February Books

I have to say, February was the month for fantastic books!

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Vanishing and Other Stories by Deborah Willis

Vanishing is a very good book, not in that “I can’t put it down” way, but rather as an emotional exploration of loss over the course of 14 short stories.  Kind of depressing, really, but Deborah Willis is an amazing up and coming new author.  I will definitely look for her books in the future.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I’d seen Beautiful Creatures billed as the next Twilight, so perhaps I had higher than average expectations when I picked it up to read. That said, it didn’t meet the hype, if you ask me. I did, however, enjoy it and will definitely pick up the next book in the series, Beautiful Darkness. It just didn’t grab me in that “can’t put it down until I finish it” sort of way. That said, I found the male main character/narrator refreshing and the southern history back story intriguing.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I really enjoyed Hush, Hush and pretty much read it start to finish in one sitting. A couple of the reviews I saw before I read this book pointed out that the character’s interaction goes from one extreme to the other over the course of a very short period of time, making things a bit unrealistic. I have to agree with this and, while it didn’t ruin the story overall for me, it still made the story less believable.

Matched by Ally Condie

 Awesome, thought-provoking, romantic…I loved it!  Anyone who loved the Hunger Games trilogy (which I highly recommend!!) will enjoy Matched, which is also supposed to be part of a trilogy.  I can’t wait ’til 11.1.11 when the second book, Crossed, will be released.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I’m always thrilled to death when I discover a fantastic book and it happens to be part of a series, giving me more fantastic-ness to look forward to.  Clare’s City of Bones definitely fit into this category.  I can’t wait to go back to visit Clary’s world again in City of Ashes, the next book in the Mortal Instruments series.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare is my new favorite YA Fantasy series. I love, love, love them!  Clary is terrific, Jace is badass, their adventures are fascinating, and the love triangle is utterly agonizing.

Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

In the world of YA fantasy fiction, P.C. and Kristin Cast (a mother-daughter team) are like royalty.  They can do no wrong, they have a huge following, and–surmising from the many forwards I’ve read that include their names–they often act as mentors for other, less experienced YA fantasy writers.  Writers whose books I’ve loved, I should add.  So, I figured Marked (and the whole House of Night series) as a shoo-in for YA fantasy lovable-ness.  Unfortunately, I just didn’t get the magical attraction.  I finished Marked, but I won’t be reading the rest of the series. It’s just not my cup of tea, and I felt like the targeted reading level was about 3rd grade.  Sorry guys, I really wanted to like it, honest!

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Great book! It made me feel all warm & fuzzy that Athens, Ohio–the town I grew up near–is featured in a chapter or two, but I would have enjoyed the first of the Lorien Legecies anyway. The next in the series comes out this August and I can’t wait!  Meanwhile, at least I can go see the movie.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Obviously a classic, but NOT an easy read (at least for me).  How difficult was it for me to finish?  I’m almost embarrassed to say!  I checked Lord of the Flies out of the library months ago…and only got about three or four chapters into it.  Then I decided it might be easier for me to listen to it on CD, so I returned the book and borrowed the book on CD.  Unfortunately, that put me right to sleep (literally) every time I tried to listen to it.  (Not a great idea when you’re driving.)  I crawled a few more chapters into the book, until I was about half-way finished.  Still determined to finish, I returned the CD and re-borrowed the book, which I finally knocked out last weekend.  I will say, the last half of the book was much more attention-grabbing than the first half.

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“Friends”

My mother-in-law sends me several forward emails a week.  Yes, they’re often cheesy.  But it’s nice because it’s a way for us to feel like we’re staying in touch…and I don’t feel like I have to read my email right away if I’m busy.  The latest one was just so cute, I have to share it:

A sharp tongue cuts me first. 

If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn’t oversleep.

Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends… B1.  

The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.

The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge. 

One thing I can give and still keep is my word. 

I lie the loudest when I lie to myself.

If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished. 

One thing I can’t recycle is wasted time. 

Ideas won’t work unless ‘I ‘ do. 

My mind is like a parachute… it functions only when open.  

The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice. 

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime!

It is never too late to become what I might have been. 

Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back. Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we’ve let them fly away. Sometimes we are so caught up in who’s right and who’s wrong that we forget what’s right and wrong. Sometimes we just don’t realize what real friendship means until it is too late. I don’t want to let that happen, so I’m gonna tie you to my heart so I never lose you.

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Over the past several years I’ve slowly been losing a very special childhood friend. 

Unfortunately,  I took our friendship for granted and thought our relationship was completely hunky dory.  I’m all too much like a guy, I guess, in that I’m not a constant chatter-er.  I’d call her up to chat, oh, once a month or so, and we’d catch up as if the last time we’d talked was the day before.  Or so I thought.  I forgot how much effort a friendship needs in order to stay strong.  And sometimes honesty isn’t the best approach–I have the tendency to be overly honest. 

So for the first six months or so I was silently losing my friend without realizing it.  When I got engaged, asked her to be my maid of honor, and she declined–at the same time spilling her guts that I had been neglecting our friendship for quite some time–now that was my wake up call.  And by that time, it was too late.  By the time I knew enough to say anything, it was too late and–in her mind–there was no longer anything worth being said.  Since then, I’ve had to watch my friend fly away, realizing that it’s not as simple as tying someone to you to keep them forever.  Once you’ve hurt them, it’s too late.   

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