In My Thoughts This Fine Day #11

It's been a while since I did one of these posts. Since I'm still working my way through Winter (very good but long!) I don't have any book reviews to post. So hey, how about some random thoughts. Enjoy!


1. Book Shelves
So most of us book lovers just love organizing and reorganizing our book shelves. I know I do but lately I've been trying to decide something a little different. See, I was always taught that books are to be lined up with the front of the shelf. So that's how I do it. But I've noticed that others push their books to the back of the shelf and put little knick knacks in front of them. I think it's actually very cute and heaven knows I need more room for my knick knacks but...the dusting. Sigh! What to do? What to do? What do you do and like best?

2. This video explains how I feel about the cold and snow to a T.

I actually like winter better than summer but I'm so tired of being cold!

3.I'm SOOOO excited about my reading plans this year. Now before you ask what I'm going to read let me just cut you off and say, I don't know yet. I do know that I'm doing all adult books for the month of February and can't wait to go into my library and pick out what I'll be reading. And then...! I plan on getting some series finally read. Usually I read a book in a series and then read something else but not this year. This year I plan on finishing some series I'm in the middle of and starting AND finishing some others. Don't ask but this makes me so happy and excited! You can follow me on Instagram if you'd like. I'll be posting pics of my monthly TBR books each month!

Persevere or Give Up?

When you're reading a book and it's just not doing it for you what do you do? Stick with it and hope for a nice ending to bring it all together or give up. Life's too short to waste reading a book you're not liking. Right?

I struggle with this decision. It used to be that I'd keep reading a book no matter what and force my way through it. Then, as I joined this blogging community and Goodreads and my TBR list got bigger than Mt Everest, I started to realize maybe, just maybe, it wasn't so bad to just give up on a book I'm not enjoying. The problem with this way of thinking is this: I've read quite a lot of books that I really was not enjoying and then, suddenly, BAM! It's has this awesome ending! What if I hadn't finished it? I would have missed out!  I call this Readers Regret. When I give up on a book I always wonder if I'd stuck with it, if I would have liked it.

Some people say there's a way around this. If you're not liking a book and want to give up, they say, just flip to the ending and see if it's worth finishing. Well, I have a problem with that. Reading the ending without context it like popping a delectable dessert in you mouth and swallowing with out really chewing it, savoring it, TASTING it. You know? So I can't do it. I'm either all in or all out. No flipping ahead for me.

On the other hand I've stuck with very long painful reads only to shut the book with rage building inside. I'm furious that I stuck with it, persevered and for what?! The crappiest book with the crappiest ending ever! Argh!

So what's the right decision? I don't know, I just don't know.


via GIPHY

So what about you?  Do you ever have regrets about giving up on a book? Do you think it's worth sticking with a book till the end? And how do you know if you should stick with it or not?

What Does It All Mean?!

One of my absolute favorite things about reading is how books can mean such different things to different people. After participating in a read a long where the questions was asked, "If there's a lesson to be learned from this story, what do you think it is?" and reading everyone's different responses, I was just blown away. I mean, check out my friend's responses. 

"Everything is not always as it seems."

                            ...Suey from It's All About Books

"Don’t trust what someone tells you unless it’s from the source. Also, don’t be afraid to give people a second chance. Some may surprise you and others may not."

                           ...Jenni from JenniElyse.com

"Be kind. Be genuine. Don’t act different in front of different audiences."

                           ...Jessica from The Bluestocking Society

and my own thoughts...

"You can't spend your whole life making everyone else happy. At some point you need to think of yourself."

Crazy huh? And then my friend from Bookmark Dragon posted this thought...

“No two persons ever read the same book.”

― Edmund Wilson

Very true indeed. 

I know! Bad childhood memories just resurfaced, right? Hopefully not. That's why required reading always bugged me. (now, technically I was home schooled and did not experience it myself but I have many a friend who did)  You have this crotchety English teacher who insists you read a book. So, you read the book and, hey, maybe it wasn't so bad. You go to class all ready to discuss, or you write your paper on the book only to be mentally and verbally backhanded by your teacher who claims that She/He is the only one that knows what the author was really trying to say and what the book is really about! Well, I don't know about you, but that's not what reading is about. Not to me, at least.

Books are to be experienced. They mean something different to everyone that reads them and may even mean something completely different on a reread years later. That's why I love reading so much. It's why I love talking about books with other book lovers. Books are awesome! Am I right?!

So what about you,  did you have a scary English teacher that insisted they and only they knew what the book was really about? Or did you have an awesome teacher that let you interpret books any way you wished?

And next time you are with someone that read the same book as you, ask them what they thought the message to the book was. It's pretty cool to get other's perspectives!

Organized vs Not

It's been ages since I wrote a discussion post so excuse the "grasping at straws" topic. So, the other day I was reading Jenni's blog and she was discussing the books she read in May, as some of us bloggers do at the end of the month, and she then mentioned how she was still organizing the books she would be reading in June. It got me thinking.

See, this is me when I finish reading a book: Close book, either smile because I liked it, or slam it down on the table and say something rather nasty to it. (I'm looking at you, The Marbury Lens) Anywho, I then stroll into my guestroom/library and replace said book then peruse my shelf for a book I'm in the mood for.
I'm a total organization freak but when it comes to reading, besides obligation books, I'm a "fly by the seat of my pants" girl.

Then I started thinking about all those bloggers that get tons of ARCs and feel obligated to read the books that are being released soon so they can review them. As much fun as it would be to get free books, I think I'd go crazy having my reading choices so narrowed down. I'm such a mood reader that I have to read a book based on mood. You know?

Sigh. Not that it matters how we read as long as we read, right? I was just pondering as I often do.

What about you? Do you know what you're going to read when or do you just take it one book at a time?

In My Thoughts This Fine Day #9

Yes, I finally started watching Game of Thrones. I'm only on the first season and totally hooked so no spoilers. So far I'm mostly interested in Daenerys. I think it's because I know she's getting a dragon and this excites me. Plus I just like watching her come out of her shell. I also like Tyrion. Yes, he's a Lannister but I like him. Hate his sister, though. Anywho, it's all very intriguing. Any one else out there watch the series? Should I read the series like ASAP or just keep watching the show?

I feel like a lot of books I've been reading lately all start off pretty good and then somewhere in the middle they lose steam, or maybe I do. All I know is I've started several books and been really into them and then suddenly I just don't want to finish them. Anyone else notice this?I can't decide if it's me or if authors start writing a book that's pretty dang good but not quite fleshed out so by the middle they start scrambling for a finish???I don't know.




Does this movie look familiar? The Money Pit. It's hilarious...when it's a movie. See, my hot husband and I have bought a house and are remodeling.(that's why I'm not around as much as I'd like to be) No, it's not as dramatic as the movie but sometimes, I tell you, I find myself just laughing hysterically at the things that go wrong. I can't wait to be done!

Too Much Reading?!

 

Is it possible?! Can you really read TOO much?! No, no that can't be true...or can it?

OK. I know other people have written about this very subject but I notice they pointed things out that I could care less about. Sorry it's true. They pointed out that it can be bad for your eyesight and draw you away from studying (kids and teens) or make you shirk responsibilities. See? Those are pathetic reasons. ;) I tease, I tease. I just hadn't thought of those as being reasons not to read. 

Anywho, the whole reason I'm writing this post is because, as you are well aware, I have been completely out of the blogging world for most of this year. Not only has my blog reading and writing been nearly obsolete but I haven't been reading that much either. In fact, I've only read 8 books since March...that used to be my average per month! Eeesh! And I've come to realize something. The less I read the more I enjoy what I read. Now that's not completely true. I enjoy reading no matter how many books I put away per month but it seems like I become completely nit picky, anal and judgmental of books when I'm constantly reading. 

Now when I read a book, some where in the back of my mind I know it might not be the best book in the world but I get to read so little these days that almost any book is a good book...a great book! You know what I mean? Is this just me? I don't think so. At book club every month we all take turns reporting what we read since the last meeting. Some of us read so many books that when we report, there are those who just stare at us with mouths gaping, admitting the only book they managed to read was the book for book club...and they consider that a good reading number. 

