Trick of the "Mega Roll"

Some of you may be wondering why I titled my blog Ramblings of a Scribbled Mind.  Then again, it's possible some of you don't give a hoot.  I realized just today that I never really post about what's on my mind, though the title of this blog would suggest such posts.  So, today, I'm going to give you a small taste of what actually goes on in this obscure brain of mine.

About a year ago, I realized the toilet paper rolls were getting skinnier.  Suddenly I could see the ugly, faded TP holder on each side of the unbalanced roll.  I call it unbalanced because they claim it's a "mega roll" but in fact, it's probably about as much toilet paper as it ever was.  You may have greater length, but you have skinny squares.  You probably can't even call them squares any more!  They're long and skinny.  Is this just another reminder that my butt better not get any wider?  Thanks Charmin...Quilted Northern...I needed that.

So, yes, this was about a year ago that I first discovered the skinny roll.  Just the other day, my brother and I went to pick up some more toilet paper because the stuff we have in emergency storage should be used for only that...emergencies...it's just plain bad.  I picked up the large package of toilet paper at the store and saw the same skinny rolls, but even more "mega!"  What?  Now they really don't fit on the holder.  I have to use some of the roll before it will even fit between the holder and the wall, and then once it fits that way, it's definitely not wide enough.  It looks pretty bad.  I see no solution other than buying a holder that won't show this oddity.  I have to believe they exist.

So, dear readers, you may not care that things like this go on in my mind.  Nevertheless, I feel better now posting this into the great wide open.  May your rolls be wide and your squares a square.

With Hope

I'm writing this post today in hopes that it will propel me onward and upward.  As you can see, it's been about a year since my last post.  Sad, indeed.  I wish I could say that I've been so wrapped up in reading that I just haven't had time to post.  Sadly, there hasn't been much time for reading either.  Luckily, I've read a couple of really fantastic books over the last year and hope that soon there will be many more I can post about.  I hope that within this next year there will also be time for more writing.  I'm finally almost done with math (though never as close as I'd like to be).  Surely many of you can sympathize with me when I say that some subjects are better left...to someone else.  To each their own.

Though I can't make promises that my posts will become more frequent, I hope there will be time to post more than once a year.  Otherwise I may have to title this blog "Musings of and Absentee Blogger."  No one wants that...  Who knew that dating a great guy would take up so much time?  I can't imagine that marrying the great guy will make any more time.  :)  We shall simply have to see.

Until next time, I wish you all the best in your endeavors, big or small.  May you read many wonderful books, and have the opportunity to talk about them with people who care.  :)

Superfreako...What?

After blogging about books for quite some time, you're probably wondering why I have yet to write a scathing review.  It's impossible to like every book you read, right?  I agree with that statement.  However, since I started this blog there really haven't been many books I've disliked.  Then I read this one.

I finished this book last week.  Well, I sort of finished this book...  I tried.  I really, honestly tried to read it.  By the time I was halfway through I realized, I just didn't care.  Never before have I rolled my eyes so much in a book. 

Critics gave both Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics raving reviews, saying it was new and fresh and probably even inspirational.  My take?  It's pop culture crap, that people believe because they really can't think for themselves.  Yeah, it's sort of a new take on economics, but ugh.  I don't care.

This book was written to shock people.  That was made clear when the first point was about prostitution.  All of you essay writers out there know that the most influential point should be made first and then driven back home in the conclusion.  That's exactly what happened.  However, the conclusion was about monkeys, who apparently only care about food and sex.  When money is introduced to these monkeys... yes, prostitution with monkeys ensues.  Though we have no idea how the experiments in this book were actually conducted and any of it was mostly likely twisted to add shock value to prove that economics can be looked at in a different way.

The tone of voice was arrogant and untrustworthy.  There was nothing that would make me trust these experiments or the authors.  Critics called it witty, I call it sarcastic and poorly written.  I love sarcasm as much as anyone, but the sentence structure was so terrible sometimes that the humor never made it off the page.

