Thursday Treat #32: American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

I am really surprised that I haven't featured a novel by the wonderful Neil Gaiman yet. While I discovered him only in the last few years, he has become an author that I truly love. His work is original and marvelously written. And while I haven't read his complete backlist, I have read enough to know that I want to own everything this man has written.

My first experience with Gaiman is the book pictured at right, American Gods. I loved the title and the premise of this novel. Taken from Goodreads.com,

"After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the days, then the hours, then the minutes, then the seconds until his release tick away, he can feel a storm building. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in apparently adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr. Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But they are being pursued by someone with whom Shadow must make his peace..."

What I loved most was the originality. I loved the gods that Shadow and Mr. Wednesday encountered. The novel didn't make light of any of the big names in religion, but focused on the gods of ancient people-the ones that were "dying out" from a lack of followers. It also creates new gods-the gods of technology, internet, and media that are fighting for prominence in the minds of believers. The novel is the story of their war, and of Shadow's involvement in the fight between gods.

I love the contrast between old and new in the novel. America is making a shift away from an emphasis on religion. Religion was far more prevalent in the lives of our ancestors. Today, we spend more time watching TV, seeing movies, and focusing on other things than reading the Bible with our families and celebrating our gods. Gaiman's commentary on this isn't over our heads, but gives a subtle warning of where we are going. You can make of it what you will, but it fascinated me and made me a lover of Gaiman.

I also love how Gaiman creates a dark and seedy world within modern day America. This is where he truly shines-showing us what our worlds could, and might be. The result is a world that is both wonderful and strange. He has this skill in many of his other novels (Neverwhere for example). Gaiman is truly the master of creating a mysterious urban setting.

I haven't read the "Sequel" to American Gods-Anansi Boys, but it is on that never-ending TBR list of mine. If you haven't given Gaiman a chance yet, you definitely need to!

Thursday Treat #31: The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card

I have always claimed Orson Scott Card as one of my favorites writers. And while deep in my mind I know that there may be better and more skilled writers out there, I still love his writing; particularly his earlier novels.

I think I love these novels as they were my first foray into the science fiction world. Card introduced me to the genre, and for that I owe him.

This particular novel is one that is overlooked. It is a compilation of one of Card's early novels with nine short stories. Together they tell the story of Jason Worthing and a society that prizes longevity of life over everything else.

If you are wealthy enough, you can afford to sleep away years of your life. You may only be awake one year in ten, or one day in twenty years to live your life as long as possible. The idea was to speed up human progress, to save the lives and minds of those who were creating great things. In the end, it began to destroy humanity.

In desperation, ships were sent to the far reaches of space. They carried seeds, animals, and human embryos. Each ship carried a sole living man to begin a life and society in a new world. Jason Worthing was one of these men and the stories in this novel are his story-the way he took hold of a new life and molded it.

This novel showcases Card's writing at its best-a deep exploration of human nature and they we we struggle to survive. It is powerful, and like most of Card's works, warns us of impending doom if we continue the way we are. However, it never seems to preach at the reader, but shows us a possibility of renewal, and what we could do if we had a chance to do it over.

It is an interesting concept, and one that is well developed here. It is thought-provoking and wonderful and I do hope you consider trying it.

"In many places in the Peopled Worlds, the pain came suddenly in the midst of the day's labor. It was as if an ancient and comfortable presence left them, one that they had never noticed until it was gone, and no one knew what to make of it at first, though all knew at once that something had changed deep at the heart of the world. No one saw the brief flare in the star named Argos; it would be years before astronomers would connect the Day of Pain with the End of Worthing. And by then the change was done, the worlds were broken, and the golden age was over," (chapter one).

Thursday Treat #30: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

"There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing."

This was one of the titles I sacrificed off of my list. I needed room for a few more titles and since I wanted to keep my list to 250, Fahrenheit 451 had to come off.

This is a novel I almost have memorized. My tenth grade English teacher gave me her own battered copy to read when I told her I was having a hard time finding some good science-fiction to read. I flew through her own copy and eventually bought my own (which is almost as beat-up as hers).

I cannot even begin to count the amount of times I have read this novel. Not only was it one of my favorite books in high school, but I also created a unit off of it in college. My final project, which I had to re-create, was a blended genre paper (a paper composed of multiple pieces in different genres centered around a theme).

It is a book that speaks to me-as a reader and lover of the written world.

Montag is a fireman in the future, but unlike in our day, firemen don't stop fires, they start them. Books have been fully banned. being caught with books in your possession results in the firemen coming, piling your books into a bin, and lighting them on fire. Montag begins to question his role, and the loss of knowledge during the burning of different books.

