Wormies Updates #2

This week we will be reading Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella.

I chose this book for the week since after Eragon, I thought it would be nice to dive into something lighter and quick to finish.

With Confessions of a Shopaholic (The Movie) coming up, I was inspired to check out what newer books Sophie Kinsella has written. And then there it was, sitting amongst numerous chick-lit books was "Remember Me." Somehow the plot has captured my attention, and I would like to read it together with my girl friends/fellow bookworms.

I know this is not each of the other wormie's cup of tea, but I have a hunch that they will like this, nevertheless.

Enjoy reading, wormies!

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Eragon By Christopher Paolini

Here is a review on Eragon as assigned to us by our Head Bookworm, Ezrah. The reading was assigned last September 6.

If you haven't read the book yet, I advice you to skip reading so as not to spoil your fun.

Plot

(Taken from book jacket)
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands. . . .

My View(s)

First off, I would like to say that I admire Paolini as he surely conquered what most of us dream at his age. I know I certainly wish I could create a masterpiece as this.

As for the book itself, I loved Eragon. Compared to the movie, well, the movie was not exactly the same - having seen the movie first hand, I could not help but relate both.

I like the plot as it evolves itself in a way that the reader keeps on asking what is going to happen next, or with a series of "who's he?" "what's that?" and other questions. Of course, one would have to read more in order to learn the answers.

The flow of the story is filled with vivid details, names, places, and languages which would take a bit of memorization but the maps and bibliographies help a lot. And while there are other story lines that branch out here and there, Paolini manages to create a bigger vein as the main storyline, but I just could not help but wonder about the other people in the story.

As for Eragon (character), I could not help but sometimes feel like I could choke him. Too cocky and hardheaded for my taste, but I guess that is where his appeal lies. I do think it is his cover for his insecurities and other feelings that he would rather not share.

For Saphira, well, I could not help but be mystified. I have this like for huge creatures such as dinosaurs and the like, so yeah, I liked Saphira a lot! I would like to have one dearly. Anyway, like her shiny blue coat, I think she's cool.

The person I like the most is Brom. To me, he's like a jester with sad eyes and good memory. I think he died too early, but then again, what more could he have added to the story? Perhaps if he stayed longer I would have paid more attention to him than to Eragon.

Overall, I think that Eragon was a very, very good book. It shows an impressive first book, promising much more from Paolini. However, I did feel like I was reading Tolkien. Although it was lacking the uniqueness, depth, and mastery that Tolkien has, I believe it was a good read for the generation which missed Tolkien. Nevertheless, I am pretty sure that even though Paolini is no Tolkien, many Tolkien readers will still enjoy Eragon a lot.

I give it four stars.

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Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I'd like to apologize for ditching Eragon for Twilight because I was just so excited to get my hands on it and understand Edward. I wasn't disappointed.

About three things I was absolutely positive.

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
~Isabella Swan

If you haven't read the book yet, I advice you to skip reading so as not to spoil your fun.

Plot [Taken from Book Sleeve]

I'D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD DIE - I'd had reason enough in the last few months - but even if I had, I would not have imagine it like this...Surely it was a good way to die, in the place is something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. This ought to count for something.

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Wit his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identify hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.

What Bella doesn't realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be late to turn back...

My View
I admit that I was curious when I heard about the book Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer and because I am not one to rely on what others say, I decided to go ahead and read the book.

As I've said, if you have been reading my posts, I read New Moon and Eclipse first before reading Twilight. Some of you may view it as utterly weird and that I ruined the whole story because I didn't read the book as it should have been read and my views of the book may be affected by this slight mistake.

I would beg to differ. My thoughts of the matter haven't changed much, only that I have fallen under Edward's spell in Twilight. In my review for New Moon and Eclipse, I have stated that I was a fan of Jacob and I still am, in those books because I found it callous for Edward to treat Bella that way.

Now, back to the topic at hand, Twilight opens with Bella arriving at Forks and hating the gloominess of the small town. In school, she would meet the family, the Cullen Family, that would change her life forever.

Bella cannot begin to understand why she is drawn to someone as beautiful and perfect as Edward and she is also astounded, if not puzzled, with Edward's first reaction to her. Because this book is a one-sided account of Bella's view, I couldn't quite understand what Edward was feeling but I had a clue. This was also cemented when I read Midnight Sun, Edward's version of the story.

This time, I liked how Bella and Edward's romance developed. It was not full of the lovey-dovey stuff that you would expect a young adult romance book to be like. No, it was full of a insight and angst that one would expect from a Romeo-and-Juliet kind of love sans feuding families.