So, yeah, I often wondered if reading too many books was making me picky. Now, after taking a "forced" break I realize that for me... it was and there just might be such a thing as reading too much. Not that, that is going to stop me. Don't worry. ;)  

Maybe what it really comes down to is this: Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

In The Mood

Here comes some rambling thoughts. See, the other day...or week. I was reading a post over at Must Love Books. It was a review of a Girl of Nightmares which unfortunately didn't quite do it for her. Not because it was a bad book but because she thought her setting just didn't mesh well with what was happening in the book. You can check out her post if you'd like. You should because it's what inspired this post.

She mentioned that the first book in the series, Anna Dressed in Blood, was read during a thunderstorm on a dark night. The perfect setting for the book. It got me thinking about our settings and if it could effect our like or dislike of a book.  I'm fairly certain it can. I read the book Stolen by Lucy Christopher on a crowded, noisy plane that I couldn't quite get into because I was too distracted. I like the book but a different setting and I might have loved it.

Another experience has convinced me once and for all. Let me explain.I don't get scared easily. I actually go to horror movies not to be scared but to have a good laugh. Scary books just aren't scary, and that strange noise in the other room doesn't evoke fear but annoyance that something is probably broken. So when I tell you that the only book or movie that has ever actually scared me was Stephen King's Salem's Lot, you would think, "wow, that must be one scary book." But the truth is, it wasn't THAT scary, it was the setting  I was reading it in. Let me elaborate. I was reading at night in my basement room with only a single bedside lamp on. The house was empty except for me and I was at a very intense part in the book where the characters are hiding in a house from the evil vampires. They think they're alone when they hear the floor boards creek from the upstairs. Right at that moment, in my own room, my bed side lamp's bulb burned out without a sound and I was left in darkness. Not two seconds later the front door above me opened and someone stepped inside the house and the floor boards creaked. You can imagine my fear then. Perfect setting for that book right? What might have been only an intense book became freaky as hell! All because of setting.

I also find it fascinating how books can actually effect our emotions. A happy book with a happy ending leaves us elated and a bad book with a disappointing ending can have us snapping at everyone.


But books also effect us physically. I've read books about freezing conditions, snow storms, and frost bite that had me shivering on a hot summer day and books about hot deserts, dry heat, and dehydrated characters that had me baking on a icy day. Similarly, I've read books that describe food so well that I'm suddenly quite hungry.

Yep, books are funny that way, agreed? What say you? Have you ever read a book in the perfect setting or vice versa? Do books effect you physically and emotionally too?

Recommendations

Alright, people, I've been thinking about recommendations amongst us book bloggers. And now I'm going to talk about it and you have to listen. ;) Alright I suppose you could click away but I can pretend!

So, here all us books bloggers spend a ridiculous amount of time reading books and reviewing them...why? Well, sure, it's a fun hobby for our own benefit, but I think we also write reviews to share our opinion whether good or bad in the hopes of encouraging others to read or avoid a book. Right? Well, that's what I'd like to think anyway. We've all had those books we read, hug to our chest and then being pushing on all our friends. In contrast, we've had books that we read that are so dreadful we want to scream out a warning and throw our bodies between it and anyone even considering it.

And yet....and here's where I get confused...no matter what someone says about a book, if I have the desire to read  it, I read it. If they warn me that it sucks and I should run, run for my life, I'll still usually read it to see for myself. If they tell me about a book that I've avoided and go on and on about how amazing it is, I probably still won't read it no matter how great it supposedly is.

It's not always true, I sometimes find myself persuaded to read something or not read something but, for the most part, I'm pretty determined to stick with my opinion. But that seems silly! Shouldn't I be taking your opinions a little more seriously? Especially if I know you and know that our opinions are usually the same?

I know and you know I'm constantly raving about certain books *cough cough Matthew Swift Series cough* but I don't see any of you racing out and reading it. I don't blame you. Everyone and their dog loves Divergent and I HATED it. I'm weird, you can't really trust my opinion. It does make me wonder why I bother recommending books, though. I suppose some books I recommend people read but would they have chosen to read them anyway, even without my recommendation?