It is a powerful little book about censorship and government control. This is a great example to use in schools to discuss issues of restriction and society's role in determining what is acceptable to pass along to future generations.

I love every piece of this novel. It makes me appreciate that I am allowed to read what I desire, and to gain as much new knowledge as I want without any kind of restriction. I don't have to worry that the thousands of dollars of books that I have in my home might be taken from me and burned.

If you haven't read this because you hate sci-fi, you need to rethink it. It is powerful and a book meant for all readers.

"What traitors books can be! You think they're backing you up, and they turn on you. Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives."

Thursday Treat #29: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

There are quite a few books and movies that I wish I would have discovered when I was younger. Its not that I don't appreciate them now, but I feel that I would have LOVED them as a kid or teenager. But, these are the books that I'll make sure I share with my own kids so that they can enjoy them.

Anyway, I didn't read Michael Ende's The Neverending Story until college and my young adult literature class. I had seen the movie a year or two earlier with Matt and thought it was a little weird. Matt had raved about it, and about seeing it as a kid at home. We even purchased it on DVD to watch it because it was "necessary we own it."

I can't remember if a lot of my class loved the book or not, but I know I did. I know for a lot of the people in that class, it was just another novel we had to read. And truthfully, many of the people in that class were not in love with YA literature and reading in general (I guess the whole topic of English majors who don't read is another rant I can go into). But we did talk a lot about the importance of this book and how it does pertain to reading and the reading process.

The story follows a boy, Bastian, who is hiding from bullies. He finds a book called The Neverending Story and begins reading. Immediately he is taken into the world of the book, Fantastica, and begins imagining a place where stories are real. And Bastian has the power, as the reader, to change the world he reads about and to imagine it as he sees fit. He can make changes to the scenes around him and decides the fate of different creatures he comes across.

The overall effect is magic. It is a book lover's dream-the ability to change a mold the world of a story to your desires as the reader. And while I loved the movie, the book was on a completely different level. It was deeper, more involved, and went further than the movie could hope to. It was beautiful.

The magic of the world of Fantastica inspired me in many ways as a reader, and I probably pulled more away from that book than I did from any other we read in that class, even though I loved almost every novel we picked up.

It is a book and a world that I can't wait to share with my own children when they're old enough to understand and love the way you can fully immerse yourself into the world of a book.

Thursday Treat #28: I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.

While I adore Zusak's The Book Thief, I am focusing on one of his other novels today. For me, this novel is closer to my heart. The center focus of it is something many of us go through and for that, well, I love it.

The main character, Ed Kennedy, is an underage cab driver. He lives with his dog and his life seems to be going nowhere. Ed is somewhat complacent with the direction his life is going. Then Ed stops a bank robbery and his life begins to change when an ace from a play card deck arrives in his mail. Ed is sent on missions, to hurt or help as he is needed.

Throughout the process, Ed grows. He begins to realize what happens when we make choices, good or bad. He learns about the mistakes he has made, the assumptions he had about himself, well, they are all wrong.

Each message and note to him allows Ed the opportunity to do things he wouldn't have done before. He reaches out to individuals who have it far rougher than he does to comfort them, give them guidance, and set them straight. He becomes a person who cares about the people and world around him, and forgets to focus solely on his own misery.

It is an inspiring book. The way Ed begins to handle the darker side of life thrown at him really grabs hold of the reader. You meet Ed as a pathetic teen, who believes in nothing but continuing to work at his crummy job. But once he believes that someone believes in him, it all begins to change. Ed takes on an assertive tone, and finds the courage within himself to push the people around him-strangers or friends.

This is a novel I need to praise more and recommend. I think it is overshadowed by its brother (The Book Thief), but I cherish it a little more. I can relate to Ed and his struggle. Looking at this cover reminds me to be kind to the people around me and to help others as much as I can. It certainly is a message we all need to hear.

But the best part of my own copy is that it is signed, along with my copies of The Book Thief and Getting the Girl. Zusak came to my hometown about 3 years ago for a reading and to promote The Book Thief. I begged my mother to go with me, and she did. He was a great speaker and inspiring. He talked to everyone who came to his signing, and personalized messages in each book. All three of the books have their own special message. In this book, "Here's to coffee drinking dogs, barefoot shoes, and love..."

This is a novel that holds a special place in my heart. I hope you all pick up a copy at some point, and give it to a friend in need.

Thursday Treat #27: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

"You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything."

The reason I picked up this novel is as special to me as the story itself.

