Words Are Wind

Finished reading Dances with Dragons on Sunday night. I feel empty. One of my favorite characters may have been killed. It feels like my soul has been killed. The worst part is not knowing when the next part of the story will arrive. Winter is coming and my stores are empty. I'm going on just on fire and blood.

A Feast For Crows

The Fourth book on the Song of Ice and Fire series has been finished. I can't say I enjoyed this one as much as the previous three. The first two so far remain my favorites.

A shorter book than its predecessor, A Feast For Crows moves slowly. It concentrates on the characters on King's Landing and much other minor characters, in my opinion. There's a lot of Brienne, a lot of Jaime and Cersei, a lot of Samwell, a smattering of Arya and Alayna (Sansa) and lots of learning of what happens to others through these characters. Most definitely not enough Arya for my liking, and then the bit of Arya there was left her BLIND in the middle of the book, never to appear again.

It's my understanding that A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons were meant to be one very long novel, that was simply to long to publish. Martin chose to separate the novels "thematically" rather than cronologically. That'll be interesting when reading A Dance with Dragons.

I don't know why so much emphasis on Brienne of Tarth. I feel that she is inconsequential to the series. I'm not sure I care what happens to Cersei. Or to Jaime, at this point.

You see, I think Martin finally started to suffer from "big BOOK syndrome." Let me explain: big BOOK Syndrome happens when an author gets free range as to what to write. The fandom likes and loves the big BOOKS and so the author is encouraged to provide as much detail as possible.
Even when that detail is not relevant to the story. Coming up with a shorter book is a disappointment to the fandom and the author. J.K. Rowling shortly suffered from this syndrome, but was able to get back to her senses somewhat after Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix.

Don't get me wrong, I love me the big BOOKS too - when what I'm reading is relevant and awesome. When I'm able to skip swatches of description and still be able to follow the story, and still am able to guess where things are going, well... then you need a good editor.

This book gets three stars instead of the previous 3, which all got four, mostly for the stated above reasons. If I don't feel the NEED to read every line, then I'm just reading for plot, and then, well, I might as well wait for the movie. (or TV Show.)

All them shades

I don't like reading things when they're popular. I admit, I'm a little bit of a snob. A lot of it, really, when it comes to certain things. I try not to be one when it comes to literature, because, hey! I'm the one that loves reading romance novels, so, why judge?

But I will judge the "Fifty Shades of Grey" Trilogy. I will judge it, thoroughly. I started reading that thing because everyone and their mother was reading it, and I didn't want to base my thoughts and judgement on somebody else's thoughts. And so, I purchased the first e-book, in the way soiling my sweet Santana with the contents of this... novel. After the first few chapters I couldn't take it, and I put the book away. Weeks went by. Finally, I decided to give it one more try, and so I trudged along and read it. I felt some braincells dying.

Then, a coworker of Mi Cariño gave me a copy of the last two e-books free, since there was no way I was going to pay for those things. And off I went, and off I read. I finally finished the third one today - a journey that began back in April 17.

Here's the thing: I read the Twilight series, Okay? No masterpiece, but the plot was interesting enough. That's all Twilight is: Plot. The characters are crap, the pacing is crap, the entire thing is crap. But it has one interesting plot. The Twilight series kept me sane back in 2008 when I was freaking out about moving to Ireland. The Shades of Grey "Series" most definitely burned some of my braincells. It just was crap. Everyone was interested in the series because of the sex, but by the end I was skipping the sex scenes in an attempt to bravely finish the thing.

I'm not going to say something new - everyone with brains that's reviewed these has said the same things. The only thing I'll add is that I'm just appalled that people are walking around thinking that this is Kink, that this is proper S&M. It's not. It's also not proper literature. I've read dollar romance novels that are much better than this thing. But I'm still glad I read it - I like that I can give you all these thoughts, and know them to be true, at least for me.

The Power of Six

After waiting a couple of months, "The power of six" by Pittacus Lore finally made it to bookstores. The second part to "I am number four" this book was noticeably shorter and obviously a sequel. I don't know who Pittacus Lore really is (a man, a woman, a conglomeration?) but I think they may have suffered from contract problems. That is they have a contract for a series, have a slight idea of what they'd like to do, and then have to publish something because people are expecting them to publish something.

Let's start from the beginning. The Lorean Series (Everything's a series now) posits the idea that nine Lorics and their guardians arrived in planet Earth some years ago. They are being chased by the Mogadorians (yet other race of Aliens) that need to finish the Loric kids before they are old enough to properly fight the Mogadorians. You see the nine Loric kids will eventually develop special powers. In "I Am Number Four" we met two of these Lorics, (the eponymous #4 and #6). They've got their handy powers. In "The Power of Six," we are introduced to #7, briefly introduced to #9, and in a surprise move, an unknown #10.