So I ask you, does reading book reviews ever change your mind...really change it?! Does a review ever convince you to read a book you don't want to, or shut down a book you were going to read.? Am I even making sense? Opinions?

March wrapup 2012

Another month has passed us by and spring is here...hopefully. I read quite a lot of books this month, for me anyway. Here they are.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks
Way too much medical terminology but the stories were interesting.        

Queen of the Dead (ghost and the goth 2) by Stacey Kade
I love this series.Will is so amazing!

Alyzon Whitestarr by Isobelle Carmody
Awesome premise but the writing needed editing in the worst way.

Room by Emma Donoghue
Interesting and exciting but kinda sad.

The Magicians Lev Grossman
Once again we had an great premise but the characters were so annoying!

The Hollow City by Dan Wells
Totally freaking AWESOME! My favorite Dan Wells book so far!

The Brief History Of The Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
Way too much subtle symbolism.

Babe in Boyland by Jody Gherman
Total She's the Man ripoff.

It's Not Summer Without You (summer 2) by Jenny Han
The love triangle done right! Who will she choose? I really can't decide and it's killing me!

Odd Is On Our Side by Dean Koontz and Fred Van Lente
My first graphic novel. Can't go wrong with my boy Odd.

Can you believe I read ten books this month?! I'm shocked myself. My favorites were The Hollow City and Queen of the Dead. My least favorites were Babe in Boyland and The Brief History Of The Dead.

Life After TV

It seems, lately, I've seen a few people commenting on their blogs that they didn't have a TV when they were growing up. I didn't have a TV while I was growing up either. So, then, of course, I started wondering if not having a TV in the home creates better readers. Cause you know me, I over analyse everything. ;)

I'm not saying I didn't watch TV as a kid. I would spend huge amounts of time at my friends house just so I COULD watch TV. And when I was about 17-18 I bought a TV and began watching even more ridiculous amounts of it. I still watch anywhere from 9-18 hours a week. Eeek! Scary.

The funny thing is, yes, I watch more TV as an adult then I did as a kid, because of availability, but I also read more as an adult too. So, I'm not sure NOT having a TV made a difference with me, but since I didn't have a TV how can I really know? "They" have done research and found that kids who watch TV have shorter attention spans so who knows.

So, I present the question to you. Did you have a TV as a kid? Did it effect your reading as a kid or, now, as an adult? And either way, do you have a opinion about whether TV watching affects our reading ability?

And The Moral Of The Story Is...

You know how I'm slightly, just slightly picky about books? (I'll just wait for the laughter dies down before I continue, shall I?) Done? Alrighty then. Back to my point. See, when I was young, every time I read something, whether it was a article in a magazine, picture book, or full on novel, my mom would ask me what it was about and then ask me what the moral was; what was the author trying to get across. So, my whole life, no matter what I read, I was always looking for that hidden message or moral.

Fast forward to being an adult and attending a book club wherein we read A Wizard of Earthsea. I read it and saw all this deep meaning therein. Then, at book club, we watched an interview with the author, Ursula K Le Guin. And she informed a group of students that people were always asking her what message she was trying  to get across in AWOE. To my surprise she informed the students that she wasn't trying to say anything, she was just telling a story. She may have gone on to say something about the message being different for everyone but the thing that stood out to me was that she didn't write the book with a moral.

Well, that just blew me away! I'm not sure I even believe her. Whether she had some great message or not, don't you think some of her beliefs and opinions came through in the book? I certainly do but that's just me. I can't just read a book for the story. There needs to be some sort of point to it; some reason I just spent hours reading it. Even a light fluffy book usually has some little message in it. Or maybe the character just grows up a little, or learns something new about themselves or the world around them. But, again, that's just me I'm guessing. I'm also guessing that's why some books irritate me. Either they're without a moral or I don't like the moral. So sue me! ;)

So, what about you? Do you look for meaning or morals in books or read them just for the story?  And if you do read them just for the story please tell me why. Don't you want to learn something, even a tiny little something from that many pages and that much time? Because, yes, books are for escapism but aren't they better when you feel like you learned something or witnessed some growth that may or may not apply to you? Don't some of the books we love the most become favorites because we related to a character or situation so deeply?

