Library Musings: R.I.P. …Or TheLibrarian gets Freaky

I love the Fall. It’s one of the things I miss most living in Southern Florida. No crisp days built for sweaters, no apple cider, no houses decked out in mums and corn stalks. It just doesn’t look right when it’s still 90 something out. So right about now I’m yearning for a little Fall theme-y-ness. Something to put me in the mood.

Then poof!

What did I stumble across but this Halloween themed Reading Challenge:

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge

(affectionately known as the R.I.P. Challenge)

Ooooh, I do love me some horror, some scary, some things-that-go-bump-in-the-night stuff around the month of October. In the past I’ve done Frankenstein, The Crucible, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde during that urge to read some Halloween-esque books. This Reading Challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. If you’d like to join up just click the image above to find more info. Know that if you’re new to challenges (or just really busy reading other things) this challenge comes with levels. Including one that asks you to read just one book.

I’ve chosen:

Which means I’ve agreed to read 4 scary books between now and October 31st.

Now for the books…Hmm…I’ll admit I’m not really a Scary Story buff…

I may or may not have nightmares after watching/reading scary stuff and may or may not wake up in the middle of the night and have to open every door and space big enough to hold a person in my house so as to unmask the killer…before he finds me but kills my little white dog first. Killers are always doing something mean like that…making the victim watch their dog die so they feel sadness as well as horror at their own death. And I am completely convinced that this will happen to me around 3am some morning. Yep, that’s about the same time of night I also think the pillows on my couch have turned into a ghost…or perhaps a skeleton wearing a top hat. Skeletons are fancy you know.

So…Knowingly risking a few good nights of sleep, I’d love some book suggestions. I’m currently considering:

The Poisoned House

The Shining

Dark Souls

Again, if you’re a kind reader and want to suggest some spine-tingling tales the criteria for the books are as follows:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Wish me luck! And hope I don’t keep the hubs up at night with my killer-prevention-tactics 😉 I swear, I check the guest room closet too even though I couldn’t fit in another shoebox…you can never be too careful, lol

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Waterfall Wednesdays (3)…Ch. 12-17

Waterfall Wednesdays-A Read-a-Along Event

(Because we all know how much I love me a Read-a-long 😉 )

Discussion Questions for Chapters 12-17

Today’s questions hosted by Edgy Inspirational Romance

Without Further Ado…My Answers

1. In Siena, on her way to the ball at Palazzo Pubblico, Gabi likened her experience to being on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, the goal being “to see and be seen.” If you were a peasant, watching from the crowd, what would you be thinking as this procession passed by?

I think I’d be in awe, and probably a little jealous. We never imagine ourselves as peasants in the past time periods…we’re all Ladies in our imaginations, lol. I want to be the girl in the pearls and the sumptuous dress!

In reality if it really is like the Oscars of their time, when I watch those actresses parade around in designer size zeros I really don’t connect in any way. It’s so far from my reality that I don’t feel jealousy or desire. I enjoy the whole event for the entertainment of it all. I guess I would probably feel the same way in that time period as well.

2. Though quite nervous about dancing at the ball, Gabi discovers a strange feeling of connection to the time, the people, and the society through the unified beauty of the dance. Have you ever been in a position where you felt out of your element, but, in one, pinpointed moment, became a part of or connected to something bigger than your fear?

To be honest, no. lol. First off I don’t get a huge rush from conquering my fears. Is that weird? But I do understand Gabi’s ‘moment’. She’s been on the outside of this society for so long. Always having to be on her toes trying to fake it. I think that for once she was comfortable with the rules of the situation, how she looked, how she was acting, and she really got to enjoy it. It was like one big sigh of relief. She was just so happy that she felt comfortable for once.

3. The kiss. Oh, the kiss. When Marcello finally kisses Gabi, he believes the experience to be proof that they are meant to be together. What did you think about his assumption? Were you surprised at Gabi’s reaction to it? Have you ever experienced a kiss that seemed to be prophetic in a similar (or opposite!) way?

Ok, so not a kiss, but I always say that the first real hug my husband gave me (in high school!) was it. I guess that’s how Marcello feels about the kiss. The hug was amazing, it rocked my world. Though he remains a really good hugger (and not a bad kisser either! lol) It’s still that first hug that I love to think about. I truly can pinpoint it as the moment I knew he was going to be special in my life.

