Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

From the time I began reading, I was a fiction girl. Period. End of the line. That was it. Learning was for school and, on top of that, non-fiction wasn't fun to read. You couldn't talk me out of it. I was set in my ways, firm in my views.

Then, in sixth grade, we were required to write a book report over a biography. When I heard, my heart sank, but I knew I had to do it. So I sucked it up and and checked out a biography of Anastasia from the school library. I don't remember the title or the author, yet I know that I enjoyed it. It made me think, made me view people a little bit differently. I also garnered a lifelong fascination with Anastasia, with her possible survival and continued lineage.

However, despite my momentary weakness, Anastasia, or perhaps her portrayal, was not enough to convert me to the dark side. It was the last non-fiction book I read for years.

Now, while I disliked reading non-fiction, writing it was almost torture. I seemed to forget how to write a fluid sentence. The prose came out awkward and fake-feeling, as if I was writing more gibberish than when I made things up for fiction. All attempts left me frustrated at my inadequacy. I could not write non-fiction.

Then two things happened simultaneously that have made me reconsider my overall stance on non-fiction.

First, my paternal grandmother asked me to write her mother's, my great-grandmother's, biography. I was horrified at the mere idea and my grandmother could not understand why. She thought that since I wrote fiction, writing a biography would be no big deal. Even after I've turned her down many times, she still continues trying to convince me. She doesn't see the distinct difference between the two genres and the styles in which they are written.

Second, over the summer, I was assigned a non-fiction book report for AP English Language and Composition. Again, I didn't like the project, but I knew it would have to be done. My non-fiction book had to be over 200 pages, school appropriate, AP worthy, and have been published in the last ten years. I browsed the NYT Bestseller's List and chose a book that I hoped would at least be interesting.

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS changed my viewpoint, both on life and non-fiction, forever.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can't afford health insurance. This phenomenal New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.


You can find my full assessment of this book here. In short, though, this one line wraps up how this book changed my perspective on non-fiction: "I found pleasure both in the story aspect of it and in learning the vast amount of information about HeLa cells provided." Through story, what I love in fiction, I learned and enjoyed learning.

Skloot's writing showed me that non-fiction can be just as full of life, just as intricate, just as fun to read as fiction. That real life, that the wonders of our world and its people, that what really happened is just as good as what we can imagine. It taught me that there are different ways to approach non-fiction writing just as there are different ways to approach fiction writing. Maybe, just maybe, I might attempt writing that biography.

Now when I think about non-fiction, I get excited. Not in the way that I become excited for fiction, but something new. With fiction, I long for the impossible. With non-fiction, I seek only the things of this physical world, this universe. I seek events I did not witness, but that someone else did. I seek a deeper connection between myself and my surroundings through knowledge and facts, things that no one made up, that no one had to. That initial spark I felt from reading about Anastasia has bloomed into a fire.

Non-fiction finally struck me. I am awed.

How do you feel about reading and writing non-fiction? How do you think it differs from fiction? Which is your preference? Would you write someone's biography? Do you have any other good non-fiction books to recommend?

Brooke's Turning 17 = Birthday Giveaway!

Today's the day! I'm seventeen and, as promised, I'm hosting a giveaway. There are two prizes up for grabs, both of which I acquired at YAK Fest 2014.

#1: A Signed Book

THE PIRATE'S WISH by Cassandra Rose Clarke

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

Christina from Christina Reads YA was kind enough to write a short review of the book for me. If the summary hasn't quite sold you, perhaps her opinion will.

"Cassandra Rose Clarke does a fantastic job at incorporating various fantasy and fairy tale elements while keeping her novel action-packed and full of humor and heart in this sequel to THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE.

"A new character, in the form of a talking manticore, is a lot of fun and propels the plot into unexpected territory. Not only do we get to see Ananna grow a lot because of the leadership position she's forced to assume, but we also get to see a lot more of the world as she and her crew journey to break the curse and more of her soft side as she and Naji learn to open up to one another. Getting slight hints about other places that Clarke has created also makes me eager to read and explore more about the world--and makes me sad to learn that there are no more novels in this series. However, I also thought that Clarke had done a great job keeping this plot confined to a duology, and thus not trying to stretch things too thin. Basically she's done the best of both things: managing her plot well while adding in enough about the world to make me curious for more.

"In the end, I'm disappointed that there are not more light, swashbuckling fantasy adventure series like this. If I had one complaint about THE PIRATE'S WISH, it'd be that I wanted more: more characters, more adventure, more of everything--and certainly that's not a bad complaint at all, huh?"

#2: A Swag Package

See for yourself:

Now, that you've seen the goodies, just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. This is a U.S. only giveaway. Good luck!

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Review: Annie's Special Day by Clarike Bowman-Jahn

BLURB:

In “Annie’s Special Day,” a little girl celebrates her birthday with an adventure every hour. It is a basic concept book about time and clocks.







