I'm Back!

Good day, all.

It's been a long time since I've updated my blog here, and I thought that a beautiful (if slightly rainy) Saturday would be the perfect time. I don't want anyone to think that I've neglected my reading; I've just neglected my blog. Bad me. I have done lots of reading, but for some reason, nothing that I've read struck me as blog-worthy. I've decided that a series that I was introduced to not too long ago would make a good blog entry, so this post will be about angels and demons. Not Angels and Demons, the novel by Dan Brown, but angels and demons in general.

Cassandra Clare is the author of the series called The Mortal Instruments. She has written four books in the series so far, and there are more to come. These are YA novels, but they are quite well-written. In fact, it was one of my grade 10 students who introduced me to the series. I always want to stay current with what my students are reading, so I picked them up. I really enjoyed them. Cassandra Clare has created interesting and believable characters and a story that really flows.

The main premise of the series is that there are half-human, half-angel beings known as Nephilim, and their job is to protect humanity from demons. Our heroine, Clary, doesn't know that she's one of these Nephilim, so when demons come into her world, she's very surprised. What I really enjoy about the series is that Clare doesn't shy away from controversial topics. There is a hint of possible incest (are they or aren't they; will they or won't they) as well as a closeted gay character who eventually comes out. Strong female characters are also part of this series.

Is it perfect? No, of course not. I recently finished the fourth in the series City of Fallen Angels, and I was quite disappointed. I felt that the series should have been a trilogy, and then Clare could have moved on to something else. The conflicts seemed forced and the problems not quite as believable. I read a blog post that Clare wrote on goodreads.com, where she explained that she meant to do everything that I had a problem with, but to me, the fourth book reads like a money-making opportunity more than a true continuation of the series. Suddenly, instead of being a unique series, I'm finding hints of derivation. Now, Jace and Sebastian are linked and if one dies the other dies. Ummm, J.K. Rowling called - she wants her plot line back.

On a more positive note, I read the first of Clare's prequel series Clockwork Angel, and I was back to being a fan again. The characters are different for the most part, and this story is set in Victorian London. It's full of the Victorian character that I really like. Again, the problems and conflict seem much more organic; not forced as in City of Fallen Angels. I guess I'll just have to wait to see if she can keep this up. All in all, Cassandra Clare was a good discovery and I recommend her books to people who enjoy well-written fantasy novels.

Braaaiiiiins!

Yes, I'm going to be writing about zombies. I've recently finished the book "World War Z: the oral history of the zombie war" by Max Brooks and it just blew me away. I'm not actually a big zombie fan (I'm more of a vampire girl), so I only read this because it was the book club choice for last month. I reluctantly picked it up, and then I couldn't put it down.

The books is the story of the survivors of the zombie apocalypse. It is really well-written and well-researched. I know, it may sound a little silly, research for a zombie book, but because of the nature of the book, research was key. The premise of the story is that the narrator is hired to write a report about the world's reaction to the zombie invasion. In order for the book to work as well as it did, Brooks really had to have a good understanding of how different cultures, religions and governments work. He needed to be able to capture how a Chinese peasant would react differently to an Israeli general or a South African politician. Without that understanding, the book would not have the power that it did.

I thought that Brooks really captured how different people would react, which made the book believable (an odd choice for a book about zombies, but there you are). I was immediately drawn into the story, and what I loved was that it seemed to be less about zombies than about how humans react in the face of disaster. This book could have been written about any world wide disaster. I really enjoyed how Brooks looked at the reactions of both the higher ups and the ordinary people. He allows the reader to really see how this disaster would affect EVERYONE. To me, that's important. If I'm going to see myself in a book (which is important to me), the characters need to be people I can relate to. This even goes for books as far out there as novels about zombies.

I really recommend this book, even for those who roll their eyes at the thought of a zombie book.

The Land that Anne Built

This past August, I had the opportunity to make my first pilgrimage to the Land that Anne Built, AKA Prince Edward Island. I had wanted to visit PEI for years, but I had never managed the trip. In planning this vacation, my DH and I had many discussions about where to go. He was pushing for a quick trip to Nova Scotia, but I held out for PEI. I think he was afraid that I would spend three days dragging him around to every single nook and cranny of PEI that had something to do with L.M. Montgomery or Anne Shirley. It may have been tempting, but I restrained myself and we only spent a day on Anne related sight-seeing. I have to save something for my next visit. ;)

Was the visit worth it? ABSOLUTELY! Not only did I fall in love with PEI, but I loved seeing everything Anne related. Has the province gone overboard? Yes. You can't go into a shop without finding Anne memorabilia. The Anne books are sold everywhere and you can't turn around without hitting an Anne doll. Somehow, though, it works. The whole island is based on tourism and Anne is the tourist lynch pin. The do kitch right in PEI. I was actually very impressed with myself. I did not go crazy with buying souvenirs. I bought a set of the Anne books and not much else. I should have bought the Anne hat (braids included!) but I didn't. Oh, yes, raspberry cordial. I bought four bottles of cordial. Now, to make it perfectly clear, this cordial is NOT the same as the cordial which made Diana Berry sick. This is non-alcoholic cordial; it is basically raspberry pop.