The story unfolds as Edward keeps on saving Bella's life resulting in Bella suspecting that Edward and his family is inhuman. It is Bella's insight and keen observation that ruins Edward's facade to be normal. I loved how Bella started to realize that Edward was a vampire and went on the Internet to do some research about it (go figure). What fascinated me was the Meyer's inclusion of Danag a Filipino vampire. I must admit that I haven't heard about that one before. When confronted by Edward about her realization, Bella handled it very well and was not repulsed by the knowledge.

The climax of the story was building up when Bella was introduced to Edward's family. The family consisted of seven vampires; Carlisle (Edward's father and his sire), Esme (Edward's mother and Carlisle's mate), Rosalie Hale (Edward's sister) and Emmet Cullen (Edward's brother, Rosalie's mate), Alice Cullen (Edward's sister) and Jasper Hale (Edward's brother, Alice's mate). Complicated, isn't it?

I definitely didn't love the part when James, a tracker, was challenged and was out for Bella's blood. It was quite disappointing really to find out that the actual fight wasn't written in the story and only short summaries were given by Edward as an explanation. I know this was so because it was written in Bella's point of view and when the attacks started, she had already all but lost consciousness. It would have been written in Midnight Sun however, someone already leaked the draft on the Internet so I am not expecting that book to be finished.

All in all, I loved this book better than the other three (yes, I'm done reading Breaking Dawn) and I'm giving it 4 stars. This time, Bella is not the weak creature that we where led to believe she is in New Moon and Eclipse but someone with so much strength in her and I wonder why Meyer went one-eighty on her character in the succeeding books in the Twilight series.

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The Mummy by Anne Rice

"Robbers of the Dead. Look away from this tomb lest you wake its occupant, whose wrath cannot be contained.
Ramses the Damned is my name.”

Spoiler warning for those who haven’t read the book yet.

The Mummy or Ramses the Damned is a stand-alone novel. It took place during the early twentieth century. An archeologist and also a shipping magnate, Lawrence Stratford, discovers a tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh. He found some notes on the tomb claiming that the mummy is indeed Ramses II. Before Lawrence Stratford can investigate this claim, he was found dead by his nephew, Henry, inside the tomb. People believed he was a victim of the curse found on the tomb’s door.

The mummy and all the other items found on the tomb – some of them are believed to be jars of poison – are then sent to his daughter, Julie, back in London to be temporarily displayed in the Stratford house before they are taken to the British Museum.

Under Julie’s care the mummy awakens and the two seem to be instantly attracted to each other. Ramses, with superhuman intelligence, quickly learns the English language. He then hides behind the image of Dr. Reginald Ramsey, an Egyptologist. Julie brought Ramses to a museum and recognizes an unidentified mummy as his old love Cleopatra.

The plot thickens as Ramses tries to bring Cleopatra back to life by pouring the elixir to the dead body only to find out that the revived Cleopatra is a raging monster with superhuman strength and uncontrollable hunger left wandering on the streets of Egypt.

The story goes on as the protagonists try to find and destroy Cleopatra while a series of dead bodies have been found. In an attempt to escape Ramses, Cleopatra “dies” when a car she was driving was hit by a train, creating a fiery explosion. Cleopatra, without the others' knowledge, survived the crash, and awakens under the care of a British doctor in Sudan. She vows to find Ramses again someday for revenge.


My views:


I’m an avid fan of Anne Rice. As you all know I have a penchant for suspense and thrillers so naturally I would be drawn to the works of this author. I have always been interested in Egyptology, and finding a novel about mummies written by Anne Rice really got my interest. Like all the other of Rice’s books, The Mummy is a combination of horror and romance. The story deals more on the immortality and the emotional turmoil that goes with living forever. As with most of Anne Rice’s novels, the story has a bit of sexual flair on it. She is able to combine the erotic and the scary without going to the extremes in either direction.

I like how Rice portrayed Ramses. He is like the perfect man and yet so flawed in many ways that he seem to be human when the irony is, he is not. I’m a bit disappointed with the “heroine” Julie Stratford as she was basically just a weepy female. I expected a lot more from her. I enjoyed the wiles of the new Cleopatra though. A beguiling seductress with the strength of ten men – she is like an extreme version of the original Cleopatra.

The only thing that I’m disappointed in is the way Cleopatra “died”. Rice should have chosen another way – a more sensational way – in which an immortal can be somehow destroyed. It appears so lame that an immortal can be killed by an explosion caused by collision of a train.