REVIEW:

There is a pretty set rhythm throughout the book that will be pleasing to little kids' ears. It will also help direct them to pay special attention to the words when the pattern is not used. This is good as it differentiates around the most exciting part of the book: the sleepover!

I enjoyed the descriptions that were usually in the third sentence on every page as well as the creatively different ways the author found for Annie to know the time. Annie's day seemed pretty normal, something any child could relate to. The ending made me smile and it will make you too as you read it to your young one. :)

Find Clarike At: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

About Clarike Bowman-Jahn: Clara Bowman-Jahn worked as a registered nurse for thirty-two years, finally trading that job for her true love, writing. Clara’s short stories have been published in the anthology Campaigner Challenges 2011.

When Clara is not writing, she does volunteer work for a local elementary school and her church. She also likes taking long walks with her husband, blogging, and reading books. She is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Pennwriters, Bethesda Writer’s Center and Round Hill Writer’s Group. She lives in rural Loudoun County, Virginia, with her humorous husband, a senior dog and two cats. And she is the proud mother of two wonderful grown sons and the proud grandmother of one delightful grandson.

Don't forget about the giveaway for a copy of Annie's Special Day!

ARCs: My First + Fever Giveaway

An Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) is something I consider to be a great treasure. There are limited copies and, while the author may get a couple to keep or give away, they are usually reserved for reviewers and other people who will publicize the upcoming book. Also, there is something special about getting the opportunity to read a book before everyone else does.

I received my very first ARC, All Different Kinds of Free, from a giveaway at Michelle Fayard's blog. It was a simple matter of commenting on a post and getting picked by random.org, but I was so excited to be chosen for this prize. It gave me a fluttery, happy feeling.

The book did not. That is not to say that it was not a good story, indeed I enjoyed the plot quite a lot. It was rife with tension and the main character gripped me. I found myself wanting to get through the other various POVs so I could get back to her. Nay, it was the subject matter.

As I have mentioned before, I do not understand why people look down upon other people for their differences, especially skin color. Darker skin is simply an adaption in order to survive comfortably in a hotter climate. And people think (or thought) they can (could) own other people because of this? There is no comprehending it for me. I have thought about it many times and all I end up doing is angering and frustrating myself. I do not get how racism and such cruelty can exist. Frankly, I'm rather glad I don't.

All Different Kinds of Free was a powerful book that told a good story. It shone a spotlight on a piece of history that most overlook. I am glad it was my first ARC experience.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I'm about to tell you how you can get your own ARC.

My critique partner, Christina, is giving away an ARC of Fever, the second book in The Chemical Garden dystopian series and sequel to Wither, away over at her book blog. All you have to do is fill out the form linked in the post for a chance to win. I wish you luck.

This Message is Brought to You By Brooke's Inability to Write Book Reviews

4 days until Camp NaNoWriMo

I have come to the conclusion that I don't really like writing book reviews. I either feel like I'm rambling on too much about the plot and not saying what I think of the book or I'm pointing out every little thing that irked me. Neither of which  is very helpful to anyone.

So I will not be writing them anymore. I may mention a book I'm reading or talk about one I want to read. I may even write a few sentences about a book on Goodreads, but you will not see a review on this blog.

Of course, there is the fact that I'm in the middle of a Wonderful Week right now. I will continue to read the series and maybe post a quote or two, but I'm not going to review each book.

Left Behind

 Note that this review may contain spoilers.

In one cataclysmic moment, millions across the globe disappear.

Vehicles, suddenly unmanned, careen out of control. People are terror stricken as loved ones vanish before their eyes.

In the midst of global chaos, airline captain Rayford Steele must search for his family, for answers, for truth. As devastating as the disappearances have been, the darkest days may lie ahead.

My biggest buff with this book is that the characters have everything easy. Loved ones have disappeared and being left behind while they go on to heaven is no picnic, I'm sure, but there are no obstacles. Disappearances? The Rapture (they figured this in the first half of the book). Antichrist? Nicolae Carpathia (so saw that coming).

The closest things to obstacles were Chloe's reluctance to accept Christ and the attempt on Buck's life. Both disappeared pretty quickly when Chloe accepted Christ, which I thought might have been more critical if she'd been hit by a car or something and it was possible she might die without him, and Buck made it back to the states, without one close encounter that he didn't have a plan on how to get around, and Carpathia made the whole thing 'go away'.

The writing in this book is simple, making it easy to read, and it's not a bad story. At some points, I rushed to read on. The scene where Carpathia shoots those two men at the pre-press conference was the best, or at least the scene that best stuck in my memory. At other points, the reading was slow, essentially when the characters were talking about God and Christ. Some of it was interesting, but the rest I've heard at church a million times.

I gave this book three stars on Goodreads.

The Wild Girls

Note that this review may contain spoilers.

I picked this book up at the library when I saw its title, proclaiming it was perfect for my sister. The cover caught my eye so I read the inside, read the back, and I knew it was a book I had to read. After all, what better story for a teenager learning to write, then a story about teenagers learning to write?

