Mixed Feelings for "Inkheart"

"Inkheart"
Cornelia Funke

3

After Meggie’s mother ran off when she was young, Meggie grows up with just her father, Mo, looking after her. One night while she is reading bed, a stranger with a haunting scar on his face comes to her house. Meggie knows that this man is bad news, but Mo knows the man and decides to let him stay the night anyway. Even though Meggie is supposed to be asleep, she sneaks downstairs and overhears some of her father’s conversation with the stranger named Dustfinger. The next morning Mo tells Meggie the real story of what happened to her mother, which involves him reading characters (including Dustfinger) out of “Inkheart” and Meggie’s mother into the book. He then tells her about Capricorn, one of the villains that he brought out, whom is the most evil being one could possibly imagine. Capricorn wants to get back to his world and needs Mo to help. Meggie, Mo, and Dustfinger decide to go to Meggie’s Great Aunt Elinor’s House in order to avoid Capricorn’s grasp. They are only there a few nights when someone breaks into Elinor’s house kidnapping Mo and a very mysterious book called “Inkheart”. Meggie and Elinor set out to find Mo with Dustfinger as their guide, but can they really trust Dustfinger? Will they be able to get Mo back from Capricorn’s clutches?

I really enjoyed the plot behind this book and the characters were really interesting; however, it was just way too slow for my taste. From start to finish it just kind of slugged along. At first I didn't mind the slow pace because I learned a lot about some AMAZING characters; however, when I got halfway through the book and it was still moving at the same pace, I was disappointed. Even the ending seemed anticlimactic. I enjoyed the ending, but it just didn't have much of a punch. If the book wasn't written so beautifully and the narrator's voice wasn't so captivating then I definitely would have given up on this one.

It was difficult to rate this review because it was a good book overall, I just feel like a reader needs patience while taking on this book. For me the characters and narrating voice outweighed the slow developments in the story. I know a lot of people really love this book and I can see why, it just wasn’t for me. I have heard a lot of really good things about the sequel to this book, but I’m not sure if it is something I would be interested in.

Teaser Tuesday

"The Dust of 100 Dogs"

by A. S. King
Excerpt from page 47:

"His army breathes fire like a dragon. A monster that kills innocent babies!."

Teaser Tuesdays was started by MizB on her blog. On Teaser Tuesdays participants are asked to grab the book they are currently reading and open it to a random page. Then fist two "teaser" sentences on that page between lines 7 and 12. The key is to entice readers to pick up the book without giving away any spoilers.

On My Chair

I got a whole lot of great books this week! Some I got from the library and others I've been waiting to buy for months. I'm only going to post covers for a few of these titles. Most are pretty well known and have been all over blogs lately.

Here are the borrowed ones:

"The Dust of 100 Dogs"
A.S. King

"Marked"
P.C. Cast
Here are the ones I've been saving to get. I bought them all in Hardcover on a splurge.

"Twilight Collector's Edition"
Stephenie Meyer

"City of Bones"
"City of Ashes"
"City of Glass"
Cassandra Clare

"The Lightning Thief"
Rick Riordan
I already own this book but Rick Riordan is doing a book signing so I of course want the book in hardcover.

My Wish List

These are the book titles that I can't wait to be released! I will probably have to update this list later, but right now these are the books that I'm most excited about.

"Eyes Like Stars"
Lisa Mantchev
"Fire"
Kristen Cashore
"Along for the Ride"
Sarah Dessen
"Catching Fire"
Suzanne Collins
"The Last Olympian"
Rick RiordanRick Riordan
(Only 9 days!!!)

I Adore "The Roar"

"The Roar"
Emma Clayton


5

Ellie was taken away from her family when she was a child and the government told her parents she drowned. Ellie's twin brother Mika never accepted this and has spent years trying to figure out what happened to her. Ellie begins to question whether or not the government has been truthful about the animal plague that forced humans to live behind a wall in cramped London. Her questions lead her to break out of her captivity on a starship in order to tell her family that she is still alive. She even brings her pet monkey with her as proof that animals are safe for humans to be around. When Ellie's escape fails, Mika feels even stronger that she is alive and begins a dangerous hunt to try to find her.

I loved this book because it had a lot of interesting elements. Clayton's future world is really twisted, but believable at the same time. It left me with a lot to think about at the end of the book. I really hope there is a sequel because I really want to know more about what happens! There are so many great characters in the book that I can see high potential for a sequel. I don't think it would be the worst thing if there wasn't a followup, I mean there would be some unanswered questions, but it wouldn't be disappointing. Sometimes it is okay to leave things a little open ended.

The worst thing I can say about "The Roar" is that it was a tad bit slow at some points. Other than that I really loved it! It kind of reminded me of "The Hunger Games" with its corrupt governments keeping people in poverty. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes sci-fi or "The Hunger Games". Here is a trailer for the book... it is really cheesy... but you get the gist of it.

Contest: Win Two ARCS!

