Jul 28

Meyer still dominates best seller list

So tonight I decided to look over the best sellers list to see what was big right now.  I used to do this fairly often but haven’t in months.  I can’t help but be impressed by how well Stephanie Meyer is still doing on varies list.  Even books related to the Twilight saga are doing well.

USA Today Best Sellers  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100722/ap_on_en_ot/us_best_sellers_books_usatoday

#6 The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
#11 Breaking Dawn
#12 Eclipse
#23 Twilight
#28 New Moon
#50 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz

 

New York Times Best Sellers
www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller

#25 (Trade fiction) The Host
#1 (Series Books) Twilight Saga (also note this is it’s 154 week on the list.  The Percy Jackson books however have been on the list of 158)
#4 (Graphic Novels Hardback) Twilight: The Graphic Novel Vol 1

 

Amazon.com Best Sellers
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books

#20 Breaking Dawn (Pre-order for Paperback)
#23 The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
#64 Breaking Dawn (Hardback)

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Bestseller-Books/379001057/?start=21&cds2Pid=17351

#25 Breaking Dawn (preorder for paperback)
#26 The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

 

I really find it interesting that a presale of a book that has already been out for years is a topseller. It is insane how well the books are still doing.  Honestly, I think it is cool.  Kudos to Meyer for doing so well.  Being on the best sellers list is a huge thing for an author.  Seeing anyone do that well is very cool.

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Posted in News/Current Issues

Jul 20

I love my Kindle! Well sort of…

Alright so I was extremely lucky and got to go to a big Samsung launch/training thing recently.  As part of the event, I got the new Samsung Vibrant.  The phone is completely awesome and I love it. 

The best part….

The built in Kindle!!!

I know I have always argued on here that I don’t completely get the ebook thing.   Obviously I just needed one.  Having it in my phone is the best thing ever. The convience factor is what really has me impressed.  I just recently started working at a dance club and at the end of the night, I have to wait around for a while to get paid.  No big deal but it is a bit boring.  Well problem solved.  The other day I busted out my phone and started in on reading Divine Beginnings which by the way is only in ebook format.  Yes, I’m totally the nerdy girl sitting in one of the hottest clubs in Portland reading but whatever.

I was always excited to see what books they offer for free.  There is a lot of classics that I have never read that are available for free.  For example, I downloaded The Scarlet Letter.  Again, this is a plus for me because I can make sure to always have something on my phone to read for those times when I’m sitting around after work.

So overall review is that I love having the Kindle on my phone but I still am reluctant to actually buy one.  I could however see myself getting one if the cost went down or something like that.

Sorry I still haven’t gotten the post about Rhiannon up.  Soon, I promise.

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Posted in Blah blah blah

Jul 06

Quoting:Divine by Mistake and Divine by Choice by PC Cast

Sorry it has been forever since I’ve written anything.  Busy month.   Well couple months I guess.  On the bright side, they included two trips to Vegas so can’t complain too much.

I’ve gotten tons of reading in lately.  Already at 29 books read this year which is pretty good. My current addiction is the Partholon books by PC Cast.  Having read the House of Night series, I was excited to see what else she had written.  Divine by Mistake completely sucked me in.  It was hard to put down.  Same goes for Choice and I just started on Blood.  Sometime soon(ish) I’ll do a write up about Rhiannon.  I’m going to have to give myself a Welsh mythology refresher.  I took a class on Welsh and Norse Myths in college, and even wrote a paper on Rhiannon, but I can’t quite remember the story.

Anyways, here are a few quotes that I liked from the books…

Divine by Mistake

As my favorite college prof once sagely said, “Don’t fuck with an English major. They keep lots of useless crap trapped in their heads.  Once in a white they let some of it out and it bites you square on the ass.”

Haha, true story.  Don’t mess with me!

 Until then it hadn’t occurred to me that everyone couldn’t control his or her dreams.

Okay this stood out for me because I can control me.  I can like think and make them change.  I honestly until reading this thought that everyone could.  Can they not?  Now I’m so confused. 

He blinked again.  Why do I always assume tall guys are smarter? (Note to self: tall guys are not smarter, they’re just more attractive.)

This sounds exactly like something I would say.  This series probably draws me in so much because I think I’m a lot like Shannon.  They things she says and does are very similar to what I would.  Such a great character.

Divine by Choice

I’m not really very musically inclined, although I’d like to be, so I keep trying.

This is totally my new motto.  So fitting for all the singing I do in the car, club, wherever.

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Posted in Quotes

May 25

What to read after….

So I have noticed that some of  the traffic lately is people asking the question “What to read after (insert series title)”.  I thought I would help you out by giving a few opinions on the searches I have seen.

What to read after the Sookie Stackhouse novels? 

