Post number nine is for Nikki Sixx's autobiography, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of A Shattered Rock Star. The following will contain spoilers, although if you're interested at all in this book, or have read The Dirt, you probably already know the gist because you're more than likely a fan of Nikki Sixx, and he's never been shy about telling you what he's done in his life.
Anyway, here is the obligatory spoiler space!
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This book was very O_O-inducing, as I'd expected it to be, having read portions of The Dirt. It is really amazing that this guy is still alive today. There were several parts that made my jaw drop open (including a line from a Canadian DJ who got fired the day after having Nikki and Tommy on his show during the Girls, Girls, Girls tour) but one entry just cracked me up completely (the book was literally Nikki's diary that he kept from December 1986-December 1987 that they turned into a book, with notes and things added in by people who were a part of Nikki's life during this time). It was from October 1, 1987, when the big earthquake hit LA.
I didn't know what to do so I ran outside, pipe in hand, and the door locked itself behind me. I was naked and had to run around the back of the house and break the window to get in. Then the alarm went off, and the security company called. Days like this I wish I didn't get out of bed.
5 p.m. Flushed the coke in case there is another quake. I don't think my heart can take it...
While the first part of this is what made me laugh out loud, it was the line about how he didn't think his heart could take another shock that kind of made me sit up. His diary is full of lines like this: "I've got to stop, this is going to kill me", "I've got to get help", "I've got to get a grip", etc. He knew he had a serious problem, but just didn't know how to stop. And his lifestyle - and that of his bandmates - just made it even worse. I did like seeing the entries that were written while Guns N' Roses was touring with Mötley - compared to them, GN'R was downright tame. And it amused me that Nikki thought Axl was a twat because he wouldn't party with them; say what you will about the man, but he, at least, managed to stay clean.
It was kind of interesting to see just how smart Nikki was when he wasn't high. He wrote several things in his diaries that have since come true (the downfall of the Hair Metal genre due to all the copycat bands that followed in Mötley's footsteps and the fact that Dr. Feelgood, the album that Nikki wrote once he got clean, went to #1) and there was also a note about how he managed to get Mötley's back catalogue out of the clutches of their record label - something no other band (to my knowledge) has ever accomplished. (In fact, there was something like a gag order on Nikki and anyone else related to the coup that said they couldn't tell how they did it in the book because the label didn't want anyone else taking a page out of Nikki's book.) And the fact that he did it while he was drugged out of his mind was pretty damn amazing; just think of everything he could have accomplished if he'd spent more time being sober.
It also amazes me that Nikki Sixx turned 50 this month! The man doesn't look it. In fact, I think he's even better to look at now than he was when he was younger. Observe!
Sigh. He's so pretty. :-P
Anyway, if you're at all interested in Mötley
Crüe or Nikki Sixx I recommend the book. But be forewarned; there are
definitely plenty of parts that are downright dark and nasty.
Post #8 is for Into
the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport
by Mark Jonathan Harris and Deborah Oppenheimer. This is yet another
book about the Holocaust, but instead of talking about the concentration
camps and the millions of people who were killed, this book talked about
those children – more than 10,000 of them – who were sent by their
families to England on the Kindertransport, and who,
as a result of their families' sacrifices, survived the war.
The book is made up of several
personal narratives. We hear stories from some of the children who were
sent to England, stories from a few of the parents who gave their children
up, stories from the organizers of the Kindertransport,
and stories from the families that took the children in.
I'm going to cut for spoilers,
even though this is history, so I'm not really sure there are actual
"spoilers". But I suppose it is better to be safe than sorry.
So:
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The book started with a description
of each Kind's childhood prior to Kristallnact.
Most of them came from very affluent homes in Czechoslovakia, Austria
and Germany, although one boy was sent to an orphanage when his father
was killed and his mother could no longer support him. It talked about
how they were kicked out of their regular schools and sent to Jewish
schools, and then eventually were even told they couldn’t attend school
at all. It was at this point where parents were becoming desperate to
get themselves and their children out of Europe, but most of them weren't
able to do so. After a call from a friend about the goings-on in the
Sudetenland, Nicholas Winton, a British citizen, traveled to Czechoslovakia,
where the groundwork was laid for the start of the transport. When Norbert
Wollheim, a German Jew, also got on board, the Kindertransport
was born.
The book broke up each Kind's
stories so that you could literally travel through Nazi Germany in the
years prior to the war. You got to see how they were living prior to
Hitler reaching the height of his power, how bad things got once he
had, and what happened when people started disappearing to the concentration
camps. The stories were very poignant; I can't even count the number
of times I got tears in my eyes.
Here are some examples:
One narrator, Lory Cahn, was
supposed to travel to England. She was even on the train when suddenly,
her father decided he absolutely couldn't part with her, and yanked
her right out of the window of the train. Her family was eventually
deported to Terezin (Therensienstadt), where she was eventually sent
to Auschwitz, then to a series of seven other camps, before she was
finally liberated at Bergen-Belsen. Her mother was also sent to Auschwitz,
but she was killed in the gas chambers. Her father survived the war.
The other Kind
(those children who traveled to England on the Kindertransport)
all made it to England, where their stories were very different. One
boy was taken in by a very loving family and treated very very well.
One girl (who originally traveled with her younger brother, and was
eventually joined by her little sister) was made to do housework and
was treated very cruelly by her foster parents. Two sisters were raised
by a widow who did her very best by them, and although she didn't have
a lot, gave the girls everything she could. Another girl was originally
chosen to be the bride of the foster family's son, who had fallen in
love with a Christian girl; the parents were hoping she would provide
a Jewish alternative.
Another girl was nearly starved
by her first foster family, before being moved to a much better family
a few months later. And a few of the Kind were actually
rejoined with their families in England, after they'd written letters
and gotten job visas for their parents.
After arranging for over 10,000
children to get out of Nazi Germany and the occupied areas, Norbert
Wollheim was arrested by the SS and transferred to Auschwitz, where
his wife and three-year-old son were immediately murdered in the gas
chambers. Wollheim was the only member of his family (over 70 people
total when considering all the extended relatives) to survive the Holocaust.
