Reading Journal - March 2010

The Time of Aspen Falls by Marcia Lynn McClure

• This is a contemporary romance. Aspen Falls finds the perfect old fashioned guy, but is having a hard time getting up the nerve to talk to him. Through a series of events they end up dating, and everything is perfect until his ex shows up with a kid. Whoa, Nellie! What is going to happen here?

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

• The book very much reminded me of Twilight. It was o.k. though. I think I will read the sequel eventually. 
• Abby has the perfect boyfriend. He is the boy next door that she has known all her life - literally, they share the same birthday. Recently she is drawn to the new foreign exchange student, Dante. He is very strange though, and time seems to slow down every time Abby is around him. Thinks just get weirder and weirder, ever since the popular band Zero Hour came to town and started performing for the students. Everyone is acting like they're on an emotional roller coaster. Abby's life is turning out very different than she had originally planned.

Hang a Thousand Trees With Ribbons by Ann Rinaldi

• This is a historical fiction about Phyllis Wheatley. She was a slave who became America's first published black poet. None of her poems are actually in the novel, but after having read it I am interested in reading some of them.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

• I read this yet again, because I was getting excited for the New Moon DVD release (which happened since I read this book).
• I finally decided this is my favorite book of the series. The tent scene is going to rock in the movie - or it had better.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

• Well, I read Eclipse, so I thought I may as well finish out the series again.
• Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing Bella as a vampire, but this book was such an epic let-down. I so wanted to see the Volturi get their immortal butts handed to them. It should have happened.
• I noticed something I hadn't picked up on before. There is a part before Alice and Jasper leave where Alice is trying to read the future. Basically she is trying to see if any other vampires will help them. At one point she says she couldn't see anything, and I always thought it meant that Jacob was interfering with her visions. I got the real AHA moment when I realized she couldn't see anything because there was possibly another half-human/vampire somewhere in the Amazon where she is searching for visions. That is the point she and Jasper take off and don't show up again until they have found Nahuel, who is the other half-human/vampire. I can't believe it took me a third reading to pick up on that.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

• Yippee! I got this book for Christmas and I just got around to reading it.
• This book takes place in South Carolina and revolves around the world of Civil War history, an ancient war between two worlds, magic, and modern day prejudices. Now if you just can't see how all that works together, then you just have to read the book. 
• This book was really fun. I liked how all the Casters had different powers, almost like X-Men or something.
• Amma was one of my favorite characters. She is this little old lady that you just don't mess with. Actually, I didn't really get a sense for how tall or small she was, but her personality was huge. You just know you don't cross her.
• Main characters are Lena Duchannes and Ethan Wate.
• Did that ending leave way for a sequel methinks?? I'm hoping yes.

Currently Reading: Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation. Remember way back in October when I went to his book signing? Well, now I am finally reading the book. It sure took me long enough.

Question Time: If there were an epic battle in Breaking Dawn, which Cullen members do you think would have been destroyed? I think Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle would have died (so to speak). Alice would be safe, because her power will help her. Bella will be an easy target, but I think Edward will focus on protecting her. Emmett would be on the offensive but too strong to destroy, and Jasper's experience on the battlefield would save him.