Author Liesel K. Hill's Musings on Fantasia...
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Follow Friday + Week 3 of Mermaid Lit Challenge
Here's to two weeks of mermaid lit! Below is my review for this week. If you have one of your own, feel free to link up with us and be sure to visit the others to see what they thought of their reads for this week! (Follow Friday below!)
This week I read Above World by Jenn Reese. I'd heard great things about this book, but I confess the beginning was a bit slow for me. It took me a while to figure out why. First and foremost, I think it was just me. The book was well-written, the characters and setting are great, the stakes of the major conflict were high enough. The main characters are only about thirteen--a bit younger than I prefer--but even that didn't really bother me. In short, there was no reason for me not to like it. But I had just come off vacation. I was trying to catch up on everything plus trying to get back in the swing of things. On top of that, I'm still recovering from a head cold, which just makes me sleepy all the time. I think I just had a hard time getting into the book. But that would have been the case with anything I picked up this week.
The other thing that would have helped draw me in quicker, but given the structure of the story, really couldn't be helped, was the fact that, while the conflict was introduced at an appropriate time in the story, and, for the characters, it was really important, they didn't know the full extent of that conflict. This is a quest story, at it's core, and as they went along, they discovered that the problem went higher and higher and became bigger and bigger. While the stakes were definitely high enough for the characters at the beginning, I don't think they were high enough for me to care. By the end, they were huge and I really cared. Believe me! But had there been more of hint at the beginning what the end game would be, I think I would have been drawn in much more.
Once I got going, though, and got more into the my regular momentum, I really enjoyed the book. By the end, I couldn't put it down. The action really picked up the last third of the book. Oh, and this book has one of the best villains I've come across in a long time! Totally loved him! If there's a second book (and I think there will be) I'll definitely be reading it!
Aluna and Hoki are very well-drawn characters, and many things--such as their relationships with their respective love interests) have been left open-ended, so this will be a fun series to follow. It's a quick, easy read, with lots of fun and adventure. The world-building is quite unique as well. The world itself is almost post-apocalyptic, but to overcome the apocalypse, the human race took charge of itself, giving itself either mermaid tales, wings, or an array of other animal parts so they could survive. It feels almost stone-aged, except that they have electronic gadgets--called "Tek" to survive. Sounds weird, I know, and it's the kind of thing that's hard to pull off, but Reese does it just...ahem, swimmingly.
I'd recommend Above World to lovers of YA and middle-grade alike (though it really is a YA) and anyone who likes adventures, both on land and under sea, kids who are wiser than their elders, fierce heroins, sweet heroes, awesome villains, and fun hybrid species. This is definitely a fun summer read!
Click on the icons below to add to goodreads or check it out from Amazon or B&N! :D Happy Friday!
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The other thing that would have helped draw me in quicker, but given the structure of the story, really couldn't be helped, was the fact that, while the conflict was introduced at an appropriate time in the story, and, for the characters, it was really important, they didn't know the full extent of that conflict. This is a quest story, at it's core, and as they went along, they discovered that the problem went higher and higher and became bigger and bigger. While the stakes were definitely high enough for the characters at the beginning, I don't think they were high enough for me to care. By the end, they were huge and I really cared. Believe me! But had there been more of hint at the beginning what the end game would be, I think I would have been drawn in much more.
Once I got going, though, and got more into the my regular momentum, I really enjoyed the book. By the end, I couldn't put it down. The action really picked up the last third of the book. Oh, and this book has one of the best villains I've come across in a long time! Totally loved him! If there's a second book (and I think there will be) I'll definitely be reading it!
Aluna and Hoki are very well-drawn characters, and many things--such as their relationships with their respective love interests) have been left open-ended, so this will be a fun series to follow. It's a quick, easy read, with lots of fun and adventure. The world-building is quite unique as well. The world itself is almost post-apocalyptic, but to overcome the apocalypse, the human race took charge of itself, giving itself either mermaid tales, wings, or an array of other animal parts so they could survive. It feels almost stone-aged, except that they have electronic gadgets--called "Tek" to survive. Sounds weird, I know, and it's the kind of thing that's hard to pull off, but Reese does it just...ahem, swimmingly.
