Thursday, October 29, 2015

School Reading: Spider Woman's Granddaughters







Title: Spider Woman's Granddaughters
Author: Paula Gunn Allen (Editor)
Series: N/A
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 12, 1990
Genre(s): Literature, Short Stories, Spirituality, Folklore
Rating:      A


Summary

Native American scholar, literary critic, poet, and novelist Paula Gunn Allen, who is herself a Laguna Pueblo-Sioux Indian, became increasingly aware in her academic career that the writings of Native Americans, especially women, have been marginalized by the Western literary canon. Allen set out to understand why this was so and, more importantly, to remedy the situation. The result is this powerful collection of traditional tales, biographical writings, and contemporary short stories, many by the most accomplished Native American women writing today, including: Louise Erdrich, Mary TallMountain, Linda Hogan, and many others.



Review

Plot: This book is a bit different for me to review. There isn't really a "plot" because it is a complication of short stories, poems, biographies, etc. I had to read this book in an English class in order to learn about Native American women and culture. I had to read most of the stories, and honestly I liked them all! The book is split up into three different sections: The Warriors, The Causalities, and The Resistance. The Warriors tells about the early times for Native Americans.  "A Warriors Daughter" showed how a woman can be beautiful as well as strong. The Casualties tell about their downfall as colonies start coming in and taking over. This disrupts their entire way of living. "The Disposal of Mary Joe's Children" is an autobiography that shows the struggles of Mary TallMountain- a woman that really had a lot of influence in this book. "Grace" was one of my favorite stories because it was told from the point of view of a young girl. The final part, The Resistance, tells more modern stories of how Native American women are taking back their identities. "An American in New York" was about a Native American woman living in modern day America who refuses to forget where she came from and who she is.

Characters: There aren't really "characters" in this book. Even the fiction is based on myths or true stories. I really like the people in this book though because they are such strong, female leads. In my last Owl Crate, the theme was Leading Ladies and we got a lot of Hermione and Katniss gear. However, they don't even begin to define the term leading ladies as well as the ladies in Spider Woman's Granddaughters. You learn about how much they have gone through and how they still have stayed strong throughout the generations.

Cover: The cover is fairly simple and plain. I don't have too much to say about it!

Closing Thoughts: Overall I gave this book an A because it wasn't just "good for a school book" but just simply good. There are many different kinds of stories that appeal to different people. There are cool legends that don't make a lot of sense but have a lot of symbolism and are really interesting to analyze. There are biographies that are actually pretty emotional to read. There are little short stories that are somewhat fiction but tell about real times. I definitely recommend reading this if you are into books like this.  

Where to find the book:

Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Library Challenge #5: Bullet Point




Title: Bullet Point
Author: Peter Abrahams
Series: N/A
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: April 27, 20010
Genre(s): YA, Mystery, Thriller
Rating:     B-


Summary

Wyatt never really thought much about his dad—a hardened criminal, a lifer in a prison somewhere on the other side of the state. But then the economy had to go and tank, and the community had to go and cut the baseball program from Wyatt's high school. And then the coach had to go and show Wyatt a photograph of his dad at sixteen, looking very much like Wyatt himself. Through a series of unfortunate—or perhaps they were fortunate—events, Wyatt meets a crazy-hot girl named Greer with a criminal dad of her own. A criminal dad who is, in fact, in jail with Wyatt's own criminal dad. Greer arranges a meeting, and Wyatt's dad is nothing like the guy he's imagined—he's suave, and smart, and funny, and cool, and—Wyatt's pretty sure—innocent. So Wyatt decides to help him out. A decision that may possibly be the worst he's ever made in his life.


Review

Plot: I think the plot line of this story was actually fairly interesting. I'm the kind of person that watches hours of Forensic Files and Criminal Minds. I think crime is so fascinating! Bullet Point is a book about a teenage boy, Wyatt, who's father was convicted of murder. Throughout the story, Wyatt is trying to decide if his father is guilty, or if he was convicted of a crime he did not commit. The book starts off a little slow. It was definitely much more mature than my last Abrahams book I reviewed, but it still came off a little immature to me. Even though Wyatt is roughly around my age, the book seemed geared younger still. However, the book actually picked up quite a bit! I found myself struggling to put it down. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending of the book definitely surprised me. The books was fairly predictable but within the last 50 pages or so, everything completely turns around and shocks you.

