New Rating/Ranking System!

I'm really excited about this and think my new ranking icons are so dang adorable (even made them myself using Photoshop).

What made me want to do a ranking system? A friend of mine (find her blog here) posted some new youtube videos and one of them was "May Wrapup/June TBR." I googled "Wrap up/TBR" because I wasn't sure what TBR stood for. Then as I was typing it came to me, "To Be Read, you idiot." I kept searching though to see what other bloggers and youtubers were doing with this new (or at least new to me) trend.

I stumbled onto Blog of a Bookaholic and after some searching around, I noticed that she had a ranking system using these adorable little cupcakes. That's how I came up with the idea to do my own ranking system. (THANK YOU Blog of a Bookaholic!)

Without further adieu, I introduce you to Princess Reads A Lot (and my new rant rank system).

Princess Reads A Lot absolutely LOVES this book! She is captivated, enamored, enchanted, and fascinated, otherwise irrevocably in love. She has found yet another literary prince charming and is in bliss.

Princess Reads A Lot LIKES this book a whole lot!
It made her smile and she's sure glad she read it.

Princess Reads A Lot isn't too sure about this book. She didn't like it, but she didn't not like it either. She knows it's one she won't ever re-read and that makes her a little sad.

Princess Reads A Lot didn't like this book AT ALL! For every hundred good books, there is a bad one and this book happened to be it. "What a waste," she cries.




So? What'd ya think?

Reviews Previously Posted on Different Blog

Below is a list of the books reviewed on my Looney Express Crazy Reviews blog. I decided to reserve that blog to only Asian dramas and Anime reviews. Thought I'd share the few book reviews that had been previously posted at Looney here. (I'll create new posts on BookRants soon, instead of just links below.)

Click on a title to be directed to its respective post. The series are in ABC order by Title.

• Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts
• Level 26: Dark Origins by Anthony Zuiker
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
• The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts
• The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I picked up The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time when I visited Powell's in Portland (OMG! Every book lover needs to visit that place. It's HEAVEN!) as I'd heard great things about the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.

I found Christopher to be charming and the way he viewed the world was endearing. What I liked best is that I could relate to his many quirks. I mean, I don't like the colors olive green and brown because they're "shit-colors" as I call them. I find omens in random occurrences. (Any day, I see a pink car means a super fantabulous day.) I don't like my food touching either (but I'll still eat it). I don't feel comfortable with just anyone touching me. I find people and their habit of saying-what-they-mean-by-not-actually-saying-what-they-mean annoying and confusing as well. I have obsessive-like interests. I'm just as hooked on books and reading as Chris (May I call you Chris, Christopher?) enjoys Maths and Physics. Oh, and he's British. I have a weakness for anything and anyone British (I believe I was British in a past life). So yeah, I felt a kinship to Chris.

Once I turned to page one and saw it started with chapter 2, I was like O_o. Then, I kept flipping through and I was like >_< All of the chapters are PRIME NUMBERS, cool! (because I'm a nerd) And I settled in to reading the book with a smirk on my face because I was amused. (I was on the train by the way, but it's NYC and no one looks at you weird on the train no matter what you do because 10 times out of 10, they've seen weirder.)

Other than liking Chris and getting a glimpse into his head, there wasn't anything else interesting about this novel. As a future educator, I was interested in learning a little more about Asberger's in the hopes of gaining some insight as a teacher. As I was reading the novel, I felt as if I was simply reading one of my student's journals (I think I would enjoy having Chris in my class.). I know, I know, the structure of the novel is suppose to be a journal, but there should also be a story.

This novel lacked a real plot. I expected a true mystery novel, but the way the mystery was solved? It was so LAME! I couldn't believe it. I felt so CHEATED. I wanted to stop reading then. I was half way through the book and the mystery was solved, so what else could Haddon, I mean Chris, have to write about? But I kept on reading because I cared about Chris and I wanted to see how things would end up for the old sport. (Just watched The Great Gatsby in theaters. Read my review here.)

As I've said several time, I'm primarily a Character-Reader (made that term up). I read books for the characters because I'm fascinated about other people's lives and I love being in their shoes for a few hours. I enjoyed the time spent with Chris, but the story was crap. And all of the diagrams and font changes and stuff (real eloquent, I know) were so distracting. I was compelled to stop and try to figure 'em out each time (and then give up).

Another concern was the accuracy of Chris' character.While reading I kept asking myself: can I trust that this is a fairly accurate representation of a 15-year-old with Asberger's? I understand that it's a spectrum and each individual is different. But where, what experience is Haddon writing from? I'm not sure I can trust this unless he's had some interaction with individuals with Asberger's. After reading, I did some Googling and Haddon makes it clear that this is not a commentary or accurate representation of Autism or Asberger's as he doesn't know much about it. Read more here: http://www.markhaddon.com/aspergers-and-autism

In that case, if you take The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as Haddon meant it, "a novel about difference, about being an outsider, about seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way," it'll lessen criticism about Chris' character, but it still doesn't improve the plot.