I'd recommend Above World to lovers of YA and middle-grade alike (though it really is a YA) and anyone who likes adventures, both on land and under sea, kids who are wiser than their elders, fierce heroins, sweet heroes, awesome villains, and fun hybrid species. This is definitely a fun summer read!
Click on the icons below to add to goodreads or check it out from Amazon or B&N! :D Happy Friday!
Follow Friday Blog Hop
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.
The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!
How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
Q: What blogger would you most like to meet in real life? Tell us about him or her.
I'm going to cheat and go with two different bloggers here: Alex Cavanaugh and Maurice Mitchell of The Geek Twins. I haven't met either of these guys but they're both awesome bloggers and very friendly. I visit their blogs regularly and love to geek out with them about all things scifi! I'd love to meet them both someday. Cheers, guys! :D
How about you? What blogger would you like to meet most?
Thoughts for Thursday: Patriotism
Just have fun, collect awesome sayings by awesome people, and try to be inspired!
So I'm a week late on the theme again. I tend to do that with holiday themes. I should have done this last week, but oh well! This week's theme is quotes about patriotism.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Movie Review Day: Star Trek Into Darkness and Jack Reacher and Gangster Squad
Okay, review day! I'm going to do quick reviews of three movies I've watched over the past week. One I saw in the theaters. The other two were courtesy of Redbox.
I totally loved the first Star Trek movie and was so excited to see Into Darkness, and it didn't disappoint! Many people liked it better than the first. Honestly, I don't think I'd go that far--I liked them both equally--but it was definitely great!
I thought especially the beginning was well-done. We open with a massive rescue operation that may or may not kill key members of the crew and blatantly violate the Prime Directive. (a.k.a. awesome!). Then we move into the consequences, which start with angst and end in tragedy. I really thought this part played out well. It seems the major players maybe re-assigned, but of course things go wrong and the enterprise crew is called upon to save the day. (And by that I mean the federation, the planet earth, and the universe at large. No pressure, though!) How was that for vague? ;D
Star Trek: Into Darkness
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I thought especially the beginning was well-done. We open with a massive rescue operation that may or may not kill key members of the crew and blatantly violate the Prime Directive. (a.k.a. awesome!). Then we move into the consequences, which start with angst and end in tragedy. I really thought this part played out well. It seems the major players maybe re-assigned, but of course things go wrong and the enterprise crew is called upon to save the day. (And by that I mean the federation, the planet earth, and the universe at large. No pressure, though!) How was that for vague? ;D
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday--Books About Quests
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top Ten Books about quests/journeys. All covers courtesy of goodreads.com unless otherwise posted.
Top Ten Books about quests/journeys. All covers courtesy of goodreads.com unless otherwise posted.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Memorial Day Stories
My grandfather's on both sides of the family fought in World War II. There are countless stories about them, but I thought I'd just recount a few.
My great-grandpa Conger (on my mom's side) was a forward artillery scout. What that meant was that he would reconnoiter behind enemy lines prior to a battle to search for where the enemy's artillery would be. Then he would report back to his superiors so that, when the battle began, they would know where the enemy fire would be originating from. This was a very dangerous job and many such scouts never returned. My grandfather performed this duty in the darkness before dawn on D-Day. Not only did he make it back, but he stormed the beaches with the other marines and survived that too.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
The Dragon Reborn Read-Along, Final Week
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1) We saw Rand at the beginning of TDR, and then VERY briefly throughout, and then at the end. Overall, for the main character, he wasn't in the book much. What do you think of this format? Did it work?
I think it does. I don't generally recommend this format, but given that this was book 3 of an epic series, and we're quite well-acquainted with the characters at this juncture, I actually think it works well. Of course we want to see more of Rand, but at the same time, he's not doing anything very exciting--just traveling. And with how powerful the ending is, I think it's accentuated by the fact that we've seen so little of Rand throughout the book. I liked it.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Mermaid Lit Challenge Reviews, Week 2 + Follow Friday
(Follow Friday down below)
Here's to two weeks of mermaid lit! Below is my review for this week. If you have one of your own, feel free to link up with us and be sure to visit the others to see what they thought of their reads for this week!
