Have you ever read a book, got to the end and you were just completely, utterly shocked? Me too. This has happened to me a few times and honestly, a couple of books I couldn't even finish because of this. I was so mad, or sad that a certain character died that I just couldn't bring myself to finish the book. As we're reading, we have this perfect ending in mind that we think "of course this is what's going to happen, they couldn't end it any other way." But, there is always - and I mean always - foreshadowing to what the ending will hold. You might not pick up on this while you're reading the first time, but read it a second time and you'll see it coming - not because you already know what's going to happen but because you will notice the subtle clues as to what the ending will hold.
While a surprising ending may not be one in your favor - you're either mad about what happened or mad that you didn't see it coming - the author did their job: they kept you guessing. They didn't make their intentions so obvious that you knew the ending before the book revealed it. Some books are like that - you can guess the outcome before you're even halfway through. I don't those are necessarily bad - they're just predictable. I like some books that surprise me. But, I must say there was one where I was so mad the author killed the character that I gave up reading his books for about 6 months (and then a new one came out). I think there's a certain line when it comes to surprise endings that authors might not want to cross. Killing off a well-liked main character has a definite negative effect of my view of the author. When this happened to me, I gave very bad reviews of his books to my friends who were looking for something to read. I was so mad, I didn't want anyone to ever read his books again. I know this is dramatic, and at the time I thought I was justified. This author is Nicholas Sparks, whom many of my posts are about. I love his books, but there's one that I just never could quite finish. Still haven't. He crossed that invisible line with me in that book, and I don't think I'll be going back to review the foreshadowing. But definitely, his other books have my support. He's my favorite author by far, and I'm pretty sure will continue to be so.
I hope you all enjoyed my blog. (I thought a final blog about endings would be quite fitting for this occasion).
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Genres
As most of you who read this blog know, I love to read. But I've always been confronted with this question that I'm not exactly sure how to answer: What kind of books do you like? I usually answer with "Anything" and people think I'm either dodging the question or that I just don't know what genre I like. But it's the truth: I love it all. Each and every genre brings something different to the table, and depending on my mood that day, I may pick up a mystery, a romance, a suspense, or a non-fiction book. Yes, there are other genres as well, but these are just a few that I usually read and have lying around my house. I don't think you have to pick a certain genre of books and stick to it strictly. Try something new! You might just like that one too. I find that each genre has their own redeeming quality. A mystery makes you think and guess what might be happening. A romance makes you dream about the possibilities of love. A suspense may have you anxious and wondering. And a non-fiction may have you thinking about this person who lived this life and wondering where they are now or what really happened at the true end of their story.
Honestly, I never really liked the non-fiction books before my dad wrote one. It was a tribute to my grandfather (his dad) and it is amazing. I never knew all of the stories that my grandfather had to tell. My dad would go over to his house a few nights a week, and he would just tell stories and my dad would right them down. It's now been a year since my grandfather passed away, and with this non-fiction book telling the story of his life - from birth till the age of 89 - I will always have his stories. Not only is this book special to me, it gave me a reason to start reading some other non-fiction books. They're amazing simply for the fact that this "story" you're reading really happened to someone. I don't think many people get into non-fiction books a lot - at least, I hardly ever hear of it. But I now have a new-found respect for them, and I like to think they're one of my "favorites".
Give a different genre a try - you never know what you'll find.
Honestly, I never really liked the non-fiction books before my dad wrote one. It was a tribute to my grandfather (his dad) and it is amazing. I never knew all of the stories that my grandfather had to tell. My dad would go over to his house a few nights a week, and he would just tell stories and my dad would right them down. It's now been a year since my grandfather passed away, and with this non-fiction book telling the story of his life - from birth till the age of 89 - I will always have his stories. Not only is this book special to me, it gave me a reason to start reading some other non-fiction books. They're amazing simply for the fact that this "story" you're reading really happened to someone. I don't think many people get into non-fiction books a lot - at least, I hardly ever hear of it. But I now have a new-found respect for them, and I like to think they're one of my "favorites".
Give a different genre a try - you never know what you'll find.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Vamp by our own Hillary Wolfe
When I first started writing this blog, Hillary Wolfe mentioned she had started writing a book and when I asked what it was about she kindly sent me what she has. I've been trying to find the time to read this, I want to commit to it fully as I do.
I'll write about the first 2 chapters, as this is really all I've had the time to enjoy. I must say - INTRIGUING! I'm not very far into it, but as this is the only thing I'm reading right now (besides textbooks, of course) I wanted to start off my blogging about this book.
