Afterlight: The Dark Ink Chronicles by Elle Jasper

I should have known from the cover tag line of "Blood is thicker than ink." That this book was going to be complete shit. Actually, saying this book was complete shit would be an understatement. I have a high tolerance for crappy vampire books and tv shows. I read and reread Anne Rice more than I would like to admit so trust when I tell you that I don't normally hate on crappy vampire books.

This book is like a smutty version of Twilight. Can I just tell you how tired I am of helpless, yet hardened women, who crave... long... lust... for vampires. Even though they could get killed they still bone their vampire boys until they "change." UGH! Enough predictable shit!

This book also uses words like "freakin" and "hellava" way too much. There was zero variety in the vocabulary of Elle Jasper. I also have to say that reading the sex scenes was mostly just gross rather than even slightly erotic. I have written my share of sex stories. I opted to make most of them funny. Frankly, trying to write erotica and have come out as anything other than ridiculous is just a wasted effort.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. From cliched characters to poor writing it just isn't worth the time it takes to read.

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta

I didn't know what to think of this book after a few chapters. Now that I have finished this book I am still not sure how I feel about it. I connected with the female lead, Ruth. She really just wanted to tell the truth to the youth she was hired to teach about sex. She was held back by the religious right which was taking over in her community. Growing up in SLC, I grew up in schools that only taught abstinence. I will say this about that brand of curriculum, I started having sex when I was 14. It would have been nice if I had been nice to have been armed with knowledge. This is not to imply I wouldn't have had sex at such a young age. I would have still fucked like a hot bunny even with the knowledge. I just would have been safe from the get go, rather than just being lucky before a gay friend of mine showed me the ins and outs of safe sex.
The Abstinence Teacher brought up a lot of issues for me. My big RED FLAG went up with all the GOD talk in this book. I was worried I had just checked out a book that was trying to convert me. We see Ruth struggle with the religious right not only in her career with them putting a stop to Sex Ed and replacing it with Abstinence teaching; but Ruth also has to deal with the same people in her personal life. Ruth becomes outraged when her daughter's soccer coach holds a team prayer at the end of a game. Frankly, I would have flipped my top. I got my feathers ruffled by the way the Christians in this book talk and act. I felt like I was back in high school and those snotty bitches were calling me the devil again.
I think my personal bias against religious people prevented me from liking Tim. He is the male lead in this book. He is a born again Christian and not having an easy go of it. He is a recovering addict who basically transfers his addiction for drugs to God. Having more than one junkie for a friend I know how easily some flip the switch from heroin to Jesus. I think both addictions are equally dangerous to your well being.

Over all this book was a lot of lead up and talk to an anti climatic end. Did I like it? I can't say for sure. I have been thinking about that since finishing the book. I will say I liked parts of it. Parts of it made me so disgusted with the accuracy of how some people behave I had to walk away from it for a while. Over all I would recommend this book, with the warning that if you have the same prejudice against religious people you may get your panties in a bunch.

The Secret Life of Bees By Sue Monk Kidd

In the last couple of months I have been reading a lot of books and essays set in the South in the 60's. Race relations are something that have come up a lot in my political science classes. While things are better than they were in the 60's it is in reading these works that I see how much more work we still need to do for equality. Today our schools are less diverse than they were in the late 60's. A disturbing number of minorities are incarcerated.

The laws and justice system in this country are racially bias. It is something that comes up in the Secret Life of Bees. Rosaline is treated quite harshly for spitting on a white man's shoes. She is the house keeper for Lilly. Lilly is the main voice in this book. We learn almost equally about bees and people in this book. I loved the way the writer incorporated bee keeping into day to day life and the similarities in relationships.

Lilly's Mother was tragically killed when Lilly was 4 years old. Lilly has always had a hole in her heart where her Mother should have been. Lilly's Father was not a good man toward Lilly. He was overly harsh in his punishments and overly apathetic about her when she was behaving. Neglect and coldness is all Lilly knew from her Father so it wasn't surprising that Lilly grew very attached to Rosaline.

When Rosaline ran into legal trouble Lilly couldn't stop herself from helping her run away. They ran away to a different part of the same Southern state. Lilly has a hard journey figuring out who she is, who her Mother was, what is right or what is wrong. It is a touching and at times overwhelming journey. But in the end Lilly figures out what she believes and knows about herself and the world.

I would suggest this book to anyone who is interested in a good but heavy read.

A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages By Kristin Chenowrth

I have always thought that I would love to hang out with Kristin Chenoweth, if she weren't so dang nice (this is a bit of a joke from her book). :) I really enjoyed the snap shots of her life that she painted in this book.

I guess I never thought about how annoying it can be to constantly be called short and sweet. I am taller than the average girl and meaner than the average girl, so these things haven't ever been said to me. That isn't to say that I couldn't relate to Kristin. She and I couldn't be more opposite but at the same time, I found a lot of myself in reading her book.