The book I read this week for the mermaid challenge (while I was vacationing at Bear Lake in Northern Utah, no less!) was Florence by Ciye Cho.
I was very uncertain about this book. First off, the author is a man but the main character is a teenage girl. I wasn't sure those two things would mix. Plus, it's a very cheap book in the Kindle store, and I'm always a bit wary of that. But, it had great reviews. Lots of people gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.com, so I decided to try it.
And I'm so glad I did!
Florence is a wonderful mermaid story. Florence is an introverted, uncertain teenage girl who is used to being invisible. During a class field to the coast, she goes snorkeling by herself (no real friends) and is pulled under the waves by a merman, who takes her to his prince. The ways in which she can breathe and talk underwater are...well, I won't say realistic, but believable. And Florence begins an underwater adventure, not just to help iron out the troubles of the mer-world, but to find herself and her place in it.
I really admire the way Cho does the back story. At the beginning, we learn that Flo is introverted and has low self-esteem, with few friends, but we can tell all that just by interaction between her and her classmates. The author doesn't info-dump about her dry-land situation or her family. We learn that as it becomes relevant to the unraveling story.
There are also two princes underwater that Florence may or may not end up in a relationship with. It's not really a love triangle, for those who are bothered by that, but rather her trying to decide which one is being honest and which one is using her. Both are equally good-looking and confusing as to their motivations. Trying to figure out the two brothers made the story fun and engaging.
We meet plenty of interesting underwater creatures--totally in love with her little octopus buddy!--including some wicked-scary monsters that I greatly enjoyed.
Complaints? A few, but negligible. There were a few stylistic things that probably on a writer would pick up on. And I would have liked a little more description about how things were done underwater as opposed to as they would have been done on land. There were some things that I couldn't quite picture. But, these were minor problems that didn't really take away from the story.
Overall, I really liked this book and will be reading book 2. I would recommend it to anyone who likes YA romance, adventure, mermaid-themed stories, or hot mermen!
What mermaid-themed books have you read?
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.
Here's to two weeks of mermaid lit! Below is my review for this week. If you have one of your own, feel free to link up with us and be sure to visit the others to see what they thought of their reads for this week!
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I was very uncertain about this book. First off, the author is a man but the main character is a teenage girl. I wasn't sure those two things would mix. Plus, it's a very cheap book in the Kindle store, and I'm always a bit wary of that. But, it had great reviews. Lots of people gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.com, so I decided to try it.
And I'm so glad I did!
Florence is a wonderful mermaid story. Florence is an introverted, uncertain teenage girl who is used to being invisible. During a class field to the coast, she goes snorkeling by herself (no real friends) and is pulled under the waves by a merman, who takes her to his prince. The ways in which she can breathe and talk underwater are...well, I won't say realistic, but believable. And Florence begins an underwater adventure, not just to help iron out the troubles of the mer-world, but to find herself and her place in it.
I really admire the way Cho does the back story. At the beginning, we learn that Flo is introverted and has low self-esteem, with few friends, but we can tell all that just by interaction between her and her classmates. The author doesn't info-dump about her dry-land situation or her family. We learn that as it becomes relevant to the unraveling story.
There are also two princes underwater that Florence may or may not end up in a relationship with. It's not really a love triangle, for those who are bothered by that, but rather her trying to decide which one is being honest and which one is using her. Both are equally good-looking and confusing as to their motivations. Trying to figure out the two brothers made the story fun and engaging.
We meet plenty of interesting underwater creatures--totally in love with her little octopus buddy!--including some wicked-scary monsters that I greatly enjoyed.
Complaints? A few, but negligible. There were a few stylistic things that probably on a writer would pick up on. And I would have liked a little more description about how things were done underwater as opposed to as they would have been done on land. There were some things that I couldn't quite picture. But, these were minor problems that didn't really take away from the story.
Overall, I really liked this book and will be reading book 2. I would recommend it to anyone who likes YA romance, adventure, mermaid-themed stories, or hot mermen!
