Book Review: CHAIN REACTION by Simone Elkeles

In the third excuse to rewrite Perfect Chemistry Perfect Chemistry novel, Elkeles introduces us (or rather, reintroduces us) to another character I don't remember from the original book, Luis. Luis is the baby of the family and wants to be an astronomical engineer--or something like that--but also likes to take risks! I know this because he was climbing a boulder without a safety harness and got bitten by a not-a-rattle-snake. Oh that risky risk-taker! Despite his proclivity to act like every other teenage boy I've ever known, Luis still manages to get all A's in school and be a star on the soccer and swim team, and a bunch of other stuff that guarantees he's going to go to a great university on scholarships and achieve his lofty dreams. But then his mom decides to move back to their house in the ghetto of Fairfield, Illinois, which is gang territory, and--spoiler alert!--Luis gets involved with his old buddies, who also happen to be gang members! And he becomes embroiled in the gang! Oh, Luis why???? Where did it all go wrong?!? Meanwhile, Luis is falling in love with a girl named Nikki, who also likes to take risks. I know that because she had sex with her bf without a condom, and then got pregnant.

I really like Simone Elkeles--even when I don't love her novels, I usually at least enjoy her writing style. Unfortunately, I don't think her writing style is very evident in this book, and if we're being honest I kind of hated it.

It all started with the prologue. Have I mentioned I hate prologues? YES. That link is proof that I have. Having a prologue in a book is one thing--it certainly doesn't create a good first impression, but usually I just skip it and go along my merry reading way--but having a prologue and not even having the common courtesy to label it as such?! THE RAGE, IT BURNS.

Aside from the prologue, though, this felt like a giant phone-in sesh. The characters are pretty dull: Luis is way too Everyman to have any personality; and I'm not sure what his girlfriend Nikki is supposed to be, but I'm guessing it wasn't the pathetic bitch she came off as. Not to mention the characters' motivations--and I use that word loosely--were ridiculously transparent. Take this paragraph from the prologue:

I vow to forget about Marco and forget about our baby who never had a chance. Luis Fuentes reminded me that I'm still vulnerable. If I'm emotionally unavailable, then I don't have to worry about ever getting hurt. When this nightmare is over... Nikki Cruz will no longer be vulnerable.

Gee, thanks for spelling that out for us! I might not have caught onto the emotional subtleties of your neurosis without it. Or how about this soliloquy from a secondary character. You see, Luis...

That day I promised myself I'd find a way out... and when I did, I became a cop so I could stop other kids from making the same mistakes me and my friends did.

Aw, hello after school special! My point is, there was a lot of telling in this book and not a lot of showing. I get the sense Elkeles wanted to tell a particular type of story here, but she couldn't really do it with the characters she decided to write about, so a lot of the emotional stuff in the book feels really manufactured, including the "romance" between Luis and Nikki.

There's always a certain amount of silliness in these novels, but it doesn't bother me because I usually love the characters and the hero and heroine have great chemistry. Here I actively disliked one of the characters, didn't really care about the other one, and there was no believable attraction between them, which made for a pretty boring book. And don't even get me started on the ridiculous ending.

Obviously I was pretty disappointed in this novel, but at least the series is finally over and we can all move on with our lives.



Musical notes: "Fuck You" by Cee-Lo Green

Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles

When last we saw Caleb Becker, he had just gotten out of a year in juvenile detention for hitting his sister's best friend with a car while driving drunk.  Returning to Paradise, Illinoise, he discovered his mom was addicted to prescription meds, his sister was emo (the horror), and the girl he'd run over--well, he was kinda into her.  But then Caleb decided he'd had it with his hometown and--extended metaphor alert!!!--exiled himself from Paradise.

Now the boy with the black fire tattoo is back.  Only, wait--no he's not.  He just has to go through a summer program to scare teens into not drinking and driving, which doesn't take place in Paradise.  But lo! The girl he hit with his car, Maggie, is in the program, too!  What an amazing coincidence.  God must really want these two people to be together.

