Showing posts with label Paula. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paula. Show all posts

Monday, August 11, 2014

Paula Reviews This is How You Die

Title: This is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death
Editors: Ryan North, Matthew Bennardo and David Malki !
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2013
How I got my hands on it: Bought it at Barnes and Noble


So a few years ago the creator of Dinosaur Comics (www.qwantz.com) published a little book called The Machine of Death. (My original review can be found: here) It was a project born out of one thing one of his characters said that fans latched onto. Fans started sending Ryan North stories based on a "machine of death" that would tell you how you would die- and no matter what- that prediction came true. If your prediction said "Old Age" you could die of old age or you could be hit by a car with an elderly driver. His little self published book reached #1 on Amazon and made it into real brick and mortar book stores. And people loved it so much there was a demand for more stories. And a board game!

MoD is one of the few books in the past few years that has really messed with how I view the world and was a total mindf**k. I was so excited to see that there was a second volume of it. The setup of the book is still the same: short stories and amazing art. And yet This is How You Die expands the idea of the Machine is some really interesting ways. In this volume- the machine isn't just a black box that takes a blood sample and gives you a sheet of paper- it can change its predictions, it can sing haunting songs, it can be used by humans to try and prevent epidemics, and my favorite: it can be an alien species that has been slowly infiltrating earth...

I think my favorite thing about this volume of stories is that where in volume one it was "here's a prediction and here's a funny/sad/poignant story about how it comes true" volume two's stories are more like "here's a prediction and here is how the person deals with it/doesn't deal with it/ tries to run from it/ comes to terms with it" somehow it has managed to mess with my head even more than the original. It's made me wonder that if I were presented with the Machine - would I want to know how I died? Would I try to run away from my prediction? 

Also the art in the volume is just plain gorgeous. So there's that.




All in all: 4.5 stars. It didn't quite get the full 5 because some of the stories left me feeling fatigued. They were all good- but some were a lot to take in and process. And that means I couldn't read the book as fast as I wanted to!



Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Paula Reviews We by Yevgeny Zamyatin


We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Published in 1921
Rating: 4 stars
How I got it: Found a copy at a local book store!


Hey all!

So this summer I made a mini goal of tackling books that have been on my shelf/list for more than a year. Whether they are super long (The Historian) or not quite genre's I'm interested in anymore (White Oleander) or in this case- hard to find and kind of intimidating.

I have been intimidated by We for awhile because it is the foundation block of my favorite genre: dystopian literature. And I'm not talking about contemporary dystopian stories like The Hunger Games (which don't get me wrong - I love a lot) but he was threatened by communist Russia for writing this kind of literature. People claimed that this book predicted Stalinism. It has been claimed that this book inspired 1984 and Brave New World. I've been putting this book off for awhile. What if I didn't understand it? What if I didn't like it?

The premise:
After a Two Hundred Year War society, One State, has been rebuilt under the guidance of the Great Benefactor. Humans are no longer people they are numbers. The main character, D-503, is the main builder of the spaceship Integral to bring the order of One State to other planets. Every minute of a person's life is planned out by the Table of Hours. 

D-503 is happy and blissful with his life until he meets I-330. She doesn't play the rules. At home she doesn't wear her uniform and drinks alcohol (which has been banned). He would hate her and report her if he didn't find her so interesting. As D-503 gets to know I-330 more he begins to develop.... an imagination....

Thoughts: 
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't perfect- there were a lot of things that I wish had more details or development. Sometimes the writing was choppy and hard to follow (although- that could be the translation and not the original). There were a few times where I had to pause and go "wait what just happened?"

But besides those things- This book was a great read. It had some terrifying ideas, like imagination being treated as a sickness or any crime (even not reporting for work without a sick note) being punished with public execution... 
I found it really exciting to know the history of the book and see how this truly was a scary predictor of Stalinist Russia (the history geek in me was quite happy). I also could see how some of my favorite books were inspired by this book. 

If you are looking for a book that's a bit of a challenge but has some interesting history behind it- I would definitely recommend this one! 

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Paula reviews The Book on Fire

The Book On Fire by Keith Miller
Immanion Press 2009
I hunted it down on Amazon
5 stars

I finished this book about two weeks ago and I'm still in a hazy book hangover because it was so perfect. I wish that could be my whole review of it- but I'll try my best to do a better job describing it. Also, this author only has two books- but both of those books have earned a place on my favorites list. Here's to hoping his beautiful words happen again in a third book some day.

The premise of The Book on Fire is that a book thief arrives in Alexandria and meets a girl mysterious girl who immediately guesses what his favorite book is and asks for him to give it to her. She immediately begins ripping pages out and setting them on fire. He later becomes obsessed with finding a way into the Library of Alexandria which has been closed to the public for thousands of years and is fiercely protected by its librarians. The book burner helps him find a way in. Our thief makes his way in and meets and falls in love with a librarian there who is actually half book herself. 

This is one of those books that is less about the plot and more about the beautiful poetic quality of his prose. This is a book about book lovers. This is a book for book lovers. This is a book for someone who can curl up in the same spot for hours and completely lose their surroundings to the story they are occupying. This book so accurately captures the feeling of being entranced and obsessed with stories. It describes how stories are completely different when they are read alone than when they are read aloud and shared with another. It wonders what happens to a story when its book has been burned. 

