IN WHICH The Girl Hides from Ghosts

Happy Halloween everyone! Many people would see Halloween as the time to break into the horror movies. I, however, have never been able to deal with scary movies. The stress is just too much for me. I also jump out of my chair whenever something pops out of nowhere, even when I know it's coming. What's a girl to do in October then?

Since I actually do love supernatural and science fiction stories with suspense and a little bit (but not too much) scare, I watch those instead of Saw. I've spent the last couple weeks catching up on a large variety of both good and bad shows about not-too-frightening things that go bump in the night.

I re-watched the 7th season of Buffy, which instead of making me hide under my covers is like a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold night. I know not everyone thinks highly of Buffy's final season, but I actually like it a lot. I will say that "Conversations with Dead People" does still gives me the heebie jeebies though, so that's a good episode for Halloween watching.

Next was part of The Secret Circle. I will admit that this show is awful and it only got one season on the CW. But it's about a circle of teen witches and demon possessions, so it works for Halloween.

Yesterday, I went with part of the first season of the British teen show, Wolfblood. Despite it's ridiculousness, I kind of love this series about a family of wolfbloods - similar to werewolves - living in this tiny village in Britain. It's the type of show that would be on ABC Family in America, but it's hilarious and cute. I made my friend watch a few episodes though, and she totally judged me for my life choices.

I did finally go outside of the teenland to watch Fringe today as well. Fringe is one of my favorites, but it's been awhile since I went back and watched the beginning. I forgot how gross some of the cases they investigate are, which does actually work well for Halloween. I think what's most frightening about Fringe, at least at the beginning before it gets super crazy, is that the idea of some crazy scientists doing all sorts of experiments for the military back in the 70s that are now reeking havoc on the world is just slightly plausible. I also enjoy the highly evolving mythology of the show, and I'm a sucker for anything with parallel universes. Plus, Joshua Jackson. And the amazing antics of John Noble's character, Walter.

What do you watch for Halloween?

Anyways, now I need to go put on my utterly not scary costume of Madeline, the little French girl from the children's books.

IN WHICH The Girl Paints Tom Sawyer's Fence

So, let's just assume that anytime I say I will do something soon, it will be at least three weeks. I keep my promises though, and I promised some details on my trip through Mark Twain's boyhood home.

Mark Twain's Boyhood Home: National Historic Landmark

Over the summer, I borrowed a car from my parents to use for work. I haven't actually had a car since high school due to my city living. As summer came to a close, it was time to return the vehicle to Kansas City. As one of my best friends had recently moved back to KC from Chicago, a couple people decided to join in my trip and visit her as well. Road trip buddies!

We weren't able to leave Chicago until the evening, so we needed to stop somewhere along the way. After stopping for a late night dinner in Springfield at a very interesting Italian restaurant/cocktail bar that was still serving food at 11 PM on a Thursday and had a variety of dog pictures and statues, we continued on for a couple more hours to Hannibal, Missouri.

Now, I have made this drive before and remembered that Hannibal was interesting in some way, but in my head it was the town from Gone Girl. Wrong - apparently that was just a made up Missouri town. However, I then discovered it was Mark Twain's boyhood home. Way better!

Mark Twain's Home and the Famous Fence

We wanted to get on the road at a decent time the next morning, but we took an hour to tour Hannibal. Like any small town with a main attraction, most everything in the downtown area relates to Mark Twain. It's cheesy but adorable. Unfortunately, it was too early to do any of the activities, but they have a Mark Twain museum, gift stores, a paddle boat tour, the house itself, a diner, and much more. I'm sure it would be fun to spend more time there.

The Mississippi River

We did walk up to a look out point over the Mississippi river, and after passing it a few times, figured out exactly which house was Mark Twain's It was obvious; we were just oblivious. They even have this very disturbing life size Mark Twain in one of the upper windows. Guess what: there is actually a white picket fence outside! Sadly, I did not actually paint the fence, though I'm fairly sure I read that this is an option. Tom Sawyer's house is based off this home. Apparently there is also a Huck Finn house, where the boy Huckleberry Finn is based off lived, but we missed that. We did, however, see the home of the girl who inspired Becky Thatcher. Overall, it was a fun look into the settings of some classic American literature. Maybe my next pass through Hannibal will be during business hours, and I'll check out the museums.

Mark Twain Wax Museum

See the Creepy Twain Statue

Mark Twain Dinette

We followed all this cultural interest up by eating massive amounts of BBQ in Kansas City.

Burnt Ends Baby

Oddly enough, right after I got back, there was a huge box of free Mark Twain novels at school. I picked up copies of Tom Sawyer for each of my traveling companions.

IN WHICH The Girl Goes Down with the Ship

Bad blogger, bad blogger! It's been a busy month including moving, traveling, and the start of school. In those travels, I did visit Mark Twain's boyhood home, which I plan to come back and write more about later this week. Here's a picture to get you excited!