This book is the follow-up to Leaving Paradise, which I liked but had some problems with.  Take those problems and magnify them times what-the-heck-is-going-on-here, and you have this novel.  It was all just a little too convenient--Caleb just happens to run into Maggie in the program, he just happens to return to juvie, where he just happens to talk to his old cell mate, who just HAPPENS to have valuable words of wisdom, and on and on.  Furthermore, the story doesn't really have any sort of narrative arc--it feels like it hits the restart button several times, and doesn't have a climax at all.  Instead, it meanders episodically and little repetitively.

The main characters, Caleb and Maggie, were difficult for me to connect with and their voices weren't very distinct.  Elkeles' style is to have one chapter told from the heroine's perspective and one from the hero's, alternating through the whole book.  Usually the characters are each very unique and it's easy to tell them apart, but here I had to remind myself who was "talking" a few times.  The motivation behind their actions was never very clear, but it got worse in the second half.  For example, they are both super-understanding with their parents, who act insane; but when it comes to being tolerant and communicative with each other, Caleb and Maggie do a major fail whale.  But hey, if they actually talked, the book would be, what, fifty pages?

I did like the supporting characters in the novel, such as Lenny, Trish, and Julio; and in fact I wish that the book had been about them instead of Caleb and Maggie.  Even though it's called Return to Paradise, Caleb doesn't actually return to Paradise until the novel is over half-over!  By then I reeeeeally felt like the book should be wrapping up, not just starting to get to the point.

I also feel like Elkeles' novels are becoming a little formulaic (you're shocked by this development, I'm sure).  Caleb is essentially the same, doesn't-feel-like-he-can-do-any-good bad boy that we saw with Alex in Perfect Chemistry and Carlos in Rules of Attraction.  And the wet kissing scenes are getting to eye-roll level now--honestly, what if Spiderman kissed Mary Jane upside down in every. single. movie?  It would be ridiculous!

I'm not saying I'm giving up on Elkeles, but this book did not work for me.  It felt very manufactured and thrown together.  Hopefully that won't be the case with wet kissing scene number three--I mean, Chain Reaction.

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Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Leaving Paradise is a book about forgiveness and responsibility, but is also a Cinderella tale gone wrong.

A year ago, Caleb Becker confessed to hitting Maggie Armstrong's car while driving drunk.  In the wreck's aftermath, Caleb was sentenced to almost a year in juvenile detention and Maggie had to go through a year's worth of painful surgeries and physical therapy just to get out of a wheelchair and walking.  Now Caleb is back in his hometown of Paradise, expecting everything to be the same and to move on with his life.  But everything isn't the same--not for the people Caleb left behind when he was sentenced, and especially not for Maggie. 

Elkeles was admirably ambitious with this novel in terms of plot and storytelling.  You think you know what's going on at the beginning, but as the book progresses you realize you don't, and the actions of the characters start to make sense in a whole different way. 

Maggie at first seems like a whiner (not that I blame her; I've thrown pity parties over a lot less than she's had to go through), but as you learn more about her you realized that the accident has completely erased Maggie's self-identity.  Everything she thought was true and certain in the world and about herself has been turned on its head, and as a result she has no self-confidence.

Caleb, meanwhile, is an odd character.  He's a mix of bad boy and knight-in-shining armor, and it doesn't quite work.  In a way, Caleb and Maggie go through a role reversal during the course of this book--he starts off having all the confidence in the world, or at least appearing to, and then loses it and his emotional center, after which he decides to leave Paradise.  Maggie had no confidence and wants to get away from Paradise, but questions her motives for leaving and gains a sense of purpose.

I mentioned earlier that this book is a Cinderella tale gone wrong--there are definitely elements taken from the fairy tale, like the fairy godmother, the dress, the wicked stepsisters, and the magical ball.  But this isn't a retelling of the fairy tale by any means, and the novel seems to fight a little too deliberately against the happily ever after ending.

