The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (#35, Fiction)

I bought this book for my niece for Christmas. As she was engrossed in a mystery series my Mom bought her I couldn't help but pick it up and begin reading it.

It is a very cute book and it does a great job of teaching vocabulary (without being obvious).

Now, for real, on to some adult books :)

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (#34, Fiction)

A lovely little series here that I was completely wrapped up in for about a week!

The end was a little bizarre, but I think she made it all end pretty well. I can't believe that I missed the whole imprinting twist! That is just totally staring the reader in the face! And I missed it!

I think it's better for me to not have a whole completed series when I find the first book. Although reading is great and all, my mental health can't really handle my reading addiction. I started the first book on a Thursday and finished the last one on the following Wednesday. Keep in mind I also worked each of those weekdays...

Time to move on some big kid books for awhile...well... after my next post actually...

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (#33, Fiction)

I think the fact that I have gotten this far into the series, in this amount of time, pretty much says it all.

I'm already far into the final book and wow has it gotten crazy. I'm not sure if I LOVE where the plot has gone, but we will see.

Still loving my guilty pleasure :)

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (#32, Fiction)

What more is there to say?

We were introduced to some more interesting characters in this installment. Things started to get a little complicated.

Who will Bella end up with??

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (#31, Fiction)

Hey STEPH, why didn't you say, "hey becky, you should really read this series, you will become obsessed with it!"?????

It's okay though, I forgive you. I can understand the hesitation at giving me recommendations ;)

But seriously, I am a huge fan of this series right now. I had a lot of people tell me I had to read it ASAP.... so, apparently I took those words to heart. I'm kind of wondering what the purpose in my life will be once I finish the series. Sad.

I'm not sure what exactly it is about reading about teenage vampires and werewolves that is so good. I have to imagine it has a lot to do with how the author writes and has created the characters. They fact that they are teenagers does not often come into my mind... and well, come on, Edward may only be 17, but he's been around for quite some time!

Talk about a guilty pleasure done right!

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (#29, Fiction)

After a veerrrry long pause, I have finished off the Dark Materials trilogy.

With the holidays quickly approaching I have been thinking about what gifts I should get for my nieces and nephews. Although Celia is only in first grade, she is already reading chapter books, and I have been trying to think of books that she might enjoy. This series came to mind before I started the third book. I knew it was probably too mature for her, but man, after the third boy, heck no! There was a lot of evil in this one! It was pretty intense. I didn't know if I could handle the part where Lyra and Pan had to separate from each other!

I definitely enjoyed the book, and the series as a whole. I think the first book was my favorite though. By the third book there were just so many characters and so many loose ends that had to be tied up, it got a little confusing at times. And, honestly, I still don't entirely get why the "dust" stopped leaving the world when Lyra and Will got there. Although, I guess it was pretty late when I finished the book, maybe I missed something. I'm also torn about the ending--for a young adult book it was really intense! Lots of death and hard and important decisions that needed to be made.

Overall it was really good....now I am pretty excited to move on to my next young adult series--Twilight!!!

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (#32, Young Adult)

I was disappointed by what was supposed to be the third and final installment of the Inheritance trilogy. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to learn halfway through the book that there was too much to fit in and that instead of finishing the series with Brisingr, Christopher Paolini will be writing a fourth book. 

I suppose I shouldn't be annoyed by this but for some reason I am. I struggled to maintain interest in this book and was actually hoping to be done with the series. I am not overly attached to these characters and sadly I find Paolini's writing skills to be lacking. Will I be able to plod through another book to get the answers? Maybe. 

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (#27, Young Adult)

I finished Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final book in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, not five minutes ago and here I am blogging about it. I realize that my credibility as a book snob seems to drop a point with each young adult guilty pleasure read I throw on here but my friends, I am a sucker for a series. How can you not love reading about great characters book after book? I have always had a thing for books in a series and I think it's because I get so attached to the characters that it is hard for me to let them go. Case in point is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon--it may not be groundbreaking literature but I sure do love me some Jamie and Claire! 

