Mmm... Brains...

Let's play a game. I'm going to say a word and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind. Ready? Here it is...

ZOMBIES

I would hazard a guess that a lot of you immediately thought of this...

The truth is, zombies are mainstream cool now, thanks to The Walking Dead. Because of that, I've been seeing more and more zombie books popping up. But, to be honest, The Walking Dead has sort of ruined me for all other brain-eaters. I have a hard time reconciling the nasty, decomposing, gooey "Geeks" with any sort of love interest in a book. All I can think of is, "eeeewwwwww...."

But, I'm proud to say that this week I started my very first zombie book:

 

I know it's a bit of a cop-out, what with the movie and all. Baby steps, y'all. I'm ready to overcome my preconceived notions and give the living dead a try. 

So, let's hear from you. Have you read any good zombie books lately? What are your favorites? 

And, just cause this is my post and I can do what I want, here's one of my favorite pics from The Walking Dead. 

Oh. Yeah.

 

A Character Study - Rose and Dimitri

The day for flowers, hearts and candy is almost here, and it seems that many of my fellow bloggers have romance on their minds. I've been thinking about it too, in bookish terms, of course. One of my favorite series is the Vampire Academy series. I read them in late 2011, one right after the other. The series has everything I love and need in great books - a kick ass heroine, lots of action, vampires, and a great love story. In honor of Valentine's Day, let's take a closer look at that last one, shall we? (Beware of spoilers)

Not Off To A Great Start
Rose first meets Dimitri when he plays creeper around her apartment. He was sent to bring her and her BFF Lissa back to school, and Rose isn't happy about it. She tries to beat him up, but Dimitri is 6'7" and built like a brick shithouse, so she doesn't get very far. But, even in this crazy, amped up situation, Dimitri sees something in Rose that he admires.

"Doing that... protecting her like that - it was very brave." He paused. "Stupid, but still brave."

- Dimitri, Vampire Academy

Love Is In The Air
It's obvious that Dimitri isn't like most guys. Sure, he likes big boobs and a pretty face, but what he is really attracted to is a girl's character. He must respect her before he can love her. And, in his mind, you can't have one without the other. Strength of character is paramount to Dimitri. And, he finds it in Rose in spades.

"I can't do it by myself," I whispered.
"You can," he said. There was a tremulous note in his voice. "You're strong—you're so, so strong. It's why I love you.” 

- Rose and Dimitri, Shadow Kiss

Rose is looking for someone her equal. She's an amazing fighter, she shirks authority when the situation calls for it, and above all else, she is dedicated to protecting her charge. I don't think Rose could be with someone who didn't feel the same way.

"I'd never met anyone else who took being a guardian so seriously, who understood all the life-and-death consequences... We might get lonely sometimes. We might have to put our fun on hold. But that was the way it had to be. We understood each other. Our lives would never be easy."

- Rose, Vampire Academy

True Love Never Runs Smooth
As is always the case, there's trouble in paradise. In the beginning, Dimitri puts the brakes on things between them because he's afraid his feelings will impair his judgment. It's a sound argument. It you were in a life or death situation and you could save a co-worker or a lover, who would YOU pick?

"If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you,"

-Dimitri, Vampire Academy

But, in the end their love wins out and they decide to try and find a way to make it all work. Until he gets turned into a bad guy and Rose makes the agonizing decision to kill him since that is what he would have wanted. Can you even imagine that? I know I can't. Yet, Rose gives it the old college try. It's not her fault that her stake misses the mark.

Happily Ever After
Rose and Dimitri make it through almost certain death (on both of their parts), and other potential love interests to end up together in the end. I think it's that aforementioned strength of character that leads them through the rough stuff, and a deep seated and everlasting love for one another to sustain them. This is my favorite bookish couple in books. Who is yours?

Where Books and Movies Come to Life

My family just took it's first trip to the place where magic lives. Yup. We went to Disneyworld. I've been there several times before, but this is the first time I've ever been there with kids. It was a slightly different experience. My husband asked me while we were down there what it was about that place that made people want to drop their cash in crazy ways. And, I told him that it's because they make the books and movies that our kids love come to life.

Snuggle time with Gaston from Beauty and the Beast

And, they do it very, very well. My kids weren't the only ones in awe of the sets and characters come to life. You know when you read a book, you have a picture in your head of what the setting is supposed to look like? Or what the characters are supposed to sound like? At Disneyworld, it's like taking your mind's pictures and painting them with a really expensive brush.

