What I'm Reading...

Since I have this thing I have to attend, i.e. school, I haven't had that much time to read, but that hasn't stopped me from buying a lot of books on Amazon. I have a serious problem. Half of these books I'm in the middle of, and half I haven't even picked up, but I thought I would just show what they are and how I think I'm going to like them, especially since finals are now over and I have time to read them.

First we have The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson. I got this book because, to be honest, I don't have high hopes for it. It is set in 1920s Austria. Basing off the synopsis , this book is about a princess named Tessa that has fallen on some hard times. Apparently she's run out of money and rich relatives because now she's working as wardrobe assistant in an opera house, but she doesn't mind because of "her love for the arts" (I'm directly quoting the synopsis I have no idea what 'arts' she means). Music? Clothing? Dance? Whatever, the point is she meets a handsome millionaire named Guy Farne at opera company and falls in love with him. But Guy has a fiancee and Tessa is determined not to make her princess status known (for whatever reason). Questionable historical accuracy angst ensues. I think I might like this book but I have to be in the right mood for reading it. I have to be looking for a quick read with gushy romance shit and then I'll have this right on hand. I don't think it will be too bad. Eva Ibbotson is known for her work in the YA historical romance genre so while it won't be a literary classic, it's not going to be terrible.

Next is Poison Study by Maria V Snyder. I've already read about three chapters of this book and I'm already enamored. While the world it's set in is still a little confusing to me (who is the Commander?) I'm still really into. It's basically a story of survival. The protagonist, Yelena, is an orphan that has been in prison for a little over a year after killing the son of her benefactor. It is strongly implied that it was our of self defense, but in this land, Ixia, murder is a capital crime no matter the circumstance. Because she is the next in line to be executed, Yelena is given the option of becoming the food taster for the Commander, leader of Ixia. She jumps at the chance of life and starts to study under Valek, the Commander's security chief. This book has a very strong beginning, introducing the protagonist when she's at her lowest point. Snyder doesn't gloss of the disgusting details of the prison, which makes me hope she won't gloss over anything else in this novel. I like the premise a lot; I don't believe I've read a book about a food taster.

I actually pre-ordered this book and it finally came in. I've been avoiding spoilers for this novel like the plague because it's the final book in the trilogy and I want to be surprised. It's the third book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, Allegiant. I'm a pretty big fan of the first two books, and I'm looking forward to the movie despite a few questionable casting choices... anyway, the previous books in the series are called Divergent and Insurgent. The sequel Insurgent had it's problems but hopefully with Allegiant the series can end on a high note.

There are a few other books that I purchased but these are the books I'm reading first. I might make another posts with the rest of the books I have left. Hopefully I'll be able to control myself from buying any other books I won't read, or I'll become a book hoarder forever.

Obsession: Pride and Prejudice

Okay, how to begin... it all started in 7th grade. I know that sounds like a poor start but stay with me. In 7th grade, I hated all of my classmates (to my 7th grade self's credit, they were a bag of dicks) and read a lot in class. To a room full of uncultured morons- I mean, social pre-teens, I was a nerd. There were often questions of "Why are you reading?" "Don't you have anything else to do?" "Why aren't you talking?" I now realize that I should have responded with "Why are you such a tool?" or the classic blank stare that one of my favorite authors, Maureen Johnson, has mastered. I could have practiced my death stare, but you can't dwell in the past. Anyway, 7th grade is when I first read a book that is still a treasure to me: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

My much loved copy

For those of you who haven't read it, Pride and Prejudice is about Elizabeth Bennet, her family, and her love. She and Mr. Darcy have the original love/hate relationship. When they first meet he appears to be rude and proud, and she develops a prejudice against him (see what I did there). He falls in love with her but she doesn't realize she loves him as well until it's almost too late, because her youngest sister Lydia does a very bad bad thing. Darcy eventually saves Lydia and her family's reputation, and the two lovebirds finally get married. Cue awwwwwww. I forgot about the book for a couple of years, occasionally picking it up to a random page or watching the scengasmic Joe Wright movie. But last year my friend introduced to a web series that I still fangirl about, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Whenever I look at this, I get the theme song stuck in my head

Oh my god, this series is amazing. The premise is Pride and Prejudice in a modern day setting where Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet makes youtube videos for her graduate thesis. I love this modern day adaption because it stays true to the original story while maintaining the modern feel to it. I also love what they did with Lydia's "disgrace." I could go on and on about the The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, but maybe some other time.

Check it out. It's awesome

After finishing the series I was left with a huge craving for all things Pride and Prejudice. My copy from 7th grade was absolutely destroyed, so I went out and bought a new copy (see above). Perhaps it was fate that my obsession was rekindled, because I got the 200th anniversary one. This January was the birthday of Pride and Prejudice, after 200 years it's still a lasting piece of English literature. I read the whole thing in a short time, picking it up whenever I could-school, work, dinner, you name it. After reading it I wanted even more of the story, so I watched the 1995 miniseries. I had never actually seen the series or heard much about it even though it is well known in the Austen community. I absolutely loved the series. It was Pride and Prejudice brought to life, with dialogue that made me feel like I was actually watching the book come to life. I now even own on DVD. I also saw the 1980 version on Netflix. It was alright but I wasn't really feeling Elizabeth and especially not Darcy. He was so wooden saying the lines that I could not feel that this was one of the best love stories of all time. The supporting cast was good but no actress could ever top Alison Steadman as 1995 Mrs. Bennet.

No one could ever be more over-the-top

Not many novels have touched my heart as much as Pride and Prejudice has, and I hope it can touch others' hearts as well. 