VERDICT: Enjoyable read because I liked Chris and had fun getting to know him, but the story itself could use a little (okay, a lot) of work. UNLESS, Haddon didn't mean for this to be a mystery story at all and it was simply a way to introduce us to Chris. Hmm... but I still feel cheated, so no. Why does this book have a ton of awards and stuff, again? I really don't see it...

Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes

 

I had never heard of Mrs. Viramontes or her work, until our faculty advisor Dr. Deborah Poe mentioned during an editorial meeting of the Vox Arts and Literary Magazine (which I was Managing Editor of) that she had recently published an anthology with Dr. Ama Wattley, titled “Between Worlds.” My first response, was “Oh, cool title.” My second, “Should I eventually become an English Professor? You get to publish stuff!” My third, which is the one actually articulated out loud was, “Can we invite one of readers to the Launch event?” 

Borrowing a copy of “Between Worlds” from Dr. Poe, which I kept longer than appropriate, I began with the excerpt from Ms. Viramontes’ first novel, Under the Feet of Jesus.  From the very first line, I was struck by the unapologetic and raw portrayal of the Hispanic migrant worker. Reflecting the hardships of the migrants’ lives set against the beauty of an equally harsh landscape, Viramontes pulls readers into an entirely different world, one in which its inhabitants, themselves are caught between worlds, not truly belonging in either one. The one line that struck me the strongest was this one: “He had given this country its all, and in this land that used his bones for kindling, in this land that never once in the thirty years he lived and worked, never once said thank you…”

We ended up inviting Viramontes as our featured reader for out launch and I took the chance to purchase a copy of the novel and even got it signed. I hadn't had time to read it until just recently.

Viramontes at the Vox Fall 2012 Launch Event

The novel in its entirety both lived up to and failed my initial expectations. From the excerpt I had read, I expect to be more strongly drawn into the story and lives of Estrella and her family. However, I maintained a certain distance while reading the book. I wasn't truly invested emotionally or intellectually. I was disappointed in the fact that it seemed like the very best part of the novel was the excerpt I had already read and the rest wasn't as poignant or exciting. I was disappointed by the fact that the excerpt led me to believe that Under the Feet of Jesus (love the title by the way) was more of a tragic love story.  Yet it's not as Estrella and Alejo's relationship doesn't quite go anywhere.

At the same time, though, I appreciated that the rawness I had first experienced continued. Viramontes doesn't try to sugarcoat, or pull her punches in her writing and word choices. Also, I absolutely loved the intermingling of English and Spanish in the text. I was drawn into the authenticity of the story due to the Spanish. However, a few places of confusion that weren't cleared up by context pulled me away from the story as I tried to translate the unknown word. So that irked a bit.

Under the Feet of Jesus is a novel that will join the "Check, read that one, didn't hate, but not anything special" shelf of my library. It has a lot of potential and Viramontes has a way with words that's absolutely beautiful, however I feel it fell short in plot and character development.

 

Don't Like to Read? IMPOSSIBLE!

**previous wrote this in my Introductory Computing class as we were creating our own blogs.*

There are a few things that get me really riled up:

1)A really great book.
2)A really awful book.
3)When someone says they don't like to read.


I have always had a love for books. For as long as I can remember I've always had my nose in a book, inhaling the characters, settings, and/or plots; either falling in love or in hate. Whether it is fiction, science fiction or fantasy, I simply take it all in. My passion for books and reading is so strong that I just have to share it. It's the reason why I've decided to become an English teacher. I can share my passion with students and hope that they also fall in love. I believe that I have the ability to get more kids interested in reading. Nothing annoys me more when someone says, "I can't find any books that interest me, hence I don't like to read". I consider that bull! There are countless millions of thousands of books that it is IMPOSSIBLE not to find a couple hundred that you'll really enjoy.

[Rant] Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Book 1 of The Vampire Academy Series: Vampire Academy

Richelle Mead

Young Adult - Paranormal/Vampires

Rant:

My best friend has been going on and  on about how good this series is and how much she thinks I would like it. I can see why she thought I would. For one, there's vampires. That's usually a huge plus for me.There are also cute guys and kick-ass female leads. More pluses.

In the world of Vampire Academy, there are humans, mortal vampires called Moroi, their guardians, who are half human/half vampire, called Dhampir, and evil immortal vampires called Strigoi. We begin the story with Lissa, a Moroi princess and her guardian Rose in Portland hiding out on a college campus (they're high schoolers). But then they're found and returned back to the St. Vladimir Academy, a school for Moroi and Guardians, that they'd run from.