-If you liked the supernatural side of Charlaine Harris’s books, check out the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.  It deals more with werewolves and skinwalkers but still some vamps and other supernaturals.  I just started the first book and completely love it.  I believe there is books about different characters that show up in the Mercy books too.  Plus I love that Mercy lives in Finley, Washington.  I have totally been there!

-If you liked the hot, romance side, check out the Vegas Vampires series by Erin McCarthy.  I read this series in the last couple years and completely loved it.  It is a really fun, easy read.

What should I read after Twilight?

-If you like love triangles, check out The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith.  The first book actually came out in 1994 so long before Twilight.  The first two books were okay.  The second two got me hooked.  I loved the latest two.  Can’t wait to see what will happen next!

-If you are looking for another great young adult supernatural series, check out The Immortals series by Alyson Noel.   Another great series is the House of Night books by PC and Kirstin Cast if you haven’t read them already.

-For older readers (aka, maybe like 20 and older), the Jane Madison books by Mindy Klasky.  Total chick books about witchcraft.  Neko is one of my favorite book characters ever. 

What should I read after the House of Night novels?

-If you are looking for young adult, again I’m going to say The Immortals series by Alyson Noel or the Vampire Diaries.   

-For those looking for a little more action than romance, The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare.  Absolutely amazing storytelling on these ones.  It has the whole angel thing going on that we see in HoN.  The entire series was hard to put down and even though it had an ending, I wanted more because I loved the characters so much.  I feel like this series could be read by guys or girls.  There is only a touch of romance which honestly, most books have that anyways.

-Again, for a little more action, the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld.  I’ve only read the first one but like it so far.

Non-series books about supernaturals.

-Anything by Neil Gaiman.  Note: I would not say young adult for any of them.  I read most in college and think that if I would have read them younger, I would not have understood them very well.  Gaiman is absolutely amazing.  Every book and story completely pulls me in.  My very favorite is Neverwhere.

-Devilish by Maureen Johnson.  Young adult novel that was a totally enjoyable read.  I’ve read more of Johnson’s work and really enjoy it.

And if you like comics…

-Check out my very favorite comic series, Fathom.  It falls in with a lot of these books I think because it is about a girl that was normal(ish) but then ends up sucked into a super natural world…an underwater one.

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Posted in This and that

May 22

Quoting: Burned

From Burned by PC Cast and Kirstin Cast

          “Yeah, ’cause we think you’re like Rachel on Glee,” Shaunee said.  “Super annoying, but she has to be in the show ’cause sometimes she comes up with good stuff and kinda saves the day.”

Alright, this quote jumped out at me for two reasons.  The first, most obvious one is that I love Glee and love Rachel. 

The second is that it was a pop culture reference.  I always wonder if I should put them in my own writing or not.  I’m an admited pop culture junky so tend to want to lay them on heavy.  It is a risk because if your readers don’t know what you are talking about the majority of the time, you might lose them.  It is also kind of like putting a time stamp on your book.  When I read The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith, I know no idea that the first part of the series was written nineteens years ago.  It seems so modern. 

Lately, I’ve been going by what genre I am writing to figure out how much to throw in.  For example, my crime book has very few.  Off  the top of my head, I can only think of a few clothing ones to show that my main characters is a designer kind of girl.  It aids to the overall story.  For another book, I am having the character work in a club.  It is much more light feeling and I think the pop culture stuff is fitting. 

I wish I had marked the page in Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris that had the best pop reference ever.  It was something about Sookie hearing Jace Everett’s Bad Things.  For anyone that watches True Blood, it is the theme song.  I thought it was so clever of her to put it in there.   An extra treat to all of us that are big fans of both you might say.

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Posted in Quotes

May 14

Charlaine Harris @ The Bagdad Theatre

******Contains a small spoiler from Season Three of True Blood*******
*****Contains some spoilers from All Together Dead**********

I was very excited that this week I got to go see a Q and A with one of my favorite authors, Charlaine Harris.  As you might already know, she is the author of the Sookie Stackhouse books (along with many other books) that the HBO show True Blood was based on.  Her most recent book, Dead in the Family, just became a best seller as well.

Alright, so what were people asking….

I asked her about advice to writers.  A couple other people did as well and each time she said write a great book.  Kind of a given so not the best advice ever.  She did talk about her writing processes a little though.  I found it interesting that the first book was not written thinking it would be a series.  She said that when she is stuck she thinks about who will show up at Sookie’s door than goes from there.  Interesting advice.  I could definately see that as being a good writing exerise.

She got asked many questions about True Blood.  I liked that she agrees with the show writers decision to deviate from the books so that even if you read the books, the show is a surprise.  She said this season she is looking most forward to see what they do with the Fae.  Yes, they are showing up in season three! I’m excited for Alcide. 

