tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68259993252389844752024-03-13T14:55:57.295-04:00A Bookish NotionIxachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-64755263637926202132017-10-31T22:42:00.000-04:002017-10-31T22:42:08.342-04:00Aloneby <b>Nikki Giovanni</b><br />
<br />
i can be<br />
alone by myself<br />
i was<br />
lonely alone<br />
now i'm lonely<br />
with you<br />
something is wrong<br />
there are flies<br />
everywhere<br />
i go<br />
<br />Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-44627417617063172182016-04-11T20:10:00.002-04:002016-04-11T20:10:43.830-04:00Judging Books by Their Covers: 2015Okay, so we're already four months into 2016; I'm a tad late. But! This is such a great collection of covers, I just had to share. It's so hard to pick favorites to feature here, so you'll just have to <a href="https://www.bookish.com/articles/judging-books-by-their-covers-2015/">click through to the Bookish website</a> to see all of the beautifully designed book covers. Prepare to be awed.
<a href="https://www.bookish.com/articles/judging-books-by-their-covers-2015/"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwC-rLSjkhA/Vww8SIc34eI/AAAAAAAAdMg/CukTmkPr80Istn-32lWf_H9SrojfnGfWwCLcB/s1600/coverart-700x394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwC-rLSjkhA/Vww8SIc34eI/AAAAAAAAdMg/CukTmkPr80Istn-32lWf_H9SrojfnGfWwCLcB/s400/coverart-700x394.jpg" /></a></div></a>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-86627454874123778052016-03-28T12:29:00.000-04:002016-03-28T12:29:27.478-04:00Mutually Assured Destruction<ul style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19.25px;">When I was nine, my father sliced his knee<br />With a chainsaw. But he let himself bleed<br />And finished cutting down one more tree<br />Before his boss drove him to EMERGENCY.<br />Late that night, stoned on morphine and beer,<br />My father needed my help to steer<br />His pickup into the woods. “Watch for deer,”<br />My father said. “Those things just appear<br />Like magic.” It was an Indian summer<br />And we drove through warm rain and thunder,<br />Until we found that chainsaw, lying under<br />The fallen pine. Then I watched, with wonder,<br />As my father, shotgun-rich and impulse-poor,<br />Blasted that chainsaw dead. “What was that for?”<br />I asked. “Son,” my father said. “Here’s the score.<br />Once a thing tastes blood, it will come for more.”</ul>
<p><font color="ff9966">—Sherman Alexie</font>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-17506164594987191902013-09-08T22:49:00.001-04:002013-09-09T00:46:41.126-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AXRCIplIihQ/Ui01dZ0TShI/AAAAAAAABbE/DS5Xe0GMDkI/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AXRCIplIihQ/Ui01dZ0TShI/AAAAAAAABbE/DS5Xe0GMDkI/s320/4.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>It's been so long since I've shared a haul with you all! These are the books I got on my latest thrifting session:
<ul><li>The Art of Teaching, by Gilbert Highet
<li>Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult
<li>Name the Baby, by Mark Cirino
<li>Prom, by Laurie Halse Anderson
<li>Forever, by Pete Hamill
<li>The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold</ul>
<p>And all six for just one dollar!
<p>What are your latest book purchases? Snagged any great deals lately?Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-43290180154020574052013-08-21T21:28:00.000-04:002013-08-21T21:53:55.994-04:00For Women Who Are 'Difficult' to LoveBy <b>Warsan Shire</b><br />
<br />
You are a horse running alone<br />
and he tries to tame you<br />
compares you to an impossible highway<br />
to a burning house<br />
says you are blinding him<br />
that he could never leave you<br />
forget you<br />
want anything but you<br />
you dizzy him, you are unbearable<br />
every woman before or after you<br />
is doused in your name<br />
you fill his mouth<br />
his teeth ache with memory of taste<br />
his body just a long shadow seeking yours<br />
but you are always too intense<br />
frightening in the way you want him<br />
unashamed and sacrificial<br />
he tells you that no man can live up to the one who<br />
lives in your head<br />
and you tried to change didn’t you?<br />
closed your mouth more<br />
tried to be softer<br />
prettier<br />
less volatile, less awake<br />
but even when sleeping you could feel<br />
him travelling away from you in his dreams<br />
so what did you want to do love<br />
split his head open?<br />
you can’t make homes out of human beings<br />
someone should have already told you that<br />
and if he wants to leave<br />
then let him leave<br />
you are terrifying<br />
and strange and beautiful<br />
something not everyone knows how to love.<br />
<br />
<p>From <b>Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth</b>. <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/futuresfading-20/detail/1905233299">Buy it here</a>.Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-75706449935373074712013-08-11T18:46:00.001-04:002013-08-11T18:46:41.130-04:00New Online Store!I've set up a new online store. Please consider using it. Great prices on great books!
