Book Club

Ok, so my fleeting comment about starting a book club has now become a reality of life-please check out the blog at beckeebookclub.blogspot.com. Wanna join? Just let me know-we are all inclusive, and really low key! Basically just read the book if you can each month, I will set you up to be able to contribute to the blog, and you can post questions, comments, thoughts, reviews of the books as you finish them. Fun, right?! Check it out, let me know if you want in!!

Calling all Readers...mom, that means you...

Oh yeah-that's right people-this is my 400th post. Instead of thinking of that as sad, I am just going to think of all the memories I have journaled on here! Awesome!!! I am excited about that.

Now, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank my readers for reading, and to thank all of you that gave me book suggestions on my blog "Class is in Session". I just wanted to respond and update on my reading...

1-I took the first suggestion I got and took out my copy of Tess of the D'Urbervilles (yes-I own it and have never read it). I am currently reading that. (Thanks Laura)
2-I have never even heard of These is My Words, and it came recommended multiple times-I will have to look into that one for sure!
3-I have to say that I, like Natalie, love the English language and books in general. I love reading books that make me think about the world in a different way. Of the suggestions Natalie gave me, I have only read The Hiding Place (which I love!) and Anne of Green Gables (which I have not read in a long time. I am seriously behind on my classics reading and honestly, when I was assigned a "classic" to read in school-I usually skipped it...sad, I know. But I am discovering why they are called classics-I agree with Mick that classics are called that for a reasons and tend to be really good. That is probably going to be my next kick-we'll call it a classics catch-up!
4-I am glad Sarah mentioned the Koontz Frankenstein books-my in-laws also recommended those, and I had forgotten. Definitely on the list. I sadly, did not really like Life Expectancy-I think I may have had too much Koontz in a row by then...I have not read any of the other books Sarah mentioned...except...
5-Wicked-I love that book and cannot believe I didn't put it on my list. I have read most of the books by Gregory Maguire. Awesome.
6-I love teen fiction books so will certainly look for Book Thief. Has anyone else read Speak? VERY powerful book! I really was amazed by that book-very well done, kind-of sad, but so real. I read that when I was teaching high school and still find myself thinking about how I felt as I read that book all these years later. It was good. I recommend it highly and it should have been high on my list!
7-I was so excited to get recommendations from aunt Karen! Thank you so much! I have not read any of those you recommended either and I really want to read The Host. Wes read all the Christopher Paolini books though so we own them-I will read those soon.
8-Love the idea of looking at the other Pimpernel books-sadly that thought had not even crossed my mind-thanks Mick for thinking for me!
9-Great idea Mel-I love Orson Scott Card-Loved The Seventh Son books and the Ender's Game series (all should have been on my list), and have not read Lost Boys!
10-Again with Jane Austen-I have started all her books and not finished any, but I bought them all when I was in Utah and will read them all before the end of Solace's school year-just for Stefanie and Natalie! It is my goal!! There-it is in writing-no getting out of that now!
11-I loved the Work and the Glory books too and cannot believe they were not on my list-thanks for the reminder, Jen! Also loved To Kill a Mockingbird-my copy of it has been read enough that it looks like it has been through a brawl. All your suggestions look awesome! Thanks!

So, basically I have learned that I am not all that well read and have a long way to go. Thank goodness I have well-read friends and family that can help me out along the way as I try to better myself and smarten up! You are all amazingly awesome to help me out and I am excited to read, and read and read-oh and I am still taking suggestions! (Come on Mom-if ever there was a blog for you to comment on, this would be the one right up your alley!!)

Maybe I should start an online book club-I am reading Tess of the D'Ubervilles, anyone want to join me? It can be the October book of the month...I'll put it on my sidebar.

Class is in session...

Ok readers of my blog-I am asking you for help. I need some suggestions-what books should I be reading next? I find I am just reading a lot and turbo-ing through books lately, so give me some suggestions-what should I read next? I will tell you a few books I have liked to read:

Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Harry Potter books
The Twilight Series
Odd Thomas books
Wheel of Time (I am actually in the middle of it, but it takes me longer to read...)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (We read it daily!)
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Odd Thomas

OK, If you ever check out the sidebar stuff on this blog, you are aware that I have been reading Dean Koontz lately, starting with this one:

This is interesting for me because after reading my first ever Dean Koontz book, Odd Thomas, I told Wes that I felt his book was good, but that it felt a bit typical-it felt like it was quickly written with a formulaic plot, and written to make it possible for Koontz to whip out a whole bunch of book. However, somehow, I was still intrigued, and I really enjoyed the book (mostly) and found myself really interested in the title character, Odd. Little did I know that it was the first in a series. When I was at the book store a few days after finishing and overall enjoying the book, I found these:

I had not realized that Odd Thomas was the first in the series, so I bought the 2 other Odd Thomas books, and I liked them as well, and they did not run quite as formulaic! Yeah!!

