Scandal Week: Revised & Extended.

Well. I decided to extend my scandal week into two weeks. & I made that nifty graphic up there. :p Boredom. Yay. Anyhoo, I'm only one chapter into The Book of Scandal, but there is good reason for that; two other reads I have going. I'm really into The Foreigner (which technically, does have a scandal going on it, in it's own way. Very good reading.) And, The Bounty Hunter's Bride, which I'm sort of disliking actually. It's a good story (50 pages in) but I didn't really realize that it was *inspirational* fiction. Ah well though. I'm still willing to keep reading so I guess it's not really that bad. It really has me curious as to how everything is going to turn out.

So, with those other two reads that have been sort of added to my scandalous reading, I needed to extend it so I could finish all of my books I had chosen for it. So. Yay. :p

There's Something Strange in Erik-Land...

Okay, so this feels like it's going to be (somewhat) a loaded post..here we go, wee!

Well, I gave up on Anna McPartlin's Pack up the Moon. It's not bad, it has me intrigued enough to keep going, but some other time - because I am no longer excited about it. I need to get re-excited about reading it and having it from the library. I also felt very strange not having read a Phantom of the Opera related book yet this year. The past two years in a row, I've started the reading year with a phantom book. This, I think shall be continued year after year, because well, I'm just obsessed with the character and it just feels right. :p Also I think it will be fun to have a *reading tradition* of my own of sorts.

So, now I am reading book two in Sadie Montgomery's Phoenix of the Opera series - The Phantom's Journey: Out of the Darkness. Call me crazy, but I think there is something a little strange going on with Erik and Meg in this book. They just don't seem like themselves..for me it feels like she strayed a bit too much from Leroux's original character. I realize this may be an attempt at making it all her own, but sometimes it can be a little over done. I'm finding myself not liking this new sensitive-man version of Erik. Oddly enough though, I can't stop reading. I also can't stop thinking, "God. This is getting worse by the sentence." But I still can't put it down! So I guess it's a good sign. I still intend to get the next book sometime this year, and then of course, the fourth and final book to see how this all ends. Oh, I can't stand Lucianna. I think she is a filthy-greedy Erik whore. I can't really blame her, but OMG, she completely molested him over and over, which was disgusting, and her excuse for it was definitely not enough. Yucky. If it were done to the old Erik I think he would have killed her, or at least given her a smack to put her back in line, right? Right! But enough about this disturbance.

I found out I won't have to be so very embarrassed at the library whenever I make it back in there, because I can pay my fines online, woohoo! I will definitely never slack this badly in the future. Ugh, one big mountain of never-had-to-be-this-bad it was. Never again will I be this lazy. Ever.

I don't know what will be next in line for reading after Out of the Darkness (56 pages to go), but I have some books on my own shelves that have been calling to me. Probably The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I really want to read that one this year, and soon. Oh! the movie comes on DVD today, so go buy it! I haven't actually seen the film yet though, but it is a wonderfully tragic story. And I don't think I will be able to buy it for a few more weeks (bleah), I didn't get a chance to see it because it wasn't playing anywhere around here at a theater my mom and I were willing to go to. So we missed it then. I can't wait to finally go and buy it though! :)

Anywhoo, that's all I can think of for now, and at the rate I've been devouring my current read, there might (FINALLY!) be a review tomorrow. Yay me. :p

Random Updates.

Well, yesterday...was pretty basic. Wandered around the grocery store and came home with the prettiest cupcakes I've ever seen, among other needed things. Later that night I read more of Inkdeath and pondered on how I let myself get such a huge stack of books from the library. Oh, and I took some pics of myself because I was just plain bored, and I like to do that. :p This is my favorite one. I also edited it with my favorite lyric from All These Things That I've Done, by The Killers, I love them right now.

Speaking of Inkdeath, I am devouring this huge book. I love it, but it makes me sad to know that I'm nearly done with the trilogy. It's one of my favorite ones, ever. I've been reading a little over a hundred pages a night, trying to pace myself. I'm on page 441. I'll probably be finished by tomorrow night. One of my predictions has proven wrong, but another has proven right, and I am thrilled over that! I'm really excited to find out what happens with this story, and how Mo is going to get away, if he does! Eek. I don't like thinking about Mo not getting away. I also want to find out if they stay in the Inkworld. And I hope someone kills Mortola. I just hate her. Oh, you know what I would love to see one day from Cornelia Funke; is a book on the Inkworld that they are in, like Fenoglio's story. I would so love to read that. I hope she writes it someday. I truly do. I think that would be wonderful.

I saw the first (to me) Inkheart trailer on TV last week. I was thrilled, and not so thrilled. Because it looks like they strayed from the book, a lot. And I hate that. Immensely. But who knows, perhaps it will turn out to be good. I hope. Even if it stinks, at least I'll get to sit and stare at Andy Serkis and Brendan Fraser. :p

That's pretty much all I can think of right now, so I shall end it here.