In a period of history where there was so much death and destruction, it's nice to hear that there really were people who cared, and did their absolute best to help those people who were in such trouble thanks to Hitler's views. There's a documentary that this book is based off of that I've added to my Blockbuster Queue. I expect it will bring on the waterworks just like the book did.
Post number seven is for The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. I was not even aware of this book until today, when I spent an inordinate amount of time browsing Amazon for books. I originally went on to look for Flowers for Algernon, and somehow stumbled upon this book, thanks to the "Customers who bought this book also bought" thing that Amazon so nicely supplies. And since I've always had an interest in the Holocaust, I decided I'd check it out from my local library and give it a read. It's a really short book, as far as these things go - only 170 pages - and I finished it just a few minutes ago.
What follows will contain spoilers, so please avoid if you're so inclined.
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I think this book is a good one to teach upper elementary kids about the Holocaust. While it is completely fictionalized from everything from the characters to the setting, it's written in a way that still shows the horrors of what the Nazis did in a way that's not so overwhelming for someone younger. Make no mistake - the book is sad - but it provides more of a message of hope and even warning than anything else.
One thing I didn't see coming was that Rivka, the girl who befriends Hannah in the camp (which was not a real camp but instead had elements from all the other concentration/death camps that really did exist), was actually Hannah's Aunt Eva. And that Grandpa Will, whose ravings and ramblings embarrassed Hannah, was actually a Sonderkommando, one of the many Jewish males who were responsible for taking the bodies of the dead (as well as those who were "chosen") to the crematorium. It has been said that Jewish survivors of the Holocaust often thought worse of the Sonderkommandos than they did even the Nazis, because they were Jews, and were helping the Nazis destroy their own people. This explanation helps the reader (and Hannah) understand why Grandpa Will has the most trouble dealing with the events of what happened even all these years later.
I will admit that the end, with Hannah telling Eva what the number on her arm stood for (J for Jew, 1 because you were alone, alone of the 8 who had been in your family, though 2 was the actual number of them alive.Your brother was a Kommando, so he thought he was a 0. You said, when things were over, you would be two again forever. J18202.), brought tears to my eyes. How the only people from Chaya's village to survive the camp were Gitl and Yitzchak, and how Gitl had started an adoption agency that she'd called Chaya, in honor of the girl - whose life Hannah had fallen into - who had given her life so that Rivka could live, and could carry on the memory of what had happened. The whole final bit was so bittersweet, but also poignant, and overall, a fitting ending to the story. I'm very glad I read this book. :)
Post number six is for Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember. I'd learned about this book thanks to my working for 2+ years in the bookstore, and bought it because it looked interesting and the Children's Lead said she enjoyed it. It sat on my shelf for a long while, though, until I finally picked it up a few days ago, and read right through it. Part of my desire to finally read it (since it wasn't on my To-Read List for 2008) is because the film is coming out soon, and I wanted to read the book prior to seeing the movie. A lot of people I've talked to didn't like the book, but I actually did. I thought it was cleverly crafted and I adored the main character - so much so that I'm anxiously awaiting my paycheck so that I can get the sequel. :-P
As is the usual with these posts, what follows is a brief writeup of my thoughts regarding City of Ember. It will contain spoilers, so if you want to remain spoiler-free it'd be best to make use of your back button. :)
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I was only vaguely aware of what exactly this book was about when I picked it up and started reading. It was a Mark Twain Award Nominee a few years ago (and won), so the kids where I work were vaguely familiar with it, and it spends a lot of time checked out, which usually means it's got to be pretty decent because the majority of our students don't do a whole lot of reading. From the very beginning of this story I felt myself drawn in to the world that DuPrau had created - a city underground (although the citizens don't know this) where everything is provided for them and day and night are dictated by time - day starts when the floodlights turn on, and night starts when they go off. You can see from the get-go, though, that things in Ember are wearing down: there aren't as many things available to buy, some types of food are becoming scarce, clothes and furniture are wearing out and being patched as best as possible. There's hardly any paper left, and colored pencils are something out of Lina's dreams. And worst of all for Ember: the lights are flickering.
The book has a brief prologue which shows us the mysterious builders, who designed Ember. They've set up some instructions, which are to pass from one mayor to the other, and are kept safe in a time-locked box. The box is set to open in 220 years, but, in typical fashion, gets lost, and the knowledge of the box is lost as well.
It's the year 241 (give or take), and Lina and her classmates are receiving their job assignments (and let me just say that the idea of going to work at the age of twelve is simply mind-boggling). Lina originally draws Pipeworker, but Doon, who has the coveted Messenger job, asks her to switch. Lina is ecstatic and rushes home to tell her granny, who she lives with after her parents both died, and her little sister Poppy. Doon believes that there's something horribly wrong with Ember and is hoping that, by being a Pipeworker, he'll get access to the generator, which keeps Ember's lights going.
Lina loves her job, but right from the beginning she senses something not right and she realizes that Doon was correct - Ember is failing. Doon gets a look at the generator and realizes that it's falling apart, and there isn't a thing anyone can do about it because no one actually knows how it works, because the knowledge of electricity has gotten lost through time. Lina is descended from one of Ember's mayors - the mayor, in fact, who took the secret box out of its hiding place and lost it. Lina's Granny, whose health is failing, goes on a mad search for a "lost item" - which turns out to be this secret box. Lina finds the Instructions, but they're missing words and letters because Poppy got hold of them and ate them. She does her best to glue the pieces of paper together, and shows various people what she found. Doon takes an avid interest in the Instructions, and thus begins the adventure.
I really liked the tension of this book - I could feel Doon and Lina's uncertainty and fear through the pages. They both have realized that Ember is dying, and are trying desperately to find a way to help. What they obviously don't realize is that they were never supposed to be in Ember for that long - they are at least 21 years overdue to leave, which is why the food and other resources are running out, and why the generator is failing. They're also fighting against a mayor who is dirty; he and his guards (and some of the storeroom employees) are taking more than they should be - even items that are supposedly gone completely - and stockpiling them or using them for themselves. They realize that the only way to "save" Ember is to decipher these mysterious Instructions. Lina shows the Instructions to Clary, who worked with her father in the greenhouses, and realizes that they aren't Instructions for saving Ember but Instructions for Egress - exit. Once this is realized the book really got moving, and was very enjoyable imo.