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/futuresfading-20">Click Here!</a>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-32004017868671909862013-08-09T16:52:00.000-04:002013-08-28T21:04:18.250-04:00Quick Reads: 55 Great Books Under 200 Pages!Crunched for time and looking for some quick reads? Or just want to check out some great-but-short books? The Half Price Books blog has a great list of books under 200 pages. It included a wide variety of genres, from Siddhartha to Charlotte's Web.<br />
<br />
<p>Check out the full list <a href="http://blog.hpb.com/hpb-blog/2013/7/31/quick-reads-55-books-under-200-pages.html?SSScrollPosition=200">here</a>.Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-45061597579084103512013-08-04T13:49:00.000-04:002013-08-04T13:49:46.984-04:00Designing "Lolita"The New Yorker has an interesting little article regarding book cover design for the Vladimir Nabokov novel <b>Lolita</b>. Being a book lover and design major, I have no choice but to recommend it to you all.
<p>Read it <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/08/designing-lolita.html#slide_ss_0=6">here</a>.
<p>My favorite of the covers featured:
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hcK51J4ZWXQ/Uf6TPYEy3eI/AAAAAAAABaY/xtl1jmK4Res/s1600/006_jamie_keenan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hcK51J4ZWXQ/Uf6TPYEy3eI/AAAAAAAABaY/xtl1jmK4Res/s1600/006_jamie_keenan.jpg" /></a>
<br><center><i><font size="1">(Cover by Jamie Keenan)</font></i></center>
</div>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-50939691172250704532013-07-15T08:51:00.000-04:002013-07-15T08:51:16.251-04:00Book Carvings by Guy Laramee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/16_petras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/16_petras.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/18_grand-larousses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/18_grand-larousses.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/18_longmens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/18_longmens.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/16_book-people-3s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/16_book-people-3s.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/16_tectonic-1s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.guylaramee.com/files/gimgs/16_tectonic-1s.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<p>View more:
<br><a href="http://www.guylaramee.com/index.php?/previous-projects/the-great-wall/">The Great Wall</a> series
<br><a href="http://www.guylaramee.com/index.php?/biblios/text-1/">Biblios</a> seriesIxachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-20421431164796489132013-05-31T10:07:00.001-04:002013-05-31T10:07:37.579-04:00Home WreckerAnd this is how we danced: with our mothers’
<br>white dresses spilling from our feet, late August
<p>turning our hands dark red. And this is how we loved:
<br>a fifth of vodka and an afternoon in the attic, your fingers
<p>sweeping though my hair—my hair a wildfire.
<br>We covered our ears and your father’s tantrum turned
<p>into heartbeats. When our lips touched the day closed
<br>into a coffin. In the museum of the heart
<p>there are two headless people building a burning house.
<br>There was always the shotgun above the fireplace.
<p>Always another hour to kill—only to beg some god
<br>to give it back. If not the attic, the car. If not the car,
<p>the dream. If not the boy, his clothes. If not alive,
<br>put down the phone. Because the year is a distance
<p>we’ve traveled in circles. Which is to say: this is how
<br>we danced: alone in sleeping bodies. Which is to say:
<p>This is how we loved: a knife on the tongue turning
<br>into a tongue.
<p><font color="ff9966">—Ocean Vuong</font>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-77302424040547397582013-04-24T04:14:00.002-04:002013-04-24T04:17:26.108-04:00url changeformerly: futuresfading
<br>now: abookishnotion
<p>Change is good.Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-7559528437874090242013-01-01T12:40:00.000-05:002013-01-01T12:46:57.292-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/John_Everett_Millais_-_Ophelia_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="500" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/John_Everett_Millais_-_Ophelia_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" /></a><br><center><font size="1">click to enlarge</font></center></div>
<p><b>Ophelia</b>, by British artist Sir John Everett Millais. <p>This oil-on-canvas painting depicts the character Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet singing whilst floating down the river before she drowns. This seen is described by Queen Gertrude in Act IV, Scene VII of the classic play:
<blockquote><i>Queen</i>. There is a willow grows aslant a brook,
<br>That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream.