I Can Never Seem to Help Myself...

Every time I go into the library I can't help but stop and look around at the shelves if I'm not in a hurry. I really shouldn't have this time, I wish I were in a hurry today but I wasn't. While I was there picking up two DVD's, knowing I already had three other books at home I should finish reading first, I found myself in front of the "new books" case. Ugh. I picked up another book. I had the thought "Well, it won't hurt to look." And wow, a title catches my attention, and here I am at home with a new library book to start on. :p lol. I picked up The Foreigner, by Francie Lin. It looks so good. & I love the cover.

I'm almost done with Moonlight Downs, which has me excited about getting closer to finding out who the hell the killer is, so it shouldn't be long before I begin this book. I'm planning on watching as little TV as possible next week so that should help. :)

That's pretty much it, besides to say that I am really excited about my late movie night tonight, because I've been waiting a while to get these from the library, and I hope they didn't get too scratched up with other people. I always wonder how that happens, all a disc should do is be transported between the case and the DVD player. How hard can that be? Going by some of the discs the library has I'd say it's pretty hard for some people. But yes I do realize accidents and little kids happen with their curious hands...ah well though! Oh, the movies are: The Incredible Hulk (one of my favorite Marvel characters!), and The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford. There's a pretty good chance that The Hulk will be watched first. :p

Wow.

I think I may be the only person on the face of the earth that is not into Twilight. I don't hate it, but I just can't seem to get into it. I think, for me at least, that it might be a case in the book making a better movie. I can see it as a great movie. Like, P.S., I Love You for instance, I greatly disliked the book, it was just so boring! But I loved the movie, hell I bought it the first day it was released on DVD because I wanted to watch it again so badly. (And not just because of Gerard Butler, I swear. :p)

I'm not quite sure what it is about the book I don't like, I do like Edward though, he is very intriguing. Perhaps I ruined it with all the "hype" I stumbled upon on the web, I don't know. I find the writing a little boring, the story doesn't feel all that exciting, perhaps because I already knew Edward's secret before I started reading it. I just have no crazy desire to read it. While wandering through blogs I have read about people reading a book of the series a day. I find that maddening, because here I am only on page 236 after having it for like a week, or a little over a week.

I'm not giving up on it though, I decided to try my best to read the whole book, and it's not boring me out of my mind so I think I can finish it.

Creepy Security Gaurd.

Yesterday, I went to pick-up Inkdeath & the movie "Drillbit-Taylor," and I was freakin' excited about it, I couldn't wait to finish one of the other books I am currently reading, so I broke down and I read a couple of chapters of Inkdeath (so far, I loves.) last night because it was calling to me too much for me to enjoy Twilight - which I have to admit, I think is just okay so far. I hope it will pick up, and I 've heard good things about it everywhere, so I'm hanging in there with it.

Anyhoo, I always try to be polite when I go anywhere these days, because well, I have a problem with negativity, such as it freakin' spreads through me quickly, and I don't like that. Especially when random people feel they have to tell me to smile and then I am forced to grind my teeth at their unwanted and sometimes offensive suggestion. But I digress, going to the library always puts me in a good mood, so it's easier to smile and say "hello" and "thanks." They recently have a new (odd-looking) security guard, he seems nice enough though and the first time I saw him I gave a polite smile and walked into the library. But yesterday, it was different. And not a comfortable different for me at least. I'm probably blowing this way out of proportion and horribly mis-reading the "situation" but I just can't help feeling weird about it. He was standing outside the door as usual, but I didn't even look at him as I walked past (must I every single time?). Besides, when I noticed him as I was walking up the walkway he was looking elsewhere. Anyhoo, when I was checked out and walking to the door I noticed he had come inside, and as I was walking past him, he whispered "goodbye" to me. Why do I think this is creepy? He whispered it. What. The. Hell. Why did he have to whisper it? The only non-creepy reason I can think of is that, perhaps he is shy. No one else whispers in that library. It really annoyed me at first, but it actually feels friendlier in there when it's not so quiet. Anyway, am I blowing it up? I couldn't help but walk out as quickly as possible, not that I paused at all when he said it, I don't even remember if I managed a smidgen of a smile and I couldn't get out of the door fast enough for some insane reason...am I making too much of this?

Anyhoo, tonight I plan to hole myself up in my room and watch my movie and read my books. I'd be reading right now, but there's too much laundry for me to ignore and I want to take this time to build my Shelfari, because my brother is such a computer hog (World of Warcraft fan, he is), I must take the Internet time when I can get it. :)

Definitely Psycho-Gross.

Just a little note on American Psycho. Before I add the pictures I took with it.