I was super excited to read the final installment of this series and I am pretty surprised that I didn't shoot out and buy a copy myself at the beginning of August when it first came out. I waited patiently for the book to come to me when the time was right and it did. I loved the twists and turns of the plot, I loved how the characters developed and changed, and I loved the complete and utter absorption I was able to achieve while reading. Meyer's vampire world is vivid and exciting; I will miss Bella, Edward and Jacob. 

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (#26, Young Adult)

I know, I know. What is with all the young adult books that I keep reading? First it was the Golden Compass series, then the Twilight series, and now this. 

Let me introduce you to Percy Jackson, the equivalent of Harry Potter in a world controlled by Greek gods and goddesses. While it is not nearly as well written as the Harry Potter series, it is still a worthwhile foray into young adult fiction. I rekindled my interest in Greek mythology and found myself laughing at the pop culture references aimed at tweens. I found myself enjoying Percy's adventures and I may have sighed a few times as he went about learning his destiny. 

Was I floored by the writing? No. Was I completely absorbed in the world depicted? No. Was I entertained and intrigued? Yes. You can count on the next few books in the series popping up on here but it might not be for a while. I feel like I need to put some quality reads up soon or else I will lose all credibility as an English major. 

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (#23, Young Adult)

As you can see, I am firmly entrenched in this series. I am not vouching for the quality of the writing but the stories are somewhat compelling. I can read this and not think about anything else. It is literary absorption at its best. These types of books are meant to be particularly well written, but perhaps there is something to learn from it. 

It is my belief that the answers to certain questions are sometimes right in front of your eyes and if you actually open them to look, you might just find what you are looking for. Here is a quote that jumped out at me and I can't help but go back to it: 

"...I can't be happy without him."

"You've never tried," he disagreed. "When he left, you spent all your energy holding on to him. You could be happy if you let go" (333).

Interesting thought. Who knew wisdom could come out of some teen romance? 

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (#22, Young Adult)

I am a sucker for books in a series. I always have been and I probably always will be. There is just something very alluring to reading about the same characters over the course of several books. I enjoy the character development, the continuation of their story. It is probably the same reason why I really enjoy certain tv shows--nothing beats a nuanced character development that is only possible through multiple installments. 

The Twilight Saga Series is addicting. I moved onto New Moon almost immediately after having finished Twilight. With each book we learn more and more about the vampire culture, but the best part about these books, as cheesy and as directed at teenage girls as they are, is the love story. I like how Meyer represents love.  

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (#21, Young Adult)

I was slightly prejudiced against this book at first. I checked it out from the library a couple months ago after having read an article about the Mormon author but then never got around to reading it before I had to return it. I don't like how closely Meyer spells her first name to mine, and also, it's a bestseller. And if you have been reading Booknymphs, you know how Becky and I feel about bestsellers. But alas, when on vacation at the beach, it is quite necessary to be in possession of several beach reads. A quick trip to the Wal Mart and this book and the second one in the series were the only thing I would deign to read so I bought them and haven't regretted it since. 

Meyer is a Mormon, but she writes about vampires and eternal damnation. I was super skeptical because the writing is not all that great, but I like the vampire theme. I like how she plants the seeds for the subsequent books. Meyer is a storyteller and her twist on vampire lore is interesting. I am not saying this book was the best book I have ever read, but I am saying that if you are going to be sitting on the beach, or by the side of a pool, this is a great beach read. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. 

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (#22, Fun)

Not much to say here. I am enjoying the series.

After I finished The Golden Compass I watched the movie, and I actually really like the girl they cast as Lyra so now I don't find her nearly as annoying in the books.

I like Will, I'm so sad about Lee Scoresby, and I can't believe poor Will and his father met and then, well, you know, that silly witch and her grudge.