Overall, I thought Leaving Paradise was really good.  But the last 100 pages were a train wreck.  They were very choppy and rushed, and I lost all sense of Caleb's motivation.  It was as if after setting us up to believe that Caleb and Maggie could get together, Elkeles suddenly changed her mind and decided they couldn't and shouldn't.  But she didn't take the time to set us up for that, so it was difficult to follow.  There were also a bunch of plotlines just left hanging at the end, and it didn't feel like a whole book.

This is obviously an early book by Elkeles, but even though it faltered in the end execution, I still love the author's voice and feel invested in the characters.  Naturally, I'll be picking up the sequel to Leaving, and I can only hope the loose ends are wrapped up and the story is well-concluded then.

Side note:  I freaking love this cover.  Touch is a big deal in Leaving Paradise, and the cover is visually striking and captures that theme and the tension between Maggie and Caleb perfectly.

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Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

It's official:  Simone Elkeles is my new favorite author.

In Perfect Chemistry, we were introduced to Alex Fuentes (I won't tell you what his real first name is, since I know that will make you curse me for getting a certain song stuck in your head), who lived in the Chicago 'burbs with his mom and two brothers.  After the events in Perfect Chemistry, Alex's family moved to Mexico; but Carlos, the middle sibling, is getting into a lot of trouble, so his mom sends him off to live with Alex in The State of Boulder, where Alex is going to school.

Carlos isn't exactly happy about this (I wouldn't be, either), but there's a light beyond yonder teenage angst as he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Kiara, a student at Flatirons High who is assigned to show him around his first week of class.  After getting into more trouble, he convinces Kiara that they should pretend to be dating, for no logical reason that I could gather; but it's more like they're ACTUALLY dating, and P.S. he's living in Kiara's house with her parents and little brother, so that's kind of awkward.

I didn't like this book as much as Perfect Chemistry--the characters, especially Carlos, weren't as appealing as Alex and Brittany are; and the majority of the plot felt very unlikely, from the fact that Alex somehow affords his own apartment in Boulder (that mechanics job must pay a lot), to Kiara's dad turning out to be some kind of bad-ass.  But then I was probably biased by my aversion to Boulder.

That being said, I still really enjoyed it.  I stayed up until four in the morning reading after working all day, which doesn't happen to me that often.  Although Kiara and Carlos aren't as appealing as their collegiate counterparts, they are very well-drawn characters.  Carlos reminded me of my little brother so much and gave me a similar intense desire to shake some sense into him.  And while Carlos and Kiara don't have quite as much chemistry as Brit and Alex, a lot of their interactions were hilarious and simply fun to read.

And in case you were wondering, yes, the scene on the cover does happen in the book.

The ending is even more ridiculous than the ending of Perfect Chem, and is followed by a very disturbing epilogue that takes place twenty-six years later.  Twenty-six years!  I'll be ancient by then.  But then I started thinking--what if the epilogue takes place in the present?  Then the events of Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction would have taken place in the '80s, which quite frankly makes a lot more sense as far as gangs, affordable housing, and being able to use one's locker in public school is concerned.

In any case, I must now read all of Simone Elkeles' books, because they are seriously fun and entertaining and unputdownable.  I highly recommend her books, but wait until you've read Perfect Chemistry before you pick up Rules of Attraction.

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Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

I have to admit the only reason I picked up this book was because I thought the promotional video for it (or videomo, as some call it--the author's website is kick-ass, by the way) was cute.  That is a pretty lame reason to buy a book, but I don't care, because I freaking loved it!