{Insert Book Title Here} is having a contests where you can win two ARCs! You must enter by May 2nd to win "Ghostgirl: Homecoming" and/ or "Eyes Like Stars". I'm hoping to win "Eyes Like Stars" because it just sounds so original! Although I have heard good things about "Ghostgirl". Click here to learn more about the contest.

Thursday Update

I want to apologize for disappearing for the last week! I have been running around like crazy wrapping up my finals, searching for an apartment, and of course working. I have my last presentation tonight, so I'm really close to being done for the semester! I also will be dropping off the remaining paperwork for the apartment application that I filled out. So I'll get back to my postings within the next few days.
I watched the movie "27 Dresses" the other night. I thought it was cute overall, but I just wasn't a huge fan. I thought there were only a handful of funny parts. Part of the reason I may not have enjoyed it that much is because James Marsden really annoys me. He just strikes the wrong cord in me. Like I really disliked him in the "X-men" movies. I wasn't even sad about what happened to his character in the 3rd movie. I love Katherine Heigl though, so I was kind of disappointed.
I need to get ready for my final, so sadly this is all I have time to report on. I did finishing reading The Roar and I'm hoping to have that review done in the next couple of days.

Thursday Update

I really don't have much to post here because my finals are due next week and I have to move out of my apartment soon so I'm super busy!
I discovered a really amazing frozen pizza that is actually relatively low calorie for having sausage and pepperoni. It is Newman's Own Supreme Thin & Crispy it only has 320 calories per serving and a serving is a third of the pizza. The pizzas are a decent size and are loaded with toppings. I feel like an add... but seriously they are SOO good. They come out of the oven nice and crispy too! Oh man I'm totally making myself hungry. To read up more about nutrition information or anything else about this wonderful pizza, just click here to go to the website.
Okay I definitely just took a break to eat because I made myself so hungry!
Speaking of food... one of my favorite reality shows is Ace of Cakes! If you haven't watched it, then you need to! The people who work there are so awesome, it looks like the best job ever. Although they do really tedious things... I hate that. I think Geof is my favorite person in the bakery. His humor is amazing. Duff, Mary Alice, Anna, and Adam are all really cool too. Who am I kidding? They are all great!
On a sad note, my dog died last weekend... so R.I.P. Lulu. I won't go through all the details, but I had her for around 14 years so it was a big shock. I mean yes she was old, but it was sudden. That's just how life goes.
This post is a little late... but oh well!

Teaser Tuesday

"The Roar"

by Emma Clayton
Excerpt from page 39:

"If he didn't come they would die of suffocation when the oxygen in the cockpit ran out; if he did, they would be shot. so she waited and tried to figure out how they could still survive and reach home."

Teaser Tuesdays was started by MizB on her blog. On Teaser Tuesdays participants are asked to grab the book they are currently reading and open it to a random page. Then fist two "teaser" sentences on that page between lines 7 and 12. The key is to entice readers to pick up the book without giving away any spoilers.

Pass On "Pride And Prejudice And Zombies"

"Pride And Prejudice And Zombies"
by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith


2

"Pride and Prejudice And Zombies" is a rewrite of Jane Austen’s original texts with the addition of zombies. A plague has broken out that allows the dead to rise with the soul purpose of eating brains. Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters have been trained to be deadly assassins in order to help rid the country of the undead. Is it possible to find love in these dark times?

I was really disappointed in this book because I like my zombies to be over the top and blood thirsty, but I found these zombies to be pretty lame. Yes they did crash a few parties, but they were so easily killed that they weren't scary. I never once feared for the characters' lives at any point of the book. I was excited about this book because I was hoping that the writer would just do some crazy things like turning one of the Bennet girls into a zombie; however, I was extremely disappointed that Grahame-Smith just added tidbits of zombies to the overall story.

Overall it was an okay read. I wouldn't say it was horrible because the original "Pride and Prejudice" story line saved it, but it just wasn't as original as I would have liked. The beginning of the book was good, but it lost steam about halfway through. It almost seemed like Grahame-Smith got bored. I think I enjoyed the illustrations more than the text by the end of the novel. I may have enjoyed this book a bit more if I hadn't just read the original "Pride and Prejudice" last week, but I felt like it was the same book just with the word zombie thrown in every once and a while. I think it would have been more successful as a short story. I don't think it warranted an entire novel.

With all this said, I kind of feel like I need to read a really scary teen zombie book, if anyone has any good suggestions then please leave a comment. I assume most zombies in books are more terrifying. Unless they are better portrayed through film... but I believe in the power of creating terrifying creatures through print!

On My Chair

I am really excited to say that I have obtained a lot of great books this week including a couple of ARCs!!!

"Emily the Strange: The Lost Days"
by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner
Harpercollins Publishers
On-Sale: June 2009

I am so excited that I stumbled upon this at work the other day! I've seen Emily the Strange stuff at Hot Topic and Newbury Comics, so I'm pretty excited to see how she develops into a character in print. Also, it seems like it is right up my ally being both cute and twisted.

"Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow"
by James Rollins
Harpercollins Publishers
On-Sale: April 28th, 2009

James Rollins is releasing his first book for children, but he believes that it will appeal to older audiences as well. I hope that the book is as amazing as it sounds! To learn more about the book and watch a video of the author just click here.

I also borrowed a few books this week including "The Roar" by Emma Clayton, "Ranger's Apprentice: The Burning Bridge" by John Flanagan, "Ranger's Apprentice: The Icebound Land" by Flanagan, and "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke. I am obviously in a fantasy mood lately.

A Rave for "Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan"

"Ranger’s Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan"
By John Flanagan

6

After the death of Will’s parents when he was just a baby, he was left in the care of Lord Arland. He never knew anything about his parents other than the fact that his father was a soldier who died in battle. Will wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and dreams of becoming a knight. This leaves Will desperate to go to Battleschool even though he is too small to be an effective warrior. When he is rejected from Battleschool, Will finds himself being offered a position as a Ranger’s Apprentice. Will is wary of becoming a Ranger because of the rumors spreading around the castle about them. The fact that Halt, the Ranger training him, makes him nervous because of his mysterious behavior doesn’t make his decision any easier.

I really loved this book. It had a great blend of action and character development. I enjoyed learning about all the different characters in this book and can’t wait to see where the rest of the books take them. Another aspect I liked was that at one point I thought I figured out what was going to happen, but Flanagan did the complete opposite. It was like Flanagan was throwing it in my face that I don’t quite know his characters well enough to make such assumptions. I know this is a vague comment, but it would be a spoiler if I added any more information. Flanagan also does a great job at describing what is going on around you without letting it bog down the story. I felt that when description was necessary it was there.

I was really surprised that I loved "Ranger's Apprentice" so much because it is intended for younger audiences; however, I didn’t really notice this while reading. I feel like anyone looking for a good fantasy series will enjoy this book no matter if you are 10 or 110. I guess the only thing that it is missing is romance, but in this instance I didn’t care. If the only bad thing I can say about a book is that it doesn’t have enough romance, then I consider it a winner.

My First Award!

I am totally shocked and thrilled that I received my first award for my blog. What is most surprising is that it was from someone who has an incredible blog who I respect immensely! Em has given me the Proximidade Award.

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

The fellow book bloggers that I nominated are Alexandra of Not Enough Bookshelves, Jocelyn from Teen Book Review, Kristi of The Story Siren, Jess of Book Reviews by Jess, Deltay of Lucid Conspiracy, Katie of KD's Library, The Book Muncher, and Kelsey of Reading Keeps You Sane.

Teaser Tuesdays

"PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES"
by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Excerpt from page 14:

"Some wore gowns so tattered as to render them scandalous; other wore suits so filthy that one would assume they were assembled from little more than dirt and dried blood. Their flesh was in varying degrees of putrefaction; the freshly stricken were slightly green and pliant, whereas the longer dead were grey and brittle- their eyes and tongues long since turned to dust, and their lips pulled back into everlasting skeletal smiles."

Teaser Tuesdays was started by MizB on her blog. On Teaser Tuesdays participants are asked to grab the book they are currently reading and open it to a random page. Then fist two "teaser" sentences on that page between lines 7 and 12. The key is to entice readers to pick up the book without giving away any spoilers.

Thursday Update

Not much to update non book related, so I might add a little book info here.
I caught "Sydney White" on TV the other day. I was surprised that it was actually really cute. If you aren't familiar with the movie it is a modernization of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Sydney is left homeless after not getting accepted into a sorority and seven dorks take her in. It is kind of cheesy, but the actors seem to be aware of it and they embrace it. It was definitely enjoyable.
Have you ever wanted to put bacon on anything whenever or where ever you wanted? Now you can with Baconnaise! It is a bacon flavored spread, which comes in both regular and light! This sounds so weird to me that I just had to share it. I'm not a huge fan of bacon unless it is for breakfast, but the name just grosses me out that I can't stop thinking about it. It's like bacon flavored mayonnaise... EWWWW. Click here for more information about this... interesting product!
Now more book talk!
I know that I’ve had “Eragon” on my “currently reading” Shelfari list for a while, but I have to confess that even though I got halfway through the audio books I’m not going to finish it. The book wasn’t horrible enough that I just couldn’t read anymore, it is just that it didn’t captivate me enough to keep my attention. I just found myself not caring about the plot anymore and falling asleep in the car. I don’t really know if it was just the audio that was the problem because I was pretty annoyed by the voices of the characters, but I just didn’t care about what was going to happen next. It was just too slow placed because of all the descriptions that (I thought) were unnecessary.
I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about “Eragon”, and I have to say that for me it isn’t worth the time. I just had other things that I wanted to read more. I need to stress that this is simply my opinion. I know people who enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. I’m not sure if maybe the book gets better towards the end, but I’m not going to find out.