Harris said her favorite scene from the show was the pie scene after Sookie’s grandmother passed away.  Lots of people at the q&a asked food related questions.  Harris laughed that the meaning of the show was pie.  She didn’t know the secrets of Lost but the secret of True Blood was pie. 

She also said that she wishes she would have written a character like Jessica.  She loved that character.  Jessica is the vampire that Bill was forced to change on the show. 

As for favorite books, Harris said she enjoyed writing Altogether Dead a lot.   That was the one in which Sookie goes to the vampire summit with the Queen.  Harris said it was fun to get to come up with a way to blow up a building. 

A few people asking questions and a few in line said that Dead to the World was their favorite.  That is mine so far as well.  I think it is because I’m Team Eric all the way.  It seemed liked most the crowd was as well.  In the series, Bill definetely turns into a bad-ish guy or at least kind of a jerk.  Eric has his romantic moments which I love. 

Of course, someone asked her about Stephanie Meyer and Twilight.  I think she had a very good opinion on the subject.  Obviously, vampire books are going to have things in common.  She wrote her first Sookie novel five years before Twilight so obviously she didn’t rip it off.  Harris said that she was proud to see any female making a living in writing and being sucessful.  I completely agree with her on that.  Again, I find it interesting how people are so negative on Twilight.  In line I overheard a girl complaining about how awful of a writing Stephanie Meyer was.  She pointed out she was no Virginia Wolfe.  Of course she isn’t!  She never tired to be.  She wrote a fantasy book for teens.  There is no comparing the two.  Plus the girl in line also mention how she read the entire Twilight series twice.  If the books were so awful, why read them twice and see the movies to compare?  If a book makes you want to read it twice, it is a good book.  At least that is what I think.

I know there was lots of other questions that Harris answered but those were a few that stood out to me.  I can’t wait to start reading Dead in the Family.  I’m almost done with Burned by PC and Kirstin Cast so I’ll start it after I finish that one.

Here are a few pictures I got of Charlaine Harris.  Sorry they didn’t turn out very well.

 

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Posted in News/Current Issues

May 13

Kalona and the Raven Mockers

Alright so let me preface this post by saying the majority of this information is going to come from other sources online.  I’ll post all the links I get info from.  I only did a little bit of native american mytholgy in school.  I remember a tiny bit about Raven Mockers but that is about it.  So here we go….

Let’s start with the Raven Mockers.  They are either know as a type of demon or type of witch that often in stories, takes on the actual body of a raven.  They stalk the sick and dying in hopes of stealing this life.  The sound of the raven is an oman of death.

The following links describes them as actually stealing the heart of the victims.  When they eat the heart, they add the days that they stole from their victim to their own.  A medicine man or woman is said to stay in the room with the dying person to protect them from the Raven Mocker.

http://www.cherokeebyblood.com/religion.htm#G 

http://cherokeeregistry.firstlightonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=215&Itemid=292

In the House of Night novels, the Raven Mockers are described as being half raven, half man.  It describes them that way on Wikipedia but I have a feeling someone got that from the series.

Ravens are present in many different Native American myths.  If I remember correctly, in the myths from Oregon tribes, he was part of creation.  He also is often seen as a trickster.  If you search online for raven myths, a vast majority are about him being a trickster.   

Kalona, as best as I can tell, was a character from the Raven Mocker myths.  Another way of saying Raven Mocker is Kalona Ayeliski or also Angel of Death.  The character is the House of Night novels seems to be taking these different ways of saying Raven Mocker and making them into a new myth that fits within the story.

In modern times, the grim reaper is sometimes seen as an angel of death.  Maybe it is just me but the whole idea of the Raven Mockers and angel of death kind of remind me of the show Dead Like Me.  Remember how their was those monkey things that caused harmful death?  That is what the Mockers make me think of.

Of course, in the HoN series, the Raven Mocker we get to know the best is Rephaim.   There is a couple different Rephaim references in the Bible.  One being the Valley of Rephaim.  The other is a race of giant men. 

http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Def.show/RTD/ISBE/ID/7368/Rephaim.htm

This wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rephaim  also list Rephaim as being residients of the land of the dead.   This would fall a little closer into theme with the HoN novels.

I also tried to look at Queen Tsi Sgili but the only thing that came up was references to the HoN books.  If anyone knows more about her, let me know. 

Hope this helps some people looking for info.  Sorry there wasn’t a lot that I found.

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Posted in Research/comparisions

May 13

Quoting: Hunted and Tempted

Here’s a few of my favorite quotes from Hunted and Tempted, both by PC and Kirstin Cast…

 

Hunted

“His lips were soft and warm, and he tasted like Doritos and Mountain Dew, which wasn’t as nasty as you might think.”   -This one reminded me of a line from Looking For Alaska about Alaska tasting like Mountain Dew and cigerettes.

