The Declaration (2007)
Written by: Gemma Malley
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 301 (Trade Paperback)

The premise: ganked from BN.com: It’s the year 2140 and Longevity drugs have all but eradicated old age. A never-aging society can’t sustain population growth, however…which means Anna should never have been born. Nor should any of the children she lives with at Grange Hall. The facility is full of boys and girls whose parents chose to have kids—called surpluses—despite a law forbidding them from doing so. These children are raised as servants, and brought up to believe they must atone for their very existence. Then one day a boy named Peter appears at the Hall, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad, and that maybe people shouldn’t live forever. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna’s not sure who to trust: the strange new boy whose version of life sounds like a dangerous fairy tale, or the familiar walls of Grange Hall and the head mistress who has controlled her every waking thought?

My Rating

Give It Away: the premise is stellar, I grant that, but it's execution is just too simple for my taste, and I've seen the premise before in a Bacigalupi short story, which is much darker and a lot scarier. It also didn't help that I kept flipping to the back of the book to see how it ended, which pretty much spoiled any surprise the book had in store for me. So, don't be like me: don't do that. I can't help but wonder if I would've enjoyed this book more if I were much younger, because this book, according to Amazon, is geared towards Grade 5 and up, which might explain just how simply-written and black/white everything is. It's not to say that adults can't enjoy the book (when they've not already seen this premise played out and they haven't spoiled themselves), but it is worth noting that it seems geared for a younger audience, younger than your usual teen reader. That's not something I usually note, but I feel in this case, potential readers should be aware--YA tends to be written in such a way that doesn't cater to its young audience, and this is a book that caters. As far as the story goes, the premise, great as it is, doesn't feel lived up to, but then again, this is the first book of a duology (or series?), so it's easy to imagine (especially given the ending), that we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg. That said, I'm not sure I see myself continuing. Sure, it's a great premise that I'd like to see explored more, but if the sequel, The Resistance, is written like The Declaration is, I'm not sure I want to continue.

Review style: WARNING!! THERE BE SPOILERS!!! Why the all-caps? Because if you haven't yet read this book and you want to, THEN DO NOT READ THE SPOILERS. I did, and I regret it, because it sucked a LOT of the tension out of the book for me. So please, take my advice and DO NOT READ SPOILERS if you want to read and enjoy this book, which means there's no need to click the link below. However, if you've read the book and want to discuss, then feel free to click the link to my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome! :)

REVIEW: Gemma Malley's THE DECLARATION

Happy Reading!

Book club selections @ calico_reaction. Hop on over! We'd love to have you!

December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
February: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

What books did you get for Christmas?

Hey Guys,

I seem to have lost my address book in my save of a room! I had the addresses o0f penpals in it that I needed to send first letters out to! If you are one of those people, email me with your address and I'll have your letter out this week! :D

popglitz@live.com

If its possible, only email...I dont get my messages on here often!

- K

Has anyone read the Warrior Series by Erin Hunter?

I am wondering if these books would be good reads or not. They seem to have gotten good reviews, but I thought I'd get more in-depth opinions if possible. TIA.

Title: The Meaning of Night
Author: Michael Cox
Year of Publication: 2006
Genre: Historical fiction; Victorian-era mystery
Pages: 704
My rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

( read the review here )

I have a layover in a couple weeks at the cincinnati/covington airport in Kentucky. Does anyone perchance know if there are any good places there for me to eat? I have a long, long flight before that, and I won't be getting back home to Salt Lake until about 8 that night (I get into CVG around 4 and sit for a few hours), so I was hoping to be able to eat during my layover. I won't really be able to pack food for the flight, other than chocolate, or I would just do that. I just want some peace of mind (or to tell my mom to have a big chipotle burrito waiting for me when she picks me up!)

Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book

I thought this might be too much of a children's book for me, but I was wrong. It's one of those classic books which creates a world of its own and can entertain both kids and adults equally. Gaiman tells the story of Nobody Owens, 'Bod', a little boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard after he crawls off the night the rest of his family are murdered by the man Jack. The ghostly community are a friendly if otherworldly lot, so they hide Bod as best they can, but Jack is a professional and keen to finish off the job. However, Bod has learnt a few tricks of his own in the graveyard...

One of the best books I've read in years, and I loved the gothic illustrations by Dave McKean too. I won't ever look at graveyards the same way again.


Nick Hornby - Juliet, Naked

Hornby's latest is about Annie, a 39 year old woman stuck in Gooleness, a northern seaside resort on the east coast of England. I don't think Gooleness exists in real life, but it sounds like Hull or Scarborough, only smaller. Tacky arcades and pound shops enhanced by chips and a biting wind, that sort of place. Annie has been with safe, humourless Duncan for fifteen years. Unfortunately she comes second best in Duncan's life to his obsession with Tucker Crowe, an ageing rock star who created a classic, critically acclaimed album - 'Juliet' - before unexpectedly vanishing several years ago. After Duncan sheepishly admits to sleeping with his work colleague, Annie realises she has little to show for fifteen years of Gooleness - no children, her efforts working in Gooleness' only museum unappreciated, no knowledge of music other than Tucker Crowe. Luckily she has a new distraction - Tucker Crowe himself unexpectedly contacts her after she writes a critical review of a new release of Juliet, the unproduced acoustic demos - 'Juliet, Naked', and soon she is finding out about Tucker's own dysfunctional, emotionally stilted life.

