Today is my final passion blog post for my English 137 Honors class. I am going to try something a little different. Instead of reviewing a book that I have read before, and trying to convince at least one blog reader to read a book for fun, I am going to talk about one of the best websites in the world. This website also has to do with books, so it does relate to my passion blog theme for this year.

How many of you have heard of Goodreads?

http://www.goodreads.com

There’s also an app.

“Goodreads is a free website for book lovers. Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone’s bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don’t stop there – join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing.”

Once you make an account (or link it to your Facebook account), you start using this amazing service by selecting books that you have read. These books are added to your “read” bookshelf. You can then review and rate these books. Then, you add books you are in the middle of reading, and put these on your “currently-reading” shelf. Lastly, you can add books that you want to read to your “to-read” bookshelf. Additionally, you can add more shelves and categorize books in any other way that you want. Listing the books that you have read (and also rating and reviewing them) allows others to see what your opinion is on this book, and based on your highest rated books, Goodreads can actually recommend books to you. Also, keeping a to-read list is one of the most invaluable tools a book lover can have. I am able to keep track of what I have and have not read, and if a friend or enemy ever mentions a book that sounds good, I can add it to my list right away, before I forget the recommendation.

What is on my shelves?

Currently, I have 53 books on my to-reads shelf. And before you say that that is a lot, keep in mind that this is much less than I have had in the past. At one point, I had over one hundred books on my to-read list. Yeah. I have a problem with reading. But it is a good problem.

Some of my most highly rated books include:
– The Sherlock Holmes series (Arthur Conan Doyle)
– Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn)
– The Chet and Bernie Series (Spencer Quinn)
– The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)
– The Devil Wears Prada (Lauren Weisberger)
– I am Number Four (Pittacus Lore)
– Harry Potter (J. K. Rowling)
– Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan)
– Legend (Marie Lu)
– Everybody Sees the Ants (A. S. King)
– And more!!

Some of the books on my recommendation list:
– Hunting Lila (Sarah Alderson)
– Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (Lish McBride)
– Deathnote (Tsugumi Ohba)
– Boneshaker (Cherie Priest)
– My Fair Lazy (Jen Lancaster)
– Shadow and Bone (Leigh Barduco)
– Sweet Evil (Wendy Higgins)

Some of these books look pretty interesting…I might be increasing the length of my to-reads list today! Haha.

Goodreads is fantastic. It allows people to keep track of what they read and want to read, recommend books to friends, join or start literature discussion groups, and learn everything you need to know about a book. It is one of my favorite websites, and I recommend it to every book lover. And if you have a Goodreads profile, add me as a friend! I’m listed as Emma Clement.

So what is a chemical garden? Before I read this book, I would have said some special garden where chemicals are used to alter the plants that grow, or something along those lines. I had never really heard the term, but I expected this series to be some form of science fiction trilogy. Curious, I did some research.
Here’s the real definition of a chemical garden, according to Wikipedia: “A chemical garden is an experiment in chemistry normally performed by adding solid metal salts such as copper sulfate or cobalt(II) chloride to an aqueous solution of sodium silicate (otherwise known as waterglass). This results in growth of plant like forms in minutes to hours.” And if you look online, you can find some pretty amazing and beautiful creations. I found a really interesting website, too. This website has photos and videos of some really beautiful chemical garden creations/reactions. It describes them as a way to “rediscover the stunning beauty of chemical reactions”, “explore some of the most beautiful chemical structures”, and enjoy a “happy marriage of science and art.” If you’re interested in cool-looking things, art, chemistry, or other types of science, check out this website. I spent an embarrassing amount of time looking at these videos when I was trying to write this blog. These chemical garden videos are really mesmerizing in a weird way.
http://beautifulchemistry.net/
So this blog so far has been a really long tangent. My goal was to write about a new trilogy I discovered and read a few weeks ago. The main character in the chemical garden trilogy is Rhine Ellery, who has four years left to live. Thanks to modern science, a botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Despite orphans, crime, poverty, and a post-apocalypse type society (in some regards), scientists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race. Additionally, many young girls—including Rhine– are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to escape her husband, Linden, who is hopelessly in love with her, and be reunited with her brother. However, Rhine can’t bring herself to hate Linden him as much as she’d like to. Linden introduces Rhine to a wonderful world of wealth, and living this life with her husband and sister wives is almost an escape from the fear she has about her short lifespan. But something is wrong in her new life. Her father-in-law, a scientist bent on finding the antidote, is hiding corpses in the basement. Rhine cannot know if she should trust or fear her sister wives, and time is running out. Will Rhine be able to escape – before her time runs out? And if she does escape, how will anyone find freedom in this new anarchy?
This book had a lovely premise, writing, plot, and characters. I loved the mix of science fiction and dystopian writing, and it was great to read a trilogy that was completely finished (no waiting for the rest of the books!).
Has anyone read this book, or any other interesting books recently?