Instead of leaving behind 4 and 6, the book includes them and their budding friendship just as it introduces us to 7 and her friendship with 10. It's told from the point of view of 4 and 7, which is a nice touch. I know, my review is a little all over the place: that's because the book was all over the place. It was a quick and easy read, with plenty of romance action, and with 4 being confused about his feelings about 6 and the human she loves. For good measure, 6 is also attracted to 4 AND to the human that accompanies them. In any case, after being chased over many U.S. States, 4, 6, and human separate. 6 flies to Spain where she helps 7 and 10. 4 ends up helping 9, but losing his human ally.

Number crazy yet? Ha. You should be. I don't know how many books are left in the series but the action was sure escalating, and I predict that soon enough it'll show that the Mogadorians are in cahoots with the government or something. This said, aside from the fun powers and implications, I haven't been able to discern if Pittacus Lore is at all attempting to bring any other message to the story. This thing is pure fluff to my estimation, but it was entertaining enough for a day or two.

Battle Royale

So an acquaintance of mine says that The Hunger Games is a ripoff from some other book. I decide to make that decision on my own. Enter Battle Royale.

Initially a movie in the late 90's, the story was so popular it was turned into a Manga and later novelized. When I began reading I had to take into account that I was reading a translation but let me say, that even after thinking about that, the writing sucks.

I mean it, like its really bad. I'm sure the movie is fast paced and entertaining, but "knowing what the characters are thinking" doesn't help this at all. Here's the premise: its the future, Japan has turned into a socialist republic with a dictator. In order to help "the military" the government has instituted a Program. Every year one random junior high class is chosen, and its 40 plus students are dropped off in an island where they must fight each other to the death, til there's only one standing.

So far, yes, somewhat familiarly to The Hunger Games. But also somewhat familiar to Gladiators, and thunderdome (two enter, one comes out!) Population knows about the Program, but anyone that dares speak out is killed.

What I couldn't stand about Battle Royale was that the dialogue, if it was following the movie word for word, does not work in a book. Not to mention that someone kept thinking that 15 year olds could only be preoccupied about their crushes. The bad girls all had prostituted themselves. The bad boy didn't have any feelings. It was just stereotype after stereotype - ten times worse than Twilight, if there's such a thing.

I read all the way through though, to make sure I got it all, and I'll admit the plot is somewhat clever. The writers attempted to make the story about something more than murder with their dialogue, hut I felt like i was being hit on the head or something.

All in all, Hunger Games was better. And even if the story is similar, HG took it and made it more than just spectacular ways to show teenagers killing each other. In any case, Joss Whedon already did the Vampire with a soul story. Does that mean no one else should?

Room by Emma Donoghue

When we come into his life, Jack is turning five. Yesterday he was four, but today he's five magic like. In that first page, I was hooked.

I really enjoyed Room. The story is that of Jack, and his Ma who live in very close quarters. You find out little by little, where Jack and his Ma live, and it's not until almost a hundred pages in that it's clear why they are there. Well, it wasn't for me... when I began reading the novel, I walked into it thinking it would be something completely different.

Forgive me for being vague, I just don't want to give things away. Suffice it to say, that I felt like I was listening to a 5 year old (a very intelligent and verbose one, sure) but the way Jack spoke and saw the world made me think of my nieces and nephews at that age and I think Donoghue captured it perfectly. I loved learning a little by little about Jack, what was important to him, about his world. When his world expands, I loved seeing what remained important to Jack.

Essentially, I just loved the main subject of the story; because although Jack, the child, is the narrator, this story is about parenting. The selfishness that being a parent is, (not that it relates as to why it was selfish to be a parent in Room, but y'all should know by now that I've always felt the need of our own genes to be replicated in a child a bit selfish, when there are some many children out there in need of parents. Mind you, just because I think it's a bit selfish I don't think it's wrong - I love my genetically related Nieces and Nephews.) and then suddenly, the moment when being a parent, a good one at least, is all about being "unselfish," and putting the needs of the child first.

Despite all else, this novel is about the close relationship between a parent and child, what it can be, how it can change. A little bit of nature vs. nurture comes into play, even, but in a lovely way.

I feel like I'm talking in circles because I don't want to give things away, but I have to say that Emma Donoghue has been surprising me pleasantly ever since I picked up Slammerkin back in Ireland. Well, mostly. I admit this is the first one of her books where I thought "Genius!" and not just "Nicely Done." In any case, do yourself a favor, and read Room.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

So I know I'm reading the McCann book, but while in Miami Mi Cariño bought for us a copy of The Hunger Games, book that has been making the rounds for a while now, and since we're both suffering from Harry Potter withdrawal we figured, "sure!"

I read the first book in about a day and a half, and after struggling to make myself wait to buy the rest, I bought and read the other two by the end of the week and so, here I am, telling you what I think. Be warned, this post will probably be very spoilerish, so if you haven't read the books, don't read this yet.