That being said, I’m still a septic. I’ve read enough books to realize that it’s not going to be a happily ever after from this kiss forward. I’m aware that this is a series and that we’re only a little over half-way through the first book. It’s going to take some time to prove the worth of this kiss.

4. Many go through their teen years with a subdued sense of immortality. Do you think Gabi has a sense of this teen feeling? And did you think Gabi’s converse observation, “Sometimes death came hunting and there was no way to cut it off at the pass.” was informed more by the experience of losing her father, her self-admitted closet hypochondria, or the forced maturation of being transported to a different time? How does this observation show Gabi’s growth as a character?

I think it has a lot to do with her father’s death. While he didn’t die as a teen (obviously) I think it gave her an early world view that death doesn’t always come when we expect it. And the other sentiment that I see in the statement is an acceptance of fate.

I lost my sister as a teen and I think it gave me the same view as Gabi. It’s a realization that sometimes, no matter what we do, how hard we fight, death may still come. I don’t see that statement as a pessimistic one. Just a view that includes a higher power or meaning to death. I think it can be a comforting view in a way.

5. In the span of a few moments, Gabi goes from sword-wielding teen beauty to man-killing warrior. Did you think her realization of the finality of death — and her justification for its necessity — was realistic? And, in her slippers, could you have done the same?

I think any of us would have reacted in some way. Especially if we had Gabi’s training. She didn’t think about what she was doing it was all instinctual.

I did really feel like the aftermath of the kill was handled really well. I was right there with Gabi, like, “oh my god, you really did kill somebody. This is not just a fake-y YA story sprinkled with sugar where everyone makes it out unscathed.” I loved that the whole situation gave Gabi pause and the author gave her that chance to react realistically. Really well done.

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Ship Breaker (Ship Breaker, #1) by Paolo Bacigalupi

BookTalk

Nailer is part of a ‘light crew’ based in abandoned ship yards of the Gulf Coast. He spends his days stripping old oil tankers of their precious copper crawling around in spaces almost too tight to breathe praying to make a lucky strike by finding the rare oil deposit. To Nailer finding even a few gallons of oil could mean the difference between life and death.

You see Nailer’s time is almost up as part of the light crew. He’s becoming too big to easily fit in the tanker’s crawl spaces. After years of starvation Nailer has very little hope of becoming big enough for heavy crew duty…and no one, not even his best of friends, his crew can do anything for him. He’ll be left with the killer that is his father…a man who would ‘cut’ his losses rather than support a son.

But then it happens. A “city killer” storm blows into Nailer’s beach bringing with it an elusive “Lucky Strike”. Nailer and his best friend Pima are the first to happen upon a shipwreck. A valuable shipwreck. A wealthy boat filled with china, silver, and gold has crashed into a deserted inlet. Even the few pieces Nailer and Pima can carry off the ship would be enough to set them up for life. But in their ransacking of the ship they find that not everyone has died. A girl, a young, beautiful girl has survived…Nailer must decide save her life and risk losing the haul that will save his life…or turn into his father, slit her throat and walk off with her goods…Remember Nailer has no hope for the future…what would you choose?

Review

The world building of this novel was impeccable. Easily my favorite part of the book. I love it when an author is able to ‘show’ without ‘telling’. I could perfectly picture this dystopian society without knowing the entire structure of the new country. The characters aren’t aware of what lies outside their beach world. That’s the beauty of it all. Nailer and his crew really wouldn’t know about the rest of the country. And it turns out the rest of the country is just as ignorant of this small area. You spend the better part of this book enmeshed in the world of Nailer only to find that it’s such a small ‘town’ no one has even heard of it. It’s not important in the least. When you begin to understand that in the book it’s just mind-boggling.

I also loved how, again without ‘telling’, the reader could see how the novel was influenced by Hurricane Katrina and the destruction it caused. This entire world/novel was built off this event. The author is imagining a world after we’ve been hit by a climate change caused in part by other major hurricanes that follow in Katrina’s footsteps. I loved that it used such a timely issue in an original way.

And the characters…I loved Nailer, seeing this world through his eyes is a treat. You’ve found him on the cusp of change. Nailer is primed to view more of the world, to hopefully escape the difficult life he’s been born to. At the end of his time as ‘light crew’ and with little hope of becoming big enough for ‘heavy crew’ he’s a smart and lucky character to begin finding a way out. That way out might be Nita.