I highly suggest that everyone who loves books (does anyone here know anyone like that?) submerge themselves in this book. Find a cozy corner and a glass of wine and dive in. And then go check out his other book The Book of Flying

Keith Miller if you happen to see this review- please write another book. I'm hooked. 

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Ten Books We Almost Put Down But Didn't



To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see the list of future topics click here


 Jamie's Picks:

1. Pride & Prejudice: YEP. One of my favorite books. I almost put this down because I was so not into it at first. I ended up pressing on because I didn't want to be the only girl in the world who didn't know who the swoonworthy Mr. Darcey was. Glad I kept going because I fell in love!

2. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman: I had bought this on a whim at a used book sale and read it many years ago because I had heard of the great Neil Gaiman and I wanted to give him a shot. It so wasn't my typical kind of read (especially at that point in time) and I almost put it down but I'm so glad I didn't. I need to read more Gaiman despite ending up enjoying it!

3. Eve & Adam by Katerine Applegate & Michael Grant: I wish I would have once I realized that this book was not at all what I thought it would be. Instead I kept going. It ended and I was like WHY DID I READ THIS.

Kimberly's Pick

4. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray:  I couldn't stand the narrative style at first. I want sure if I wanted to even try reading it. But since I had already bought I decided to read it. And I ended up loving it!

Bridget's Pick

5. The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling: It took me forever (aka about a month and 200 pages) to get into this book, but I'm so glad I pushed through and finished it! For those of you who weren't able to get into it, I totally understand--it took a while for it to all come together. But I would recommend giving it another try, I think it was worth it in the end.

Paula's Pick

6. The Town That Forgot How to Breathe by Kenneth Harvey - I pushed through this book but I wish I had the capability of putting books down because I would have my three weeks back...

 Jana's Picks

7. Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally - I kind of wish I had just stopped this one, because I really did not enjoy it. I've read another book by this author and didn't like it either, so I'm thinking this author might not be for me. 

8. Black City by Elizabeth Richards - Call it morbid curiosity if you'd like, but I honestly stayed with this one only because I was curious as to how on EARTH these people were going to pull themselves out of this situation. But the book was just way too dark and disturbing for me, and there's one part in particular that has scarred me for life. So... I should have quit! Haha.


What about you guys? Which books did you almost put down but then didn't? Is it normally a good or bad experience when this happens?



Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly link-up in the community where we provide a prompt and other lovers of listmaking join in on it with their own top ten list. Feel free to have less than 10 or more if you need to at times and put a spin on the topic if you need to! Just please link back to us if you are participating :)

To join, link up below with the URL to your blog POST (not your blog), your name and your email (which will remain hidden). Then bounce around the Linky!

