Book 2: In Progress -- Breaking Dawn By: Stephanie Meyer

Ok, so I won't lie. I thought that New Moon was absolutely AWFUL. I seriously wanted to put it down and start a new book the ENTIRE time. All of my friends encouraged me to read through it, and I still wasn't impressed.

So why did I choose to read the third out of the sequel? Beats the heck out of me, but I did. I'm reading it right now and to be honest, it's MUCH better than New Moon. I fell in love with Twilight last year and thought that the rest of the books were going to be just as exciting. But I won't lie, New Moon was quite the let down.

Anyways, back to Breaking Dawn, such a great book so far! I'm glad Edward is back. I'm glad that Jacob is still in the picture, sort of. But anyways, everything seems like it is supposed to be. I just really do not understand the undying love for a vampire? What is such a big turn-on about cold marbley-ness? I just don't find that attractive. To be honest, I'd probably pick the wolf over the vampire any day. But in reading the book, I do find it very clear that Edward seems to be the better choice as far as man-wise goes. He's such a gentleman and he truly cares about Bella. I just don't see why she is willing to sacrifice everything she has in her life to become a vampire. It's sort of like assisted suicide. Ooh. Never thought of it like that before.

Is that what it is? Is turning Bella into a vampire assisting suicide? She has a crappy life. She moved to Forks to leave her mom and her baseball player boyfriend (husband whatever). Who knows why she left her mom? I wouldn't. Crazy girl. So then she comes to dreary Forks, falls in love with an immortal man, and then wants to die along with him. I think Bella has a serious case of the Blues folks. What do you think? Is it seriously acceptable for a human being to WANT to die at such a young age so that she will live forever at the same age as her love?

I think it's suicide. In my opinion, there has to be someone else out there, alive, for Bella. I don't know, call me crazy. But if what I have to look forward to as a single teenager is a vampire... then Hell, maybe I'd want to die and become a vampire too. But to be honest, that would be my last resort. Is that Bella's? Is she trying to escape the world she hates to be in a world she loves? I guess when you look at it that way it doesn't sound so bad. But when the two "worlds" are inhabiting the same place, what does that do to the situation? It's all a very complex theory. But in my opinion, she's running from life. But what I do not yet know is: is that necessarily a bad thing if she's choosing to run from life to run to love?

What do you think?

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell By: Tucker Max

Perhaps the most repulsive, yet most hilarious book I have ever read.

Just to preface this, I am NOT the kind of person that likes degrading humor. I strongly dislike Napoleon Dynamite and Superbad because I think they are both EXTREMELY insulting movies. Don't ask, it's just how it is. But this book absolutely cracked me up.

So, as a girl (woman, female--whaever) I have this thought about how men think. I mean, I guess I don't to believe that most of them think about sex and women 24-7, but some do. In this book, Tucker Max definitely exposes the truth behind some male minds. All he thinks about is booze, boobs, and sex. Through his adventures, I found myself absolutely DYING. Yes, I laughed out loud, so what?! I thought this book was priceless.

Did I learn anything? No. Do I have some profound message from it? No. But I can tell you this, it is a hoot and a half. Absolutely hilarious. That is all I have to say about it to be honest... Just a funny book.

Fail.

The 2009, 52 in 52 challenge for me was an ultimate FAIL! Sorry Guys...

Guess what?! I'm not going to admit defeat on this one! It's only January 21st, 2010, I'm still in it for 2010. I actually grew a new love for reading last year, so it's on! For anyone out there reading, I'm going to be reading as well! I'm going to be reading 52 books in 52 weeks. I can do this.

Given I am taking 24 units this quarter... it might be difficult, but I will survive. Here it goes. I'm going to start with a book I read over break. I got my tonsils taken out over Christmas break, so all I could do is read. But to be fair, I will only include what I read after the New Year!

Happy Reading!

Slacker

Soooo apparently I'm a slacker with this 52 in 52 challenge thing!! WOW!

Well, I do have to say I'll try to pick up with the reviews a little bit better. But I AM reading... so I guess that helps out a lot!! :-)

Happy Reading!