Uhmm...it's gross. Patrick Bateman has to be one of the most disgusting characters I've ever read, and yet he intrigues me to no end. He's just so...full of himself. All the "fashion" and high-end gadgetry descriptions are driving me nuts, but I can understand why they are there, (even though I hate them and they give me a headache reading through the very frequent descriptive descriptions..) I know they are important to Patrick Bateman because he is a yuppie jerk-wad and that seems to be a sort-of big part of his life. Anyhoo, I can already see everything else vulgar and bloody having an at least somewhat graphic description. I'm not looking forward to this, but I am looking forward to finding out what happens to the strangely interesting Patrick Bateman, no matter how vulgar I find his path to be.

The pictures, out of boredom and hesitancy to open the book and keep reading, because I know what is eventaully coming, the killing. Yay. >o<

P.S. - The tattoo is annoyingly hard to get in a decent shot. :p

Pirates and Kommandants. *

I tried reading the book on Blackbeard last night after I finished with Inkheart, but it turned disappointing. So back to the library it shall go. (Probably tomorrow.) I knew by the cover that it was based on a television special that I had seen in the past, but it was nothing like it. I hoped it would have maybe a few extra details or show how they researched and created that special, but they did not. It just had pirate information I had already read in previous books, and just wasn't interesting at all. The writing wasn't even "dressed up" any. I wasn't really expecting roller-coaster emotion writing, but I couldn't even imagine holding the objects they talked about or see the ships for what they really must have been. There was one good thing about it though: the pictures. I went through the book and looked at all of them before I put it away. Very pleasant to see.

I decided to move onto The Kommandant's Girl, by Pam Jenoff. I am so glad I did. It's already proving to be a great read and touching and exciting at moments, which is great. I cannot wait to see how it all unfolds. Especially what happens between Emma and the Kommandant. I hope it holds it's kind of "what happens next" consistency. It looks promising already, and I hope it doesn't disappoint.

*
Now. Wow for me. I cannot believe I am now halfway through my challenge. 25 books read already. At this time last year I definitely had not read 25 books already. Last year I only read 27 books. That is the highest number I have ever read. This year I decided to go for 50. I don't know what made me think I could read 50, but I am trying for it. I don't think I ever had enough faith in my reading habits to really know that I can read 50 in one year, but I know I can do better than just 27 in one year. So far I think I'm doing okay. There is still a flicker of hope for 50, but right now I'd be satisfied with only 35-40. I already know, that if I just reach 35, I'll still feel pretty good about this challenge, knowing I did my best for it. :) Besides, If I don't reach 50 this year, I can try again next year, because I am really enjoying this challenge. :)

Come Softly To My Wake.

I finished reading Christy Brown's Come Softly To My Wake a few nights ago, so here I am writing my (late) short review of it. Not very many *new* poems in it, lots of repeating ones, which was actually on the annoying side, but ah well. It's still a lovely book of his poetry.

oh, this was one of my first Link+ books from the library. it came from Santa Clara University. :) Interesting to see where they come from.

I think this is the sweetest inscription I've ever read. :)
(inside of "Of Snails and Skylarks." - which I am reading now.)

and a stack of (mostly) all his books I've gotten from the library recently.

Background Music.

I finished reading Christy Brown's Background Music: Poems, last night and I was just as swept away and touched by this book of poetry as I was with the first book of them that I have read. (The Poems of Christy Brown.) There are some repeating poems though, but that is okay with me, because I love pretty much all of them so far.

Now I have moved on to his Come Softly To My Wake, which of course I am also enjoying. I have one more of his poetry books left to go after this one, and I am very excited about that one, because most of the poems look "new" - no repeats. So yay.

The Russian Concubine.

can I just say I love the decor of this book? because I really do. truly. the cover art is so pretty, and to me good artwork throughout a book makes it better as a whole.

I'm not as far into this book as I would like to be by now, but it is a great story. (I've been unusually too tired to read much..) it's a little far-fetched in some spots, but that is something I like about it. what really makes it fiction. the characters are like-able enough, and I am already loving the way the author has written this book. there are many things I cannot wait to see unfold and characters I'd like to know more of. :) so, it's so far so good.

just a tiny note.

I am reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and I am very much enjoying it. I don't know what took me so long to get to this book, but I am glad I finally decided to pick it off of my shelf and read it. I fell in love with the movie (with Keira Knightley) a couple of years ago, and I finally picked up the book last year. So glad I did. :)

Phoenix Thoughts.

I've been reading The Phoenix of the Opera for a couple of days now, and I'm not quite sure what I think of it yet. But, it is quite interesting to read. I think this author has an interesting style going for her writing.

This is a book where you have to pay attention to the narrative as you go along, but it isn't too annoying. It changes somewhat often but still moves along in it's own way, which I think I rather like. She has these paragraphs, that are just like a train of thought with virtually no punctuation, which intrigues me most about the writing style. I've never encountered anything like it before. It's a little hard to depict a break where a period or comma might be, but I don't mind that too much. It just makes me absorb more of what is being thought by the character and who the character really is.