<br>There with fantastic garlands did she come
<br>Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples
<br>That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
<br>But our cold maids do dead men’s fingers call them;
<br>There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds
<br>Clamb’ring to hang, an envious silver broke,
<br>When down her weedy trophies and herself
<br>Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,
<br>And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up;
<br>Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes,
<br>As one incapable of her own distress,
<br>Or like a creature native and indued
<br>Unto that element. But long it could not be
<br>Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
<br>Pull’d the poor wretch from her melodious lay
<br>To muddy death.</blockquote>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-53983626482528760182012-12-29T14:55:00.000-05:002012-12-29T14:55:58.605-05:00The MermaidA mermaid found a swimming lad,
<br>Picked him for her own,
<br>Pressed her body to his body,
<br>Laughed; and plunging down
<br>Forgot in cruel happiness
<br>That even lovers drown.
<p><b>W.B. Yeats</b>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-3241752783745563962012-11-15T12:48:00.001-05:002012-11-15T12:48:40.060-05:00Unexpected HiatusSo, I've been MIA on this blog for a bit. A lot has been happening and this blog was put on the back burner.
<p>I plan on returning it to it's former glory, though. I'm goingo to post more regularly and get back to writing reviews.
<p>I'm currently reading A Thousand Pardons, by Jonathan Dee. Looking forward to writing a review for you all!Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-44591897314499018612012-09-03T00:07:00.000-04:002012-09-03T00:18:32.529-04:00Review| The Cranes Dance, by Meg Howry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1332944822l/12975068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1332944822l/12975068.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Full Title:</b> The Cranes Dance
<br><b>Author:</b> Meg Howrey
<br><b>Genre:</b> Fiction/Contemporary
<br><b>Publisher:</b> Vintage (Random House)
<br><b>Publication Date:</b> May 15, 2012
<br><b>My Copy:</b> Advance reader copy via Goodreads First Reads
<p>The Cranes Dance, by Meg Howrey, follows the life of ballerina Kate Crane. She takes us through an especially rough patch in her family life that coincides with the career boost she may just need.
<p>Kates sister, Gwen, is the superior dancer. Everyone knows this: Kate is a soloist, but Gwen is a principle dancer. But when Gwen’s neurosis get to be too much to handle, Kate calls up her dad to take her away. While Gwen is getting treatment, Kate injures herself but dances what has to be her best season yet. She snags lead roles, but her dependence on painkillers might be clouding her world.
<p>Kate’s voice was instantly likeable for me. She is witty and funny. She addresses her audience directly, and is quite blunt and honest in her opinions. She is a very self aware and strong female lead. Her dancer lifestyle isn’t entirely relatable to me, but I felt I understood her regardless. Her emotions and thoughts are very well described.
<p>Overall, this novel was interesting and engaging. I was never bored with it. I always wanted to read just a bit more before putting it down. Because of this, I finished it in one sitting. It’s a very quick read, but very good as well. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone, dancer or not.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x_OeKKFBKkg/UEQqr2DdYvI/AAAAAAAABS4/5BfCZoSKEI4/s1600/4%2BStars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="25" width="125" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x_OeKKFBKkg/UEQqr2DdYvI/AAAAAAAABS4/5BfCZoSKEI4/s320/4%2BStars.jpg" /></a></div>
See (and like!) this review on: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R2H4VHJQ4M10YA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/345925150">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/12098640/reviews/89437382">Librarything</a> | <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/26136946/The-Cranes-Dance/reviews/3731733">Shelfari</a>
Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-32826934714249810012012-06-29T17:04:00.000-04:002012-06-29T17:04:34.418-04:00Life of Pi Footage!<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mU0Q8OeNvxw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<p>Yann Martel's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4214.Life_of_Pi">Life of Pi</a> is being made into a movie, coming November 21, 2012. Here is a little sneak-peak footage. Looking forward to a full trailer. And, of course, the movie.Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-26323982716488053552012-06-27T13:10:00.000-04:002012-06-27T13:10:10.231-04:00How to Kill a Living ThingNeglect it<br />
Criticize it to its face<br />
Say how it kills the light<br />
Traps all the rubbish<br />
Bores you with its green<br />
<br />
Continually<br />
Harden your heart<br />
Then<br />
Cut it down close<br />
To the root as possible<br />
<br />
Forget it<br />
For a week or a month<br />
Return with an axe<br />
Split it with one blow<br />
Insert a stone<br />
<br />
To keep the wound wide open.<br />
<br />
<font color="ff9966">—Eibhlín Nic Eochaidh</font>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-22213095971229808982012-06-27T10:29:00.000-04:002012-06-27T10:29:26.190-04:00You Should Date An Illiterate Girl<i>By Charles Warnke</i>
<p>Date a girl who doesn’t read. Find her in the weary squalor of a Midwestern bar. Find her in the smoke, drunken sweat, and varicolored light of an upscale nightclub. Wherever you find her, find her smiling. Make sure that it lingers when the people that are talking to her look away. Engage her with unsentimental trivialities. Use pick-up lines and laugh inwardly. Take her outside when the night overstays its welcome. Ignore the palpable weight of fatigue. Kiss her in the rain under the weak glow of a streetlamp because you’ve seen it in a film. Remark at its lack of significance. Take her to your apartment. Dispatch with making love. Fuck her.
