I are reading!

Question: When's the last time I told you what to read?
Answer: I have no idea, which must mean that it was forever ago! Let's get to it!

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Given my well documented (in my mind) hypothetical dislike for historical fiction, I normally wouldn't pick something like this up. I mean, it takes place in the 1960s! That almost qualifies as "back in the day!" (I don't think a single person who was there for the "back in the day" conversation reads this blog, but I'm leaving that joke anyway). But I needed to read it for the Maryland Mock Newbery, so I gave it a shot. I love this book. I laughed with sadness and happiness while reading this book. Doug is a character that you will love to read about. Bonus plug-since I recommended this book to my mom, she's read every book that Gary D. Schmidt has ever written!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. I think it's safe to say that paranormal books for teens is a popular genre. Some might say an overdone genre. They wouldn't be wrong. So to find a book that totally fits the genre and finds something new and fresh to add was a pleasant surprise. An even better surprise was how much I loved the main character (the real test of a good paranormal book, since I usually wouldn't care if the protagonist died a terrible death. Sometimes I actively root for this to happen). More fun surprises: how funny it was, how much I believed in the romance, how enjoyable the mythology was. I'm looking forward to the rest of this trilogy (another point in its favor-it won't go on and on into eternity).

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George. I might be a bit biased here, since I met the author (oh yeah, I'm cool. Just kidding, I'm the nerdiest. I should probably post about my swimfanning one of these days). Tuesdays is a great fantasy for younger readers, something I especially enjoyed since I've been sucked into so many dense and complicated fantasies lately. This is exactly the type of book elementary school me would have loved. Bonus: it's the first in a series! but not the frustrating kind that leaves you with a horrible cliffhanger.

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell. I love a good fairy tale retelling, and this one is one of the best I've read in a long time. It starts off as a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses (which is really popular right now) but it also includes some fascinating elements that I will not spoil here. Reveka is an engaging heroine, and the story is begging for a sequel. Just don't count on getting one too soon, since book 1 just came out.

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger. The sequel to one of my favorite books of 2010, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. These book have a lot of Wimpy Kid appeal, with a nicer protagonist and more Star Wars references. They're funny and heartfelt, and they come with origami instructions! Come visit me at the library and I will show off my Origami Yoda. It's pretty impressive.

Chime by Franny Billingsley. I think this is a love it or hate it type of book. I love it, and I can't see why anyone wouldn't, but I've heard enough people who hate it to think it must be true. I do hate cover, though. Blech. Anywho, as to why I love it: the beautiful language, the believable and somewhat swoony romance, the super cool somewhat historical but also with magic setting, and the twin sister! Yay for twin sister!

 

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz. Speaking of fairy tales...A fun and bloody revisiting of some of my favorite childhood fairy tales (and a few that I had never heard before). As a child, I would have loved this book for being gruesome (much like the original version of the tales). As an adult, I also love it for being a great book about childhood.

Pegasus by Robin McKinley. Longtime fans of Robin McKinley know that she has never written a sequel in her life. No, The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword do not count. What a time for her to start! Her latest book, Pegasus, is gorgeous. This book reminded me why I love Robin McKinley in the first place. Alas, the story is not complete, however. This is the first of 3(!!!) parts! And who the heck knows when the next one will come out, let alone the last one. Still, I loved every single page, and I will be only too happy to continue the journey whenever the heck Pegasus parts II and III get released.

Foundling by D.M. Cornish. I  just praised Tuesdays at the Castle for being uncomplicated fantasy, so you might be confused to find this super dense, really complicated fantasy on my list. But it is so good! The whole Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy is fantastic, a snapshot of a world that is as real as our own. This isn't a trilogy for people who want every detail to play an important part in the overall plot. It's not a trilogy for people who want everything wrapped up in a tidy little bow at the end. It's mostly just a trilogy for people who like things that are amazingly wonderful. Bonus factor: illustrations!

The Enemy by Charlie Higson. This book freaked me out and totally wrecked me. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. I was disgusted and terrified most of the time I was reading it, and the rest of the time I was crying. What can you expect from a world where all the grownups are either dead or zombies who want to eat you? I haven't psyched myself up to read book 2 yet. I think maybe in the summer, when it's light for more of the day. Definitely don't read this one after dark.

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Let's say you're an 11 year old boy who's so tall that people often mistake you for an adult. What do you do? Correct them? Slouch so you look younger? Or do you ride the coolest amusement park rides, test drive a few cars, and then con your way into a space program? If you're Liam, you do the awesome stuff. But silliness aside, this is also a great book about what it means to be a grownup and a tribute to awesome dads. As someone with an awesome dad, I approve!

