A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever. - Jessamyn West
Sometimes I have this fear. I fear that my boys will be crushed by cruel words. I want to protect them from those words. And yet, I know that it is inevitably for them to experience the hardships of life. I just hope that they can understand that most of those words don't matter (though they hurt) and don't inflict those words on anyone else.
Title: The Boys Vol 11: Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men
Author: Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, and John McCrea
Publisher: Dynamite 2012
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 144
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Mount TBR; Read Your Name -- O
How I Got It: J owns it
The first of The Boys' two concluding stories is collected here, in "Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men". By now you should know that The Boys is one of Dynamite's most popular and critically acclaimed series, and that it's coming to an end very soon. Don't miss this 2nd-to-last collection, featuring issues #60-65, along with a complete cover art gallery by Darick Robertson.
OMG! I knew this was going to be a nail biter and it didn't disappoint. I started to question why the people were a few issues ago and my questions have been partially answered. I don't want to give away the twists, but let's just say that not all is what it seems. I am on pins and needles for the last volume of the series. The carnage is undeniable in this volume. Be forewarned.
The Boys:
When we moved in April, my original idea was to get a job ASAP. Unfortunately that didn't happen quickly. And then I realized that the boys would be coming soon (today in fact). With them here, if I got a job, I would have to pay for babysitting/child care and I wouldn't be able to spend that much time with them. Back in Nebraska, J worked at home, so he could be physically there with the bosy while I was at work. That's not the situation here. So I will be holding off on the job hunt until towards the end of July. This means that I will be home everyday with the boys. I've been making a list of things we must do. Currently the list includes:
Title: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razor Bill 2007
Genre: YA Vampires
Pages: 332
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Vampires; Support Your Local Library
How I Got It: Library Loan
St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school–it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's–the very place where they're most in danger. Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi–the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires–make Lissa one of them forever.
I've been meaning to start this series for awhile. I had heard good things and it didn't disappoint. I don't know why it took me so long to read this book once I started, but I finally got through it.
I love the main character, Rose. She's tough, outspoken, loyal, and intelligent. I loved her comebacks and each time she stood up to some bully at the academy. On the other hand, I wasn't a huge fan of Lissa, at least until the end. Throughout most of the book she is the fragile Moroi princess and I just couldn't get why she was so wonderful. When she grew a backbone I started to come around to her. I think my favorite character in the book was Christian. Very interesting side character that obviously knows more than Rose or Lissa thinks. I can't wait to see what happens between him and Lissa. And Dmitri is obviously some awesome eye candy.
The story is interesting. Not really new or different, but a good solid story. The first book ends on a cliffhanger, but not a "I want to rip my hair out" cliffhanger. I'm okay with the ending, but I can't wait to pick up the next series. I hope it stays strong throughout.
Vampire Academy
As part of my Day Zero Project, I am finding some new music. Specifically I want to find a great new-to-me band for each letter of the alphabet. Today, I have a few songs to share.
Music Selections:
Kindness "House" -- I think I now get most of my new music from AltNation.
Birdy "Just a Game" -- From The Hunger Games soundtrack.
Radical Face "Welcome Home" -- This keeps popping up on the Mumford and Sons Pandora challenge. Love it!
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home" -- Another Pandora find.
Bonus fun live version:
Complete A to Z list (so far):
I came across Stitch Fix on Loop Looks (check her out!). For $20 a shipment, you get a personalized style pack of five items. Then, you try everything on and decided to keep 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5 items. The $20 stylist fee is credited to your purchase. And if you buy all five items, you get an extra 25% off. The company is currently in beta, but I was lucky enough to get an invite.
My initial thought was that all the items were very cute and my style. Here's what I got (excuse the slightly crappy pics):
Item #1: Silver wire necklace.
Pros: Just my style. Adorable. Fairly reasonable price.
Cons: I have a ton of silver necklaces. A little more than I usually pay for jewelry, even with the $20 fee.
