Tithe by Holly Black

I meant to get this to you on Valentine's Day, but that didn't really happen. But hey, now you can read it while you eat clearance chocolate!

Tithe
by Holly Black
Read: February 12, 2015
Published: April 1, 2004
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Modern Faerie Tale

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms -- a struggle that could very well mean her death. (Amazon)






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Why did you read this book?
I read this book as an assignment for my Children's Literature class, but I had also read it years earlier. I think I may have read it three years ago? Regardless, I went through a phase were I loved fairies and I read several books about fairies (including Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr). Needless to say, most of them have blurred together in my mind since then.

The Relationships:
None of the relationships in this book felt believable to me. The relationship between Kaye and her mother is closer to that between sisters that don't really get along or communicate with each other. Kaye's mom was also very childish and reckless and basically not a mom. Kaye's grandmother did act concerned about Kaye's welfare, but not in the way a grandmother would. Her grandmother reminded me of an angsty teenager. While this is a common occurrence in YA books, it is usually in an effort to emphasize how mature the protagonist is. In Tithe, the main character is less mature than her mother, which is saying something. I also didn't understand the relationship between Kaye and Roiben. There wasn't a transition to it, it just sort of happened. Sure, this might work in some books, but in this one it didn't make sense. The one relationship I did like was that between Kaye and Janet. It was the only one that felt real to me.

The Plot:
While I loved the idea of this book, I wasn't sold on the execution of it. The whole thing felt kind of rushed to me, with no real direction. The buildup could have been handled much better. However, once the climax hit, it was very exciting and hard to put down. Overall, the plot didn't have any really surprise twists, but it was still engaging.

The End:
There is nothing I hate more than a book with a bad ending (except perhaps wet socks). This book left with a pleasant ending, with the feeling that the characters would continue living after it ended. Some books just end and you don't know what's going to happen to the characters. I loved the end of this one though. When I first read it, I didn't know that there was a second book and I was satisfied with there only being one book (so, no cliffhangers).

Overall Thoughts:
This is a nice light read. I enjoyed the book and chances are I'll probably read it again sometime. However, I don't believe I'll be adding it to my shelf. I don't think I quite enjoyed it that much. However, I would recommend it to anyone interested in fairies and perhaps older than twelve.


"Crippled things are always more beautiful. It's the flaw that brings out beauty." -Tithe by Holly Black

Picture Day

          I realize I'm doing a pretty poor job of posting book reviews and other things. Don't worry! I'm reading two/three new books! So you should expect at least one new book review (hopefully before the month is over!) I do have one poem for you, from my creative writing class. I believe I told you about it in one of my earlier posts. Sort of...I think I mentioned having a poem that I couldn't share because I turned it in. Well, I got it back and now I can share it. Before I do, I'm just going to warn you that I wrote it ten minutes before class and I didn't really have the time to actually attempt to make it good. (So I suppose that means, if one were to truly try to 'Make it Good' as the title of my blog suggests, time would be a determining factor. Hmm...that'd be something to write about.)
          Anyway, here it is:

Picture Day
By: Me

A plain backdrop
blue as the ocean at dawn
Behind, a wall
as empty as my mother's lawn.
The line of students,
faceless and plain
await the few moments
when they get a turn
to stand in front of the ocean
at dawn.

          Like I said, I wrote this in ten minutes or less. Please don't judge my horrid poetry writing. I am not a fan of writing it and I'm sure that translates into my poems. I wrote a horrible villanelle yesterday, which I don't think I'll be sharing with you. It was really bad. I don't even think I'll get full credit for it, it was so bad. On the plus side, we only have a few more weeks of poetry and then we get to move on to prose. Finally!! And now I'll leave you with a quote.


"Stars are beautiful, but they may not take part in anything, they must just look on forever." -Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

The Food of Love

          My life for the past few days has been poetry. Reading poems, writing poems, and listening to poems. I happened to find a brilliant playlist of British actors (such as Tom Hiddleston, Richard Armitage, Matthew Macfadyen, and Benedict Cumberbatch) reading prose and poetry, which I've been slightly addicted to. I also wrote one more poem as well as a couple unrelated stanzas. Here's my complete poem:

Super Bowl Sunday
By: Me

It is Super Bowl Sunday.
We ate pizza and popcorn.
There were no wings
this year. No guests and
no laughter.
The screen was on and
two teams without names
played a sport that I cared nothing for.

My brother, on his iPod, took a couch.
My parents, playing cards together,
on different devices,
sat on the other.
I sat on the floor and wrote this poem.

The football teams played for us,
a family who didn't watch TV
together.


          I feel like that is one of my better poems. I also did a stanza using alliteration.

Sometimes I see the sky
in colors so sweet and shy.
Sometimes I smell the stars
So cold and so distant
and yet, so very, very close by.

          And one on assonance.

I was told, by one very old,
that to hold a love too long
would be for both, very wrong.
The love would grow cold.
It wouldn't last, if held too long.
Or so I was told, by one very old.