I’ll admit that I didn’t like Nita as much as the other characters. She’s not as fleshed out for the reader. I think that Bacigalupi had his reasons for withholding information on Nita, this book is the start of a series. In this first title Nita is basically a standard of comparison to Nailer and his world. Wealth held up to the extreme poverty Nailer and his people live in. It also makes you think about our society today. How even bad luck for the moderately well off is good luck to the poor.

This novel is at once thought-provoking and at the same time a plot driven ride. And it’s just so, so well written…One to enjoy.

Rating: 4.5/5 A well written start to a series I’ll be following

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Mondays Bite (11)…Discussion Questions Ch. 8-14

The Twilight ReRead Continues 

Welcome back to my humble abode for chapters 8-14 of Eclipse. Look to Bookgoonie to link up your Eclipse answers as well as get the next Eclipse questions. If you don’t have a blog you can comment through Twitter with #mondaybites.

Without further ado…The Questions…

1. Imprinting. The idea of love at first sight is beautiful. Then Meyers kind of throws us a curve ball with Quill’s story. What are your thoughts on that, especially when we already know what’s coming? And can you already feel Jacob’s disappointment?

I always thought Imprinting on a young child was odd. I get the idea behind it. The beauty of always having someone giving you just what you need at the time. But I have the following problems with it:

1. I can’t separate the idea of “Imprinting” from a relationship with a sexual nature. I get that Quill is still in the playtime phase with his chosen but it still freaks me out…Quill knows that someday she’ll be in an adult relationship with him, and she’s just too young!
2. It just doesn’t seem fair that these girls who imprint young will never have a life outside of that relationship. Even Bella had some teen years away from Edward, and those few months of considering Jacob. It just all feels so limiting for these children.
3. I know this is skipping ahead to Jacob, Reneseme, Edward, and Bella…But I’m going to say that Quill’s situation is much the same. Imprinting so young means that the parents lose that little girl so early. No dreams of various futures…no being the center of your child’s world. That time is so short as it is! And if you have a wolf-man being your child’s everything…where do the parents fit in?…

2. Charlie is Jacob’s advocate. If he knew about werewolves and vampires, which guy do you think he would pick and why?

I think Charlie would still go with Jacob. Jacob is just a guys guy. We all know that with Jacob Bella would have had a more “normal” life. She would have stayed mortal, had lots of little mortal babies, and (most importantly) married the son of his best friend. It would be hard not to wish for that as a parent…kind of the perfect coupling.

What’s funny is that, besides the whole mortal/immortal differentiation. Both Edward and Jacob are “protectors”. They’re hardwired to want to protect and save those they care about. Charlie too, as a cop, is a human “protector”. I don’t think he’d have too much trouble letting his daughter into either guys hands if he knew about their extra skills.

3. Marriage. Bella lets Edward know why she doesn’t want to get married. What do you associate with getting married young? Do you agree or disagree with Bella?

I associate really small engagement rings with getting married young. There I said it, I’m a seriously shallow person…put it on my grave stone, lol.

In all honesty, I’ve dated my husband since the age of 16. We didn’t get married until almost 10 years later. I had friends meet and marry their husbands years before we even became engaged. My view is probably somewhere between Edward and Bella’s. I knew that my husband was “the one” from a very young age. But I wanted to wait until we were older to take the marriage step.Like Bella I didn’t need a ring to feel committed to my husband, but like Edward I wanted the tradition and the ceremony of declaring our love in front of our friends and family.

Plus, in reality being married gives you a slew of additional benefits from the government and society. I guess I would also say that I would feel uncomfortable about having kids outside of a marriage…even with the love of my life. Though, Edward and Bella don’t think that babies are ever going to be an option for them, I don’t think Meyer was comfortable with sex or babies before marriage.

There…longest answer ever!

4. Bella let’s us know a little about why she wants it to be Edward to do the deed and turn her. Is her turning into a vampire like losing her virginity or is it like the ultimate marriage vow to her? Or something else?

I think it’s the ultimate marriage vow…for sure. Its more serious than wanting your first time to be special. This is an Only-Time situation and I think it’s Bella’s substitution for marriage. Her way of becoming one with Edward.