I'm sure there's more I could say, but I think you all get the idea. 

Happy reading!  I hope you're all reading something better than this!  :)

The Power of Six

I'm sad it took me so long to pull this one off my shelf.  I bought it when it first came out a year ago and I just kept picking up other books instead.  Why?  No idea.  And then recently a friend of mine asked if I had read it.

This is what he said, "I Am Number Four was good but, The Power of Six was awesome!" 

So, a few weeks later, I have finally read it and I cannot wait for the next one to come out in three weeks!  I devoured this one and then had dreams all night about having "legacies" of my own.  He he he.  For those of you who don't what what those are, you should just read and find out.  I wish I had some!

The Power of Six was so exciting!  So many twists and cool things kept happening.  One adventure after another.  This one picks up where I Am Number Four left off.  The Mogodorians are getting closer to uncovering the locations of each of the Nine and the time for hiding is coming to an end.  It's time to unite and fight.  John is coping with how to live his new life and struggling with his continued feelings for Sarah and new feelings for Six.  This sequel also dives into the mind of one of the other Nine, Marina.  The woman who is supposed to be her protector and trainer has practically abandoned her and Marina is left to figure things out on her own.  But, now she fears the Mogodorians have found her.  I loved reading both points of view.  Their stories are so different and the characterization is well done.

This story is unique and such an enjoyable read.  There were several moments where I laughed out loud and even more moments when I was literally sitting on the edge of my chair.  At the end of every chapter I had to relax my shoulders because the action was intense. 

That's another thing I should mention.  In many books the action has a tendency to get confusing because it's not always very well explained.  Sometimes it's because the author wants to keep the pace moving and fears too much detail in the action will slow it down too much.  That was not the case here.  The action was well detailed and I was never confused about what was happening to who or where.   At the same time the pacing was excellent.

This is one series where you shouldn't judge the book by the movie.  I won't lie, I was entertained by the movie adaptation of I Am Number Four, but the books are so much better.  And I have to agree with my friend.  The first one was good, but this one was fantastic! 

Pathfinder

I am long overdue to be talking about this rather incredible book.  A couple of years ago, I bought Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card for my brother for Christmas.  I'd heard through the Mom-line that he wanted me to buy him a book.  So, I scoured the internet searching for the perfect book I thought he would like.  I wanted to get him something new, exciting, and of course something with a beautiful cover.  (My brother loves art almost as much as I do.  If the whole package isn't right, he's not going to read it.)  Then I found this little baby.  It was the one!

Much to my sadness, it took him nearly a whole year to read it!  Who does that, right?  But he kept saying, "Mal, you have to read this when I'm done." 
To which I would respond, "Why?  It must not be any good if it's taking you this long to read." 
"Yeah, I know," he'd say.  "But it really is good."
"Mm-hmm."
"It is!  And the cover is amazing, look at it!"

We had many of these conversations.  They all went about like that.

At long last, he finished and conveniently placed it upon my bookshelf so that it would be the one I read next.  Then I finally picked it up.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Orson, you've done it again.

This is the story of Rigg.  Rigg has a special ability to see the paths every person throughout time has walked or moved.  His father is a man who goes by many titles and doesn't always seem to be the most loving of men.  Rigg's father taught him many things that the other villagers seemed to have no need to know.  One day his father is killed in the woods while the two of them were out trapping and hunting.  His father tells Rigg to run home and talk to their caretaker.  On his way something very strange and unique happens to him.  The paths he sees begin to slow down and he can actually see the people moving through time and not just their path.  What Rigg learns next takes him on a journey he never planned, and becomes someone he never expected. 

The writing is beautiful and well crafted.  There are many difficult concepts in this book to grasp and I frequently had to set the book aside for a second and make sure everything the author said was sinking in before I moved on to the next chapter.  While it took me a little while to read it during this exhausting bit of summer, I don't understand why it took my brother a whole year!  This story is very well told and unlike anything I've read before. 

