My Muscles Are Sore from All the Cringing While Reading the Mortal Instruments Series...HELP!

Okay people....tell me what to do.  So I borrowed The Mortal Instruments Series from my sister.  I burned through City of Bones in like a day (Yeah....I know I'm late to the party....by like a lot,  I know its unforgivable for a book blogger but get over it and keep reading!).  I burned through the first half of City of Ashes in about another day.  Then I stopped.  It just got too creepy.  I'm at a point where I want a spoiler.  Jace and Clary's relationship is so icky to me it is ruining the books.  Please tell me in the comments if I should keep reading or bail.  

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

If Jace and Clary are really brother and sister, I seriously don't want to read anymore, its just too gross.  So hit the comments and tell me if I should keep going.  My muscles are super sores from cringing through the reading.....please spoil it for me!!!

***IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE SERIES, THE COMMENTS ARE GOING TO BE FULL OF SPOILERS.....YE BE WARNED!***

Bookish Besties: Which Character Got You Through Your Awkward Years?

Y'all know how I like to keep things fun and light around here on The Book Buff, but I'm about to change pace for a moment and get all deep and sentimental up in this piece.  

^^^^actual depiction of what I looked like writing this post^^^^

I remember as a kid I preferred my book friends to real friends.  It's true, and I know it's true for many of you.  Your book friends were there whenever you needed them and didn't care if you were an awkward preteen suffering through the agony that is puberty.  You didn't ever have to think of anything clever to say to impress them, and it didn't matter if your face had broken out terribly that day.  You could still be a co adventurer, a co conspirator or co whatever was happening in the story.  I know this may sound dumb to some people, but not to the people who get it, and those are the people I'm talking to.  I remember growing up and not understanding why I didn't quite fit in.  I wasn't a horrible outsider, but I wasn't an insider either, and that weird in between-ness was a terrible place to be.  I could always find solace in my books, the books themselves were my friends and the characters were my soul mates.  I think this connection early on in my life is why characters are so important to me now when I review a book.  

We all had characters that we connected with more than others.  These are our bookish besties.  Here are the ones I've had throughout my life....

First off are the girls in the series that introduced me to my life long love of history, The American Girls Collection.  These books really taught 6 year old me that people in the history books really were people with hopes, dreams and feelings.  I remember crying my eyes out while reading a book about Addy, one of their featured girls, who was a slave.  There was a scene where she had to eat slugs she missed while tending to the tobacco, and a scene where her brother was sold off to another plantation, these scenes taught me so much about compassion.  The books weren't perfect, but they taught me so much.  I felt like these girls were my own little historical clique.  Yes, I was a nerd from the very beginning.  So here were my bookish besties from my early childhood:

Kirsten Larson

Molly McIntyre

 

Felicity Merriman

Samantha Parkington

 

Addy Walker

Next up in my list of literary BFFs was the lovely little Lucy Pevensie from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 

Next came Hermione Granger (you know I had to fit a HP reference in here somewhere)  This girl had frizzy hair and was too smart for her own good sometimes, which described me to a tee at that age.

Next on the list is the always popular, Elizabeth Bennett.  Who doesn't love miss sassy pants Lizzie?

So that's it, that is my list.  

Who was/is your bookish bestie?

Memes Memes Memes: A Very Potter Halloween!

I'm not really into the scary aspect of Halloween.  I don't like horror movies, I don't like Haunted Houses and I don't like gory makeup.  Buuuuuut I do love the fun aspect of Halloween.  I love the trick or treating, the hordes and hordes of costumed children and best of all, all the Harry Potter marathons on TV!  Y'all know me and my Harry Potter, I can't resist sharing when I find something fun.  So in honor of my favorite witches and wizards on this Halloween day, check out the Best Harry Potter Tastes from a very funny website, Taste of Awesome...

 

 

 

 

 

My apologies to all the Twihards, I'm not really a Twilight hater (but definitely not a lover either!) but you have to admit these are funny :)

Which one was your favorite?

Happy Halloween, be safe and have fun!

Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Okay people.  I'm going to be totally honest right now.  Some of my defining characteristics are as follows:  procrastinator and forgetful.  A deadly duo.  Much to the chagrin of my ever-so-patient-with-me husband, I often procrastinate things until I forget about them entirely.  My whole life is plagued by forgetting everything, but only remembering things when I can't do anything about it.  You know, remembering you need to mail a letter when you are in the shower, but forget about it the second you wrap yourself in that lovely, fluffy, just out of the warm dryer, towel.  Story of my stinking life.  Anyway, my brother-in-law Bryce, who, I might add, is the biggest pain in the butt ever :) has been hassling me to read this book FOREVER!  When I didn't read it and didn't read it, he wrote a review for my blog.  What do you think happened to that review?  It sat in my inbox forever.  And ever.  And ever.  So here is the awesome review, written by my awesome brother-in-law, who I know loves me, no matter how much he'd deny it!

The Name of the Wind

by Patrick Rothfuss

"My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as "quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to. The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree.

"The Flame" is obvious if you've ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire.

"The Thunder" I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age.

I've never thought of "The Broken Tree" as very significant. Although in retrospect, I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic.

My first mentor called me E'lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.

But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant "to know."

I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of Kvothe—from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin. But The Name of the Wind is so much more—for the story it tells reveals the truth behind Kvothe's legend."

Bryce's Take:

          I need to preface this review by saying that I have given The Book Buff a hard time since I finished this book. I’ve been asking her every single day (Or having my brother / her husband ask) if she has had a chance to start reading this book. She is reading so much right now that she hasn’t been able to fit this book into her schedule yet. I decided I’d help her out by writing a review since I’ve read it already. So here we go!

             I’m sure we have all read books where the hero saves the day. I’m sure that at the end of some of these books you have asked yourself what the hero does next. What happens to him/her? Does he get married? Does he live happily ever after? Does he get a disease and pass away a year later?

                This book is unique in that you learn the answers to those questions in the first few chapters. You know how the hero of the story ends up. What you don’t know is how he got to that point. People in the world sing songs about him. They tell outrageous stories him. Only the hero however knows the truth. This book is his accounting of what really happened.

                 The first time I saw the book I was discouraged. It was almost 800 pages long! Luckily I didn’t let that deter me, because I enjoyed every page. I am sure some readers would find portions of the book cliché. A large portion of the book has the hero learning magic at a University. Now before you scream “Hogwarts!” understand that this is where the similarities end. There are no elves that clean. There are no ghosts playing pranks on people. There are no broom sticks that fly. There are no magic wands. In fact, the book takes a unique, almost scientific approach to magic.

          The main character was so well written that at times I became extremely annoyed by him. I know that sounds like criticism, but let me explain why I felt that way. At times the character would make stupid decisions. I would ask myself why this guy was making these decisions when he should know better. I had to remember that even though he was a hero later in life, he was also once just a teenager, and it was these teenage years I was reading about.

            Violence:  There are a couple of scenes that I can imagine would be absolutely grotesque on screen, but luckily the book does not go into detail. Most of the violence is your run of the mill schoolyard fare. There are a few portions that are worse than that.

             Sex: Sex is alluded to, but it is never described in the book as actually taking place. An example would be parents telling their child to take a walk while they “worked some things out.” It doesn’t get worse than that.

                Language: To be honest I don’t remember any really offensive language. There are a few words here and there, but it never feels forced.  One of the advantages authors have in creating their own world is that they can come up with their own forms profane saying or customs. There is some of that here.

                In conclusion, this book really impressed me. The author was able to get just the right mix of action, romance, comedy, and tragedy into the book without making it feel forced. I loved it so much that I picked up the second book (which is even longer!) when it came out last month. I’d give this book a 1 – Pay Full Price.

 If the book were a movie I’d say it would be PG-13. There are some adult situations, allusions to sex, violence, as well as some drug references.

 

 

Author Interview: Cathy Bryant, In Which We Discuss Literary Yenta, Wardrobe Malfunctions and Discombobulation

If you are a reader of Christian Fiction, or Christian Romance, and you don't know who Cathy Bryant is.....well, I'm here to fix that.  She is awesome!  I love her books!  I'm not generally the biggest fan of Christian Fiction, it often feels preachy.  Not Cathy!  Her books are funny, full of rich and real character you root for and just all around good.  You can see my review for her 1st book in the Miller's Creek Series, Texas Roads here,

and my review for the 2nd, A Path Less Traveled, here.

 As you can see, A Path Less Traveled even received my coveted highest rating--Pay Full Price!  Okay, so maybe it isn't all that coveted, but I don't hand it out to just anyone!

So, on to the point of this post, I am lucky enough to be receiving her newest book The Way of Grace

From Cathy's website: 

  

    In pursuit of justice, in need of grace . . .