<p>Let the anxious contract you’ve unwittingly written evolve slowly and uncomfortably into a relationship. Find shared interests and common ground like sushi and folk music. Build an impenetrable bastion upon that ground. Make it sacred. Retreat into it every time the air gets stale or the evenings too long. Talk about nothing of significance. Do little thinking. Let the months pass unnoticed. Ask her to move in. Let her decorate. Get into fights about inconsequential things like how the fucking shower curtain needs to be closed so that it doesn’t fucking collect mold. Let a year pass unnoticed. Begin to notice.
<p>Figure that you should probably get married because you will have wasted a lot of time otherwise. Take her to dinner on the forty-fifth floor at a restaurant far beyond your means. Make sure there is a beautiful view of the city. Sheepishly ask a waiter to bring her a glass of champagne with a modest ring in it. When she notices, propose to her with all of the enthusiasm and sincerity you can muster. Do not be overly concerned if you feel your heart leap through a pane of sheet glass. For that matter, do not be overly concerned if you cannot feel it at all. If there is applause, let it stagnate. If she cries, smile as if you’ve never been happier. If she doesn’t, smile all the same.
<p>Let the years pass unnoticed. Get a career, not a job. Buy a house. Have two striking children. Try to raise them well. Fail frequently. Lapse into a bored indifference. Lapse into an indifferent sadness. Have a mid-life crisis. Grow old. Wonder at your lack of achievement. Feel sometimes contented, but mostly vacant and ethereal. Feel, during walks, as if you might never return or as if you might blow away on the wind. Contract a terminal illness. Die, but only after you observe that the girl who didn’t read never made your heart oscillate with any significant passion, that no one will write the story of your lives, and that she will die, too, with only a mild and tempered regret that nothing ever came of her capacity to love.
<p>Do those things, god damnit, because nothing sucks worse than a girl who reads. Do it, I say, because a life in purgatory is better than a life in hell. Do it, because a girl who reads possesses a vocabulary that can describe that amorphous discontent of a life unfulfilled—a vocabulary that parses the innate beauty of the world and makes it an accessible necessity instead of an alien wonder. A girl who reads lays claim to a vocabulary that distinguishes between the specious and soulless rhetoric of someone who cannot love her, and the inarticulate desperation of someone who loves her too much. A vocabulary, goddamnit, that makes my vacuous sophistry a cheap trick.
<p>Do it, because a girl who reads understands syntax. Literature has taught her that moments of tenderness come in sporadic but knowable intervals. A girl who reads knows that life is not planar; she knows, and rightly demands, that the ebb comes along with the flow of disappointment. A girl who has read up on her syntax senses the irregular pauses—the hesitation of breath—endemic to a lie. A girl who reads perceives the difference between a parenthetical moment of anger and the entrenched habits of someone whose bitter cynicism will run on, run on well past any point of reason, or purpose, run on far after she has packed a suitcase and said a reluctant goodbye and she has decided that I am an ellipsis and not a period and run on and run on. Syntax that knows the rhythm and cadence of a life well lived.
<p>Date a girl who doesn’t read because the girl who reads knows the importance of plot. She can trace out the demarcations of a prologue and the sharp ridges of a climax. She feels them in her skin. The girl who reads will be patient with an intermission and expedite a denouement. But of all things, the girl who reads knows most the ineluctable significance of an end. She is comfortable with them. She has bid farewell to a thousand heroes with only a twinge of sadness.