Brittany is the captain of the cheerleading squad and the queen of the Fairfield High School.  Alex is a gang member and he frightens the shit out of everyone.  She met him at the candy stooooore--oh, wait, no she doesn't... sorry, I got distracted there for a moment.  They don't really having anything to do with one another, for obvious reasons, until they're partnered together in their chemistry class.  Despite the fact that they would seem to be total opposites, Alex and Brittany are actually a lot alike--they both never show the world who they really are and what they're thinking or feeling.  Until they meet each other, of course.  Then sparks fly, etc. etc.  But in Fairfield, there is a definite, one might say almost Westside Story-esque, divide between northsiders (Brittany) and southsiders (Alex).  Will Brit and Alex be able to bridge the social and culture differances that kept them apart before chemistry class?  Will they get an A on their chemistry project?  And will Alex graduate from high school without being arrested?  I just don't know!

First of all, I love books that have this kind of storyline.  As with any genre, the true enjoyment of the novel comes not from what the plot line is, but how the story plays out; and for me Perfect Chemistry played out perfectly.  For the most part it's just pure fun, with Brittany and Alex getting into battles of wills and wits and playing practical jokes on each other.  It's also serious when it needs to be, though.  Furthermore, I loved the characters:  Brittany at first does seem like a prissy little bitch, but she has likable qualities that come out in the course of the book.  Likewise, Alex acts like a total jack-ass when you first meet him in the book, but becomes likable as the story progresses.  In fact, Alex is an AWESOME character.  I really liked the fact that the reader's journey mirrors the characters' as they get to know one another.

For me, this was a perfect book about high school.  The only thing that was missing was the big dance/game at the end where everything happens.  But I didn't really miss it that much, so it was okay.  This book was great and awesome and enjoyable and you should read it.

And now for the Perfect Chemistry video blog!  Just because I need to get it out of my system:

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~Perfect~ Reads

Sometimes when the word perfect is in a book title, it's not being oversold.  For example:



Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Alex is teetering on the edge of being in a gang; Brittany is teetering on the edge of becoming a full-fledged Valley Girl (which would be quite an accomplishment, since they both live in a Chicago suburb).  Will these two crazy kids learn to get along?  I just don't know!

Actually, that little blurb doesn't do justice to this great book, which takes ye olde uptown-girl-meets-downtown-guy plot and revamps it with wonderful characters, completely believable setting, and great writing.  One of my favorite books of the year!



Just Perfect by Julie Ortolon

This contemporary romance is aptly named, as the romance is literally just perfect.  Christine, a doctor, goes to Aspen for ski lessons so she can overcome her fear of heights (the ski lift... I can sympathize).  Since she's willing to pay top dollar, she gets Alec, who is actually the head of Ski Patrol (re:  he's a VIP on the slopes).  They rescue a snow boarder, a pretty soon coco isn't the only thing that's hot in the ski lodge! (harrrr harrrrr)

Once again, this is a book with great characters--I absolutely LOVE Christine and how she seems very elegant and contained on the outside, but inside she's tough.  I also loved the emotional development of Alec and Christine through the novel, especially when Christine has to return to Texas at the end of her vacation and both she and Alec try to decide if their relationship is worth making major changes in their lives for.  A great read!



Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

All right, I haven't read this book yet.  But I read James' first book, Just the Sexiest Man Alive, and really enjoyed it.  So hopefully this one will be just as good, if not better.  Here's the summary from Booklist:

*Starred Review* After eight years of grueling yet friendly competition, both Payton and J. D. anticipate partnership at their prestigious Chicago law firm. But after putting aside their personal animosities and working together to sign an important account, they realize each is vulnerable to, and attracted by, the other. Unfortunately, their boss then announces that only one partner will be named this year from the litigation department, and suddenly the competition is very real—and not at all friendly. In her second novel, following Just the Sexiest Man Alive (2008), James presents a sophisticated contemporary romance set in legal circles, and proves that she is a master at conveying both courtroom and behind-the-scenes maneuvering. As her charmingly arrogant and ambitious characters spar endlessly and entertainingly, they inadvertently reveal their insecurities and personal foibles, while competing for high stakes in both business and love. --Lynne Welch

One Perfect Knight by Judith O'Brien

Like most of O'Brien's books, this one starts to unravel in the latter half; but the first half is so romantic it's difficult to care.  Advertizing exec Julie is a closet romantic.  One day she's helping with a kid's birthday party at a medieval-themed restaurant--the next thing she knows, she's in medieval times and being mistaken for a squire by a handsome knight.