          I personally like my stanza on alliteration better than that on assonance. Well, actually, I much prefer my Super Bowl Sunday poem. That one actually felt real to me. And since I'm just assaulting you guys with poetry crap today, I'm also going to leave this video here for your enjoyment. (It's just an audio, so if you would like to read along with the poem, I've also left that here too. Regardless, press the play button. It's better with sound. Oh, and Tom Hiddleston is reading it.)


Desiderata (Max Ehrmann, 1927)

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.


"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here." -Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

          *Possible Spoilers!*



City of Heavenly Fire
by Cassandra Clare
Read: January 20-22, 2015
Published: May 27, 2014
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: The Mortal Instruments

Darkness has descended on the Shadowhunter world. Chaos and destruction overwhelm the Nephilim as Clary, Jace, Simon, and their friends band together to fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. Nothing in this world can defeat Sebastian—but if they journey to the realm of demons, they just might have a chance…

Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world will change. Who will survive the explosive sixth and final installment of the Mortal Instruments series?  (Amazon.com)

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Why did you read this book?

I read this book because I would not be happy with myself until I finally read the book. I have a very hard time leaving a series unfinished, which I almost did with this series. You see, I loved the first three in the series. City of Glass ended beautifully and I would have been happy if that had been the end of it. But then, Clare announced that the trilogy would become a series! I was ecstatic that I could read more about the Shadowhunter world and Clary and Jace. I was ecstatic...until I read the fourth book (City of something or the other). I did not like it and I was sorry I ever wished for more. I told myself I would not read another one of the Mortal Instrument books. But, of course, I couldn't just leave it unfinished. I had to know if Clary and Jace ever ended up together or if they just weren't meant to be. I had to know what happened to Sebastian. I had to know if Clare ever had it in her to kill off a main character and leave them dead. And so I read it, all 725 pages of it. 725 pages.

What didn't you like about this book?
There were four major things I did not like about this book. Only four, but these four took up the majority of the 725 pages I spent the last three days reading. Well, make that five. Five things. First, it was made clear on several occasions that Sebastian was Jonathan Morgenstern and Jonathan Morgenstern was Sebastian. Yes, I believe the reader understood in the fourth book that this was the case. We do not still need to be reminded in the final book. Second, the point of few. I don't mind it switching between Jace, Clary, Isabelle, Alec, and Simon (which, at five different points of view, is too many for most readers). However, this book took the POV switching to a whole to level. Not only did we get chapters on the original five, but we also had them from Luke, Jocelyn, Jia Penhallow, Magnus, Maia, Raphael, and Emma. (I'm sure there was another one somewhere, but you get the idea). I'll be honest, I skipped most of the stuff on Jia Penhallow and Emma. Which brings me to my next point. The addition of Emma, Julian, Mark, Helen, Ty, Tavvy, and Dru were unnecessary. Their story is another book on it's own. I don't feel like they belonged in this book, especially not to be given as much page space as they did. There were too many characters to keep track of. Fourth, there were too many relationships to keep track of as well. Every character in this book had a significant other that was in danger that they needed to save that they couldn't lose or their happiness would be forever ruined in a pit of despair. It got a bit exhausting. Especially when the only relationship I really cared about was Clary and Jace. And lastly, (!!SPOILER!!), none of the main characters died. Sure, several of them came so 'close' to death, but it was obvious that none of them were going to die. Everyone got to be with their significant other and live happily ever after. To be honest, at the end of 6 books, I think one of them should have died. I was incapable of feeling...feelings really, for these characters because there was no real danger to begin with.

What did you like about this book?
Now don't be discouraged by my long paragraph of dislike. There were several things did I like about this book. For one, I like the world that Clare has created with the Shadowhunters and Werewolves and Warlocks (and Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!) It is a world that I could get lost in. I also enjoyed having one book in the series that didn't mess with Clary and Jace's relationship. Sure, they were 'in danger' for most of the book, but they were secure in the knowledge of their love for each other, which is a breath of fresh air from the turmoil of the previous five books. I liked the idea of this book, the basic plot of it, or rather, the plot that followed the main five characters. The travel between dimensions was very interesting. I wish I could have meant more time in that plot, rather than that of Emma and the Blackthorn kids. (!!ANOTHER SPOILER!!) I think, one of my favorite parts, was Sebastian's redemption as Jonathan Morgenstern. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hated him and I'm glad he died. But I loved that the heavenly fire took the evil out of him and he was able to see clearly what he did and that he was sorry. And I'm happy that Clare killed him. I half expected him to live so that him, Clary, Jocelyn, and Luke could form one big, happy family. But she didn't, and I applaud her for that.

Three Unexpected Things: The Bone Crown, Shakespeare, parallel universe

Would you recommend this book to a friend?
Only if they have read the series and are debating whether or not to finish it. This book is worth finishing. It may not wholly negate the damage of the fourth book, but it did a pretty good job. However, if said friend has only read the first three, I might recommend stopping there. It really depends on how much you care about what happens next. Or if you'd rather pretend that the last three books didn't happen, that would be perfectly fine as well.