By far, this is one of the more intriguing book titles that I have read in a while. And this was one of the more intriguing books I’ve read in a while, as well.
How many of you blog readers have seen the classic movie (or read the book), The Wizard of Oz? Or one of the adaptations, such as the much-loved Broadway musical Wicked? Or even the more recent Disney movie, Oz the Great and Powerful?

Here’s a quick synopsis of each.
-The Wizard of Oz: “When a nasty neighbor tries to have her dog put to sleep, Dorothy takes her dog Toto, to run away. A cyclone appears and carries her to the magical land of Oz. Wishing to return, she begins to travel to the Emerald City where a great wizard lives. On her way she meets a Scarecrow who needs a brain, a Tin Man who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who desperately needs courage. They all hope the Wizard of Oz will help them, before the Wicked Witch of the West catches up with them.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/plotsummary
-Wicked: “A vivid reimagining of the classic The Wizard of Oz, Wicked spotlights the untold stories of Oz’s most famous (or infamous) characters, namely the Wicked Witch of the West and her unlikely friend, Glinda the Good Witch. The show follows green-skinned star Elphaba from birth to college and through the life-changing events which eventually label her “wicked,” introducing spoiled rich girl Glinda, local prince and heartthrob Fiyero and even the Wizard of Oz himself, a troubled man very unlike the one you may remember.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262426/plotsummary
-Oz the Great and Powerful: “Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. At first he thinks he’s hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking. That all changes, however, when he meets three witches, Theodora, Evanora, and Glinda, who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1623205/plotsummary

Both of these adaptations (and I know there are more out there) are great versions of the original, and while all cannot exist in the same universe, they all offer interesting sides to the classic tale. In this adaptation of the Wizard of Oz, a girl named Amy Gumm is an unwilling protagonist (at first) when she is swept up by a tornado. In this story, the classic tale of Oz is true. The story of Dorothy happened in the past, but something happened afterwards. Now, the Good Witches are untrustworthy, Wicked Witches can be heroes, and everything else is changed. The yellow brick road is crumbling, and winged monkeys are kept as slaves or can be executed for acts of ‘treason’. Why? Dorothy.
Dorothy found a way to return to Oz, and she seized power from Oz’s true ruler. Then the power went to her head, and no one is safe. Amy Gumm has been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, with one mission. Dorothy must die to return happiness and life to the Land of Oz
This might be my favorite version of the Oz story, and I was drawn to the idea of the wicked being good. It brought up interesting ideas of what makes someone wicked, or good, and it was also just a great story to read. Give this book a try, especially if you enjoyed the Wizard of Oz, Wicked, or Oz the Great and Powerful.

What did you do over your spring break? Let me guess… you watched (at least) three seasons of your new favorite show on netflix, you ate as much free food provided by your parents as you could (you don’t have to swipe your ID for dinner if it is made by mom!), slept in until noon each day (or later), and halfheartedly finished a few homework assignments on Sunday night, right before they’re due at midnight.

Was that close to what you did over break? I am going to guess that a lot of college students spent their spring breaks pretty closely to the scenario that I just described. However, I did not spend my spring break quite that way. Over spring break, I finished all of my homework and studying as soon as possible (yes, I am one of those non-procrastinator people, sorry if that freaks you out), slept in (but not until noon, I am also one of those mythical morning people, sorry if that freaks you out, too), and spent a lot of my free time reading. I think there is no better way to relax and de-stress after half of the semester is over, and as a result, I read for fun over break. I read a lot. It was absolutely lovely.

Now if you spent your whole break not reading at all, I pity you just a tiny bit (seriously, reading is so enjoyable! I do not understand how people can have so much free time and not read—the idea just blows my mind). But you can still read for fun during the semester, even if you’re pretty busy with classes and clubs and everything. We are all busy, but it is possible to find time to read during the semester. I do it all the time. If you want to try reading something this semester, here is my newest recommendation. I read it over break, and I really enjoyed it. Perhaps some of you have heard about it. My focus of today’s blog is the book: The Time Traveler’s Wife, written by Audrey Niffenegger.

This book is longer than the usual books I review (518 pages), but don’t let that scare you away! I promise you will love this book. Well maybe. Not everyone has to love the books that I love, but it is so well written and interesting that I think most people would at least like it, if only a little bit.