I really can't wait to get further into this story, and see how everything turns out in the series as a whole. :)

Phantom.

okay, so I finally settled on a book. yay me.

I was going to read Tara Road, but I really didn't feel like it. seriously. so, since I am going to see ALW's Phantom of the Opera stage production in May, I decided to read Phantom, by Susan Kay. this will be my second time reading it. :) I loved it the first time. I forgot how sad of a beginning she gave him though. I hate his mother. ugh. she is just such a fool to me.

anyhoo, I'm glad I decided to skip Tara Road again and read Phantom. :p

reading update...

time for a little reading update.. :)

I have put Tara Road aside to read some library books. I got one that has been "in transfer" for a while now so I was excited about that. I also came away from the library with two romance novels. I just couldn't help myself. :p

one is The Pirate Next Door by Jennifer Ashley, which I just could not wait to get to, so I am actually reading that one right now, first. (it's great so far, btw.) and the second is Lair of the Lion by Christine Feehan. I've never read anything by her or even heard of her for that matter, but the title and cover interested me along with the back cover description. I hope this will be a good choice, especially since I rarely read authors that aren't on my favorite list. so hopefully I have found either a new favorite, or at least a decent read.

so that's about all for now on what I'm currently reading. :)

hmm...

Tara Road is turning out to be a sort of *fast paced* book. I'm not sure if I like it...I just hope this doesn't turn out to be a bad book in the end. I'm still in chapter one, but the chapters are long, and I have a cold so that's what's taking me so long. I'm still giving a chance to it. At least the characters are like-able enough so far. :)

the first case.

I finished reading the first half of A Study in Scarlet last night. Definitely very much enjoyed it. Though, not as much as when I read The (first) Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. From that I very much loved The Adventure of The Speckled Band, and The Copper Beeches. Anyway though, back to A Study in Scarlet..it was interesting to find out how Watson and Holmes met each one another and came to reside together. I really like Watson's curiosity to Holmes - as I share it myself. I find the Holmes character to be a great wonder in my literary findings. I love this character, and I loved this first case of his.

Tonight I'll move on to the second story in this book (The Country of the Saints), which I can barely wait to do. It's been a while since I've read Holmes, not since before I moved earlier this year. I'm hooked all over again. :)

Deception...

I have been reading Deception: A Phantom of the Opera Novel, for a few days now. I completely love it. This is my second reading of the book and I am still highly enjoying it. I read it in january of last year as well. Very good choice to read it again. And, very good choice to start with for my 50 book challenge.

sad.

I read some more of Anne of the Island last night after taking a break from it for a couple days since I've been too tired somehow, to read it. I can't believe that Ruby Gillis dies in the book...this is why I usually hate movie conversions (though with Anne, I still must make an exception, because I still find the movie touching in it's own way..) but it just always leaves out something. in this case it happens to be a ton of somethings, but I digress..it was just a sad literary moment.

...'tis all.

Anne of the Island.

So, I decided to cheat a little smidge and just count A Christmas Carol as one book and move on from Charles Dickens. I tried to convince myself I could like him, but I just can't. I don't like his writing style and that's that for his books. I still have A Tale of Two Cities though. I think I may still give that a chance, but the outlook is very dim in my reading future that I'll ever finish it.

So, I've moved on to L.M. Montgomery's Anne of the Island. I just adore her Anne character so much. She is everything I ever want to be. Look at these first two paragraph's:

"Harvest is ended and summer is gone," quoted Anne Shirley, gazing across
the shorn fields dreamily. She and Diana Barry had been picking apples in the
Green Gables orchard, but were now resting from their labors in a sunny corner,
where airy fleets of thistledown drifted by on the wings of a wind that was
still summer-sweet with the incense of ferns in the Haunted Wood.

But everything in the landscape around them spoke of autumn. The sea
was roaring hollowly in the distance, the fields were bare and sere, scarfed
with golden rod, the brook valley below Green Gables over-flowed with asters of
ethreal purple, and the Lake of Shining Waters was blue-blue-blue; not the
changeful blue of spring, nor the pale azure of summer, but a clear, steadfast,
serene blue, as if the water were past all moods and tenses of emotion and had
settled down to a tranquility unbroken by fickle dreams."

How could I not be swept away by that? I just find her writing so lovely-beautiful. Ever since I was a child I've longed to go to Avonlea and Green Gables and just wander and see how far my imagination could really go in such a lovely place as described there.

So, this is my last book of the year, and I am so glad I picked this one. I cannot wait to start my 50 Book Challenge next year, but first, to reach my goal of another 27 books read again for this year. I feel quite pleased with myself already.