Lazy Book Club for July will be both Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater!
Now, you don’t have to read both, you can comment on either book, but we’ll be discussing both at the end of the month. AND? Linger is already available at some booksellers! My copy is on it’s way from Barnes & Noble. I also read that some stores have it in stock! Go! Buy! Read!
And then come back and tell us what you thought, as always.
I really hope you've all had a chance to read The Iron King and loved it as much as we did. However, since this is a holiday weekend for us here in the US (and since Rain has had her hands full at home lately *waving to the new baby*) we've decided to extend the commenting deadline to midnight tomorrow, July 3rd.
So, if you haven't finished yet, SPEED READ! (Just kidding.) Take it slowly and enjoy it! If you have finished but haven't had a chance to comment yet, fill out the form NOW! And don't forget, by filling out the form you're entered to win a Whimsical Fic-ery mug of your choice! C'mon! DEW EET!!! I've made it easy and put the link below:
Happy 4th of July to our American Readers! Enjoy the holiday and read a good book or two! See ya next week!
Hey everyone! I'm giving Rain the day off because I read an AWESOME series while on vacation last week and just HAD to recommend it to y'all. I realize that that might seem like overly high praise, but trust me on this one. If Nancy Drew and Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a psychic love child, and then wrote about her, this would be the result.
"Prom Dates from Hell" is the first of three books featuring Maggie Quinn, a reluctant psychic who has inherited "the Sight" from her Irish grandmother. She's fought and denied her ability all of her life. Finally, during her senior year of high school, bad things seem to be happening all around her, and turning a blind eye to her gift could leave her dead. How do you go from flat-out denial to fighting the forces of Evil-with-a-capital-E?
Sound intriguing? Exactly. Maggie is funny, self-deprecating, smart, heroic, and in way over her head. But she's not exactly alone. There's her snarky-best-friend Lisa, who is a self-described "evil genius." (Which I LOVE. I can respect some straight up Dark Side appreciation.) Throughout the three books their relationship shifts somewhat, but I love the exploration of loyalty and friendship that Rosemary Clement-Moore takes us on. Maggie's parents are very real characters who don't overwhelm the book, but provide a realistic support system, and Gran, well... I love Gran. You will too. I wish she'd read my tea leaves.
And, of course, there's a love interest. He's Maggie's perfect balance and I refuse to spoil it by saying anything but, um, yeah. Nancy and Ned have nothing on Maggie and I'm-not-spoiling-by-telling-you-his-name. So, go read these books! (That's right, there are three in the series so far.) There's action (near death experiences and demonic invasions!), there's romance (uh, he-who-I-won't-name, anyone?), and there's mystery (did I mention demonic forces? I did?) They're fun, fast, and really really good. (AND, if you've read them and have questions for the author, let me know. She's graciously agreed to do an author interview for the blog!)
So girls, I was reading a post the other day by the ever-amusing Merry Sisters of Fate. They were discussing why it is okay for us old folks to watch teen movies, but not read teen books. Tess brought up the "walk of shame into the YA section," (been there) and Maggie mentioned how women come to her signings and apologize for not being a teen.
At first I was thinking that I don't feel bad about reading YA. I mean, I LOVE it (obviously), but then I realized that to my non-YA-reading friends I often qualify my reading choices by saying, "It's all my mama brain can handle these days." Ouch. I've said that a lot. And really, it takes away from the complexity that is YA lit these days. Sometimes I find myself re-reading certain passages a few times to make sure I *get* what just happened. Other times I am blown away by a surprise twist that the author throws out. YA Lit doesn't mean easy, but I myself am guilty of shamefully bowing my head and pretending that it is just that - easy and fluffy.
The sisters do ask a good question - WHY do we do this?
I'm completely ashamed to admit this, but I'm guilty of having just done the "closet read" last weekend. You know what I'm talking about, ladies. When you're sitting on the airplane and you position the book on your lap so that the only way anyone can see the cover is to pry it out of your dead, cold hands.
Of course, I am an equal opportunity offender. I've taken more dust jackets off Charlaine Harris novels than I have YA books. Maybe that's because I always default to the "I'm a teacher" line if anyone questions my YA selections. Ew, I'm cringing as I'm typing that. After all, the only excuse we should need for reading what we read is because we like it, right?
Exacty! I regularly find myself saying, "I have a degree in English Lit, so I've read all the classics. It's okay for me to read this stuff right now." I'm cringing too. "This stuff," however, also includes the Charlaine Harris books . My Walk of Shame is not limited to the YA section. Before True Blood mania hit, I would take my Southern Vampire Series books up to the front of the store quite quickly and place it face down at the register. But, you're right - these books are what we like - what's the shame in that? And, they're good.
Okay, I have to admit that I don't actually feel shame. I mean, I'm sure I'm CAPABLE of being shamed, but not by my reading choices. I love to read, and I read a lot. I refuse to hide what I'm reading because it doesn't fit into the genre society has decided a 30ish mom should be reading.
Of course, I also refuse to hide the fact that I'm a video game girl, and I was known to wear green nail polish and anime tee shirts all through college. So, yeah. Maybe you should just continue this conversation without me. *runs off to teach her kids what a Moogle is*
When I was reading and swooning about Twilight, a lot of my friends razzed me about it. Then the movie came out, and suddenly all the naysayers were Facebooking about how tired they were because they had stayed up all night to finish reading the book. It's as though they needed validation to read it, and the movie franchise gave them the excuse they needed.