5. Stories & History. Bella loved listening to the Quileute’s old stories. Do you have any of your old stories or histories you would like to share? Because it is a reread, we know who is behind the army of newborns and their purpose. We also hear Jasper’s story and how his military experience helped to control them. To what purpose would raise an army of newborns for? And what military commander would you use to lead them?

Hmm, my family isn’t really a story-telling bunch. Wait…now that I say that…This isn’t serious legend or anything, but a family tall tale:

My dad tells this story about having a pet duck named Oscar who laid an egg for him a day and my grandmother would cook said egg every morning. Oscar and my dad had many tales including duck field trips in a little red wagon, and those of Oscar defending the yard by biting at everyone’s feet with his beak. From childhood legend to adult hilarity these tales have served the family well.

P.S. Oscar really existed! We have photographic evidence 😉

Well, you aren’t raising an Army of Newborns unless you’re planning to fight. And I’m totally having Alice and Jasper tag-team that leader position. Between her ability to see the future and Jasper’s experience with training…They’d be unstoppable. Lets just hope they stay moral and don’t try to take over the world or anything, lol.

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TGIF (8)…Getting Visual

TGIF is hosted by Ginger at Greads. It’s about answering/asking our readers a random book related question. The question posted by Ginger today is..

Books to Television: Which books would you love

to see made in to a TV series? or movie?

I’d love to see Outlander made into some type of mini series. The books are waaaay to long and involved to be covered in a movie…but the whole thing is too epic for a single movie. I know that there is talk of an Outlander movie in the works…but I’m still going to wish for the mini series, lol. Though you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be first in line for any film adaptation…well maybe second, my reading bff RachelKiwi will probably beat me to the box office 😉 She’s more obsessed than me! Ahhh, Jamie Fraser…lol

I love when a fantasy/science fiction book is made into a movie. Because as brilliant as my imagination is, it’s awful nice to have a real live visual to go along with my book. Think Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hopefully the Hunger Games…I think Dashner’s Maze Runner would make a great movie as well. The book has enough description for my mind but I think more than enough action and adventure to make a great movie.

Those are my two picks…what are yours?

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The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

BookTalk

Frankie Landau-Banks: Age 14

Membership to the Debate Club, Modern Dance Class, and Ultimate Frisbee games officially declares Frankie a member of the Geek Club Conglomerate. An underdeveloped physique and slightly frizzy hair ensure total invisibility to the male population at Alabaster Prep

Frankie Landau-Banks: Age 15

20lbs gained in all the right areas catch the eye of the most popular Senior on campus…Matthew Livingston. It also means that while people now notice Frankie, it’s usually to be seen and not heard. No one wants to hear what a little girl…everyone’s “Bunny Rabbit” has to say. Even if most experts were to agree the girl’s got potential as a criminal mastermind.

You see, over the summer Frankie didn’t just gain a nice new body she gained the insight and intelligence to single-handedly take over the ultra-secret, all male society on Alabaster’s campus: The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. The problem is that even a super secret criminal mastermind wants some credit where credit is due…And is Frankie ready for the fallout that comes after pulling some of the biggest pranks Alabaster has ever seen? Is she ready to deal with how Alabaster’s society will feel about a girl who stands up to the men who rule?

Review

I don’t think I liked Frankie. I liked her feminism, loved watching her mind and her logic, understood the social pressures in her life. But ultimately, at the end of her tale, I think I would have been one of those girls that ignored her…that Frankie felt didn’t understand her.

But you see the problem is…I do understand. I spent a good part of the book totally fist pumping  her feminist sensibilities. I also took slight at seeing her called ‘Bunny Rabbit’, got angry when she was put down during lunch room discussions, frustrated when she was skipped over simply because she was an ‘attractive’ girl. Seriously, I was right there with her. She had me thinking about my own role as a woman, the ways in which I defer when I could assert myself.

When she finally begins her exploits (farther into the book than I had expected) I was really excited for the main event. And a mastermind she is…totally realistic and amazing that she was able to direct the secret society and bend them to her wishes. The pranks were awesome, and I was dying for the reveal…one big HaHa to the male population. But in the end Frankie missed something.

Sure, she deserved more credit than she was getting. You spend most of the book totally agreeing with this concept. Where she missed the boat was perhaps in friendship…In understanding that while ambition is more acceptable and revered in men, it gains them no more honest friendships than with women. That the reasons behind her take over had to be more than joining a group of men, it should have been beating them at their own game…or teaching them a lesson. Instead I think it was some type of plea for acceptance.