<p>Don’t date a girl who reads because girls who read are storytellers. You with the Joyce, you with the Nabokov, you with the Woolf. You there in the library, on the platform of the metro, you in the corner of the café, you in the window of your room. You, who make my life so goddamned difficult. The girl who reads has spun out the account of her life and it is bursting with meaning. She insists that her narratives are rich, her supporting cast colorful, and her typeface bold. You, the girl who reads, make me want to be everything that I am not. But I am weak and I will fail you, because you have dreamed, properly, of someone who is better than I am. You will not accept the life of which I spoke at the beginning of this piece. You will accept nothing less than passion, and perfection, and a life worthy of being told. So out with you, girl who reads. Take the next southbound train and take your Hemingway with you. Or, perhaps, stay and save my life.
<center>—</center>
<font size="1">[<a href="http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/dont-date-a-girl-who-reads/">Original article on Thought Catalog</a>]</font>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-80971242694548374192012-06-27T08:39:00.002-04:002012-06-27T08:39:54.594-04:00Review| 12:21, by Dustin Thomason<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333578211l/13572813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333578211l/13572813.jpg" /></a>
<b>Full Title:</b> 12.21
<br><b>Author:</b> Dustin Thomas
<br><b>Genre:</b> Fiction/Thriller
<br><b>Publisher:</b> The Dial Press (Random House)
<br><b>Publication Date:</b> August 2012 (expected)
<br><b>My Copy:</b> Advance reader copy via Goodreads First Reads
<p><center>—</center>
Two weeks before December 21, 2012, a man speaking a strange language is brought into East L.A. Presbyterian Hospital with what appears to be a prion disease. Dr. Gabriel Stanton, a prion disease researcher for the CDC, is called in. When it is realised that the patient is speaking a Mayan language, Chel Manu, an expert in Mayan Studies, aides as a translator. She is rocked by what she learns from this patient, though. Chel has recently acquired an incredible artifact from a shady source: a previously undiscovered Mayan codex, dating back farther than any other. What could this man have to do with the artifact? How does his terrifying disease factor in?
<p>If you haven’t already heard, December 21, 2012, marks the beginning of the end of the world. Well, at least to those who misinterpret the Mayan long count calendar, anyway. This 2012 doomsday phenomenon has completely taken over. It’s everywhere, and as December 21st approaches, I imagine things will reach a fever pitch. 12.21, then, is a very timely novel. But if you’re thinking this novel bends actual Mayan fact to fits its plot, think again. Instantly, Thomason shows that he has done his homework. A simple change of the calendar isn’t what’s bringing on the end in this one. In fact, the novel’s fictional terror feels entirely to possible. Prions are well explained, also. And so is the meatpacking industry. Made me glad to be a vegetarian (well... not counting that salmon I had for dinner... I’ll stop eating fish really soon, I swear!).
<p>Stanton is your classic workaholic. He has an ex-wife to prove it. Chel is quite dedicated to her work as well. She is passionate about her Mayan heritage. Both are driven people and very easy to like. The two are really good together. Here is a relationship thats takes some time to grow. The trust is not instant. As they work toward a common goal, they learn to rely on one another’s expertise and judgement. The character development is great in this one.
<p>Also instantly likeable is Paktul and his ancient codex. As Chel and her team translate his secret writings, the reader gets a glimpse into the world of the ancient Mayans. His telling of events is lively and engaging. I found myself looking forward to his story, wondering what happened to cause it all. You see, what Paktul describes holds both the clues to great past of the Mayans and the terrible fate that may await the modern world.
<p>12.21 is filled with plot twists, and it’s interesting to see how things eventually connect and fall into place. The writing is writing is solid as well. This book is definitely a page turner. I’d recommend it to anyone, doomsdayer or otherwise.
