More Twilight Obsession

 

 

Last weekend, I talked my husband into letting me go to the first showing of Twilight on Saturday morning all by myself.  My friends invited me to join them the following week, but I just didn’t want to wait.  Yes, that’s right, I’m a 34-year-old mom who couldn’t wait to see this teenager movie.

I have to say I truly enjoyed the movie.  I know the reviews have been mixed, but I LOVED it!  Maybe I was seeing it through rose-colored glasses since I am such a fan.  But, the movie stayed quite true to the book, with only minor changes that actually helped the story along. 

When Richard Pattinson was first cast as Edward, I was disappointed.  After seeing the movie, I no longer feel that way.  I thought he did do a great job (although, I thought his chest could have been a little more cut!)  I got the tingles in my belly that I got as I read the book as I watched the movie.  Both actors for Edward and Bella were great.

After the movie, I did feel like I could not get enough.  I reread book two and book four.  I skipped book three since I had reread it last month.  I have considered rereading it again, though.  My husband and I have date night tonight and I’m trying to convince him to go see Twilight  with me.  I feel sort of pathetic.  I never reread books and here I am rereading these over and over again.  And, I don’t ever pay to see a movie more than once in the theatre.  For some reason, I just can’t get enough.  I’m not sure what the connection is here, but Stephenie Meyer has connected with me somehow.  It’s so fun to escape into this world, with such a strong love between the characters.  It’s all so unrealistic, but I LOVE it.

The Winner Is….

The winner of the MJ Rose contest for The Memorist and The Reincarnationist is little bird!  So, as soon as I get an address, I’ll send those books right out.

Thanks, again, to MJ Rose for the books.  I love to give away books, especially such good ones!

Introducing MJ Rose…..(and a contest)

Today is the day!  MJ Rose is visiting to answer some of my questions regarding her two books The Reincarnationist and The Memorist.  I enjoyed both of these books a great deal and have even gotten my husband to read The Reincarnationist.  He is rarely interested in the books I read, so that’s quite an endorsement.

I reviewed The Reincarnationist a few months ago and now I want to share my thoughts about The Memorist.  I found the second book just as intriguing as the first.  The search for the memory tools continues, but with a new batch of searchers.  Except for Malachai, who is still searching after his failure in the first novel. 

I enjoyed the characters in this novel.  It always amazes me how well MJ Rose can connect so many character’s lives without seeming too corny or unbelievable.  Or, too confusing.  The number of characters definitely has the potential to get confusing, but MJ makes it an easy read.  The numerous characters and interconnections enhance the story.  And, again, the descriptions of the settings are amazing.  I would love to visit Vienna someday!

I don’t want to ruin the ending of the novel, but it was another good one.  I was a little shocked by one of  Meer’s final actions, but it was fitting.  And, it left me wanting to know what happens next.  From what I understand, there will be a next time…..

Now, MJ Rose’s thoughts about my inquiries.  Enjoy!!

1.   The Reincarnationist series seems to be a big change from your Butterfield Institute series about a sex therapist as well as your earlier books.   How did you go about making this change?

 I wasn’t aware of it as a change.   I guess I’d just have to say I’m interested in what interests me in that moment. And at different times its been different characters with different issues.

 I had always wanted to write about reincarnation and it took a while to get to the first book where I tackled it but in a way even though it seems like there’s a big shift between the first 8 books and the last 2 they seem to me to be different parts of the same theme.

 I’m obsessed with psychology and what is the overarching theme of every one of the 10 novels I’ve written is how we are a response to our past.

 What we were is who we are.

 And when you write, if you are true to your characters you are true to their psychology – you have to be aware of them as sexual beings too.     

 In the last two novels, The Reincarnationist and The Memorist the characters others issues trumped any sexual interests/conflicts/crises they had.

 But I imagine that I haven’t left sex for good  

2.   The settings in your novels are so beautifully described.    How do you go about doing research on these fabulous cities?   Do you spend time in each city?   How do you know what to include to bring the reader right into the story with the characters?