Exposition: Upon exploring the area around her new home, Joan, our narrator, happens upon Fox. And such our two main characters are handed to us. What an interesting pair they are.

Fox, who believes her mother turned into such a creature, is large and in charge. When she's out in the woods. At school, she is Sarah, a quiet girl who everyone thinks is a freak. Joan, who was never really interested in boys and makeup, listens to the sounds of her parents' fights and wishes she could fly away.

Rising Action: Joan's adventures in the land of writing start when Fox's sci-fi author dad gives her a notebook. "...use it when you want to write down other stuff...Stuff that happens...Stuff that you're scared of. Stuff that you make up. Sometimes it helps to write stuff down." She falls deeper into writing when she and Fox decide to work together on an entry for a short-story contest. They write a story of two girls, the wild girls.

After seeing the stunning reading of their piece, a woman who calls herself Verla Volante offers them a spot in her exclusive summer creative writing class. Through this class, things are revealed to us about our heroines. The way Joan feels toward her dad, the way Fox longs for a mother. They also learn quite a few things themselves. "A good writer tells the truth by telling lies... Anything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And later on you can use it in some story... Pay attention. Notice things and think about what you notice." But not all of it is about writing. Fox learns from her mother why she left. Joan learns that her dad is just like any other villain. "A villain doesn't think he's a villain... You might think he's a villain. But he thinks he's right."

Climax: We could argue over what the climax is though I think Joan may be the only one who really knows. Personally, I believe it is when Joan walks on the stilts with her dad by her side. It's a beautiful moment, one that could leave you feeling the world is a wondrous and awesome place.

Falling Action/Resolution: "I've written one book, and I'll write another. That, Verla says, is what writers do."

Bran Hambric: The Specter Key

Note that this review may contain spoilers.

After reading the first book in this series, how could I not read the second? Not only did I want to know what happened to the characters, but Kaleb Nation is one of my favorites, not just as an author but as a person. And who wouldn't be drawn in by that cover? Still not convinced? Let me tell you a little more...

Exposition: Right away, we are introduced to the Key and Elspeth's desire to find it. As with the first book, the opening leads to plenty of questions. Why does Elspeth want the Key? To what evil means can it be used? Who is this man who seems to know Bran's every move?

Not only is there the mystery of the Key, but there is also the safety deposit box Bran finds with his mother's name on it. The box carries only one clue on how to open it; the two words 'Nigel Ten'.

Rising Action: Bran starts the search for Nigel Ten right away; Astara there to help as always. When they are informed that Nigel Ten is not a person, but is in fact a room at a hotel, they set out to explore right away. There they discover Nim, a fairy, and evidence that someone is definitely watching Bran, possibly the same someone who had given him away to Joris in their previous adventure. Upon his next visit, Bran learns that that man is his own father, a man called T or Thomas. The former book mainly focuses on his mother, putting in place the mind set that makes this twist such a surprise.

On the back cover blurb, we are warned of what is to come next: "When Bran's best friend, Astara, is kidnapped..." Yet somehow, that is not enough preparation for Astara's death. But is it really a death, or just a kidnapping, as the book states? Bran is determined to find out, especially after he discovers the contents of the safety deposit box: a wand (his mother's) and the Specter Key.

After learning the location of the Specters themselves from Adi's brother, Gary, Bran enlists the help of his father. And I can't help but wonder if that's such a good idea.

Climax: Bran quickly reaches the center of the temple that holds the Specters, souls that his own mother stole. He has thrust the Key into the obvious keyhole, when Elspeth shows up, trailed by none other than Thomas. Cornered, Bran throws the Key at the great wall the Specters are held behind, finally releasing them, and with them, Astara.

And, as is want to happen in the middle of fight scenes, many surprises ensue. I will only say that someone totally unexpected shows up to help, someone decides to embrace his parental side if just for a moment, and the Key is destroyed.

Falling Action/Resolution: Bran and Astara come home to a welcoming party, thought it's not for them. And you'll be happy to know that Mr. Rat was released from the Dunce prison and is now cleaning subways.

Ender's Game

Note that this review may contain spoilers.

I have often heard people talk about this book, how they liked it, how it inspired them, and that is what I had in mind when I picked it up from the local WaldenBooks. I knew that his simulations were real battles from a blog post I read but I didn't realize all that entailed...

Exposition: The beginning of each chapter starts with a small conversation between two people, just dialogue, no tags. In the beginning you have no idea who these people are, but what they say draws you in. Who are they talking about? What is he being chosen for? What went wrong with the brother, the sister? What are they talking about?

Next, we are introduced to Ender, the main character, as he is getting his monitor taken off. We then learn that Ender is a Third, and picked on for it. Immediately after coming back from getting his monitor removed, a team of boys gangs up on him. He then beats their leader, Stilston, to a pulp, determining the place at the Battle School which his brother, Peter, and sister, Valentine, could not achieve.

