Shock: A Vampyre Story That I Actually Dislike!

I read the first book on my list for the 2009 YA Novel Challenge this weekend (Marked, A House of Night Book by P.C. and Kristen Cast), and tacked the sequel “Betrayed” on for good measure.

I really wish I would have started The Challenge out on a better foot.  Based on the beautiful, mature and artistic cover art for this series, I thought I would be reading mysterious, slightly dark novels about the twists and turns students lives take as they complete their transformations and become vampires. I thought I would be reading something alternative and edgy, and I was curious to see what happens when a mother and daughter team-write a book.

Unfortunately, what I actually read was a Baby Sitters Club book, disguised as a Harry Potter book with a female lead.  Guess I shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, eh?

The “House” books I read felt like Baby Sitter Club books because the protagonist (Zoey) always knows what has to be done, it’s never that hard to do, she wins with ease, and the rest of the books are filled with fluffy movie marathons or predictable escapades to the Starbucks and the library.  Really, most of the books are spent over-using the following words:

•    Yummy.  Or any other food related analogy to describe cute boys.
•    Ho.  Zoey keeps telling us she’s not a ho, but her “nemesis” (Aphrodite) wears short skirts, dances provacatively and gives a guy a blow job, so she is definitely a ho.  Nevermind that Zoey lusts after three different guys, calls two of them her “boyfriends” and experiences intense blood lust (aka, sexual arousal).  Whether Zoey and Aphrodite are Ho’s or they aren’t is up for debate, but it is ridiculously hypocritical to think that they are on different playing fields with their sexuality.
•    Poop.  It’s ridiculous that a High Preistess in Training, a vampyre especially blessed by their goddess Nyx, complains that she looks like “poop.”  Please, please can’t we have a more sophisticated word for such a highly important vampyre?  Perhaps something as interesting and unique as we are told she is?
•    Gay.  I was tipped over the “I’m offended line” after Zoey told us how “gay” her homosexual friend Damien is (after he admits he likes cross stitch, after he gushes over a pair of shoes, etc.) for the ten billionth time.  Please.  I know your friend is gay, and I like that there is a gay character in these novels.  However, you are diminishing the depth of his character when the only adjective you use to describe him is used as an “excuse” for his behavior.

I found myself frequently comparing these books to Harry Potter because they both take place at boarding schools filled with mythical beings, and the protagonist in each is a “chosen one” of sorts.  But as stated earlier, everything is easy (and thus, boring) for Zoey.  She always makes the right decision, everyone accepts what she says as holy truth, and does not get angry at her when she hurts them.  Harry angers his friends on occasion, the public rarely believes what he says, and he even makes a few poor decisions.  He also still manages to save the day in the end (and several times along the way) and is a beloved character in literature.

The premise that the Cast author present is very intriguing: a chosen vampyre, a boarding school, a church that apposes vampyres with vengence, cool tattoos, and some Native American lore.  Unfortunately, the poor writing just doesn’t live up to the potential of the story.

One question that keeps haunting me is this: why do I so freely criticize these books when I adore the not-so-brilliantly-written (but definitely better than "House") Twilight books?

A Young Adult in 2009

For the past three years I have made a new years resolution every year... and I have kept every single one of them.

How did I do it?

I picked resolutions that were fun and that I actually wanted to fulfill (learn how to knit a hat, open my own Etsy shop), rather than things that I thought I should do (loose weight, keep my room clean, etc.).

This year, I have made two resolutions.  One, is to knit a blanket.  The other is to complete the 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge.

I love YA fiction, and I hear we're in a Gold Age for it, so I thought it would be fun to focus my reading time in this area.

These are the books I am planning on reading:

1. Marked (House of Night, Bk. 1) - P.C. and Kristin Cast  Reviewed

2. The Opposite of Invisible - Liz Gallagher

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

As you can see, I have not chosen 12 books yet, so suggestions are quite welcome. : )

Once a book is finished, I will write a blog post about my experience reading it (or a review of the book), and will link to it within this post.

Are you making any New Years Resolutions?

Vampire Hangover.

My eyes are a little bloodshot, and my head hurts a little bit.  I am soooo tired.  I would confess to you that I have a hangover, but I didn't drink any alcohol last night.  You know what I did do?

Stayed up way too late watching Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, Season 5.

I blame him:

...damn him and his moral recovery and hot British accent!

(Remember when I said I was secretly 85?  Scratch that.  I am clearly 15.)

Distraction...

I took this silly little 30 second quiz today.  You click the mouse as many times as you can in 30 seconds, and they gauge how caffenated you are.  I had to post my result, because I wanted to show off how close I was to reaching "Spastic, Nervous" status.

Like that's something to be proud of!

Baby, I Can Soul Travel to Cold Places

I was just in Starbucks getting a Peppermint Mocha Twist and feeling somewhat grumpy for no particular reason, when I heard the song "Baby It's Cold Outside" come on the sound system.  I am pretty sure it was the Bing Crosby and Doris Day version, but as I closed my eyes, I heard the echo of Cerys Matthews and Tom Jones singing the slightly kinky song (kinky if you consider the age difference between the pair) and for a moment, I was somewhere else.

Metaphorically, at the arrivals gate of Heathrow Airport.  In London, or Swansea, or Ashley's family's living room in the week before Christmas.

It was only for a split second, but it was so emotional and real that it's brevity didn't matter.  Wales is so deeply rooted in my soul now that I feel like I don't need a plane to get there.  Just a bit of the right stimuli, and I am off.

There's no place like the UK during Christmas, and I am in a much better mood after my visit. : )

In which I tell you about something funny my boyfriend said.