I loved how Doon and Lina put the clues together, and I loved how they uncovered the secrets of Ember's mayor. I loved the thought the Builders put in to the exit plan, but was struck with how much knowledge was lost in those 241 years the people were in Ember. They have very limited knowledge of fire - candles are an unknown - and they have no "moveable light", so cannot explore the Unknown Regions. And yet, this Exit Plan hinges on their ability to figure out candles and matches, which luckily Doon and Lina manage. Another thing they know hardly anything about is water, and they certainly never went into the river that ran through the Pipeworks - in fact, several people over the years had died because they fell in the water.
The day of the Singing was the most exciting part of the book, because you could really feel that Lina and Doon were on the run and hiding. I loved the songs, and the emotions they evoked in Lina, and I loved that she was able to get her sister, although I wish she could have taken Mrs. Murdo along to. The boat ride down the river, and the flickering candles, and the journal Poppy found on the shores, and the plaque welcoming the "Refugees of Ember" and Lina and Doon's reaction to the moon and the stars, and the sun. It was interesting to see things we're already familiar with through the eyes of someone who isn't - the birds, the bugs, the fox - they were all utterly fascinating to Lina.
And then you had their reaction to seeing Ember far below them and realizing that they were underground the entire time - I cannot even imagine what was going through their minds at that realization. But I'm glad Mrs. Murdo was the one to pick up Lina and Doon's letter with the instructions and the note about where they were, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
I also am interested in seeing how they're going to adapt this to the big screen. Hopefully it will be an entertaining film.
I have really got to get into a better reading groove. My total number of books read for this year is truly appalling. :))
Book number five for this year is Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, which has been on my reading list for the past two years. I was originally aiming to have this read by February, in order to see the film in theatres, but that didn't happen, and in fact I didn't even see the film. I have put it into my Blockbuster Online queue, though, so that will be rectified soon.
What follows contains spoilers. I don't know how thorough or anything I'll be, as I have a headache and am very tired, but I do want to get my initial thoughts down "on paper", if you will, before I forget anything.
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I want to preface this by saying I have always been a fan of historical fiction, because I am a huge history nerd. This does not mean that I know a lot of inane facts or anything like that, but rather that I LOVE history as a subject, and especially like it when it's done in a way that's engaging and interesting to read. I know that The Other Boleyn Girl is not completely historically accurate - in fact, the book prompted me to do some research online about the Boleyns, and there actually isn't a whole lot known about Mary, who is the narrator of the story, or George, who I really adored (wah!), or even about Anne, who has remained the most famous of them historically because she was the Queen of England for a time. Because this was a story based on Mary's feelings and reactions, a lot of that had to be fabricated, because there's no way for anyone living now to know how she was actually feeling during all of this.
I think we know abstractly how life in the English Court worked way back in the day, for lack of a better phrase. We knew they married young, that they were strictly ruled by religion, and we also knew that Henry VIII was a huge womaniser. But knowing it abstractly and actually reading about a thirteen-year-old girl being married off to a much-older husband still had me raising a few eyebrows. I cannot even IMAGINE this. I'm quite a lot older than thirteen right now and would rail against anyone trying to marry me off to the best person available. Ack. And then you have everything else that Mary was forced to do - leave her husband to bed the King, just to try to move her family up the social ladders, then just willingly step aside for her sister to take her place even though she was the one who'd given him two children, to eventually having to watch the utter ruin of her family and those she loved. It makes you very sympathetic for her, and I am very VERY glad that she was able to attain her happy ending.
I utterly loathed Anne for a great deal of this book. But, because we were seeing her through Mary's eyes, I think that was what Gregory was going for. Mary says more than once in the book that she was always looking for a way to best her sister, after all, and while they loved each other, I think their main purpose in life was to make each other miserable. I liked watching Anne's struggle while she was trying to hold Henry at arm's length prior to his "divorcing" Katherine, the neverending show she had to put on for him and for everyone else watching her. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but her treatment of Mary (and even George, though to a slightly lesser extent) made that really *really* difficult. She had that sparkle, that dry wit and quick tongue. She was beautiful (according to Mary - I've read elsewhere that she really wasn't all that pretty, it was more the way she carried herself that made her attractive), and seemed to go to any length to achieve her ultimate desire - to be Queen. But she destroyed so much of herself and her family to get there that you can't help but think what happened to her in the end was fate. That being said, I think, in the end, I do feel sorry for her. She really didn't have a great life when it was all said and done.
On the other hand, I adored George, even though he was sometimes just as guilty of throwing Mary to the wolves as everyone else in her family. However, he had a sparkle about him - he was intelligent, funny, and, probably the most attractive part of him: suffering. He so desperately wanted what he knew he couldn't have. He was clearly in love with Sir Francis, but there was also a definite attraction between him and his sisters as well (again, possibly completely fictionalized, although he *was* arrested in the end on those charges, so who really knows?). He married an absolutely poisonous woman, again because his family told him to, and clearly wanted to be anywhere else but with her. I do wonder what exactly he and Anne got up to when Mary was away all those times - was he the father of the horribly disfigured baby that Anne miscarried? Or was her "journey to hell and back" something crafted by a witch? (I should note that the bit about the disfigured baby is possibly also made up - I didn't see anything about that in any of the information I was reading online.) The saddest part about George's story is that he was literally killed by his own ambition. He did anything and everything he was told to do by a family that cared not one whit about his happiness. His first job was to get Mary into Henry's bed. He did this, then had to basically supplant one sister with the other, even though he clearly loved them both. Then he had to help Anne keep Henry's interest, and then had to get her on the throne. Then he had to *keep* her on the throne, which was the hardest part of all, and when it became apparent that the only way to make sure she remained Queen was to get pregnant, he quite possibly helped her achieve that as well. At the very least he helped cover up her previous miscarriages, as did Mary. And neither of them saw any reward for any of it.
Make no mistake - I blame a lot of it on George himself, as well as Anne and the rest of their family, because he could have done what Mary did and just given up on the whole Court way of life. He teases Mary about being Mrs. Nobody but there was an underlying yearning for the same thing for himself - and it was just never going to happen because of how deeply he was entwined with Anne. At least he got some happiness with Sir Francis, even if it was terribly short-lived. I think George deserved love and happiness as much as Mary did, and it's sad that only one Boleyn was able to have that.
