end of the month, then I will post at the beginning of the month a list of books I will read, and subsequently as I read them I will post reviews. That's it. simple - hopefully. I may post book reviews spontaneously when I have time.

For now - the must read books:
 ~ Harry Potter - JK Rowling. Criticize it all you like, it is still an amazing series, and no amount of jealous and cruel remarks will diminish it's glory. I have a constant war waged with my father, who claims it is a children's book that is beneath him. DO NOT listen to people like that, HP is not beneath anyone, and I look down upon people who think they are too good for it. It is the story and the writing that counts, not the selected audience, and although Harry potter will be found for reasons unknown to me) in the children's section, it is a book worthy of being read by anyone. period.

~ Looking for Alaska - John Green. Read it! My friend Little Willow, recommended it, it is LIFE CHANGING. I especially recommend it to teens who haven't discovered their place in the world, or who are still drifting. There is not much i have to say, but I do leave you with this, just as HP, this books is meant to test you. The first time i read HP, I refused to go beyond the first 20 pages - I said it was boring. then a year later I couldn't put it down. dont' let the first few chapters of LFA bring you down, grit your teeth, and the reward is stupendous.

~ Samaria Trilogy - Sharon Shinn. Hailed as a triology, it is actually a collection of books. they definitely changed my perception of our world, and the world we are moving towards. you must read all of them to understand, here's the lineup - Angelica, Archangel, Angel-Seeker, Jovah's Angel, the Alleluia Files. Amazing books, I commend the author.

~ The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde. A classic. A must read. A phenomenon. 

~ Any Book written by Tamora Pierce. Recommended for people in middle school. Cute fun fantasy, that boys and girls alike enjoyed. there are TONS of them, and you can pretty much start anywhere. I started in 6th grade with "The Song of the Lioness" quartet. They lasted me through 8th grade in happiness.

~ Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia C. Wrede - along the vein of HP and Tamora Pierce, light comedy recommended STRONGLY for girls. 

~ The Other Boleyn Girl - good book. read it before december, because that's when the movie comes out. DON"T WATCH THE MOVIE UNTIL YOU READ THE BOOK. this is good for any history fans, it is told at a very fast pace, and it gives you all the information in a timely and orderly manner.

~ Summers at Castle Auburn - Sharon Shinn. Another book that absolutely changed my life. I read it two summers ago, and I can still remember the feeling of when i finished it, and couldn't sleep for nights because I was kept up by my own thoughts. Don't let that scare you, I'm a notable over reactor, and was kept up by my own obsession. 

~ The Princess Bride - William Goldman. The best vacation book ever. Cute light fun, not like the movie! Once finished reading, try finding the unabridged version, I hope you have as much fun as I did. :).

I can't think of any more, but I will add them, as they come to me. Thanks for your patience! I promise, none of the other posts will be as long!