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<p><center><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXCgBbUFOBA/T-qUw1cGLyI/AAAAAAAABQ8/Q3VOZZtmPgg/s1600/4%2BStars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="25" width="125" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXCgBbUFOBA/T-qUw1cGLyI/AAAAAAAABQ8/Q3VOZZtmPgg/s320/4%2BStars.jpg" /></a>
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<p>See (and like!) this review on: Amazon* | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/324258884">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/12549150/reviews/87145934">Librarything</a> | <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/27914324/12-21-A-Novel/reviews/3645700">Shelfari</a>
<p><font size="1">*Can't add a review until book is released. Link will be edited in.</font>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-17383306128053053162012-06-27T01:36:00.001-04:002012-06-27T01:36:06.251-04:00Book Haul| June 18 - 24, 2012<center><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNYQ2SeqlAg/T-qYCiwFmYI/AAAAAAAABRM/QakS7fEzBoY/s1600/P6271948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNYQ2SeqlAg/T-qYCiwFmYI/AAAAAAAABRM/QakS7fEzBoY/s320/P6271948.JPG" /></a></center>
<p><u><b>Giveaway Wins</b></u>
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12975068-the-cranes-dance">The Cranes Dance</a>, by Meg Howrey
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13547960-the-unfinished-garden">The Unfinished Garden</a>, by Barbara Claypole White
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13163921-battleborn">Battleborn</a>, by Claire Vaye Watkins
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11933530-buried-on-avenue-b">Buried on Avenue B</a>, by Peter de Jonge
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13543000-long-time-no-see">Long Time, No See</a>, by Dermot Healy
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13167826-in-your-face">In Your Face</a>, by David Perrett
<p>These all look so good!
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<p><center><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tIfZ6M2G_E/T-qZrklyyhI/AAAAAAAABRY/KKHwMFvY4aE/s1600/P6271956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tIfZ6M2G_E/T-qZrklyyhI/AAAAAAAABRY/KKHwMFvY4aE/s320/P6271956.JPG" /></a></center>
<p><u><b>Thrift & New Purchases:</b></u>
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29734.Letting_Go">Letting Go</a>, by Philip Roth
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6969.Emma">Emma</a>, by Jane Austen
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/463725.A_Breath_of_Fresh_Air">A Breath of Fresh Air</a>, By Erica James
<br><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/161270.Poison">Poison</a>, by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer
<p>The top two are thrift. For the bottom two: apparently, a store near me gets discounted books. Both of these, though new, were just a dollar each. Thought I'd give them a shot.Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-78561601926893713132012-06-26T21:34:00.001-04:002012-06-26T22:55:41.761-04:00<center><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2m65lyR951qzf0d9o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="400" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2m65lyR951qzf0d9o1_500.jpg" /></a>
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<p><b><u>A Quick Update</u></b>
<ul><li>I made a Facebook page for this blog. It can be found by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/futuresfading">clicking here</a>. There's not much there just yet but content will be added regularly.
<li>I'm currently writing the review for <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13572813-12-21">12.21</a>.
<li>I've started reading both <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513190-a-hundred-flowers">A Hundred Flowers</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13260236-jasmine-nights">Jasmine Nights</a>. Not sure which I'll finish and review first.
<li>I realize I haven't yet posted last week's haul. It should be up by nights end!</ul>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-39464245840628177382012-06-25T17:36:00.000-04:002012-06-25T17:36:54.688-04:00Books That Shaped America<a href="http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/images/poster_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/images/poster_thumb.jpg" /></a>
The Library of Congress, as part of a "Celebration of the Book" exhibition, has released a list of books that are considered to have had great influence in the United States.
<p>“This list is a starting point,” said James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress. “It is not a register of the ‘best’ American books – although many of them fit that description. Rather, the list is intended to spark a national conversation on books written by Americans that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this initial list or not.”
<p>More titles can be nominated to the list through the Library of Congress' <a href="http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/">National Book Festival website</a>.
<p><a href="http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/books-that-shaped-america">Chick here to see the full list.</a>
<p>Have you read any of the books on this list? How would you say they shaped/influenced <i>you</i>?Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-47575199394451832662012-06-25T00:04:00.000-04:002012-06-25T00:04:50.534-04:00Review| Amped, by Daniel H. Wilson<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333996196l/12678461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333996196l/12678461.jpg" /></a>
<b>Full Title:</b> Amped
<br><b>Author:</b> Daniel H. Wilson
<br><b>Genre:</b> Science fiction/ Thriller
<br><b>Publisher:</b> Doubleday (Random House)
<br><b>Publication Date:</b> June 5, 2012
<br><b>My Copy:</b> Published book via Goodreads First Reads
<p><center>—</center>
<p>What would you do if you could choose to be something . . . more: have your vision and hearing enhanced, become smarter and stronger, be vital even in old age. Even fix medical ailments and control prosthetics with your mind. In Daniel H. Wilson’s Amped, people can now choose to have their brain implanted with a amplifier and their bodies enhanced. Thousands of Americans have chosen to become better versions of themselves. They are becoming “amps”. But as more and more people become amps, “pure” humans feel threatened. They can’t compete against amps. The amps go against the natural order, against God. As more and more legislation is passed, amps lose their rights and backlash is inevitable. Owen Gray has an amp. But his is medical, only intended to treat his seizures. Or so he believes. On the day that amps lose their Fourteenth Amendment rights, he learn that his amplifier might be something greater than he ever knew. Even greater than the standard implants, in fact. After heading out to seek the truth, he gets drawn into a plot that could rock this nation to its very core.