Rising Action: At Battle School, Ender is immediately set apart from the other boys by the teachers. On top of that, Bernard, a boy in Ender's launch, is out for revenge on Ender for breaking his arm. Other such problems follow. As soon as Ender gets comfortable something changes: he is moved into an army, he becomes a commander, he is advanced to Command school. All in effort to get him ready to defeat the buggers. The whole time he worries, is he truly like his brother Peter, a killer, a murderer? Conflict is rich throughout this story.

Climax: I was waiting for what happened next. When Ender walked into the simulator for his final exam, and they informed him there was a planet, I knew the end of the war was near. I knew, but Ender didn't. And when he learns that he wiped out the whole bugger race, he feels betrayed, betrayed and worn out emotionally. Wouldn't you be? Yes, you would. That there is what makes him a realistic character.

Falling Action/Resolution: They have decided that Ender is too dangerous to go back to earth, so Valentine convinces him to come with her to colonize one of the now empty bugger planets. While ther, Ender discovers that the buggers left behind a single queen and he swears to find them a few place to live, to reproduce. And I've heard that that is what the sequels are all about.

Across the Universe

Note that this review may contain spoilers.

This book was an impulse buy (a lot of my books are). When I happened to come across it at Wal-Mart, I had never heard of it. But I was in a book-buying mood and it sounded interesting...

Exposition: This book is from two different points of view: Amy's and Elder's. In the beginning, we're really just learning a little bit about each of them. There is one difference however. With Elder, we're learning about his day to day life (on a spaceship 250 years into the future). With Amy, the life she knows is about to end. She is being frozen (so she can travel on said spaceship and survive until they land).

Rising Action: The main conflict in this story is the fact that someone is unplugging the 'frozens'. This signifies that the rising action should revolved around the characters finding out who this person is, right? And as they find out, so should I, right? Wrong. I knew who it was as soon as they were mentioned on page 25: I know perfectly well there had been another Elder, one between me and Eldest. He died before I was born, but Eldest never talked much about him before. It did take me a while to figure out that the other Elder and Orion were the same person but I still figured it out way before the climax.

There were actually many aspects of this book that were predictable. I just knew that Luthe was going to attack Amy and I had a feeling that Harley was going to go through the hatch and launch himself into space. This didn't make it a bad story (but then I'm one of those people who you can tell the end of a movie to and I'll still watch it just to see how it got to that), it was told wonderfully and I loved connecting all the clues in my head.

Climax: A thousand things seemed to happen in these few pages. Amy takes out the wires to the water pump (the one that distributed Phydus to the whole ship), Elder learns he is a clone, Eldest dies, Orion reveals himself, Orion gets frozen. But the one thing that really made me perk up was the small bit of foreshadowing. And that's when I knew. I knew why Amy didn't fit in with the other unplugged frozens. I knew that Orion hadn't meant to unplug her dad. I knew that Elder had unplugged her. He confirms my thoughts soon.

Falling Action/Resolution: When Elder tells Amy what he did, at first she is angry. But then she realizes that Elder is the only one who hasn't deceived her is some way. In the end, with her words ("Will you stay with me?") I would like to believe that she forgave him.

Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse

I've been wanting to read this book for a while now. It's written by a YouTuber named Kaleb Nation who, I have to say, is awesome. (Check him out here.) He started this book when he was 14 (the same age I am now, imagine) and worked on it for six years. Six years! That's some dedication. And if he worked on it for that long, I figured it had to be amazing...

Exposition: The prologue is a great starter for this novel. It raises many important questions. What's going to happen to Clarence? Why does Emry send Bran away and why does the woman want him? Why did the woman shoot Emry? Who is this trigger-happy lady anyway? And who's that little girl? All these questions make you want to keep reading.

The first chapter starts eight years later in the city of Dunce where there hangs a sign that reads: no gnomes, no mages, etcetera. You are introduced to the Wilomas family (Sewey, Mabel, Balder, and Baldretta), Rosie Tuttle who does their housework, and, of course, Bran who has lived with them since Sewey found him in the Third Band of Dunce's vault. All of these characters have their own quirks and aspirations. Sewey often gets tickets for speeding, Balder watches too much television and Baldretta is always eating something, Mabel is deathly afraid of sickness, Rosie wants to be put in the newspaper, and Bran is good at drawing. All of these things make them individuals and realistic. We have a nice opening, believable characters, and a firm setting. So far so good.

Rising Action: More characters are introduced: Shambles, Astara, Adi, Polland, Joris. More questions start to pile on. Who sent Shambles to find Bran? Who is this Mr. B that Rosie is receiving packages from? And then, after Bran performs magic to stop a truck from crushing him and Rosie, there are even more questions. Who is this man that Bran keeps seeing? Who leads Bran to the room of magic books? And what is so horrible about the Farfield Curse?