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Hey! That's not new! That came out before I was born!" True, but I just barely read it for the first time. And it's cuter, sweeter, and funnier than I ever thought it could be. I truly cannot wait to have kids, just so I can read them this book. There is a reason it's a classic, folks.

And there you have it! 12 books for 2012. Read on!

It's Hard to Say Goodbye

"It's hard to say goodbye." -Bryce Larkin, in the pilot episode of Chuck.

How prophetic those words turned out to be. Two weeks ago, in an epic 2-hour finale, Chuck signed off for good, after 5 seasons and 91 episodes. It's been an emotional journey (both for me and our hero, Chuck). Let's commemorate one of my favorite TV shows of all time (and I love TV, so that's saying something) with a list (hey, I also love lists!) of what I love about Chuck. If I can stop crying enough to actually write it. Okay, I've been "writing" this for some time now (I started the morning after it ended) so the tears have stopped and the nostalgia has set in full-time. Let's go!

1. The Cast. I initially checked out the show for Adam Baldwin, who so fantastically played Jayne in Firefly. And he's even better as Casey, the NSA agent with a million grunts. Pretty immediately, though, I realized that the whole cast was pretty special, from Yvonne Strahovski (who knew she's really Australian? She hides it well) to Ryan McPartlin, and of course, light of my life Zachary Levi. Not only are they genuinely good actors, I'm also pretty sure they'd be fun to hang out with.

2. The Characters. Captain Awesome, why are you not someone I know in real life? Jeff and Lester, I'm super glad that I don't know you in real life, but I enjoyed having you on my TV. Some I loved immediately, and some snuck up on me, but eventually, saying goodbye to the characters on Chuck was like saying goodbye to real-life friends (yes, I know that means I have no life).

3. The Guest Stars. Scott Bakula! Linda Hamilton! Timothy Dalton! Chevy Chase! Nicole Richie! Oh wait. JK, she was actually really good, because you're totally supposed to hate her character. Summer Glau, the Old Spice Guy, Tricia Helfer, I could go on. And on. Because Chuck has had a million awesome guest stars, from the super geeky to the super cool.

4. The Funny. Chuck is super funny. Probably funnier than most of half-hour comedies on TV. I can rely on Chuck for at least one good belly laugh per episode, usually more. It's honestly one of the happiest shows I've ever watched.

 5. The Serious. Which is not to say it doesn't know how to be serious. There are moments on the show that are heartbreaking and just plain tragic. It has made me cry! Not as much as it made me laugh, but for a funny show, Chuck really knew how to bring the drama.

6. The Action! Spies!!! I'm sure they're not really as much fun as Sarah, Casey, and Chuck are, but this is TV! There are car chases, fights, gun play, and more! True story, the only Emmys that Chuck has ever won are for the super awesome stunts. Also, Sarah Walker is my hero. My action hero. Har har!

7. The Music. Quick: name a current artist and their latest song! The chances that I've heard of them and actually know the song: pretty low. The chances of me searching for a song on the internet after I heard it on Chuck: much, much higher. The songs were always perfect and frequently cool enough that I could pretend very briefly to have music cred. Bonus points to Tim Jones, who wrote all the musical themes and the score, which could be beautiful, funny, scary, or all three at once.
          
8. Jeffster! Here's where I insert a picture of myself wearing a Jeffster! shirt. JK, I don't have a picture of myself wearing a Jeffster! shirt. But I do have a Jeffster! shirt, so someday it could exist. The world's creepiest cover band, with Lester on vocals and Jeff on keytar, Jeffster! has provided some of my favorite musical moments on the show, including a fantastic performance in the finale that had me laughing, cheering, and crying.

9. The Romance. Proof that having your main couple get together doesn't have to kill a show. It can make it awesome! When Chuck and Sarah finally got together, I cheered. When they got engaged, I cried. Yes, it's safe to say that I was crazy invested in the relationship of the fake people on my television. Whatever, it's romantic!

10. Rewatchable! In the 2 weeks since Chuck went off the air for good, I have watched 26 episodes Chuck. That's right, I started from the beginning, and I'm already halfway through season 2! And I still love it. In fact, I probably love it more now than I did before.

"I love you, Chuck. Nothing's ever going to change that."-Sarah Walker

Me too, Sarah. Me too. Thanks for five Awesome years, Chuck!