What mermaid-themed books have you read?
Follow Friday
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.
The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!
How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
Q: The #FF is 150 weeks old! And we want to hear from you! What would you change about the hop? What do you like about it? Or just suggest a question to be used for next week!
Hmm. Okay, totally selfish change, but I'd love to be featured so more people will follow me! ;D Other than that, I think it's awesome! Keep up the good work! :D
What would YOUR suggestion be?
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Days of Blood and Starlight Book Review
**FYI: I'm out of town this week so while my posts are going up automatically, I won't be doing as much commenting/ communicating this week. I probably won't get around to many emails until after memorial day. Sorry for any inconvenience.**
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor.
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So I read book 1 very recently and greatly enjoyed it. I'm not big on angel/demon books--avoid them like the plague, in fact--but despite that, I really enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Still not all about the angel/demon plots, but I liked it enough to want to read the sequel. I requested it at my library, and thought it'd be a long time since there were something like six holds ahead of me, but I got it pretty quickly.
And I gottta say...totally loving this story! Laini Taylor is a masterful story teller! She has a style that throws something shocking your way, and she makes you think she's explained it...until she actually does and you realize she didn't. And the real explanation is always so much better than the one you thought she already gave you.
Okay, that probably won't make any sense except to those who've read the book, but I was totally won over by this second book of the series. As always, there's a air of mysticism and poetry, but also the more grounded action of the story.
And I gottta say...totally loving this story! Laini Taylor is a masterful story teller! She has a style that throws something shocking your way, and she makes you think she's explained it...until she actually does and you realize she didn't. And the real explanation is always so much better than the one you thought she already gave you.
Okay, that probably won't make any sense except to those who've read the book, but I was totally won over by this second book of the series. As always, there's a air of mysticism and poetry, but also the more grounded action of the story.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday--Favorite Covers
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read. All covers courtesy of goodreads.com unless otherwise posted.
Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read. All covers courtesy of goodreads.com unless otherwise posted.
Monday, May 20, 2013
The Irony of Dystopia
**FYI: I'm out of town this week so while my posts are going up automatically, I won't be doing as much commenting/communicating this week. I probably won't get around to many emails until after memorial day. Sorry for any inconvenience.**
Dystopian literature is fast becoming a staple in our culture. The reasons for that can be psychological or sociological, depending on how you interpret it. The thing that's interesting to me is the inherent irony in our cultural obsession with dystopian, vs utopian, societies.
Dystopia is defined as: a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression,disease, and overcrowding.
Utopia, on the other hand is: an ideal place or state; any visionary system of political or social perfection.
You would think, given the definitions, that we'd be more interested in utopian societies. So why aren't we?
Dystopian literature is fast becoming a staple in our culture. The reasons for that can be psychological or sociological, depending on how you interpret it. The thing that's interesting to me is the inherent irony in our cultural obsession with dystopian, vs utopian, societies.
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| Definite Utopia! Source |
Utopia, on the other hand is: an ideal place or state; any visionary system of political or social perfection.
You would think, given the definitions, that we'd be more interested in utopian societies. So why aren't we?
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The Dragon Reborn Read-Along, Week 5
Welcome to Week 5 of The Dragon Reborn Read-Along! Remember there will be spoilers through this section of the series.
| Mat Cauthon Source |
1) In this section, we see Mat putting on a tough demeanor and then shelling out coins to those who need it. Do you think such behavior will perpetuate his good luck, in a karmic sense, or will he be taken advantage of?
I don't think there's any way this can work against him karmic-ally, but knowing Mat's luck, I can see it getting twisted somehow and landing him in a trolloc cookpot or something. But then it will also help him get out. Send him a chinese-throwing star or something. I thought his charity was sweet, though. It shows that despite his tongue and his attitude, he's a decent guy at heart.
2) Loial is writing a journal of sorts of his adventures. What do you think he is focusing on?  |
| Loial and Perrin Source |
Probably anything that makes his eyes widen or his ears perk up. For someone who's either reading or writing for the majority of the series, we see remarkably little of Loial's work. Not that I'm encouraging anyone to do this (it may or may not involve end-of-series spoilers) but the final prophecy at the end of book 14, A Memory of Light, has a one-liner from him. Very simplistic, but also very beautiful. I think it's really all we ever get to see of Loial's writing.