Item #2: Tube dress
Pros: Pretty print.
Cons: Everything else. Horrible fit. Highlights all my bad areas. Makes me look stumpy. I am not a fan of strapless dresses.
Item #3: Cap sleeve henley silk top
Pros: Great color. Actually fits. Very nice fabric.
Cons: Cap sleeves? I don't know about those.
Item #4: Grey tank
Pros: Gorgeous back detail (ignore the white tank). Lovely fabric.
Cons: Very tight through the bust area.
Item #5: Keyhole printed tank
Pros: Love the keyhole detail and neckline. Fun print. Light fabric for summer.
Cons: Most expensive of the tops.
So, what did I keep?
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Item #5: Printed keyhole tank. It fits great, it's versatile, and I love the style. I will definitely schedule another Stitch Fix soon.
Listening To: Made it into the Gs... but have slightly stalled. I did really dig rediscovering Garbage and Gin Blossoms. They take me back.
Book finished: Beauty; Anna Dressed in Blood; Sandman 2; Boys 10
Reading: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
On the Nightstand: HP 6 and Scott Pilgrim
MakingLists: Summer to dos. Trying to get a list of things to do with the boys ready for their arrival. Plus, I reconnected with a friend who lives about 3 hours away. Hopefully we can find time to see each other soon.
Around the house: We've gotten most of the things put away. But we still need to get pictures framed.
From the kitchen: More and more freezer meals. Pretty soon I'm going to make some more. And I tried making a 2 minute chocolate cake coffee cup thing in the microwave. Next time I need to adjust the cooking time, but they were pretty good.
On the Web: Catching up on some more blogs in my GoogleReader.
Farmer's Market Finds: First week back to the market and I woke up really late. The market runs 9-1 and I did get there until 11:30. By that time, all the yummy pastries were gone. I did get some great nectarines, strawberries, broccoli, and a ciabatta loaf. I must set my alarm for next week.
Crafting: I got to go to a card class today and meet some lovely ladies. I already knew one of those ladies, but of course she's lovely. Look at the pretty!
Watching: We've made it to Stargate Atlantis. Halfway through season 1 and it is intense. I'm still working through Chuck season 5. I also started my DZP actor item (Dwayne Johnson!).
Wondering: Why does the Goodwill one block from my house have to be the worst one that I've been too? I am thoroughly disappointed!
From Nature: It was 65 and rainy on Monday. You would have thought that it was below freezing by the way everyone was acting. I was dressed in a tshirt and jeans. Everyone I passed had sweatshirts and/or coats on. I had to laugh at the silliness. After the one day of some rain, it got back into the 75 degree range for the rest of the week.
Shopping Scores: Finally found a clearance everyday dress at Target. It will be worn this week sometime. And I received my first StitchFix box yesterday. I'll be posting my results soon...
Project: The bookshelf we ordered came. J graciously put it together while I rearranged the office to make room for it. We are short on wall space, so we took down the shelf and put it in the closet. I managed to empty four boxes of books into it. Unfortunately, we still have ~7 boxes of books in the closet and the office floor. I think we need two more of these babies to get them all put away...
Last week, I was on a roll. I was reading books left and right. I was diving straight in and not coming up for air until they were done. I was so excited about the new possible worlds to explore. I knocked out most of my library books and tackled some TBR books. And then it all came screeching to a halt. A few days ago, I started a fairy tale retelling, got 20 pages in, and suddenly found myself in a slump. I hated the book. I don't think it's a horrible book, it just was the wrong time for it. I didn't feel at all connected with the book. And so I gave up on it. (This isn't to say that I won't read it in the future, but not right now) Since then I have debated what to read next. On my Goodreads account, I have listed that I'm currently reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I'll tell you a secret, I'm not really reading it right now. I'm also not reading Scott Pilgrim. Those are sitting here staring at me, but I don't really have a desire to pick them up. I'm officially in a reading slump. I think part of the reason is that the boys are coming on Tuesday. I keep thinking of fun things to do with them and what we need to do before they come. I am researching travel plans to get to the city and then each of the sites. J wanted me to look into Fourth of July festivities also. My mind has been preoccupied with other stuff. And I haven't had the desire to read. So sad. I started Vampire Academy (library loan), but I'm not totally feeling it. I'm struggling to pay attention. Maybe once the boys are here, I'll be able to get back to some regular reading. Hopefully... Until then, ALL HAIL THE READING SLUMP!