It takes quite a while for any of these to be answered. The questions just keep piling up without any answers to balance them. This makes the middle seem a little tedious. You want to know what's going on but you're not getting any answers. But then, what I like to call 'The Harry Potter Effect', where everything seems to fall into place and all the little details make sense, occurs. Mr. B happens to be Sewey's brother Bartley who Sewey has cut out of every picture in the house. Baslyn is the name of the man that Bran keeps seeing. Astara turns out to be the little girl from the prologue. Elspeth is the name of the woman who shot Emry. And Clarence and Shambles turn out to be the same person. The full horror of the Farfield Curse is exposed; they kidnapped mages and regular people to reap their magic and minds to animate the bodies Baslyn has created to build an army to overthrow the Mages Council. It all starts to fit together at last.

Climax: Baslyn is getting ready to kill Bran and Astara. They're tied to chairs, the floor is rigged to explode. The whole shebang. It seems that they could not get away, except that Joris took the batteries out of the magecuffs and Shambles has come to the rescue. Baslyn ends up fighting Bran on the helicopter landing outside the window (did I mention they're at the top of a tower?). It looks like Baslyn's winning; he throws the necklace at Bran. Bran realizes that his mother didn't want to be evil; she regretted her decision, and the necklace is her symbol of that. This is the personal climax. The public climax is when Astara and Bran manage to take down Baslyn. But while they're attending to Shambles who has been injured, Baslyn gets back up and hits the button for the explosives. Shambles sacrifices himself to save them and to kill Baslyn once and for all. This climax is well built and full.

Falling Action/Resolution: In the end, they revisit Emry Hambric's grave and bury the note she left Clarence/Shambles long ago. Oh, and Mr. Rat (who earlier in the story tried to sell Sewey magic papers) has to scrub sewers for two weeks. The end.

The Replacement

Pages: 343

This is the book I meant to review last week but we all know that didn't happen. However, it's happening now, so that's good enough. I had never heard of this book until I saw it in Hastings. It was 20% off so who wouldn't have stopped to examine it? It was interesting synopsis, but what really sold me was the comment on the back. Especially this line, "Mackie Doyle is one of the sweetest, strangest, most magnetic heroes I've met in a long time." Don't ask me why, maybe it's because I'm a teenage girl. Whatever the reason, I'm sure glad I bought it.

The world in this book is creative and spooky, though Gentry (the town) tries it's hardest to cover it up. Though the baby switching part makes me kind of disgusted, I loved other parts of the underground, like the dead girls. They intrigued me, how their bodies still grew, their personalities. All others avoided them; this made me feel sorry for them. Maybe it was the rotten stench that hung on them, that I couldn't smell, or the feeling that they were unnatural that made others keep away. Personally, I think their altered state extraordinary. They played small roles, but they stuck out to me. This goes to show how little details are so important.

I loved Tate's personality and the definite differences between her and Alice. Alice is stuck up and snobby, popular. She cares what other people think. Tate is avoided because her sister died, or really, was taken. She doesn't care what anyone thinks. She'll be who she wants to be. These differences between them, and how Mackie feels about them, seemed to draw out more of each personality. Tate may not have seemed so badass-y-ish if she hadn't kicked the crap out of Alice. Alice may not have seemed so pompous if she hadn't told Tate to act normal.

The Lady and the Morrigan's relationship adds tension to the story. The Morrigan is childlike and wants only for love while her sister is a grown woman and lives off of blood, sacrifice, and power. The terrible deeds of the Lady are talked about throughout the book: drying up the lake then using the water to flood the House of Mayhem, burning down the church, stealing children. She is feared. The Lady does not love her sister and thinks her foolish. Though the Morrigan does loves her, she throws a fit when Mackie goes to visit her, saying he was bowing to her. In the end, the Lady dies by her sister's hand. How's that for love?

Overall, I loved the feel of this book. It's exactly what it promised to be which is all anyone can ask. I expect more great things from Brenna Yovanoff in the future. She's sure to be a bestselling author if she keeps this up. I highly recommend reading it, especially if you love ugly, but also beautiful, things.

The next book along the Reading Trail? Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.

The Missing Girl

Pages: 284

So as I promised this post is strictly Paper Mountain related. No pictures of the things I own, no random music videos, no nothing that does not involve reading or writing. This post is a review. Just a plain old review, no Wonderful Week musings, just a review. I got this book at the bookfair towards the end of November. I haven't been able to read any of my new books because of the Wonderful Week of Harry Potter. That's over now, though, and I've been catching up. I had never heard of this novel until I bought it so you'll get to hear about it from someone who has yet to set firm feelings about it. This ought to be fun.

This book is written from four different perspectives and all three different points of view. Beauty and the man's stories are told from third person. Then you have Fancy who is portrayed in the first person because she is talking to a tape recorder until the very last chapter when she is speaking to her class. Autumn is talked about in second person. At first it didn't stick with me why. I knew there must be a reason but I couldn't think of it. Then it struck me that the author was trying to make it so that I was Autumn, that Autumn's experiences were my experiences. But if this is a story, why does your face still smart from his slaps? Why do your wrists still burn like real life? And if this is a story, when do you get the happy ending? (pg. 176) These sentences make you feel what Autumn feels and I think that is what the author was trying to do.