When I opened this document, I was confronted with something I wasn't at all used to - a design on the pages. I'll be honest, at first I didn't see how I was going to be able to focus on the content of the book with this distracting me. However, I was pleasantly surprised when it kept pulling me farther through the first couple chapters. While it is difficult to read some words, the design adds more than it takes away.
One thing I really like thus far are the unusual names. It's nice not having the norm for names and it makes you stop and think how those names came to be. I tend to remember books with odd names so I think this is definitely a plus.
Another thing I really like is how Ms. Wolfe sets up each scene. She does not leave any aspect out and you can clearly picture what's happening as you're reading. Some writers tend to leave this crucial aspect out and it leaves you wondering where the scene is taking place. This is not the case with Vamp.
The writing is easy to read and is clearly written, allowing you to flow easily from paragraph to paragraph. I can honestly say, this week on Spring Break, I will be breaking more into this book. Consider me hooked - I have to know what happens!
I realize I did not mention anything about the content of this book, however, as I'm not anywhere near close to finishing, I didn't want to guess what happens instead of knowing what happens. Hopefully, the next blog will be about the content instead of the mechanical aspect of this book.
We've definitely got a writer in this class!
I'll write about the first 2 chapters, as this is really all I've had the time to enjoy. I must say - INTRIGUING! I'm not very far into it, but as this is the only thing I'm reading right now (besides textbooks, of course) I wanted to start off my blogging about this book.
When I opened this document, I was confronted with something I wasn't at all used to - a design on the pages. I'll be honest, at first I didn't see how I was going to be able to focus on the content of the book with this distracting me. However, I was pleasantly surprised when it kept pulling me farther through the first couple chapters. While it is difficult to read some words, the design adds more than it takes away.
One thing I really like thus far are the unusual names. It's nice not having the norm for names and it makes you stop and think how those names came to be. I tend to remember books with odd names so I think this is definitely a plus.
Another thing I really like is how Ms. Wolfe sets up each scene. She does not leave any aspect out and you can clearly picture what's happening as you're reading. Some writers tend to leave this crucial aspect out and it leaves you wondering where the scene is taking place. This is not the case with Vamp.
The writing is easy to read and is clearly written, allowing you to flow easily from paragraph to paragraph. I can honestly say, this week on Spring Break, I will be breaking more into this book. Consider me hooked - I have to know what happens!
I realize I did not mention anything about the content of this book, however, as I'm not anywhere near close to finishing, I didn't want to guess what happens instead of knowing what happens. Hopefully, the next blog will be about the content instead of the mechanical aspect of this book.
We've definitely got a writer in this class!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Shutter Island
This book is different from my normal posts. It's a sort of mystery - what's really happening on Shutter Island?
Teddy Daniels is a Federal Marshal, who's venturing to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the patients. He's interested in looking at some of the records, however, the hospital won't let him view those records. In fact, they won't let him do much of anything.
He keeps seeing these people who are telling him some secrets about Shutter Island. Secrets that he doesn't really believe at first. After the refusal of records, though, he begins to see some of the truth behind these accusations.
He begins to investigate something other than the disappearance when the patient suddenly returns. A storm is keeping them from leaving the island, so he searches for answers to his next question: what are they doing in the lighthouse? And why are all of these patients so afraid of it?
Shutter Island is a great book, and movie for that matter. A word of caution to those who want to attempt this one: Pay attention! If you don't pay close attention, you will be lost and will not understand a bit of it.
Give it a try though, I highly recommend this one.
*I don't want to give too much away on this one because once you find out what the secrets are, there's really not much point to read it and it's harder to get into.
Teddy Daniels is a Federal Marshal, who's venturing to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the patients. He's interested in looking at some of the records, however, the hospital won't let him view those records. In fact, they won't let him do much of anything.
He keeps seeing these people who are telling him some secrets about Shutter Island. Secrets that he doesn't really believe at first. After the refusal of records, though, he begins to see some of the truth behind these accusations.
He begins to investigate something other than the disappearance when the patient suddenly returns. A storm is keeping them from leaving the island, so he searches for answers to his next question: what are they doing in the lighthouse? And why are all of these patients so afraid of it?
Shutter Island is a great book, and movie for that matter. A word of caution to those who want to attempt this one: Pay attention! If you don't pay close attention, you will be lost and will not understand a bit of it.
Give it a try though, I highly recommend this one.
*I don't want to give too much away on this one because once you find out what the secrets are, there's really not much point to read it and it's harder to get into.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Kindle Vs. Paper Books
I've had my kindle for about a year now. While it comes in handy for reading long books, I definitely prefer a book I'm holding to my kindle. A book is more than just the words on a page; it's all of the elements of the book with the added bonus of a wonderful story.