“The only thing I could think was that something must be missing with Erik, or else I was just turning into a nasty skank.  I mean, really.  I didn’t feel like a nasty skank.  I felt like  a girl who liked more than one guy.”   -Haven’t we all been here?  Haha, okay maybe not everyone.

Tempted

“I mean, they take those stupid chastity vows, and if this is what they wear to bed, the vow would be practically unnecessary.  Seriously.  The think almost makes me look unattractive.”   -I just liked this one because my favorite character is Aphrodite

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Posted in Quotes

May 05

Who is Nyx?

So since most of the traffic to my site is people looking up who Callisto is from the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I figured people might want to know about some of the mythological references in the House of Night books by PC and Kirstin Cast.  I’m going to start with Nyx.  If there is a certain character you want me to do a blog on, let me know!

In the House of Night novels, Nyx is the goddess that all the vampyres worship.  She is the goddess of night and has many different names and seems to show up across multiple religions.  Even the nuns that work at Street Cats believe that Nyx is just another name for the Virgin Mary.  To most characters in the series, Nyx is an obscure figure but to Zoey and a few other characters, she actually speaks and even occasionally appears.  She is also the one that gives the vampyres and fledglings gifts which she say she can never take back.

In Greek mythology, Nyx is a goddess that is the personfication of night.  Her name in Roman mythology is Nox.  Nyx came from the black void known as Chaos along with Erebus (as in the sons of Erebus in House of Night) and a few others, including Gaia, who became the mother of the titans.  Erebus is the personification of darkness.  Erebus and Nyx mated.  Their children included the personification of sky, day, Nemesis and Charon, the ferryman across the river Styx to Hades. 

It has been years and years since I’ve read Theogony by Hesiod so someone correct me if I get this wrong.  Nyx produced children asexually as well.  These included Doom, Fate and Death (sometimes written out as Fate of Death), Dreams, Blame, Woe, Hesperides (who guards a garden in the corner of the earth that we see in the Hercules myths), Age, Strife, Friendship, Deceit, and possibly some more that I forgot.  Wikipedia list some more that I can’t remember ever learning about in mythology so I’m not sure.  It also list her as mother of the hellhounds.  Not sure on that one.

Nyx, along with Erebus and most of her children are considered personification gods.   This is a statement true of many gods and goddess in mythology.  It is exactly what it sounds like.  They are an abstract like love, darkness, night, dreams, and so on put in human form.  An example of a non personification god would be Hades who is god of the underworld or Zeus, god of the gods.   Think about it this way, Nyx is consider to actually be night rather than the goddess of the night.

In many different myth, Nyx is seen as living in a cave often at the end of the ocean.  She is also sometimes seen as just being a dark mist.  Hmm, that sounds familar.  Zoey in the House of Night novels sometimes travels that same way. 

As for Greek religion, Nyx is persent but not really a main focus.  I’m not familar with their being any temples of Nyx.

Okay now to the modern.  NYX was the name of a comic that ran for a couple years that was an offspin from X-Men.  There was only a handful of issues made.  The comic has nothing to do with the Greek myth though.  NYX means New York District X.

Nyx is also the name of one of the bio weapons that shows up towards the end of the video game Resident Evil Outbreak.  Again, I don’t see any relation to Greek myths.

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Posted in Character Research

May 05

PC and Kirstin Cast @ Powells

Sorry this post is up so late.

This last week I got to go see PC and Kirstin Cast, authors of the House of Night series at Powells in Portland.  First off, they are so funny.  It is awesome seeing a mother and daughter work together.  PC writes the story first then Kirstin edits.  PC had obviously been an author for some time but Kirstin is also starting to do some stuff on her own as well as working as an editor.

Okay, I’ll admit, I couldn’t help but ask about how many cats they had adopted from the shelter Street Cats that they talk about in the book.  I love the fact that they include both the shelter and a cat they got from there, Nala, in the book.  When I publish a book, I’m definately going to continue to give money to the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, where I adopted by cat Temperance.

Most of the people there ask questions about the plot but there was some about writing and publishing.  A few people asked questions about why certain characters died or had other things happen to her.  PC kept saying that she cried and cried when certain characters died and some of them she just couldn’t part with so had to come up with new plots.  Some people acted confused about this answer but it made perfect sense to me.  When I write, I’m just conveying what I see and hear in my head.  I tried writing stories that I planned out the entire  thing first but it didn’t work.  I just have to write as it comes into my head and then edit later.  PC said it is like writing out a movie in her head.

Since I’m big into House of Night right now, I’ll have a few more post going up soon.  Watch for those.  Thanks everyone that reads my blog.  Love you guys!

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Posted in News/Current Issues

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