 I do spend time in each city. But not always that much. I was lucky to have gone to Vienna   - where The Memorist takes place – and to Rome   - where The Reincarnationist takes place – several times each. But as to knowing what to include – I don’t know. When I write the novels unfolds like a movie in my head… each and every scene on the page happened first in my mind’s eye. I literally am seeing it and hearing it as it happens. I’m not aware of making it up. I just write down what I see. 

 

3.  The endings of The Reincarnationist and The Memorist definitely don’t disappoint.    When do you know how the book will end, before you start writing or as you’re writing?

  I think I know. I start with a very vague notion but a real notion. Sort of like saying: I’m going to take a trip from Rome to Paris and when I get to Paris I’m going to walk in on a robbery in the train station.  But I don’t know how I’m going to get there, how I’m going to pay for it, or what’s going to happen on the way.

 

 So often I have one ending in mind for the book and by the time I reach the end, the story has its own ending. That very much happened with both The Reincarnationist and The Memorist. The ends were a surprise to me too.

 I tend to write a fast first draft to discover the story – this takes about 6 months. Then I spend another 6 months to a year rewriting it all over and over. But the discoveries tend to happen in the first 6 months.  

4.  My husband is currently reading The Reincarnationist while I was reading The Memorist.   We were talking about the books and we both agreed that the books have a similar quality to The DaVinci Code.  Have you heard that comparison made before?  How do you feel about that?

I have heard it and I would be foolish to be upset about it since he sold over 40 million books. But my inspiration was a book written in the late 1800’s – SHE – by H. RIder Haggard – which I would not be surprised to find out inspired him too:)

5.  And, without trying to ruin any surprises, I wanted to know if you had future plans for David Yalom and Meer?

No, the next book in the series is about the FBI agent Lucian Glass who makes a very small appearance in The Memorist.

*****

And, now for the contest!   Leave a comment here and I will randomly pick a winner of both of MJ Rose’s books in this series.  One paperback copy of The Reincarnationist and a hardcover of the newest novel, The Memorist. 

Thank you, MJ, for your time and generous gift!  I can’t wait to read the next one!

Sandra Kring — a new favorite

Yes, I’m back.  It’s been a crazy couple of weeks over here with working, birthdays, visiting grandparents, conferences, and Daisy meetings.  I applaud you full-time working parents out there.  I don’t know how you hold it together.  I only work part-time and I am way overwhelmed.

Anyway, back to books.  Our book club chose a Sandra Kring book this month, Thank You for All Things.  I was thrilled with this selection because I had read The Book of Bright Ideas and loved it!  And, I wasn’t disappointed with this new book.  After these two novels, I’m putting Sandra Kring on my must-read author list.  I don’t have a long list of these, either!

This story is told from an 11-year-old’s perspective.  Lucy is a very bright girl with a genius twin brother.  They live with their single mother in Chicago and are home-schooled.  They move to Timber Falls to help their Oma take care of their dying grandfatther (whom they’ve never met).  While there,  Lucy decides she wants to know all about her family, something her mother has not shared with her.  She sets out to do her own investigating and must deal with her new knowledge.

Sandra Kring did a fabulous job telling the story from an 11-year-old’s perspective.  You can tell the girl is very bright (IQ-144) and you can also tell that she doesn’t get out much.  Lucy is funny and insightful.  I love her and would love to know her in real life.  Of course, she has her annoying preteen moments and it just adds to the believability of the story.

As for the other characters, they are all well done.  Oma is my other favorite character.  She’s a riot and has come a long way since the years of being married to Lucy’s grandfather.  It was a little odd that she wanted to help him as he was dying as I learned the past from reading, but her personality did make it all possible. 

I found the mother a complex character.  This woman did suffer and is, understandably, “scarred.”  What I liked about the book was that, by the end, only small change was occurring.  It didn’t end with everything perfect, but it’s a good ending.  I remember that as something good about The Book of Bright Ideas. 

One thing that was a little “weird” was the timing of the novel.  There are definite hints throughout the novel that the book takes place in the present (2006?).  But, as I was reading, I found that the setting and some the descriptions of the kids gave me the impression that it was happening in the 50s-60s.  Maybe it was the innoncence of the kids.

Anyway, for a good, touching read, check out Sandra Kring.  I’m out to find her other book, Carry Me Home.  Has anyone else read this one?