On this trip we went to 1. The Anne of Green Gables Museum 2. L.M. Montgomery's birthplace 3. Green Gables and 4. The Village of Avonlea. As we toured around, I have to admit, it became difficult to tell fact from fiction in the area around Cavendish. The Anne of Green Gables Museaum is the home of L.M. Montgomery's Campbell relatives. It is still owned by the Campbells, but they have opened it up to the public. That is all straight fact. Montgomery spent her summers here as a child and she was married here. When you tour the museum there are lots of photos of Montgomery and you can see her bedroom upstairs. It is when you leave the museum that the fact/fiction line begins to blur.

When my DH and I finished in the museum we went outside and went on "Matthew's Carriage Ride" to see The Lake of Shining Waters. Now, a lake was there, but there isn't really a Lake of Shining Waters. That lake was a literary creation of L.M. Montgomery. Matthew was also a literary creation. There never was a real Matthew Cuthbert. He never took Anne on a carriage ride from the train station to Green Gables. It's hard to remember that, though, when you are in a carriage being pulled by a horse. I was beginning to feel that the fictional characters were real.

This disconnect from reality becomes even more pronounced when we actually reached Green Gables. There is a real house, but the true occupants were not the fictional Cuthberts. The house had belonged to a cousin of L.M. Montgomery's, but you won't find any evidence of them at Green Gables. Green Gables as an attraction (and National Historic Site!?) is all about Anne Shirley. This makes it hard to remember that we are talking about fictional characters. As you tour the house, one of the first rooms you see is Matthew's bedroom. Well, it couldn't REALLY be Matthew's bedroom because he never existed! That doesn't matter at Green Gables, though. The fiction continues when you go upstairs and look at Anne's room. The house is set up like a museum with plexi-glass partitions keeping you from entering the rooms. This adds to the realism of the place.

Realism is completely thrown out the window when you get to the Village of Avonlea. Since Avonlea is not a real place, some enterprising person has created it. For a fee, you can enter through the gates and be transported to Turn of the Century, small-town Canada. There are dirt roads and wooden sidewalks and various buildings to explore. Throughout the day, costumed actors replay scenes from the books. When we were there, Anne was busy hitting Gilbert over the head with a slate. We decided not to stay at the school to participate in Miss Stacey's math class, but that was another option. The village is small, and there are definite anachronisms (Cow's Ice Cream, anyone?) but none of that matters. My DH and I sat in the church for awhile to listen to some gospel music and then explored the barn area. We did not, however, get a chance to milk a cow. It was another way to experience Anne.

The trip offered a great opportunity to learn more about the life of one of my favourite authors as experience a slice of fictional life. I think that PEI, and the town of Cavendish in particular, have it right when it comes to capitalizing on a popular literary figure. I can't wait to go back.

Have any of you taken a literary pilgrimage? If so, where did you go? If not, where would you want to go?

Hungry for Hunger Games

While taking my Librarianship course this summer, I was introduced to the Suzanne Collins trilogy of The Hunger Games. I have now read the first book, Hunger Games and the second, Catching Fire. I cannot say enough about how much I love these books. The third book in the series, Mockingjay, comes out tomorrow, and I can't wait to read it. Although these books are written for a YA audience, every adult I know who has read them, loves them. I recommend them for anyone 13+.

Hunger Games is a dystopian novel about life in what used to be North America. The heroine of the story is 16 year old Katniss Everdeen; she and her family live in District 12, a coal mining district. The districts are under the strict control of The Capital, and every year, in order to demonstrate the subservience of the districts to The Capital, one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts are selected to compete in the Hunger Games. These games are horrific, and the competitors are fighting to the death to be the victor. The twenty-four contestants fight each other until only one is left.

Katniss and her fellow District 12 contestant Peeta, are underdogs, and we read the story to see how and if Katniss manages to survive. This book works because the characters are so well drawn. I really cared about Katniss and Peeta. When Peeta declares his love for Katniss, it adds a new dimension to the story; if only one can survive, what happens to to the love story? This story is much, much more believable than that of say, Edward and Bella. These are characters that you really can relate to. Although the book is set sometime in the future, the reality of the poverty that Katniss lives with, her struggles to keep her family together, her struggle to survive in the horrific world of the Hunger Games, it is all very real.

Are there elements of fantasy? Of course there are; it is fiction, after all, but because of the strength of the characters, it blends really well. I think people looking for a gripping story with well-developed characters will love this story.

I will update you when I have finished the third book.