Two years ago (the first year I was out of school and looking for a full-time teaching job) found me answering a phone call the day before school started. I wound up at a school an hour north of my home as a long-term substitute for eight months. It was a great experience and I loved every minute of being there.

Besides teaching history, I was also responsible for a class called "Guided Academics" which was a study skills based class for the large at-risk population in the school. One of their requirements was to read for 20 minutes a day.

There was one girl in my class that I was almost scared of. She was prone to some violent reactions and I never knew when she would be in class. We argued when she was in class about the reading requirement. She continued to tell me that there were no books in the world that she could relate to, and there was nothing that I could suggest that would interest her. In desperation, I sent her down to the library and told her to come back with 3 books that might be interesting. I would read one with her if she did so.

She came back with 3, and Thirteen Reasons Why was one of them. I went and bought a copy to read with her, and together, we finished the book in class during silent reading time. After that, we seemed to get along and she tried a few others books I recommended (like The Perks of Being a Wallflower). It was one of the best teaching experiences I've had.

But the book itself? Marvelous. It's the story of a girl, Hannah, who committed suicide and left behind 13 tapes with the reasons why she did it. Clay finds the tapes and begins to listen....and learn what drove a normal teenage girl to kill herself.

It is a book that I struggled to put down. The power of Hannah's voice over the tapes haunted me. Her struggle with identity and coming to terms with life's difficulties was something that my teenage self could have related to. I also found that when she listed her thirteen reasons (in reality, 13 people) why she did what she did, it made me think of moments in my own life when I didn't reach out to someone else who needed help. The book was an eye-opener, and truly powerful. My student told me she loved it because it felt real and honest. That is all I could have hoped for as a teacher.

"A lot of you cared, just not enough. And that...that is what I needed to find out.

But I didn't know what you were going through, Hannah.

And I did find out.

The footsteps continue. Faster.

And I'm sorry.

The recorder clicks off."

Thursday Treat #26: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

I discovered Diana Wynne Jones when I was in high school. At the time, there really wasn't a huge YA section in the book store, so choices were pretty limited. Nowadays, YA is booming and it takes up far more space than it used to.

I sometimes had a hard time finding something wonderful in the YA section at the time, which is why I turned to a lot of adult fantasy and science fiction. But one day my eyes caught on the collection of work by Jones, and I began picking up titles off the shelf. I believe, that on that day, I picked up not only Howl's Moving Castle, but also the first two books in The Dalemark Quartet, and some of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci. I ended up loving them all and went back for more.

Howl's Moving Castle, however, is fantastic. It has been a bit since I have read it, but I reminded of how wonderful it is because of the film. The glorious Miyazaki had a hand in directing it (other films include "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke") and I loved every minute of it, even if it was different than the book.

Sophie is a girl who believes that she is unattractive and plain. She worked in a hat shop until the Witch of the Waste came in to purchase a hat. Unhappy with her service, the witch turned Sophie into an old woman. Sophie leaves and finds her way out to where the wizard Howl has his castle. In a series of events, Sophie moves into the castle and finds her way as a part of Howl's craziness.

During all of this, Sophie has to learn how to overturn her own curse...as well as fix Howl and the others living in the castle.

The first time I read this, I fell in love. I mean, it had all the elements I loved in a fantasy-originality, a wizard, a fire demon who is pretty funny, and a little romance. It was a story that was perfect for my age and one that I cherish. I am so glad I read it when I did, and that I discovered Jones at a young age. I had the opportunity to love her and cherish her as a young adult. I think that had I read this when I was older, I just wouldn't have loved it the same way.

I will say that I also loved the film, even with the story being slightly different. It was similar enough to the book in the right ways that I could love it as well. The beautiful animation and soundtrack didn't hurt either. They made a beautiful story pop from the screen.

This is probably one of those novels that solidified my love for the gentler tones of YA fantasy and science fiction, and one that reminds me that when I can, I am going to return to that world.

A Look Back at Thursday Treats.

In celebration of completing one year of my personal challenge, I am looking back at the things I have achieved in that time. A couple months into reading solely classics, I was getting a little bothered by only discussing the books I was reading. I was very new at blogging, and to be perfectly frank, knew nothing about the large "book blogger" community I was finding myself in. Memes were something completely foreign to me, but I decided to have a somewhat weekly feature on my blog called "Thursday Treats."

The goal of this feature has always been to highlight some of the books I have read in the past and loved. I have tried to offer a mix of the things that I have discovered over the years, and while I have only managed to feature 25 books/series so far, writing my weekly Thursday Treat post is one of the highlights of my week. I like seeing reader reactions to some of my favorite books, as well as the inevitable memories these titles evoke.