 Liesel @ Musings on Fantasia   Lavinyaa @ the screenbook. blog   Cait @ Notebook Sisters  
 Vicki @ Good Books and a Sleepy Conscience   Jillian @ Jillian's Books   Josette @ Books Love Me  
 Jess @ Gone with the Words   She @ She Read   Alicia the Awesome  
 Finley Jayne's Going to the Library...   Tea in the Treetops   Christina @BookTasty  
 Christina @ Allodoxophobia   Ula @ Blog of Erised   Stephanie H. @ Her Reviews...  
 Heena @ The Reading Bud   Shelly @ Raindrops and Pages   Ariane @ Aquamarine St.  
 Booboo Blogs   Kimberly @ Turning the Pages   What Aimee Read Next  
 Cheryl @ The Book Connection   Lori @ Ficwishes   swytla  
 Jessica@The Bathtub Reader   Milka @ ReadReadRead   Caitlin @ Written Between Covers  
 Stephanie's Book Reviews   Miguel @ The Quirky Reader   Lynn  
 Alex @ The Book Banner   Deb Nance at Readerbuzz   Maggie Prater  
 Lauren @ Books, Tea & Me   Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination   Pamela D @ Reading Is Fun Again  
 Maggie @ Mrs Doctor Dear   Jennifer @ YA Book Nerd   Emily at Strawberry Blonde Books  
 Jessica @ The Psychotic Nerd   Maggie @ Just a Couple More Pages   Kristen @ The Book Monsters  
 Becky @ No More Grumpy Bookseller   Emily @ Follow the Yellow Book Road   Clair C.  
 Nobody @ The Story Goes...   Jennifer @ Feminist Fairy Tale Reviews   Ricki and Kellee @ Unleashing Readers  
 Brooke @ Brooke Reviews   Jessica @ Just Another Teen Reading Books   Amy @ Read What I Like  
 I Believe in Story   M @ Backlist Books   Stefani @ Caught Read Handed  
 Maura @ The Whimsical Mama   Chelsea @ Books for Thought   Ashley@Chronicles  
 Rachel @ Confessions of a Book Geek   Elisabeth @ The Dirigible Plum   Matthew LeDrew @ Engen Books  
 Disappear Into Reading   Heather & Christie @ Turning Pages   tiffany @ Avid Reader  
 islandgeekgirl @ Overflowing Bookshelves   Sarah @ Exploring All Genres   Kritika @ Snowflakes & Spider Silk  
 Angela @ Angela's Library   Andi @ Andi's ABCs   Aman @ Enticed by Books  
 Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner   Elena@My world in English   Carrie @wvredreads  
 Great Imaginations   Jorie's Reads by Starry Night Elf   Mights @The Bookish Bookkeeper  
 Nemo @ the Moonlight Library   Sofia @ Raining Books and Words   Becca & Lisa @ Lost in Literature  
 HeatherAnne@Words,words,words   BookCupid   Holly  
 Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide   Melbourne on my mind   Kristin @ Promises to Read  
 Trisha @ At Least We Made It This Far...   Nicole @ WCW   Lisa@ReadBreatheRelax  
 Sifra @ Brilliant Bookshelf   Stephanie @Don't be Afraid of the Dork   Amy @ bookgoonie  
 Liza @ Reading with ABC   Aimee @ Aimee in Wonderland   Breakfast at Andrea's  
 Cristina @ Girl in the Pages   Caitie @ Plays Well With Books   Margaret @ JustOneMoreChapter  
 Anah @ Turtles In My Soup   Denise @ The Next Read   Teisha @ Girl Writes Reviews  
 Vilia @ Backchatting Books   Katherine @ I WIsh I Lived in a Library   Angie @ Angieville  
 Savannah @ Playing in the Pages   Ellen M @ The Canon   Lori @ Writing My Own Fairy Tale  
 Collene   Sara @ Just Another Story   Annette & Rachel  
 Gaby @ Queen Ella Bee Reads   Amy @ Ode to Jo & Katniss   Becky @ A Fool's Ingenuity  
 Kate @ Fictional Thoughts   Leah @ Girls Love To Read   Jen @ Jenuine Cupcakes  
 Jaime @ The World for the Reading   Stormy @ Book. Blog. Bake.   Nichole @YaReads  
 Jaime & Erin @ Fic Fare   Karin @ My Life...   Abby @ Books and Things  
 Rachel @ Beauty and the Bookshelf   Stephanie @ 300 Pages   adi @ adiReads  
 Tiffany @ Beneath the Jacket Reviews   Ali @ No Money 4 Books   Jazz @ Jazmin Jade Reviews  
 Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Book Blog   Ella @ Once Upon a Bookish Time   There will be books  
 Nicole & Ashley @ The Quiet Concert   Mali   Lipsy@ Lipsyy Lost & Found  
 Anne & Ashley @ Lovely Literature   Alysia @ Fiction Addictions   Joel @ The Library Rat  
 Andi @ Estella's Revenge   Hannah @ Broc's Bookcase   Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know  
 Aisha @ Adventures of a Reader   Jazzie @ The Book Dancer   Cate @ RGB  
 Nikki & Keira @ Lazy Book Lovers Book Club   Megan @ Leafing Through Life   Luna's Little Library  
 Rachel @ Bookish Rachel   Brooke @ i blog 4 books   Abbi @ Christian Novels  
 Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard   czai @ the Blacksheep Project   kelley  
 Brenna @ Esther's Ever After   Casey @ The Write Words   Rory @ Fourth Street Review  
 Amy @ Pages of Starlight   Kate @ MadButMagic   Samantha @ The Secret Life of a Bookworm  
 Sandie @Teen Lit Rocks   Megs @ The Teen Book Addict   Elizabeth  
 Claudia   Rose & Julie @ Chapter Break   Teresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives  
 Christina @ A Reader of Fictions   Jenny @ Book Sojourner   Cecelia @ Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia  
 Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally   Jody @ A Spoonful of Happy Endings   Karissa @ Hidden in Pages  
 Ren @ Words in a Teacup   Shannon @ Rex Robot Reviews   Joey @ thoughts and afterthoughts  
 Nessa @ October Tune   Sarika @ The Readdicts   Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight  
 Nemo @ Books with Bree   Jennifer @ A Librarian's Library   Genevieve @ The Reading Shelf  
 Alex @ AlexinBookland   Katelynn @ Unlucky Primes   Anna @ Anna's Reading List  
 Alma @ Journey Through Fiction   Carrie-Anne's Magick Theatre   Shae/Shelver @ Shae Has Left The Room  
 Chrissi Reads   Melissa @ i swim for oceans   Sophia @ Ravens and Writing Desks  
 Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook   Sofia Li @ Loving the Language of Literacy   Mariko @ The Storybook Kingdom  
 Megan@YA? Why Not?   Rachel @ ObsessedWithFairyTales   Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life  
 Jess & Tom @ Reading Nook Reviews   Marianne   Reviews from a Bookworm  
 Lanaia @ The Temporary Escape   Cait @ Book Love   Michelle @ Book Hangovers Blabs Books  
 Tessa @ Crazy for YA   Jen @ Watching The Words   Aly @ My Heart Hearts Books  
 LillyLilac   Caitlin @ caitlinsternwrites   Jess & Loren @ Such a Novel Idea  
 Anna's Book Blog   Brin's Book Blog   Carola @ brilliant years  
 Mara A. @ The Reading Hedgehog   Keeley   Danica @ Rainy Tree Reader  
 Trisha @ eclectic/eccentric   Ellis @ The Random Transliterator   Katie @ INKK REVIEWS  
 KayCee K's Blog (A Writer)   Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs   Nikki H @ Take Me Away...  
 Katherine @ Neon Yeti Reads   Moonglint @AKernelofNonsense   Victoria @ Chapters on a Page  
 Lois@You, Me, and a Cup of Tea   Kathy @ The Female Scriblerian   Katie at Page212  
 Fi @ Bookish Outsider   Juliet@Living In Our Own Story   Ana @ WhatYAReading  
 Keri @ IV League   La Coccinelle @ The Ladybug Reads...   yahira @An imperfect World  
 Paulina @ The Little Book Pixie   Alison @ Hardcovers & Heroines   Christianna @ The White Unicorn  
 J.C @ Pop Arts   Busy Mom Enjoy Life   The Other Watson @ Wanton Creation  
 Cornelia @ Lonestarch   jen and em @themarkofabookfan  
 Jen & April @ The Starry-Eyed Revue   Kei @ The Lovely Pages Reviews  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)