Character: I liked Wyatt quite a bit actually! He seemed like a very realistic character. He showed emotions and reactions like any normal teenage boy in his situation would. He was a bit moody, but he wasn't over the top or annoying about it. I did get annoyed at Greer a few times. She just seemed like a melodramatic girl. She was always mad at Wyatt or doing something behind his back. In the end, I did like her as a character, but she could be a handful sometimes.

Cover: There are some books I pick up at the library and think "ooh this will be fun to read" and some I pick up and sigh sadly. This was somewhere inbetween. It wasn't quite as bad as the sweet-16-annoyingly-middle-school-girl books they have in the YA section (which shouldn't be there in my opinion). But it didn't really seem like my type of book. Then again, I don't usually read any crime or thrillers, so that could be why.

Closing Thoughts: I'm giving this book a B- because it kept my attention too much to give it a C, but I don't want it up there with some of the better ones. I know that once I get more into the library shelves, there will be some really good stores and I want the As to be saved for those. This book was kind of boring up until the last 50 pages. However, those last 50 pages made the whole book worth it. It's a very short read so it's not like you're reading hundreds of pages just for the last section. It's something fun and interesting. If you're the kind of person that likes crime or thrillers, this would be a good pick for you. I definitely think that Abrahams did much better in this book. It shows that he is an interesting writer and can write a book without a predictable ending!

Where to find Peter Abrahams:

Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Weekly Book Releases: October 25-31


Here are this week's book releases: 


The Iron Prince—my nephew—betrayed us all.

He killed me.

Then, I woke up.

Waking after a month on the brink of death, Ethan Chase is stunned to learn that the Veil that conceals the fey from human sight was temporarily torn away. Although humankind's glimpse of the world of Faery lasted just a brief moment, the human world has been cast into chaos, and the emotion and glamour produced by fear and wonder has renewed the tremendous power of the Forgotten Queen. Now, she is at the forefront of an uprising against the courts of Summer and Winter—a reckoning that will have cataclysmic effects on the Nevernever.

Leading the Lady's Forgotten Army is Keirran himself: Ethan's nephew, and the traitor son of the Iron Queen, Meghan Chase.To stop Keirran, Ethan must disobey his sister once again as he and his girlfriend, Kenzie, search for answers long forgotten. In the face of unprecedented evil and unfathomable power, Ethan's enemies must become his allies, and the world of the fey will be changed forevermore. Source


Sara Grey is done hiding and done being afraid. The Master thinks he has her running scared, but she’s taking matters into her own hands and taking her life back. With the help of her friends, she sets out to find the one person who can answer her questions about her past, and who may be able to lead them to the Master.

On her journey, Sara faces new challenges and dangers, and learns that the world of good and evil is not as clear cut as she had believed. She makes new friends, unexpected allies, and reconnects with people from her past. As her powers continue to change and grow, she transforms from a struggling girl into a strong young warrior.

But at what cost? How much is Sara willing to sacrifice in her need for independence and her quest for the truth? And will her newfound strength be enough to save her and the people she loves when she finally comes face-to-face with her powerful nemesis? Nothing could have prepared her for what is to come, and it will take everything in her to survive the final test of courage and love. Source


Hope City, Antarctica. The southernmost city in the world, with only a glass dome and a faltering infrastructure to protect its citizens from the freezing, ceaseless winds of the Antarctic wilderness. Within this bell jar four people–some human, some not–will shape the future of the city forever:

Eliana Gomez, a female PI looking for a way to the mainland.

Diego Amitrano, the right-hand man to the gangster who controls the city’s food come winter.

Marianella Luna, an aristocrat with a dangerous secret.

Sofia, an android who has begun to evolve.