But this isn't just any knight--oh, no, friendlies, this Sir Lancelot.  And y'all know how I love sexy Lancelot.  He takes her back to Camelot and we get to meet Arthur and Gueniviere, as well.  This book completely sucked me into this world and was blissfully romantic.  And seriously--it's Lancelot.  What's not to love?


Have you read any great books with "perfect" in the title?

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Simone Elkeles Author Interview

Simone Elkeles is an YA novelist and the author of Perfect Chemistry, which I read a few months ago and loved.  It's a contemporary twist on the downtown boy/uptown girl love story that feels completely fresh.  Alex (or Alejandro) and Brittany go to Fairfield High School, where the children of wealthy Chicago suburbanites mix with poorer Hispanic kids.  Through a twist of fate, Brittany and Alex are paired together in chemistry class and forced to work together.  Despite their initial anathema, the two quickly discover that chemicals aren't the only thing with chemistry. *wink wink* 



Anyway, really bad puns aside, this book was fun to read, had great characters, was very romantic, and also dealt with a lot of substantive issues like gangs, developmental disorders, and teenagers having sex (*gasp!*).  I can't say enough good things about it, so I thought for my first author interview, it would be great to talk to Simone Elkeles about Perfect Chemistry:

Hiedenkind: 

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedule to do an interview with me.  I read Perfect Chemistry in January and it is definitely going on my short list of favorite books of the year. 
 
Perfect Chemistry takes place in a North Chicago suburb, and it says in your bio that Fairfield is loosely based on a suburb near your hometown.  Were the class divides as sharp in your own high school as they are in Fairfield High?

Simone:

First of all, thank you for liking Perfect Chemistry so much!  I loved writing the book and the characters.
 
Unfortunately, my high school did not have a diverse population.  The school that I based Perfect Chemistry off of is Highland Park High School, which was our rival school.  In my opinion the class divides are pretty sharp there.  On one side of town there is a high Hispanic population, and on the other side is people living in mansions on Lake Michigan, but they all go to the same high school.

One of the secondary characters who is really memorable in the book is Mrs. Peterson, the chemistry teacher.  Did you base Mrs. Peterson on yourself?

Mrs. Peterson is partly me...I guess there's a little bit of me in every character I write.  Mrs. Peterson, actually, is a lot of teachers I had growing up...fun, but tough.  A few teachers I had really challenged me to be the best I can be (whether I hated it or not).

Secondly, Alex--he is undoubtedly my favorite character in the book.  He's so well-drawn and totally believable as a macho guy who’s more sensitive than he lets on.  Is it difficult for you to write from the male perspective?
 

Oddly enough, my male characters are so much easier to write than my female characters.  I have no clue why.  I didn't have any brothers growing up, but I was definitely a tomboy and hung out with my guy friends a lot.  My guy friends definitely treated me as "one of the guys" and I learned a lot from them. 

Changing tone a little bit, there are several scenes relating to gangs in the book, because Alex is a gang member.  In the acknowledgements, you thank a police officer for teaching you about gangs and challenging you while you wrote this book.  How did she challenge you?  Did you start writing the book with some assumptions about gangs that turned out not to be true?

The police officer I know worked in a very dangerous gang neighborhood at one point.  She saw horrific events and even got beat up by gang members. In her words, "No way could you convince me a gang member can be a hero of a book."  That challenged me not to take Alex's life or situation lightly.  Even though my book is total fiction, her words made me make Alex not all perfect (he carries a gun and gets in fights, and even collects money for drugs...NOT heroic things) and I definitely didn't want to glamorize gangs.  It's a tough world out there, especially for teens in gangs.  I knew that, but maybe in my first draft I didn't portray it as such.