The one thing that seemed slightly off in the plot of this book was part of the man's perspective. He thinks continuously about which girl is his favorite, finally, narrowing it down to Stevie and Autumn. I had a sense of what would happen when he decided, given to me by the title. He does end up taking Autumn but it never shows the moment when he decides that she is the one, his favorite. He may have not had to decide because she walked right up to him but the author made it seem like a large part of the story. Too large to just be discarded like that.

One of the scenes that feels particularly real to me is in the chapter 'The One Person in the World' (pg. 55). Autumn is trying to get the notebook that she keeps her thoughts in back from Fancy. Fancy, who is mentally challenged, found it and has gotten into her head that Autumn gave it to her. I completely understand Autumn's frustration that Fancy doesn't understand and won't give it back. Then when she finally gets it back, her sister Mim seems to take Fancy's side. She takes Fancy downstairs for hot chocolate. Autumn is very emotional. I don't know if it's because of her age or because of her personality. She starts to cry because on top of everything else, Mim didn't even ask if she wanted any. This is from Autumn's perspective so maybe that's why it feels so real to me. Or maybe it's because I can just relate.

Overall, this book was everything it could be. It showed how the man thought, how Autumn felt being kept prisoner, and how her family reacted to it all. It's very detailed and it gives you chills. It feels almost real, like a good book should. I highly recommend it.

The next book along the Reading Trail? The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Pages: 759

We've reached the end. Finally, right? And what a great end it was. Surprisingly, this book is the only one that I've only ever read once (twice, now) and that was three years ago when the book first came out. Since it has been such a long time since I've read it and, because I read it so quickly (it was a matter of hours) I had forgotten tons of things. I only remembered some pieces because I had just seen the movie. It was almost like a completely new experience.

As I have mentioned before, I love how J. K. Rowling entwines all the books together so well. Ron uses the Deluminator in this book to get back to Hermione and Harry. The Deluminator is not mentioned very often before now though it is mentioned in the very first chapter of Sorcerer's Stone (it is also mentioned in Order of the Phoenix). Somehow she saw that far ahead! I may be looking too far into this. Maybe she just invented it early on and then later as she was writing decided to use it again. I still think it's great.

Another thing (or character) that she incorporated from the very first book is Griphook. He was the goblin that showed Harry to his Gringotts vault the very first time Harry ever went there. I'm pretty sure he isn't mentioned in any other book. So again she looked that far ahead. Or she just needed a goblin and picked Griphook. Could there possibly be too such coincidences?

There are many other things though, they show her genius. The story of Grindelwald and Dumbledore being friends, how Dumbledore's nose was broken at his sister's funeral, the Hog's Head bartender being Aberforth, the ghoul in Ron's attic being enchanted to look like him. All of those little things that never seemed so important turn out to be so.

Overall, I think we can all agree that J. K. Rowling is a genius. This last book just gives more proof to the point. There are people who think Harry Potter is boring (my best friend is among them -twitch-) and I rather think they have lost their minds. There are people who have never taken time to read them (my other best friend -sigh-) and I pity them for their loss. These are jewels among literature. Long live Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived!

Such ends our Wonderful Week of Harry Potter. Though I may have one more surprise in store.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Pages: 652

We're almost to the end of our Wonderful Week but, we still have a little ways to go. Reading the sixth book was almost better than reading some of the other books because for some reason I don't read the last books (excluding the Order of the Phoenix) as much as the first few. So there's a few more surprises. For instance, I had forgotten that Lavender and Ron had a thing going on. This should be interesting.

One thing I have noticed throughout all the books that there is one small phrase that J. K. Rowling says all the time. It's in the dialogue tags. She often says that two characters say something at the same time. I noticed this getting worse in the fifth book and it continued on into the sixth. It wasn't as bad in this book as it generally seems to occur when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are talking and for a big part of this book Ron and Hermione are fighting (about the Lavender thing that I mentioned already). I do realize that over hundreds of pages you do have to use the same phrase twice but, if it's noticeable, that may be something to work on in the future (wouldn't it be great if you started writing again?)

This is the book the Horocruxes are first introduced in (if you don't count Chamber of Secrets). I personally think that it's a bit of a major part of the story to have waited so long into the series to write about it but it worked out fine in the end. I do understand why she did it this way. It would be kind of predictable if, in every book, Harry found a Horocrux and destroyed it. I'm sort of glad she did it this way though the discovery of all the different Horocruxes seems a little rushed to me.

Dumbledore dies in this book as well. I don't really know how that makes me feel. I can't decide if I like Dumbledore or not. I know this sounds crazy. Half the time I think he's awesome but there are certain parts where he kind of bugs me. For instance when he snaps at Harry about Snape. Even though we all know Snape wasn't truly evil his tone and speech grate on my nerves. The other scene is when he's talking to Harry after discovering that Harry did not retrieve the memory. I realize he was disappointed but what he says just makes me sort of angry. I have conflicted feelings about the greatest wizard who ever lived.