<p>Owen is a middle-of-the-road kind of guy. I didn’t dislike him, but I didn’t immediately connect to him either. His backstory is minimal: we get the reason for his amp and not much else. The same is true for all characters, in fact. They aren’t given much of a description or story, leading to an overall lack of empathy on my part for them. Lucy, for instance, is a character it seems I should care about, but I can’t possibly bring myself to. I can’t even see why Owen should care for her. Their romance, if it can be called that, is as deep as a shower. Nick, on the other hand, I liked. He seems like a sweet kid just trying to grow up in a turbulent time.
<p>The pace is breakneck, perhaps to a fault. Everything happens so fast and there is hardly ever a dull moment. It all very exciting for the duration of the novel, but then the ending seemed slapped together. More description in the latter pages would’ve helped tremendously. In the interest of not posting spoilers, I’ll just say some things were skimmed over and I’m still curious as to how certain points resolved themselves. Still, this is definitely a fast and fun read. Between the fight scenes and the chaos, the amp abilities and the lawlessness, it was hard to put this one down. I finished the book in one afternoon, and I can easily see this book being made into a movie.
<p>Amped raises some very interesting questions: How do we define humanity? How far can science go? Where do we draw the line? But the most pressing question of of all: Could the sort of legal discrimination that occurs in Amped really happen in America? It has in the past, here and elsewhere. The parallels in Amped to the Holocaust are most apparent, the maintenance port a Star of David. And surely this nation has learned from the worldwide history of human suffering. . . right?
<p>Amped isn’t a philosophical look at the human condition in the midsts of a societal crisis, though. It’s a fast paced, action packed novel with some serious entertainment value.
<p><center>—</center>
<p><center><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPQYlM8h4qo/T-fia-pQtxI/AAAAAAAABQc/r4YkASFsopE/s1600/3%2BStars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="25" width="125" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPQYlM8h4qo/T-fia-pQtxI/AAAAAAAABQc/r4YkASFsopE/s320/3%2BStars.jpg" /></a></center>
<p>See (and like!) this review on: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1F6GUBQ75JXEK/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/343362824">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/12035732/reviews/87078294">Librarything</a> | <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/25373081/Amped/reviews/3642309">Shelfari</a>
Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-88832723198815300552012-06-21T18:57:00.001-04:002012-06-22T01:11:56.145-04:00Review| Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, by Matthew Dicks<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1335352754l/13538552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1335352754l/13538552.jpg" /></a>
<b>Full Title:</b> Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
<br><b>Author:</b> Matthew Dicks (Published under the name Matthew Green in the UK)
<br><b>Genre:</b> Fiction
<br><b>Publisher:</b> St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan)
<br><b>Publication Date:</b> August 2012 (expected)
<br><b>My Copy:</b> Advance reader copy via Shelf Awareness
<p><center>—</center>
<p>Just because we can’t see them does not mean that they don’t exist. Imaginary friends are, in fact, real. Their human friend thinks them up, but then they have their own thoughts and emotions and ideas. They need their friends to imagine them into existence and believe in them to stay alive, sure. But this is just a form of life support, not proof that they’re fake!
<p>Budo, he’s one of the oldest imaginary friends around. Max imagined him into existence, and has believed in him for over five years. Max is a bit different, possibly autistic (it’s never explicitly stated), and has quite the imagination. He imagined Budo being both smart and very human-looking. That, coupled with his age, makes Budo the envy of other imaginary friends. But all is not well for Budo: he worries a lot. Max is bullied in school, and Budo worries for his safety. Max’s parents’ arguments are mostly about Max, too. Budo worries about his friends disappearing as their human imagineers stop believing in them. Mostly,though, Budo is preoccupied with thoughts of his own death. He want to exist for as long as possible, to never disappear. And then, another worry: Max falls into a new and terrible danger. Only Budo knows the truth, and he must save his friend.