3) At Easing the Badger Inn, Perrin is treated to some bawdy songs, making him blush furiously. Have you ever found yourself in such a situation unexpectedly?
Nothing comes to mind. Like Perrin, I avoid such situations with care. Recently I read a book called The Four Hour Body. I honestly read it for it's weight-loss tips, but there was also a section on tips for better sex. Yeah, I totally looked. And kept the book hidden from, you know, EVERYONE! So I didn't find myself in a similar blushing situation as Perrin. :D
| Sammael Source |
4) Illian has issues. Darkfriends, Darkhounds, Grey Men, and a Forsaken. Do you think all
Perrin is ta'veren, so it could be the Pattern swirling itself around him. Of course, Moiraine also finds out in this section that Sammael--one of the Forsaken--is ruling the land. That can't be good for peace, prosperity, or saints, if you know what I mean. But maybe it's a cuthroat city anyway, and that's why the Forsaken chose it? Don't know.
5) Mat makes it to Caemlyn and proceeds to play delivery boy for Elayne's letter to her mum. As luck would have it, he overhears a plot to take Elayne's head. Whose danger is greater: Morgase's or Elayne's?  |
| Morgase Trakkand Source |
Hard to say. It's scary that he's so set on killing all the women--scumbag!--and both sweet and condescending that Mat wants to protect them. (Only Mat could make such a sweet gesture feel like he's the victim.) I also think Jordan was a genius for coming up with the concept of ta'veren. This is exactly the kind of coincidence you can pin on that, but without it, it would be WAY too convenient. Just sayin'.
6) Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve make it safely to shore and nestle down with a Wise Woman called Mother Guenna. What do you think of Nynaeve's caution and Egwene's snippy behavior?I thought the battle of wits was pretty entertaining. Egwene's being pretty snippy, but I have to admit I understand her behavior. Not necessarily condoning it, but it's hard to deal with someone acting superior when both of you know they're not. They're bound to but heads until both of them finds a bit of humility. I actually think going to a fellow Wisdom was an ingenious idea. I don't think it would have occurred to me that the inns would be watched. So...maybe don't take me on the suicidal roadtrips. I'm the one who'll trip on my shoelace and kill everyone before the danger even begins!
Other Tidbits:
| Lan & Moiraine Source |
Also, keep an eye on Tallanvor--the guy that took Mat to Morgase. He's never a major character, but he comes into it more later on, and I was surprised how much I came to like and root for him.
Also, I had a "what the..." moment when reading a segment on Egwene's dreams. It was another I-can't-believe-how-far-in-advance-the-author-planned-that moment. Egwene sees something about a Whitecloak and Master Luhan--really not fully explained until almost the end of the last book! Another about Perrin choosing between his ax and a hammer--awesome! And finally, about Ran d confronting Egwene herself with a lot of women, and one of them being a Seanchan. Again, we won't see the fulfillment until almost the end of book 14. How did he know all of that?!!? *sighs* That, my friends, is the genius of Robert Jordan.
Well, we're heading into the home stretch of Book 3, which has a killer ending! How is everyone else liking it?
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Mermaid Challenge Reviews, Week 1 + Follow Friday!
We've made it through week 1 of the Mermaid Lit Summer Reading Challenge! Okay, I know it didn't officially start until the 15th (even though a few people, like yours truly, started this past Monday) and so not everyone will have read an entire book yet. But, I have! Every Friday for the next twelve weeks (basically the entire summer) I'll be putting up a Mermaid Lit Review post with a Linky list. Anyone who's read a mermaid or ocean-themed book and wishes to link it to the list, feel free!
Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid is the classic that pretty much started the entire sub-culture of mer-people. It's classic and very fairytale-ish, if also very simplistic. I think I read the Anderson version as a kid, but it's been so long I've mostly forgotten it. I was surprised both by how much the Disney version managed to keep in, as well as by how tragic the ending wasn't.