Well, that's a sort of group mentality that affects all of society. It's like if all the popular girls in school started playing Dungeons and Dragons, then suddenly it'd be "acceptable" to play it too. And who, in today's culture, represents the popular girls better than Hollywood?
*going into shock* You mean it wasn't acceptable to play Dungeons and Dragons? Does this mean I wasn't as popular as I thought I was?!
But it was cool to play Cthulu, right? RIGHT?!
*confused face* Cthulu? Dungeons and Dragons? What the hell are you guys talking about? *smirk*
But you do make a good point. Once Twilight became a major phEEEnomenon (Thank you Oprah for ruining that word forEVAH), it did seem more socially acceptable to read and love those books. And, I think it's also more acceptable to read YA in general after Twilight. The girls in my book sharing club don't give me too much trouble about me only sharing YA books. In fact, they love them too. They just don't have to walk into the YA section - they all borrow mine. Cheaters.
So, what about you all? Do you do the Walk of Shame into the YA section at your local bookstore? Do you order online to avoid The Shame? Do you make up excuses like Cher and I, or do you flounce The Shame like Leigh? Do tell!
So, you may have noticed that we are posting a bit sporadically here at Whimsical Fic. Sorry about that, but we do have good excuses. Mine is about 6 months old and is very demanding when it comes to her mama. (And I couldn't be happier about it!) Leigh is off on a fun-filled family vacation (and they haven't killed the kids yet, so all is going well). So, thanks for bearing with us during this crazy time! We'll be back on track shortly.
While on my trip, I read the final installment of the Percy Jackson series (LOVED it) and Paper Towns by John Green. (I would have read more, but I blame the awesome entertainment selections on Emirates airlines - I was finally able to watch Glee! Well, that and the complimentary drinks. *ahem*)
I picked up Paper Towns based on a recommendation by @heatherwpetty on our Kissing Scenes post. In the comments she mentioned it had a good one, so of course I had to read. The kissing scene was great, but so was the rest of the book- bonus!
When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night—dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows her. Margo’s always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q.
I was a little hesitant about getting this book because it isn't my usual type of YA book. As you all know, I generally stay within the paranormal when it comes to YA, but I am happy I stepped out of my comfort zone for this one.
This book is basically an intensive character-study paired with a coming-of-age theme. I loved it. I do have a soft-spot for coming-of-age books, and this one nailed that theme. Surpassed it, really, because Green's characters surprised me numerous times throughout the book. And the characters are really wonderful. I'm pretty sure my favorite character is Radar. His eccentric parents made me laugh out loud (even though they don't actually show up much, or at all?, in the book).
This is a great book for summer reading. It's funny (in unexpected ways) and interesting and will keep you guessing for sure. I definitely recommend it.
Note: Today's Reading Rain-bow Rec is brought to you by our very own Dusty. I took pity on her and did NOT photoshop a picture of her with the Geordi visor. *winks*
I'll admit it. I judge a book by its cover. So it is no wonder that I grabbed the first book in this series purely because of that dress on the cover. It's a good thing the story inside was just as gloriously 'pretty' as the cover.
Anna Godbersen set The Luxes series in the Gilded Age of New York with the Vanderbilt's, Carnagie's, and Rockefeller's of that time, and the series centers around the lives of four women. Think Gossip Girl meets The Age of Innocence and you pretty much have the idea behind the series. The story starts out with a funeral. The wealthy socialite Elizabeth Holland's funeral to be exact.
Elizabeth Holland is portrayed as a perfect, shining example of everything the upper crust holds dear; perfect manners, perfect dress, perfect marriage material to a member of New York's highest ranking family. Diana Holland is a rebel, a rebel who is trying to find her own place among the strict social rules of the elite class in New York. Penelope is a conniving beauty, her family is newly rich, which means her social status has only been attained by this new money and not her last name. She wants nothing more than to keep holding on to this newfound fame. Finally, there is Lina Broud, a maid in the Holland household. Lina only knows work, the fancy world of the Holland sisters is something she only sees from afar and she craves that lifestyle for herself and she is willing to do anything to get in that circle.
There is no shortage of hot, young men either. You may find yourself on Team Henry. Or Team Teddy. Or perhaps Team Will. The men in this series are all a match for the strong, independent and smart cast of women so it made reading about the loves found and lost quite refreshing and real. And you may find yourself surprised to have switched teams (and your whole thinking of each character) by the last book.
We have love and betrayal here, of course, and plenty of plot twists along the way to carry the story along. But the best thing about this series is the lush, descriptive and yes, LUXE storytelling. Gowns and parties are fully described in detail so that the reader is immersed in the story along with the characters. It gives a glorious view at an era long gone and an inside look at how the elite in New York played at the time. Anna Godbersen clearly did her research and it shows on every single page.
I'm completely ashamed to admit this, but I'm guilty of having just done the "closet read" last weekend. You know what I'm talking about, ladies. When you're sitting on the airplane and you position the book on your lap so that the only way anyone can see the cover is to pry it out of your dead, cold hands.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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