Last Olympian Book Review

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


ACK! This is such a good series. SUCH a good series. Coming of age: check. Love story: check. Thrilling action: check. Lovable/relate-able characters: check.

This book was definitely good. The whole series was good. I didn't like how much of this book was taken up in the fight scenes (not my cup o' tea) but I get it. Everything in the books was leading up to this final battle and it made sense that it would take a while. Still. Still I got bored with the fighting.

Nevertheless: VERY good series. Worth the time it takes to read them. GET OUT THERE AND GET THESE BOOKS!!!



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Fablehaven Review

Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Since this is the final book in the series I will briefly review the whole series here.

Enjoyable? Definitely. Gripping? Frequently. Would I read it again? Surely.

Here's the thing. I am convinced that a lot of contemporary male authors can't truly write a love story. I realize that this series is sort of a children's series, but it is also a YA series in my eyes. Kendra's 15. I don't know what it would really be classified as. I was as disappointed with the love story in the Pretties and Uglies series.

At times I got very hopeful to see Kendra find love. I know, I know. Idealistic and irrelevant. But not in my eyes. I am a romantic TO THE CORE and love a good love story. Overcoming challenges, loving someone no matter the difference (expect for like more than 10 years apart in real life)... etc. I love it. I eat it up. I gobble it and want more. So after a few potential interests were added to the story starting in the 2nd book I got very hopeful. It was sad when Kendra was betrayed but really I was not attached seeing as no time was spent on the development of the relationship. Whenever Kendra was having something develop with a character it was usually seen through Seth's eyes so there was no detail, no excitement, no "will he won't he"... And in the end there was sort of a love story (lacking many details and excruciating bits) though it was left on a note of friendship that Kendra felt deep down would grow into something more and remain. I am glad he said it... at least it offers some closure... but not enough.

That being said for the romantic in me...

The action was awesome. The book well written except for a few parts where the larger words seemed forced into the book. (Which isn't necessarily a bad thing since I am all for getting kids to read books with big words so they'll understand them and incorporate them into their vocabulary.)

It just... read awkwardly at some points. But that's okay.

I stayed up too late multiple nights to finish the series. With every book I was draw in, nervous, excited, and definitely entertained.

Very glad I gave the series a chance. It was surely worth the time it took to read.



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What makes you YOU as a writer?

I have a lot of projects I cycle through. I cannot focus on one and so I think I may never finish a single book. YET. I know they are in me. These stories. Stories that could change the world. Or at least a life. I feel it. I know it . I AM SUPPOSED TO WRITE.
Here's my main problem. When I write I am so focused on the publishing aspect that I focus from the beginning on what I need to put in my story to get it published. Problem: it isn't me and my story gets lost or I get lost and exit my story.
This has happened twice and both times it has happened on stories that came to me like I stuck my finger in a socket, but instead of my hair popping all over the place my whole insides filled up with the story. The feeling that I want to come off the page when it's read, the characters. I feel inside how I want readers to feel while they read it but especially at the end.
It's like a drug.
I read endless books searching for that feeling
but I don't ever find exactly what I am looking for.
Because it isn't out there.
It isn't.
It's already inside ziping around, my fingers tingling with the will to put it out there.
On paper.
So I guess through all of that I am saying that regardless of being published I think it makes you a writer to put your words down. How you want them.
And even if my books never got published, the being finished is the important thing
because if they are my words on the page
and they mean a lot to me
and it sounds and feels and is how I want it
then THAT is what matters.
I am not talking about having a problem if publishers want changes to make it sell better. They aren't always going to be bad.
BUT if you, in your heart, know that the changes they WANT to make, or you think they might TRY to make don't hold true to your story look elsewhere (if that's the stage you are in) or just write it without regards to publishing.
Because maybe. Just maybe. They want to hear what you have to say how you have to say it.
You are the artist afterall.