Not excited? We can no longer be friends.

The other thing that has taken over my life this week has been the Queen of Shadows release. This book is destroying me. Sarah J. Maas's fourth book in the Throne of Glass series was released on Tuesday. As a serious fan of the books, I re-read the previous two installments in the last few weeks, and then started to take on Queen of Shadows on Tuesday night. After getting about 100 pages in, feeling very frustrated by one character, and realizing I couldn't possibly get through the nearly 700 page book if I ever wanted to sleep, I started skimming ahead. I know, I know, bad reading technique. Granted this skim to the end still took me until four in the morning, which left me with just a couple hours of sleep before tutoring at eight AM. 

Now, I'm going back and re-reading in depth. I have so many many feels - some good and some bad - in reaction to the book right now. I'm seriously thinking about it non-stop and have gotten lost in a scary land of Goodreads and blogger reviews. I need to find my way back to the real world. But first I need to finish the book. Once I do, I may write something that actually makes sense. 

Go read the book too! I seriously need discussion buddies.

By the way, if I were to get drunk right now, I would totally think I was a badass assassin trying to take down a king. It would probably be entertaining and embarrassing. Those that know me understand I can get a little too involved in fictional worlds and that seeps out when I'm drinking. I've tried to investigate murders and make meetings at the White House. I swear I don't take drugs.

IN WHICH The Girl Lists Things

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. I'm double parking on this one. The list I really want to do - top ten books I've read so far in 2015 - is actually from a couple weeks ago. I'll throw in today's question - last ten books to come into my possession - as well.

Best Books of 2015 Part I

My Goodreads goal for 2015 has jumped up to 150, and I'm nearly halfway through (just one book off). Even though I've read 74 books this year, I still get stressed when Goodreads tells me I'm 5 books behind schedule. Stop pressuring me! Here are my favorites in the first half of the year. I had an incredibly hard time narrowing it down and can hear the runners-up yelling, "Why didn't you choose me???" in my head.

The Literary

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This book will creep into your mind and never let go (see what I did there?). It's like watching a car crash; you just can't look away. I think my eyes were wide open in fascinated horror throughout the whole book, which I read in almost one sitting. The less you know about the book going in, the better, so I won't give anything away. My favorite so far.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. As one of the bestselling books in the last couple years, this one isn't much of a surprise. However, critics and regular old readers have hotly debated its merit. I really enjoyed it. Many people have called it Dickensian for good reason. It's a sprawling coming-of-age tale that despite its length (all 800 pages) actually left me wishing I had more details about the missing moments of Theo's life. And boy does it have some entertaining minor characters with great names: Pippa, Welty, Toddy, Hobie, and Boris.

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. I have mixed feelings about Atwood's work, but I liked this little book a lot. We all know Penelope faithfully waiting for Odysseus, but she's got her own tale here that she is more than willing to provide from beyond the grave. It's a weird combination of styles, everything from memoir to chorus song to play, and deeply feminist. But Atwood's got a biting wit here that pulls me in.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. I read this once before, but it was over ten years ago, and all I remembered was that putting salt on your food while at a dinner party deeply insults the host. Tan provides multiple perspectives on the mother-daughter relationship with all of its expectations, misinterpretations, and twisted acts of love. I found it best to read each story separately because it's a little like getting punched in the heart. Sometimes the losses each of these women experience are so subtly mentioned that they are all the more heartbreaking. Tan just has a beautiful way with words.

The Fantastical Adult

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey. What if you were a monster and didn't know it? The Girl with All the Gifts is a new take on a old genre. It's not a genre I usually enjoy, but I found the character portrayal and the moral complexity interesting. I actually found myself losing a bit of interest once the book moves on to more action and less introspection. The book works better if you don't know the topic (though I think most people already do), so I'll just stop here.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Once upon a time, a little girl went into the forest and never came back. A common tale but I've rarely read a story with a forest as terrifying and alive as this one. The villagers must sacrifice one girl every ten years to the "dragon," or wizard, who protects the residents from the Wood. But the Dragon doesn't pick the expected girl, and the world starts falling apart. The complex relationships between the characters makes this fantasy stand out from all the others.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Man, I just want to live inside the world of this book. It's just so magically magical. In the book, two magicians start a contest between their young protegees. As the contestants age, their entire lives, and the lives of everyone in the Night Circus, revolve around this duel they know little about. Inevitably, the competitors fall in love and must find a way to break free. Morgenstern's language is incredibly visual, and I can easily picture how the circus and all of its inventions would look on screen.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Another unusual spin on a common genre. It follows the lives of several characters before and after a flu takes out all but a handful of the population. Beyond displaying the tragedy of witnessing an apocalypse and the harsh reality of living in its wake, Station Eleven focuses on the creative outlets people need to survive. For example, the two most prominent perspectives are of a Shakespearean actor and a Traveling Symphony. While most dystopian novels involve intense action and drama, Mandel's book is understated and elegant.