That's interesting.  I think the gang side of Alex's life is definitely not glamorized, partly because he's so conflicted about what he's doing.  Do you think that's what Alex and Brittany have in common--that they're pulled in two different directions?

I think teens are conflicted and trying to be who their parents want them to be, who their friends want them to be, and who they want to be. I want to show how two totally different teens are actually so similar.

Some questions about writing… first, how much do you know about the characters and plot of your book before you sit down to write it?  Does it come to you as you go along, or is everything pretty much fleshed out in your mind before hand?

When I sit down to write, I have a vague idea what the book is about and then I just start writing. It's exciting because I have no clue what happens before I write it.

Second, I get the sense that you do a lot of research for your novels.  Do you think there’s ever such a thing as too much research?  Is there some sort of line that you wouldn’t cross in the name of research?  I know you went to a jail for one of your earlier books, Leaving Paradise.

I do just enough research for my books that I think I need to make my story seem authentic. I wasn't about to live or hang with gangs, though.

Okay, now for some just-for-fun questions.  You've said several times that you're a fan of the Twilight series.  Are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob?  Have you thought about writing a paranormal novel?

I have to be honest and say I'm a Twilight fan, but I'm not a fan of the entire series.  I loved the forbidden love story in Twilight, but I wasn't a fan of the love triangle aspect to it which pretty much dominated the last three books in the series.  In my eyes, once you know who your true love is, that's it...you'll do anything to be with that person and nobody else should be an option.  That's just me.  So I'm definitely an Edward fan all the way (although if I watch the movie New Moon, I have a feeling I might become a Jacob fan.  I have a feeling that Taylor can change Edward fans into Jacob fans...only time will tell.)
 
I would love to write a paranormal novel, but I'm just not sure I can pull it off.  I might try it one day, but it's not in my near future plans.  I do have a time travel idea I'd like to write.

Okay, one last question.  You've been to Israel several times, and the books of your How to... series are set there.  Do you have any favorite foods or drinks that you like to have when you're there?  Or favorite places you like to visit?

I love the dessert Crembo - it's like a marshmellow with a cookie bottom dipped in a hard chocolate shell.  Since it melted, they only have it in winter in Israel.  My husband and I like it so much, we named our dog Crembo.  People have no clue what we're saying, they think our dog's name is "Crumble" and I tell them, "It's like Creme Brule, but Crem-bo" instead.    
 
You can't beat the pita in Israel...it's chewy and has just the right fluffiness (I made up that word).  And if you ever go to a falafel stand, they shove these specialty salads (not lettuce...other types of veggie salads) in the pita along with the falafel, and it's amazing!  I have to say their spaghetti is really weird - it has a hole in the middle like a straw.  Not my fave. 
 
I love to visit the Golan Heights, and Masada, and the Dead Sea.  I haven't been to Jerusalem in a while, but I remember being awed by the history at the Wailing (Western) Wall the last time I was there.

Thank you again so much for taking the time for this interview, Simone.  It was great for me to ask you questions about Perfect Chemistry.  Is there anything you want to add about your current or upcoming projects?

I just want my fans to know that the sequel to Perfect Chemistry will be coming out spring, 2010. It will be about Carlos - Alex's brother.  And I'm excited for How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation to come out in November.  I love hearing from fans, so if you like any one of my books email me off my website at www.simoneelkeles.com.
 
Thanks so much!

Thank you, Simone, for going out of your way to do an interview with me!  Check out the promotional video from Perfect Chemistry and keep an eye out for Simone's next book.

