Mistborn: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

Wow again.  Just finished second book.  The comments that I make below may have some spoilers so if you’re reading or haven’t read the series, stop now but know that it is well worth the read, has some nice twists and turns and I am looking forward to starting Book Three this evening!!

Possible spoilers…highlight with mouse to read…
I was sad when Kelsier died near the end of Book One and I missed him throughout the first half of the second book but then became intrigued with the Zane character.  I liked him enough for my attention to be pulled away from the absence of Kelsier and I didn’t like him enough to mind what happened to him at the end of Book Two.  Vin, the bad ass that she is, was starting to annoy me with her self negation so I was very pleased with the changes in her during this book as well as the changes in Elend.  My respect for Elend sky rocketed (and not just ‘cuz of the bonus he got at the end) but I was sad for poor Sazed who will be hurting into the next book I imagine.  The twists that Sazed finally figured out were not expected and am looking forward to seeing how everything pans out.

That said, I completely enjoyed reading the book and, again, was up til after 2am wrapping it up.  Happy Reading!

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Wow.  He’s one of my new favorite authors and I haven’t even finished this three book series.  Just finished The Final Empire last night at about 3am.  And…wow.  Brandon is my current hero.  Can you tell I REALLY enjoyed this book?  I mean REALLY.

I’m not going to get into the story itself here.  I am simply going to say that if you liked the The Banned and the Banished series by James Clemens or The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss you will enjoy this book.  There are two other books in the series; The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages.  I’ll report back as I finish each one but if the first book is any indication, I don’t think I will be disappointed.

It has action, drama, great characters, romance, wonderful friendships, intrigue, magic, and hope.  What more could you ask for?

Get it. Read it.  It’s good.

Movie: Whip It!

Went and saw Whip It! this past weekend with the family.  I think I am the only one who enjoyed it.  I found it to be a nice mix of rebellion, teen love and family bonding.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself feeling slightly rebellious afterwards.  My husband didn’t say a word so who knows what he got out of it.  I think it gears more towards women but without having any manly feedback I couldn’t be totally sure. 

The story is about a girl coming to that teenage time we’re all familiar with when you want to go and live your dreams but you’re being told by mama or papa what you should or shouldn’t be doing which of course makes you want to do everything you shouldn’t be… There is this very scenario with mom who wants her daughter to fill her own lost dream.  The dad is a wonderful character who does his best not to take sides and is in love with his family despite their flaws.  The girl makes some new friends and ends up trying out for a roller derby team and makes it.  She LOVES it but she has to keep it secret along with her newly met beau.  So things get interesting as many struggle for right vs. wrong, dreams vs. making others happy and love.

I liked it very much.  Hope you do too.

An Autumn day in Florida

The morning is so beautiful, so calm that I feel the need to try to capture it in words.

The birds are chirping merrily. Chirps, squawks, an occasional coo are this mornings music.  The squirrels are busily trying to crack open walnut shells from a tree next door.   The intense heat and humidity seems to have taken a plunge.  Although there is still a warmth to the air, the cool breeze mixes into it creating a serene and cleansing feel. A new start.

My normally delicious coffee is left forgotten as I simply sit and just be.

The only missing is the distant smell of a fireplace burning creating the much loved campfire feel.  Florida may have almost an underworld feel in the summer but Autumn is like a breath of life, a calming tonic like no other.

I sit for many captured moments just taking it all in, hoping to never forget this feeling before gathering myself up and tackling a new day of life.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Book 1 of the Sookie Stackhouse series aka TrueBlood)

I was one of the unfortunates who watched the first season of True Blood before reading the book.  Books are always better than their movie or tv series counterparts and this is no exception.  The series had so many things wrong and different from the book.  My good friend and I had a discussion recently, her having read the books and me having watched the series.  There were so many differences that I was most definitely compelled to read the first book.  The first book encompassed the whole first season of the series.  Now having experienced both, I can comment.  If you have not read the book or seen the series and do not want anything spoiled, do not read on.  If this is not you or you don’t care, read on.

The first outpoint is that Sookie does not match the description of the character in the book to the character in the series.  The second is that our main vampyre character, Bill, in the series doesn’t really fit what I see him as in the book but having seen the series first, I am stuck with them as the images I see when reading the book thus lowering my interest in the characters.

The series has Sookie’s brother running around like a manwhore, so does the book.  The series has him discovering and getting hooked on the latest ‘drug’ craze ‘v’ which is vampyre blood.   No where in the book is there ‘v’. No where. The series just made that whole line of crap up which really takes away from the character you love to be annoyed at, her brother Jason.

The other main problem between the series and the book is the scene near the end where Sookie is confronted by the murdering villain.  In the book she handles it herself.  In the series she is busy getting killed while her campyre friend and shapeshifter friend come to her aid.  I prefer the books version in leaps in bounds.

Without getting into more details of their differences, of which are there, trust me, I recommend reading the books first or only reading them and skipping the series altogether.  Its almost as bad as reading the Bourne Identity and then watching the movie.  Besides the characters name and one similarity of the movie and the book – its like watching or reading something completely different.

Read much and often! Cheers!