All in all, I like the way Rice wrote this one where the events are not predictable. Also, it is not part of any series, thus making it easy for anyone who has never read any of Rice's literature before. I think the book is left open for a sequel but so far none has been forthcoming. I would really like to know what would happen to the other characters like Elliot, Alex, and Cleopatra, the most. If you’re an Anne Rice fan, this book is definitely a must read.

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Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

I know I'm not supposed to pick up another book before jumping off and reading Twilight (review later) without finishing Eragon but I just couldn't contain myself. I guess because I read New Moon and Eclipse first that I couldn't wait it psychoanalyze (?) Edward. I know I was all for Team Jacob and all but reading Twilight now, made me look back and realize Edward's plight and see through his feelings a bit.

Before this turns out to be a review as I bask in my vampire glow (I admit, I am irrevocably captivated by Edward, just don't let Pyertubs read that one!), I would like to share with you Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer. This was written in Edward's point of view in Twilight and how he reacted to Bella's pull, scent, and his inability to read her mind. I find it fascinating and I feel that I've fallen for Edward (I can picture myself as Bella, albeit a little chubby - but more succulent, yes?).

This draft is so fascinating that I rue the day someone couldn't resist on posting it on the Internet. I can feel Stephenie's anger and her refusal to finish and edit it completely. Fortunately for us, she has decided to go ahead and share this draft to all her fans as she is not able to completely finish it in her state of mind. I would be too, if I were in her shoes. She even hinted that she would have had to kill of all the Cullens and that James would triumph if she would be forced to finish it. I am quite disappointed about this turn of events because I was looking forward to reading an official, edited, and published copy of Midnight Sun.

So, check out her free eBook draft on Midnight Sun over at her website. I hope you'll have loads of fun fantasizing about Edward and his dilemma over Bella.











Image: Google Images
Note: I'm not sure if this was supposed to be the official cover but it was the closest I got to it.

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Free eBook: Melanie Lynne Hauser - Jumble Pie

Who does not appreciate anything for free? I know I would jump at a chance of being given something good for free.

How about a good read for free? Now we're talking!

Today, I received an email for a free eBook. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity immediately. And now I have it! The book is still to be published, but if you are lucky enough, you can get the free eBook, too!

Jumble Pie
by Melanie Lynne Hauser

"IN THE BEGINNING, there was the pie. The pie was without form and texture (and any manner of identifiable filling), and darkness was upon the face of the Home Ec Teacher…"

So begins the story of two women, a friendship, and a pie. JUMBLE PIE, to be exact. A Home Ec project gone very wrong, except for the fact that it brings together two very different young girls and helps them form a friendship that lasts through bad haircuts, unrequited love, endless incarnations of Madonna, and their own evolving dreams... Until New Year's Eve, 1999, when another pie comes along, resulting in a pre-party blow-up that sets Juliet and Emily, women now, to remembering how it all got started.
...
JUMBLE PIE is the story of the elusive nature of friendship, sometimes clinging, other times liberating; a story for any woman who has ever lied to her best friend just to make her feel better - and who has been brave enough to tell the truth, even when it hurts. And of course, it's a story about the remarkable healing power of pie.
(text taken from the author's website)

Sounds interesting right? If you want your own copy of the eBook, CLICK HERE to request for your copy!

Enjoy!

P.S. I'll post my review as soon as I finish reading it.

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Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner

Just around the time this blog was set up, I was almost at the end of reading "Good in Bed" by Jennifer Weiner. Of course, I did manage to finish it before Z assigned the first book. I must admit that this was the first chick-lit novel that I wanted to read back when I was in college, but I never got around to read it until now.

If you haven't read the book yet, I advice you to skip reading so as not to spoil your fun.

Plot Summary

(Taken from cover)

For twenty-eight years, things have been tripping along nicely for Cannie Shapiro. Sure, her mother has come charging out of the closet, and her father has long since dropped out of her world. But she loves her friends, her rat terrier, Nifkin, and her job as pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner. She's even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body.

But the day she opens up a national women's magazine and sees the words "Loving a Larger Woman" above her ex-boyfriend's byline, Cannie is plunged into misery...and the most amazing year of her life. From Philadelphia to Hollywood and back home again, she charts a new course for herself: mourning her losses, facing her past, and figuring out who she is and who she can become.

My View(s):

I found "Good in Bed" to be a delightful read. The fact that Cannie is a plus-sized lady gave me that "real" texture to the storyline. Her feelings towards her weight is something that I can relate to, as well as her constant battle with it.

The characters were greatly developed over the course of the story. I really believe that at some point Cannie and her experiences were based heavily on Weiner's personal life, and that is what gives the story great points which many people can relate to.