Hope you love it too!

City of Lost Souls

I finished City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare a few days ago and I'm obviously going through withdrawals.  I keep thinking that I will be able to pick it back up before I go to sleep tonight and finish the story.  Then I realize I've already finished.  How sad is that?  I need something to fill the void quick!

At first I thought, "I'm not loving this one as much."  I was very sad about this, but as it went on I still grew to love it.  There was a lot of "love" in this one and a lot of different love stories, but they still didn't make up for what I wanted from Jace.  I just wasn't in love with him like I was in the others.  THEN there was a scene where he was suddenly himself again and I remembered just about every reason I fell in love with him in the first place.  I still love Jace.  That probably doesn't make sense to those of you who haven't read theses books, but I assure you that once you do read this one, it will make sense.

There was a twist in the end of this one that was very unexpected and I can't wait till the next one comes out!  Sadly, it won't be coming out for quite some time.  I shall have to yet again fill the void with other books.  And then when it's all over I may just have to read them all again. 

I hope you are all reading something wonderful!

Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is simply one of my favorite books of all time.  I've just finished reading it for the second time, and I think I loved it even more.  Maybe it's because I've grown up a little bit, or I have a little more reading experience under me, but more than that I felt like I was renewing old friendships.  Like I was talking an old friend that I haven't seen in years.  The characters in this book stay with you.  They've stayed with me.

This book is exciting, smart, and really enjoyable.  Some of you may be thinking, "Sci-fi?  I don't like sci-fi."  I've always liked science fiction, but I don't think I really started to like it until I read this book.  Not the alien-type stuff anyway.  Before you freak out about reading about aliens, there really isn't that much.  This is the story of children actually.  A story of beating the odds and coming out on top when all was potentially lost.

Ender is only six years old when when he is recruited into the International Fleet (I.F.).  He may be the one to save the world from the "Buggers," but if he's not, it could mean the end of everything.  Ender is recruited because he's brilliant.  His brother and sister are also brilliant but, failed to be recruited because he was too violent and too willing kill, and she wasn't willing enough.  Ender is believed to be the perfect blend of both, the perfect leader of an army to end the war.  But, after the relentless training he receives, will he be too broken when it's his turn to lead?

What I love most about this book is the fact that they're all children doing incredible things and facing what few adults ever face.  Not only that, but they are absolutely brilliant!  This book is surprising and well deserving of its awards.  The writing, on occasion, was not perfect, but I devoured this book too fast to care.  You should also know, that I rarely re-read books, and this one was even better the second time around.

Happy reading!

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield has been sitting on my bookcase for a couple of months waiting patiently for me to lift it from its spot, blow off the dust, and tell me its story.  This book was so deliciously Gothic, and I loved it.  Everything from the story, the writing, the ghost elements, was beautiful.  The only thing this story lacks is a love story.  Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of love, and a lot of longing for love, just not in the traditional way we all think about love.  You know how much I love...love.

To give you a taste of the writing:
"My gripe is not with lovers of the truth but with the truth itself. What succor, what consolation is there in the truth, compared to a story? What good is truth, at midnight, in the dark, when the wind is roaring like a bear in the chimney? When the lightning strikes shadows on the bedroom wall and the rain taps at the window with its long fingernails? No. When fear and cold make a statue of you in your bed, don’t expect hard-boned and fleshless truth to come running to your aid. What you need are the plump comforts of a story. The soothing, rocking safety of a lie."

I love that quote.  Sometimes we get so tired of hearing the truth that we just need the lies or the stories to soothe us into a better state of being.  We need a story to escape the pain of truth.  This quote is also so beautifully written that I stopped reading after that paragraph, looked away from the book and thought, "huh."  She hit it right on the head with beautiful language.  Not only did she seem to get something right with this quote, but did so in a way that is disturbing.  We shouldn't be comforted in lies.