Thursday, April 17, 2014

A Cocktail & Conversation -- Favorite Quote About Reading or Books



Every other Thursday here at the Broke & The Bookish is  A Cocktail & Conversation time. One of the TBTB members will pose a question to 2-3 of the other members of TB&TB crew about books, life, music, etc and then they'll answer and we can converse about it. So grab a cocktail & cozy up for some conversation. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, friends.



Lori asks: What is your favorite quote about reading/books and why?

Julia: I don't pay too much attention to quotes, but I do have a few visual favorites that I have collected for you. They make me laugh or smile and that is why I like them :)



Jen: "Books are a uniquely portable magic" - Stephen King

I recently came across this quote and it is so, so true. You can bring a book (or your Kindle) with you almost anywhere, and books have the power to transport you to other worlds and time periods. Books really are magical.


Paula:  "Reading aloud to someone is one of this world's pleasures" John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire

I grew up reading a chapter if a book every night with my mom. Not only did this help create my love of reading- I think it is the best way to share a story with someone. It's quality time together and interacting in a way that watching a movie can't compare too. When you get so into a story that both of your voices are cracking but you still don't want to take a break - it's magic. One of my best college memories was building a fort in my good friend's living room and spending an entire rainy day reading Peter Pan to each other. So yeah - this quote sums everything up perfectly!


Bridget:  “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” ― Harper LeeTo Kill a Mockingbird

I personally have never actually feared that I would lose my ability to read; however, life often gets in the way of sitting down and just relaxing for a few hours with a book, and when it's been several days without doing that, I do feel significantly "off." But an hour or two with a book on the couch or in bed will fix me right up. Reading has always been something that has come naturally to me--much like breathing--and the thought of ever not being able to read, for whatever reason that might be, is almost as scary as not being able to breathe. I don't just mean books, either. Think about it...just about anything you do on the internet involves reading. I could spend days on reddit, but it's because I like to read people's crazy stories. What would we do without reading?

Kimberly:  "Reading one book is like eating one potato chip."--Diane Duane, So You Want To Be A Wizard

Can you think of a better way to describe how wonderfully addictive reading is? The first time I read that quote, about 12 or so years ago, I actually sighed. It was so perfect. My love of reading so perfectly described in a way that I could explain to others. I was at the airport in San Diego last year, dragging my suitcase behind me and stopped so fast my friend ran right into me. I'd completely forgotten to walk because RIGHT THERE, on the WALL, in an AIRPORT, was my quote. It had been painted there. I was so excited I even took a picture of it.


What about you guys?  What are some of your favorite quotes about books or reading?

Friday, April 11, 2014

Bookish Craft Round Up!

Hey Everyone! 

Now that spring is (basically here) I know I have caught the crafting fever. Maybe it goes along with Spring Cleaning- but I want to update my wardrobe with cute outfits and spruce up my house with cute projects. I thought that as a crafter and a reader I would make a mini-round up of book related crafts!



This one has been on the top of my craft to-do list for awhile now. I have the book and the fabric all picked out all ready. I just have to hit play on my netflix and get going!

 When you don't know what to do with all the left over pages that you carved out for the clutch above... may I suggest turning them into flowers? I am thinking that this is exactly what I'll do- and then I can feature them next to my shelf of antique books!

If flowers aren't your decor ideal- maybe candles are! Here is another way to reuse old pages and other ephemera around your house. Maybe old maps or old letters?


I have made this craft twice- and I love them! Once featuring Runaways and once featuring The Walking Dead. And you don't just have to use comic books- You can decoupage book pages or sheet music if that's what floats your boat! Side notes though: This craft is time consuming! These Runaways heels took 10 hours! Thankfully I had wine and friends over- but just something to consider before you start. Also- be careful when you wear them. Even though I put sealant on them- I wore my Walking Dead shoes when it was damp without thinking about it.... and the pieces started peeling :( (It's fixable- but again... time consuming)
 
 
I know these are just a few things- but I hope they've inspired some creative thoughts. If you don't want to cut up favorite books- maybe these are some uses for books that you just can't seem to get rid of ("Please used book store just take the ARC I don't want it anymore!") Give the old forgotten book in a corner a new way to bring joy into your life! Happy crafting and happy spring!

~Paula~
 
 

Friday, March 28, 2014

Paula Reviews The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro

Published 2009 by William Morrow & Company 
Got it from a Library Sale
4 Stars

So this book has been on my radar for a long time and I finally got my hands on it last fall at a library sale (for the longest time I could only find the 2nd & 3rd books in the series) and it was such a refresh to read a good book because I had been stuck on a really slow kinda boring book for the last month...