I haven't started the third one yet, I will be on a bit of a hiatus (think quality book and book for book club on the que), but Karl claims he did NOT like the way it ended. Hm. Interesting.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (#21, Fun)

I am shocked that "His Dark Materials" has been sitting around for over ten years, just waiting for me to read them. ESPECIALLY after finishing the last Harry Potter book and thinking I was going to have to either: a) wait until J.K. Rowling started another series, or b) delve back into the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. And there it was, just waiting, patiently.

I am a sucker for talking animals--hello, Babe is the best movie EVER and I pretty much go crazy over Puss in Boots, and add the mouse from Prince Caspian to that list. I KNOW, kind of weird, but I think it gives me character . . . And now daemons--what could be better than having a talking animal attached to you forever? I bet Georgia is my daemon.

All this said, of course I have some complaints. I dislike the way Lyra talks about 25% of the time--I much prefer her thoughts. Does she really need to throw in the awful language? Didn't she grow up at a college surrounded by scholars? Did they forget to teach her some basic grammar skills? I get that she is trying to be rebellious and fit in with the gyptians, but I just don't find it necessary--especially because it comes and goes. If I'm going to read a book with a whole different set of vernacular, fine, but it needs to be CONSISTENT. Often times I would be reading along and then cringe, out of nowhere, at some line thrown in that was so unexpected.

Pullman leaves you with quite the cliffhanger at the end; you can rest assured I have already started the second book.

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (#17, Young Adult)

Loved it. I know how I made a big stink about how Pullman's His Dark Materials series was not Harry Potter, but this book makes it worth suffering through The Subtle Knife. Of the three, The Amber Spyglass was my favorite. It not only handles multiple, converging story lines deftly, but the characters somehow become the kind of characters you never want to say goodbye to. I was afraid of the end of the book because I didn't want to see Lyra and Will and Serafina Pekkala and Iorek Byrnison go. 

While I did find the religious concept matter a bit off putting at times, it didn't really affect my enjoyment of  the book. There is so much more I want to say about it but I don't want to spoil it for others who haven't read it. Seriously, if you liked Harry Potter, you will enjoy Pullman's venture into what some might consider blasphemous fiction. You should run to your local library and check out all three books. Now! 

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (#15, Young Adult)

You know me by now--I love any type of series, especially if it involves children as the heroes and a world where magical things can happen. The Subtle Knife is the second book in the His Dark Materials series and it picks up right where The Golden Compass left off. I blazed through Book II because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Lyra and Will. 

While I enjoyed The Golden Compass very much, this book left much to be desired. As the middle installment in a trilogy, there is always that danger that it will merely serve as a filler--a bridge to get you to Book III. Sadly I found The Subtle Knife to be just that--a filler to get you to point C. I can't decide if it was the weakened plot or the fact that there wasn't enough background thrown in about Lyra to really make it satisfying. 

This is no Harry Potter but it is amusing. I am onto Book III to find out how it all ends. 

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (#14, Young Adult)

Where would I be without Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle? I might not be half the reader I am today had I not stumbled upon this tale of adventure told my the perspective of a strong female narrator. I wish I knew how old I was and how I found this book but I know I was already re-reading it in the sixth grade. Did my childhood best friend Carly recommend it to me? Perhaps, or maybe I saw it on the list for Accelerated Reader and took a chance on it. Whatever the reason, Charlotte Doyle remained a staple in my literary diet for several years after that initial reading.

I checked it out of the library on a whim last time I was there, eager to plunge into a world of rough seas and callous sailors set to corrupt the young Miss Doyle. It was the same satisfying read but I came away wishing there was some sort of romantic element to the plot. I remembered there being one for some odd reason--I must have confused it with the Ann Rinaldi books I read though for there was not one bit. I must have read this before my romantic phase.