Margaret Lea leads an un-extraordinary life.  She helps her father tend his bookstore and spends most of her time reading old classics over and over and studying the lives of the authors.  One day she receives a mysterious letter from one of the most loved authors of the day, Vida Winter.  Miss Winter has asked Margaret to come and write her biography; she has a final story to tell, the thirteenth tale.  Margaret has never read anything by the famed Vida Winter so she decides if she is going to ever portray this woman accurately she should start by reading her books.  What surprises Margaret the most is she becomes so absorbed in the works of Miss Winter that she must find out what the unwritten thirteenth tale is.  She accepts Vida Winter's offer, but she doesn't hear the story she expects.

If you love Gothic novels like Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Woman in White,  etc.  Then I trust you will thoroughly enjoy this one.

Happy reading!

I'm Readin' a Book

If you haven't seen this yet, you're missing out.  Don't tell me you've never felt this way while reading a book, because I know you all have.  =D

Enjoy!

 

Just found this quote and wanted to share.

		Added! view quote Share on Twitter Likes the quote "Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced." always post: reviews user statuses
	"Why do I read? I just can't help myself. I read to learn and to grow, to laugh and to be motivated. I read to understand things I've never been exposed to. I read when I'm crabby, when I've just said monumentally dumb things to the people I love. I read for strength to help me when I feel broken, discouraged, and afraid. I read when I'm angry at the whole world. I read when everything is going right. I read to find hope. I read because I'm made up not just of skin and bones, of sights, feelings, and a deep need for chocolate, but I'm also made up of words. Words describe my thoughts and what's hidden in my heart. Words are alive--when I've found a story that I love, I read it again and again, like playing a favorite song over and over. Reading isn't passive--I enter the story with the characters, breathe their air, feel their frustrations, scream at them to stop when they're about to do something stupid, cry with them, laugh with them. Reading for me, is spending time with a friend. A book is a friend. You can never have too many." — Gary Paulsen

The Great Gatsby

Oh F. Scott Fitzgerald.  You make my heart sing for the way you portray your characters.  Vivid details that don't just describe the way a person looks, but the way a person is and wants to be and how that person makes the main character feel.

"He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."

You see what I mean?  Lovely isn't it?  All of those beautiful words just to describe the way a person smiles.

I have to admit, this book moves a little slowly at first, but once I got into it and the real story between Daisy and Gatsby gets going, I had to keep reading.  I actually don't love the main character, through whose thoughts we mingle in through the book, but I was enchanted by the other characters.  Gatsby remains a mystery until the end.  We only get to know him a little bit and yet, I still feel for him.  Not only him, but the other characters were very intriguing.  Even though each character is filtered through the first person narrative of a man I don't particularly care for, they shine!

This is a classic not to be missed.  The writing alone is worth reading!  There were many times I got caught up in how the words fit together that I forgot to read the story too.  

Crush-worthy Part II

Whether or not you're ready for round two, I'm giving it to you!  And, I hope you know that this list will continue to grow until the day I can no longer read.  Since I don't foresee that ever happening, rest easy in knowing I will always have a book to suggest to you.  Take that as you will, and here we go!

Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater
Reason for crush: Sam & Cole
Type of love story: Werewolf, Paranormal
Quote: "It wasn't the sort of kiss I'd had with anyone before. This kiss was so soft it was like a memory of a kiss, so careful on my lips that it was like someone running his fingers along them. My mouth parted and stilled; it was so quiet, a whisper, not a shout. Cole's hand touched my neck, thumb pressed into the skin next to my jaw. It wasn't a touch that said I want more. It was a touch that said I want this.
It was all completely soundless. I didn't think either of us was breathing. Cole sat back up, slowly, and I opened my eyes. His expression, as ever, was blank. The face he wore when something mattered.
He said, 'That's how I would kiss you, if I loved you.'"  -From Forever
Gush:  I know, I know, a werewolf story.  This is unlike any other you've read before and I think it completely works.  And, yes, there are two reason to crush on this series.  Sam is a mysterious song-writer who loves unconditionally.  Cole, also a musician, is dangerously attractive and will flat-out break you but keep you coming back for more.  There are times when I can't decide who I crush on more.  But, I do love the musicians.
Books in the series: Shiver, Linger, Forever