The Premise: A plane lands at JFK and goes dead on the tarmac. No lights. No engine. No radio signal. As a crew goes to check it out they realize that something evil has landed in New York... Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the CDC's Canary project (think a long the lines of the Canaries in Coal mines as an early warning system) gets put on the project of what is thought to be a bio-terrorism attack or the beginnings of a new epidemic. As Eph gets more involved- he realizes that things aren't adding up... and the dead passengers of the plane- have left the morgue? 

Without giving too much away- this is an awesome take on the idea of the Vampire. It presents the reader with a vampire epidemic. The vampires in this book can (kind of?) be based on a scientific idea- it's not just magic- it's creepy gross blood borne parasites. (Think of those parasites that attack ants and use them as zombie attack machines but then put them in a human body). Also these aren't your romanticized misunderstood lover vampires who just want a soul again. These are soulless hosts who return home to their "dear ones" just so they can infect them too. Also their jaws unhinge and they have stingers. And they are smart. Yikes! 

My Thoughts: I really really liked it. I'm happy that the whole trilogy is complete so I can go get the second two asap. Also I was excited to see that FX is picking it up as a TV show this summer. Hopefully it will be a good adaptation?
A possible negative (it didn't bother me but I had a friend who put the book down because of it) is the writing style- it's written by Guillermo Del Toro (aka director of Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim) so it reads very much like a movie. The chapters and scenes are short and choppy- just like a movie would be. I didn't mind it because I knew that Del Toro is a director before he's a novelist - so it felt like it fit his style. But my friend who put the book down found it too distracting. 

Other Thoughts: This is neither a positive or negative thing- but just an addition. I found the very similar to The Passage by Justin Cronin(a vampire apocalypse novel that is based on the idea of it spreading like a virus) I'm not sure which came first? But I will say that even though at first glance they may seem like mirror images- there are enough differences in the focus of the stories and the mythos of the vampires that they aren't. And they are both good books and you should check them both out is really what I'm trying to say here...

Elevator speech review: Creepy good vampire apocalypse horror novel. And the whole series is complete so you can binge read! (I haven't read the other two yet though so hopefully they are just as good?)

Monday, January 13, 2014

Paula Review Beyond The Wall

 Published 2012 by BenBella Books, Inc. 
How I got it: got an ARC copy of it from the publisher at BEA last year
My rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: this might be a short review and have some typos- because I have a very intrusive/insistent creature (a 3 year old corgi/german shepard) sitting here next to me and licking my hands and keyboard and computer while I'm trying to type.

This is the first time I've ever felt the need to read a companion book to a series. No matter how head over heels I am with a series- I've never actively gone out to find essays that delve further into the legend and lore of the series. I am usually of the mind set that sometimes fans reach too far and read too into things that the author never intended. With that being said- I finished the latest A Song of Ice and Fire book at the beginning of the year and I was in such a state of "I NEED MORE" that I was excited to remember that I had picked this up at the BEA last year.

First off if you are going to read this book- make sure you have finished all 5 of the currently released books! It reveals pretty much everything that could be considered a spoiler in the series. I had considered reading it right when I got it last year- and I would have been really bummed because there are a lot of Book 5 details in it.

My thoughts: There were a mix of essays I liked (an essay about how magic plays its part in Westeros) and essays that either weren't things I'm interested in (such as an essay about collecting the series and how much certain editions of the book are worth). There were also essays I just did not find compelling or agree with at all (one argued that rape or fear of rape plays an essential part in forming the lives of women in westeros- which just raised my hackles in all the wrong ways).

A few of the essays helped me form my own thoughts about characters and events in the series. However, I do not think that all of the essays in it are created equal. If your library has it and you need a little Westeros in your life- I think that this is a good book to read while waiting for the next installment.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Help I'm starting a book club?

In a grand plan to take on 2014 by storm- some coworkers and I have decided to start a scifi based book club. We have lovingly started calling it the "BombAss Brunch Book Club" with the idea that we will meet at various restaurants around town and sample the best brunches and mimosas we can find.

The idea here is that 5 ladies (from different areas of the company) want to bond over some good space adventures (or magic adventures... or creepy ghost stories). The problem is that all of the members are book club newbies. (Unless you count the discussion posts I made on GoodReads groups in college?):

-We aren't sure how to structure the discussions- not that scifi/fantasy novels are going to provoke deep and meaningful life conversations (although maybe we will be surprised?) OR whether the discussions actually need to have any sort of structure or similar "book club guide" questions that some books have in the back...
-We have a facebook group that we are trying to get up and running with brainstorms about books we could read throughout the year- but no way to figure out which book will be THE NEXT BOOK. And none of us have dominate personalities - so every conversation is "I'm okay with whatever you  choose"

Basically I'm turning to you all and asking for help. Have you ever tried to start a book club? How did you structure it? How did you deal with months where people were "meh" about the book (or didn't read it at all)? Do you find having a more guided discussion help or did it all just come naturally? And most importantly: Did you find that having a book chosen for you every month was fun or a chore... Did you continue to love the book club or did it make reading tedious for you?

I would love to hear your book club successes or woes. And Do's and Don'ts

Hope everyone has a GREAT holiday season
~Paula

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Paula Video Reviews the MaddAddam Trilogy

Hey all - I couldn't quite put all my feelings into a text post... so I made a video review for one of my favorite series: The MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood. Check it out below! Since it is about an entire series- I tried to keep it vague and spoiler free- but I did have to mention one or two things in order to make my review coherent (nothing that can't be found on a back of the book blerb though) - so here is your heads up.

