When the Lion King gives you awkward book feels...

So I was watching The Lion King yesterday, and it gets to the part where Simba and Nala reunite as adults and they are all " Omg, I love you". And it made me miss something. And it took me a long time to figure out just exactly what I was missing.

I was missing a book I haven't read yet( or at least I haven't read that type of book in a while). I had this strange craving for a coming-of-age, lost- love type of story. My first thought was of Jennifer Donnelleys book The Tea Rose, for which I will always have a soft spot. And while I love rereading that book, I'm needing something new in my reading life. So I'm on a search. When I find it, I'll let you know. 

Happy Reading, 

HLP

Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot

Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot

Okay, so I did something I don't normally do and read the reviews on Goodreads for this book. I was going through and adding the series to my TBR and the reviews for this one caught my eye. It was basically the same thing over and over again. MIA IS SO WHINEY! I tried not to let it put me off. But as I began reading I saw that everyone was completely right.

And I loved it. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. She was completely melodramatic and over-the-top. And it was hysterical. Honestly, I was having flashbacks of the things that I use to write in my diaries when I was fourteen. And that's the whole point, really. Mia is fourteen. Have any conversations with any fourteen year olds recently? Completely whacko. And what else can you do but laugh at them? (with love, of course)

From time to time, when I'm cleaning out my library I will come across my old diaries, and become completely enthralled in reliving my younger years. And let me tell you, it's some heavy stuff. The crush I had at that time? Loved him so much! And it was the same with each one after. And while I was reading this book, I really felt that Mia and I could have been kindred spirits.

Well, on to the next one. I am really enjoying reading my way through this series. They are light and fun, and never fail to make me giggle.

Happy Reading,
HLP

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

It's 3:07am and I just could not sleep without getting this out of my brain. This is the second book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, and I cannot get enough. This book was so well-written. The story is so elaborate, the worlds so stunning. Sometimes I am simply awed by what other people's brains create. If not slightly terrified.
This whole book was quite terrific in fact, in a very true since of the word. There is so much pain. So much sacrifice and atonement. And almost none of it was stupid. There is only a tiny, minuscule particle of YA-type angst seeping through, making you want to shout at the characters that they MUST know how this will play out. But, alas.
The surprises in the book come one after another. I use to really try and guess while I was reading about possible plot twists, but lately I've given up the habit, and this book swept me away so fast that I really could not keep up at times. I even had to reread a few passages to make sure that I hadn't dreamt what I had read.
I am a huge fan of sarcasm, being a connoisseur myself, and this whole series is dripping with it. Although most of this book is of a darker variety, I found Mik and Zuzana incredibly refreshing. And hilarious. I was a bit worried that they would drop out of the story line, but I absolutely love the roles that they have begun to play, and am excited, and concerned, to see where it leads.
There are so many elements to the story when this portion ends that I am so curious about.
Can Karou and Akiva's dream still live?
Is there enough Hope for it all?
We are alive and in the same world

Crossing this one off!
10 A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit.- Although is book is mainly set in the desert, it's also partially set in Prague. I have always been attracted to Prague, and Taylor's descriptions are nothing short of poetic.

Happy Reading,
HLP

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Not even going to lie.The cover of this book completely drew me in. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I seem to remember a lot of hype on Goodreads a while back, but it was still under my radar. I have actually had this book, and the second in the series, sitting on my shelf for over a year now. I was looking for something to read as a reprieve from The Princess Diaries series( or in other words, I read all the PD books I own and needed something to fill in). My gaze wandered to this book that had been sitting on my shelf for some time now, and I thought, 'why not?'.

Now I'm thinking, 'what was I waiting for?'.

From Goodreads: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

This story has so many elements that I loved. Taylor's descriptive writing style was surprisingly enjoyable for me. I don't normally like description for description's sake, and that's not even what this was, really. It was more like well-balanced description, just enough interspersed throughout to paint a poignant picture without being overdone.

Another is the world that Taylor has created. First, her description of Prague had me looking up plane ticket prices and wondering how my 1 year old would fare on a plane ride. But also, there is the alternate world that she creates. The worlds of the seraphim and the chamaera. With it's many species and customs, wars and histories.

Which brings me to the characters. I have a serious soft spot for Brimstone. Big, gruff, hulking. It was so hard to understand in the beginning, but you could tell that he deeply cared for Karou, and so there had to be a reason that he behaved the way he did. And then when you find out his line of work, it's impossible  to not feel some sort of empathy for him. Plus, even though his description is a little grotesque, the image of him cradling a baby Karou in his arms is still heart-warming, if for nothing else than it's incongruousness. 

And so, all of this brings me to Karou and Akiva.

As I was reading, I had just begun to read actually, there was a very descriptive passage of Karou. And it really struck me. So much so that I had to put the book down for a moment and type my reaction into the Notes app on my phone. Please allow me to quote myself.

"I love that Karou is beautiful. There seems to be a trend now that the heroines in teen novels have to be plain, not all that pretty. And usually through some revelation, be it make over or empowerment, she becomes beautiful. But this is different. Karou is exotic and stunning. From the get go. I think the reason that as authors it may be tempting to dull their characters down is that they don't want to make the female reader feel inferior. I mean, we don't have azure blue hair that grows naturally, but the point of reading is to immerse ourselves in the story. We become Karou. And you know what? It's fun."

There is a lot to be said about the outer beauty of feminine characters in literature, lacking or not. But it was extremely refreshing to me to read a character who was so strikingly beautiful, but it was not shallow or cheap. Or typical. She has blue hair, for crying out loud. 