I enjoyed reading the Trilogy. Like the Twilight books, these novels are great when it comes to pacing, and plot - you want to know what happens. Here's the premise: It's an indeterminate time in the future, and North America has ceased to exist in the way it did before (no word on the rest of the world.) What remains bands together to create a new country that goes by the name of Panem, and it's divided in 13 districts, plus a capitol. At some point, the districts rebel against the capitol and the capitol destroys district 13 to show the rest of the districts what could happen. In "remembrance" the capitol institutes something called "The Hunger Games," an annual event in which two "tributes" (one boy, one girl between the ages of 12 and 18) are chosen randomly from each of the remaining 12 districts to be taken to the capitol, where they will essentially fight each other to the death until one of them is remaining. The whole thing is televised all over the districts, and it's essentially a major reality TV show that's been going on for 74 years or so. The "Victor" gets to go home with their nightmares and not have to work for the rest of his or her life - except to mentor the tributes from their district chosen in the next Hunger Games. It's a game that really holds no winners.

That's where the story begins. Our heroine is Katniss, a young 16 year-old who is from district 12 and has been supporting her family (a mother, a younger sister) for years now, since her father died in a mining accident. Katniss sneaks out of the district to hunt in the forrest, a forbidden area, a forbidden activity. During that year's Hunger Games Katniss' younger sister is chosen and Katniss volunteers to go in her stead. Chosen to also attend the Games is Peeta, the baker's son.

So now that you know the very basics, here are my thoughts: The books are nice - easy to read and entertaining. Introduces a lot of ideas into teenagers, (the books' intended audience) but I'm sorry to say that Suzzane Collins (author) falls short in that she could've made the books be a lot more than they were. She spends so much time and work on the novels romance (although in a very practical way) that it feels like towards the end of the last book she's more worried in making the audience wonder who Katniss will end up with than in the resolution of the actual crisis. The end feels a bit rushed, also, but that might have to do with book length restrictions. The sad part is that after the marathon reading, what remains the most is the love triangle, and not the many lessons about freedom, treating others fairly, about democracy, love and economic gain that she introduces but does not back up. I doubt that the movies will do these lessons justice - it'll be more about the awesome stunts Katniss will do, about escaping death again and again, and about how cute Peeta is. (And the other guy, who I do not root for, so I refuse to say his name.) People will be more worried wether the actor that portrays Peeta is blonde enough than on the fact that 1984 before it, and many other books, the trilogy speaks about the role of government in our lives, and wether it's smart to get to the point where they have all the control. Regardless, I recommend the books wholeheartedly; Katniss is a refreshing and good heroine compared to the blandness and stupidity that is Bella Swan. Katniss is more a mixture of Hermione and The Golden Compass' Lyra Belacqua: smart, thrown into her situation, but willing to go the distance - for others.

The Help

Forgot to write my thoughts on The Help. Had been curious about it, not sure if I read it just because I wanted to know more about it before the movie came out.
The novel is easy enough to read. Main conceit is that young girl just graduated college, goes back home to Jackson, MS still single and with ambitions of becoming a writer. While living her life she decides to write a book about "The Help" from their perspective. When the tell-all within the novel is published, all hell breaks loose.

On first look, one can make the mistake to think that the novel is about the group of black women that worked as maids during the height of the civil rights movement - their feelings, examples of what they had to go through as they continued to work for, and raise babies that were white - the same people that were holding their rights away from them. But the book is written by a white woman, herself "raised" by a black maid in Jackson, MS during the end of the civil rights movement and wether we like it or not, the reader's experience of the book is tainted by this knowledge. A friend who also read the novel told me that the maids were stereotypes, that you had your angry black woman, your wise and motherly black woman, the one that kept giving to their white folks because they loved them so much. Part of me feels that these stereotypes are there because the reader will decide to find them.

Let me explain: the book is narrated by three women - two maids and the young lady that we talked about before. (I'm sorry, I don't remember names and I'm too lazy to look them up.) So we've got the young lady, who doesn't really fit in. For one, she actually finished college instead of just going there to find herself a husband. Two, she is interested in leaving Jackson - she is not what one would consider super attractive, is awkward with guys, and can't seem to mold to what society tells her a woman her age should be doing, what her friends are doing. Then there's Wise Maid, who just lost her son to racism, a son who was studious and smart and had the hopes of becoming a writer. Wise Maid has spent her lifetime raising other people's babies - white babies to be specific. White babies that love her and call HER momma until they learn that Wise Maid is black and thus not worthy of love. Wise Maid tends to change houses when the kids get to that point. Angry Maid has every reason in the world to be angry: her husband beats her, drinks their money away sometimes, and has been working for white folks since she's 14 years old. And she's been big mouthed since birth.

Okay, I don't want to give the whole book away, but here's the thing: a woman whose son just died and is able to raise up and continue working is strong if she's white, wise if she's black. Similarly, Angry Maid and Young Lady are very similar - both speak their mind and go against the norm. But Angry Maid is black and thus she's an angry black woman. Young Lady is white and so she's opinionated. We see what we want to see. Personally, I don't think the characters are stereotypical - each one of them is nuanced, and they have reasons to be the way they are.