Firstly, hard-cover books are my favorite. This is because they have that outer shell that has the illustrations and you can take it off so while you're reading, you don't damage it. I love that part. You can also save your page easily by slipping that fold on the cover into your page. Paper-back books are also good, but I find they damage easier than the hard-cover books.
Secondly, if you've ever smelled those freshly printed pages you'll never want a kindle. The smell of the paper and ink is a great aspect to the whole book itself. It provides a sort of essence of your book. I really love the smell of a new book. As it sits on your shelf, it loses a bit of that new-book smell. However, when you go to read it again, even if that smell isn't so prominent, you'll remember it.
Now, those are the things that I really love about paper books. Here are some things I love about my kindle.
First, your books never get damaged. They never get lost. And they're always right there when you want them. I don't know how many times I've gone to read a book and have found I've misplaced it, or it wasn't where I swore I put it last. This is so frustrating and you don't have this problem with your kindle.
Second, you don't have the heavy weight of a large book. With the bigger books, I find it's hard to read them at the very beginning and at the end. They're awkward to hold, and with a kindle it's the same size and ease of reading the whole way through. I can also lay in bed and read the larger books because it's very lightweight on my kindle.
Third, you can have any book that amazon offers at the touch of your fingers. You never have to wait, you can download these books any time you want. And at great prices! It costs, I think, on average 60% less the purchase some of these e-books than to buy them in print. This is a great alternative if you're unsure if you'll like a certain book.
While it seems there are more positives with a kindle than with a paper book, it all depends on what you're looking for. If you want the experience, then I suggest the paper book. If you just want the story, purchase it on your kindle because it's much cheaper. I personally like the experience of the physical book the best and so most of my purchases are for paper books. However, I do purchase books I'm not sure I'll like on my kindle. It's nice to have the option of both and I enjoy both in their separate ways.
Firstly, hard-cover books are my favorite. This is because they have that outer shell that has the illustrations and you can take it off so while you're reading, you don't damage it. I love that part. You can also save your page easily by slipping that fold on the cover into your page. Paper-back books are also good, but I find they damage easier than the hard-cover books.
Secondly, if you've ever smelled those freshly printed pages you'll never want a kindle. The smell of the paper and ink is a great aspect to the whole book itself. It provides a sort of essence of your book. I really love the smell of a new book. As it sits on your shelf, it loses a bit of that new-book smell. However, when you go to read it again, even if that smell isn't so prominent, you'll remember it.
Now, those are the things that I really love about paper books. Here are some things I love about my kindle.
First, your books never get damaged. They never get lost. And they're always right there when you want them. I don't know how many times I've gone to read a book and have found I've misplaced it, or it wasn't where I swore I put it last. This is so frustrating and you don't have this problem with your kindle.
Second, you don't have the heavy weight of a large book. With the bigger books, I find it's hard to read them at the very beginning and at the end. They're awkward to hold, and with a kindle it's the same size and ease of reading the whole way through. I can also lay in bed and read the larger books because it's very lightweight on my kindle.
Third, you can have any book that amazon offers at the touch of your fingers. You never have to wait, you can download these books any time you want. And at great prices! It costs, I think, on average 60% less the purchase some of these e-books than to buy them in print. This is a great alternative if you're unsure if you'll like a certain book.
While it seems there are more positives with a kindle than with a paper book, it all depends on what you're looking for. If you want the experience, then I suggest the paper book. If you just want the story, purchase it on your kindle because it's much cheaper. I personally like the experience of the physical book the best and so most of my purchases are for paper books. However, I do purchase books I'm not sure I'll like on my kindle. It's nice to have the option of both and I enjoy both in their separate ways.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Twilight Saga
I was reluctant to begin reading this series. I don't usually go for gory/action-packed books and I felt like this is what Twilight was about (Not sure why). A lot of guys are always saying how Twilight "sucks" and how the books are so badly written - I found this to be opposite of the truth. While the movies aren't the best - I'll give them that - the books are very interesting and I think they are written very well. The story is easy to follow and after the first book, you have to choose a side. Whether you like Jacob better or Edward, it's easy to fall in love with these books. Maybe the people who bash these books are the people who don't read the story before watching the movie. Maybe they've never even read the books! From what I've read, there's no reason to hate on the Twilight Sage for the books. The movies are bad. They don't have very good acting and while I did enjoy watching them it was only because I got to see the characters I knew in the books come alive. I didn't enjoy watching some of the scenes where the character Bella was just awkward when she spoke. So, I caution you all: Don't see the movies before reading the books. And if you've already watched them - Give the books a chance. I promise they won't let you down.