All young girls should read this book. It's about independence, speaking your mind and staying true to what you know is right even if it goes against authority.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (#8, Young Adult)

The Golden Compass, book one of Philip Pullman's critically acclaimed His Dark Materials series has been out for a long time. My question is why didn't I read it sooner? I am a huge sucker for anything fantasy/science fiction/series, especially when it is written for kids. I grew up searching for books like this one--ones that take you away to another world and let you get completely sucked in to the adventures of a young, precocious main character. Think Harry Potter crossed with A Wrinkle in Time or something of that nature.

I have decided that I am going to explore the youth novel, because in all reality--the youth novel is what made me become such an avid reader. I am still pondering the question I posed to myself after finishing The Shadow of the Wind--what was the first book that really made its way into my heart. The first book I ever read was Anne of Green Gables, but I only ever read that book once and I couldn't really tell you what it was about aside from what I gleaned from the watching Avonlea on the Disney channel all those years back. Island of the Blue Dolphins? I thought it was too descriptive and knew after reading that book in the fourth grade that I preferred dialog. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle? That one might be the winner. I remember reading it and loving it. It was on my list of books to systematically re-read each year. I am also embarrassed to admit this, but I have a vivid memory of sitting in the dark in my room with my back against the wall, a little lamp as my light, and reading from the book into a tape recorder. Why? Did I have high hopes of being the voice for audio cassette readings of books? I don't think so--I think I just loved the book and loved reading about Charlotte's adventures.

But back to The Golden Compass--you really can't find books this magical and this fun to read in the adult section. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is as close as I have come to something that meets the requirements for complete and utter absorption in a novel. I enjoyed the larger than life characters, the elements of fantasy and the wonderment of seeing the world through the eyes of a child but there was something off about the whole thing and I think it has to do with the annoying way the characters speak. Pullman gives them a lot of slang phrases that get annoying. My favorite thing in the book, besides the big bear, was the concept of humans all having daemons, which I believe to be what it would be like if our souls were located outside of our bodies and they were to take animal form. It made me wonder what my daemon would look like, what animal would represent my inner self? Hmmm. Needless to say, I am hungering for Book 2, and I can't wait to see the movie when it comes out on DVD.

Eldest by Christopher Paolini (#5, Young Adult)

I will admit to having a hard time really getting into Christopher Paolini's second book in the Inheritance trilogy, Eldest. There was a significant amount of time devoted to explaining Eragon's cousin, Roran's adventures and for some reason, Roran is much less exciting and much less likeable than our hero from the first book, Eragon.

Even though I struggled getting hooked in the first three hundred pages, the last couple hundred made up for the slow start. There is a lot of action toward the close of the novel and it is well worth the sluggish beginning. Secrets are revealed, along with some other ones that you never saw coming. I won't pretend like I didn't already know what the big revelation at the end was, but the form it took did surprise me.

I ended Eragon with a cry of distress when I realized that the book was the first of series and that the answers I so yearned to learn would not be disclosed in that first novel. How I waited five months to read Paolini's next installment is beyond me. Now I wish that the third book was waiting for me on my nightstand so that I could open it up, enter the fictitious fantasy world of Eragon and Saphira and forget that I just had knee surgery and can't walk around my apartment without the use of some rather rubbery smelling crutches. I want to know about the other dragon eggs, I want to know what Gallabatorix looks like and I want to know who Eragon will end up marrying! But alas, I will have to wait until the third book is published to find out.

Stuart Little by E.B. White (#2, For Fun)

I remember loving this book when I was in second grade. What kind of child was I that I was okay with how the book ended??! Seriously, Stuart picks up to look for his friend the bird, and he leaves his family behind. The book just ends with him driving down the road in his little car heading off into the sunset. Does he not see how frantic his family is going to be? Yes, he is a mouse, but somehow human parents gave birth to a mouse, and they are going to be really sad when he never comes home. I guess when I was 7 I didn't think about the repercussions of him leaving home.

Done with the "for fun" for awhile and on to some French authors . . . let's see how long it is going to take me to read Les Miserables--so long! I hope I like it!