Akiva. Ok, so let me say that when I realized that this book was going to be about angels and demons I got extremely excited. I'll just say a big ol thank you to my good friend H. Crook, Netflix, and my newfound obsession with Supernatural for this one. 

So, H. Crook, if you are reading this, I HIGHLY recommend these books to you! I digress.

I could't get enough description of his wings. I just kept hoping that he would drop his glamour and unfurl them already!!! Ahem, anyway.

The ending hurt me unexpectedly; I really didn't see the fullness of the situation until the end. Honestly I wasn't looking for it. I've made it my habit to not try so hard to sniff out the plot line, although some authors make it glaringly obvious(looking at you, Nicholas Sparks...) Thankfully, the second title, Days of Blood and Starlight is sitting on my bed as I type, waiting to be lovingly removed from it's slip cover. Here goes nothing!

Crossing this one off!
1 A book you own but haven't read.

Happy Reading!
HLP

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot 

So I have a confession to make. I use to own nearly all of these. And they sat on my shelf for such a long time, begging to be read. And like a total idiot, I ignored them, even though I was, and remain, a HUGE Meg Cabot fan! Why did I do this? Because, I had completely fallen in love with the Disney adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. I mean, as a preteen, did I even stand a chance? Especially considering I broke the rule and watched the movie before I read the book? And if you have ever read any of this series, you will wonder how in the world these two stories have the same origin(okay, well not entirely, but I digress). 

So far I have read the first three installments in the Princess Diaries series. 

Once I began reading, I was surprised to find that these books all take place over the time frame of a few months. While this isn't the most conventional time progression, I got use to the idea pretty quickly.

So Mia. Amelia. If I ever have a girl, that is what I shall name her. I wish I was half as passionate about anything as Mia is about everything. She may not begin well with asserting herself, but she definitely knows how she feels about things. And man, I forgot what I was like to be in the mind of a 14 year old, and the requisite obsession with breasts! The only difference in Mia and I is that while she is a "giantess", I'm a little more hobbit sized.

Over the time frame of these three books, Mia goes through quite a lot. First, there is the premise for the whole series. She finds out that she is the sole, albeit illegitimate heir, to the small country of Genovia. And then she flails. But hey, who wouldn't? During the first book, while all of this princess stuff is unraveling around her, Mia's mom, Helen, becomes involved with her Algebra teacher, which is her worst subject in school( another thing we have in common!). Her best friend, Lily, can only add to the drama because she cannot grapple with her type- A personality long enough to consider Mia's feelings. I know I'm suppose to like Lily, and I do really, she just makes it hard sometimes. And then there is Lily's brother Michael, who Mia, in the first book, sort of likes. This is my only real discrepancy so far. Because as we transition to the second book, Mia is suddenly IN LOVE with Michael. And who can blame her, I'm half in love with him too. It just seemed to be rushed a little. 

Either way, I have really enjoyed reading these books thus far. They have been quick reads, and I find that once I pick one up I am unable to put it down until I am finished. I currently only own only these three, and my stupid library doesn't have them (who do they think they are, anyway?), so I see a trip to the bookstore ASAP!

Crossing this one off the list!
25 A book that is more than 10 years old.

Happy Reading,
HLP

Classic Summer 2015-Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Alright, so I'm probably not going to actually review this one. If you don't know this plot line by now, go pick it up.

I had forgotten so many things about this book. I always forget that this is where Dobby comes in! And how could I, he is one of my favorite characters!

I will blame this on the movies. They have made the whole thing run together in my head. Thanks ABC Family. (just kidding, please never stop having Harry Potter weekends.)



One thing I noticed is that this book is slightly darker than the first one. That seems like an obvious statement, really they are all progressively darker. But I didn't know it as I was first reading it. This really is the beginning of the slow descent from quirky children's novels about a plucky young boy into the true depth of not only the world of Harry Potter, but into the darkness of that world.

I can't seem to remember any major differences in the book and movie. I know there were some, but at this point it was trivial. The later books are really where I will step on my soap box about that.



Well this gets me one step closer to my trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in August. I've been thinking about doing a series of blogposts about my trip on here when I get back, or maybe just one long one, depending.  I am so excited!!!!

*** I read this blog post today and wanted to share it here because it is so amazing. J.K. Rowling is aweseomsauce. http://moviepilot.com/posts/3293705-jk-rowling-says-we-all-got-our-hogwarts-letters?lt_source=external,manual


Happy Reading,
HLP

Classic Summer 2015

Classic Summer 2015

I have decided to begin again on something that I started two summers ago. In the summer of 2013 I vowed to reread the Harry Potter series straight through (something I realized with embarrassment that I had never done.) Shortly after that, I found out that I was pregnant, and quickly lost all motivation for doing anything but keeping what little food I was eating down.

So, this summer I determined to complete this! Not only because I feel I need to. But, if everything pans out and the good Lord willing, my husband and I will be taking a weekend vacation to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in August! I am beyond excited. This is something I have dreamed of doing ever since I heard that the theme park was a concept, and I cannot believe that it is finally happening. ( Although, I feel that it needs to be stated that my husband and I are both working through some guilt about not taking our precious boy with us. We know that it is better this way, and that we deserve it, but good Lord it makes me feel awful when I think about it too hard. :( Praying for peace over this.)

During that summer in 2013 I did manage to reread the first in the series, and I actually wrote a review then. I'm not sure why I didn't publish it then, but last month I found it in my drafts and published it. I will be starting with the first one again because I am a classicist at heart and I just want to! But I will not write another review. Although I may update the one I already have if it strikes my fancy.

I am so ready for this!