<p>This novel is simply wonderful. It’s like a kids adventure story, but made especially for adults. Budo sees the world in a unique way, and he shows us his world the best he can. He is wise but still very childlike, and is the perfect narrator for this tale. This very real imaginary friend takes the reader on a ride and manages to connect on an emotional level. He feels as we humans do, and not only does he learn as he goes along, he grows as well.
<p>With its interesting premise and fast pace, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is a most unlikely coming of age story. For adults looking to indulge their inner child, this book is highly recommended.
<p><center><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OXx9ae5i2GA/T-OiadwzYPI/AAAAAAAABQI/4ew0yNQtuwI/s1600/5%2BStars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="25" width="125" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OXx9ae5i2GA/T-OiadwzYPI/AAAAAAAABQI/4ew0yNQtuwI/s320/5%2BStars.jpg" /></a></center>
<p>See (and like!) this review on: Amazon* | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/339590452">Goodreads</a> |<a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/12329457/reviews/86982479"> Librarything</a> | <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/27033790/Memoirs-of-an-Imaginary-Friend/reviews/3638364">Shelfari</a>
<p><font size="1">*Can't add a review until book is released. Link will be edited in.</font>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825999325238984475.post-15957871428031667672012-06-20T16:39:00.000-04:002012-06-20T16:48:03.078-04:00Review| Flight From Berlin, by David John<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1334091145l/13596713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1334091145l/13596713.jpg" /></a>
<b>Full Title:</b> Flight From Berlin
<br><b>Author:</b> David John
<br><b>Genre:</b> Historical Fiction/Thriller
<br><b>Publisher:</b> Harper
<br><b>Publication Date:</b> July 10, 2012 (expected)
<br><b>My Copy:</b> Advance reader copy via Goodreads First Reads
<p><center>—</center>
<p>Berlin, 1936. The Olympics are underway and all eyes are on Hitler’s Germany. The Nazi propaganda machine has hidden its brutality from view, but there are those who still recognise the veiled terror. Eleanor Emerson, expelled from the US swim team, meets up with Richard Denham, a British journalist. Together, they learn that Berlin is center stage for more than just the Olympics. They find themselves in the middle of a very different kind of game, this one between the Gestapo and The British Secret Intelligence Service. There is a secret document that threatens to bring down the Third Reich, and Hitler's men want to get it before it is handed over to the SIS... by any means necessary.
<p>Eleanor is a feisty young woman with a rebellious streak. Being quite the socialite, she gets herself kicked off the Olympic team en route to Berlin for partying a bit too hard. Her lines are fantastic and full of wit. She is a strong, likeable character. The same can be said for Denham, the cynical journalist determined to report the truth. He, too, is very well drawn. We get a great sense of how he values both his profession and his fellow man. All of the good guys stand out in their own way, in fact. For that bad guys, though, I was more likely to get them confused. They get a bit muddled, but I got them straightened out in the end.
<p>The historical backdrop is phenomenal! So many real people and events are wonderfully woven into the story. The Olympics is the obvious, but the Hindenburg is also written in. Even the Wallis Simpson scandal gets a mention. Berlin itself comes to life. It’s easy to imagine what things were like back then, with the city being cleaned up to show a “nice” face to the world.
<p>My main criticism, and the thing that really knocked the rating down a star, is the ending. I saw it coming pretty early on and spent the rest of the book hoping I was wrong. It’s just pretty predictable and...safe. It wraps the story up neatly and reconciles the book with actual events, but after such an exciting story I found myself wanting something radically different. Something that rewrote history entirely. Still, Flight From Berlin is a well written historical thriller. A must-read for anyone interested in this time in history, and great for fans of thrillers as well!
<p><center><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ef3-U0_cJh4/T-IzMkiX3xI/AAAAAAAABP4/9rwzanNWhxM/s1600/4%2BStars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="25" width="125" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ef3-U0_cJh4/T-IzMkiX3xI/AAAAAAAABP4/9rwzanNWhxM/s400/4%2BStars.jpg" /></a></center>
<p>See (and like!) this review on: Amazon* | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/313637835">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/12218387/reviews/86939122">Librarything</a> | <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/26136926/Flight-from-Berlin/reviews/3637091">Shelfari</a>
<p><font size="1">*Can't add a review until book is released. Link will be edited in.</font>Ixachel L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10746293505441592983noreply@blogger.com2