The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Reason for crush: Noah
Type of love story: Unexpected, Force-of-Nature
Quote: "I was going to kiss him, and I was going to regret it. But at that moment, I couldn't bring myself to care."
Gush: Noah is completely flawed, arrogant, and he smokes.  So, why on Earth would anyone crush on him?  Because underneath that exterior he's absolutely wonderful and loves as deeply as one could hope for.  One delicious thing about this book is that the two main character both have a somewhat hardened exterior and when their together they neutralize and bring out better qualities in each other.
Books in the series: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer (My guess is there will be a third)


Fallen by Lauren Kate
Reason for crush: Daniel
Type of love story: Fallen angels, Love-that-stands-against-time
Quote: "I’ll love you with all my heart, in every life, through every death. I
will not be bound by anything but my love for you."
Gush: I should probably also say the covers for these books are worth "crushing" on.  Aren't they beautiful?  That was what first led me to Fallen.  Daniel is an angel.  Need I say more?  Well, I'll say a little more: he has loved Lucinda since the beginning and every 17 years he has to watch her leave again.  Despite the odds they always find each other and never give up.
Books in the series: Fallen, Torment, Passion, Rapture




The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Reason for crush: Jared & Ian
Type of love story: Alien/Human, Forbidden
Quote: "What was it that made this human love so much more desirable to me than the love of my own kind? Was it because it was exclusive and capricious? The souls offered love and acceptance to all. Did I crave a greater challenge?...Or was it simply better somehow? Because these humans hate with so much fury, was the other end of the spectrum that they could love with more heart and zeal and fire?"
Gush: Stephenie Meyer?  Yep.  I loved this book.  Nay, I devoured this book and loved every second.  I read it so fast that I really didn't think about the writing.  There are several of you out there who said you couldn't get into this one.  I encourage you to try again.  Even if you can't handle the writing, try it again, because I really love this story.  Jared and Ian are two of my biggest crush-worthy characters.  What Stephenie Meyer lacks in writing I think she makes up for in storytelling.  Let go of the fact that it's science fiction and read it for the love.  Science fiction is supposed to be strange!


Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Reason for crush: Edward
Type of love story: Vampire/Human, Paranormal, Dangerous
Quote: "Look after my heart - I've left it with you."(I tried.  I really tried to find a good quote, and when comparing it to all of these other crush-worthy books there wasn't one I loved.)
Gush: Admit it.  You've all read it, and you liked it.  In my personal opinion these books were cheapened with hype and the movies.  People now criticize her for warping vampires into what she did, but it was new and no one had ever done it before.  I'm not saying it's my favorite twist on vampires, but it obviously worked.  A writer must keep the intended audience in mind and her audience loved it.  I won't defend the writing, but she created a unique story, and Edward is rather delicious in the books.
Books in the series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn

Stay tuned for future crush-worthy books and series!
Happy reading!

Crush-worthy

Spring is here, the sun is shining, (though maybe not at this moment) and everyone seems to be twitterpated.  There's something about the Spring that makes people want to fall in love.  So, I thought this might be a good time to talk about some of my favorite crushworthy books.  You've all heard me talk about some of my favorite male characters in books, and really, what's a book without a little love?  If you're like me and vicariously delve into stories, let me introduce you to some of my very favorite crushes over the years.