Rapunzel's tower amongst other new buildings in an unfinished portion of Fantasyland

Cinderella's castle, Gaston's tavern, Rapunzel's tower - they were all there, and they were all larger than life. The books that I read to my daughter at night only made the visit that much sweeter. She had all the stories in her head - now she has the 3D visuals to go with them.

Disney's newest princess - Merida from Brave

I have to admit to thinking about my GReeps often while I was on vacation. They were on my mind as I went on the ride in the big Epcot golf ball that talks about the history of the written word. And while watching the Beauty and the Beast show when Belle was in wonder in the Beast's library. It was a fantastic trip where dreams and fantasies came to life.

Cinderella's castle at night

Audiobooks - Yay or Nay?

Eleven months ago, I discovered a new way to read books - a way that has now become a regular thing for me.

Audiobooks.

Now, some say that listening to a book doesn't really count as reading. Others think that they can't listen to a book and do something else at the same time. Silly people.

First of all, listening DOES count as reading. You're reading with your ears. The best part about books is using my imagination to take me places and learn about people. I can still do that when I listen to a story. The words paint a picture - how they get in my head doesn't matter.

As for doing two things at once - I'm a mom. I'm not comfortable unless I'm multitasking. But, seriously, I've listened to books while cooking, walking and folding laundry. Usually, though, I listen to books in my car on my way to and home from work. Before I started regularly listening to books in my car, I would always fight to stay awake on the road in the morning. That NEVER happens anymore. I have something else to focus on instead of how sleepy I am.

Sometimes the narrators grate on the nerves a bit. Sometimes the voices they do are a bit overdramatized. And, sometimes they pronounce words wrong, which to me, is one of the greatest offenses. Then again, it's rare to find a printed book 100% free of mistakes too, isn't it?

If you've never tried audiobooks, I recommend you throw your preconceived notions out the window. Listen to the experts (that would be us). Audiobooks are fun and a great way to mix up your reading experiences. Go borrow one from the library today and you be the judge.

My Bookish New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year, friends! What better time than today for listing my bookish new years resolutions, don't you think?

1. Go to BEA. Yes. I will make it there this year. I have already registered, and am looking forward to the planning and strategy sessions with my travel companions. I cannot even put into words how excited I am for this event.

2. Read another 150 books. I set an initial goal of 52 books for 2012. Then, I increased it to 100. Then, to 150. My final total ended up at 154 books read in 2012. I know I can do it again.

3. Read at least one biography this year. I've been hearing about so many good biographies - Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin. I love history, and I love interesting people. So, I'm sure to love a good book written about a fascinating person.

4. Visit several blogs every day. I've been very bad about this this year. There are so many great book review blogs, and so many awesome people writing them. I really need to check them out more.

5. Volunteer for the local library. I took serious advantage of my local library in 2012. It was where, about 75% of the books that I read came from. And, a library card is FREE. It's time I give back as a way to thank them for allowing me to borrow all those books for nothing.

A Walk Through My Literary Life

For those of you, like me, who read a lot - I mean A LOT - I have a question. Were you always like that? Did you always love to read, or is it a more recent development?

I have always loved reading. I remember getting so excited in elementary school on the days when our Scholastic book orders came in, and all those pretty books were lined up in the back of the room. Back then, my favorites were the Sweet Valley High books. Not those new ones - the old school ones where Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield were wholesome and good.

When I was in middle school, I found a box of my mom's old Nancy Drew books in the attic. I tried one, loved it, and before too long, I had read all of them. This was the beginning of my mystery/horror phase. Although I didn't read as much in high school (you know - boys took up a lot of my time then), I did try out some Dean Koontz (and some Danielle Steele in some weaker moments). In the late '90s, I read my one and only Steven King book - The Stand.

I, honestly, didn't start reading as voraciously as I do now until I was well into my 20s. And, I blame it all on Diana Gabaldon. Her Outlander series was recommended to me by some good friends, and once I read the first one, I didn't slow down until I had read all of the books in the series that were out.

Then came a little phenomenon called Harry Potter. The first few movies were already out, and I was curious about the books. I wondered if they were as good as the movies were. So, on a whim, I went to a book store one day and bought the first two in the series. I stared at them on the shelf for a few months before I actually read the first one. Why had I waited so long?!

The rest is history. I joined Goodreads, met an amazing group of women with incredible taste in books, and I've found myself reading more now than I ever have before.