For me, writing about my favorite books of the past is a great way of discovering myself as a reader, and as a person. The books I have read in the past have brought me to this point, so reflecting back offers a lot of opportunity to remember where I was when I held that book in my hands. I find that selecting the title for each post to be therapeutic. These titles are a part of who I am and what I bring to each of the classics I am now attempting to read.

Listed here are a handful of my favorite Thursday Treat posts from the last year. Enjoy. :)

1. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz
2. Feed by M.T. Anderson
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
4. The Book of Joby by Mark J. Ferrari
5. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Thursday Treat #25: The Giver by Lois Lowry.

"We thank you for your childhood."

As a child and teenager, I don't think there was another book that I read more than The Giver by Lois Lowry. From my first reading of it in the fifth grade, The Giver has remained one of my all-time favorite novels, if not my SOLE favorite.

Lowry's novel about a future with no color, music, feeling, history, or choice had a deep and lasting impact on me as a child. I could not imagine not being able to see the colors around me when the leaves changed in fall, hear the music that moves me so, or remember the stories of our past.

It was a book the frightened me, as I worried that we as a society would someday forget to pass on the lessons of the past.

It is a beautiful and heart-breaking book that is sometimes dismissed because of its "Young Adult" status (THAT is a whole other rant). I have always clung to it, since I find in Jonas a courage I don't know that I would have myself. The Giver was the beginning of dystopia and all of the modern dystopian novels can pay it homage for what it accomplished.

Jonas turns 12 and his role in his community will be assigned to him in a formal ceremony. As his friends learn their future roles, he is passed over. When it is finally his turn, he learns that he will become the next Receiver of Memory, the only person in the community who feels and remembers what came before.

If you haven't had a chance to read this, you need to go and get a copy. It is a book that has helped define who I am as a person and what I believe. I don't think I can remember a book that I have read with a stronger message.

"Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo."

Thursday Treat #24: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.

When I was 8 or 9, one of my older brothers came home from school with this book in hand. They were reading it in class and he was bored and hated it. I was curious about it, so I grabbed it and stole upstairs to read.

I only got a few chapters in before he took it back, but he promised to bring it back for me. Eventually my mom bought me my own copy, which I finished quickly.

What I found in Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell was a story of survival and courage. At this same stage in my life I was discovering the wonders of Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Little House on the Prairie. Much like Wilder, O'Dell captured a small portion of history and survival in a way that made it so appealing to me as the reader.

I truly believe that O'Dell and Wilder showed me how history was the story of the people who lived in it, not the facts. I have them to blame for that degree I have from MSU.

And it was a story like this-of a girl left alone on an island for years-that truly captured my imagination. Forgotten by her people in the middle of a storm, Karana is left alone for years on an island. Instead of being able to rely on those around her, she is the one who must hunt and gather. She must make her own weapons to survive. And survive she does.

It was a story I read over and over again. My copy of this book is battered and torn in two, but I still love every page of it. I ended up getting every Scott O'Dell book I could and reading them, and while a few more were wonderful and enthralling as well, Island of the Blue Dolphins remained my favorite.

This book is probably the reason I loved Robinson Crusoe so much, as well as countless other tales of survival and loneliness. It was the first of the genre I had read and for that, I remember it and cherish it.

Thursday Treat #23: Matilda by Roald Dahl.

I had the same teacher for second and third grade. The first year I had her, she taught a second/third grade split class, so I was with some older children. But I loved her class and I have found memories of being in her classroom.

One of the things I loved most from her class was story time. She was a big reader and always encouraged us to read as much as we could. She would select the most wonderful books for us to read together. All of us would sit on the carpet while she sat in her chair and for 20 minutes a day she would read from the book of choice.

She was in love with Roald Dahl, so I remember reading a few of his books as a class-The BFG, The Witches, James and the Giant Peach, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His stories fascinated me, so when she told me there was another book about a girl who loved to read, I knew I had to read it. She lent me her treasured copy of Matilda until I could get my own.

I was in love with this book as a child. Matilda's escape into literature was something I was beginning to understand, as I read anything I could get my hands on. Her story of having her intelligence ignored by those around her touched me as a child. And her clever ways of getting even and making herself feel better made me smile. And I loved the way she took down Ms. Trunchbull.

It was a novel that like Dahl's other novels, captured my imagination and made me yearn for more opportunities to read. It is also a novel I have read countless times. My own copy is quite battered and torn from being taken on vacations to traveling in my backpack for months at a time. It is definitely one of those books that defined my childhood and that I think of fondly now.