A justice-seeking perfectionist pursues her dream of a perfect life in her hometown of Miller’s Creek, Texas. Sidetracked by a desire to be a prosecuting attorney, Grace Soldano launches into uncharted waters, making herself over to please her boss and mentor. Then a disheveled free spirit turns her perfectly ordered world upside down, challenging her concept of personal goodness. A fall from perfection leaves Grace teetering between vengeance and grace, caught in a deadly crossfire that leaves her dreams in a heap of ashes. Can she learn to joyfully accept the life God has given her–far from perfect–but one completely immersed in His grace?

 

Until I get that review up and running, here is a little bio and interview to hold you over with the lovely (and funny!) Cathy Bryant:

 

Cathy Bryant is the author of the Miller’s Creek Novels—Texas Roads, A Path Less Traveled, and The Way of Grace. Her desire is to write heart-stirring stories about God’s life-changing grace. Though Texas-born, she currently resides in the beautiful Ozark mountains of northwest Arkansas with her husband of thirty years and near the world’s cutest grandson. You can learn more about her and her books at http://www.CatBryant.com and http://WordVessel.blogspot.com.

The Book Buff:  First things first, you are here to talk about your newest book, The Way of Grace, so talk about it!

Cathy Bryant: The book tells the story of a justice-seeking perfectionist by the name of Gracie Soldano. Like most people in their twenties, she has this plan of how her life is gonna turn out--the perfect man, the perfect job, the perfect kids, the perfect house, etc. Then a disheveled free-spirit, Matt Tyler, messes with her plan and confronts her concept of personal goodness. A fall from perfection leaves her devastated, and she teeters between vengeance and grace. She finally decides on grace, but is caught in a deadly crossfire that makes perfection impossible. Hopefully, she'll come to the place where she joyfully accepts that her life will never be perfect, but as His follower, it will always be immersed in God's grace.

TBB: I love the title, mostly because my oldest daughter's name is Grace :)  How did you come up with the title, and without divulging any juicy spoilers, tell us about the significance?

CB: Love the name Grace! All of the Miller's Creek titles reference a journey--Texas ROADS, A PATH Less Traveled--so I knew I wanted something in the title that stayed true to the other titles. Hence The WAY of Grace. The title is a play on words. On a minor level it's the way of the main character--her journey. But on a much more significant level, it's the way of God's grace and how it operates in and around us every minute of every day.

TBB: I’ve been writing a book over the years (who isn’t these days?) and I have bounced around from title to title.  I know most writers do this.  What are some alternative titles you considered for some of your books before setting on the ultimate titles?

CB: Texas Roads was originally "This Road Leads Home," since the spiritual thread of the story deals with finding home. An agent suggested the alternate title. He also suggested the name Texas Path for the second book, but I kept it as A Path Less Traveled as a tribute to the fact that following Christ IS the path less traveled. (I've always loved the Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" as a great metaphor of the Christian life.)

TBB:  I’m all about playing Yenta the Matchmaker and marrying off some of my favorite characters to other completely random and unrelated characters in my mind.  I’m weird. This I know.  Now, I’d like to drag you into my weirdness.  If you could marry one of your characters off to any other literary character, who would it be?

CB: Great question! (Made me stop and think...) I think I'd marry one of my secondary characters, Coot--a loud, brash guy with suspenders to match--off to a really strong female character like Anne of Green Gables or Jo March. They'd put him in his place pretty quickly! =)

TBB: Yes!  Nothing better than a strong female putting that man in his place if need be J  My favorite woman like that is the classic Ms. Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice (My book BFF).  I love the scene where she turns down Darcy’s first proposal.   Though how you could turn down Colin Firth is beyond me…..

He is WORKIN' those mutton chops! I digress, back to the interview.  I’m curious, what made you choose Christian romance as your genre du jour?

CB: First of all, I felt like it was my greatest chance to make an impact. Second of all, I'm a romantic at heart. I like love stories and happy endings. And if you think about it, isn't that the story of all stories? A love story with a happy ending is the story of Christ and His church! =)

TBB: What do you love most about being an author?

CB: Going to work in my pajamas ranks pretty high! =) But honestly, the biggest advantage to me is the opportunity to share Christ through my writing.