Kristin gave light to how much hard work actually goes into building a Broadway career. She is sweet and endearing in the way she talks about her best gay to her grandpa. There wasn't one point that was a high point over the others in this book. That is the thing about the way that Kristin delivers her story. She rides the highs and lows with the same humility and grace. She drips with normality which you don't often see from people as talented as her.

In reading about Kristin, I went from liking her to really respecting her. I was a pseudo fan of hers when I started and I would say that my fan-ness has also grown from reading about her. I dig anyone who stays true to who they are and doesn't apologize for it. I am not at all religious like Kristin. I don't think I have prayed since my Mother used to make me do it before dinner each night. But I do mediate, I do hold my personal truth near and dear. I found it refreshing to read about someone who isn't afraid to ask for help when she needs it, but for the most part she has to figure things out on her own. I am the same way.

I fully recommend this book to everyone.

Catching Fire By Suzanne Collins

This is the second book in the Hunger Games Series. In this book we again follow Katniss through her struggles just to have a normal life. She has won the Hunger Games and no longer has to work just to feed her family. She and Peeta have been given homes and anything else they could want for having won the games. The catch is that the Capitol is pissed these two won. Normally in the Hunger Games, much like in Highlander, there can be only one. Katniss and Peeta have cheated the Capital.

As a result they end up having to go back to the Hunger Games. This time they are going up against people who have all won previously. This is something the call the Quarterly Quell where there are new rules for the Hunger Games every 25 years. This year it so happens that the people chosen to go to the games have to be from the winner pool. This means there are so seriously people to seriously crazy people in the competition. Without ruining anything for anyone I will say that these preparations for the Games are more interesting than the first book. I will also say I liked the character development in this book better than in the first.

There is an interesting twist of events at the end of the book that I didn't really see coming, well at least not the way that it did. I don't want to have any spoilers here so I will just say you may want to have the third book handy when you read this one as it ends on a cliffhanger.

I recommend this book for anyone who has read the first. I would not recommend this for young children as there are definitely some mature themes what with all the death of the Games and all. I would also recommend this book to fellow Political Science majors or anyone interested in fear tactics that governments use.

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone By JK Rowling

This is the first entry in my Harry Potter Read along with my good friend Crystal. I am looking forward to reading what everyone else thought of the books.

I have read the Harry Potter series a few times now. I have in the past skipped the first two books if I reread the series. This first book isn't really a magical read for me. I can understand the appeal that it has for children. It is a simple yet complex story which leads to vivid imagery if you aren't hindered at painting the picture yourself (which most children are not and most adults struggle with). There is a lot of background information in this book so it is important to read for the sake of understanding everything but I don't think I really enjoy it. It is like reliving the awkward years of childhood all over again. It made me want to straighten my bushy hair and hide my big teeth.

Harry starts off as a kid who tries to stay as invisible as possible while on Privet Drive. As soon as Harry hits the wizarding world he suddenly has a voice. He stands up for himself against bullies. He sticks his nose into things that don't concern him. The thing this story lacks for me is a motivation. Why is Harry suddenly so out spoken? Why the sudden change in behavior? I get that Harry loved Hogwarts, but does a sense of home lead to reckless abandon for who you were ten minutes ago?

The quidditch section of this book is boring to me and I try to just move past it as quickly as possible. I understand the appeal, it just isn't my deal to read the description of a sports match. Sure I can dig sitting in Yankee Stadium with a hot dog and a beer surrounded by friends. I am definitely not one of those people who sits at home next to the radio listening to a game. I am more of a Wait Wait Don't Tell Me kind of listener.

The strongest theme in these books is love. Be it love for your friends who you would risk dangerous situations to help. Sometimes it is the love of family, as seen with the Weasley bunch. Over all it is the wish of love that we see with Harry. More than anything in the world Harry wants and need love. I dig a story that teaches children loyalty and love.

All in all this is definitely a book meant for children. I would suggest it to parents struggling to get their own child to read. I would suggest it to those interested in understanding the Harry Potter movies a little better (as I think they leave much to be desired). I would also suggest this as a light read for anyone wanting a little fantasy that isn't has heavy as other fantasy books. For instance, JK Rowling does not create a language in these books. :)

The Help By Kathryn Stockett

I finished this book a few hours ago. It is the story of three women set in Mississippi in the 1960's. One women is a white recent college graduate while the other two are black maids. Yesterday, was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I was living in New Jersey going to elementary school the first time I heard the "I have a dream..." speech. It gave me goose bumps then and it gives me goose bumps now. That speech gave me hope for the future of race relations. I have hope for sexual equality. I have hope that inequality is something that is covered in history books, not felt in day to day life. I know that I am an idealist. I know I will suffer with my disappointment when what I wish doesn't happen. But I can hope. As a little girl growing up first in Draper, Utah then in Flanders, New Jersey, then back to South Jordan, Utah you would think that I was somewhat sheltered against racism. I did after all grow up in the 80's and 90's, not the 50's or 60's. I remember some kid at school calling me a spic and I had no idea what that was, let alone that it was a racial slur. I was in the 1st grade when this happened to me. It was the first time, but certainly not the last time someone said that to me.