The little mermaid spends months in the prince's company as a human. He comes to have great affection for her, but it's of the sisterly variety. When she saved him and left him on the beach, another beautiful young woman found him and nursed him back to health. It is that woman that the prince falls for and marries. On the morning after they marry, the little mermaid prepares to die, but her sisters show up with a knife, and all their hair shaved off. They say they gave their hair to the Sea Witch in exchange for saving Ariel. If she kills the prince with the knife, the blood will spatter her legs and turn them back to fins, and she can live out her 300 years with her family. The little mermaid can't do it, though. She loves him to much, and instead casts herself into the sea.
As a ten year old child, Gwen lived on the sea with her parents. One night sleepwalking, she saw a young man walking into a turbulent ocean, and feared he would drown. She tried to help him, but nearly drowned herself. He saved her. Of course he was sort of...naked. And when neighbors saw a naked man standing over a young girl, they assumed the worst. Eventually Gwen's parents moved her away to escape the rumors.
Follow Friday!
Also, if you aren't part of the Mermaid Lit Summer Reading Challenge, but want to be, you can join any time! Check out THIS POST for details.
Okay, so this week I read two mermaid-themed book. Well, really 1 1/2. The first is Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid. (Not exactly a full-length novel.) The other was Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley.
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*Warning: I would assume everyone's familiar with this tale, and being a classic fairy tale, it's kind of public domain. But if you're weird about that, know that I'm about to give SPOILERS. Totally gonna tell you the ending. I won't do this with the other books I review, just this fairy tale because it's the mythology that every mer-tale (not tail) unavoidably draws from. Just sayin'.
So in this version, the little mermaid (who isn't given a name, by the way) is the youngest of all her sisters, and has a wonderful singing voice. She's obsessed with the human world and saves the prince when his ship goes under at sea. (There are even fireworks!) The Sea Witch is much the same--if a bit ickier than Disney's version--complete with sea snakes and polyps making grabs at people. I actually think Disney did a great job keeping quite a few of the original elements.
Of course, it's much more tragic than the dumbed-down kiddie-friendly version. The little mermaid isn't given a time-frame to make the prince fall for her (like 3 days) but she has to get him to marry her eventually. If he marries another, she doesn't just turn back into a mermaid, but rather she dies, her body turning to sea foam. Another facet of this I didn't remember is the talk of immortal souls. The little mermaid asks her grandmother about humans and whether they die. The grandmother answers that they do, but they live much shorter lives than mer-people, who live about 300 years. Yet, human have immortal souls that ascend to heaven, while mer-people simply turn into sea foam, their bodies recycling into the sea. The mermaid want not only to marry the prince because she loves him, but she wants to win an immortal soul. Her grandmother says if she can get a human to love her, his immortality will extend around her and she'll win a soul. But of course that never happens because humans would think fins were gross and of course mer-people can never leave the ocean. So you see, she'll turn to sea foam anyway, but if doesn't get the prince to marry her, she won't get her immortal soul and she'll die now, forfeiting her 300 year life with her family. Also, when she's given legs, she is beautiful and graceful, but every step she takes feels like her feet are being stabbed by knives. It's part of the price she pays. And the Sea Witch does also take her beautiful voice.
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Now, most non-Disney versions end right there. I know! All kinds of tragic, but actually my buddy Hans adds something hopeful at the end. Her body turns to sea foam, but she looks up to see beings called Daughters of the Air. These are basically spirits that float around on the wind, watching over people and doing good deeds. They've seen her toil and take pity on her, bringing her into their ranks. They explain that if she hangs (no pun intended) with them and does lots of good deeds, she can still win herself an immortal soul. The little mermaid, unseen, kisses the prince and his bride, wishing them every happiness.
Okay, I know, still way sad, but it had more hope than I expected. Other sad elements: the prince loved singing, so if she'd had her voice, she could have won him over, no problem. Also, her sisters visited her often when she was human. At one point she saw her father and grandmother, but they were far off shore. She waves to them, but they won't come close enough to speak to her. they just look sad then disappear into the waves. So, lots of sad times.