Overall, this is a great lead in to the end. It shows tragedy but great expressions of love. I definitely like that scene where Fleur is talking about how she will still love Bill even though his face is scarred (pg. 622-623). It shows the changes in Harry quite nicely, I leave it up to you to decide whether those changes were good or bad.

The next book in this Wonderful Week -cough- Month -cough- of Harry Potter is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

P.S. I do know that today is Thursday and I'm supposed to have Poetry Peak but I don't have a poem ready (I know, I'm pathetic) and I'll be at Lizzie's house all weekend for her birthday.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Pages: 870

It may seem like I've disappeared but, if you think this, I'm sorry (or maybe not?) to inform you that you are greatly mistaken. I just haven't done much; I've been sluggish and lazy. In the way of writing, at least. I have been working hard to finish this monster of a book. I only call it names out of love. XD Luckily though, I have gotten past the hardest hurdle. Compared to this almost 900 page book the Half-Blood Prince looks like a small little thing but, right now, we're focusing on the monster.

My all time favorite character is introduced in this book. Her name is Luna Lovegood. You may have heard of her; she has a whole chapter dedicated just to her (Chapter Ten). I love Luna because she's dreamy and because she believes. Luna does not need proof that something is real (this rather annoys Hermione). Luna is just Luna; she doesn't care what other people think. She has more freedom than the rest of us because of this.

For some reason I'm always forgetting about Tonks. I don't know why exactly. I mean she's awesome but she's just not one of the characters that crosses my mind often. (I didn't mean for this post to turn into a character rant but I have a feeling it's going to.)  Maybe it's because she's only in the last three books but, then so is Luna and I remember her just fine. Maybe it's Tonks's personality. There are times when it shines through very much and then at others she seems rather dull.

I especially like how Neville changes in this book. When Bellatrix Lestrange escapes, Neville seems to be more determined than ever. It seemed to bring out the better side of him. He became Neville the brave instead of Neville the buffoon. He is finally displayed as a true Gryffindor.

Overall, this one is my favorite out of all the Harry Potter books. I apologize for such a short post (and a review at that) after an absence of over a week (I completely forgot about Poetry Peak). I also apologize for this being mostly a character display instead of what I thought of the story. Characters are important though. Let no one tell you any differently.

The next book in the Wonderful Week of Harry Potter is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Pages: 734

We're over half way through the series now and it only took us a little over two weeks to get there. I consider that very poor on my part but I'm hoping I will read the next three books swiftly. The fifth book is my favorite, it has so much detail, so here's to hoping I can finish it quickly. Right now, though, we are not talking about the fifth book; we are talking about the fourth. Let's get to it.

Through this whole book every character is realistic, everything that they say, that they do. That is until you get to page 712 where there is a small bump in this pattern. When Sirius transforms into a person from his dog state here is Mrs. Weasley's reaction: "Sirius Black!" she shrieked, pointing at him. That is exactly what you would expect as she thinks he's a murderer but after that you don't hear her say anything else about it. I guess this line was supposed to calm her: "Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled. "It's okay!" You would still think she would want some kind of explanation though, before she just goes silent about it.

Something that makes me smile in this book, besides the witty dialogue, is Rita Skeeter. Not because I like her but because of what she does and what happens to her. Now I would like to clarify I'm talking about the way she turns into a beetle and not how she writes when I say what she does. Every time a beetle is mentioned I can't help but grin at this wonderful idea. Of course, the very first time I read this, I didn't know she was a beetle so I didn't enjoy catching all of the little hints to it until the end. Now though I'm in on the secret and I'm loving it.

There was one part in this book that made me very angry as well as sad. It's in Chapter Eighteen, pages 299 and 300. Malfoy and Harry have just sent hexes at one another and they accidentally hit Goyle and Hermione instead. When looking at Goyle, whose face has started to sprout large boils, Snape calmly tells him to go to the hospital wing. When looking at Hermione, whose front teeth are growing larger by the minute, he simply says, "I see no difference." I was so mad at Snape it was like he was real and standing right in front of me. It was a very cruel thing to say but, it was very real, and that's what made the scene good.

Overall, this book was a very important piece of the story. With Lord Voldemort rising and the Minister of Magic refusing to accept it many things could happen. I will, of course, be telling you of those things, in my next review. Here's to hoping that comes as soon as possible.

The next book in the Wonderful Week of Harry Potter is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Pages: 435

I am settling into my comfort mode, my excited mode. I'm almost to the point where I can't wait to read more, even though I've already read them. This is good; it means I'll be reading faster. This is especially good because the next four books are pretty long. I do hope you have been enjoying this week (or I guess now almost two). Now on to the review!

