Because the only things I did this week were decorate 24 cakes, do far too many dishes, and finish two books, this is a post about books you should and should not read.
Books you should NOT read:
1. The Inheritance series, by Christopher Paolini. I'm probably gonna catch some flak for this, but I've come to terms with it. This series has a plotline remarkably similar to Star Wars, a setting remarkably similar to Lord of the Rings, and a cast of characters that doesn't really make up for the aforementioned faults. I mean, it's a huge accomplishment considering Paolini started the series at 15, but in my humble opinion, he should have taken some time to hone his writing skills before publishing, because he does have potential. Plus, there's a 100-page denouement that did nothing but embitter me.
2. The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. Please, PLEASE don't kill me. I'd really like to not die today. I'll defend myself by saying that the premise of the book is really good. I'm always up for a post-apocalyptic novel in which children kill each other (no sarcasm involved). The fact is that it wasn't well executed. If I wanted to read a series where the main character debates between two boys for three books, I would read Twilight. There is no character development here, and considering there's a freaking REVOLUTION going on, I could have done with fewer scenes of Katniss Getting Dressed. Never before has an uprising been less interesting (I kept waiting for Miss Pross to shoot President Snow). The books in this trilogy are quick and easy reads, partially because every time I slowed down to pay attention to the words instead of the plot, it felt like I was reading a kid's book, instead of a book about kids. Sorry, guys. Hope you don't hate me.
Books you SHOULD read instead:
1. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Cooper. This book is simply fantastic. My favorite in recent history. Or maybe ever. It was written in 2004, in the writing style of the mid to late 1800's, documenting an alternate version of England (and France, Spain, Italy, and once, hilariously, America) of the early 1800's. You follow me? First of all, it's way better than it sounds. The premise is that magic has disappeared from England, and nobody really knows why, but two magicians, Strange and Norrell, are going to bring it back. It has the snark of Jane Austen, the characters and plot twists of Charles Dickens, and the magic that I can only describe as Lemony Snicket meets J.K. Rowling. Because it's an alternate history, it includes lengthy (and often hilarious) footnotes about books that have never existed. Did I mention that it's 792 pages of thick reading, the first 150 of which are rather boring? Well, you should know that the last 150 pages of mind-blowing awesomeness are totally worth the slow start.
2. Enrique's Journey, by Sonia Nazario. I am not a non-fiction reader. This, in fact, is the third non-fiction book I've read for fun in my life, the first being Roald Dahl's autobiography, which I hardly think counts. That said, I found Enrique's Journey to be way more interesting than I had expected. It's the story of a kid from Honduras who emigrates to the States to find his mom, who left to earn money when he was five. Along the way, he gets beaten, arrested, etc.—a pretty good case study for what immigrants from Central America go through, which can be neatly described as “hell.” If you're in for an emotional read, I'd recommend it.
3. The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud. This series is so good. Like the Hunger Games, it's written in the first person from a revolutionary young woman's point of view, but it switches between Kitty (yes, the resemblances are tiring), a young man named Nathaniel (a.k.a. John Mandrake), and a demon named Bartimaeus (who is my favorite). But instead of leading an army against an autocratic government by looking pretty, Kitty leads a small band of kids against an oligarchy of magicians by generally being a badass. Nathaniel, who is the main protagonist, is generally unlikeable, and Baritmaeus basically hates every other character. It's a wonderful combination of hilarious, exciting, and interesting. Again, this is an alternate history-type fantasy, but you should do yourself a favor and read it.
Ginger's Song of the Week: As of recently, I listen to this song whenever I can, and play it for whomever will listen. My girlfriend makes fun of me all the time for it. It's far too catchy for its own good.
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