Help me out here people. What kind of reader are you? And please, expound. ;)

Adults Only!

LOL! I love saying "adult books" It makes it sound like books that belong behind a beaded curtain. ;) Anywho, as much as I love YA books, I've been spending a great deal of time looking at all the adult books I have on my shelves that keep getting ignored. So, for some time now, I've been planning on having a month where I only read adult books. After all, I have about 213 adult fiction books and there's 84 I haven't read yet. That's not horrible but that number is never going to get smaller unless I read some, right?

So, I'm deeming February adult books only month! Here's some of the books I've chosen for the month. Mind you these are subject to change depending on my mood.

I think my kitty approves. I hope to get Midnight in Austenland that just came out today (whoohoo!) and read it too.

I hope you guys out there usually stick with YA books will still read my reviews this month. I'd hate to lose your attention cause I'm a bit of an attention whore. ;)  And, hey, maybe you could join me. Don't you have some adult books that keep getting set aside for YA? Sure you do, how's about giving them some love.

November Wrapup 2011

What a pathetic reading month! It feels like I hardly read anything. What with my failing endeavor to re-read the Inheritance series before this Friday and the holidays it just hasn't gone well. Oh well. Here's what I DID read.

Eragon (Inheritance 1) by Christopher Paolini
Fun, adventurous book I enjoy every time I read it.

Eldest (Inheritance 2) by Christopher Paolini
I finally noticed the similarities with other famous fantasy books but I loved it again anyway!

Fang (Maximum Ride 6) by James Patterson
Once I got back into the hang of things I had a blast. I'm interested about that new character. ;)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Thank goodness for book club or I never would have read this one. Very delightful.

Favorites of the month well that's hard I liked them all for different reasons. So no least favorites this month. That's something, right? ;)

Now YOU Can Appreciate A Soccer Post # 1

Yes, that's right you heard me. I know you suffer through my soccer posts and only read them for the hot pics. That's OK, I understand, but after clicking on over to Real Madrid's website today and reading about the teams trip to France for another round in the Champions League against Olympique Lyonnais, I saw this...

Come on, admit it, that's kinda sexy. I did find out the book he's reading is Three Yellow Roses by Raymon Carver (anyone read it?)  but not what books are in the stack.

So feast your eyes on that, book lovers, cause now you can see there IS something to love about soccer and the players. ;)

What Type Are You?

If you ask me, there are three types of readers.

1 The "Everyone else was doing it" kind. These are those who don't particularly care what a book is about; if everyone else is reading it, they are too. They aren't mindless and they don't read something out of their comfort zone but for the most part they just can't resist the sway of the masses. Everywhere they look a certain book is dancing before their eyes. Everyone's talking about it. Every store is selling it. They have to read it.

2 The "Everyone else is doing it so I'm NOT" kind. These are the kind that stubbornly refuse to read anything that becomes popular. If said book is dancing before their eyes and everyone is talking about it they fold their arms turn their noses up and obstinately refuse to read it...period....even if they might want to, or think they might secretly like it.

3 And then there's the "If it piques my interest, popular or not, I'll read it" kind. These are the types that pick up this popular book read the synopsis and decide yay or nay. They aren't swayed by the masses, they keep their reading preferences no matter what the crowd says.

OK, there's probably lot's more types of reading people. I've just met all these three kinds and wanted to focus on them. I personally like to think I lean towards number three but I'll admit I sometimes lean towards that obstinate side of things. I hate following the crowd and I've often refused to read something just because everyone else is. And, yet, sometimes those masses are awfully convincing and I wonder what all the fuss is about. So, what about you? What type of reader are you? Are you a mixture like me, or do you lean strongly one certain way?

Words to Work For

This whole discussion could really be about a few different things like: why don't you finish a book? Or are you a strict one genre reader? But what I really wanted to rant about discuss is this...

Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, but her reading habits drive me insane! All growing up she would only read classics or fantasy. Oh sure, she'd read the occasional romance but she had her preferred genres and she stuck to them like glue. I don't have a problem with that, I lean towards certain genres myself, but what drives me nuts is (with the exception of the classics) all she reads are "easy" books. Meaning: easy for her, fast fluffy no-deep-thinking required. There's nothing I hate more than lending her a book that blew me away,  made me think and was so intricately woven together that I almost had to work for the pleasure, and she won't finish it. It drives me crazy! It makes me think evil thoughts like, "how shallow do you have to be to only read books you don't have to think about?!"

So, here's my question: What makes you not read a book? Are you open minded to any style or difficulty level, or do you stick with one or two genres? The ONLY reason I have not finished a book is because of atrocious writing. I'll read any genre, any style, and any difficulty level. Don't get me wrong, I like fluffy books that take zero brain power but I LOVE books that make you work for it. That make you concentrate on each and every word. Books that take time and effort and, yeah, your brain. Furthermore, I like trying new genres. Yeah, maybe I'll decide it's not my favorite but I love trying it. I feel like if you truly love reading, you'll love reading just about everything; you'll try anything once.

So am I awful? Should I really be so prejudice against people that only read silly fluffy books and never even try something a little harder? BTW, I'm not talking non fiction, I'm just talking about books that are out of your comfort zone and preferred genre, that are written to make you think and work for the enjoyment. 

I've been working on said sister and she's getting a little better but she still takes FOREVER to read a book that's "hard", aka, not her preferred genre or skill level. I know, I know, I sound horribly mean, I can't help it, I can't stand it!!! I'm a reading style racist!!!

Re-reads

Let's talk about reading a book more than once, shall we? Alright, I'm not really asking, it's my blog, we're talking about it. ;)

I've been thinking about this topic for awhile. Are you a re-reader? And if so, is it books you absolutely love, or the first books in series as a refresher for the newest to be published? Wow, did that even make sense?
 
Anywho, I've been thinking about this because I plan on re-reading the Inheritance books before the fourth comes out for both reasons. I love them and I want a refresher. But, truth be told, I'm not much of a re-reader. I read the Harry Potter books more than once just cause I liked them and I'll re-read a book that my book club is reading if it's been awhile since I last read it, but now-a-days there's so many new books I almost feel like I don't have time for a re-read. Which is just plain silly. If we like a book, shouldn't we read it again and again? Shouldn't we WANT to read it more than once because we already know we love it? With new books, there's that element of something new and unknown to you, but you risk reading a book you don't enjoy. But if you don't read it, how will you find new books that become new favorites that are deserving of a re-read?

Jenni Elyse, a book blogging friend says she re-reads some series all over again every time new one comes out! Wow, I can't say I'm that much of a re-reader. And, on the other hand, we have Suey, another blogging friend, who says there's no point in re-reads with a series because the next book always has so much back info that catches you up. (I hope I quoted you guy's correctly) Anywho, I think I fall somewhere in the middle, I love reading books I've never read before and there are soooo many that I rarely find time for re-reads. However, I always find myself thinking of past favorite books that I just feel like reading again. At least I know I already love them. Like...

 Just to name a few. So, what books do you love and re-read? Or are you not a re-reader? I for one plan on doing a bit more re-reading. Aren't those favorites worth it?

What To Read, What To Read?

Dear blogging buddies, I seem to be in a bit of a reading slump. I'm not really enjoying anything. This may be due to forces beyond the book I'm reading's control but I'm hoping not. I want to read a book that makes me think, that has me in a euphoric bliss. Turning page after page, unable to put it down. Alright this might be too much to ask for as I am a picky reader and can find fault with just about anything, (I know, for shame) but I have to ask.
So, that's where you come in. These are the books I'm thinking about. If you've read one and  absolutely adored it, not just "liked" it then vote for it. If you haven't heard of any but have another suggestion please let me know. I need help! I can't take another mediocre or just plain BAD book.  So here's what I'm thinking.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Yeah, so this probably the best choice for my mood but, oh well.

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
My mother was totally intrigued by this one so maybe it will drag me in.

