What I've been reading (mini reviews)

It's time to put up a book review, but I thought I'd put up a bunch of little reviews instead of one big one. So, these are some books I've read lately:


Species Imperative trilogy - Julie E. Czerneda

• Loved this sci-fi series, not only the fascinating world-building but the characters. Mac is a fabulous main character and the series had everything I personally require in a story - action, adventure, heartache, romance, laughs, and...near-apocalypse! (okay, I don't always need a near-apocalypse...)

The Host (The Host, #1) - Stephenie Meyer

• I knew that this wouldn't be another Twilight, but to be honest I wasn't sure what to expect. In the end, what I got was something I prefer to vampires - aliens! I was also compelled by the at-times-unhealthy romance element.

Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma

• I thought this was beautifully written, even if I really disliked Ruby for most of the story. I found her decision at the end of the story to be quite moving, and redeeming. All in all, this isn't a happy, chirpy story.

The Beggar's Opera - Peggy Blair

• This was a fairly entertaining read that kept me interested, but quite often I was confused as to who I was meant to be siding with. I guess it's good to have your assumptions and loyalties challenged in that way, though. ;)

I've also read these:

• The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan
• How To Rock Braces and Glasses - Meg Haston
• What a Boy Wants (What a Boy Wants, #1) - Nyrae Dawn
• The Witches of Santa Anna (The Witches of Santa Anna, #1-7) - Lauren Barnholdt

What have you read lately?

The Spark Blogfest

This is the last blogfest (and it's a contest, too!) on my list for a while. It runs from August 22-26, so there's still time to sign up! You can add your name to the list over at Christine Tyler's website. Anyway, let's get on with it! Here is what is required in the Spark Blogfest:

What book made you realize you were doomed to be a writer?

What author set off that spark of inspiration for your current Work in Progress?

Or, Is there a book or author that changed your world view?

As writers, we're always striving to get out a message of inspiration to others. This blogfest is a celebration for those who have done this for us. Join the Spark Blogfest, aka Sparkfest, by posting your answer to any of the three prompts above (or make one up as long as it fits the theme). - Christine Tyler

So, I thought I'd have a go at answering all the questions, just for fun!

What book made you realise you were doomed to be a writer?
Well, I've been writing stories since I was a kid, but probably the first books that inspired me to write something that took a bit more commitment than a short story were the Point Horror (etc.) books. I mentioned these books on my blog back in March of this year. I'd say they were the main inspiration for my first extended story (my English teacher jokingly called it "the novel"), The Winter Downfall. It was a terrible story, but it was the beginning of me trying to write longer works.

What author set off that spark of inspiration for your current Work in Progress?
Well, if we take SUNDOWN (et. al.) as my current WIP, even if they're complete and I'm far into revisions, I guess I can thank Stephenie Meyer and her TWILIGHT series. Or rather, I can thank all the women who read TWILIGHT and fell in love with Edward Cullen. I read somewhere about women's reasons for loving Edward, and it got me thinking about what sort of hero I'd love to read about in a novel. Unsurprisingly if you know me at all, he turned out to be a humble rock star. So yeah, that's how SUNDOWN and friends were born.

Is there a book or author that changed your world view?
I'm sure there are countless books or authors I could mention here, but I want to mention Emergency Sex (and Other Desperate Measures), which three peaceworkers wrote together. It details their experiences in some of the world's most war-torn locations. How did it change my view of the world? You can read about it in my GoodReads review, but suffice it to say it made me question how I thought of war and foreign intervention in civil war zones, a subject very near and dear to my heart both before and after reading this amazing book.

Novel Films Blogfest, whee!

It's time for the Novel Films Blogfest, hosted by the super groovy Madeleine over at Scribble and Edit! This blogfest requires that we list novels, comics and plays that we have read AND have seen the film/TV adaptations. I went through a really sizable list of books that have been converted to movies, and pretty fast I realised I haven't read/seen many combos at all. So not only will I list those that make the proper list, but I'll add a few other lists to the end too, just for fun. Just a note before I begin - the rules don't state that you have to LOVE both the book and the movie, just that you have to have read the book and seen the movie in each case.

READ/SEEN (even if I can't remember some too well. hehe)

1. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
2. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
3. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

4. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
   
5. Emma by Jane Austen
6. 
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

7. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
8. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (book: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) by Roald Dahl

9. The Witches by Roald Dahl
10. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
11. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
    
12. The Stand by Stephen King
13. Harry Potter and the [insert book/movie title here] by J.K. Rowling.

Now, my extra lists, just for fun!

FEEL THE COMPULSION, HAVING SEEN THESE, TO READ THEIR RESPECTIVE BOOKS:

• The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver

• Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

• The Color Purple by Alice Walker

• Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake

• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

• Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter

• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
• 
Field of Dreams by W.P. Kinsella (book: “Shoeless Joe”)

• Forrest Gump by Winston Groom

• Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
• 
Gorillas in the Mist by Diane Fossey

• He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt
• Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman


HATED THE MOVIE, WON'T READ THE BOOK UNLESS SOMEONE PAYS ME

• A Clockwork Orange by Antony Burgess


And now I consider this blogfest done! Except for the part where I visit everyone else's entries to see their lists!

Books read so far in 2011

So far in 2011, I've finished reading the following books:

Currently I'm reading this:

And who knows what I'll read next?! I have an entire shelf on my "to be read before I read anything else" shelf. And then I have most of another bookcase full of books - my "to be read at some point" collection. Just a note before I post this...I've definitely added a few titles to my "favourites" shelf at GoodReads this year. And you can see my reviews of all these titles on GoodReads (some are more extensive than others). As for non-spoiler reviews, I wrote about "Grotesque" and "The Brutal Art" in this blog.