What Frankie never learned was not to mistake fame and infamy as loyalty and friendship. And in the end…I don’t know that Frankie totally got it…

Rating: 4/5 Go Girl Power…but a warmer Frankie would have been nice

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Waterfall Wednesdays (2)…Ch. 7-11

Waterfall Wednesdays-A Read-a-Along Event

(Because we all know how much I love me a Read-a-long 😉 )

Discussion Questions for Chapters 7-11

Today’s questions hosted by Tinasbookreviews

Without Further Ado…My Answers

1. Gabi’s search for her sister is made increasingly difficult by the fight for territory between Castello Forelli and Castello Paratore. At this point, do you think the rivalry is warranted? Why or why not?

I think that at this point in history controlling land was the ultimate proof of power. I understand the need to fight for the piece of land, and the need to fight for the ruling power you want to see…well…rule. What I don’t understand about this particular battle is the need to fight over such a small piece of it. The women were willing to give it up in the name of saving lives. But I think it’s become a point of pride between the men. And men, warranted or not, will fight for their pride.

2. Gabi aids Fortino by having his sickroom cleaned out and using steam to loosen the phlegm inside his lungs so he could breathe better. Have you ever found yourself in a situation that required you to rely on home remedies to aid yourself or another? What are some of your favorite home remedies? 

I’ve never had a time where home remedies are my only option. But some of my favorites are orange juice when sick. My mother and grandma liked to stuff me full of vitamin C when I was little and sick. I’ll admit I’ve tried sex to cure a headache…the jury is still out on whether it works or not, but you do always end up a little more relaxed ;). Oh, and gargling salt water for a sore throat. That one I’ll back up with positive results!

3. Marcello and his men don’t hide their surprise when they learn that Gabi is skilled with a sword. What did you think of this development? Has your initial impression of Gabi changed? Do you have any secret skills?

I think it’s pretty much in line with my initial impression of Gabi, she’s def. a girl who can take care of herself. It’s cool to see how well Gabi’s parents prepared her to deal with random situations in life. Everything from sword fighting to simple confidence…Gabi has a lot to rely on in her personal arsenal.

Hmm…my own secret skill?…I untangle knots really well. Is that a skill? Marketable in the 14th century? Maybe I should begin fencing lessons? At least learn how to put a knot in string rather than take it out? lol

4. “Our lips were so close, I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin.” Gabi and Marcello’s feelings for one another are beginning to stir. What do you think of Marcello as a romantic interest thus far? What do you think of his intended?

Ok, I like Marcello as a guy…I think I might like his brother or Luca more if I were Gabi. A little more flirtation might stir my interest more. But I like him because Gabi reacts to him so well. Its more through her liking him that I find him appealing rather than through any merit of his own.

As to my thoughts on their potential for romance…undecided. I really do think that in this section we saw Gabi and Marcello’s growing attraction, but we also saw that Marcello has feelings for Lady Rossi…real ones. I don’t know how I feel about Gabi breaking them up…

5. Marcello and Luca take turns teaching Gabi the dances of Toscana. Would you have liked to attend a ball like the one Gabi was practicing for? Do you like to dance? Do you know any cool dance moves? Extra (not really) points if you YouTube yourself dancing and share the video. Come on, it will be fun! 🙂

I like to dance. Back in the day I took lessons. However at the moment I’ve only got the skills to blend in on the dance floor. My hubby isn’t a big dancer so we never go dancing or anything on the weekends. I’ve always thought of it as a girlfriends activity anyway…It’s always more fun dancing with them!

Can’t YouTube dancing as I’m at school and the kids think I’m crazy enough as it is…A few dancing shots from my wedding will have to suffice…Could possibly be the last time I truly “danced” with the hubby anyway, lol.

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Book Club of 2, Breakdown…The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Welcome to the Book Club of Two

One of my best friends from High School (RachelKiwi…the one on the right) happens to share my own addictive love of reading…She even owns a Nook and everything so we share and trade and do lots of texting about bookish things while we should be working. Every so many weeks we get an itch and decide to do a book together. Our reading abilities are about the same so there’s no problem with finishing the text in a day or two…we both read that fast. Since RachelKiwi is a great gal I thought I’d give you guys a little peek into our exclusive club 😉

We did The Last Letter from your Lover awhile back and had this massive rambling conversation about it…feel free to follow along. As a warning there are *SPOILERS* because it’s not a good breakdown unless you’re spilling the dirt!