You will never guess what I have discovered. While I was reading I found a mistake and it's not a simple typo. Oh no, it's a little more than that. It can be located on page 308 in this sentence: A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker. Except you wouldn't put a penalty past a Seeker, you would put it past the Keeper. Imagine how many people have noticed that. I find it rather astounding. Maybe it's just because I'm a nerd. XD

This book has a little more humor in it than the first two. I especially love the last two pages or, pieces of them anyway. The part where Ron holds out the little owl to Crookshanks to confirm that the owl is indeed an owl, made me smile (p. 434). This paragraph (the second to last in the entire book) made me laugh out loud. Harry is talking to Uncle Vernon about Sirius. "Yes, I have," said Harry brightly. "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though... keep up with my news... check if I'm happy...." There were a few other lines I can't remember exactly but that was indeed the funniest.

Again, there is a great back story in this book, the one of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs (Lupin, Pettigrew, Sirius, and James Potter), and a little bit of Snape. It shows how they were friends from school and one of them betrayed the others. It also shows how and under what conditions James Potter saved Snape's life (as mentioned in the first book). They also happened to have created a tool that is very useful to Harry, the Marauder's Map. I think our puzzle's outline is complete. How I love series that are as complicated as this one.

This book is the favorite of the series among many, and I can see why (though my favorite is... oh no, I've forgotten it!). It is wonderfully written and tells a great tale. It's the last book to be less than 500 pages yet it still gets in quite a bit of the story. It is a work of art.

The next book in this Wonderful Week of Harry Potter is -drum roll- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Pages: 341

I know I've said this before but, I really love these books. As I am rereading them, it's almost as if everything is new to me but, at the same time, it's not really. I have found new love in characters I haven't thought about in a long time. Colin Creevey, for example. I nearly cried on page 180 when Professor McGonagall said that he had been Petrified trying to sneak up to visit Harry. I'm discovering new things with every page and I can't wait to share them with you.

As I have mentioned before Nearly Headless Nick is one of my favorite characters. The way he's always talking about getting into the Headless Hunt just makes him more real. I don't really know why. Besides him and Colin there is one more character that I adore, Dooby. Of course, I know what happens to him, but I can't help it. Even though he's fictional and not even human he still seems alive. Whatever you say about J.K. Rowling you have to give her a thumbs up for character presentation and development.

Another thing that J.K. Rowling is very good at is back stories. In this book you learn a little about Voldemort's past as well as Hagrid's. Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, is a half-blood who is descended from Salazar Slytherin.  He was highly honored at Hogwarts, for being a prefect and Head Boy as well as supposedly capturing the person behind the Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid. This is the reason that Hagrid was expelled in the first place. I love how these two stories wind together, a few more pieces of the puzzle click into place.

In this book there are many hints at things to come later in the series. For instance they use the Polyjuice Potion and, even though they don't find anything, it prepares you for what happens with Mad Eye Moody in the fourth book. The introduction to the Whomping Willow hints at what happens in the third book. You don't notice it until after you've read all of the other books, but things like this are hidden throughout all of them. I love series that have this sort of style.

Overall, this book is a great sequel to the first as well as a good lead in to the rest of the series. It explains more about the Vanishing Glass chapter in the first book and shows a small piece of what will happen in the others. It's well-written and a story that anyone can enjoy. I think I did a tad better with this review and being unbiased. Here's to hoping you think so, too.

The next book in this Wonderful Week of Harry Potter is, of course, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Pages: 309

I must admit, I'm a little nervous about this review. It's my first one in over a month, and my first one ever for the Wonderful Week Of feature. It's also on Harry Potter which might make it rather difficult. I mean, everything that could possibly have ever been said about it, has been said (written?). So why post one at all? Harry Potter affects me differently than it does other people, that's why. No one can feel and express, how I feel and express, exactly as I can. Right? Here goes (whether it's right or not).

This book has so many little details that really not  that important (or are they?), but are fun to read anyway. Every person has a last name, down to Adalbert Waffling (a.k.a author of Magical Theory, one of Harry's textbooks). I love how J.K. Rowling goes into detail over everything, Harry's school supply list, the inscription on the Gringotts doors (which by the way, I memorized), things that don't really have to be written out completely, but it's nice that they were.

This book is written in the same style as the May Bird books, but frankly better. As I have mentioned, I love this kind of book. In case you don't quite remember what I'm talking about, here's an example (pg. 1): Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.  The last part of the line, thank you very much, gives an almost homey feel to the book. If it's possible to give a homey feeling to a book.

Character voice is a hard thing to perfect, I have trouble with it, but Hagrid's voice patterns are amazing. The way he says 'yeh' instead of 'you', the way he barely ever pronounces his g's, it just adds to who Hagrid is. There are little things like this throughout the book for all of the characters. Ron's ears turn pink, Dumbledore's eyes twinkle. It's truly amazing.

Overall, I think I'm a little biased on the subject of these books and in this review. I try hard not to be but, it's hard. I love these books, I really do. Everything in the stories just all clicks into place, it's wondrous. These books, this first one in particular, are a piece of my childhood and my life as it is currently. It's Harry, Malfoy, Hermione, Ron, Snape, all those people who I have heard and read about for so long, it's the magic inside these books, as corny as that may sound, that makes me truly happy.

The next book in this Wonderful Week of Harry Potter is no other than Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.