FIR: "Juliet"

I'm a Shakespeare geek.

I know. Big shocker there, eh?

So, when I found a novel that integrated a modern day mystery AND "Romeo and Juilet," I was all over it! LOL "Juliet" was not on my original FIR list but came as a paperbackswap.com delivery recently.

The story begins when Julie's aunt dies and old family secrets are revealed. Her and her sister's family connections to Siena, Italy take one, then both, on a ride of discovery. Nothing is as it seems. Century old grudges, alliances, and family lore twist nearly everything in unrecognizable puzzles.

I was completely enthralled with "Juliet" for about 2/3 of the book. The locations, the conflict, the unexpected romance angle, the literary references, the history. But, there were too many threads going so many directions that near the end, it seemed a forced race to tie everything up.

I'd recommend it for a slow, summer read but I was so caught up initially, rushing through to see how it ended that I found the ending disappointing despite the bad guys being caught, family being reconciled, and a couple finding - if that makes any sense at all.

FIR 2012: The Mark of Athena

At the beginning of October, "The Mark of Athena" was finally released. It is the third of Rick Riordan's "Heroes of Olympus" series which followed the original five-book series featuring Percy Jackson - a Greek demigod whose cut from the same cloth as Harry Potter.

Both find out following a pre-teen birthday that their everyday, troubled lives are actually very special - unbeknownst to them up until that point. Harry is whisked off to Hogwarts while Percy is swept away in Camp Half-Blood.

The "Heroes of Olympus" brings in the competing Roman mythology with the first book's story line where Jason, a Roman demigod, finds himself awakened to realize that Hera has been tinkering with his life - giving him amnesia, taking him from Camp Jupiter (the Roman equivalent of Camp Half-Blood), and depositing him around people he doesn't know at Camp Half-Blood which he didn't realize existed.

In book two, we discover that Percy has experienced the same phenomenon. Amnesia,  unknown people, and at Camp Jupiter.

Finally, in this third book, the two camps attempt to come together (something that's never happened before in the history of the either mythology) and face an impending threat from Gaia who wants ALL demigods and their parents destroyed regardless of their ancient affiliation.

Like the Potteresque equivalent, this eighth book is a door-stop. LOL However, it is an easy read. While not as dark at Potter, there's plenty of danger, death, mayhem, battling, self-examination, and savvy problem solving.

The book opens with the Jason and his new Camp Half-Blood compatriots en route to first Camp Jupiter for the first time in history. They know Percy is there but have no idea what kind of reception they will receive. Things start off well but quickly turn disastrous with the intervention of the gods.

This story line is the primary...but there's several others. Each demigod struggles with personal challenges and doubts. Additionally, one character (Percy's girlfriend Annabeth - a daughter of Athena) has a separate quest that weaves in and out of the primary unifying-against-Gaia theme.

The book ends with a huge, obvious cliff hanger that makes me wonder if Riordan or his publisher said "well, this would be a good place as any to stop. This book is already 500+ pages." So, I will wait another year or so until book four comes out - but wait I will because this is quickly becoming my favorite young adult series, even outshining Harry Potter.

Somehow Riordan writes complicated and in-depth story lines with a simple art that causes the reader to sit for hours to just keep reading and reading to see what happens next. His character pool has reached a size that it's starting to get hard to keep everyone, their parentage, their issues, and their story line separate but hanging on for the ride is WELL worth it.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

FIR 2012: When the Walls Fell

Well, it has been a rough 2 weeks. I finished my last book on the 8th. Four days later, we were at a hospital in Chicago saying our goodbyes to DaHubby's sister who was losing her battle with leukemia, a subsequent stem cell transplant, and its after effects. She died on the 13th and we unexpectedly stayed in Michigan until the 19th. Not a lot of reading going on.

So, over the last four days, I wrapped up something that's been sitting on my Kindle that I've been meaning to read: When the Walls Fell by Monique Martin. It's number two in her time travelling series. I read the first,  Out of Time (which is still free for Kindle at this posting), when I saw it on a Kindle freebie-of-the-day list, read the blurb, thought I'd like it, and downloaded it. It wasn't on my original FIR reading list.

It's light but challenging, quick but complicated, a little adventure and a little romance. Some good brain candy to get back on track with.

Then, I started one of the Barefoot Sisters' literary travelogues last night. Hoping to finish it by Monday.

Sharing a teaching tool...

I've been asked over and over to share this but can't find the original link or file...so I'm trying to embed it from Facebook. This is Flicka's former Daisy troop leader sharing how she taught that troop the Girl Scout law. And, I now use it with Flicka's brownie/junior troop.

FIR 2012: The Dresden Files 1-6

Well, I can blame an old high school friend for recommending Jim Butcher's novels to me a few years ago. Now, I figure there should be a 12-step group for people needing to get a life after reading the Harry Dresden series! LOL

One of my "secret" reading favorites are the fantasy/ sci-fi stuff of my adolescence. "A Wrinkle In Time" was THE book that drew me into the wonderful world of leisure reading around 3rd grade. Since then, I read and re-read L'Engle, LeGuin, Tolkien, Lewis,and McCaffrey over and over. You can now add Butcher to that list.

I read all the Harry Dresden series last year up to the thirteenth and most current, "Ghost Story," released last year. (By the way, number fourteen, "Cold Day," is to be released next month!) In honor of the pending new release, I wanted to re-read the series. I had put a hold on an e-version of the first six books and it happened to come in just at this reading challenge began. So, as I mentioned here, I followed this bibliographical detour from my original list and got reading.

And, I've gotten nothing done for a week!

Now, I won't go through all six plots but there is something to be said to see how Dresden develops over the course of each...so much so that I can't wait to catch up via books seven through 13. For the record, here are the titles include in this first half of a baker's dozen: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, and Blood Rites.

I love watching Dresden's internal battles with good/evil, his past and history, his greater beliefs in Magic vs western religion, and the new challenges. I love the characters including Lieutenant Karrin Murphy and his often-called-upon fellow battle man, Michael, who happens to be a holy Knight of the Cross...for real. White crusader cape, red cross, wielding a sword containing a nail from the Crucifixion...yea, THAT Crucifixtion. LOL

If you're looking for some sci-fi brain candy to get lost in for a while, please go to your local library STAT and look into the Harry Dresden series.