However, I think people are missing the forrest for the trees. The Help is not about the Maids at all. After all, I don't know if that's what the Maids (employees) would call themselves. The Help is about white guilt at a time when the phrase was knew. The Help is about a woman suddenly realizing the injustice going around her, and how she went about to fight it - with the help of two black woman. Though we were able to see inside their minds, the novel always was about the Young Lady. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - in the contrary, it's a needed point-of-view, and I think the author went about the right way. I think that the point of view of the person that learned to no longer be racist by being loved and being around the people that were being mistreated is important and deserves to be heard. Not in the "wow, they're heroes!" way, but rather in the "things are possible with love." It doesn't make Young Lady a trivial character. But that the author gave the other two women a voice, balanced that story so that it isn't about White Guilt, but rather a picture, and we get to look at the action from different houses. It's great. It's about these two women that refuse to no longer be invisible and about these young woman that realizes that there are people around here, that they are not invisible and shouldn't be treated as such. There is change in this novel, there is hope and voice in this novel.

I enjoyed the read, and I'm looking forward to the movie ( though that has more to do with Viola Davis than anything else) and wonder how they'll handle it - wether they'll try to make either of the parts bigger (be it the Maids or the Young Lady) in order to make it more "relatable." In the meantime, I recommend you read the book, if only because Stockett has a good, funny, writing voice, that makes time fly.

Hood

Just finished reading this novel by Emma Donoghue. (Hood, that is.) It's quite the interesting read, all told from the point of view of Penelope (PenUmbra, PenUltimate, Just Pen), who just lost her lover of 13 years (Claire), who while riding on the back of a cab on her way back from the airport was in a car accident and died. The worst part? Though Claire and Pen lived together (with Claire's dad) they were not out, so she's forced to go through an almost secret widowhood.

The novel is set in Dublin, and I related while reading it for a myriad of reasons. Funnily enough I very quickly put myself in the place of the person that had passed away - Claire was this woman who traveled a lot, asked crazy "what if" questions. But our similarities ended there, and yet, I kinda related to her the most. The Novel follows Pen through a week - from the moment she finds out Claire's dead until exactly a week later when she gathers enough courage to sit in her own mother's kitchen with the intention of coming out. In the meantime, Pen treats us to her memories of Claire, we get to see how they met, how their love was such a coincidence in a way, the back and forth of their relationship, the on and off of those 13 years. Sad as it is, by the end of the novel everyone's with Pen - even I, a Claire person, and I love that Donoghoue doesn't go for the obvious when it comes to Pen "starting a new life without Claire," that she doesn't shy away from uncomfortable conversations with well meaning but misguided people.

I think, though that the main reason why I related to Claire, is because despite all of my "what if-fing," I have no desire to ever entertain the idea of my love dying... I didn't want to be in Pen's shoes, so I put myself as Claire, creating a distance between me and that pain so that I could look at it from afar and call it beautiful and talk about how amazing it is. I hope this is as close to that kind of pain I have to get to. I still recommend the book to others, though, because the pain and the writing ARE beautiful, and I think it makes you look within yourself, and within your relationship if you have one, in an intricate way that you may not have done so before.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

This will be my shortest "review." I love Deathly Hallows - it reads so quickly! Which I kind of wish it didn't, because I want it to go on and on! but alas, it doesn't. The best part of it all, I think, is that at the end of the book I don't feel like "Oh, but they didn't address this."

Let's start from the beginning. Harry, Ron and Hermione drop out of school and go off in search of Horcruxes - pieces of Voldermort's soul, in order to be able to destroy him. Gone is the safety of Hogwarts, the warmth of their beds at night. Teachers can't fix it all. (Not that they ever could, really) Harry follows-through on the progress he made on Half Blood Prince and is more decisive and sure of himself. Ron and Hermione grow as individuals, and grow together. In the meantime, we get an amazing adventure with enough angst, insight and love to fulfill any HP fan. It's just delicious.

The most satisfying part, at least for me, is Snape's redemption. Getting to hear his back story, seeing his love for Lily, how everything was planned between him and Dumbledore. And that even through the romance, the getting together, the book remains about this guy, and his two best friends (who are above all, his family.)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

This is a tough one - it's my favorite book of the bunch. But after seeing the movie adaption I'm kinda in love with the next one, which is a funny thing to say because the books are not the movies, but whatever y'all!

I love this book the most because it's the book when I feel Harry comes of age. Let me explain - Harry, at 15, was a total pain in the butt, as most 15 year-olds are. He deserves to be annoying. But then he experiences the death of the closest thing he has to a parent, and feels guilty of his death, and reaches a point where Dumbledore is ready to trust him more. And so, he calms down and becomes the guy that attempts to think things through and to help right away instead of sulk. He is, in fact, becoming the savior the boy who lived needs to become in order to beat Voldermort.

Of course, when people talk of this book they go crazy over the romance - Harry and Ginny, Ron and Lavender, Ron and Hermione! I just like that the book is obviously the little breather before the awesome epic finale, that Harry gets to be happy and we get to see it - too often, that piece of joy gets saved for the last paragraph of the series/books. I did have to finally accept the Harry and Ginny romance, although I'll admit that there's still that tiny bit of me that wants Harry and Hermione together.