Check out Perfect Chemistry at Amazon

Check out Leaving Paradise at Amazon

Look at How to Ruin a Summer Vacation on Amazon

How to Ruin My Teenage Life on Amazon

Simone's next release, How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation, on Amazon

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Bloggiesta Wrap Up

The Bloggiesta, hosted by Natasha at Maw Books, is officially over!  To refresh your (and my) memory, here were my goals for the 48-hour blogfest:

• Catch up on the posts I have ideas for.  Done!  I wrote and posted one of my to-do entries on my personal blog (e-mail me if you want the link).
  
• Do my first author interview!  Done!  My interview with Simone Elkeles is finished and will publishes here soon.
  
• Try to make my blogspot site look nicer than it does now.  I made some changes to blogspot; not sure if it looks that much better, though.
  
• Write up reviews.  I wrote two reviews.
  
• Try to figure out who I'm following on twitter that I'm not following on GR, and vice versa.  This did not get done.
  
• Do an update for my blog challenges.  I wrote one challenge update.
  
• I might get adventurous and experiment with doing a vlog entry, but we'll have to see how it goes.  Nope, didn't happen.
  

I clocked in over 27 hours of blogging during the Bloggiesta.  During that time, I wrote a total of six posts (seven including this one) and completed 9 mini-challenges (I only half-completed 3 mini-challenges, for various reasons).  Here are the ones I managed to completely finish:

• Emily from Emily’s Reading Room - Are you talking about me?
• Deborah from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food - You have a blog?  So tell me about it.
• Lynn from Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile - Get listed.
• Jen from Devourer of Books - Wow. I wrote that when?  Let’s update.
• Amy from My Friend Amy - I need a friend.
• Michelle from GalleySmith - Anchor text.  You mean there’s a way this *should* be done?
• Andrea from Book Blather - Authorities?  What authorities?
• Ruth from Bookish Ruth - You’re going to analyze what?

Hmm, that's actually only eight, but I'm too tired to figure out where and why my counting is off at this point.  Anyway, the mini-challenges were great!  They were all about improving your blog, blog traffic, and connecting with other bloggers.  My favorite was probably Book Blather's challenge about reading blogging tips.  I not only learned about, but got an idea for a post!  I wanted to do all the challenges, but I simply ran out of time.

Overall the Bloggiesta was successful for me.  I didn't get everything done that I wanted to--there are still reviews to do, reading challenges to update, etc.--but I think I did pretty well overall.  Plus, it was just plain fun!  I loved learning from and talking with the bloggers who were part the challenge.  Thank you everyone for helping, chatting, and talking about ice cream. :)

And huge kudos and thanks to Natasha at Maw Books for hosting this challenge!  It was great experience and I can't wait for the next Bloggiesta!  If you get the chance, definitely join in.

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Book Zombie Quiz

Another reading meme from The Book Zombie:

1. What author do you own the most books by?
Well, I'm not going to count them.  But off the top of my head I'd say Christina Dodd and Lisa Kleypas, since I tend to read them obsessively and they've both written a lot of books.

2. What book do you own the most copies of?
I own three copies of Treasure Island.  Why, you ask?  I really have no idea.  I like the book, but I don't like it that much.  I also own 3 versions of the story on DVD.

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
The first one didn't bother me, but the second one really did.  That might be because I've just spent the last 5 hours grading essays, though.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Haha, I have to pick one?  Hmm, Mr. Darcy is probably number one in my heart.  But there are really so many choices....

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?
Wellllll, I don't know.  It comes down to The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart, Here Comes the Sun by Emilie Loring, and The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith.  The one that I've read the most of all of those is probably Here Comes the Sun, since I've read it at least once a year since I was 7.  That book is crazy, y'all (not really).

6. What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
I loved this book called The Ghost Wore Grey by Bruce Coville when I was younger (I've always had a thing for stories involving the supernatural).  It was about a ghost from the Civil War who recruits two pre-teen girls to help him do... something.  It had this great line in it:  "What a hunk!  Too bad he's dead."

7. What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
There are so many to choose from.  Probably Dark Thirst by Sara Reinke.  That was book was terrible.