What's even more exciting is that I'm seeing my 6-year-old daughter following in my footsteps. She read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish to me tonight, and she did a fantastic job. A chip off the old block. :)

5 Bookish Chicks That Make Me Want to Wear Leather

My daughter is six and really into princesses. You know the type - damsel in distress just standing around waiting for her man to show up, beat the bad guy and save the day. Pretty dresses. Animal sidekick.

No offense to Cinderella, but that just ain't my style.

Personally, I prefer a girl with a set of brass balls. One who isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in and doesn't just wait around for her knight in shining armor. She goes out and gets him. Fights a bunch of bad guys along the way, usually with some cool weapons. She usually has a pretty big chip on her shoulder, and it's usually well deserved. Add in a serious aversion to authority figures and an amazing group of friends, and you have my ideal bookish chick.

Here are a few kick ass examples:

5. Yelena, Study series by Maria V. Snyder

Yelena knows how to make lemonade from a pile of lemons. That have been poisoned. Initially asked to be the Commander's food taster, she finds a way to tap into her magic to defeat the bad guys and win the heart of her jailer, Valek. Before too long, she's charging into battle without asking for permission and taking on armies all by herself.

4. Mercy Thompson, Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

Mercy is a unique woman in a world full of unique creatures. She's one of the last of her kind - a skinwalker who can become a coyote. Although she's inherently a gentle person, when danger comes knocking, she never turns and runs. Especially if an innocent person, or especially, someone she loves is the one in trouble.

3. Merit, Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill

Although Merit became a vampire under questionable circumstances, she only allowed herself to wallow for a half a second before she charged right up to the hot dude who made her that way and challenged him to a fight. After that, she busted out her leather pants and her wicked katana and set to work becoming the best Sentinel her house had ever seen. And, along the way, she ended up saving said hot dude's life more than once. And, earned his respect and love too.

2. Alex Andros, Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Alex was trained from birth to be a total badass. Even went to school for it. Training to be a sentinel is serious business, especially when you have the blood of the Gods in your veins. Despite her loyal friends, Alex has a lot of hurt in her life. Her mom is killed and she falls in love with the one boy she can't have. Yet, despite one bad thing after another happening to her, Alex stays strong and hopeful and never gives up on what she wants.

1. Rose Hathaway, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

My favorite bookish chick of all time. Rose is half vampire training to be a bodyguard for the full-blooded ones. Despite being a sort of second class citizen, she attacks her job with passion and life. And, not just because she likes pounding things and handling shiny weapons. Rose truly loves helping people. And, I think that's one of the reasons why her teacher, Dimitri, falls in love with her. A lot of stuff goes down over the course of the books, and Rose stays strong. And kills a lot of bad guys. She ROCKS.

So, tap into your girl power. Put on a pair of leather pants and a bustier if it helps. Channel your inner Rose. And go out there and kick some butt.

Playing Some Hunger Games at Twilight in the City of Bones

Sure - people have been turning books into movies for a really long time. Gone With the Wind, anyone? Wuthering Heights? But, is it just me, or has it become a new theme lately? Especially with regards to books that were written for teens and tweens. It seems to me that the recent popular trend started with the Harry Potter juggernaut. Then, a little thing called Twilight came along.

I'm betting that, if you're reading this blog, that you've probably read the books. Heck - you've probably already seen Breaking Dawn Part 2 that just opened in theaters last Friday. I'm not ashamed to say that I have. And I loved it. But, that's a conversation for another day.

The question I have is, are these movies stifling our creativity and imagination? When you picture Katniss Everdeen, does the girl in your head look like Jennifer Lawrence?

I started reading the Harry Potter books about halfway through the movie releases. I caught up right before the seventh movie was released. But, while I was reading all of the books, I had movie stills in my head while reading. Might I have pictures Hogwarts differently had I not seen the movies first?

And, it seems as if the phenomenon isn't contained to just the silver screen. It's been known for awhile now that the CW is looking to turn The Selection into a series. And, more recently made known is the plan to turn the ridiculously popular novel Outlander into a series on Starz. 

It seems like 2013 will be the year of the YA book movies. Warm Bodies, Beautiful Creatures, City of Bones, Catching Fire - you better get reading, my friends. Or not. It seems that, even if you don't want to read the books, someone else will show you how it's supposed to look.

So, what do you think? Do you enjoy seeing your favorite books being made into movies? Or, would you rather use your own imagination to picture the characters and worlds in your head?