Thursday Treat #22: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

"So this is my life and I want you to know that I am both happy and sad. And I am still trying to figure out how that can be."

Every once in awhile, I stumble across a book that has a profound effect on me. It might be the prose, the characters, or the plot. Or it is none of those things. It is just that moment of finding a book that speaks to me at the right time, that makes everything "click" into place, and finds me in the perfect moment where I understand everything.

Those kinds of books are rare and they leave the reader forever altered by the lesson they taught.

I read Chbosky's novel for the first time as a high schooler. It had been passed around my group of friends and it finally made its way into my own hands at the perfect moment. I had been going through a rough patch and I was struggling with a lot emotionally. But I opened the lime green cover to discover something that forever changed me.

I can't tell you what it was exactly. Charlie's story and his letters to an unknown recipient had nothing in common with my life. He was not like me, and his friends were like no one I knew, but I could see myself in Charlie's voice. As he grew and struggled with who he was, I found meaning in myself and who I wanted to be.

Then there came that moment, when I realized the book WAS indeed speaking to me. I read what is probably the most well-known line of the novel and everything fell into place;

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

It made sense to my high school brain, that infinity and youth went hand in hand. And that while things may be rough and things do not always go according to plan, there is no denying the hope and promise of possibility. It was something I had to remind myself of back then, and on each subsequent reading I have taken that reminder to heart.

I was sitting here, a few moments before I opened the page to write this post, and reflecting on that feeling of hope and possibility. We all have our low moments, and it seems that I am continuing to have mine. After all, it is almost a year since I have started my blog, and I came into this for a few reasons. The main reason I began to write and to read and to learn was that I was searching for purpose in my own life and a direction to go. And now, coming almost full circle to where I was a year ago, I have to wonder if things will ever begin to change? I am still, almost, in the same place I was then, but with so much more behind me.

It was as I was thinking of these things that Chbosky's words came to mind, and that I thought of Charlie and what this book has taught me.

Life can bring you down. It can make you want to tear your hair out in frustration, and sob like a baby. It can also bring you tears of joy, and great feelings of love. There are always friends to lean on, and family to complain to. And no matter how hard it gets, there is always that hope and possibility for something different to come the next day.

There is always that moment when you check yourself and think that you can handle anything, that you can be anything, and you feel infinite.

Pure infinity and drive and the want to accomplish great things.

I may be 8 or 9 years older than I was when I first discovered Charlie and what he meant to me. But as I grow older and remember, and re-read, I am always surprised and how much I still have to learn-from him and the other characters I haven't met yet.

This is a book that has defined me, and altered who I am today. And I cherish it, as much as I cherish my other favorites, in a way that I don't think anyone else can quite comprehend.

For those of us who are readers, some books just become a part of us and while we try to explain their meaning to others, sometimes we just want to hold that part of us closer and never let go.

Other times we gush and rave and implore those around us to take hold of the wonder we found in those pages. We just want to pass it on and won't stop at any means until the listener agrees to read what we have read, and to love what we have loved. I suppose you can consider this post my gushing plea to go and pick this up if this at all moved you. It was inspired by a story that has become a part of me, and I so want it to become a part of you as well.

Thursday Treat #21: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

My mother reads a lot of romance novels. And when I mean she reads a lot of them, I mean it. She even subscribes to one of those book club things so she is constantly getting new books in the mail (although, she recently bought an Ipad to read books on, so that may change). Anyway, some of my many memories from childhood involve her reading a romance novel.

Once I grew up a little, my mom would let me read a few of the many romance books on her shelves. Some I really liked and others I didn't care for. I have really different book taste from my mom and while I enjoy a good romance every once in awhile, I crave other things too (like dragons!). :)

But when she recommended I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, I listened. She told me it had a lot of history in it, and time travel, which surprised me. My mom doesn't usually go for such things. Then I saw the mammoth size of it, but I decided to give it a go.

Well, I was sucked in. I could not put the book down, which was bad, as I was teaching at the time and coming up to the end of a card marking. I decided to wait to read the rest of the series until summer break, which I did at the end of that year. For a few weeks, I was IN the world of Outlander and Diana Gabaldon. I flew through each book and I think it only took me a month to get through all six titles that were out (through A Breath of Snow and Ashes which was the last out at the time) and all 6, 808 pages of my paperback editions (I just went and added them). I will say that out of all of them, this title and the third book (Voyager) are my favorites.