Initially, I started rating them from number one on down, but I'm finding that's impossible!  Every love story is different and that doesn't mean that any are better than another.  So I shall just mention them in no particular order.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
Reason for crush: Jace
Type of love story: Passionate, Forbidden, Slightly heartbreaking
Quote: “There is no pretending," Jace said with absolute clarity. "I love you, and I will love you until I die, and if there is life after that, I'll love you then.”-From City of Glass
Gush: Yes, I know, I can't help myself!  I have to mention it again.  And yes, I mean the WHOLE series.  Jace is one of my all-time favorite crushes.  He's slightly arrogant, secretly tortured, and makes my heart swim in a sea of gleeful passion.  Have you grasped how much I love these yet?  In case you didn't, let me gush for a second more.  With the love story here, it's all in the little things.  The subtle glances, the almost touches, and so much more.  Just pick it up!  The author couldn't even get enough.  She wrote the first three and then had to write three more.  City of Lost Souls comes out in May!
Books in the series: City of Bones, City of Ashes ,City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire

The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare
Reason for crush: Will Herondale
Type of love story: Forbidden, Passionate, Hearbreaking
Quote: "She looked up at him with a smile. The smile broke what was left of his resistance--shattered it. He had let the walls down when he'd thought she was gone, and there was no time to build them back up." -From Clockwork Angel
Gush: Same author, same type of story, but this is a prequel series to the Moral Instruments.  I'm equally in love with this series.  I'm a sucker for Will and his blue eyes.  (I'm an even bigger sucker for blue eyes!)  He is also slightly arrogant and tortured.  His torture is actually one thing that keeps you reading.  You, as the reader, wonder what he's hiding from you and you simply must know why he just won't let himself fall in love, even though he already has.
Book in the series: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Reason for crush: Gale & Peeta
Type of love story:  Start-out-as-friends, Action
Quote: “He tilts his forehead down to rest against mine and pulls me closer. His skin, his whole being radiates heat from being so near the fire, and I close my eyes, soaking in his warmth. I breathe in the smell of snow-dampened leather and smoke and apples, the smell of all those wintry days we shared before the Games. I don't try to move away. Why should I anyway? His voice drops to a whisper. "I love you." That's why.” -From Catching Fire
Gush:  I probably don't need to say anything here because most of you have read these.  But first I loved Gale.  While reading The Hunger Games I said, "No!  Gale turn away, she doesn't love him.  She'll come back to you!"  Then in Catching Fire I said, "No, Gale, what are you doing here?  Where is Peeta?  Where is Peeta?"  Both are great for different reasons.  If you haven't read them, you are missing out.
Books in the series: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay


The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Reason for crush: Geric
Type of love story: Fairytale
Quote:  “I, Geric-Sinath of Gerhard, declare that you're beautiful and you're perfect and I'll slay any man who tries to take you from my side. Goose girl, may I kiss you?”
Gush:  Every girl should read this book.  Plain and simple.  If you haven't read this, read it.  Geric is one of the best there is. He loves Ani even when he meets her as a lowly goose girl and not as a princess.
Books in the series: There are other books in this series, but each one is about a different character.  So, I'm going to treat this as a stand-alone novel.



Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Reason for crush:  Alex
Type of love story: Forbidden, Secret, Beautiful
Quote:  “And now I know why they invented words for love, why they had to: It's the only thing that can come close to describing what I feel in that moment, the baffling mixture of pain and pleasure and fear and joy, all running sharply through me at once.”-From Delirium
Gush:  This story takes place in a world where the cure for many of the world's most significant social problems is a cure for love.  Alex is wonderful.  I was positively giddy while I read this book.  He's a character that opens your eyes to a new world.
Books in the series: Delirium, Pandemonium, (Not sure what the third will be called yet)


