Confessions

I feel compelled, to mention or perhaps admit, that I am not, in fact, Mrs. N. Not yet, anyway, thought I might as well be... I suppose I'm just horribly impatient.

As I was reading Guilty Pleasures today, I realized something. Here I sat, reading at the keyboard (as I so often do, these days, to escape the boring everyday happenings of choir choreography) and I found myself totally frustrated with the book because nothing seemed to be going well for Anita. Granted I was only 60 pages in at that point, but it suddenly occurred to me that the author is god. The author has the power to do whatever he or she wants to do. So why not make everything go perfectly for the main character?

How boring would it be if books were always perfect fairy tales? Nobody would ever read again! At least I wouldn't. I like knowing that my characters suffer as I do. Ok, maybe not like I do. I'm hardly kicked around a room by vampires or chased by insane sadistic fairies with floor length hair and skin much fairer than mine. (unfortunately ;) )

A perfect example:
In the Outlander series, by Diana Gabaldon (one of my allll time favorites), Mary Hawkins ends up raped and wounded in the streets of Paris. The book is set in the 1740's. Mary is now ruined. She's no longer fit for marriage, society, anything. For the longest time I was angry with Diana for not saving Mary.

But... why should Mary be saved? Do not misunderstand me, I want Mary to have exactly the life she deserves, but why should she escape the trials and perils of life just because she lives between the pages of a book? The fact that she is a figment of imagination should change nothing, alter nothing.

What do you think? Do you ever get frustrated with authors for not saving the characters or even for not ending the book or situation the way you want it to end?

Family Lost and Found

Thursday night I was all prepared to curl up with the very first of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels (Guilty Pleasures). I had everything I would need. The thick down comforters were freshly washed, and smelled oh so faintly of citrus. My over over sized blue and purple mug was full of hot, creamy chocolate. I even had the little purple book in my hands and open to the first page. Blissfully, I sank further down under the covers to begin my journey through the pages...

...and not three pages into the book, I get a text message.

Sorely tempted to ignore it, I tried to keep reading, but, of course, curiosity got the better of me and I, groaning, pulled my phone closer to see what was needed. It was a message from facebook titled "Are you adopted?" One of my biological sisters was able to find me through FB!

Needless to say the book has been put on hold for the last couple of extremely exciting days. But now that it's wonderful Saturday, I'll have little to no distractions to keep me from tumbling happily into the pages of Guilty Pleasures.

Misplaced

It is snowing.  When I woke up this morning and looked out my bedroom window, I was childishly excited at the sight of the magical, sparkling blanket that covered my driveway and yard.  But of course, when I went to find my camera to take some pictures, my camera was nowhere to be found!  Why oh why do I always lose things when I need them the most??  I've turned my semi-neat apartment upside down trying to find it and still there is no sign of my beloved little blue camera...

The only place I have left to look is my car and the storage boxes in the Garage.  Keep your fingers crossed!

If you were a camera, where would you hide?

Lovers

I am nearly finished with the Meredith Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton and as the end of the seventh book draws nearer, I cannot help but try to picture myself with so many men at one time. Who wouldn't want tall, muscled, long-haired men following you around like lovesick puppies? Perhaps not lovesick puppies... but the image is not far off. Merry loves Doyle and Frost with all her heart, but what about Rhys and Galen?

It's tough to read about Rhys's devotion to Merry. She loves him, but not the way he wants to be loved. Were I in Merry's shoes, it would be Doyle and Rhys as my top two, rather than the ever moody Frost. Do not misunderstand me, I love Frost. But come on... who doesn't want a death god as their lover, friend, husband?

I definitely do!

For those who have read the books, who would be your top choice? Or even your top two choices?



Back to the book.

The Beginning

Here I sit, on my favorite weekday, and I can't help but wonder what to write here?  What makes a good first post?  Should it be profound? Funny? Boring?  Informative?  Maybe a little of everything if nothing better comes to mind...  My name is Amanda, I'm a student, a bride-to-be, a daughter, a friend, and so much more. But I am also bored and overwhelmed with my schedule.  So here it is.  My solution to...what ... life, perhaps?...   Coffee and books are two of my most cherished pleasures in life.  There is nothing quite like a good cup of coffee and an all consuming book to dive into.  Any avid reader out there knows the kind of book I'm talking about.  The kind that becomes part of you.  The kind of book that reaches inside you and grabs a hold of a bit of the very fiber that makes you who you are.  The characters become real, you love them, you hate them, you cry with them, and you mourn their deaths and rejoice with their births.  Too much?  Yeah, I thought so, too.  But it is true, so here it shall stay.  Unfortunately, instead of cuddling up with a good book right now, I have to do housework instead.  

It's such a chore to be a good housekeeper. :P