The one character I loved from the first instant they were introduced was William Stafford. He was fabulously written, even if most of what he said and did was fictionalized. He had great one-line comebacks and really made Mary choose what she wanted, which was novel for her because prior to William she had always just done what she was told and hadn't really had to make decisions for herself. I was glad that they were married (and WOW Anne's reaction to that news and the news that Mary was pregnant O_O what a bitch!) and that, after everything they were able to find a bit of peace in the countryside together with their family. <3
I also can't help but laugh a little at the irony of it: Henry never did get his legitimate son. Sure looks like he WAS the one to blame, after all. Henry was so convinced of his unlimitless power that he did anything and everything he wanted. Anne should have realized the monster she was creating; maybe then she would have been better prepared to help keep it at bay. Instead she was killed, and her family was destroyed - all except the sister she loved to better. Looks like Mary finally got the last laugh.
Erm. *blows dust off journal* So, it's been a while, once again. Oops? Will try to rectify that.
Post #4 for 2008 is for Rick Riordan's fourth book in his Percy Jackson & the Olympians series - The Battle of the Labyrinth - which I was UBER excited about. I simply ADORE this series. So much love. <3333
As usual, the following will contain spoilers, which I will post after a typical spoiler space. I realize that this was a highly-anticipated book for pretty much everyone following this series, so PLEASE do not read any more if you've not yet read it and don't want to be spoiled. Thank you!
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I was very VERY excited for this book's release. Of course, my non-reading mood kept me from jumping right into it, but I did finally get around to it - two months after the fact. :D But, as with all the other Percy Jackson books, I found it difficult to put down, and thanks to a bout of insomnia (thankfully not terribly frequent) I managed to finish it all in one go, finishing this morning at around 6:30AM. Of course, now that I've finished this one, I desperately want the next one, which won't be released until next year. I hate that. :-P
ANYWAY.
Things I liked: Nico finally realizing that Percy was not to blame for his sister's death, Annabeth kissing Percy before she left him in Hephaestus' ford, Clarisse not being such a horrid bully (and the fact that Dionysus cured Chris Rodriguez, yay), Nico's really REALLY interesting powers/abilities, the labyrinth, Annabeth's jealousy over Rachel's inclusion in the quest and Percy's obtuseness about the whole thing, Percy's mom's reaction to see Poseidon again (hee!) and Paul Blofis' reaction to the news Tyson is Percy's brother (and also: "Blowfish?" "No, Blofis." "Shame, I really like blowfish."), the fact that Grover FINALLY found Pan, even though the ending wasn't what he wanted ... God. Really I could list the entire book.
I am wondering how much longer it's going to take Percy to realize that Annabeth is crushing on him hard. Boys can be so stupid about things like this, especially fifteen-year-old boys, that I hope something helps get him on the right track. I mean, for God's sake, Percy, she KISSED YOU. That MEANS SOMTHING, YOU IDIOT! And the resulting butterflies in your stomach mean something, too. Gah. SO FRUSTRATING! :)) Now we know how Annabeth feels, poor girl.
Interesting that after everything that happened in the last book, Thalia didn't appear once. I wonder if we'll see her again? I liked that Percy noticed Zoe's constellation in the sky, though. Wah, Zoe. :(( Also wah-inducing was Calypso, who is being punished by the Gods for something she wasn't really involved in. It seems that the Gods really like showing you what you desperately want and then taking it away from you. How awful to always be by yourself, but then to get this visitors that you know you're going to fall in love with even though you also know they're going to leave you.
I like that they had to go to Hephaestus for help, since he's a God that's mentioned a lot and never seen. Such a clever guy who really hasn't had it very easy, you know? I mean, he's married to Aphrodite, who doesn't seem to give him the time of day, his mother was so distraught over how he looked that she tossed him off a mountain, and he just really doesn't seem to have anyone that he's close to. What a lonely existence.
Then of course you have Daedalus, who is an even sadder story. I was actually surprised by the twist of Quintus being Daedalus - didn't see that one coming at all. I'm glad he figured out what needed to be done in the end, even if he had a lot of trouble getting there. I liked Annabeth's comment that children of Athena needed to be wise and not just clever, and am wondering if we'll see any more of this from Annabeth herself. She had to make a lot of tough decisions here, the hardest of which she's probably still struggling with at the end, which is the fact that she's going to have to let her version of Luke go, because he's just not that guy any longer.
Speaking of Luke, I am so intrigued over what exactly he had to do to make his body able to support Kronos. I wonder if there really is any of Luke himself left there. I'm also assuming that Backbiter, his sword, was always the scythe of Kronos, but am curious how exactly he got hold of it, as I'm guessing Zeus didn't just leave it lying about. Also, the bit about him fearing Percy, but how that won't be a problem any longer because Kronos himself does NOT fear him - will that come into play? If there *is* any of Luke left, can that possibly have an effect on Kronos' ability? Could be very intriguing, I'm thinking.
Interesting that Ethan was the son of a minor-Goddess, as I was thinking everyone at the camp was a son or daughter of one of the big Gods/Goddesses. Or at least, everyone we've been introduced to is. Also interesting is the fact that Percy's powers keep growing, as do Nico's. Is this simply because they are a child of one of the big three? Would Thalia's powers have kept growing if she'd not become a Hunter? Or will they still? Will we even see anymore of Artemis and her hunters?
I also want to know what Hera's punishment for Annabeth's words to her at the end is going to be. Hera can be very vengeful - in fact, I think she's the God/Goddess who is the *most* vengeful of all - so I'm thinking that, whatever it is, it probably won't be good AT ALL for Annabeth.
I'm glad that, at the end, Nico seems more willing to really help the other demigods in their battle against Kronos. I can't wait to read their conversation. I can't wait to see what's going to happen between Annabeth and Percy, can't wait to see if we're going to see more of Rachel, and finally, can't wait to see how they're going to destroy Kronos. Because that HAS to happen, right? I mean, these ARE children's books, after all. :-P
I think, however, that my absolute favorite line in this whole book was Poseidon's comment to Percy in the kitchen: "...you, Percy, are my favorite son."