Now, the newest Odd book is out only in hardback-as I cannot justify paying $20 for it, I am on the library waiting list for it (there are 80 people ahead of me!!) SO, I am anxiously awaiting it...

Now, here are a few things I want to say:

1-Since I finished the Odd books I have, I bought another Koontz book that looked interesting and also found that we (Wes really) own a couple other Koontz books, and boy was I right about the formulaic thing. I can almost guarantee that Koontz books will start with a big crazy inciting incident that will propel the rest of the book forward. That incident will inevitably set up the fact that there is some problem coming that the main character has to try to stop, but they are not exactly sure what the problem is yet, and the mystery will be to figure out what the horrible disaster is that is coming. About halfway through the book, something will happen that makes everything the main character has figured out null and void. It will be an unexpected surprise, and it will be only the first of the surprises to come. Also, there will be something supernatural or otherworldly that will happen in the books, there will be very quirky characters. The main characters will all have some sort of abusive past, and all main characters will have a crazy, crazy grandmother. The book will be told from the main characters POV.

2-That being said, the Odd Thomas books actually fall from the formula a bit as they are a series and follow the same character.

3-Regardless of the formula, I found myself soaking in the books-they are crazy, they are strange, there are plot holes and problems here and there, but they are interesting reads and a very interesting main character.

So, just to give you a very brief intro of Odd Thomas, it is about this guy that can see dead people (not unlike Haley Joel Osmond, but Odd's dead people cannot speak to him). The dead that need to finish business of this world come to Odd for help. He helps them move on if possible. He has a small group of confidants that are like a ragtag family to him, and they know his secret (about the dead people). Odd is an interesting character-one of the most interesting I have read. I cannot say a whole lot more about it without giving away important things, but I feel the first book is like a set up for the rest of the books-it is like the story that tells you the point in life that made Odd who he is going to be the rest of his adulthood.

Has anyone read there books? If not, I do recommend them. If you have read them, what did you think?

I feel a bit like I am running an English class discussion again with these last two blogs, but guess what? I like it!

Twilight Series (for Lindsey)

Lindsey asked me what I thought of the Stephenie Meyer Twilight series. My sisters both also wanted to know what I thought. First I want to say that I feel a bit amazed that anyone really cares what I think. Granted I am related to all of you, but nonetheless, thanks for caring!

Now that being said, please do not expect a super well thought out review. Part of the reason I never posted about the series was that I don't know how much I have to say, but I will attempt to fumble through my opinion in this blog.

Basically, I did enjoy this series. There were definite problems if you are reading it with a real serious outlook, but if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and just go with the rules in the world she created, it is a fun, interesting read. I recommend reading it if you just want an interesting, strange story and if you are able to suspend your disbelief. If you are Wes or are as cynical and as realistic-thinking as he is, don't bother reading it. You won't like it. Also, if you do not like vampire books, or forbidden love type stories, again don't bother. All Wes had to know about the books was that it involves a romance between a vampire and a human and he was not at all interested. All he could talk about was how that is like a human and a cow love story (because really a human is just a food source for vampires). So, of course he has not read them as he cannot and will not ever get over this block. (For those that are fans, don't even bother trying to explain the whole "vegetarian" vampire thing to him-it just makes him think it is all the more stupid.) So, now that you know Wesley's opinion, I will just say, if you have not read the series, I would recommend not reading this review as I might spoil something for you by giving away a surprise.

First, as I said, I liked the books even though my husband was a bit of a buzz-kill whenever I tried to talk to him about it. I have read a lot of reviews panning it, but as I liked it, I will just note the things I liked. As I said, there were plenty of problems, but I am always willing to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy a book, so here is what I enjoyed:

1-Interesting story and plot lines.