If you don't feel like watching a video- my elevator speech review is: I am a fiend for matching bookshelves... and I ignored my paperback copies of books one and two and raced to buy the hardcover of book three because I was so excited to read it when it came out. Great dystopian and apocalyptic series by the talented Margaret Atwood.



Oryx and Crake  5 stars
The Year of The Flood 5 Stars
MaddAddam 4 Stars

Have you read the series? I would love to hear what you think about it! Happy Reading!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Paula's short review of A Short Stay In Hell

A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L. Peck
Strange Violin Editions  
Lent to me by a friend
4 stars

A few months ago my friend was over for dinner and saw that I was reading On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony. The cover of my edition was a great illustration of Death riding in a Cadillac and prompted a discussion of how we both adore books that take on different views and discussions of death (and capital D personification Death). Her immediate recommendation was the novella A Short Stay in Hell

The premise of the book is simple. Our main character, Soren Johansson, has died. He led a simple Mormon life and died young of health reasons. He finds himself in Hell- because all along Zoroastrianism was the true religion. The great thing about this religion? Hell isn't eternal. The downside... it can still last a very very very very very very very long time. (We're still talking millions of years). Soren gets cast into a specific hell based on The Library of Babel. He is told that as soon as he finds the book that contains his life story he is allowed to leave. Being cast into a library for awhile- that sounds awesome right? Soren quickly finds out that is not the case. This library contains every book that has ever been written and Soren can't leave until he finds his own....

Guys. This book is so good. It reminds me (in the best kind of way) of that Twilight Zone episode Time Enough At Last where the bookworm's glasses break. Clocking in at just over 100 pages - it only took me an hour or so to read. I devoured it. Each event that happened was perfectly chosen and needed to be in the story. This book presents a lot of different ideas on death and eternity and isolation. But in a way that doesn't feel forced or "REALLY IMPORTANT" like a lot of literature tends to do. 

Unfortunately since it is such a small release- it might be difficult to find a copy at a big box store. But it should be available on Amazon. http://amzn.com/098374842X so if you are looking for something quick to read that will still fill your mind with amazing thoughts. I highly suggest you click that link.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Paula gets a new library!

Hey all!

So this past month my life has been surrounded by boxes. My roommate and I got to move out of our terrible slightly sketchy apartment and into a pretty house with a backyard and all that lovely stuff. We also picked up a third roommate along the way and she is pretty fantastic as well! With all that being said- there has unfortunately been a lack of time for reading (and therefore a lack of a review for you guys... sorry!). Plus side for me is that both roommates love books as much as I do- and when we were trying to figure out exactly what to do with the downstairs den... we all glanced over at our bookshelves. And thus a group decision was made to display all of our books in one place.

So far I am the only one who has had a chance to unpack all of my books. So I thought I could share my new shelves with you all.

 My "Read" shelf that is getting dangerously close to full. And that's even after I routinely purge it of books I don't consider my super favorites or worthy of re-reading.

My "to-read" shelf. I just bought a new one since my old one collapsed from having too many books on it (Oops!) And as you can see on the floor there are already two stacks waiting to find space. Also my new favorite part of my library- a great way to display my old book collection. 

And while they aren't part of the new library... two great creatures I get to constantly spend time with. My dog Pogo (the white corgi mutt) and his new lady love Luna (my roommate's basset hound mutt). And don't worry- we are painting over that awful lime green wall. 
Sorry I don't have a review for you this time. Hopefully once we get all of these boxes unpacked and awful walls painted I can get back to what I truly love doing!
Hope all is well,
Paula


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top books that intimidate Paula

For a list of past and future Top Ten Tuesday topics, click here!

We all have them. Those books that we really want to read and yet every time we are looking to start something we brush right past them. There is just something about them that makes it impossible to pick them up... here are my top ten intimidating books and organized by the reasons that I keep passing them by.

Physical qualities of the books: size of the book or size of the font (This book is too big! This font is too tiny!)

1. The Historian by

















Blog Owner: Please log in at Blenza.com if you wish to enable this widget.



Thursday, June 27, 2013

Paula Reviews Sylo by D.J. MacHale

Book: Sylo by D.J. MacHale
Publisher: Razorbill (expected release July 2013)
How I got it: Got an advanced copy at the BEA
Rating 3.5/4 Stars

Hello all! So this year I traveled up to New York for my very first BEA experience. Not to drown you all with too many details except to say that it was a lot of fun. I got to meet our darling leader of The Broke and The Bookish- and let me tell you Jamie is just as sweet in person as she is on the interwebs. I also got to see and meet some of my favorite authors! I tried to keep the fangirling to a minimum- but how are you supposed to tell someone that you grew up with their writing and adventured with their characters without being a little bit gushy. 

This brings me to SYLO- I had to be picky and choosy about books I brought home from the BEA because I limited myself to making it all fit in my carry-on bag. But as soon as I saw that MacHale would be attending- I knew that a prime spot in my suitcase would be dedicated to this book. 

The premise of Sylo is such: Tucker Pierce is an average high school kid who is floating along. He is on the football team but he hates playing. He gets average grades. He doesn't have any idea about what he wants to when he grows up. And as far as he's concerned - that's all fine with him. Unfortunately his peaceful uneventful island life is quickly changed. During the big game of the season the star player drops dead on the field. As the island mourns the player- the military arrives and quarantines the island because of a mysterious virus (the suspected reason of the player's death). Something doesn't sit well with Tucker and his friends and they are thrown into the middle of discovering what the virus is, what the SYLO unit of the military is, and what exactly is going on on Pemberwick Island...