I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille. I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers. This week's thankfulness...
1) Almond Cappunccinos -- I routinely go to the Bean Scene Cafe about 1 1/2 blocks from the apartment. And because of the temps, I usually order an iced mocha. Only today I ordered a hot almond cappuccino and it was delicious! I think I found my new fave drink.
2) My new iPad -- J bought me an iPad! And I've already downloaded my apps and few books. I've even read one already (Anna Dressed in Blood). And today I took it to the coffeehouse instead of my MacBook Air (not that the computer isn't light). Loving the small size!
3) Stargate Atlantis -- J got me hooked on Stargate SGU and now we've moved onto Atlantis. I really really like this series. It's basically our daily tv watching, a few episodes before bed. I don't know what we're going to do when we finish the series. Oh yeah, we have Stargate Universe and 100s more tvs shows on the Apple TV.
4) Target -- I finally found a cheap summer dress. Thank you clearance racks at Target.
5) Rain -- It rained this week for the first time since we've moved. Everyone I met was complaining about how it was so miserable and cold (65 degrees!). I loved the little bit of rain while i read on my balcony. Now we wait for a month for another rainstorm.
Title: The Boys Vol 10: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker
Author: Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, and John McCrea
Publisher: Dynamite 2012
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 144
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Mount TBR; A to Z -- E
How I Got It: J owns it
The story of Billy Butcher, the Boys'' mysterious leader, is told at last! From the backstreets of London''s East End to the carnage of the Falklands War, from the heights of love to the depths of tragedy, the most violent man in comics reveals the terrible nature of the forces that drive him. And when he''s done, he''ll be ready - to finish things once and for all! Collects the hit 6-issue mini-series of 2011, along with a complete cover gallery and bonus material.
All through the series I have wondered how Butcher became Butcher. What makes him the way he is? I know that Hughie has always wondered. And know at the eve of the end, we finally get his story. I loved it. Now I understand. I see why he is the way he is now. I don't know if I would have made the same choices, but it's his life. Look at me talking like Butcher's real. This series has really gotten under my skin. I want to see how all of this will be resolved. I know it won't be pretty or happily ever after, but I have to know.
The Boys:
Title: Sandman Volume 2: The Doll's House
Author: Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics 2010/1990
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 232
Rating: 5 /5 stars
Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Support Your Local LIbrary; My Years -- 1990
How I Got It: Library loan
During Morpheus's incarceration, three dreams escaped the Dreaming and are now loose in the waking world. At the same time, a young woman named Rose Walker is searching for her little brother. As their stories converge, a vortex is discovered that could destroy all dreamers, and the world itself. Features an introduction by Clive Barker.
This volume includes issues 9-16 of the original series and features completely new coloring, approved by the author.
Another exciting Sandman volume. I love that this volume connects the reader to a very human Rose Walker. She's someone we can all travel with through the Dreamland. The Corinthian was extra creepy as a part of the Collectors. I think that part may just give me nightmares. I don't know what else to say. I just want to find out what happens next in the story.
Sandman
Title: Anna Dressed in Blood (ADiB #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal
Pages: 320
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: YA; Mount TBR
How I Got It: My first iBook purchase!
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
Yet she spares Cas's life.