I was in love and I still am. The fact is, Gabaldon didn't just write a romance, she wrote an epic story of love and survival. I was a sucker and I fell for it. While she may be a TOUCH long-winded, I loved every moment of it. She created such a deep, interesting world that I believed everything she wrote and with Claire, I also fell in love with Jaime (if you have read the series, I hope you know what I mean). It is a beautifully crafted story that I really don't want to stop. It weaves in and out of historical fact, blending the romance with drama and intrigue. And somehow, Gabaldon's characters are right in the midst of all of it.

As a fantasy and history fan, I can appreciate the effort it took to create such a believable world and premise. It takes years of research to perfect what Gabaldon created to make it so realistic. When I shut that last book, I knew that that I was going to have to wait patiently for each of the next books to be written and printed. It is a series that will keep on growing and capturing my attention for as long as Gabaldon desires to write it.

Now, if you decide to tackle these books, here is the order: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and The Echo in the Bone (I have not read this one. It came out in September and I had already started THIS blog and challenge).

Thursday Treat #20: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik.

This book contains three of my very favorite things: fantasy, history, and dragons.

The first should be fairly obvious. I love fantasy novels, especially if they are unique and well-written. So, when I stumbled on this beautiful specimen of a fantasy novel a few years ago, I had to have it.

The history thing is also fairly obvious. I do have a Bachelor's in history and I love things that bend history into other genres. That is one reason why I love Card's Alvin Maker series so much. But this is about the Napoleonic wars. What could be more entertaining?

And lastly...well...the dragons. I love dragons. There is something about the power and mystery of a dragon that just makes my little nerdy heart sing. I mean, I collect stuffed dragons (much to the embarrassment of Matt) and almost named on of my cars Smaug, after the dragon in The Hobbit. I love anything that has to do with dragons and I don't care how nerdy that makes me sound. Poor Matt.

Anyway, I don't think I knew what I was getting into when I picked up Novik's book, but I was immediately sucked in. She weaves the Napoleonic wars with fantasy so well that it almost seems meant to be. Our two main characters are Lawrence, a ship captain in England's navy, and Temeraire, a dragon. In the very beginning of the novel that two are thrust together in an awkward way and must learn to adjust to their new roles in the Aerial Corp of England, fighting that jerk Napoleon from across the Channel.
What sells this is how well Novik combines her fantasy elements into historical events. It is realistic and the dragons don't seem out of place at all. It just all...works in this wonderful magical way where I wish that there really was an Aerial Corp so that I could join!

After this title, there are four more already published, with another coming out in July (2 days before my birthday....hmmm....). Each of them weave Novik's fantasy elements into fairly accurate historical contexts in a way that makes my little history, fantasy, and dragon nerds squeal with delight. I truly think that every love of one of those things needs to read this beautiful and wonderful series.

And, in addition, the amazing Peter Jackson has the rights to the films (the project is simply called Temeraire) and I cannot wait to see what he does with the amazing battle scenes.

And, to further embarrass myself (and Matt) here are just two images to prove my total nerdiness. Both of these were taken on our honeymoon at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay. What you can't see in these pictures is Matt dying of embarrassment and the people around me laughing at my lunacy.






My poor, poor husband.

Thursday Treat #19: 1776 by David McCullough

In addition to an English degree, I also have a history degree. Both subjects have long been favorites of mine (thanks to really great teachers) and while it seems like I favor my English leanings, I really love history and everything it involves.

My history classes in college really inspired me to learn more. It is impossible to learn everything about who we have been and where we have come from in 4 years and 40 credit hours in university. My own history education is limited (like my literature education is) and I have taken measures to learn more.

There are certain eras and subjects that interest me more than others. My two specializations are in Mexican history and American history, so I know a little more about those eras (However, you ask me anything about China and Japan and I am at a loss).

Obviously I treasure American history and I hold it dear to my heart. It is the story of my past and tells me how and why we got to where we are today. But within all that, I have a deep and abiding love for the American Revolution. So when I saw 1776 by David McCullough I knew I needed to read it.

It is not the story of the revolution and what we accomplished. It is not the story of how we got there with the shootings at Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere's ride, and the countless other revolutionary tales we hold dear. Instead, it is the story of one single year, 1776, and the beginnings of what we call America.

Told in a seamless narrative, McCullough takes us through the beginnings of a fledgling nation. He shows us the plight of the American army as they attempt to take on the massive British navy and highly trained troops. The soldiers shows us that they had a true reason to fight and were standing up for beliefs that many of us who live in this country no longer hold on to.

It was an amazing time in our country's history. There were great men with ideas for change and the crazy thing is, they succeeded.

And 1776 captures this feeling of hope and innovation in way that makes you wish you were there to see it. It is not a boring history textbook full of impersonal details. Everything comes alive and General Washington is an inspiring and motivational character that I wish we had around today. Maybe he could get this country unified and together as it has not been since he led men into battle.