For this post, I'll talk about the book Twilight. If you've not read it, and don't want anything given away I suggest you stop reading.
Twilight begins with a girl named Bella who moves to Washington to stay with her father. While attending school her first day, she sees this boy named Edward. Her new friends caution her by saying that he doesn't go for the girls here. But she's drawn to him. There's something about his eyes.
Edward tries his hardest not to become friends or anything at all with Bella. He's so drawn to her - her scent.
Bella starts to notice something isn't quite right about Edward and begins to ask him countless questions. Why are his eyes changing colors? Why is he always gone from school? Why is he somehow is exactly the right place at the right time?
After much prodding from Bella, Edward reveals he is in fact a vampire. But he's "vegetarian". He doesn't drink human blood but the blood from animals. However, there is a twist here. For each vampire there is this one human who's blood is irresistible. This only happens maybe two or three times in a vampires existence. And guess who's blood is irresistible to Edward. Yes, Bella's.
The real question in this first story is whether or not Edward can overcome this desire and try to maybe have some kind of relationship with Bella. Bella wants nothing more than to be with Edward - even if that means changing her into a vampire as well.
I'll leave you guys hanging in hopes you'll be interested enough to open this book. Give it a shot - what can it hurt?
For this post, I'll talk about the book Twilight. If you've not read it, and don't want anything given away I suggest you stop reading.
Twilight begins with a girl named Bella who moves to Washington to stay with her father. While attending school her first day, she sees this boy named Edward. Her new friends caution her by saying that he doesn't go for the girls here. But she's drawn to him. There's something about his eyes.
Edward tries his hardest not to become friends or anything at all with Bella. He's so drawn to her - her scent.
Bella starts to notice something isn't quite right about Edward and begins to ask him countless questions. Why are his eyes changing colors? Why is he always gone from school? Why is he somehow is exactly the right place at the right time?
After much prodding from Bella, Edward reveals he is in fact a vampire. But he's "vegetarian". He doesn't drink human blood but the blood from animals. However, there is a twist here. For each vampire there is this one human who's blood is irresistible. This only happens maybe two or three times in a vampires existence. And guess who's blood is irresistible to Edward. Yes, Bella's.
The real question in this first story is whether or not Edward can overcome this desire and try to maybe have some kind of relationship with Bella. Bella wants nothing more than to be with Edward - even if that means changing her into a vampire as well.
I'll leave you guys hanging in hopes you'll be interested enough to open this book. Give it a shot - what can it hurt?
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Chronicles of Narnia
I first began reading the Chronicles of Narnia and was so interested in the first book to this tale, The Magician's Nephew. If you've seen the movie, this first books tells you the very start of the Wardrobe that transports the children to Narnia. I loved it! I saw the movie before ever even attempting to read the books. So this was welcome knowledge as to the very beginning. After making my way through the first book, I ventured onto the second, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This was so easy to read because of my previous encounter with the movie. I think it would be an easy read even if you've never seen the movie because it is just a wonderful tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. (If you've not read these two books, I highly recommend it).
Next, I moved onto the third book in this tale, The Horse and His Boy. This is where I've run into difficulty. This story is so far-fetched to me that I have not been able to follow it. I'm so confused about practically every aspect of this story. I've attempted to read it multiple times and I still really don't know what this third book is about. Because of this struggle, halfway through the third book in this tale is all I've managed. While I loved the first two, I just can't get into this one. I've been thinking about just skipping it and moving onto the fourth book, The Silver Chair. I haven't even started this one (because I never read books out of order) and maybe just skipping ahead - this ONE time - would help me to make some kind of connection. I don't think lack of interest in one book, should make someone forget about the rest of the series. Who knows, maybe I'll find something out down the road in these books that makes me more interested in The Horse and His Boy.
Next, I moved onto the third book in this tale, The Horse and His Boy. This is where I've run into difficulty. This story is so far-fetched to me that I have not been able to follow it. I'm so confused about practically every aspect of this story. I've attempted to read it multiple times and I still really don't know what this third book is about. Because of this struggle, halfway through the third book in this tale is all I've managed. While I loved the first two, I just can't get into this one. I've been thinking about just skipping it and moving onto the fourth book, The Silver Chair. I haven't even started this one (because I never read books out of order) and maybe just skipping ahead - this ONE time - would help me to make some kind of connection. I don't think lack of interest in one book, should make someone forget about the rest of the series. Who knows, maybe I'll find something out down the road in these books that makes me more interested in The Horse and His Boy.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)