I am confrontational to say it nicely. My friends all agree that they love when I am a bitch to people when they deserve it but hate with when I aim it at them. I am not afraid to tell people exactly what I think of them and whatever it is they are doing in front of me. I related to the character Minny more than the others in The Help, because she too couldn't help herself. She would tell people exactly what she thought of them. She would also lash out at people when they deserved it. I have a hot temper just like her. In the story Minny has a harder time than most maids as she is confrontational. She gets fired a lot for her mouth. She is also a really sweet woman and would do anything to protect the people she loves most. I could also relate to that level of loyalty.

Miss Skeeter isn't someone I could relate with at first. She was just another spoiled rich white girl from the south in the beginning of this book. She like an onion needed her layers peeled back. Her Mother was over bearing and overly critical and I had a hard time with this dynamic. My own Mother can be somewhat out spoken but has never intentionally made me feel bad about myself like Skeeter's Mother does consistently through out the book. Miss Skeeter comes up with the idea to write a book. She decides she wants to write the black maid's perspective on domestic life. She obviously had no idea what she was getting herself into when she started the project but by the end I think it made her a stronger person.

The character of Aibileen has the strongest voice in the book. We see her struggle with raising yet another white baby. We see her love a child that is not her own, knowing that one day that child will flip a switch in her head and start seeing Aibileen as less than. We see Aibileen show great courage in being the fist woman to record her stories for Miss Skeeter. Aibileen works for Miss Skeeter's close friend so it is difficult for them both to talk about the way Aibileen is treated.

The way these three very different women come together and share their lives with one another isn't a new story. I would say that over all this story has been told in different forms many times. I am not saying I didn't enjoy this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I did like that the two black maids had more of a voice in this book than the one white character. In that way it was different from other books that I have read. I didn't struggle too much with the dialect in which this book is written. I took a Diversity in American Literature class which had reading selections much more difficult and thick with dialect. I only mention it because I wasn't prepared for it when I picked the book up to start reading it. I generally prefer to know before hand if a book is written in a dialect. I tend to have to concentrate a little more on the reading when this is the case. I started this book a while ago but had to put it down until I had more time I could devote to it.

I would recommend this book to any one interested in race relations, female bonding, the south, and or a different view of American History. I would not say that anyone not at least a teen should read this book, as there are some graphic parts to it and some of the language is a bit harsh. I had a friend tell me they were thinking of reading it to their 6 year old. I don't think that would be a good idea.

The Point....

I have started this blog because I read way too much. I am often asked for book suggestions and of course my mind inevitably goes blank. Also, my friend who is an avid reader/ blogger (http://www.dorolerium.com/) is having a Harry Potter read along. I will be joining in on the fun of reading a long so once a month expect some Harry Potterness! In between those I will be posting about what I am currently reading and books I have previously read and loved. I will try really hard to not be one of those "blogger douches" who thinks their opinion is superior to all others. The fact that I am blogging indicates that I at least have this tendency in my soul, but I will try to keep it to a minimum.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Originally, when I heard about this book, I had no intention of reading it. I was told it was a teen romance series. After reading Twilight I didn't really feel like going back into the teen lit world. However, a former classmate of mine convinced me to give it a read. I am glad that she gave me the incentive to read this book.

The story starts off with introducing us to Katniss. She is 16 but wise beyond her years with having to take care of her family. She is a little bit on the stereotypical "my life is hard, so I am hard" side of character building. I would also say that our main character is inconsistently bright and dense. She can figure out how to feed her family when needed but can't pick up on the signs of a boy liking her.

I am a Political Science major so the politics of the Capital versus the Districts is fascinating to me. The Capital is a totalitarian state. The Districts 1-12 serve the Capital. Most of the people of the Districts are treated little better than slaves. The name of the book comes from a yearly event the Capital forces on the districts. From each district one male and one female child have to be offered up via lottery drawing to go to the Hunger Games. Once in the games the goal is to be the last one living. So basically 23 children have to die every year to satisfy the Capital and to remind the districts that they don't have the power to question the government.

Katniss is the female going to the games from her district. The teen romance drama which I thought this book would be more about is between Katniss and Peeta, the male selected to go to the games from her district. Their interactions before the Games and during are interesting to me from the stand point of what people will do to survive. I don't know that I would have it in me to fight anywhere near as hard as others to survive. I don't mean that in a self loathing way, I just mean that I don't think I could kill others just so I could live. The implications of your quality of life if you do live are profound, could you live with knowing you killed someone?

The dynamic between the districts and the Capital made me do a lot of thinking. Is this the way things would be if the United States took a nose dive? It was an interesting read and I would recommend it to teens, those with political science tendencies, and anyone looking for an easy read with heavy subject matter. I will say that some of the material can lead to pretty intense imagery if your imagination is at all like mine. I would say that this book is pretty well written, but has some shaky bits to it that have to be over looked to fully enjoy it.