TBB:  I’m not going to lie, one of my favorite things about being a stay at home mom is being able to be in my jammies.  Anyway, what inspired you to write in the first place?  How’s that for a loaded question…

CB: Hmmm, how long do you have? (I'll try to keep it short...) My love of reading and story (all the way back to when I first started reading in the Stone Age) made me want to write, and I've written in some form or another almost as long as I've been reading. Believe it or not, in person I'm fairly shy and timid and often have difficulty expressing myself. Writing allows me that expression in a way that's far more natural for me. Other writers have also inspired me. When I read Francine River's Redeeming Love, I boo-hooed. (Not just a romanticized single tear inching down my cheek, but what I call the "Ugly Cry." Trust me, you don't want me to describe it...) I was reminded through that story that God's love for us is greater than our spiritual adultery. I hope to touch reader's with God's grace in that same way. And then finally, I went through a time in my life when several life events, including health issues and the deaths of people I loved, that made me realize none of us are guaranteed another breath. Life is fleeting. If I wanted to write stories for Him I needed to get started. So I did.

TBB: Time for the personal aspect of the interview…awkwardness is most welcome…What interview question do you absolutely hate getting?  Be honest now…

CB: Ugh! The dreaded "tell us about yourself!" My first thought is: "Really? Are you sure you wanna know?" And the second thought (thanks to my overactive writer's imagination and paranoia) is: "Hmmmm, why do you wanna know?"=)

TBB:  You don’t need to know why I want to know….it definitely isn’t for anything weird….as far as you know…*quickly changes the subject* We all have literary pet peeves, what drives you crazy when reading a book?

CB: Rambling dialogue that seems to serve no purpose to the story and mind-numbing descriptive passages. My eyes skim over both. Unfortunately, I’m probably guilty on both counts... 

TBB: Fo sho.  That crap drives me crazy too!  Continuing on with this negative line of questioning…What do you hate with a fiery passion about the writing process?

CB: The countless hours staring at a computer screen and my numb derriere. (Sorry…you did ask…)

TBB:  Fair enough, I did ask.  Here’s another question, what advice would you give to any aspiring authors?

CB: Run!!! (j/k) Study the craft of writing. Read, read, read. Write, write, write…

TBB:  Soooooo, this is awkward but….Tell us about yourself.

CB: *spewing coffee through my nose* (Guess I should’ve read through these questions before answering…) Yeah, um, I’m a Christ-follower, wife, mother, Nana, teacher, musician and writer who enjoys home improvement projects, gardening, hiking, canoeing, spending time with my family, and analyzing human behavior, either in real life or through reality TV. (Don’t be scared…)

TBB: Gotta ask-what is your most embarrassing moment?

CB: Another one of my favorite questions! :/ Well, it could be the time I did a belly-flop in a swimming pool, not realizing that the water had pushed my swimsuit top up around my neck. (Again, you did ask…)

TBB:  Whaaaaa?????  You call that embarrassing?  I call that a shining moment of blazing glory! What is your least favorite book of all time?

CB: It’s not so much a least favorite book as it is genres. Don’t like steamy fiction (blech!) or vampire/werewolf/zombie fiction (*nose wrinkle*).

TBB: Word association time; just type the first thing that comes to your head when you read the following words...

Discombobulate – Honestly, I thought of “Off with their heads!” from Alice in Wonderland, but after further googling found that it actually to means to confuse. (Thanks for discombobulating me!)
Scuttlebutt – Rumors! (Hey, I’ve spent most of my life in small town Texas, the mass producers of scuttlebutt and cow manure…)
Bumfuzzle – Discombobulate.
Diphthong – A dunce’s underwear? ;) (*TBB’s turn to spew liquid forth from her nose*)
Effluvium – Dead skunk in the middle of the road.

TBB:  I live in rural Idaho, so that definition of Effluvium might actually be useful to me…Last question!  Free for all time-tell me anything you want!

CB: Then let me say how thoroughly I enjoyed this interview! The most laughs I’ve had in a long time! Thank you!

TBB:  Thank you so much for taking the time out to connect with the readers on this blog.  I love your books and I can’t wait to get my hands on The Way of Grace!  *Runs out to check the mail, despite being barefoot in 30 degree weather, comes back to dejectedly finish the post empty handed*

Be on the lookout for my review coming in the next few weeks which will also contain the magic word.....GIVEAWAY! Also, Cathy will be a guest blogger here on The Book Buff on October 24th, so be there or be square :)

If you want to get this book before the review is out...click here for the paperback, here for the Kindle, and here for other e-book editions.