Still, I enjoyed reading the fairy tale overall and thought it was a good way to kick off the challenge. Okay, here it comes. You knew I was gonna do it. Just can't help myself.
Doesn't everyone just feel better with that ending? (The Little Mermaid was totally my princess movie when I was like...four? five? Something like that. So I totally had to geek out for a minute. :D)
Okay, next book.
Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley was a very enjoyable read. It actually wasn't about mermaids so much as selkie, but both are under-da-sea creatures, so I think it still counts.
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Seven years later, Gwen returns for the summer to help her grandmother--who still lives there--run her inn after taking a nasty fall. And, you guessed it, our favorite naked beach guy returns. The problem is, he may not be entirely human, and the rhyme he whispered to her as a child about seven tears and seven years may have a meaning that is both tragic and inescapable.
As I said, a very enjoyable read. Gwen was funny and down-to-earth, yet just teenaged-girl enough to be believable. I really loved her spunky grandmother as well, and Thelma. In terms of complaints, I had a few but they were mild. There were some things that weren't fully explained. For example, a big deal is made about the fact that Thelma was the one who called the police that night when Gwen was a child, but Thelma lied about where she'd seen Gwen to the police. I didn't think the answer to that was explained well enough. Also, this is a very YA novel. Not in a bad way, but I would have liked higher stakes. I'm sure you've all heard me rant about how YA lit isn't my fave because I like more drama, more earth-shattering problems, etc. and I thought this could have used a bit more of that. Yet, despite my feelings on the subject, I actually really enjoyed this book. The end was a bit melancholy--not in a tragic, someone dies way or anything. I promise!--but in a way that okay too. While I would have liked a slightly happier ending, I think mermaid stories are always melancholy by nature, so this fit well.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a light, fun, quick summer read with a hot guy and a little bit of ocean mysticism. If you have a review, put it in the Linky below. Then hop around to see what mermaid lit others are reading! Have fun! :D
Today's Quote: Ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time.--H.P. Lovecraft
Follow Friday!
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.
The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!
How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
Q: School is out! What is your favorite Summer Reading book?
I don't know that I have a specific summer reading book, but as you can see above, I 'm doing a Mermaid Summer Reading Challenge right now which allows me to read mermaid/ocean/beach-themed books. If anyone wants to join, see above. I've only read a couple books so far, but they definitely do put me in the mood for summer! :D
**FYI: I'm out of town this week so while my posts are going up automatically, I won't be doing as much commenting/ communicating this week. I probably won't get around to many emails until after memorial day. Sorry for any inconvenience.**
Thoughts for Thursday--Mothers
Just have fun, collect awesome sayings by awesome people, and try to be inspired!
So I'm a week late on the theme again. I tend to do that with holiday themes. I should have done this last week, but oh well! This week's theme is quotes about mother/motherhood.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Review Day: Under the Never Sky & World War Z
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Okay, fangirl rave over with. On to the review.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Teaser Tuesdays--Days of Blood and Starlight
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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Monday, May 13, 2013
Mermaid Lit Summer Reading Challenge + Game of Thrones Recap
Welcome to the Mermaid Lit Summer Reading Challenge! So I original scheduled the reading challenge to begin on 5/15, but I realized that's the middle of the week that it's a weird time to start a challenge. So, let's just say it starts this week!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The Dragon Reborn Read-Along, Week 4
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It sounds like the political side of things are heating up. While on the river, Elayne and Egwene talk about the great houses all being at one another's throats, and the common people starving as a result, so obvious it's not a land at peace. Mat and Thom make an interesting pair. They're both the kind of guys that constantly claim they want to stay out of trouble and the lime light, but can't ever seem to avoid it. Of course Thom is a bit more level-headed than Mat (I think) but it's funny to me that Thom instantly packs up to tag along with Mat. Obviously we haven't seen the last of his role in the story either. :D
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Follow Friday--Favorite Moms
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.
The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!
How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
Q: Happy Mother's Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?
It's gotta be the Harry Potter moms! Mrs. Weasley who got to call Bellatrix a bitch before incinerating her, and Harry's mom who died saving him from Voldemort! You can't ask for better than that.
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Who's your favorite fictional mom?
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