I think many women (and men) will relate to having partners lost to an unhealthy, all-consuming obsession with something or other - in my boyfriend's case, the iphone! It's also easy to relate to the theme of wondering if we have done enough in life, if we have enough to show for our years of adulthood. It's a warning not to take the easy options and let the years slide. Not many of us get to be friends with an ex-rock star, so that part's less realistic. But then if the book was just about Annie and Duncan splitting up, it wouldn't be much of a story. However, while I enjoyed the bits in Annie's mind, I found Tucker himself a bit of a predictable and also unlikeable character. Has anyone else read this yet?

"Kristin Bjornsen wondered if summer on the planet Barveri could possibly be the only season"

( The Catteni Sequence is not without issues ) I do really enjoy the Catteni sequence. It rollicks along at a good pace. It's littered with pop-culture references but not enough to irritate. It's fun. But it's even more junkfood than most of McCaffery's work. I can't figure out why I like it, except habit? Kris is highly likable, even if she is a Sue. The adventures of the colonists are exciting, between learning to hunt and avoiding the dangers of the planet. The mysteries intriguing; who are the Farmers, who have clearly been on Botany for centuries? It's what Anne McCaffery does best: sci-fi space opera adventure romance tales, with a side of WTF were you thinking?

#91: Chile Death by Susan Wittig Albert:

"Sure, come on over," shae said, when I reminded her that our morning conversation had been interrupted. "In fact, come for supper. I made potato salad and marinated some chicken. Clyde's gonna put it on the grill so's I can take a load off my tired feet. We won't have a thing in the world to do but sit in the yard and criticize his cooking."

Synopsis: Breezy, sassy culinary mystery featuring the unsinkable China Bayles, this time helping her shot-in-the-line-of-duty boyfriend get out of his depression by assisting when he judges a chili cookoff. Which totally would have worked had someone not dropped dead in the middle of the contest.

( Yeah, I'm just going to read them in the order the library flings them at me. )

These cookies (someone else posted the recipe, so I won't duplicate it) were a new recipe for me this year, and they got raves from everybody that tried them! They're buttery, soft and just minty enough without knocking you over. I opted not to crush the peppermint on top, just to see how it went, and they were fine without it.

 Book: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Pages: 182 (Paperback)
Genre: Fantasy

Review: What an epic book. While it does have that epic feel going for it, A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA didn't seem to have enough of the not-epic elements that also make fantasy great, and comfortable for the reader, something they can relate to. What I'm talking about is more personal scenes, even small ones, that tweak the book's dimension into something beyond "epic." Without this softer approach to the story, the character development was either too far under the surface of the character that the average reader can't really find it, or too stark. Also, the end was somewhat of a let-down. Nevertheless, the epic qualities and here-and-there unique settings (not to mention a fantastically mysterious magic system) DID even out the playing field, more or less.
Rating: 4/5 Stars

http://kissmyspatula.com/2009/12/20/fresh-homemade-soy-milk/

yay! i am def. trying this.

enjoy

More at my food blog HERE
( Read more... )

Basic Info:

Name: George
Nickname: Swords
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Location: Virginia, United States
Occupation: Student
Dream Job: I don't really have a single one.....
Languages: My first language is English. I will begin learning Spanish and Japanese 2010.
Tattoos/Piercings: Not yet, but will get some in the future.
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Sign: Scorpio/Goat
Relationship: It's Complicated
Religious Views: Buddhist
Nationality: American. I'm a mixture of: Italian, German, Cherokee, Scottish, Irish, Swedish, English

About Me:

To sum myself up like I do in all my other About Me's, since I suck at writing them: I'm an idiot who makes smart people think.

Hobbies: Writing, Listening to music, walking and jogging at the track near my home, sketching, sleeping, playing video games, reading, texting, playing guitar, playing piano, cleaning and organizing, swimming, and driving fast.

Interests: Psychology, Music, String Theory, Physics, People, Religion, Politics, Technology, and other random and obscure subjects and topics.

Music: I'm a huge music geek, and love every genre of music. My favorites include: Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, Acoustic Alchemy, Nobuo Uematsu, The Pillows, Amanda Palmer, Heatmiser, Behemoth, Her Space Holiday, Imogen Heap, Longevity Crew, People Under The Stairs, Rehab, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Eminem, Plain White T's, SikTh, The Softies, and many others.

Movies: Good Will Hunting, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Last Samurai, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Paranormal Activity, the Austin Powers trilogy, Bubba Ho-Tep, Kung Pow!: Enter the Fist, Talladega Nights, the Halloween series, Borat, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Father of the Bride, Brothers, 3:10 to Yuma, Napoleon Dynamite, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Soylent Green, Ben Hur, The Omega Man, and many others.

Television: Family Guy, South Park, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The O.C., Seinfeld, The Shield, House M.D., The Sopranos, Rome, Wings, The Twilight Zone, various anime, among others, along with the shows on Discovery, Science Channel, and Nat Geo.

Books: House Of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, One For Sorrow by Christopher Barzak, The Blood Confession by Alissa M. Libby, Punish The Sinners by John Saul, the works of HP Lovecraft, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Lost Years Of Merlin by T.A. Barron, The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, various manga, and many others.

E-mail: ghake91@yahoo.com
AIM: ghake91

Pen Pal Info:

How many pen pals do you have?: None
How many pen pals do you want?: Doesn't matter
Do you want e-mail pen pals?: Sure
Do you want snail mail pals?: Sure
Do you want new LJ friends?: Yes
How long are your letters?:
Do you hand write or type?: I do both, but prefer typing.
Reply time?: Usually pretty quickly, as I check my messages every day.
Would you like your pen pal to be male or female?: Doesn't matter
Where would you like them to be from?: Doesn't matter
Age preference?: Doesn't matter
What are you looking for in a pen pal?: A new friend.