If you’d like to read a review instead you can find RachelKiwi’s Here and Mine Here.

Without further Ado…The Convo…

*Spoilers*

The Librarian: This book’s plot had so many twists and turns…missed chances…did you ever guess correctly? Was there a time when you were way off?

RachelKiwi: The missed chances killed me! I was breathing erratically half the time I read this, wanting to jump into the book and intervene to bring the lovers together. My guesses were off… probably because I’m always swept along on the wings of romance, because I’m basically a hopeless-romantic-on-steroids. I hoped that Jennifer’s child was Anthony’s… even though the dates were way off for that to be the case! But I was totally blown away by the fact that there was a child. I didn’t see that coming and being the reason she couldn’t run off with Anthony. I thought that maybe Jennifer and Laurence couldn’t have children, because the issue of kids came up several times.

The things I suspected: I knew there was something fishy about the car crash, because of Laurence’s reaction to it every time they discussed it. I don’t think I ever really believed Anthony had died in it, though. And I wondered what Moira’s role was in the story. She seemed like such a peripheral character, until she reappeared to provide the means for Jennifer to leave her husband.

What about you? Were you surprised or did you have some things figured out? What did you think about the entrance of the new storyline/characters in Part III? At first I was distracted by it, but then I ended up liking what it added.

The Librarian: I was constantly surprised by the twists! The baby surprised me, that she followed him to Africa got me. Though I wasn’t shocked that Anthony wasn’t in The Congo…I thought the secretary at the news room gave that away. Also, I guessed that Anthony was the librarian…it was odd that Ellie didn’t know his name after she mentions not knowing the staff names and begins to pay more attention. Oh, my other shock was that Anthony’s ex-wife died, I though the cancer was a little rushed. Even a quick cancer death still would have been weeks in the making, Anthony would have been informed earlier. Moyes should have gone with some type of accident.

Ok, part 3 came out of NOWHERE for me! Lol, I swear I thought the synopsis said that a modern-day writer finds the letter and through all the first part of the book I kept waiting for one of those time changes to hit 2003…I was distracted by the expectation of it..Then , BAM Part 3. When it finally hit I was almost annoyed. Ellie’s love seemed shallow and annoying and why she didn’t just hit up Rory was beyond me. But then I did grow to like her and I loved meeting Jennifer again, hearing the rest of the story… *sigh* …cried at the park scene…

Have you ever been totally distracted by love like Ellie and Jennifer? And have you ever received a love letter? (dear John letter perhaps, lol)

RachelKiwi: I totally didn’t see that the librarian was Anthony. I just wondered why they kept making references to the fact that she didn’t know names and that he was such a great guy. So yeah, I was really surprised when his son said that Anthony still worked there… and had for 40 years.  Oops!

Yes, i loved Rory. he sounded great! Did you notice she didn’t do much with physical descriptions for anyone? I wanted to know what Ellie and Rory looked like. She didn’t describe Anthony either. Jennifer got the most description, we know she’s beautiful with blonde hair and “deliquescent” eyes. I looked that word up. I thought it was interesting how she threw herself into going after her lover and thought it was Reggie. And that word was what made her realize that he couldn’t possibly be her lover.

I thought Jennifer aged so well… so dignified. I loved the park scene too. anyway…

Distracted by love? of course! I blame Nathan for my lowest GPA of my life… the semester we started dating in college. And of course, I did have the raging hormones and obsessive crushes in high school. A relationship can consume you completely if you let it, and Ellie let it happen to her in a bad way. The beginning of love is always intoxicating, but I think you have to stay grounded, which Anthony and Jennifer managed to do even in the wake of passion and devastation. Ellie lost herself to her relationship, whereas A and J found themselves and got stronger, even through pain. I was almost out of patience with Ellie for her pathetic devotion to an idiot.

And I remember the first letter Nathan ever sent me, I practically memorized it and almost slept with it under my pillow. And read between the lines, just as Jennifer and Ellie do. Although Jennifer didn’t really need to read between the lines… Anthony laid his heart bare. I can’t imagine getting a “last letter” though.

i was gonna ask you this next:

What was the impact of Anthony’s  letters on Jennifer’s life? On Anthony’s life?