*****************

Don’t forget to return on Thursday for my review of The Memorist, my interview with MJ Rose, and a giveaway for both The Reincarnationist and The Memorist.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You…

Yes, it’s official.  I will be recieving my first author visit on Thursday, November 20.  MJ Rose, author of The Reincarnationist and The Memorist, will be stopping by to answer a few questions.  I’m very excited to have this coming up.  In addition, there will be a giveaway……..  Stay tuned!

Following Nefertiti

I was lucky enough to receive The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran from the publisher.  After reading Nefertiti, I was looking forward to reading the sequel.  I was not disappointed!  I think I liked it even better than the first.

This book is the story of Nefertiti’s niece, Nefertari, as she tries to regain her family’s once prominence in Egypt after it had been wiped away.  Above all else, I found this book to be a love story, with a historical twist.  I enjoyed this aspect of the novel.  Especially how Nefertari fought for what she wanted: love and her family’s name. 

Nefertari was a strong woman.  She knew when to take advice and when to use her own instincts.  I find that makes a woman stronger than just following her own instincts blindly.  I also found Nefertari to be compassionate.  She didn’t like her rival, but she showed compassion during very difficult times.

Again, I found the Egypt history fascinating.  I thought the author did a better job in this book than the first book in keeping the history easier to follow (or maybe I was just more familiar with it after reading her other novel).  The family tree in the front was, once again, very valuable in keeping all the Egyptains straight.

Some time and significant events do pass between the end of the first book and The Heretic Queen.  Some of this is hinted at in the prologue, but I wish it had been fleshed out a lttle more before the book began.  I think it would have added to Nefertari’s sense of urgency even more.  Nevertheless, the author did make the reader feel for Nefertari and also to admire her persistance and intelligence.  I found Nefertari to be a much more likable character than her namesake Nefertiti.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel.  I definitely look forward to Michell Moran’s future novels.

New Classic Challenge — Owen Meany

I finally finished my third book for the New Classics Challenge – A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.  I recently read a review of this book by  Under the Dresser who also read it for the challenge.  She thought she was the last person to read this book.  I don’t know, maybe I am.

Like her, and many others I’ve heard, this book took me forever to read.  It is a long one, but that’s not why it took so long.  I’m not sure why it was.  It was a very well done book, but, I guess, you had to plug through.

On the back cover, it says:

Owen Meany, the only child of a New Hampshire granite quarrier, believes he is God’s instrument.  He is.

This is John Irving’s most comic novel; yet Owen Meany is Mr. Irving’s most heartbreaking character.

This book is hard to describe.  It covers about 15 years of Owen’s life, but is told from the perspective of Owen’s best friend, Johnny, after Owen has died.  Entertwined in this story, is Johnny’s current life.  I feel like much of Johnny’s current life could have been left out, but I understand why the author included it.  The author wanted us to see what a strong influence Owen and his death had on everyone, especially Johnny. 

I have to say that Johnny is not the most likable character.  Throughout the novel, he identifies Owen as his best friend, but he is often cruel to him.  Yet, it seems that Johnny can’t do anything without Owen.  Owen makes most of Johnny’s important decisions for him, one way or another. 

As for Owen, I just don’t know what to say.  He is an extraordinary character, unlike any I’ve read before.  But I can’t say I loved him.  He was a little exasperating.  Again, I think the author did this on purpose.  But, it made the book take a lot longer to read.

John Irving’s descriptions in this novel are amazing.  His language he uses often adds some humor through his descriptions.  His metaphors were pletiful and creative.  There is a great deal of symbolism througout the book that was also interesting.  I don’t always “get” symbolism, but I enjoyed it in this novel. 

In my copy of the book, they included a Reader’s Guide that John Irving introduced.  He talked about the perfect opening sentences and how he doesn’t write them until the book is finished.  He also gave some of his insights into the book that added to my understanding. 

There is a lot of social commentary in this book.  I could identify with Johnny a little here.  He was confused and not sure how to feel.  Then, he became extremely angry.  I get that!

Overall, I would recommend this book.  I can understand why it’s on the new classic list.  But, you’ll need a big chunk of time to complete it.