Cannie narrates pretty much throughout the whole book, which enables readers to see and feel what she is going through, how she feels, what she sees, and even her jokes.

Being plus-sized myself (I think I am much bigger than Cannie though), I can "hugely" relate to her feels and self-consciousness, and that need to prove something to the world.

I do not know about others, but the part that touched me the most was when the sole of Cannie's running shoes came off, and somebody helped her, and taped her sole back on using packaging tape. She had been walking then, to the point where she had no idea where she was, and she had not taken a bath for days, and she lost considerable weight. I believe she was at the height of her anger, frustration, and grief then, and she needed a lot of help. Who would have thought that somebody like the person who helped her would be integral to making her realize certain things. This part proves to be a pivotal point in the story as things finally start falling into place.

In a way, the novel had its "fairy tale" leaning where girl somewhat gets a better man in the end, but somehow the way Jennifer Weiner wrote Cannie makes one see a whole other "heroine" out there. Sometimes we just imagine sexy women with long flowing locks and doe eyes tempting men here and there - or even stories of models and their escapades. But not this book... its not quite common for me.

Overall, I would suggest it for those who need a boost in life, love, and even for the soul. Makes one think, really...

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Wormies Updates #1

This week we will be reading about Eragon by Christopher Paolini.

The reason I chose Eragon as our book this week is because it is written by a guy who is just a year older than us. Yup! I shit you not! With four books and a movie under his rug before he became 25? Sheesh!

I am also interested to find out if the movie lived up to its name. We all know that movies are ALWAYS far off from the original novel that it was adapted from.

I hope you guys will have fun reading it! I'm still waiting for my book that I reserved from the library but I'll start reading the eBook tonight.

Enjoy being a bookworm!

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Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

I finished the third book, Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer, after a few days of reading it. This time I thought this book had promise. It's basically a continuation of New Moon and is packed with a little bit of action.

If you haven't read the book yet, I advice you to skip reading so as not to spoil your fun.

Plot
The Twilight series is basically about star-crossed lovers; Romeo and Juliet, if you will. The twist is that the male protagonist, Edward Cullen, is a vampire while the female protagonist, Bella Swan, is human. That explains why both of them can't be together. This time, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. This book is more about choices and another love interest is introduced in the book.

Synopsis
It is almost graduation and Bella Swan had already asked the Cullen family to vote for her being a vampire. The family already decided to turn Bella into a vampire after graduation although no exact date had been set even though Edward wasn't too keen on this idea.

Bella already decided to be transformed into a vampire because she knew that if she would not become one, the Volturi would be after her. Sure enough, there was a crime spree in Seattle that had the Cullen family worried. They had already decided that the crimes were due to newborns (recently transformed vampires) where being made because of an impending war. Alice, Edward's sister who can see the future (sort of), had already foreseen that the new coven would attack them.

Because the coven had already assembled an army of 18 newborns, the Cullen's had no choice but to ask for help from the werewolves in La Push. At first, they thought that the Volturi where after Bella but Bella realized that it was Victoria who was the mastermind of the whole attack. The werewolves and the vampires formed a truce and decided to work together to eliminate the army while keeping Bella safe. The werewolf pack had already increased adding two new wolves to the pack, making them 10.

They had devised a way to trap the newborns and split them in two, while Edward and Seth, one of the new wolves, where to guard Bella in a place where they thought she would be safe. The battle ensued but Victoria and her accomplice caught Bella's scent and attacked. A fight ensued and her accomplice was killed by Seth while Edward eliminated Victoria.

My View
This time, I enjoyed the book. It wasn't the best, mind you but it was pretty good, especially when the fight ensued. I enjoyed the graphic description of the fight and could easily picture it in my mind.

I loved the part where Bella finally realized that she loved Jacob and was torn between him and Edward. Although she had chosen Edward over Jacob, I could see now that there is really love between them. I still thought that Bella was a tad weak, though. I guess it's just her personality but I just hate that she closed her mind to other possibilities.

It was insightful actually, when Jacob kissed Bella and she reacted passionately. It was, as Jacob put it, her first kiss. Even if she had kissed Edward, they couldn't explore their passion because he [Edward] was afraid of hurting Bella if he would lose control.

The epilogue of the book was all about Jacob. He had already given up his fight for Bella and received a wedding invitation between Edward and Bella. I found the epilogue interesting because it explored Jacob's feelings for Bella. As my previous post indicated, I am all for a Jacob and Bella relationship because I can still see that Jacob "loved her more."

I know I love vampires but the werewolf Jacob had an irresistible appeal to me. I know, I love bad boys!

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