But the city is evolving too, and in the heart of the perilous Antarctic winter, factions will clash, dreams will shatter, and that frozen metropolis just might boil over… Source


Grieving the death of her godfather and haunted by her cousin Cassie’s betrayal, Barrie returns from a trip to San Francisco to find the Watson plantation under siege. Ghost-hunters hope to glimpse the ancient spirit who sets the river on fire each night, and reporters chase rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold that may be hidden at Colesworth Place. The chaos turns dangerous as Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins. Because more is buried there than treasure.

A stranger filled with magic arrives at Watson’s Landing claiming that the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts—and the Colesworth curse—also lies beneath the mansion. With a mix of threats and promises, the man convinces Barrie and Cassie to cast a spell there at midnight. But what he conjures may have deadly consequences.

While Barrie struggles to make sense of the escalating peril and her growing and forbidden feelings for Eight Beaufort, it’s impossible to know whom to trust and what to fight for—Eight or herself. Millions of dollars and the fate of the founding families is at stake. Now Barrie must choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep Watson’s Landing safe in this stunning addition to a series filled with “decadent settings, mysterious magic, and family histories rife with debauchery” (Kirkus Reviews, on Compulsion). Source


Fifteen years ago, I ran away from Whisper Hollow, Washington, a small town on Crescent Lake in the Olympic Peninsula. But truth is, if you were born here, you can never really leave. I’m Kerris Fellwater, and when I returned, I inherited my grandmother’s house—and her gift. As a spirit shaman, it’s my responsibility to drive the dead back to their graves, because around Whisper Hollow, people—and secrets—don’t always stay buried.

When I was little, I was told my mother ran off. But now it looks like she was murdered. With the help of my mysterious neighbor Bryan, we begin to unravel the mystery of her disappearance, and in doing so, unearth a dark force seeking to bury Whisper Hollow. Now I must work with the dead, rather than against them, because our enemy will do whatever she can to destroy the town, and she means to start with me. Source


Powerless is the second installment in the Mortal Monsters series.

Werewolf, shapeshifter, seer. If you’d said these words to me two months ago, I’d have said they were the things of stories and legends. Now, they’re my classmates, my friends and even those closest to me. Best friend, boyfriend and my own mother.

So what does that make me? I’m something different. Something dangerous?

I’ve kept my abilities locked up tight, hidden, even from myself, but the shapeshifter that was after Eli set them free, when he kidnapped and tortured me. With no one left to rescue me, I was forced to accept what I am in order to free myself and save Eli.

Now that my abilities have been awakened, I can’t turn them off. If I can’t get control, they could destroy me, and everyone I care about too.

I might just be the strongest supernatural there is, but I feel completely powerless. Source

 
Things are about to get rocky for Dean Wentworth and Willow Wade.

Willow Wade is used to living in the spotlight, with her father a famous drummer in the band Willow Creek—her namesake—it’s been a lot to live up to and oftentimes she doesn’t feel she’s enough. But there has always been one person she could turn to.

Dean Wentworth knows a thing or two about how crippling a name can be. His family is worth billions after all. But Dean’s always been content to do his own thing. Play his guitar. Work on cars. And geek out to his various “nerdoms”.

But when Willow turns up unexpectedly, he realizes maybe there is more in life he wants.

Her.

One trip will change their lives forever. Source


The handsome Angel from Lailah gets center stage in this continuation of Wattpad sensation Nikki Kelly’s romantic and action-packed series about mortals, vampires, and angels.

Gabriel is an Angel Descendant. He's also an ally to a generation of vampires who want to break away from the demon who controls them. His faith in the power of good over evil wavers, however, when he discovers that Lailah, the woman he considers his only true love, may be both angel and demon. Is their love enough to overcome the dark forces who are ready to go to war with Gabriel, the vampire Jonah, and the angel and vampire forces? And can Gabriel compete with Jonah, who is also in love with Lailah?

Once again, Nikki Kelly looks deeply into the heart and soul of good and evil to create a romantic, action-packed reading adventure. Source


Sweet Daydreams, 
Brooke