Book #6: The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

I'm not lying to you when I say that reading the last few pages of this book actually ticked me off!! I was reading through it thinking, "well, that was a good one!" Until I read the last two pages. To be honest, it's pretty easy to predict how Sparks' writings will end, but I was a little shocked with this one! It was very good!

Typical Sparks trait: this book was very spiritual. The reasons for Thibault's journey across the country, the endeavors in Iraq, his best friend Victor, etc. Everything had a very spiritual meaning--nothing was quite just as it seemed. There were a lot of symbolic representations.

I want to say that fate played a large role in this novel... 

I feel like this may be a very touchy/deep subject, but I'm going to go for it anyway...

Here's Logan Thibault, ex-marine that had been to Iraq three times before being discharged. He finds a special pendant that supposedly saves his life through many of the Iraq bombings, attacks, etc. Even though Thibault does not notice these benefits to the pendent, his friend Victor does. Victor constantly brings it to his attention, but Thibault just brushes it off and refuses to believe that the pendant has any supernatural qualities. Until some event in the novel intrigues him to change his mind (I don't wanna ruin the book for anyone, but here's my point...)

My point is that sometimes in faith, individuals can be reluctant to see past the object as just an object. Considering that I'm speaking from a very strong faithful background, I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason and that there is a sacred person that lines things up for us. Now that doesn't mean, necessarily, that everyone has a pre-destination. I truly believe that everyone has a goal in life that a sacred being leads you to. That doesn't mean that a person will always do what they are supposed to, but there are signs out there that direct him/her in the "right" direction. The one thing I want to say is that, if a person makes the "wrong" decision, there is always another chance to make it "right." So that's where I want to make it clear that I don't necessarily believe in predestination. I believe that there are signs. People can interpret signs in any way they want to, but they're out there...

In Thibault's case, he refused to see the sign until his friend Victor made it very clear that the pendant was no normal pendant. Reluctant to believe, Thibault took his friend's advice and clearly thought, "there is a reason I have this. There is a reason I am here, but what it is I'm not quite sure yet..."

This novel had a lot of hidden messages, I think. In my opinion, I think that everyone asks themselves the same exact question... "I'm here, but why am I here?" The "signs" are only little guides that one can choose to take or not. 

On a lighter note!! This book was a great romantic drama. I truly enjoyed it all the way to the last two pages :)

When you wish you had a 2x4...

Ok, so I've just started reading Confessions of a Shopaholic and I'm loving it so far. It's a hilarious novel about this girl who tries so hard to be financially aware, but she fails miserably...

However, while I was reading this I was CRINGING with some of her actions!! I was sitting there like, "what are you doing?!" That just got me thinking about times when you're reading a book or watching a movie and you're inches from jumping out of your seat because you're just like "what are you doing?!" For example, the movie "Family Stone" or "Meet the Parents" or some other movie like that, you're sitting there, almost in pain, thinking "Oh my God... what ARE you doing?" 

Aside from the part of this book that makes me cringe and jump out of my seat, I'm enjoying it! It's definitely a guilty pleasure... sort of like Gossip Girls and such... It's a cute novel and I can't stop reading it so far!!! :)

Book #5: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This book was interesting... VERY quick. And I really cannot wait to see the movie! But, it was SO short! I don't understand how something this tiny can become a huge motion picture.

Since the book was sort of short, I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what the entire message was behind it? When I hear people talk about the movie, they're like "that's the way life should be..." But, I found it kind of frustrating because here is this man who is 50 years old but looks 16 and he can't get any respect. Is that what the message is? That people don't treat the elderly with respect? 

But then where does the age in birth come from? I mean, why was he born as an old, wise man but as he grew up his knowledge dwindled?

Was there a meaning behind this? 

OR! Was it supposed to be as if younger people THINK they know everything there is to know about life. They think they are older and superior to the rest of society, but they truly don't have adequate respect for their elders.

Another idea I had with him getting younger as the years passed by was that we treat the elderly sometimes as helpless children. If you look at a retirement home, yes, we are helping them live happy lives, but they are also being treated as incompetent individuals, in a way. I'm not trying to talk smack about retirement homes, but I feel like when people visit the elderly they get that certain feeling of necessity with treating these individuals as if they were children. Am I way far off on this?