Idiosyncratic Bibliophile

I love the books. Nom nom nom...

Day 16 Favorite Female Character

Another toughie.

I think the lady who holds a special place in my heart has to be Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle. 

This is one of my all time favorite novels, because while it has a romance story in it, it is really about Sophie, her growth as a person, her acceptance of her own gifts, and acceptance of herself. The very nature of her curse is all about how she views herself, and the only way to break it is to truly see her inner strength and beauty. Honestly her romance with the wizard Howl is background noise compared to the powerful transformation of Sophie, but that is why she is such an awesome protagonist.

Day 15 Favorite Male Character

Favorite characters are hard to choose. If I had to pick a high impact series on my life, it would be the Tortall Books by Tamora Pierce. In the several series this incredibly complex world boasts, I have a particular fondness for the Trickster books. Unlike the previous three series, the female protagonist is an awesomely cunning female, who becomes a key player in overthrowing a corrupt government and putting the true queen on the throne. A woman like that needs a man to keep up with her. Or at least, a man in training. 

Ahhh, Nawat Crow, you magnificent bastard you. Nawat begins the story as a crow, who reveals all crows can change into people. It's their bloody secret dammit. He shadows Aly as she puts her plots into motion and the reader gets to not only watch them fall in love, but Nawat's hilarious transformation from Crow to Human, in mind and body. 

 

In the beginning:

“We could mate. In a year our nestlings would be large enough to mob anyone we like...Should I begin to court you? Do you like grubs or ants better?...I will be here. In case you change your mind about mating.” (Nawat)
― Tamora PierceTrickster's Choice

 

By the End:

"Aly if I die tomorrow, I want to go to the afterlife with the taste of you on my lips."- Nawat Crow

 

Day 14 Book turned to movie and completely desecrated

If I never read the books, I might have enjoyed this movie. Maybe, it wasn't that good. I was so excited to hear this was being made because the book reads like a movie. They could have lifted it right off the page and made it awesome, instead they twisted it into something godawful. The two worst sins of the movie: completely leaving out the MAIN VILLAIN of the series, and twisting the main female protagonist Annabeth. Annabeth was the great sin of this movie, she went from being the clever tactician warrior, daughter of Athena, to fucking eye-candy with a sword. Biggest waste ever.

Day 13 Favorite Writer

Day 12 A Book You Loved and Hated at the Same Time

 

I love this book, have read it multiple times, but it always left me wanting something more, like the story was "done" but incomplete 

Day 11 A book You Hated

 

Classic or not, it was the most tedious book I was ever forced to read and the first classic I couldn't finish no matter how hard I tried. The central character was so unlikable, so blase I couldn't find any motivation to keep reading of his dreary existence. 

Catching up to the 30 Book Challenge *Hangs Head In Shame*

1. Best Book you read last year

 

 

2.A Book You've Read More than Three Times

 

3. Your Favorite Series

 

4.Favorite Book of Favorite Series

 

5. A Book that Makes You Happy

 

6. Book that Makes You Sad

 

7.Book that Makes You Laugh

 

8. Most Overrated Book

 

9. A book you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving

 

10. A book that reminds you of home

Eeep! I'm Late to the Game!
Eeep! I'm Late to the Game!

Must read faster

Bloodfever (Fever #2) - Karen Marie Moning

I blame Litchick and her saucy reviews for getting me into this. 

For some reason I hadn't picked up this series before, and now I can't stop reading it. What happens next! ><

Bookcase Challenge!!!

My husband teased me the other day when I started squealing over a new book coming out.

 

"You have tons of books on you haven't read!"

 

He's right. It is one of my bad habits. Husbands are good at spotting those.

I have a book addiction. There are worse addictions, like crack, or hookers and blow. My book addiction is a complicated monster. I hoard books like there is no tomorrow, I own a lot of movies too but books take up the primary spot in our tiny household, overflowing from five (and a half) bookcases, two boxes and various flat surfaces in the house. There are piles of books on both our computer desks, a small library usually hiding in our car, piled up near the back door, and a tottering stack on the computer tower.

That's not counting the kids books.

 

My reading style is...odd. I often read multiple books at once, either because of my editing job or I need a break from an intense plot line. If I am into a book, I fly through it, if I struggle with a book, it takes me forever. I can put a book down for months and usually pick it up later right where I left off. But my book habit has a dark side, i.e. the hoarding. This problem really took off when I started working in used books. I couldn't do the same amount of impulsive buying working at Borders because then it would be like hookers and blow. Both the used bookstores I've manned gave me access to incredibly cheap books, add to that my habit of lurking in thrift stores and flea markets, I would bring home piles of books and forget about them.

 

I think subconsciously I was stocking up for the apocalypse or something (how appropriate) but I stumbled onto realization/ enlightenment when I finished reading a stack of books a friend let me borrow. I was searching for a palate cleanser and went for some good ole' YA by reading the newest series by Riordan. It was about halfway through rereading The Lost Hero when I remembered I owned the third book for a while now but had not read it. How long have I owned The Mark of Athena you ask? Well I picked it up when it first came out. about a YEAR ago. I've had it so long, book four comes out this week...

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 

 

So here is to the Bookcase Reading Challenge. Excluding the new books by favorite authors, (because that is cruel and unusual punishment) I am going to begin plowing through the unread beauties on my groaning bookcases. It is time!

In Which I Writes A Serial Novel

New Earth Six: A serialized online novel for the sci-fi aficionado  

 

 

The Short Description: A young woman is ripped from her home and sold into slavery on another world. A sister leaves behind everything she knew, seeking her brother captured in an alien raid. A scientist uncovers an ancient secret capable of sparking war between her people and their closest allies.

And that's just part one. 

Currently reading

Touched by an Alien
Gini Koch
Branded by Fire
Nalini Singh