8. What is the best book you've read in the past year?
Year as in since January?  Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles has probably been my personal favorite so far.

9. If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Lord, I don't know.  In all honesty, I'd probably make them read Giorgio de Chirico's Hebdomeros, because I'm evil like that, and because I could use it to create my de Chirico zombie army.  Alternative reading assignment would Nadja by André Breton.

10. Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
When I start reading "literature," I'll let you know.

11. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Well, I'm reading Drood right now, and I think it would make a great movie!  But you never know with that.  I used to really wish The Vampire Diaries would be made into a TV show (head writer would be Joss Whedon, natch), and now they ARE making it into a TV series, and I'm completely convinced they're going to fuck it up.  I heard the other day that they're changing Stephen and Damon's last names from Salvatore to Witcombe, or something really dumb like that.  WTH?  Stephen and Damon are from Italy, why would you mess with that (very important, trust me) part of the plot unless you're a total d-bag?!?!  Anywayyyy, /rant.  People are trampling on my childhood memories yet again. *grumble grumble*

12. What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Ha, just about any romance novel.  I really don't want to see most of that stuff on-screen.

13. Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
No idea.  I can't remember stuff like that (at least, nothing's springing to mind at the moment), although I have dreamed about Giorgio de Chirico, who is technically a writer.

14. What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Um, just about every book I pick up is considered "lowbrow" by some person.

15. What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
Difficult how?  I'd have to say trying to read Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire in the original French was pretty damn difficult.  I'm amazed I survived that semester, in all honesty.

16. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
I've never read anything by a Russian author, so I guess the French win by default.  Yay for them.

17. Roth or Updike?
I'd rather gouge my eyes out than read Updike again.  As for Roth, I honestly have no idea who that is, unless you're talking about the lead singer for Van Halen.

18. David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
I've heard of David Sedaris.  I think I might have read one of his books.  So I'm going to vote... Sedaris.

19. Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare FTW.

20. Austen or Eliot?
Austen, duh.

21. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I still have not read Tolkien.  And I have to admit I haven't read the entire Austen catalog, either.  I know; I feel bad about it.

22. What is your favorite novel?
Jane Eyre is my favorite novel of all time.

23. Play?
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen--that play is amazingly good, full of drama and yet very insightful about gender roles and the way the sexes interact.  And the female lead has a great last scene.

24. Short story?
Don't have one.

25. Epic Poem?
Oh, yes, what is my favorite epic poem???  Well, I would say Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Byron, but I never actually finished it.  Or The Odyssey, except I never actually read it, just watched the miniseries.  Or The Epic of Gilgamesh, except I have also not read that.  So I suppose one can conclude from this that I don't read epic poems.

26. Short(er) poem?

Strephon kissed me in the spring,

     Robin in the fall,

But Colin only looked at me

     And never kissed at all.

Strephon's kiss was lost in jest,

     Robin's lost in play,

But the kiss in Colin's eyes

     Haunts me night and day.

--Sara Teasdale, "The Look"

27. Work of non-fiction?
Hmm, I only read non-fiction for work.  I don't really have a favorite, since I don't read it for enjoyment.

28. Who is your favorite writer?
I really couldn't say.  I hate just about anyone's writing if I'm not in the mood for it.  LOL  Probably LJ Smith if I had to pick one writer.

29. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
This question is funny to me, because I don't think there are many contemporary writers who are "rated" (by whom?) at the same level as Charles Dickens was in his lifetime--just to use an example.  I think Nora Roberts is really overrated, if you want to know the truth.  I have never seen the appeal of her books.

30. What is your desert island book?
Taking just one book to a desert island would be a torturous decision.  No matter what it was, I would get really tired of it.  I guess I'd pick Robinson Crusoe, because if you're ever going to connect with a guy who's stranded on a deserted island, it'd be then, amirite?

31. And ... what are you reading right now?
Drood by Dan Simmons

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