Yes, indeed. <333
Wow, long time, no post. I seem to have taken a four-month long break from reading! However, here is my third book of the year: City of Ashes, which is the second book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare.
As usual, the following will contain spoilers. If you've not read this book and don't want to be spoiled, please don't read any further. Thanks!
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City of Ashes left me feeling much the same way as City of Bones did – confused. :-P Throughout the first book, I was rooting for Clary and Jace to hook up, only to find out that they're brother and sister and that's not so much the Done Thing. Even though I know this, there is still something about them – and their feelings for each other – that makes me wish it were possible for them to be together. I think part of what contributes to this is the fact that they are already in love with each other, and they're struggling with that. When Jace tells Clary that he wants to be with her and they can simply go away to be together, a part of me was really rooting for that to happen. But it totally can't – whether they (or the readers) like it or not, as it stands right now they are siblings, and, as Jace tells Clary at the end, they cannot live or love in a vacuum, no matter how much they may want to.
There are still several unanswered questions left as well. Most of them came directly from this book, although there are definitely other questions that the first book brought up as well. I am especially curious about who Luke was talking about when he was telling Jace and Clary about the Inquisitor's son (page 352).
"…Valentine didn't think Stephen's wife was suitable for him. Not for someone who was going to be second in command of the Circle … Valentine forced Stephen to divorce Amatis and remarry…"
So who, exactly, is Amatis, and why was Luke having such a hard time talking about her? Is she possibly Luke's sister? Or related to him? He mentions that Valentine thought she had "undesirable family connections", which would fit in with Luke's lycanthropy, but I just don't know. I hope we find out – I definitely want to know more about Valentine's original Circle, and the people who were a part of it.
Another thing that made me sort of O_O was when Valentine was talking to Clary before Jace found her (page 417).
"…She told me," he went on, as if Clary hadn't spoken, "that I had turned her first child into a monster. She left me before I could do the same to her second. You…."
"She'd never say that," Clary whispered. "Jace isn't a monster. Neither am I"
"I wasn't talking about—"
And then of course Jace actually showed up so Valentine didn't finish his sentence. But does this mean there's *another* Morgenstern sibling we haven't yet met? How many kids does Valentine have? And was this other sibling by Jocelyn or someone else? This part actually made me want to stomp in frustration, because Valentine was actually being forthcoming with information. Ugh!
Other questions I have are:
Why does Jace have that scar in the shape of a star on his shoulder? It's the Morgenstern symbol, but why is it carved in his skin? And why was the Inquisitor so interested in it? She said, "You can't be," like that symbol means something extra special. And I wonder what that is.
Can Simon now be in the sunlight because of Jace's blood in his veins? Is that why Valentine was so angry that Jace let Simon drink his blood? Or is there going to be more side effects from that?
What exactly is the extent of Clary and Jace's special abilities? Clary's is "the gift of words that cannot be spoken" and Jace's "the Angel's own gift". Clary's seems to be her rune-writing ability, but what, exactly, is "the Angel's own gift"?
How exactly *does* Jocelyn feel about Luke? Does she love him like he loves her? I hope so – I really hope at least *someone* in this story can be with the person they love. There's enough forbidden love and unrequited love in this series already. :-P
Who is Madeleine Bellefleur, and why was she so interested in Clary when she saw her in the graveyard? And does this interest extend to Jace as well? Was it simply because she's a friend of Jocelyn or is there more to it? At least with Madeleine we'll most likely learn more, as she's the one who (apparently) can cure Jocelyn. And I'll bet Luke knows her, too, since it seems like she was maybe a part of the Circle, or at least around Luke and Jocelyn during that time.
Other things I liked:
Alec and Magnus' relationship, although here again it seems like Alec is only with Magnus because he can't have the person he actually wants. I loved the part when Alec was about to tell his parents and Isabelle about Magnus thanks to the fearless rune, and Magnus knocked him out. :))
Clary's ability is absolutely fantastic, especially at the end, when she tore apart Valentine's ship. Although I found it interesting that Valentine thought he could tell what it said ("Mene mene tekel upharsin." – anyone have a translation?) and the emotions that showed on his face when he saw what she'd done – triumph, horror, despair and delight – and once again it seemed like he was going to say something important, but then the ship completely blew apart.
Jace. He's an extremely interesting character, because you can tell that a part of him desperately wants to please his father, but he knows he can't, because his father is insane. I loved that he was getting upset because people were guessing what he'd told Valentine about his offer ("I wish people would stop guessing that. It's making me feel predictable."). His abilities also seem quite interesting, but not really (as of yet) as interesting as Clary's rune-writing ability. Although the way he's able to jump such huge distances has to be a great advantage to any Shadowhunter.
I like the added bits of humor throughout the story, as it helps to keep the subject matter from getting too dark. Even though there's a lot of dark stuff happening (not just because of the demons they're fighting, or the things they're dealing with) but also because of the relationship issues that seemingly everyone is going through. An example of the humor that jumps out at me was between Jace and Magnus.
"…Who wants to do me?"
"A regrettable choice of words," muttered Magnus.
Hee. :)
The ending conversation between Jace and Clary sort of broke my heart, though. Because while Jace was trying to tell Clary that he'd just be her brother, Clary was trying to say she didn't want him to behave like her brother. Again, it's the whole forbidden love thing, and that just *hurts*.
"I'll just be your brother from now on," he said, looking at her with a hopeful expectation that she would be pleased, which made her want to scream that he was smashing her heart into pieces and he had to stop. "That's what you wanted isn't it?"
WAH, no. It's not what she wants, and it's not really what Jace wants either, but it's what has to be done, because they just can't be together. This isn't quite Will and Lyra proportions by any means, but it still majorly sucks, and I wish Wish WISH that they weren't related. :(
There's so much that I enjoy about these books – the subject matter, the whole world of the Shadowhunters, the supporting characters (especially Luke, and Simon, and Magnus, and and and…). I even like Valentine; I feel that he's a worthy nemesis for everyone, which is not always the case. And I loved the conversation between the two werewolves in Taki's:
A pair of werewolves occupied a booth … and [were] arguing about who would win in a fight: Dumbledore from the Harry Potter books or Magnus Bane.
"Dumbledore would totally win," said the first one. "He has the badass Killing Curse."
"But Dumbledore isn't real."
"I don't think Magnus Bane is real either," scoffed the first. "Have you ever met him?"
Love. <3
The other thing I love about these books is that they're really fast reads, which make them more enjoyable for me to read. I am eagerly awaiting the third installment, but of course have to wait another year. Alas. That's the worst part about reading WIP trilogies – the wait for the next installment is torture.
If anyone else has any thoughts or comments about City of Ashes (or City of Bones) feel free to post them. I'd love to chat with folks about Cassie's world. :)
My second post of the year is The Amber Spyglass, the third book in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
Now that I've finished this, I'm going to turn my attention to some of the books that have been on my To-Read list for the past two years. However, it took me a couple of days to write up my review for The Amber Spyglass because I was so emotionally exhausted after finishing it that reliving the book was just as difficult. That being said, I'm pretty happy with what I've come up with, and hope that it's at least a little interesting to everyone who stumbles upon this post.
As usual, the following will contain spoilers. If you've not read this book and don't want to be spoiled, please don't read any further. Thanks!
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Upon finishing The Amber Spyglass, I tried to think objectively about what I’d read, and, with tears still streaming down my face and my head aching from the ending and my heart broken into pieces, I realized that I most likely would never be able to. Try as I may, I think my emotions will always control my judgment.
That said, I am going to try to talk about The Amber Spyglass as a whole, and not just the ending, because this book gave me so much to think about, and is such a magnificent piece of writing, that it would be unfair to focus solely on only one thing.
I don’t think any book has played with my emotions as much as this one did. I felt like I was watching the third Pirates movie, with all the crossing and double-crossing and triple-crossing; it never let go of my emotions, and was pulling them all over the place, so that one moment I was rooting someone on, and then hating them for their decision, to hoping things would work, to being crushed by the weight of the responsibility on the characters.
At the beginning of the book I was really frustrated with
Mrs. Coulter, and her shining golden monkey daemon. I still couldn’t really
tell what she was hoping to accomplish, or what she even wanted to happen.
While it seemed like she cared for Lyra, her motives left me feeling confused
and uncertain, so that sometimes I was rooting for her and sometimes I was
hating her and wishing she would go away. When the Gallivespians had her and
her daemon at the mercy of their stings, I cheered. When she threw Lord Asriel
out of the Intention Craft, I cringed, unsure of what she was wanting to
accomplish but hoping that she’d finally figured out that the Magisterium was
wrong. Truly Asriel had her measure, for he knew exactly what she was going to
do, although even then he didn’t believe that she loved their daughter.
As for Asriel himself, I was extremely angry at his
admission that he hadn’t thought about Lyra at all, and that she seemed to mean
nothing to him, despite being his daughter. In fact, even as he sent people to
retrieve her, he was thinking only of his war on the Authority, and not really
about Lyra herself. In some ways, everyone seemed to want Lyra for a purpose,
and not because of anything else – except Will.
It’s difficult to put my feelings about Will into words,
because I loved his character so very much from the first moment he appeared on
the page. I desperately wanted him to find Lyra, and to rescue her, especially
after his whispered words to Pantalaimon in the dark of the cave as he left in
the second book. For him, there was no other task except finding Lyra and
getting her back, and it wasn’t because of any dark purpose, or underlying plan
– it was because he loved her, and couldn’t stand to be without her. I think
Will would have done anything – anything at ALL – to have her safe beside him
again.
I loved all the scenes with Dr. Mary Malone, from the scene
at the old farmhouse in the world of Cittagazze, where she is trying to get
away from the old couple who insists on giving her one last round of cheese to
the final scene with Will by the Botanical Gardens. I loved her interactions
with the mulefa, from her uncertainty
of them (and theirs of her) to the description of her riding on their backs the
first time, to her declaration that, no matter what damage the tualapi did to their village that the mulefa shouldn’t worry, and she would
help them rebuild. I especially liked to hear about her life as a nun, and what
made her leave the convent, because it was nice to get some background on her. My
heart cried a little when Atal told Mary not to forget them, and Mary told her
that she never would. And when Mary saw her daemon for the first time, I was
just as pleased as she was, and ever-so-glad that she would be able to see that
constant companion for the rest of her life.
It would be wrong of me to discuss this book without
speaking of Lyra, because she is the force and drive of the trilogy. Her
fierceness and determination (mirrored exactly in Will) about everything and
her loyalty to her friends and loved ones kept me engaged and captivated in
this universe. When she told Roger that Will would help and that they could
trust him, I loved that the only answer she could give was “because he’s Will”
– because really, that’s the only answer she needed to give. When she had to
leave Pan on the shores of the world of the dead, I teared up a bit, because it
was so painful for her to do so, and I couldn’t even imagine the feeling of
ripping a part of yourself out and leaving it on the ground where you might
never find it again. I was thrilled to find out that Pan had a companion in
Kirjava and therefore wasn’t alone, and in a way it was exactly as if Will and
Lyra were there in the world they belonged instead of the one they didn’t.
I loved all the minor characters – the Chevalier and the
Lady Salmakia, Lord Roke, Balthamos and Baruch – and wished they’d all come to
happier endings, but understand that doing so wouldn’t have worked. They all
sacrificed themselves for their beliefs, and their hardwork and determination
were what, in the end, kept Will and Lyra alive. I was glad Will and Lyra got
to see Lee Scoresby and John Parry again, even if it was only for a short time,
and I was thrilled to see Iorek come to help in the battle. I hope the sealing
of the windows restored order to Svalbard, and
that Iorek and his bears were able to live long lives. I also hope that Lee
Scoresby found Hester, and was floating with her forevermore.
One of the best parts of the book was when Mrs. Coulter and
Lord Asriel were trying to drag the Regent down into the abyss. It said that
neither one could have done it alone, that it only succeeded because they were
together. When Asriel got hit in the head by the rock, and was barely holding
on, and Mrs. Coulter had been thrown off, it was her daemon that held fast.