I can't believe it, but my boyfriend actually went and saw the Twilight movie yesterday.  I warned him that he wouldn't like it (while in the same breath telling him that he would have to watch it with me some day) but he saw it anyway.  He works in a movie theatre in Wales, and saw it in a pre-screening (it hasn't come out over there yet).  We were talking about the movie last night, and said "It was kind of wierd, because he basically fell in love with food.  It's like me grabbing a chocolate bar and wanting to caress the foil.  It's a chef's dream."

How could I not crack up?  He hit it right on the nail, but I've never hear anyone put it quite like that before....

Dressing The Stars With Etsy: Jennifer Aniston

I think the holiday release movie that I am most likely to see is Marley and Me with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.  Milk, with Sean Penn takes a close second.

I have made it clear on this blog that I adore Jennifer Aniston, so I thought it was time to dress her up in my Dressing the Stars With Etsy series. 

Here are my picks for her:

1. Pleated Black Tube Dress, Lirola, $160

2.  Simplicity Scarf, Holladay Knits,  $55

3.  Lemonstory Abstract Art Jersey Dress, Lemonstory By Kimenna, $100

4.  Stacking Rings, Anti Genre, $56

Cold Mid-West Cities and TV Show Openers

I don’t use Netflix to watch movies; I use it to watch TV.  In the beginning, I tried to use netflix to watch a bunch of depressing and artistic indie dramas/movies that I should see/ black and white classics/ other culturally educational movies, but it just didn’t work.  The DVDs sat around gathering dust for weeks while I watched old episodes of Friends over and over.

I’ve given up on watching movies that I think I am supposed to watch.  Now, I am just queueing stuff that I actually really like.   Namely:  Retro-ish TV Shows.

Right now, I have three discs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Three and one disc of The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season One.

It’s awesome.

I actually just started watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show last night, and I love it.  But do you know what I realized while watching it?

Perfect Strangers totally ripped off their opening sequence.

They both involve driving out of small towns to live in large (cold) Mid-West Cities, various “living in the city” images, then end with a freeze frame of fun city times.  The theme songs are both about following your dreams and making it on your own.

Of course, the Mary Tyler Moore one came first and is infinitely better (both the show and the opening sequence).

Watch the Perfect Strangers one and the Mary Tyler Moore one if you want to see for yourself.

I Heart Buffy (And Spike, and Drusilla, and Willow and...)

So, I know I am about 10 years late but...

I officially love Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

(And I am thinking I should change my masthead to "yarn, glitter, anglophilia, and vampires" no?)

It was on during my WB viewing days as a High School kid, but I didn't watch it.  I don't remember what the reason was.  I know that I didn't think it seemed like a bad show; maybe something else that I watched was on during the same time slot.  Either Felicity or Dawson's Creek must have been on after Buffy, though, because I remember frequently catching the production logo at the end of Buffy episodes and thinking it was the funniest thing I had ever seen.

It still amuses me, actually.

I didn't expect to love Buffy this much.  I put it on my Netflix queue because I am vampirily obsessed and heard good things about it.  I did not expect to get so excited about the show that I attacked my housemate when he brought the mail in, red Netflix envelopes in hand.  "Buffy!" I squealed.

Some randmon musings on the series so far...

*I think Spike and Drusilla are the coolest bad vamps I have ever seen (Victoria in the Twilight movie is a close second).  I think it has to do with their British accents, and how well Drusilla rocks the creepy-cute personality conundrum.

*I identify most with Willow, and I am beginning to think it has a lot to do with the way she moves her mouth kind of cutely when she talks and occasionally dons a bit of a silly voice.  I do that too.  And of course, we both share an affection for Oz.  And, my boyfriend thinks she's the hottest.  It all just works out.

*I am only half way through the second season, and Angel has already become all bad-ass again.  I am surprised that he made such an impression on the series after such a short period of time.  Maybe it has to do with his spin-off

Did you ever watch Buffy?  What media is rockin' your world right now?

Dressing The Stars With Etsy: Mrs. Claus

Mrs. Claus isn't exactly a star of silver screen and tabloid proportions, but that doesn't mean that she isn't world renown.

Unfortunatley, Mrs. Claus has a wee wardrobe problem.  As in, her wardrobe is a bit outdated.  And let's face it, things are pretty busy up at the North Pole, especially this time of year.  The elves certainly don't have time to make her any clothes, and I'm not sure whether she knows how to sew or not.

Basically, I think she should just head over to Etsy.com and buy some new clothes.  Here are a few suggestions:

1.  The Briggite Bardot Shoes, $45, Thrush

2.  London Victorian High Neck Collar, $22, Branda

3.  The Normanville, $295, Little Houses

4.  The Clown Bag, $83, Ninu

5.  Garnet Dnagles, $15, Beauty Mark Bead

Of course, she could always go for this look...

...but I don't reccomend it. ; )

Pretty Pictures and Thoughtful Words

(A)

A Beautiful Mess

A New Philosophy

AlternaDad

Barbe Saint John

Bling on My Sewing Machine

Chronicles of Me

Create*Loves

Cupcate

Elise

Enterbrainment

Green Like the Color

Inside a Black Apple

Mademoiselle Robot

Moosh In Indy

Project Blancoyd

Slice of Pink

Suburban Turmoil

Sweet Fuzz

Tatiana Supports the Arts

Threadbanger

Yarn Harlot

Gratitude

The really nice and talented people at Free Digital Scrapbooking.com let me use some of their tools to make WelshGrl2 look pretty.