I was intrigued by the fact that even though she had amnesia, in reading the letters, she yearned for the writer of them. They made her believe in love, that someone out there loved her, and that she allowed to herself to be loved in a beautiful way.

It was interesting how she “couldn’t find words” for so much of their relationship, and then at the end, he lost his. Symbolizing her strength, that she found herself and her words? And that he had lost so much, felt so much pain at not being able to be with the woman he loved that he lost his faculty with writing?

The Librarian: The fast progression of the relationship didn’t bother me. I think that both of them were wounded by their choices in life, and in love. Both characters seemed to be floating through their lives…not really happy with anything. So when they found that connection they jumped on it. Plus I think there’s always something to be said about the forbidden aspect of the love. That always pushes things along faster. Like latching on to a crush in high school (you really did have a few major crushes!) it seems so enormously part of your mind, your thoughts because you really can’t have it so you begin to obsess over it. I suppose this rule goes for Ellie too. She can’t let John go because he’s what she can’t have. She knows she can have Rory so she lets him sit on the side untouched…kind of like a second choice.

As for the impact of the letters on Jennifer’s life. I think that their love had a better chance after the accident than before. Seeing her options, either stay with her husband or move onto Anthony, without the filter of her previous life choices just throws onto display how bad a match Larry is for her. I think when you’ve played a role for so long…faking the marriage with Larry till they make it, it’s hard to let go of the weight of it. With the amnesia Jennifer can clearly see the right choice and go for it. Had she not had the accident I think their love affair would have ended.

So after a book-long quest for love…Do you think Moyes ended it well? Did the end live up to the letter’s expectations?

RachelKiwi: no comment on the adolescent crushes. I claim insanity.

I don’t know. she clearly was trying to leave larry to be with Anthony when the accident happened. i mean, larry humiliated her and berated her. she knew she wasn’t happy with larry–amnesia or no. but you’re right, i think the years of separation that the accident caused made both of them realize the importance of that relationship. to Anthony, Jennifer was irreplaceable, and Jennifer was mourning the loss of a man she loved and barely remembered. so when they were reunited, it was that much more powerful of an experience.

the ending:

the last reunion: i liked how the reader doesn’t hear what the two lovers are saying… we see it through Ellie’s eyes, so we see only a touch. it’s too private a moment for us to “eavesdrop” on.  it was a very satisfying ending, everything wrapped up neatly and happily-ever-after for all those involved. after years of missed chances, they finally connect.  sometimes there is something secretly pleasurable in an ending where the lovers are torn apart by life and never get their happily-ever-after. sometimes it seems that to be real, a book has to end with that kind of sundering. but in this case, their entire adult lives had been lived separately, so a happy ending was very satisfying.

I kinda love the story of a playboy who never thinks he’ll settle down, until he meets the one woman who cures him of his philandering ways. i was nervous at first to read Anthony’s letters, knowing Jennifer was falling hook-line-and-sinker for the flowery words of a notorious womanizer. but he meant them. His love and longing for her survived distance and separation. The story’s happily-ever-after lived up to the letter’s promises. 

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The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

BookTalk

“”You are a whore,” he said

“With you I was,” she said quietly. “I must have been, because I certainly didn’t do it for love.”” (193, ePub ed.)

Jennifer Stirling wakes up to a world and a life she doesn’t remember. Surviving a car accident that killed other passengers she is unfamiliar with the reflection of a mirror not to mention the man who visits her bedside as her husband. Jennifer finds that her life is one of luxury. She has social standing, a fashionable home, and a closet full of jewel box worthy dresses.

But memories are slowly coming back. A pair of emerald-green shoes that she remembers exiting a taxi in. A dress connected to memories that seem unpleasant. But then she finds it…hidden amongst womanly trappings in a place her husband would never think to look. It’s a letter, full of love and desperate passion. Beginning with the words “My Dearest and only love” Jennifer stumbles upon a past that goes far in explaining her lack of love for her husband and gives her hope for a future that is more than she has come to expect.

Review

Is there anything better than a love letter? Written conformation of emotions and feelings. There are anthologies of them, famous ones, personal ones, anonymous ones.