2-I like that Bella is a very relatable character for every girl that has ever felt like an outsider. Probably the girls that were the "it" girls in life do not relate or even get it. I think she is an average character that is well written and that she is really relatable. It makes sense that she would be so amazed by the attention from Edward, the picture of male perfection (who happens to turn out to be a vampire).

3-One thing I loved about it that I have heard others complain about is the fact that Bella is presented as very average and normal and relatable, and yet, all these boys at her school are attracted to her and throughout the book she becomes more beautiful and more extraordinary. I love that because I think that it is true to life. I think a lot of girls reading the books and relating to Bella for being so normal think of themselves that way. Remember the book is told from her point of view (mostly). She is normal and relatable because that is how she feels and that is how she presents herself to us. Later as we see her through others' eyes and as she starts to see where she is extraordinary, we see how she is not as normal and plain as we, the readers thought she was initially. I think that is so true to life that people pretty much all feel like the outsider and they have to find what makes them extraordinary. Granted it is a bit weird that being a vampire is the thing she was destined for, that she was extraordinary at, but, hey, it is something.

4-I love that Bella and I have the same birthday.

5-I like how Stephenie Meyer took the vampire legends and made them her own. Her vampires were aware of the legends and willing to explain how "real" vampires (in the world of Bella) work.

6-I love Jacob and Edward both. I loved when Sweet Home Alabama came out and it seemed for the first time, both of the options the girl had in her triangle of love were genuinely good guys. She had to choose from 2 good choices and the one she chose was still good even after she picked the other guy. It was great! In these books, I felt it was nice that the 2 guys were both likable (granted they were mortal enemies as one is a vampire and the other a werewolf). I thought the fact they were both ultimately concerned with Bella and her happiness in spite of their dislike for one another was good. I had a hard time deciding who to root for. (I will note that I HATE how the triangle pans out-the imprinting thing is too crazy though it is handled well. I just still feel like Jacob gets screwed. The imprinting thing and the whole half vampire child with a werewolf imprinting on her was just weird and it was an obvious device to force the vampires and the werewolves to work together once again to help Bella and her strangely named daughter.)

6-Overall, it was a pretty well developed story that kept me reading and wanting to know what was coming next. I did not agree with the choices, and with how the story developed, and I didn't really love how it all ended mostly all tied up with a little bow. But hey, I still found that as each plot development happened, I wanted to know what could possible happen next. I love a book that I do not want to put down, and this whole series fit in that category for me.

One thing I do have to say as a negative is that I just felt that the whole first 3 books I was being set up for a redemption of sorts for Edward, and instead, in the fourth book I got no redemption, and it seemed that he forgot entirely his whole set of morals (yes-morals for a vampire). I do not know if I am stating what I am trying to say very well here, but for those that read it, do you get what I mean?

So, those are my thoughts, disjointed and at times senseless, but there they are anyway!

Finished...

I wanted to note, I finished Breaking Dawn yesterday. I liked it overall-will write more when I can think more clearly-I currently seem to have a concussion-seriously. So, later, I promise.

Finally...

It has arrived....don't call me, I'm reading!!

It's Over...

Oh man! I just finished the last Harry Potter book, and I just cannot believe the series is over!! It is kindof sad really. But I am glad I got to read this last one before anyone ruined anything for me. That being said, I won't say anymore about it...but I can't believe it is over-what will I look forward to now?!

It's HERE!!!!!

If you notice a decline in the number of blogs I have over the next week or so, it is clearly due to the fact that I am in the middle of a couple great books...

Ah the dilemma though...I am fully into this Shadow Rising book ( I am on like page 605 I think) and really likeing it, but HARRY POTTER came out!!! Not just ANY Harry Potter book either, the last Harry Potter book....I have to read it to avoid people (mainly my mom) giving away all the surprises, but I would like to finish the Robert Jordan book first...maybe I will be nice and thoughty and let Wes read HP first...nah...then my mom will call to talk to him about all the surprises and I will overhear them...so, I guess I will just have to get busy trying to outread my mom...(I am not likely to succeed at that though, so I might just have to avoid her calls this week...)

Either way, I might be writing less this week-please enjoy my previous ramblings, try not to think too hard about them, they are not edited (Wes cannot read them without verbally editing...). Anyway-read, enjoy, comment, or just go read the new Harry Potter book and please, avoid telling me all the secrets! (Anne Clawson-I know you already read the last chapter-no giving anything away!!)