As the title might give away, this book does involve a time traveler, and his wife. Big surprise. Clare, a willful art student/sculptor, first meets Henry, a librarian, when she is six and Henry is thirty six. They get married when Clare is twenty three and Henry is thirty one. How is this possible?

Everyone has different genetic codes that make up their DNA, but Henry’s is even more different from mine, yours, or Clare’s. His DNA causes him to have “Chrono-Displacement Disorder”, a condition where his genetic clock randomly changes and causes him to “time travel” at unpredictable moments in time. With Henry uncontrollably moving throughout time—sometimes disappearing for minutes, hours, or longer—can Clare and Henry live a normal life together? How will their marriage and relationship survive?

What does it mean to love someone regardless of time or age? If you love someone in one time, will you love them in the past or present or future?

Watch the movie trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USUDlMBR-dQ

Okay, I gotta admit something. This is totally not the kind of book that I usually read. I tend to like young adult novels and books that are about dystopian societies, mysteries, strong characters, etc. They tend to be much darker than the kind of book that this one is. Eleanor and Park, written by Rainbow Rowell (who has an awesome first name, by the way), is a young adult novel. But Eleanor and Park is a young adult romance novel. Not the kind of novel that I would normally read.

Nevertheless, this novel was extraordinary. And if you do not believe me, believe the ratings online. On Goodreads, it is rated at an average of 4.17 out of 5 stars by over two hundred and fifty seven thousand readers. Pretty impressive, right?

This book takes place over one school year, and tells the story of two misfits who fall in love (big surprise there, as this is a young adult romance novel). It is beautiful and lovely and wonderful, and not at all overly mushy or sappy (which I absolutely hate). But how do these two misfits meet, and will it work out between them? First love almost never lasts, do Eleanor and Park have the right relationship?

I apologize. This is sounding really sappy. I don’t know how to describe this book without making it sound all sappy and lovey-dovey. Let me include some quotes describing the characters.

“Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor.

Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park.”

This novel includes some non-romancey elements, too. It deals with some quite intense topics, as well. Both of the protagonists are misfits, and this touches on the issue (this should not be an issue) of mixed race children, as Park is half Korean and half white. Additionally, Eleanor is an outcast, because of her weight. The two live in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1986, and form their friendship over mix tapes and comic books. They meet on the school bus. (Why didn’t I meet my true love on a school bus in high school? I ended up sitting up next to delinquents and drug dealers on my school bus…no fair). Their relationship, and this novel, was honest, touching, funny, and hopeful all at once. The book also touches on ‘serious’ issues, such as domestic and child abuse, bullying, body image, and racism. It is not just a flouncy, romance novel. It has a real substance.

One of my favorite quotes about this book describes it perfectly: Eleanor & Park “reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book.” I did fall in love with this book, and I promise you will, too. It is wonderfully and beautifully written, and it was a fantastic read. Fans of young adult novels (they can be adults, too) will definitely enjoy this read. I promise!

How many of you out there are Harry Potter fans?

Excellent, excellent. I could talk forever about how much I love the Harry Potter Series (my favorite novel is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; my favorite movie is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, what are yours? You can post in the comments if you’d like). I am a fan of both the books and the movies (and of course the books are better), the incredible HP fandom, and even the amusement park in Universal Studios. So, naturally, I was thrilled when I heard J. K. Rowling was writing another series (under a pen name) for adults.

This is the second book in that series. The Silkworm (and the first book, the Cuckoo’s Calling) are written by one of the best and most well-known authors out there: J. K. Rowling. She writes these books under the not-so-secret pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. Yes, that is a man’s name.

I recommend these two books to all book fans—Harry Potter lovers or not (but you should love Harry Potter, because it is amazing, don’t even let me get started on why everybody should read that series). The Silkworm is not really about silkworms, but the title is not completely random, either (it will make sense once you read the book, so go get on that if you are curious!). This pair of books is a great start to what is a promising new(ish) mystery series for adults. I was actually a bit scared to start Cuckoo’s Calling, because I was worried that I had too high of an expectation for the book, just because I love her other series so much. But don’t be worried, you should give them a try—not because they are written by J. K. Rowling, but because they are amazing books that deserve the high ratings they have.

So what is the Silkworm about? I suppose I should start with the characters.

First, you have the protagonist—private detective Cormoran Strike, an ex-army member who (unfortunately) only has half of one of his legs (not including his prosthetic). Then you have his faithful secretary (or does she do more than make phone calls?) Robin.

