Fifty Shades

http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/why-50-shades-of-grey-is-less-about-submission-a

I think the article I linked above has a bit of merit to it.  My opinion is that it was a fun read, nothing I'd be likely to repeat anytime soon, unless I'm just in need of a break from serious reading.  Now, I have the same sort of feeling towards Fifty Shades as I did towards Twilight, but not as hostile this time.  Part of my issue with Twilight is that the twit of an author screwed with a myth (if you will) that had a romance all it's own.  Don't mess with vampires.  They don't bloody sparkle.

Now, Fifty Shades, on the other hand--I dealt well with Anastasia, possibly because I dealt with a relationship where I felt the other person was a bit out of my league.  So, her constant amazement resonated with me.  Christian's stalker capabilities are just... creepy.  Left me feeling a little disappointed in the character.  But, I guess what it really comes down to is exactly what the above article says--women do like getting served.  I don't want to have to communicate where to touch or what to do, or that I do want...  But, reality kicks in at that thought, and usually tells me to start dropping some context clues and hints as to what I want.

I don't think it was a terrible book...  It isn't winning a Nobel prize anytime soon, or ever, but I didn't have an issue with James's overuse of certain things.  Perhaps I lowered my expectations?  That might explain why I dislike Twilight so intensely.  I had high hopes, as my idea of romance involves a very rich, very handsome vampire.  Think Queen of the Damned.  Now, that was good romance.  And not even any talk of erections or spanking.

Fifty Shades didn't speak to my heart, even when Christian was giving her everything and taking all the "right" romantic steps.  As Anastasia puts it, I'm a hearts and flowers kinda girl.

Other than the above, I've not got much to say about the book.  I can see what the hype is about without criticizing those who really did love the book.  It was engrossing and easy to read.  Mind you, I do think the sex scenes were occasionally clumsy (Anne Rice's are waaaaaaaay better), but I think it appeals to women because they do, indeed want someone worshiping them (admittedly, I do entertain the thought myself, from time to time).  I read another article urging Christian women not to read the book.  I don't even want to touch on that one, other than to say that any woman who uses it as an excuse to be dissatisfied with her husband was looking for an excuse anyway.  Reading romance novels because you enjoy them is great, reading them to escape from reality...  That's not technically bad either.  Fiction is an escape.  I hate hearing people rant about the ramifications of using it that way, but I read fiction to relax, because I like a good story, because my mother instilled in me a love of reading that has never, ever left me.  Now, if I read Pride & Prejudice and wish my man were more vocal and romantic in his speech, aren't I doing the same thing as this other article is condemning?

It's a damned book, people.  Read it or don't.  Who cares?

Never Let Me Go

Required reading for a literature class one semester was Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day.  I actually did enjoy the book, though I didn't enjoy the class.  The teacher wasn't quite with it.  Anyway, I decided to try Never Let Me Go.  I'm still trudging through part one of a three part novel.  It doesn't seem to be terribly long, but it's work to read it.

My issue may not be how slow the pace of the novel is, but the fact that it is stream of consciousness.  I hate stream of consciousness novels.  I'm not sure I ever finished Mrs. Dalloway, which was for the same class mentioned earlier. 

I'm actually towards the end of the first part, and there are some interesting tidbits thrown in that give an idea as to the type of world the novel takes place in.  Again, I've been going through a dystopian phase with books.

Perhaps I can come back in a few days to report that the book ends up being more enjoyable than it currently is.

The Giver

So, initially, I should point out that Sarah shamed me into reading this.  Yes, I know.  It is apparently required reading during school.  I somehow missed that when I moved from the Houston area to Deep-East-Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas.
I liked it enough that I felt it warranted purchasing the whole trilogy.  I'm working on the second book right now, while Mark watches Game of Thrones.  Speaking of which, I need to catch up on.  Not sure I'll ever finish the books.  They're so tedious.  How am I supposed to root for a character when they're going to die in the next few chapters?  All that leaves are bad guys.  And nobody cheers for those.  Well, unless they're hunchbacked, wily and clever.
Anyway, The Giver.  I must be on a streak with the dystopian novels.  I admittedly like them--apocalyptic ones as well.  Sometimes I think I must be a bit morbid, but really I like seeing someone unmask our lovely society, and I often wonder just what would happen.  I mean, we've seen inklings--beatings over one sports team or another, riots during and after a natural disaster.

I like to think that my family would be okay.  Well, if we survived whatever the initial disaster was.  We're a pretty self-sufficient bunch.  I'm one of the only people in my very, very small group of friends who could actually start a fire and feed myself.  Granted, I'd need a few key items, but that is besides the point. 

On a different note, J.K. Rowling's first adult novel will be out September 27th of this year.  [happy dance]  I've been looking forward to getting my hands on this for the longest time!

Happy Hunger Games!

I love Katniss!!  I do, I really do!  She's a typical confused teen, without the angst.  Thank God, because I would have hated having to finish the book.

I'll do a more thorough review once I finish all three.  Hopefully I can restrain myself so I have something good to read on the plane Wednesday!

Oh!  And pictures of the 3rd grade jungle coming soon!

The Awakened, Books 2 & 3

I decided to finish this series, just for the fact that the plot was intriguing.  That is truly the only redeeming quality for me with this series.  Character development was truly shaky.  The descriptions were overdone and so precise that they had no room to flow.  Tessar writes very clearly, which is great for his chosen profession (technical writing), but precision in creative writing, for me personally, just seems to make a story stutter and stumble around.  My other problem with the descriptions are intervals of heavy descriptions of feelings, actions--things that really move the story along, especially if you're describing a battle or how something occurs to a set of characters.  However, right in the middle of this (i.e. a scene where one of the protagonists is agonizing how to move freed slaves without being caught), he suddenly jumps to a rescue.  I honestly thought I had double clicked the page turn button and had to go back and check.

I'm not saying he's a bad writer.  I just think there's room for improvement.

Two for One!

Finally, after many, many days left unfinished, I have finally moved past book 8 in the Wheel of Time Series.  I don't have much of an opinion on it, as I started it months ago and just finished today (with about a dozen other books in between).  I started Winter's Heart today... we'll see if I finish it.

Another book I finished yesterday--yes, I finished two books yesterday.  Path of Daggers was nearly done anyway, so I finished it after I read The Awakened.  I didn't hate it.  Nor did I exactly love it, either.  The story was interesting, but not overly engrossing.  I found the writing to be very stilted and awkward.  There was a distracting amount of description, which was completely unnecessary to the progression of the story.  Tesar writes clearly, don't get me wrong.  And I fully believe you can't be too clear.  But, there is such a thing being overly wordy (which is my biggest fear).  For a free e-book, I can't really complain, but I can't say I like reading something that makes me constantly itch for a red pen.

Thinner

I'm on a mission to be at a healthy weight, one that is comfortable and leaves me feeling attractive, while still being, well... healthy.  I'd never dream of being the weight I was in high school.  I was a waif and was, in fact, asked on more than one occasion if I had an eating disorder.  Teenagers are so lovely...

Anyway, how does this relate to books?  And to Stephen King?  Well, now he's given me yet another thing to be paranoid about.  So, thank you Stephen King for second thoughts and slight paranoia about weight loss, twins, hotels, large dogs, Buicks, fog, doors, bears, aliens, clowns, cell phones, trains, robots, mysterious shop owners, school dances, game shows, the sniffles, lack of sleep...