I finished this book in a day, but about half-way through I was contemplating abandoning it. Everything that was happening seemed so trivial. They kept hinting at bigger issues, but ignoring them. There were too many silly mini-conflicts that hid the larger one. While I believe this was Mead's point so that the climax, could be, well climatic, I was bored. I couldn't connect with the characters. In truth, both Lissa and Rose annoyed me. As did most of the secondary characters, especially that Mia girl (what was her deal? Even after I learned what is was about I didn't care). Lissa was just too wimpy and a little too much "oh woe is me" and Rose was just so full of herself and not a very good person. Yes, she obviously cares for Lissa and protects her, but there were just as many times where she was the one causing her pain. Also, Rose didn't seem to have much respect for herself (or for anyone else for that matter) in the novel. Either she was fully aware and didn't give a shit, or she knew perfectly well and still didn't give a shit. I think it was the latter and I didn't like how manipulative she was to everyone. Strangely enough, Christian and Dimitri I liked and I liked Lissa and Rose a little better when they were with their respective guys.

So, anyway, I pushed myself and finished the book. Overall, I feel kind of "MEH" about it. I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't love it either. If you've been following my blog or know me even a little, you know that characters are almost the most important thing for me in a book. Give me good characterization or nothing at all. I can't forgive almost anything in a work if I love (or even like) the characters. Even though this book should be up my alley (there are vampires for godssake!), it's not because Rose sucks!.  Also, usually when I finish a (good) book that is part of a series, I'm almost frantic with the need to read the next one. However, everything was wrapped up a little too neatly at the end of the novel.

I didn't love or connect with the characters; the plot wasn't very exciting; and the ending wasn't as much of a cliff-hanger as one expects from the first book in a six-book series. In the end, I'm not too excited to read the rest of the series and I probably won't.

[Currently Reading] Brain Rules by John Medina

After doing laundry today, I decided to start reading John Medina's seemingly popular (at least according to Amazon reviews) Brain Rules.

This is not the kind of book I would pick up on my own, so the story behind how I ended up with it in my hands is a bit interesting (maybe).

It was a dark and stormy night and I was sitting in the back of the classroom with the other delinquents in my Honor's course: The Divine Comedy of Dante. I was participating in typical delinquent behavior by playing "Zombies Smashed" and "Family Feud" on my Asus Transformer Tablet (Product placement. You're welcome, Asus.) instead of paying attention. I was bored out of my skull because the Prof. (who has an amazing radio-host voice by the way) had spent the last 45 minutes reviewing everything we did in the previous class. I wanted to shoot myself, but instead I decided to share my misery with the world via Facebook (Thank you, FB for saving my life). And I get a comment from someone on my friends list--a teacher at my former high school, who I don't really remember, but ended up being FB friends with somehow--recommending a book that my Prof. might benefit from reading. That book was ... you guessed it--Brain Rules by John Medina.

I was interested in the book after reading the details on Amazon, but I'm a poor college student and my Books-for-Pleasure budget was a bit depleted at the time. That was part one of Operation Acquire Brain Rules.

For the next step, you need to know that I'm a member of the Teacher Opportunity Corps program at my school, TOC for short. Get more info here if you're interested:http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/toc.html Being the nerd that I am, I emailed the coordinator (who is a rockin' cool lady named Pat) to suggest that Brain Rules might be a good addition to our developing teacher library. Next thing I know she's suggesting that I read it and possibly lead a discussion for the other corps members. My first thoughts? Ahh, Pat, why? You know how busy I am and you give me additional homework. You mean, mean woman! Just kidding. In the end, I agreed to do so as soon as I was able to buy the book. Faster than I can say YOLO, she's offering to purchase the book for me and sending me an email telling me that it's ready to pick up whenever I have time to drop by.

And with that my friends, Operation Acquire Brain Rules (for free) was accomplished.

So, what is Brain Rules actually about? I'm so glad you asked that question. The book is organized around twelve "brain rules," or twelve facts about the brain and how it works that scientists have essentially all agreed to be true. After explaining each brain rule, Medina offers some suggestions for us to utilize those principles at work, home, and school. I expected a very dry read because of the very sciency subject matter. However, Medina has done an amazing job of keeping the language very reader-friendly. You don't have to be a fellow scientist (because I am clearly not) to enjoy reading the book (which I currently am). Medina also has a sense of humor, which is expressed throughout the whole book. Never thought I would see the day where I would be thoroughly amused while learning about the structure of the brain.

Below are two quotes from the second chapter that I found exceptionally funny and that may give you a glance of Medina's brand of humor:

"In short this region [prefrontal cortex] controls many of the behaviors that seperate us from other animals. And teenagers." (p. 40)

"Most of its [Paleomammalian brain] functions involve what some researchers call the "four F's": fighting, feeding, fleeing, and ... reproductive behavior." (p. 40)

See! Nerdy humor is the best kind of humor. I love it. Can't wait to keep reading. 

Intellectually Yours,

Fatuma, Book Rants

The Rantings and Ravings of a Crazy Book Lady