Why I gave it 3.5/4- 
The Pace: I know first books of series tend to be full of exposition... but the SYLO did get a bit slow at points. But even with that being said- I still finished it in three days. And also characteristic of a first book in a series- I did not feel as though there was any sort of resolution. The main question of the book (who is SYLO/Why was Pemberwick locked down) wasn't answered until the last few pages. And now I have to wait a whole year to know just why these things are important.  
The Characters: I can tell that all of these characters have the potential to be really awesome. I am excited to see how the next two books have them grow. Also- without being a spoiler- Tucker was warned not to trust anyone. at all. So now I'm anxiously awaiting and guessing who might be a secret bad guy or girl. I think I have an idea... but again have to wait a whole year ahhh!

Overall it was a very entertaining book. I am excited for next year to get here and read on and find out what happens to Tucker and his friends. If you need a mystery/dystopian/new series to check out, I suggest you go track down a copy of SYLO when it is released. 

ALSO OH MY GOODNESS I GOT TO MEET D.J. MACHALE AND HE WAS REALLY NICE AND WE TALKED ABOUT PENDRAGON AND AND AND Thanks D.J for filling my childhood (and now adulthood) with lots of adventure! Hobey Ho!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Video Post: Help Paula Get Better at Quick Reviews!




Hey All! Lately I've been discovering that I get a bit too excited about books with people outside of our happy little blog land and I need your help figuring out how to give people 30 second recommendations and not talk their ears off. More in the video below!

Books I mention in the video (and show off for a second) are: Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr. and The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

And that non-stop squeaking in the background is my dog being way too excited about toys... sorry!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Paula Reviews Touching The Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

Book: Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
Published: 2012, Simon Pulse
How I got it: received a copy for review from the publisher
My rating: 2/3 stars

Okay so I want to qualify this review with a warning that I hardly ever read Young Adult fiction so I am probably not the best person to review this book. Everything I say should be taken with a giant grain of salt. Also I am going to keep the review short and sweet.

I asked to review the book because the concept behind it sounded really intriguing. The idea behind the novel was that when you die you arrive at Obmil (limbo) and have to stay there until you figure out who you were in your past life and can grow and move on to whatever is next (be it heaven, hell, round 2 of life). I really like stories that present ideas of the afterlife so I was excited to see what this book had to offer. 

Pros of the book: 
-I liked the world that was created and the idea that the souls and people you know will always be connected to you. 

Cons of the book: 
- I found the characters really flat. This book deals with a lot of heavy ideas and I felt no connection to any character or reason to care about any of them. At the end of the book I didn't feel like I knew any of the characters and any aspect of their personality felt like an afterthought. 
-The love triangle was really frustrating. It felt like Elliot (main character) would change her mind on who she liked every other page and depending on what mood she was in. So when she finally "realized" who she loved at the end it was not believable.
-The writing was pretty choppy and hard to follow. And what almost made me put the book down was that "OMG" was actually used in a sentence.



Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Paula Reviews: Animals by Don LePan

Book: Animals by Don LePan
Published: 2009 
How I got it: Bought it used
 Rating: 3 stars

I know you all have been waiting anxiously for another rambling video review by me. So here it is with all it's ummsss and awkward pauses. Sorry for the choppy editing- I make no claims to be a video genius.



You can pretend I'm sticking my tongue out in that tumbnail :D

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Paula compares the book to the movie: Life of Pi

For my Mommabear's birthday this past weekend, she wanted to go see Life of Pi. I jumped at the chance. Usually I'm not crazy about my favorite books getting made into movies, but the previews for this one looked like they had put a lot into it.

I read Life of Pi back in high school and devoured it (heh... get it like a Tiger) in one day.  I felt every emotion with that book. It devastated me, it was thought provoking, and the ending blew. my. mind. Even years later I would think back and wonder what was real or not. If you haven't read it yet. I highly suggest you do so in the very near future.

How did the movie do? I would give it a 4.5. Here's why:

It did pretty much everything the book did. It made my whole family sob our hearts out. It illustrated the ideas about religion that the book presented. And my goodness it was BEAUTIFUL. We saw in in 2d (none of my family is very big on 3d movies... and they give the birthday girl headaches) but I can see how some of the scenes they did would have been astonishing in 3d. The colors were amazing. The transitions between scenes were really fantastically put together. I would go again just so I could immerse myself back into some of those scenes.

Why it did not get a full 5 stars. And this is a pretty big point for me... The movie lined up with the book pretty well the whole time (in fact I think it was almost a scene for scene replica) UNTIL THE END. This is a problem because the end of the book is what made it so special to me for so many years. I'm going to try and talk about this without being spoiler-y or vague. Fingers crossed. The same ending is presented in the movie... but it is done in a different way. One that is a lot less mind blowing. In fact it's almost an after thought- and just kind of meh. My family (who hadn't read the book before seeing the movie) left saying "Oh well that was nice...okay what's for dinner now" instead of going back and forth wondering what actually happened like the book does to you.

