On the Bookshelf

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

It felt weird, though, seeing them all closed, the same kind of weird when you see the moon and it's just a little too big and too bright.

I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald's would still be open.

From page 47 of Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer.

Terra

Considering my usual reading habits, it seems strange for me that I did not get that much reading done while I was on crutches, instead I pulled out some old PC games and allowed my mind to be consumed by Assassin's Creed and Battle for Middle-earth II.

John Dies at the End by David Wong
I was thrilled when this finally turned up on my doorstep. I'd been hanging out and counting down waiting for the paperback to be released so that the Book Depository could finally ship me my pre-order. If the title sounds familiar to you it may be because it started out online as a web series. After a few years it caught the attention of indie horror publisher Permuted Press and eventually came to the attention of St. Martin's Press. Not at all bad for a story that started out online.



The Passage by Justin Cronin
Is this book in high demand right now or what! It took forever to get to the top of the library waiting list for The Passage and there are more in line behind me. I just hope that I can get through all 766 of its pages before I have to pass it along! I look forward to reading a vampire story that isn't set in the school yard.

Terra

Title: Shiver
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls 
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: August 1, 2009
Source: Library

The Cold
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

The Heat
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

The Shiver
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

I had recently been feeling rather jaded with YA Paranormal Romance but in one fell swoop Maggie Stiefvater has redeemed the entire genre.

Shiver is beautifully written. More than the romance, more than the unique werewolf mythology, Stiefvater had me entranced with her poetic prose. The pace is slow but steady enough that it kept me hooked. The narration passes between Sam and Grace and I came to enjoy both characters dearly. Grace is independent and level headed for her age yet a part of her still wishes for her parents to step up to the plate. The "beautiful and sad" Sam reads poetry, writes songs in his head, and struggles to come to terms with his past and impending future. Together they strike a beautiful balance. I feel like the candy shop scene captures the feel of their relationship and of this book perfectly - it's like mug of hot chocolate during the winter.

Stiefvater's mythology behind werewolves is refreshing and unique. It is the onset of winter that triggers the change from human to wolf and eventually, after a number of years of change, they will remain a wolf for the rest of their lives. Each chapter starts with the temperature. Although Fahrenheit is not used where I live, the significance of impending change was never lost on me.

I only wish that I had not waited so long to read this beautifully written book. I will not wait so long to pick up the next The Wolves of Mercy Falls book, Linger.

Also Check Out:
Fallen by Lauren Kate


Terra

(Or in this case, imdb.com)

I went to see this with a mixed group of people, including Twilight fans, people who think that the series is okay but are basically indifferent when it comes down to it, and myself who doesn't like the series so I feel that this review can come with the benefit of their opinions too.

Vampires Suck is brought to you by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer - the same guys behind Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet The Spartans, and Disaster Movie. Vampires Suck is a send up of Twilight and that is the film's first flaw. Often "spoof" movies target a specific genre and make fun of a few current popular films within that genre. Vampires Suck sticks to Twilight though to the point that you may begin to feel that you have seen this film before.

I had a few problems in regards to the continuity due to how they cut up and rearranged the plot from the first two movies/books. For example, you have the scene where Edward breaks up with Becca and she begs him to change her into a vampire before James attack then after she has been bitten by James she pleads with him to suck the venom out.

I also didn't like how there were times where they just couldn't help themselves but to spell out the joke to the audience. For example, in biology their teacher tells them to pull out their copies of The Vampire Diaries and Becca asks why they are reading vampire fiction in biology class. This leads Edward in to an unnecessary and long explanation into how it is because vampires are what are in right now. Later, during the thirty or so second that she appears on screen, a poor parody of Buffy (from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) can only be identified due to her name being printed on her chest.

On the more positive side of things, Jenn Proske as Becca Crane gets a mention for the way in which she perfectly mimics the facial ticks, excessive blinking, awkward body language, and stuttering of Kristen Stewart as Bella. On her first day of school, Becca Crane receives the kind of reception that would have actually made Twilight's Bella Swan's attitude of "woe is me" justifiable although, as she points out, despite being moody and supposedly unpopular every single guy in the school is going to lust after her.

Overall, I didn't hate the film and I will admit that it did get a couple of chuckles out of me but I think that there are vastly better parody films out there. Two of my friends, however, walked out of the theatre praising the film and pledging to buy Vampire Sucks on DVD when it is released. From this I can only gather that the movie may go down well with Twilight fans but if you haven't latched on to the vampire craze you will do just as will giving this one a miss.