Bottom Line:
I did, despite my complaints, enjoy this book. I will probably read it again in the future, but I don't think I will be adding it to my personal collection. I'd like to save room on my shelf for other books that I absolutely know I will read over and over again. However, I will check this out from the library again.


"Heroes aren't always the ones who win...they're the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don't give up. That's what makes them heroes." -City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

The Boy and I

          Hello everybody. This semester I am taking a creative writing class and the first half is on poetry. I know, I know, I used to write poetry all the time. But that was back when I was a gloomy 'oh poor me' kid. I liked to write sad poems about how my life sucked. (Which is a lie. My life has actually been incredibly blessed.) Anyway, I'm sort of panicking about trying to write poetry, even though that's all I used to really write. Well, I wrote one and I don't think it's half bad. (Still, not that great. But not that bad either.)

The Boy and I
By: Me

A day ago
Or maybe more
I knew a boy.
We laughed at him
and we teased him.
He was not smart
and he was not kind.
But then,
neither was I.

A day ago
Or maybe more
I thought of the boy
Our cruel words
and our malicious grins.
He must have been lonely
and he must have been lost.
But then,
so was I.


       So that is the poem I wrote. Like I said, not that good, but not that bad. Maybe I'll improve. Regardless, I will continue to share with you the things I write for this class. (Unless it's absolutely dreadful, in which case, I won't.)

"Well, sometimes home is a person." -A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A Video for You!

          My last post was in part about Taylor Swift. Or rather, more my realization that I like her. And just the other day, I found this video and it just happens to be perfect. I hope you enjoy it!

"Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold." -The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Confessions

          Hey there everyone! I'm sorry it's been awhile (a week?), but I just haven't really had any inspiration to write. However, last night as I was trying to fall asleep, I made the decision to tell you all something. I have two confessions that I need to make. Both are things that I have tried very hard to repress. I've tried not thinking about it and I've tried to turn my thoughts towards other things. And it is tough for me to admit this, but I can't live with this secret anymore. I will no longer be ashamed! Although, I'm not quite sure how to even go about telling all of you. I suppose the best way would be to just do, right? Alright. Well, here goes...
          I secretly like Taylor Swift and think man buns are attractive. There! I said it! It's out in the world now and there's no going back. Shall I expand these thoughts? Yes. Yes I shall.

          We'll start with Taylor Swift. I went through a phase when I loved her (I own two of her albums: Fearless and Speak Now). Then I didn't like her. At all. I hated that she sang pop music, but was nominated for country awards. I hated that all her songs were about love interests. I hated when she 'officially left the country scene', because, honestly, she was only really there for her first album, maybe even her second one. But from then on, she was pop. Not country. To me, she was a traitor. Then, I slowly was exposed to how awkward and weird she was. And I saw her 'Shake it Off' video and I can't help but like the song. She started to seem like a person, rather than a 'celebrity pop star'. Then I started listening to her music again and I remembered that I actually liked it once upon a time. Needless to say, I am a (does T Swift have a pet name for her fans?) fan of Taylor Swift once again.

         Man buns. I love them. I've always kind of had a thing for men with flowing locks (thanks a lot, J.R.R. Tolkien) and the man bun just looks really good on some people. My favorite man buns are those of Orlando Bloom (he was just made for long hair and he's gorgeous), Chris Hemsworth, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jared Leto. I didn't even know who Jared Leto was until I saw his man bun on Pinterest. And I don't know if Johnny Depp has a man bun or not, but he could definitely pull it off. (I just looked it up and I did find a picture of him with a man bun. I don't know if it's current, but it looked darn good!) However, as oddly appealing as this hair style is, it doesn't work for everyone. Would you like a list of people that (in my opinion) just don't pull it off? Of course you would! Shia LeBeouf, Colin Farrell, Leonardo DiCaprio (sorry Leo, I love you, but I just don't love your bun), and Harry Styles (I apologize to the Directioners out there who would sell their soul to touch his hair, but I think he should cut it. Or at least grow some facial hair if he's going to keep the hair long).

          Okay. Well, I'm glad I got that out there! In other news, I have no other news. Honestly, I have nothing for you. I would take recommendations for a book to read, because I would love to write another book review, but I'm a bit at loss for what to read. I definitely want to read something new. For once in my life, I'm slightly sick of re-reading my books. I was actually asked to read a coworker's book today, but I can't put a review up because it isn't published yet. He's going for it though! It sounds like he's actually really close to getting it published, which will be very exciting for him. Well, and me...I'll get to read it before it's published! And I'll be on a first name basis with an author. Sounds pretty cool to me.

          So. List of things for you to do:
                 1. Recommend a book for me in the comment section
                 2. Look up pictures of Jared Leto's hair (it's gorgeous and I am jealous)
                 3. Rock out to Shake it Off
                 4. Talk to someone you haven't talked to in awhile; call them! (It's a New Year's                                    Resolution thing)

*Update* Taylor Swift fans are called 'Swifties'.


"Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn't matter; only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you-that would be the real betrayal." -1984 by George Orwell