Youthful

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. I must have a thing for scary forests lately. I don't always like Black's novels; they have a grittiness that leaves me checking for dirt on my skin. However, I loved this one. I read it back in January and it still keeps popping up in my head. Again we have villagers living on the edge of a dangerous forest - though this one is set in the modern world. Black plays with the childhood interest in fairy tales. Did you fight imaginary monsters as a child? Did you imagine a prince or princess trapped in a magical forest who would one day awaken and fall in love with you? The Hansel and Gretel-esqe main characters do both these things, but in their case fairies are real and the prince does awaken. But fairies are not always nice and both children have been dreaming of the same prince. Adventures ensue. Also, I like that this book is a standalone, which is rare in the young adult fantasy genre.

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan. You might be able to tell I love the fantasy and science fiction stuff. Unspoken wonders whether being able to read someone's mind is a good thing. Kami never really lost her childhood imaginary friend, but has convinced herself the voice inside her head is not real until the day he shows up as an actual person. Rees Brennan does a remarkable job at showing the complicated inner thoughts of her characters. It also brings up some intriguing questions about how we define our selves as unique from others and where we draw the line on sharing our deepest thoughts. Do you really want your best friends or significant others to know everything inside your head? The rest of the series doesn't quite live up to the first book, but it's an enjoyable read.

I have read so many young adult books this year that I couldn't fit nearly enough of them in here, so here are some honorable mentions: Angelfall, The Raven Boys, Shadow Scale, The Court of Thorns and Roses, Scarlet, and The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

And now for my recently acquired books, I will provide a picture of my latest haul from the used bookstore.

Happy reading all!

IN WHICH The Girl Relives Her Twenties

How much would you give to be 26 again? This question does not count if you are 27. Two shows - on surprising channels - took on this same theme during the spring, producing an interesting look at the ups and downs of reliving the good ol' days.

VH1's Hindsight goes the science fiction route back to the 90s. Becca, about to embark on her second marriage in her early 40s, suddenly travels back in time via a magical elevator to the eve of her first wedding twenty years earlier. Fully aware of her time travel, Becca must navigate the 90s and decide which past wrongs should be righted. This is the ultimate game of "what if?" What if you had quit that job before you learned it went nowhere? What if you had noticed your brother's drug problems earlier? What if you didn't marry the no-good man? We all wonder about different choices we could or should have made in the past, particularly the big life decisions of our twenties, and Becca has the impossible chance to find out the answers. However, while it seems easy to just make a new choice, Becca quickly finds out that knowing the future doesn't mean you can prevent it, and making "better" decisions can have disastrous effects. Becca ultimately just has to struggle through the 90s again, hoping she's doing the right thing like all the rest of us. At least she gets to listen to great music in her twenty-year-old body. 

Younger, on TV Land of all places, has a more realistic, if still somewhat unbelievable, premise. Upon leaving her husband and finding herself financially stricken (said husband gambled all the money away), Liza attempts to find a career after 15 years away raising her daughter. She quickly discovers that she's considered too old and inexperienced to get a book publishing job. Since she looks young and her daughter is studying abroad, the 40-year-old Liza decides to pretend she's 26 and lands a marketing assistant position. In this act, she befriends other twenty-somethings - who introduce her to the crazy hot mess of being young with some spending money - and she even starts dating a hot tattoo artist. However, Liza must learn the intricacies of social media, the lingo, and the norms (shaving trends have changed since she got married). She eventually loses out on some great opportunities only her age and experience could provide because she has to pretend she doesn't understand the perspective of a 40-year-old woman. Liza's adventures let us see how fun, but exhausting and limiting, returning to your twenties could be. 

These are both entertaining shows that feed on the nostalgia many feel for the past, but Younger is the better show. Hindsight provides an awesome time capsule of the 90s - the music, the clothes, the trends - which I love. Plus, it contains a great sidekick in Lolly. Becca, nevertheless, quickly gets annoying in her constantly switching love interests and ideas about how to fix the future. On the other hand, Sutton Foster's portrayal of Liza is utterly delightful. Younger is funny and cute with story lines that evolve steadily and keep the audience invested. It has the same feel as Sex and the City, which makes sense as it has the same producer. I can't wait for the next season in January!

Speaking of awesome shows on unlikely channels, everyone should check out UnREAL on Lifetime. My boss came in this morning explaining how she was so tired because she stayed up until two in the morning binge watching all the current episodes. I did the exact same thing last week. UnREAL is a scripted show about producing a reality series like The Bachelor. It follows the producers as they manipulate the competitors in truly awful ways to make drama. It's addicting as all get out!