Evernight by Claudia Gray
The Awakening by L.J. Smith
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Terra

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

This week, MizB asks:
"How often do you actually put into practice what you learn from reading nonfiction books (if you read nonfiction, that is)?"

Yes and no in a round about kind of way. Most of the non-fiction that I read is related to health and fitness. I get out these books specifically to study and learn the stretches within or for nutrition tips. However, I am mostly putting what I learn from non-fiction into practice when I acquire them with the intent to apply the given knowledge in my own life.

I also enjoy pop culture non-fiction but I don't think that it has as much impact on my daily practices. For example, as much as I was moved by the passion of the Sea Shepherds when I read The Whale Warriors by Peter Heller I have not stopped eating fish. (Just for the record I would never eat whale but I would hope that was considered a given.) I do not consider Mark Thomas' Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola to be responsible for my giving up drinking all soft drink (fizzy, soda, pop, whatever people are inclined to call it in your neck of the woods) but it did come to mind when I made my decision. That decision was more financially and health motivated. (Nearly three months soft drink free now!). I had already long gone off fast food by the time I picked up Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser.

I don't think that every piece of non-fiction that a person reads needs to be personally useful or applicable to their life in some way. It can be just as rewarding to read something because you find the knowledge intellectually enriching or just plain fun or maybe you hope that it will pop up during a game of trivia sometime and you can impress everyone with your vast mental treasure trove of otherwise useless knowledge. That said, I probably should be trying to apply more of what I learn from the non-fiction. I would probably be a healthier and more environmentally friendly person if I did.

Terra

It has been a quiet week for me, both in terms of blogging and book collection, largely due to my recovering from recently dislocating my left kneecap. It is rather difficult to get down to the library when one has a massive brace on their leg. The good news is that I was allowed to take the leg brace off today, although I am not allowed to bend that knee much for a few more weeks but it is quite stiff anyway.

Feed by Mira Grant
More zombies this week! Look out  and get your survival plans ready because the zombies are set to rise in four years time! This is the first book in the Newsflesh series. It would be great to have a really good zombie series going at the moment.

I absolutely loved season one and I will get a review up of it soon. I wish that I had discovered this show sooner! In the meanwhile, I will get started nursing my wounds with the second season.

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra

My giveaway to celebrate my reaching 100 followers and one whole year of blogging has come to a close. Having used random.org to generate a winner, I am glad to be sending a copy of one of my all time favourite books, Bram Stoker's Dracula, to...


Darlyn, I have sent you an email regarding your prize. Please get back to me ASAP.

Thanks go to everyone else who entered and those who swung by to congratulate me on reaching these landmarks.

Terra

I missed What's On the Bookshelf (IMM) last week due to the fact that I was rather busy dislocating my left patella and being taken in an ambulance to hospital to get it put back in. In case you are wondering, yes, it hurt like hell and I screamed a lot... Unfortunately, I am now stuck wearing a big brace on my left leg and may have to miss as much as a month of work! I am very much not happy. I actually like being able to go to work and I do not enjoy the idea of having to sit around doing nothing while I recover. I suppose that in the very least I am going to get a lot of reading done.

Anyway, here is the stash from the past fortnight:

Walking the Tree by Kaaron Warren
This book is by an Aussie author who I actually wasn't familiar with but the premise certainly grabbed my curiosity. From the back cover, there is an island on which grows a massive tree. At the age of 18 people leave their homes to travel around the island.


Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I am pretty sure that we have all heard of Shiver. After hearing all of the hype I can only hope that it will live up to my expectations. The blurb sounds promising, though, telling of a story about Sam, the werewolf, and Grace who has grown up watching the wolves in the woods from the safety of her house. Even the blurb seems so... atmospheric!

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
I've been spotting this title around in the shops and have heard mention of it here and there. It caught my eye awhile ago and it sounds like exactly what I am in the mood for right now.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
When I speak to people who loved The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss as much as I did, Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire keeps on creeping in to the conversations. A Game of Thrones is the first book in the fantasy series.

Plague of the Dead by Z. A. Recht
I had never heard about this book before but I am always willing to give a zombie story a try. Plague of the Dead is the first book in the Morningstar Saga. I say, bring on the zombie hoards!

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra