Books, books, books.

Hello and welcome to the new blogger buddies. Take a look around and I will be visiting your blogs soon.

As you know I'm in a local book club. Since I pretty much read YA/Paranormal/Sci Fi --you know the whole sha bang--I wanted to expand my book reading and the book club forces me to read books I would never look at. Sure some are hard to read and make my slow reading even slower--but the one I'm reading now has suprised me.

I did a review way back on my first book for the book club The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

The second book was Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Don't click to see what's inside --I'm borrowing the picture.  Go to Amazon.com for that.

Here is the synopsis:
All children should believe they are special. But the students of Hailsham, an elite school in the English countryside, are so special that visitors shun them, and only by rumor and the occasional fleeting remark by a teacher do they discover their unconventional origins and strange destiny. Kazuo Ishiguro's sixth novel, Never Let Me Go, is a masterpiece of indirection. Like the students of Hailsham, readers are "told but not told" what is going on and should be allowed to discover the secrets of Hailsham and the truth about these children on their own.
Offsetting the bizarreness of these revelations is the placid, measured voice of the narrator, Kathy H., a 31-year-old Hailsham alumna who, at the close of the 1990s, is consciously ending one phase of her life and beginning another. She is in a reflective mood, and recounts not only her childhood memories, but her quest in adulthood to find out more about Hailsham and the idealistic women who ran it. Although often poignant, Kathy's matter-of-fact narration blunts the sharper emotional effects you might expect in a novel that deals with illness, self-sacrifice, and the severe restriction of personal freedoms. As in Ishiguro's best-known work, The Remains of the Day, only after closing the book do you absorb the magnitude of what his characters endure. --Regina Marler

My take:
This was slow in the beginning. It took me awhile to get into it and understand what the heck was going on. The middle picked it up through to the end. I think the way it is written is what was hard for me. Since I write in first person I tend to gravitate towards books that are written that way and if they are not the book tends to drag for me. The story idea is brilliant but the way its told is odd. I had a hard time figuring out the time period. I thought it took place in the 50s or 60s and the summary says the 90s. Everyone in the book club pretty much agreed on that confusion. I thought some characters traits were odd and in some parts I thought it needed more. In the end --I did like it. Just not raving about it.

This is the book that is surprising me. A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White is great. I really like this book and I'm not done. I will give a full review later. It's not written in first person but it seems to hold my attention and the pace flows quickly. So far, I definately would recommend this one. Check out my review on this next week.

***The books I'm reading that are not part of the book club (purely for my interest):

I just finished Eldala by Michelle Gregory and really liked it. You should check out her site.

The synopsis:
Kieran's blood boils every time he hears about the abuse handed down by Teleria's nobility. But years of hiding in his father's smithy have taught him to avoid trouble. Content with being a blacksmith, the only disruptions in his well-ordered life are his disturbing dreams. It isn't until his twentieth birthday, when he receives a mysterious letter and sword from King Arathor - the man who claims to be his real father - that he wonders if his nightmares have become reality. If he believes Arathor, he will have a chance to end a twenty-year curse over Teleria, and free the people from King Rahnak's oppression. But it could also mean giving up his quest to find the mysterious woman with whom he shares an intimate heart connection.

My take:
I really liked this book. It was more up my alley. I am always in awe by authors who create worlds that are similar to ours but are different. This is like a medieval world with it's own language and cool magic. Kudos Michelle on making up a language. The names are great too. I've been having trouble in this area with my own WiP so I am inspired by this. It's a great love story and her descriptions are fantastic. The magical element added a nice touch. You know me love story, YA, and any sort of magical element--I get a mushy and smile. The pace is good and the writing fantastic. You should check this out.
Michelle is also hosting a blogfest on July 1st and will be giving away a prize during her blogfest. I will be interviewing Michelle and will post it the last week in June. So stay tuned.

So I'm trying to figure out what to read next. I said I would read Hunger Games but I may save that for later in the summer. I did take a peek at the first page and didn't want to put it down. We will see. I may read the novella by Stephanie Meyer. It's short and I could fly through it. Hopefully--remember slow reader here. I also have Candor by Pam Bachorz. I won this from the awesome Elana. I'll let you know. My list on Goodreads.com is getting longer and I'm trying to keep up the Shelfari site too. I think I have too many sites going on along with too many books to read.

Do you have any good books to share? (I know I asked this last week but you guys read faster than me.) 

Any fellow blogger books you recommend?

***I will be hosting ***Writing the Next Line on Friday June 18th.****  So promote it and come back.

This is my 100th post how crazy is that. To my CPs --I'm off to critique.

Have a great day! Sorry for the long post.

The Book Club.

Well, I am one tired puppy. Like I said the other day the kids are not sleeping so not much is getting done. I want to thank you guys for all your advice on Twitter/ Web pages. I think I should concentrate on my MS and then decide.  I really want to get that baby in good shape.  I started revising chapter 2 yesterday so I will hopefully continue on that today. 

On Wednesday, I mentioned that I joined a book club--yes-- a book club.
Not like have a lot on my plate already but I am the type of person who needs to be busy constantly. I also thought it would give me a chance to read books I would not normally go for.

I am a YA girl heart and soul and if you add paranormal, sci fi, and romance into the picture it is so my cup of tea--so makes my day.  I thought maybe the book club would get me out of the house with some gals to have some fun.  So far it has and it is exposing me to books I would not take a second glance at.  Sure they are best sellers and most likely on Oprah's list and that is usually not me. I am not one to follow the mainstream despite my appearance. Plus, I have so many books on my Dining Room table and on my booklist --it is frightning (check out my goodreads or shelfari site and you will see).

Anyway, I read-- well --I almost finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  This book is good and written very well but not quite my cup of tea.  It is very interesting and --yes --I will say it again I liked it but I like a story that is a little more fast paced. It is set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. 

The main problem I had with this book is the dialogue.  It was written in southern slang so to speak and when I started to read this I was critiquing three other MS aside from revising mine so it was not easy to read right away.  I think that is what slowed it down for me.

Now to all my YA friends, I am not converting I promise. I have to have my books take me to an unknown place away from this reality and they may include a little hottie.  I thought this push would open me up to other ways of writing which may help my own.  I also like the getting together with the girls and discussing-- it was fun.  Between book club books, I am going to read Eldala by Michelle Gregory and I hope to get to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

My daughter even wants to come to a meeting. She said, "Mommy, I want to come to the book club and we can read a book about the Backyardigans (a kids cartoon).  We can discuss it too." She is 4 going on 14. Too funny.

Have you ever joined a book club? Have you read a book you would not normally read? Was it a good or bad experience?

I hope you have a great weekend!