Asriel’s cry of “Marisa, Marisa” urging her to help, but probably at the same
time lamenting what they had lost. Her final leap off the cliff, and her last
struggle to lift the Regent’s head so Stelmaria could end it all, was done –
FINALLY – not for herself but for her daughter, as was Asriel’s sacrifice as
well. I’m glad they went out together – maybe that would make it easier for
them to find each other in the world of the dead, and to find each other once
their ghosts were released back into the world. While Asriel and Marisa’s
relationship wasn’t this grand thing, I do think they loved each other, and a
part of me wishes they hadn’t taken so long to realize it.
I thought it interesting that, in trying to help this old
being, Lyra and Will were the ones to “kill” the Authority, and they didn’t
even know it. I hope Serafina Pekkala told Lyra about her parents, and what
they did to help her, and I hope Mary did the same for Will. I’m also glad I
finally got to see Will’s daemon, and was thrilled that, as I’d expected, her
final form was a cat. I’m happy that she didn’t disappear when he reentered his
world, because I think it would have been unbearable to lose her when he’d just
found her in the first place. I also loved Will and Lyra’s first kiss under the
silver and gold trees, and the fact that they simply loved each other, more
than anything else, and that was all that mattered to them.
I started wondering if I'd get my happy ending a bit before
I actually found out I would not, because whenever we'd see Will's POV he'd say
things like "he'd always remember…" etc. when talking about Lyra, and
I found it odd that he'd think back on those things if he had Lyra there with
him to create new memories. That being said, I didn't want to believe that they
wouldn't get their happily-ever-after, because I felt that, if anyone deserved
one, it was Will and Lyra and the fact that they could not be together seemed
so overwhelmingly unfair that I simply couldn't fathom it at first. I thought
for sure that something else would happen, that something else could be done,
because they simply were so perfect, and so in love, that having them be apart
was just wrong.
So obviously when I actually got to the end, when they had to leave each other, it felt like my heart was breaking into pieces. When Lyra and Will promised to be at the Botanical Gardens on that specific bench each Midsummer Day, I was literally sobbing because it was just so unbelievably sad. When Will used the memory of Lyra to break the knife, my heart felt like it shattered right along with it, because that was it – after that, there was no way they could ever see each other again, at least not in the same world. They wouldn't touch, wouldn't be face to face, and wouldn't talk ever again. From that point on, there was no future – only the past, and the memories that came with it. And that hurt me so badly to read – Will's face trying to be brave, their last ever kiss, and Lyra forcing a smile as he closed the window. I honestly cannot say anything about it except that it hurts, and it was so SO unfair. And two days later, I'm still tearing up just thinking about it, and have had to stop several times while writing this to blow my nose and wipe my eyes.
Being cheerful starts now, Will said, but it's so very difficult to feel cheerful when this book leaves me so wrung out. At the end, when Lyra was sitting with Pan on the bench at the Gardens, I like to think Will was doing the same in his world, holding Kirjava close, as Lyra was doing with Pan.
I heard mention of a possibility of future books in this universe, and while the romantic part of me that feels bruised and heartbroken wants to be able to see a happy ending, the other, more sensible part feels like it would be too easy to mess up, and really not worth ruining such a fabulous series of books. But, oh. Will and Lyra will always ALWAYS be my One True Pair, and will always break my heart.
I do so hope (as I mentioned elsewhere) that they're able to build their Republic of Heaven, and that Mary is able to build something that will let Will and Lyra see each other, even if they can't be in the same world to do it, as Serafina mentioned. And, when they die and leave the world of the dead, I hope they're able to find each other, and their daemons, and spend eternity side-by-side. <3
Once upon a time, I was told to read The Golden Compass by my college roommate, Jessica. I ignored her, until I heard that the film rendition of the book was going to be made. This, as it usually is, was enough to spring me into action, so I borrowed The Golden Compass from Jessica, read it, LOVED it, and moved on to The Subtle Knife, which I just finished reading about ten minutes ago, making it my first book of 2008.
Therefore, what follows is a write-up of my thoughts on Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials, Book Two: The Subtle Knife. As with my previous posts, this will contain spoilers. If you've not read this book and don't want to be spoiled, please don't read any further. Thanks!
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First of all, let me begin this by saying that I'm glad I wasn't reading this series as it was released, because the ending of this book - knowing that there was not a third one waiting for me to pick up - would have killed me. I sincerely hope that the filmmakers do as they did with the first one (and as Peter Jackson did with the Lord of the Rings films) and move things around a bit. Because, OMG, this ending SUCKS.
Secondly, MAN was there a lot of death in this book. I suppose there was quite a bit in the first book as well, but The Subtle Knife differs from The Golden Compass because I didn't particularly like (well, I liked Roger all right, but I wasn't really emotionally invested in him, you know?) any of the characters who died, whereas quite a lot of people I did like (and, might I even say love) in The Subtle Knife were the ones to meet their maker. Although I am wondering if Lee Scoresby really is dead - can witches bring people back to life in this world? - but if he is, WAH because I loved him like he loved Lyra. I wish Mrs. Coulter would fall off a cliff, and was not sorry to see Lord Boreal bite the dust (interesting that by manipulating someone's daemon you can make them completely oblivious to what's going on around them), but I didn't like the suddenness of Grumman's death (SO pointless - yes, we get that he broke your heart and witches don't forgive and BLAHBLAHBLAH - GROW UP for goodness' sake!) or the fact that all he and Will got was that brief moment of recognition and then it was all over.
As for the new character introductions, let me just say that I quite fancy Will. <3 I can see the relationship growing between him and Lyra (and am pretty sure that he's got more of a role to play than just being the bearer of the subtle knife), especially with the (TERRIBLE!) ending where the Angels are trying to speak to him and he's not listening because his only concern is Lyra and where she's gone. Although the idea of him bleeding all over the place was rather icky, and I'm glad Grumman was carrying that bloodmoss or he probably would have bled to death. Yuck. It's interesting to me, though, that with all that's gone on in Will's life that he still has enough innocence in him to stay child-like as far as the Specters are concerned (and whoever let them into the world should have been made to die a horrible death), and of course, now that he has the subtle knife he doesn't need to worry anyway. I also really liked Dr. Mary Malone, and am curious where exactly *she* is in this other world, as I know she's in the same world as Will et al. How is she going to fit in to all this? What role is she going to play? I hope we see a lot more of her in the third book.