The big question in Half Blood Prince is of course, Snape and Dumbledore. Dumbledore's death, after I finished reading the book, felt very unnecessary, and that it had been Snape, whom I secretly always liked, was tough. Rowling did a great work at always making Harry and Snape hate each other - but did a great job at including little clues to let us know there was something going on under that curtain of black hair. Oh, Snape.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

I can't believe months have passed since I last posted. May and June flew by, for sure, and here I am in the wee hours of July 3rd, not able to sleep. Since I just lent my niece Abigail my copy of The Half Blood Prince, I figured I might as well come here and talk about its predecessor, Order of the Phoenix.

A lot of people don't like that book. I love it, because it's exactly what Harry at 15 should be - an unlikeable little git. He's moody, thinks he knows it all, yells at people for no reason, is impulsive and severely unhappy when things don't go his way. He also has his eyes opened to the fact that there's more to life than just Hogwarts, and it enters the book into new territory.

This book is humongous, which is hella nice, as it lets you really submerge yourself in the Potter world. Also, since a lot of the book is just being in Harry's feelings and thoughts, it reads slower, but I like and enjoy that part. I like the ominous feeling all throughout the book that danger is coming, that it is imminent, that things will happen that will hurt Harry's world.

I was thinking a lot about this book today I guess mostly because I spent a lot of today remembering what it was like to be 15. How funny it is that a lot of the little things that I know I've left behind can resurface quickly, but also, to realize that something that I cared about so much then (God) still has such a presence in my life. I kept wondering about Harry himself and how in his selfishness and self-centered he was able to learn to be the calm and more likable Harry from the next books. I was amazed to realize during today's Sermon that I would not be the person that I am today if I hadn't been the little Jesus Freak I was at 15. I hope that I am giving, and loving, and accepting of others - something I learned to be during those years at that Church. And although by the end of the Sermon I was also arguing in my head (it was the "The Lord loved you so much, lost lamb, that He left behind 99 lambs to go get you, and the angels rejoice more over that found lost lamb than over the 99 that do not need finding" Sermon. I get it, God loves the lambs, but I always wonder about the 99 well behaved one's that are left without someone taking care of them,) I was also aware of how present He is in my life, how entrenched this is in my family. It's like part of our culture, almost, in a way even a family tradition. I've written poems about this, but never have been able to properly portray how... hurt I can be, when explaining this to friends and their eyes glaze over, because I'm talking God and Family, and all they're thinking is hate-mongering religion, and don't realize that this is as much a part of my personal culture as listening to Merengue and speaking Spanish is. 

But I've veered off. I meant to talk about how Harry's belief system is developed in Book 5, how he slowly becomes the man that will only have himself (and Ron and Hermione) to depend on, because he's been stripped away of those that are authority figures for him. And most importantly, this book, starts the race to the end.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

This is the book that had most recently been published when I started reading the series. In its fourth year, the novels are getting thicker and more complex! This is the first one that doesn't begin immediately in Privet Drive, but instead we start with Lord Voldermort and his servant Wormtail.

I find that Goblet of Fire really serves as a "middle" for the series. Until now, Voldermort has always been a dormant threat, specifically since Prisoner of Azkaban's "baddie" was Sirius Black, not Lord Thingy himself. Harry is leaving childhood behind; he's interested in girls (specifically Cho Chang, to which: bah! Everyone knows Harry's true soulmate should've been Hermione.) Hermione herself is becoming more aware of things outside their little life, since she starts her work with S.P.E.W. after realizing the way most House Elf's are treated. Several concepts are introduced, such as the Pensieve and O.W.L.'s and the unforgivable curses... this book really serves to lay the foundation for the next three books, as well as tying together and sort of putting aside the first three. I like the fight between Ron and Harry - it separates Ron, and builds on the little clues that have been going on. Most importantly, Harry gets to once more learn the lesson that it doesn't matter who your parents are, it's what you make of yourself that matters. Then there are the heartbreaking things introduced: Harry's relationship with Sirius as his godfather and figure that will help him. Cedric Diggory as the first loss. And of course, the return of You-Know-Who.

This book follows the same formula's as the other. From chapter one we know something's up, but aren't too sure of what it is, or rather, we think it's something else. The school year goes by and Harry, Hermione and Ron are busy, but fight against the bad as well. Finally, the climax arrives, thankfully just after exams are over. Lord Voldermort returns and his attempt to kill Harry is thwarted thanks to the otherworldly help of Lord Thingy's last victims. But in all of this Harry learns, that although he's lucky, he's also able to look after himself. At one point he thinks that he'll die "like his father, face on and standing up." And so we see that he is in Griffindor not just because he chose to be, but because he is courageous. Courage that he'll need for what's coming ahead. I do like Goblet of Fire, though it's not my favorite one. I think it does a great job at getting you excited for 'what's next.'