If history is not your thing and you haven't read any history books since high school, I still STRONGLY recommend this masterpiece. It shows the faith and hope of the people who we came from. What could be more inspirational than that?

Thursday Treat #18: The Book of Joby by Mark Ferrari

I love browsing bookshelves and looking for books, titles, and covers that catch my eye. I have never been one to look at bestseller lists and since I am slightly new to the book-blogging world, I never thought that was an option in the past.

Visits to the bookstore have always been a huge ordeal for me. I generally walk into a bookstore knowing that I will spend the better part of an hour just wandering around and touching books. I like to ignore displays unless they are well done or a title catches my eye. Instead, I look up and down every shelf to see if something new jumps out at me and screams "read me!"

(I do have to admit that since starting my project, I have only been in a bookstore a handful of times. I really, really miss buying and collecting books, but I am trying to limit what I get that is not on my list, unless it is something I am really looking forward to).

A couple of years ago, I was on just such a trip. I had some extra money in my pocket and "nothing to read." So, I ran to the nearest B & N and spent a long time searching. I remember this trip because of the mammoth amount of things I bought. But I really member buying one book in particular: The Book of Joby by Mark Ferrari.

It was a huge brick of a book. I mean, unless I know the author I usually don't drop the big bucks on a book and author I have never heard of, but I was intrigued. I liked the simplicity of the cover, and the biblical reference. I took a chance and it ended up being one of my favorite books that year (2008).

Lucifer and God decide to make another wager, as is habit with them. Lucifer bets God that he can turn any mortal away from God by the time the mortal turns 40. God is not allowed to interfere, along with his angels, unless the mortal asks for their help specifically. Lucifer is allowed to use all of his demons and powers to harm the mortal. God, however, is allowed only to pick the mortal and then step back.

God settles on Joby, a 9-year-old boy with a promising future. He is active and loving, with great parents and friends. Joby loves stories about King Arthur and starts his own roundtable with his friends. Joby is a normal little boy with a zest for life and love.

Enter the wager.

Joby's life turns upside down as he begins to battle with demons (seen and unseen). As his life falls apart and he grows up, it seems as if Joby is beginning to lose faith. But this is where the power of Ferrari's writing kicks in. He explores the depths of faith and human nature in the context of so much evil.

At the end of this 640 page book, I was in love with the world Ferrari created. Joby was the perfect character in that he knew the limitations of his humanity and even when he hated himself the most, he still pushed forward. It was a book that stuck with me long after I closed the book cover and one that I do not recommend enough.

It is well-written and a beautifully composed fantasy epic that truly touches on the feelings we all have about ourselves and our lives. It is a book that I am sure I will read again and again when I feel down to remind myself about the hope of the human spirit and what we can all accomplish if we just believe.

Thursday Treat #17: A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

There have been times when I have a bought a book on a whim. Something drew it to me and I felt like I just needed to read it. A Man Without a Country was one such book. It was not like anything I had read before and to this day, I find myself recommending it often.

A Man Without a Country is the closest thing to an autobiography that Vonnegut ever wrote. It is a collection is his thoughts on a world that is drastically different than the one he grew up in. His trademark humor and sarcasm drips throughout his words and creates some pretty memorable moments.

While I picked up the book on night in a fit of having "nothing to read" the book has become a companion in times when I need comfort. It is a little weird to say that about Vonnegut. I ended up staying up a little later than usual to finish the volume (it is 145 pages). It was worth every moment and I have numerous passages bookmarked.

To give you a little taste of what is in store for you:

"I think that novels that leave out technology misrepresent life as badly as Victorians misrepresented life by leaving out sex."

"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."

"We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different."

"Humor is a way of holding off how awful life can be."

"If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don't have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something."

Throughout all of this volume, you get to see inside the head of a great man who had a lot to say, and who felt, at times, very isolated from the people around him and country he called home. Whether or not you agree with his strong religious views, you cannot doubt that the man makes points, in a sarcastic way, that also make you question your own views.

I have carried this little novel with me many places. In moments where I feel weak, I like to read Vonnegut's words and see him wagging his finger at me, especially in rough moments where I feel like nothing is going my way.

If you love Vonnegut, this will only deepen your love, but if you hate his writing, this may not be the book for you. Either way, it is a book I will always hold on to, and re-read as much as I can.

Thursday Treat # 16: The Tears of Artamon Trilogy by Sarah Ash.