It wasn't enough to ruin the whole movie, but I think it takes away from the story as a whole. I know it's been out for a while now... but if you get a chance I would highly recommend seeing it on the big screen if you get a chance.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Paula wishes you all a Happy Turkey Day

At the beginning of October I got a new job. And I love it completely. However there has been one downside to it that is killing me. Here I am on week 4 with the same book. Granted it's A Feast For Crows so it's a long book- but still usually I would be long done with it and at least two others. By the time I get home from work all I want to do is crawl into bed without even glancing at a book. As a result I am now falling behind on my reading goal and will probably be finishing the year out with some graphic novels.

So in a quick post (so I can use my rare day of nothing to do to keep reading) I'll be listing my top 5 graphic novels/comic series. Consider it a mini TTT... but you know... on a different day... or something like that

1. Y: The Last Man by Brian K Vaughan - This was my first dive into things that weren't Mainstream comics and I judge everything I read on a scale from 1 to Y. It also introduced me to Vaughan who has written a majority of my favorite series (Runaways, Ex Machina, and his current story Saga)

2. Scott Pilgrim by Brian Lee O'Malley- The time in my life when I was reading this series weirdly paralleled a lot that happens in the series. So it holds a special place in my heart. And it is just so full of pop culture references and sweet moments and bitter sweet moments. I am so excited that he is now putting out a color edition of all the volumes AND that he has a new graphic novel coming out soon. 

<-- That cover is a on my wall in poster form :D

3. Superman: Red Son by Mark Miller- This is a standalone comic. Oh my gosh it rocked my entire world. The whole premise of it was what if Superman's ship landed in Russia instead of Kansas. It re-imagines a lot of DC mythos and characters. As a result you get this awesome dystopian crazy head trip Superman story.


4. Runaways by Brian K Vaughan- Oh no I already mentioned this series above. Am I allowed to put it on the list? It's a series that follows a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are super villains and who decide it's up to them to stop them. Of course things get out of hand and nothing goes quite right. And they have to decide whether they will be heroes or villains. My favorite part of this series? One of the characters has a psychically linked Velociraptor that protects her. It's like my dream come true. Annnd I love this series so much that I used some issues to make a pair of comic book shoes. Oooers time to show off:

5. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman- I'm sure all of you have heard of this series now that the TV show has blown up. And although I've called it quits on trying to watch the show. I love this comic series. I love the world he has created and how it's less about "AHH LOOK ZOMBIES" and more about trying to retain what's left of humanity in a world that has torn apart. How sometimes humans who have been driven mad by the apocalypse can be a bigger threat than the zombies themselves. I will always look forward to the new trade of this series being released.




And if anyone has tips for reading on a 40+ hour work week. Throw them my way because I'm desperate here.

Also! Here's a turkey!

 Happy Thanksgiving  everyone. Hope your holiday is filled with joy (and tasty food!)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Paula reviews Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto

Lizard
Banana Yoshimoto
Washington Square Press, 1996
Bought it at a used library book sale


So unfortunately I did that thing I always do where I don't write the review right after I read a book. And now it's 3 weeks later and I'm straining my brain to remember what I wanted to say about the book. Sorry I'm dumb.

This was the second book I read by Yoshimoto (my first was Kitchen which I loveeeed) and I really enjoyed it. That's saying a lot for me too because I don't usually enjoy short stories.

I'm not sure what exactly I can say that will properly imprint how the book left me feeling. Her writing is beautiful and exact. Short and to the point, and yet still capable of making me remind myself to breathe after a passage makes lose my breath.  The stories in Lizard aren't exactly related to each other- rather they all are focused around the idea of hope. She gives us snap shots of someone despairing- either because a drab day or because of life in general - and then ends the story with a glimmer of hope that makes you smile. This whole book makes the attempt to show you that things will be okay.

For example the first story shows us a man on the train who is disappointed with his life. He doesn't want to go home to his wife. He's considering just riding the train until the end of the line. Getting off there and starting all over. A random person sits down next to him and starts asking him about his wife and reminding him of the reasons he fell in love with her in the first place.  This whole book is like that. There is nothing extraordinary happening. No big revelations. Just snap shots of people going on and making the most of what they have.

Since I'm not sure if I am doing a good job explaining this book, I'll leave you with my favorite quote. When I read it, I flipped the page back and read it again. And then I called my best friend and read it to him. I probably would have read it to anyone walking past my porch at the time too.


“Your love is different from mine. What I mean is, when you close your eyes, for that moment, the center of the universe comes to reside within you. And you become a small figure within that vastness, which spreads without limit behind you, and continues to expand at tremendous speed, to engulf all of my past, even before I was born, and every word I've ever written, and each view I've seen, and all the constellations, and the darkness of outer space that surrounds the small blue ball that is earth. Then, when you open your eyes, all that disappears.
I anticipate the next time you are troubled and must close your eyes again.
The way we think may be completely different, but you and I are an ancient, archetypal couple, the original man and woman. We are the model for Adam and Eve. For all couples in love, there comes a moment when a man gazes at a woman with the very same kind of realization. It is an infinite helix, the dance of two souls resonating, like the twist of DNA, like the vast universe.
Oddly, at that moment, she looked over at me and smiled. As if in response to what I'd been thinking, she said, "That was beautiful. I'll never forget it.” 

All in all it was a quick and satisfying read. Pick it up if you get a chance. 3.5 stars  
Related Posts with Thumbnails