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

Easily one of my favorites of the series, Prisoner of Azkaban, though larger in page count than Books 1 and 2, is just as easy and fast of a read. In this book, Harry's story really starts feeling like a series... events are evolving slowly, leading us somewhere.

Short summary: Sirius Black escapes Azkaban, the Wizard Prison. Purportedly a big supporter of Lord Voldermort, Black killed Peter Petigrew and 12 others after little Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord. Everyone thinks he's after Harry.

In this one, Rowling introduces the awesome character of Professor Lupin, explores further the deep hatred of Professor Snape for Harry's father and his gang of friends (and we learn that Lupin, Black, and Petigrew were that gang.) Hermione (very helpfully) bites more than she can chew, Hagrid becomes the professor for Care of Magical Creatures, and Hogsmeade is introduced. I think with this one, Rowling does a great job of pacing herself, and of aging Harry, Ron, and Hermione accordingly. At 13, Harry and Ron although more aware of their surroundings, still think of themselves and sports first. Allegiances are still Boys vs. Girls, with Hermione choosing Harry's safety over The Thunderbolt and Ron holding Hermione responsible for the death of his pet rat Scabbers.

I don't know if Rowling really expected Book 1 Scabbers to have always been Peter Petigrew in disguise (spoiler!) but she sure did a great job of integrating his presence into the storyline. It was also a nice break from Voldemort being "the baddie" of the story. Reasons why I like this book so much: Harry feels the first pangs of interest towards Cho Chang. Ron, although super angry at Hermione, begins to show his interest and care - being the one always wondering how she got to all her classes, while Harry only wonders about it perfunctorily towards the end of the book. The Marauders Map (although I have to say Prongs is a horrible nickname, but feh), and the beginning of the story of young Snape vs. the Marauders.

Things I don't like: I hadn't noticed how much I disliked the way the Dursleys were described in the books. I mean, they are created as truly despicable creatures all the way through, but I really wish Aunt Marge had a good reason to despise Harry so much, to the point to blatantly insult him and his family so much. I somewhat understand the Dursleys - they felt put upon to care for him, and before his arrival already disliked him and his parent. But Marge acts like the thing is personal, yo! I understand, though, that it was a necessary plot in order to get Harry out of the Dursley's place, but still. They are pretty one dimensional in that sense.

All in all, in reading this one, I feel like I really am starting to read the books, with the other two being more "backstory" and "preparation" than anything else. Now is when the fun starts.

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

Just finished reading the second installment of the Harry Potter ouvre (hee!). It's not really my favorite, but I love how in rereading I can see the seeds of later plots making an appearance. If its true that in Sorcerer's Stone, Rowling wrote some things that were later negated in the series, in Chamber of Secrets she took pains to right that and apparently to begin to think things through. I think people like that the most about the series, the idea that it was "all there" and that she was just reorganizing it all and what not.

In Chamber of Secrets, Harry finds himself in problems even before leaving Privet Drive thanks to the appearance of the house elf Dobby, who loves Harry Potter and what he stands for so much that he intervenes with his life trying to "save him" from the horrible things that will happen if he goes to the Hogwarts School of Wizardry for his second year of study. In the process of this book Harry turns 12, learns about house elves, spends about half of his summer vacation at the Weasley's place, and learns about the stigma that being Muggle-born can carry in some circles of the Wizarding world.

I know that the plot is common knowledge, but this is supposed to be a review rather than a summary so I won't go into many details. What I liked about the book: Ron is an individual, smart kid. Hermione of course, figures out the mystery ages before Harry and Ron do, but the two of them slowly get the  same knowledge. It made sense that after the first book, Harry and Ron would be the one's to go on - after all, they're still 12. However, Rowling still manipulates it all so that Harry is alone at the end in order to fight Voldermort. Well... not Voldermort, but Tom M. Riddle. The things that I liked that Rowling introduced from this novel: the similarities between Harry and Voldermort. That Dumbledore makes it clear that it's all about choices people make and not the circumstances of their birth. That's also something I like... although the novels are very moral, they never hit you over the head with the message, and Chamber of Secrets is no different.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone

The first of the "Harry Potter" book series, I read this for the first time back when the first movie came out, mostly because my kids wanted to watch it and I wanted to make sure I knew what it was about before I let them.

I don't know how many times I've read this by now - minimum 5 times for sure. Even though I know and remember most of what happens, it still is an enjoyable read. The funnest part is to recognize the little clues that J.K. Rowling may have not had her entire HP ouvre planned when she first published Sorcerer's Stone (Things like wizards performing magic without a wand), but usually what I realize most when I read is the amount of times the HP movie producers gave Ron's lines to Hermione.

The three main characters are very well fleshed out, and that's the main reason the series has always been awesome. I do have to say that Rowling can be very mean when referring to Harry's only remaining family, and there's something to be said about the fact that they're all fat or bony. Ron's mother, who is slightly overweight is described as plump instead. I enjoy the fact that Ron and Harry don't gravitate towards Hermione immediately, but that their friendship is earned - very true of a group of 11 year olds.