This novel focuses around the case of missing novelist Owen Quine (and I have no idea what the correct pronunciation for his name is), who was reported in as missing to Strike by his wife. She says that he has just gone off on his own for a while, and wants Strike to find him and take him home to his family. But there is something more to this case. It isn’t a simple disappearance. Quine has just completed a very controversial (unpublished) novel that he plans to self-publish. The controversy of this novel? It includes “poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows”, exposing many secrets and details that aren’t exactly his to tell.

When Quine turns up brutally (and bizarrely) murdered, Strike is on the case to determine who the killer is. Is it the wife, or someone else featured in his awful manuscript? Was this a single killing, or is someone else next?

Read to find out.

This week’s book review is not one of the books I would normally read. Meaning, that it is not a typical, young adult/science fiction/fantasy novel. This book is a little different.

A quote about this book- it “includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!”

What is this book? Bossypants, by Tina Fey.

A Bossypants is one who is bossy, or one who interferes with other peoples’ lives. But is being bossy bad? Or can it be taken to be a positive thing? It can be an insult, or a complement, depending on how one takes it.

This hilarious book both tells the story of Tina Fey, a girl with a dream. Two dreams, actually. “A recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher”, and “a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.” This book discusses both dreams, and talks about Tina Fey both before and after Liz Lemon, “Weekend Update”, and “Sarah Palin”. As a successful comedian who has been on TV, she tells her story from her early life as a “vicious nerd” to her career on Saturday Night Live to her life as a mother—and more.

I absolutely loved this book. I am not a huge fan of Tina Fey, and the reason I liked this book was not because it includes her life story. But it was very, very funny and insightful. I found myself often laughing out loud when I read this book (and in public places, no less!), and I was both entertained and inspired by the stories she told in this book. Tina Fey talks about anything and everything—from Chinese food to J-Lo’s butt, from Jehovah’s Witnesses to body image, and from politics to prostitution. She offers great advice, as well. One of my favorite quotes from this book is “Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.” I find this sentiment both true and inspiring, and I aim to live my life this way. Another great quote is “If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and although society does not always make it seem like it, to many people, real beauty is what matters on the inside. Tina Fey captures this idea in a concise, witty, and snappy quote, just like many of her other great quotes in this book.

If you pick up this book, you won’t regret it. And if you have already read it before, what is your favorite quote or story from this?

And remember—you’re no one until someone calls you bossy.

Today, I’m gonna talk about an easy read. So if you have been meaning to read a book—for fun (gasp!)—then this one is a great one to try. The book? It is a classic, but is easy to read (unlike Hamlet, which is a wonderful classic, but is rather hard to read). It is written for children, but not in a childish way. I read it for the first time a few months ago, and I really enjoyed it, even though I know it is intended for another audience.

I think that you guys will really like this book. Oh yeah, the book’s title: Alice in Wonderland.

I never really had thought about where exactly Alice in Wonderland came from—I think I’ve just known the story forever, but I never read it as a child. I have seen parts of the new movie (although I’m not a huge fan of it, I find the new movie a little creepy), and I cannot recall ever seeing the whole animated movie, either. But I knew the basics of the story- a girl named Alice follows a rabbit and falls down a rabbit-hole, and then some stuff happened with some playing cards and a queen, right? But what exactly is the story of Alice in Wonderland?

Alice begins her tale sitting on the riverbank, when she sees a white rabbit. Carrying a pocket watch. She follows him, and falls down a rabbit hole, and lands in Wonderland. The following story involves a great set of characters- the Cheshire Cat (and did I mention that I am a cat fan?), a Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts, and of course—the Mad Hatter.

Alice’s adventures are told in a wonderful tale told through the pages of a short chapter book. It is only 92 pages, and I read it quite quickly. It was satisfying and sweet, and I loved taking a break from the craziness and nonstop homework of college life, and this book was a great way to give my brain a break. I totally advise reading it- are you sure you actually know the whole story of Alice in Wonderland? And if you have seen the movie (or movies), this book is a great way to really get to know this wonderful, fantastic, imaginative, classic tale.

Additionally, Lewis Carrol includes some great quotes as well. My favorites are listed below.

-Ah, that’s just it. If you don’t think, then you shouldn’t talk.

-Good advice. If I listened earlier, I wouldn’t be here. But that’s just the trouble with me. I give myself very good advice.

-I have an excellent idea, LETS CHANGE THE SUBJECT.

-Curiouser and curiouser.

-Curiosity often leads to trouble.

-I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.

-Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

-If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.

-“Have i gone mad?” “I’m afraid so, but let me tell you something, the best people usually are.”