I said in my review of The Golden Compass that Lyra's parents seemed to care about her, even if they showed it in odd ways. However, in the second installment, I take that back, because there's no way Mrs. Coulter can love her daughter if she's willing to sacrifice her for the good of the Magisterium. And now, of course, the book has ended with Lyra in Mrs. Coulter's clutches (seemingly, anyway), and that woman terrifies me. Not only can she command the Specters, but she knew that Lena Feldt was there watching her in that tent, as well. She clearly is more powerful than anyone else we've met in the series (aside from Asriel - actually, they're pretty much exactly the same - both powerful in a very dangerous sort of way), and I'm worried about what's going to happen to Lyra before Will can get to her (because, I'm fairly certain that that's what's going to happen - I can't see Will just saying to the Angels, "Oh, okay, I'll come with you to Asriel, and we'll deal with Lyra later.") I am curious where she's going to take Lyra, though - back to their own world? And if so, and Will follows, will we get to see what his daemon is? Because I've been wondering that since we met him. (As an aside - sort of - I was struck again by the similarities between Asriel and Mrs. Coulter. Both have ways of manipulating people to get what they want, and both are extremely powerful, as I mentioned earlier. Yet Asriel seems almost more human, whereas Mrs. Coulter just seems to be evil incarnate. Of course, we didn't see anything at all of Asriel, so that opinion may very well change with the next book.)
I also wonder if Asriel is aware of who Lyra is, and the witches' prophecy about her. It's odd that he's already got so many people (or beings) backing him when, as far as we know, he's only been working at overthrowing the Magisterium for a (fairly) short while. But I can definitely understand why they are threatened by him. Not only is he a heretic for his beliefs, but now he's bringing together all these enemies of the Authority to try to bring him down. Difference makes people wary, but especially difference that is so obviously powerful.
I know this is kind of all over the place, but I'm tired and sick, and still processing the book as a whole, I think. I could have waited and written a (possibly) more coherent "review", but I really wanted to get my initial thoughts down before I dwelled too much on them and started over-thinking. If you read this, I hope it made sense, and if it didn't, sorry. :-P
I was going to try to read the other three books I've already started next, but I may have to go ahead and pick up The Amber Spyglass instead. I have never been this unsettled or irritated by any ending of a book (Harry Potter included, as long as one ignores the Epilogue: Epilogue? What Epilogue? :D), and now really REALLY want to know how it all ends. Guess I'm going to be stopping at the library on the way home from work.
The following is the list of books I am planning on reading in 2008. There are fifty of them, as there have been in previous years. I came close to meeting the goal of 50 in 2007, falling short by eight. Hopefully this year will be different.
Any title with an asterisks (*) is a book that was on last year's list. Any title with a (2) is a book that was on my 2006 AND 2007 list. There are an annoyingly large number of these.
1) Niffenegger, Audrey – The Time Traveler's Wife (started – currently on page 129) (2)
2) Pullman, Phillip – His Dark Materials, Book Two: The Subtle Knife (started – currently on page 72)
3) Benderson, Bruce – The Romanian: Story of an Obsession (started – currently on page 138)
4) Stroud, Jonathan – The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book Three: Ptolemy's Gate (started – currently on page 59)
5) Black, Holly - Ironside
6) Barry, Dave and Ridley Pearson – Peter and the Secret of Rundoon
7) Meyer, Stephenie - Eclipse
8) McEwan, Ian - Atonement
9) Lewis, C.S. – The Chronicles of Narnia (five books total) (reread)
10) Blake, James – Breaking Back
11) Haggard, H. Rider – King Solomon's Mines
12) Barrie, J.M. – Peter Pan
13) Pullman, Phillip – His Dark Materials, Book Three: The Amber Spyglass
14) Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (reread)
15) Clare, Cassandra – The Mortal Instruments, Book Two: City of Ashes (due out in April)
16) Riordan, Rick – Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book Four: The Battle of the Labyrinth (due out in May)
17) Obama, Barack - Audacity of Hope*
18) Clarke, Susanna - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell*
19) Larsen, Eric - Devil in the White City*
20) Sparks, Nicholas - The Notebook*
21) Willig, Lauren - The Secret History of the Pink Carnation*
22) Berendt, John - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil*
23) Bissinger, Buzz - Three Nights in August (2)
24) Virgil - The Aeneid (2)
25) Maguire, Gregory - Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (2)
26) Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island (2)
27) Golden, Arthur - Memoirs of a Geisha (2)
28) Austen, Jane - Sense and Sensibility (2)
29) Gaiman, Neil - American Gods (2)
30) Goldman, William - The Princess Bride (2)
31) Gregory, Philippa - The Other Boleyn Girl (2)
32) Pierce, Tamora - Trickster's Queen (2)
33) Rice, Anne - Interview with the Vampire (2)
34) Dumas, Alexandre - The Count of Monte Cristo (2)
35) Japrisot, Sebastien - A Very Long Engagement (2)
36) Carroll, Lewis - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (2)
37) Homer - The Iliad (2)
38) Homer - The Odyssey (2)
39) Coulter, Catherine - The Sherbrooke Twins (2)
40) Coulter, Catherine - Lyon's Gate (2)
41) Stoker, Bram – Dracula (2)
42) Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales (2)
43) Coulter, Catherine - Season of the Sun (2)
44) O'Neill, Jamie - At Swim Two Boys (2)
45) Bray, Libba - A Great and Terrible Beauty (2)
46) Burnett, Frances Hodgson - The Secret Garden (2)
47) Gaiman, Neil – Neverwhere (2)
48) Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray (2)
49) Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Hobbit (2)
50) Alcott, Louisa May - Little Women (2)
I picked up The Subtle Knife today and read another chapter in that, so that's probably the book I'll finish next, since my interest is renewed after seeing The Golden Compass in the theatre today. Once I do finish it (or whatever book I read instead) I will post a "review" here. The goal is to have a review for every single book I read this year. That may actually be more of a challenge than reading the books in the first place. :-P