The shortest of the books, this is quite the easy read, and a great beginning to the series.

Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso

I read about this book somewhere online; I remember opening up a window with a review and leaving it open on my desktop for about a week because I didn't have the time to seat down and read it. When I finally did read it I knew right away that I was going to be getting this book, regardless of it being on Hardcover still. (Isn't it sad how a hardcover book feels like a luxury nowadays?)

In any case, I read this baby in about a week, not necessarily because I couldn't put it down (which I couldn't) but because it was such an easy read. I mean, I was surprised at how smooth the whole thing was. I expected to need breaks because of the subject matter, that Fragoso was going to go on and on about herself and her plight, and it was not the case. But I suppose I should tell you a bit about the actual book itself. Tiger, Tiger is a memoir. What makes Fragoso want to share her life? First, she was raised by a controlling and self-aggrandizing Puerto Rican Man, a mother with deep psychological problems, and at 7 years-old, she met a pedophile who molested her until the age of 17, and who killed himself when she was 22.

Fragoso starts the book with a foreword, explaining this situation, so the reader knows what they're getting into. Well, they know about the pedophile. She manages to tackle this subject matter head on, not using euphemisms nor fake colorful language when it gets tough. She's honest: their relationship begins with Peter Curran just being the nice guy with a house full of animals that is the complete opposite to her father. She explains her family situation first, (without saying that she's doing so) so the reader knows how it was possible that she could be molested so assiduously and for so long. When she was 8 and 9, Peter taught her tickle games and was the hug monster. He was also a serial rapist, through the story we learn in a roundbout away (the way Fragoso learned it) that he molested several other girls, including his own estranged daughters.

Curran eventually turns her into his goddess and Fragoso eventually begins to abuse him as well, in order to have some "retribution" from the sexual favors she gave him. He encouraged her creative mind, helping her write and create as a child. She is poetic, yet correct anatomically when it comes to explicit talk of their sexual endeavors. She also explains how slowly their relationship stopped being sexual but still present, until her 20's, even when she had a real boyfriend. And then there's the account of his death and how it affected her - and her family. Fragoso ends the novel by talking about her own daughter, now around the age Fragoso was when she met Curran, and she explains why she would take the time to write the novel; seemingly a how-to for pedophiles, Fragoso claims that if parents know that it's the innocuous neighbor who posits the most danger, then their guard will be up.

But that's just what the book pertains to be about. Personally, I found the story to be more about her parents than anything else, especially her father. Their story weaves in and out of her "relationship" with Curran, and you can tell that unlike with Curran, Fragoso has yet to work through her anger towards her parents. She depicts Curran as a calm man, even through the moments he was angry and yelling at her, even at the times he slapped her. Her father, however, rarely spoke without an exclamation mark at the end of every sentence, often in CAPS to indicate yelling. Although Fragoso deconstructed Curran, both in writing and personally, her father remains a mystery to her. The man that tried to protect her, albeit in a macho way, and whose efforts to take care of her somewhat drove her into Curran's hands, is barely explored. We receive tidbits here and there, often gained from his talks with her.

Her mother, who allowed for the abuse and molestation to occur while she was in the same house with Fragoso, is also not explored. Fragoso doesn't seem to come to terms with the fact that her mother's psychological problems allowed her to possibly see what Curran was doing, but deem it love and care and good for her daughter, since at least Curran would make her eat. At the end of the novel, we know nothing of Fragoso's current relationship with her parents, wether she agonized about them learning about what went on under their noses, whether they knew before hand, or if she blames them in any way. I found that to be the only lacking aspect of the memoir. Even though she ends by talking about the family tradition she now continues with her daughter (making up stories for her at night, like her father did with her) Fragoso leaves open the fact that her parent's abuse was just as detrimental as Curran's. Although she does admit that there are some traditions she's planning on not continuing.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Downloaded The Awakening unto my cell phone in order to read it. It took me a while to finish it, since I only read this one while riding the subway.

Ever read something and kept thinking "I've read this before"? That's what I kept thinking when reading this novella. I'm not sure if I actually read it before - after all, there's the four years as an undergraduate majoring in English under my belt, not to mention the year as an AP English student in High School. But aside from the vague feeling that I had read it before, I really enjoyed reading The Awakening.

It's the story of Edna Pontellier. When the story opens, Edna - mother, wife - is with her family vacationing at the Shore, as apparently all well to do New Orlenian families did. As it was, Edna was always different from the other mothers/wives present; her French wasn't as good as that of the other Creoles, and she was able to forget about the existence of her two boys (Raoul and Etienne) for hours at a time. And then there's Robert - a young man accustomed to flirting and spending all his time with married women vacationing in his mother's "resort." Something no one looked at in the wrong way, as apparently his attention kept the women occupied and away from their husbands. Here Edna also differs from the other mothers/wives. She doesn't seem to realize that Robert's attention is supposed to be harmless, not real, something to enjoy for a bit and then throw aside as you return to your husband.