Room by Emma Donoghue
Is it too childlike to enjoy?

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Well, Elizabeth found herself, maybe I can in her journey. ;)

Thanks for all help. And if you have a different suggestion post it in the comments. 

Dissapointing Endings

So, this question has been bouncing around in my head for awhile so I thought I'd put it out there.
Why are the last books in series so often disappointing? Let's take a look, shall we?

First up, The Hunger Games Trilogy. Now I know some of you were fine with the ending of this one but there were tons of people that were horribly disappointed. It was too depressing and left them feeling empty. Even if people liked it they still felt that emptiness, or so a lot of reviews expressed.  

And then there was the Harry Potter series. Now don't get me wrong I know this series is one of the most beloved series of all time but I know several people who were bored and irritated with some of the filler in the last book; all the camping-out-nothing-happening parts. And I've heard many people complain about the prologue. I myself liked it fine but I have to admit I always thought Harry should have become the defense against the dark arts teacher. Don't ask.

Now I can't be too opinionated here because I've yet to read Specials or Extras but I've heard enough and read enough reviews to know people were frustrated with the last books in the series. I read people felt like they were reading about completely different characters by the last book. And the "last" book, Extras, was just plain weird.

Um, I know those of you who know me know I'm probably far too biased to say anything about this series. Yeah, I hated them and couldn't even read the last book, but...I've heard OTHER people thought the ending was a little too convenient and weird and just plain sappy! And I know some people were bothered with the whole Jacob's POV, as well.




I'm sure there's plenty more series with disappointing endings already written and some yet to be written, and in contrast there are series that end beautifully and satisfying. But it just seems lately that there are series that people just didn't like the end of.
So, why are the last books in series so often disappointing?
Is it just the bitterness in us that hates to see a favorite series end?
Are our hopes too high?
Do Authors crack under the pressure?
Am I totally off on my train of thought?
Come on people speak up, what's your opinion?

My very first post. And why I love reading.

Well, I know at least one person is happy I finally decided to do the whole blog thing. For the rest of you (family) you have to read it because you're family. 

So, I guess mostly this will be a "book blog" but I will talk about other things as well. But, because it's mostly a book blog I thought I'd share why I like to read and how it all started. And I can't do that without mentioning my mom. 


My mom has always been an avid reader, well, for as long as I've known her. Some of my earliest memories are of "harassing" her while she tried to read. I would run into the living room, which is where she usually was, sitting in her rocking chair, and start the long string of "moms". Anyone who's been around kids knows what I'm talking about. My mom would slowly, and I mean slowly, drag her eyes away from the book and focus on me with an expression of bewilderment. Almost as if she had no idea who I was or where she was (you readers out there know what I'm talking about). 
So, I just had to figure out what was it about these book things that was so dang fascinating.


Apparently when I was two (I don't remember) and my mom was helping one of my older siblings with their spelling words with flashcards, I decided I wanted flashcards too. And so began my education and love for reading. 


Moms always been great at teaching kids to read. If any of us were having trouble reading in school she'd pull us out and teach us at home; the RIGHT way.  She's taught tons of her grandkids to read and even teaches reading at the MTC. 


So I have to just say thank you, mom, for teaching me to read. I'm  always aware how lucky I am to have you for a mom. I love how you encouraged all of your kids to read and how you would quietly go about finding just the right genre for each kid. I remember you struggled with me; I wouldn't touch the Little House books with a ten foot pole or the Chronicles of Narnia books. But you never gave up, even when I read hundreds of Babysitter Club books, which you hated, and then started reading all those silly Regency Romance books. And then one day you  suggested John Grisham's The Client. Wow! That was a great book and I remember thinking I'd finally  found my niche.  

Now I'll read just about anything. There was a time when I wouldn't touch fantasy books and now, due to a deal I made with my sister to read the Harry Potter books if she'd read one of my political thrillers, I love fantasy, can't get enough of it.  

I adore reading. I love the escape. I love the emotions a book can invoke. I love meeting more and more people that love to read as much as I do. Hopefully this blog will help me meet even more.