I admit that I went into this book with trepidation. It's a paranormal young adult book. I thought it would be full of teenage angst and silly love triangles. Thankfully, it wasn't. I ended up reading a scary yet touching ghost story full of twists and turns. Anna is incredibly scary, even in her later incarnation. The Obeahman is out of my nightmares. Cas is badass (reminded me of the Winchester brothers). Carmel isn't the annoying queen. She's someone that I might have actually liked. And Thomas is a great witch in training. I must say that all of the characters (well, except for Mike and Chase) are stereotype free. This allows for real character and growth throughout the book. I found myself looking over my shoulder waiting for an inky haired girl to be staring back. Very creepy! But in a good way. Definitely a must read.
Somehow I didn't catch on that there is a sequel coming out this fall. I can't wait to read it.
Anna Dressed in Blood:
"At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet." -- Plato
Do you become emotional when in love? Surprisingly I do. Usually I am a pretty straight forward person. When in love, I become a mushy girl. I feel a bit silly, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Title: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Author: Robin McKinley
Publisher: Harper Trophy 1978
Genre: Fairy Tales
Pages: 247
Rating: 2 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Semi-Charmed Challenge -- Pair of Antonym Books; Telling Tales; Support Your Local Library
How I Got It: Library Loan
A strange imprisonment
Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.
When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"
I am disappointed. To be fair, I have always had issues with the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Why does Beauty love the Beast? I understand that the Beast must make someone fall in love with him so that the curse can be broken. But why does she love him? All he's done is take her from her family and then try to "care" by giving her books and clothes. Blah! For that matter does the Beast even love her? He could be using her to break the curse, but drop her the minute it's done. And there lies my issue with the fairy tale.
This retelling is the same except for the first third. I had high hopes. The first third is spent with Beauty and her family. They are wealthy, they lose the wealth, they try to make a name for themselves in a small town. Interesting story. And then Beauty goes to the Beast's castle and everything falls into place. I was bored. Just bored. I am regulating this fairy tale to the bottom of the barrel.
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!
This week was a rewind week -- pick a previous topic. I chose "Books I Can't Beleive I've Never Read." I promise these are all on my TBR list, but it is ever so long...
1. Anna Karenina -- I really need to read it before the movie releases. Plus, J is appalled by my lack of Russian authors. (To be far, I have read a town of Russian plays, just not novels)
2. War and Peace -- See #1
3. Mark Twain except for Huckleberry Finn -- How is it I never read anything else by him? I must remedy this.
4. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters -- More that this has been on my TBR shelf for at least 6 months and it's still there.
5. Outlander series -- I loved Outlander and never seemed to read the rest. I am disappointed with myself.
6. Game of Thrones and subsequent books -- Another I can't believe it's on my shelf and I haven't gotten to it yet.
7. Jane Eyre -- Love the story, never fully read the book. It's on my short list right now.
8. Charles Dickens except Great Expectations -- For my love of literature, I just haven't been able to get into Dickens. I didn't really enjoy GE and I think it has colored my view of him.
9. Science Fiction -- Make a list, I probably haven't read it. J really wants me to change this.
Title: Sandman Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
Author: Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics 2010/1988
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 240
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Support Your Local LIbrary; My Years -- 1988
How I Got It: Library loan
In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his 70 year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman. This book also includes the story "The Sound of Her Wings," which introduces us to the pragmatic and perky goth girl Death. Includes issues 1-8 of the original series with completely new coloring, approved by the author.
I had been meaning to pick up this series forever. But the Omaha library only later some of the later volumes, so no go. Thankfully, Sunnyvale is awesome and actually has comics and graphic novels. I snatched the first three volumes to read.
I love the incorporation of the various other comic characters. I love the allusions to other mythological figures. I love the drawings of Dream. The background art is sometimes so chaotic and/or dark that it's hard to see what's actually being depicted. However, I really enjoyed the storyline of Dream retrieving his freedom and power. It was a great little journey. I am very interested to see where this story leads. And the introduction of Death was just amazing.