Overall, this is a wonderfully sweet story that will push the limits of the imagination and just leave you satisfied and happy. And if you don’t like this story, OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!

The title of today’s blog might be a little bit misleading. Sorry about that.

I immediately put this book on my to-reads list (which is my online list of books I want to read, kept on Goodreads, which is an amazing site for book lovers and readers. I recommend checking out this website. Anyways…) when it was recommended to me. A friend had told me that I should read this book, which was the first book in a series called The Dwellers. Immediately, I assumed it was a science fiction novel for young adult readers, focused on a group of people (the dwellers), who had been able to create a life on the moon. I just searched the book on Goodreads, clicked “add to my to-reads list”, and didn’t give the book a second thought until I had worked my way through part of my to-reads list, and the Moon Dwellers was the first book on the list.

The Moon Dwellers, by David Ester, is indeed a science fiction novel written for a YA audience. However, it is not about people living on the moon. In fact, the moon dwellers have never even seen the moon. This book is set in an apocalyptic world where all of humanity has created a world underground, in a huge network of caves. The moon dwellers are the middle class members of society, who live in the middle layer of the Tri-Realms, deep underground.

But you may be asking yourself, why are the moon dwellers called the moon dwellers? I’ll let you figure that part out on your own. Just read the book! It will all make sense, I promise.

The book starts out with Adele, a seventeen year old girl, who currently lives in…an interesting location. It’s kind of complicated. You see, Adele is in prison, under a life sentence. What did she do? Nothing. She was unjustly sentenced to a life in prison because of her parents’ treasonous crimes. Its kind of unfair, I know. So Adele has a plan—she has to escape from the Pen, before she is transferred to the crueler, adult prison, she is supposed to live in once she turns 18. She needs to escape from the Pen to find her family. And to find Tristan, a sun dweller, son of the President, who she has an unexplainable connection with. Except it isn’t exactly easy to escape from a high security prison. And she doesn’t exactly know where her parents are. Or her little sister. Or why she has this connection with Tristan, whom she’s never met. But she does have one trick up her sleeve, however. Adele is good at fighting. Really good. Like, the kind of ‘good’ that comes when you have been trained to fight since you were three.

So maybe Adele has a chance. But she cannot do this alone. And what will Adele and Tristan, along with their friends, do when they meet, and when war breaks out in the Tri-Realms? Why are the two of them connected in the way that they are? Can the Tri-Realms be united? Can Adele escape prison and unite her family? What will happen next for the moon dwellers?

Hi everybody. To those of you who were in my RCL class last semester, nice to see you again! And to those of you who are new to this RCL class, hello! Nice to meet you. I’m Emma, and I am a book lover. I am one of those few (does anyone else on campus like this actually exist? I’m not sure) who actually reads for fun AND makes time to read for fun during the college semester. If any of you students like to read for fun, then this is the RCL blog for you! I am continuing my passion blog from last semester, which focuses around my obsession/ love for reading. Every week, I write about a book I’ve read, and basically try to convince at least one person to try picking up a book and reading.

This week, I’m gonna talk about birthmarks.

Do any of you have birthmarks? Do you believe that they are random, just individual quirks in our bodies that we end up with when we are born? Do you believe that they are marks of where we were killed in our last lives, as some believe? Or do you believe something else?

What do the birthmarks mean in this novel? Are they trivial, or do they mean something more?

In the future, society is divided by a wall in Caragh M O’Brien’s Birthmarked trilogy. If you are lucky, you live inside the wall, or inside the Enclave. But some, live outside of the wall. Gaia is born outside of the wall, and grows up learning to deliver babies as a midwife, just as her mother has. The catch to this important work? A specific quota of babies must be handed over to be “advanced”, or let into the privileged life of those who live inside of the Enclave. This is Gaia’s duty, which she believes is right. Until the day her mother and father are arrested by those inside of the wall. Why were they arrested? What is life like in side of the wall? Why is there a wall? And for that matter, why must young newborns be cruelly separated from their mothers and families, and sent to live inside of the wall?

And what do their birthmarks mean?

I absolutely loved this book when I first read it, and was thrilled when I discovered that there was a second book. And recently, two novellas and the final book in this trilogy were also released. I have had the privilege of reading all of the works in this series, and I think that this book is one that any YA fan will enjoy. It has elements of a dystopian novel, science-fiction, and more. It is gripping and fabulous, so you should do yourself a favor. Go read this book. When you’re finished, I will feel so proud of myself for convincing a busy college student to read this book. That’s all I want to accomplish with this blog.