I love fantasy trilogies and series. A nice long story that can suck me in and not let go is always an amazing find. And since many fantasy authors feel the same way, a lot of the books you find in that section of the book store come with at least one companion.

I stumbled across Lord of Snow and Shadows a few years ago and thought that the cover looked interesting. The back blurb also seemed promising:

"Raised by his protective mother in the sunny climes of the south, Gavril Andar knows nothing of his father-or of the ominous legacy that awaits him. but now the man who ruled the wintry kingdom of Azhkendir, a man infused with the burning blood of the dragon-warrior known as Drakhaoul-has been murdered by his enemies. Expected to avenge his father's death-and still his unquiet ghost-Gavril soon learns that becoming Drakhaon means not only ascending to the throne of Azhkendir but slowly changing into a being of extraordinary power and might. A being that must be replenished with the blood of innocents in order to survive..."

It seemed interesting and for a fantasy novel that I will love, it had a lot of elements I look for. I'll be honest, I am a sucker for dragons. :)

So I picked it up and read it and was sucked in. Ash created a world that was incredibly vivid and involved. Her story was not cheesy or overdone, but well written. Ash could write and write well! I was impressed, and I wanted to know where the story was going to go, so I went and searched online and found that the second novel was already out, and the third would come out in another week (what luck!).

I immediately picked up the second novel, Prisoner of the Iron Tower and read it in a matter of hours. I was sucked into the story and amazed at the imagery Ash was using. It was a novel of power and darkness.

The third novel, Children of the Serpent Gate proved to be a great conclusion to one of the best fantasy trilogies I have ever read. Each novel was a great story in and of itself, but together they created something much deeper and wonderful.

If you love fantasy at all, you need to add these to your TBR list. They are amazingly beautiful and will leave you craving more of Ash's work.

Thursday Treat # 15: Summer by Edith Wharton.

I have a very deep love for Edith Wharton. I am not really sure what exactly draws me to her writing, but I love everything I have read by her (which is pretty much everything, excepting a few novels that are more difficult to find). My first experience reading any of her work was back in my senior year of high school, when we were assigned to read Ethan Frome on the first day of school.

While I didn't love that little novella then, I gave it a second chance and adored it. Since then, I have read it over again almost every year and each time I read it, I find something new to love in Wharton's prose. She is a writer I truly admire for style and depth. Her stories always find a way inside me and linger.

I am reading a number of her novels for this challenge. I already finished Ethan Frome back in January, but I also have The House of Mirth, The Age of Innocence, and still left to read. The Glimpses of the Moon. Summer, a much smaller novel(la), is one that didn't make the cut, but I wanted to feature it anyway.

It is a significantly different novel than many of Wharton's other works. She very often writes about the well-to-do and upper society. In The Custom of the Country, she discusses at length the means in which many people make their way up in society, which is, the custom of the American country, otherwise known as the American Dream. And while she does focus on the upper class quite often, she really likes to torture her characters. If anyone has read The House of Mirth, you know what I mean by that.

Unlike those society novels, Summer takes place in the country. And instead of having a rich young woman as the heroine, we have Charity Royall, an adopted daughter of the "mountain people." She is an uneducated woman, but works in the town's library. It is there that she meets Lucius Harney and falls in love.

The novel focuses a lot on their love affair, and Charity's awakening as a sexual woman. She discovers what love is and what it means to be a woman. Obviously, things don't go well for Charity (I don't want to give away the plot).

It is a wonderful novella and strikingly different than Wharton's other well-known novels. If you haven't given Wharton a try, I definitely suggest this, but in my opinion, anything by Wharton is well worth it and excellent!

Thursday Treat #14: The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle.

I am fascinated by Mexican and Chicano history and culture. In college, I took a lot of Mexican history classes in fulfillment of my history degree. As a matter of fact, I earned a specialization in the subject.

For one of those classes, one of our required readings was The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. The story centers around two illegal immigrants who are struggling to survive in a valley filled with other immigrants and wealthy citizens. Contrasted with their struggle is the story of a wealthy family who are sick of seeing Mexicans in their town.

The novel explores the relationship between illegal immigrants and legal citizens. I have my own personal views on the subject, which I won't go into, but the story presented may make you question your own thoughts on the subject. Do illegal immigrants provide necessary labor in the United States?

Besides the powerful political message, the novel is beautifully written. The struggles of the two Mexican immigrants is heart-wrenching. It is even more difficult to realize that their story is also the story of thousands and thousands of people who are living in the United States illegally. Their pain and heartache is real.

I should mention I have not read any of Boyle's other work, although I have been meaning to. But this is a stand-alone novel I would recommend to anyone, anytime.