My Love For Telenovelas & Santa Diabla

Okay, for the past 2 or 3 years I've had a guilty pleasure, telenovelas. A telenovela is basically a Spanish-language soap opera, and I can almost never watch them because it's so hard to find them with English subtitles. But finally something wonderful has happened, Telemundo put english subtitles on their novelas.

This is my mood right now

I can't watch all of the ones on telemundo.com because if I did the small social life I have would come crashing around me, no I am starting with the one that interests me the most: Santa Diabla.

In telenovelas, everybody is smoking hot

Now you're probably asking (or not because you don't care) "Hey Madeline, why don't you watch English soaps instead?" Well my non-existent reader, let me give you some reasons:

1. Everyone in telenovelas are SUPER HOT (see above)
2. English soaps are always really slow pace and sometimes a story line will take forever, telenovelas move so quickly that if English speakers like me don't have subtitles, you don't know what the hell is going on. I'll admit, novelas are very confusing.
3. There is often better acting. True, actors in novelas are often very dramatic, but it's way better than the wooden delivery in General Hospital.
4. English soaps literally never end. Things are brought up over and over again because the plot just keeps dragging on. Telenovelas last usually only 6-9 months and always have a conclusive ending.
5. It doesn't matter how ridiculous the plot is, you'll never be bored.
6. Even if all the characters are ridiculous it's still fun to yell at them for their poor decisions. 

Now to recap Santa Diabla so far. I'm currently watching episode (aka capitulo) 11 as I'm writing this, but I can give a pretty cohesive plot summary. Like I said, novelas are confusing and basically everyone knows or is connected to one other. Oh, and watch out for

Obligatory Doctor Who gif

Santa (not of the Clauses) Martinez was married to Willy Delgado and they were ridiculously, disgustingly in love (it was actually really cute). But all that changes when Willy Delgado, a musician, starts working as a music teacher for the Daniela Cano. When he resists the really sexual assault-like advances of Barbara Cano, she has him thrown in jail for false allegations of abuse against Daniela (who Barbara blackmails with HER DRUG USE WTF KINDA MOTHER IS SHE to lie in court), and eventually her mother and brother have him killed. Whoa. Naturally, Santa is really upset about this because she knew the truth all along so she spends the next two years plotting her revenge.

This is Santa

Santa, now under the name Amanda Brown, has a new identity of a millionaire model. In reality, she's a nurse whose living with her sister-in-law/bestie Paula Delgado, who she has concocted revenge with, and her now mute son Willy Jr. I'm very concerned for this kid for so many reasons. "Amanda" has caught herself a man, the murderer of her husband, Humberto Cano. Yes, his name is seriously Humberto. He is the brother of the narcissistic child neglector Barbara Cano. Their parents are Gaspar and Francisca. Gaspar seems like he's not that bad but Francisca is seriously a Lady Macbeth type manipulator. She's so evil yet I respect her on some strange level. Santa is going to marry Humberto and take each of them down. Before her wedding she goes with Willy Jr. to visit her husband's grave, when Willy Jr. runs off and is almost hit by a truck before a handsome stranger rescues him. Amanda and Stranger make googly eyes at each before he drives them back to her and Paula's house. Later at the Cano house, Amanda is ready to schmooze with enemy before she runs into the Stranger! That's right, it's the long estranged Cano sibling, Santiago Cano.

That's how unsurprising that plot twist is

That's all for now folks. Further, random thoughts though:

1. I feel bad for Daniela. I really do, because her father's a gold digging alcoholic, and her mother's a self-obsessed nymphomaniac who can't take rejection. Both parents don't give a shit about her (they literally don't know where she is half the time), it's amazing that her attitude problem and drug addiction are her only two faults.
2. Hortensia is Francisca's best friend. Hortensia is Satan. I'm not kidding; she smothers her grown-ass son, is a horrible racist, and freaking KILLS THE PUPPY that her son's black friend (and secret girlfriend) gives him.

I can not make my hatred more clear

      3. Paula is the best pep talker. Seriously, when Santa/Amanda gets all sad and doesn't know how to go on, Paula knows the perfect balance of "I feel you girl" and

         Santa picked the right girl to plot revenge with. Paula is awesome.

That's all my thoughts for now, even though that's basically only one episode of summary. Let me know if you want more, and even if you don't, I'll probably keep doing it if I feel like it. Madeline out.

Paradise by Johanna Nadin

               When I first saw this book in a Barnes and Noble, what drew me to it was the mysterious figure shadowed by the red light. For some reason I thought it looked like a magician alluring some young girl into a world-wind romance. While that book sounds awesome, Paradise turned out to be something much better. The book starts out from the straight-laced, responsible Billie, the voice of reason in her small dysfunctional family, when she finds that her recently decreased grandmother, whom she never met, left her house to Billie in her will. The book then introduces a new point of view, Billie's mother, Hetty. These switching points of view create two stories about mother and daughter, that are then joined by Evelyn, Billie's grandmother and Hetty's mother. The stories layer each other to make a family portrait of three generations of women that is poignant and complex.
               Sometimes when there's more than one character narrating a book, it is easy to make them all sound the same, but that is not the case with these women. Each has their own distinct voice. However, there are other characters that could use some work. *SPOILER* Jake, Billie's new flame, is a bit of a flat character. There is really no reason to why Billie is so drawn to him. Well there is one, but it's a big, fat spoiler. But even this shocking connection does not explain what is so appealing about Jake. We get it he swims, he's a bad boy blah blah blah. Overall I was really satisfied with this book. It was tragic and beautiful and real. The themes of family and love are ones that almost everyone can relate to.
8.5/10 stars