Sandman
As part of my ongoing celebration for my 30th birthday, I am highlighting some popular songs from throughout my years. Songs were picked based off of a list of Grammy award winners and Billboard Top 100. Then, I chose my favorites to highlight.
Year: 1988
Book: Unknown
Music Selections: I plead childhood sillyness for these selections.
Listening To: I'm through the Fs. Only 20 more letters and thousands of songs to go...
Book finished: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; The League fo Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1910; Starship Troopers
Reading: The Sandman series
On the Nightstand: The Sandman series and Anna Dressed in Blood (downloaded on my new iPad!)
Making Lists: The usual, grocery lists and house to do lists.
Around the house: Working on putting crap away. I swear this stuff multiplies while we sleep.
From the kitchen: I made some awesome blueberry buttermilk cake. Delicious.
On the Web: The usual, cleaning out my Google Reader.
Farmer's Market Finds: No farmer's market this week because of the Sunnyvale Food and Wine Festival. Lots of arts and crafts stuff that I would never put in my house. And the alcohol was definitely overpriced. At least it was free.
Crafting: I haven't done any individual crafting. However, I did join a great group of ladies for some meet and greet and the Stampin' Up catalog launch. We made a cute little card using some of the new products. But more importantly, I think I found my scrapping group. Can't wait until the next event.
Watching: Lots and lots of Stargate. We're into the seventh season and my goodness is it suspenseful!
Wondering: How I have never seen Michael J. Fox in The Secret of My Success. J was flabbergasted and we immediately stuck it in the dvd player for movie night. Loved the 80s music and crazy clothing. I could have done without the montages.
From Nature: Sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine. The usual.
Shopping Scores: I got an iPad! Yep, that's right, I got an iPad! Woo hoo! I already downloaded my most used apps, plus four books that were free on iBooks. I can't wait to start using it.
Project: Checking out my new Stampin' Up catalog. So many pretty stamp things that I want. Now I need to limit myself. So hard...
Picture: No pictures this week. I really need to take some pics of the surrounding neighborhood...
Title: Sirena
Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Publisher: Scholastic 1998
Genre: Myths and Fairy Tales
Pages: 210
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Telling Tales; A to Z: N; Support Your Local Library
How I Got It: Library loan
In Donna Jo Napoli's beautiful prose, the tragic love story between a mermaid and a mortal comes to life for young readers. When Sirena meets Philoctetes, Hercules' friend, she falls in love. But the young warrior must return home to fight the Trojan War and leave his magical love behind.
A retelling of the classic mermaid/siren myths of Ancient Greece. I loved that Sirena is a mermaid who does not act like a human. Too many times mermaids act like humans with fish tales. Thankfully we see a very different being in this story. Napoli's words read like poetry. They flow almost like the currents of the ocean. My only issue is with Philoctetes himself. He's not a very good hero and I'm not very attracted to him. Yet, I understand Sirena's need for love and belonging. And it's that need that kept me reading. Now I need to check out Napoli's other retellings.
Books Read and Reviewed (13 books)
1,000,000 Page Goal
Monthly Total: 4448 pages
Pages Remaining: 920,606 pages
Current Read
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Books Won (3)
So excited! I just found out that I won the As the World Dies trilogy by Rhiannon Frater from Book Chick City. I've been wanting to read these for awhile. I can't wait to get these...
Books I Gave Up On (1)
Paris in Love by Eloisa. -- While, I ultimately decided to stop reading, I did share why I stopped reading it in a review.
Challenges Completed
Comments
A much better month than I originally thought. Of course, participating in the Bout of Books Readathon helped focus my reading. I finished 5 books in that week alone. I knocked out a few from the TBR shelves and a few from the library. I also completed two more HP books which gets me back on track for my one a month plan. Overall I have to say my favorite book this month was Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. I can't wait until the movie comes out (June 22nd!). Looking forward to knocking out a few reading challenges next month.
Next Month's TBR