Book Review: final installment in the Princess Diaries series

Forever Princess by Meg Cabot

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


So. I love Mg Cabot, I do. But. This is the first series of hers where I am disappointed. I get that teenagers deal with whether or not to have sex, but I also strongly believe it is wrong to encourage them to have sex and to make it seem perfectly okay. So there was that element that I didn't like to all of these books, especially this one.This one in particular frustrated me because little girls read these books, especially after they came out with the movies and she had blurbs from a romance novel Mia 'wrote' that had a lot of detail from what I could tell in skimming them. The one good thing was: she had the sections italicized and on their own so you knew which parts not to read if you don't want to read that sort of thing.Other than that, and/or in spite of that I really did enjoy this book. It was fun and it was wrapped up very nicely and not too conveniently. Mia is whiny but comes into her own and starts dealing with her own problems which is a nice way to end.All in all: disappointed in some of the content but most of that was easy to avoid and it was a fun book. I wouldn't read the series again and I wouldn't let my young girls read it either, but I don't feel like I totally wasted my time.

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Book review: Comfort by Carolee Dean

Comfort by Carolee Dean

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is about a young boy dealing with the struggles of an abusive mother, poverty, an alcoholic father, and the inner turmoil that creates.
Kenny Willson loves to write and dreams of a bigger life outside of the small town of Comfort, TX. He dreams of breaking free from the shackles of poverty and lack of education.
With a mama who can't see past her own dreams to realize her son has some of his own, Keny has to fight for what he wants, has to fight to be somebody, and has to fight just to stay in school.
A coming of age story that is sure to bring a tear to your eye, fill your heart with memories of all the things you've dreamed of, and raise your hackles at the injustice of a self-centered parent of a kid longing for love.
With only a few people who seem to believe in him and his mama out to tie him down: will Kenny ever fulfill his dreams and learn the power of putting his anger and disappointment on paper?
Worth the time it takes to read. A really great book: well written with flawed, believable characters and a story that, even if you can't relate, pulls you in and fills you with all the emotions of a struggling, oppressed teenager on the verge of something better.

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PUNCT uate

I am a slacker. I realize this.
Life is more important than blogging.
or at least I try to tell myself that.

Do you ever wonder, however... if you submitted work using weird verging on the wrong punctuation it would be accepted as is? Like: if you used bad punctuation to get a point across if it would have to be changed because it is wrong.
Faulkner. Verbose. Lots of punctuation in order to have a Loooo-ooong sentence. Probably wouldn't fly if a sally simpleton submitted. right?
But. A lot of periods. Short, short, short sentences. I feel like they portray lack of feeling... sarcasm even.
Is it wrong?? Is it wrong in the sense that writing IS to communicate and it is difficult sometimes to communicate through written word as clearly as when you're speaking face to face. Why? Tone of voice. Simply that. If I raise my voice and say my dog died... I am blaming someone.
If I raise the pitch... but just at the end mind... I am asking... perhpas I am in denial.
If I say it dead pan perhaps I am sad. Or just don't care.
But.
My dog died! (yelling)
My dog died? (denial)
My dog died. (sad? Deadpan? Don't care? Sarcastic???) It is difficult.
see here:
If I say
My. Dog. Died. Puncutating (incorrectly?!) I am making each word hit home.
or
I can say
(in many more words)
Pausing after each word (or ennunciating after each word) she told him, "My dog died."
I am not NOT saying you should use poor language skills. I am not knocking grammar and proper punctuation. On the contrary!!! I feel it is extremely important to write and speak correctly. I am just saying: Language is fickle.
Rules are fickle.
In the world of so much written/texted communication we are getting creative. We want NO misunderstandings. We want to communicate and be sarcastic but so many don't want to peel their fingers off the keyboard to insure this. (Personal feeling: WHY EVER NOT?!?!?) So. We make language work for us. And why not? PLEASE use proper spelling and grammar!!!
Here's my cahllenge: Rather than thwarting the rules write a few sentences using PROPER grammar/ punctuation and portray your feelings, your tone. Okay? Okay.
Share if you so choose.

Write me a sentence. Use ?wrong? punctuation