You see... Robert's attention "awakened" Edna from the world she lived in, turning her from mother/wife to woman. Chopin did a great job here, in demonstrating Edna's feelings, and the fact that there was no name for them at the time. The only woman in the story that lives alone and without the pressure of men/children is often described by others as mean and disagreeable. When Edna returns to New Orleans while Robert runs to Mexico, Edna feels sexual desire, allows herself to enjoy her ennui, defies her husband, walks alone at night, and is happy when her husband and children have to leave town. I imagine that at the time of publication this novella must've been very scandalous.

Lots of things happen in the middle and I won't go into the details of it all. The end, however is thus: Robert returns from Mexico and declares his love for Edna; but Robert is pure and because he loves her  and would not see her be damaged by society, chooses to not have an affair with Edna or even try to convince her husband to "let her go." Then, Edna actually witnesses childbirth. She remembers giving birth very vaguely thanks to the chloroform involved; seeing the act up close stirs the motherly instincts in her that she apparently had somewhat dormant.

Ultimately, Edna decides that she would never sacrifice her self not even for her children. I don't think that what her self is, is ever spelled out. But Mrs. Pontellier goes the way of many a heroine that attempted to be different, and indeed I was not surprised by her actions and how they put an end to the story, as it is exactly what many other literary women (Anna Karenina I'm looking at you) had to experience in order to be free.


All in all it is a very good read, and something interesting to look at from today's perspective. In this story, women's worth and self were controlled by the men in their lives, by what they "did" (wether they be mother, wife, artiste), and I wonder if we really have changed. There is no parity between the sexes still, in so many industries. But at least we're free (I think) to search for self.

Countdown Begins!

In case you don't know, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, will be arriving in theaters at midnight, July 15, 2011 - exactly 107 days away.

One has to plan for these things! For part one I didn't give myself enough time to do everything properly. So here's the plan: just like last time, I want to re-read all of the books to then re-watch all of the movies. This is no small feat and as I mentioned, the last time I ended up having to cram things together and that wasn't as great as I wanted it to be.

So! The plan is to give myself two weeks with each book. I know, I know... you'll say, Caminante, some of those books can be read in a day. And some might take more than two weeks. The two week time period, however, is to give myself a cushion. Work will be getting busy come the last part of April and it promises to stay so until the end of June at least. (To which: Huzzah!). But since you can look to the left of this column and see the four books that I'm currently reading, I'll say it's not bad to think that it'll take me about 14 weeks to re-read the whole thing. I want to take my time as much as possible, and maybe even write my thoughts after each book. This way, if it only takes me two weeks to read Sorcerer's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, that's a two week lee-way that I've earned for the bigger, slower to read through books like Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix.

In any case, there'll be 14 weeks for the books. Great! Then exactly a week for the movies. This one I had to give a lot of thought to - last time I tried to watch them with Ida or Cariño, and that complicated the schedule. This time around I'll give them plenty of notice so we won't have schedule problems! I'll start precisely on July 7 by watching Sorcerer's Stone. The idea is to have a movie a day, so that I won't burn out on them. However, I plan on taking July 14 and 15 off from work. The 14th will allow me to catch up with movies if for whatever reason I fall behind. The 15th is so that I can wake up as late as I want and that I can have the rest of the day to enjoy myself. This might change however - it all depends on how busy work will be and if life decides to send me any curve balls.

So that's how it goes compadres! Maybe I'll install one of those nifty countdown clocks on the sidebar. I'll keep you posted as to my progress as tomorrow I'm scheduled to begin Sorcerer's Stone. Eeep!

Chango's Fire by Ernesto Quiñones

It took me a while to finish this one. Another novel by the author of Bodega Dreams, this one is also about a twenty something man of Puerto Rican descent that lives in Spanish Harlem. This one also includes a childhood friend from that neighborhood that the protagonist loves, but isn't that great for him. This one also includes a young woman of Puerto Rican descent whose beliefs influence the protagonist. Last but not least - the protagonist finds himself in the middle of a not so legal situation involving an almost legendary figure from the neighborhood.

Don't get me wrong - these are two quite distinct books, but the similarities were too glaring not to point out. Like in Bodega Dreams, Quiñones addresses gentrification, but in this case he does it head on, and I'm sorry to say, he does it in a preachy way that made it hard for me to finish the book quickly. I kept putting it down and picking up other books because there was nothing in the novel really pushing me to keep on reading.

Present in this novel that wasn't in the previous one, were a gay man (who sacrifices himself for the protagonist and his family) and a white woman, who is Julio's (protagonist) main love interest and biggest source of concern.

Tied in all of this, is also the prevalence of evangelical religion in El Barrio, and the definition of art, immigration, and Santeria. I mean, Quiñones was nothing if not ambitious and I agree with the importance of all that he tackled - but the way he went about it just didn't quite hit home. I don't know how to explain it, because I can't put my finger on it... I do however recommend y'all read it. See what you think.

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