I'm Still Here

Okay, so I really have been reading since my last blog post, but I still haven't decided HOW I'm going to blog. I don't really want to write reviews per se because sometimes I really hate books that people have suggested to me or that everyone likes (like The Hunger Games trilogy). So then I thought I'd only write about the books I like, but that's no good either because I like to keep track of ALL the books I read in case I forget if I liked a book or not (or forgot if I read it or not, which happens more than I would like to admit).

So if you have a suggestion to help me overcome this quandary I would appreciate it!

April Book #1

Book: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
Age-range: 16 and up

What a lot of people don't know is Truman Capote didn't want Audrey Hepburn to play Holly Golightly; he wanted Marilyn Monroe. This intrigued me enough to read his barely-over-100-pages novella a few years ago. Every once in a while I read it again.

If you've seen the movie you're familiar with the story. And if you haven't seen the movie then something is wrong with you and I don't want you reading my blog.

The Holly Golightly of the novella is a lot more Marilyn than Audrey, although a lot of Holly's lines in the movie are pulled directly from the novella. And I mean word for word! There isn't a large amount of expansion on any of the themes in the movie, but it is interesting to see Capote's vision of Holly compared to the Hollywood version.

Happy reading!

Is Anyone Still There?

In October I was thrown for a loop in my personal life when I found out I was pregnant. Inexplicably, I have had not only writer's block since then, but reader's block as well. Every book I've picked up I've been unable to finish. Since October! My writer's block has been gone for a few weeks now and I'm hoping my reader's block will follow suit. We'll see.

Anyway, I realize I've probably lost 90% of my readership with my extra-long hiatus, but I'm here to tell you I'm back and ready to blog those book reviews!

Please Comment If You Read This

I am debating whether or not to keep this blog going.  It doesn't seem to have warranted very much interest and it's pretty time-consuming.  I like having a place to chronicle my books, but it might just be easier for me to write them down at home like I used to.

So, if you read this blog and want it saved you better comment!

September Book #5

Book: Page After Page: Discover the Confidence and Passion You Need to Start Writing and Keep Writing (No Matter What) by Heather Sellers
Age-range: 16 and up
Recommended: Yes

This is a book I got from the library, but I would definitely buy it (and probably will if I ever see it when I'm shopping).  It's filled to the brim with good advice for writers of any level.  Even if you're a pro it's full of lots of great, refreshing advice and anecdotes.

There are also prompts at the end of every chapter.  I don't know how good they are because I never do prompts in writing books.  I don't like most of them.  I should probably try them sometime, but I didn't do it for this book so I can't speak for that part of it.

Sellers has a great voice and a good ability to relate to the beginning writer.  If you're a writer, or thinking about writing, this is a good book to read.

September Book #4

Book: Possession by A.S. Byatt
Age-range: 16 and up
Recommended: No

Watch the movie instead, it takes out all the boring parts.

September Book #3

Book: Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper by SARK
Age-range: 13 and up
Recommended: Yes

If you're looking for a breakthrough writing book that will change your world this is not the one you want to read.  On the other hand, if you're looking for a creatively done book that will spark your own creativity you want this one!

This book is unlike anything you've ever seen before.  It's colorful, bright, and makes you want to go buy a new pack of Crayola markers.  Even if you don't want to read this book, I would suggest looking at it just for the ideas it will give you of how to format your own writing journal.

Happy reading!