IN WHICH The Girl is an American

Hey look, I'm actually getting through my summer reading list. I finished Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah a couple days ago, appropriately leading up to our most American holiday. We are about to embark outside in our red, white, and blue to sing about freedom and celebrate independence. All good things. But Adichie's book is a useful reminder that America the beautiful will pretend our many faults don't exist on this and most other days.

One of the book's characters asks, “Why did people ask "What is it about?" as if a novel had to be about only one thing.” And Americanah certainly pokes at many issues - immigration, race, love, identity, hair. Adichie may even try to take on too many things at once, as the narrative becomes a bit long and cumbersome. However, the novel mainly tells the story of Ifemelu's emigration to America during college and return to Nigeria many years later. Adichie looks at both countries, particularly the United States, with a scathing critical eye. 

As an immigrant, Ifemelu can see and discuss our flaws, particularly race, more clearly than most native born Americans. Race in America both fascinates and repels her, so she starts a blog called Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black. The novel and its blog reveal what America looks like to outsiders, and it's not always pretty. One of the biggest conundrums Ifemelu witnesses is how Americans try so hard to appear politically correct and open minded, to the point of claiming race is no longer an issue here.

“The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America. When you are black in America and you fall in love with a white person, race doesn’t matter when you’re alone together because it’s just you and your love. But the minute you step outside, race matters. But we don’t talk about it. We don’t even tell our white partners the small things that piss us off and the things we wish they understood better, because we’re worried they will say we’re overreacting, or we’re being too sensitive. And we don’t want them to say, Look how far we’ve come, just forty years ago it would have been illegal for us to even be a couple blah blah blah, because you know what we’re thinking when they say that? We’re thinking why the fuck should it ever have been illegal anyway? But we don’t say any of this stuff. We let it pile up inside our heads and when we come to nice liberal dinners like this, we say that race doesn’t matter because that’s what we’re supposed to say, to keep our nice liberal friends comfortable.It's true. I speak from experience."

Despite the harsh truths her characters spout, you can still feel a love for America peeking out from the novel's corners. America becomes one more piece of Ifemelu's identity by the time she moves back home to Nigeria. Sometimes reading Americanah can feel a little more like attending a lecture than reading a novel, but it is an enjoyable lecture. So for this 4th of July, keep your eyes clear and your hearts full - as Coach Taylor would say.

IN WHICH The Girl Beach Reads

Sadly, I'm not actually going to a beach, unless you count the lake shore beach here in Chicago. But whenever I think of summer reading, I think of beach books. Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in which they provide a weekly top ten list topic. This is my first go at the list. This week's topic is Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR List.

I'm always making a plan for what to read, but I get off track very quickly. Maybe making my list public will actually push me to read the books I intended to this summer. Since I know I will probably read 20 young adult fantasy novels, I'm mainly focusing on my other reading goals on this list. Here are ten books I hope to get through before September. 

1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I have been meaning to read this for a while now as it has excellent reviews. This will be my first novel by Adichie, though I am a big fan of her TED Talk "We Should All Be Feminists." Plus, I finally got it from the library, so I can start reading this one shortly.

2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Beyond being at the top of the bestseller list right now, this just seems like the perfect summer mystery. I haven't read a good mystery in awhile, so I'm looking forward to deciphering clues.

3. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I need to lighten the mood after a thriller with some comedy. I recently borrowed this book from a friend, so I suppose I ought to read it soon. It's also set in New Orleans, which I just visited for the first time. 

4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Since I plan to use this for a class in the fall, I need to actually read the book. You would think we teachers planned a little more ahead than that, but no. We are going to compare the book to its movie version, Blade Runner. As I've been so interested in science fiction lately, it will be good to read one of the genre's classics.

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Magic! Parallel universes! London! Need I say more? 

6. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

I don't actually know much about this one other than the incredibly positive reviews it keeps getting from people whose book interests are similar to mine. I also like the black and white of the cover. Yeah yeah they say never judge a book by its cover, but you know we all do.

7. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Adding one non-fiction for diversity. I rarely read non-fiction, and I need to start making up for the deprivation. Plus, once I read this particular book, I can watch the movie.

8. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

I lied. Here's one more non-fiction book. I try to sneak in books actually related to my job every once in awhile. I hit up my grammar requirement earlier this year with Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Stephen King's background and prolific career should make for an entertaining read.

9. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Often called the Harry Potter for adults, I'd like to see what this series is about. Also, Syfy plans to produce a television series based on the books next year.

10. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

Let's add one classic. I loved the trailer for the recent movie version but am trying to hold off on seeing the movie until I read the book. Never hurts to knock one off the bucket list of classics as well.

Extra Extra 

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas 

This book doesn't technically get released until September 1st, so I'm not sure I count that as a summer read. However, I'm dying to read this continuation of the Throne of Glass series. I would trade all the other books to get this one sooner.

I need to get reading folks! Happy summer!