Jennifer Stirling awakes from a major car accident completely amnesic. She remembers nothing – not even the look of her own face. But as memories begin to come back to her she feels as though all is not right – her relationship with her husband is not what a marriage – a fairly new one at that – should be. And then she finds it. “My dearest and only love…” A love letter s full of passion and desperation she knows immediately it was not penned by her husband. Written by the mysterious “B” it ends begging Jennifer to join him “I’ll be waiting on the platform from a quarter to seven. Know that you hold my heart, my hopes, in your hands”

So begins a slightly convoluted tale of the great love story. Parts 1 and 2 reveal pre-and post- accident views of the romance from the perspective of both Jennifer and her B. Their’s is a love that the fates were not kind to. Giving them a love that most people only dream of while thwarting them at several key turns as well.

The restrained passion of Jennifer and her B is juxtaposed with Ellie Haworth and her married lover. John’s txt messages. Which is again foiled by the loose footed Rory the librarian. As Ellie becomes more involved in Jennifer and B’s love she is also falling down the rabbit hold of her own love affair.

Didn’t see modern part coming. I thought that was what the book was about but after parts one and two stuck in the past I kind of assumed I was remembering the wrong synopsis! At first I was annoyed to find myself in the present. I wanted to stay with Jennifer and B…I needed to learn more! But after becoming more acquainted with Jennifer and watching her trace the path of these letters, I really began to enjoy the final section of the book.

This is a story that unwraps slowly and every time you think you know whats around the corner what you find is not quite what you were expecting. This is a love story for the romantic…and inspiration for letter writers everywhere.

Rating: 7/10 A life long love, a beautiful letter, and a modern girl who learns a lesson of love and life…

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Mondays Bite (10)…Eclipse Discussion Questions Ch. 1-7

The Twilight ReRead Continues 

Welcome back to my humble abode for chapters 1-7 of Eclipse. Look to Bookgoonie to link up your Eclipse answers as well as get the next Eclipse questions. If you don’t have a blog you can comment through Twitter with #mondaybites.

Without further ado…The Questions…

1. Lots of talk about colleges. Bella’s criteria:  can she afford it and how much sun. What college did you or do want to go to? What were your prerequisites for attending or what would they be?

I’ll be the first to admit my dad drove the college choice bus! He was so on top of checking out schools, knowing their locations, their stats…and I couldn’t disagree with his conclusions! I know, very passive of me, lol.

I ended up at Miami University (Miami of Ohio…go redhawks!) and looooved it. Perfect school, medium size about 5 hours away from home with a beautiful new rec center and a downtown that catered to the University. I was much happier than Bella to head off to college…though I always wonder had she made it…would she have ended up loving it…

2. Parenting. Charlie is suspicious, but doesn’t seem to be too perceptive of what is really going on with Bella. How perceptive were your parents to your teenage years? Bird & the Bees. Did your parents have a discussion with you? How did it go down?

My relationship with my parents was a good one. But I didn’t take too many risks during my high school years. I was probably the girl Charlie wished Bella was! The girl who was involved, had a nice group of friends, and a boyfriend who wasn’t a vampire that spent the nights in my room. No co-ed sleepovers for me, lol. Also, I’m not remembering an awkward birds and bees talk…I think we had sex-ed in school?…

3. We have had a few discussions about Edward’s obsessive behavior. He is busy protecting Bella from an old threat, Victoria, and a new one, Jacob. How do you feel about how Edward handles this?

I think, having finished the series, I wished Edward would have trusted the wolves more for support earlier in the book. I understand the whole Jacob thing (this is the book where the love triangle hits it’s peak) but I think the vampires and wolves could have teamed up earlier against Victoria. As far as Jacob…well, I never thought he had a shot anyway 😉

4. Getting married. Edward sort of proposes. *shakes head at how unromantic* Between that moment and the end of the section where Rosalie tells her story, I thought about marriage. So is Edward’s proposal an old-fashion act or a way to really put off vampire-Bella?

I think Edward really wants the proposal. I think it has the added bonus of putting off changing Bella. But it’s also his way of keeping some tradition/religious rules in check. Plus, it gives Edward a chance at experiencing a very human ceremony…one he probably gave up on participating in long ago.

5. Rosalie. Is beauty a curse or a blessing?

Curse, totally. The girl would be a lot nicer with a few flaws…

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