Heist Society by Ally Carter
Reason for crush: W.W. Hale
Type of love story: Fun, Flirty, Can't-stay-friends-for-long
Quote: “Either we're a team or we aren't. Either you trust me or you don't." Hale took a step toward her. "What's it going to be, Kat?"
It is an occupational hazard that anyone who has spent her life learning how to lie eventually becomes bad at telling the truth; in that moment Kat didn't have a clue what to say. I can't do this with out you sounded trite. What they were doing was too big for a simple please.
Hale I-"
You know what? Never mind. Either way, I'm in Kat." He seemed utterly resolved as he slipped on his sunglasses. "I'm all in.”
Gush: I'm in love with Hale.  He's rich, attractive, confident, and knows what's best for our main character.  I think it's safe to say that we insert ourselves as the main character here...  So, he knows what's good for us, right?  I think he also has blue eyes.  He's a great friend and you know it will turn out to be more.
Books in the series: Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals, (There will be more)

More to come soon!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Is anyone else thinking my reading pace is incredibly slow?  Man!  Feels like it takes me forever to finish a book.  Despite how crazy life has been for me lately, I found something new and totally crush-worthy!  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.  I had heard about this book and wasn't sure if I ever wanted to read it until my friends Jessika and Jentry recommended it.  Initially they kept gushing about how wonderful Noah is.  As you know, I'm always looking for a new book crush.  So, I picked it up.  You won't be able to help yourself with the mystery and intrigue in this one, and if that doesn't do it, the romance between Noah and Mara will.

Mara has recently been through a horrific tragedy where she lost her best friend.  The worst part?  No one can tell her what happened.  She's the only one who knows, and she can't remember.  Thinking life would be easier to cope somewhere else, she and her family move to Florida.  Mara feels like she's in a downward spiral.  Something unexplainable is happening to her, but if she tells anyone they'll think she's crazy.  At her new school she's made more enemies than friends because the most attractive guy in the school suddenly seems to have an interest in her.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the foul language.  And, I will admit, in the beginning I wasn't sure how much I loved Mara.  Her character is bitter, cynical, and hurt.  But...how would you feel if you lost everything, moved to a new place where everyone hated you, your family walks on eggshells around you, and you think you're going crazy?  So, long story short, I forgave her.  Noah eventually helped neutralize her also. The mystery kept me reading and the chemistry was beautiful.  You know that awkward moment when you're so enthralled in your book and your boss walks in and catches you reading when you're not supposed to, and you jump when she speaks because you didn't realize she was there?  Yep.  That happened.  Twice.  In one day.

Hope you're all reading marvelous things!
Happy reading!

Legend

My bookcase is always suffering under weight of books I have yet to read.  I don't think this is something that will ever change.  Especially since I have several I need to read and I plan on buying a couple more before the week is out thanks to Barnes & Noble coupons.  (Yes, they love me after all.)  I don't know how any of you do it, but when I'm deciding what book to read next I feel it imperative that I read the one I'm most in the mood for.  That way I get the most pleasure out of the book possible.  How do I decide which I'm most in the mood for, you ask?  I read the first page of each of them.  There is always one that I keep reading without realizing it.  When I come to my senses on page three, I know I've found the right one.

Last week when I was going through this process I came across two that I kept reading.  Legend by Marie Lu was the one I decided on.  At first I felt I had made a terrible mistake.  I think I was actually more in the mood for an adult book.  However, I prevailed and was delighted with this book.  In the beginning I was thinking it was a little forced and juvenile.  I liked it still, but there was something missing.  (I think I was just in the mood for some adult time with a book.)  There was something missing until the plot twist came.  Then, I couldn't put it down.  The love story did seem to come on rather quickly and without any build-up, and you all know how I love the anticipation, but it still worked out okay.  The writing got better, the action intensified, and it was an enjoyable read.

Legend is the story of Day and June.  Both have a very different history and come from very different backgrounds.  The world is in chaos with the wars between the colonies and the Republic, not only that but a new virus has sprung up and the poor can't afford the cure.  Day is only trying to protect his family and June is trying to do what she knows is right.  When the worlds of these two characters collide their lives will be forever changed.

Enjoy!