Only For the Avid Reader

I finally read all three books of what is referred to has the Millennium Trilogy, although most people I know refer to it as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy.  I have to be honest--I don't get it, and you should consider me NOT on the bandwagon. I am certain several thousands of people disagree...BUT:

The books are enjoyable, sort of. The first one is enjoyable about 300 pages in, the second about 200 pages and the third from the beginning. To me, especially with the first book, it took 300 pages for the story to finally start. The first part is ALL setup. Maybe I've officially become a part of the ADD generation, but that's excessive, unnecessary exposition. But I was also the same kid who read Charles Dickens for fun, so I find it hard to believe that it was ADD kicking in at almost 30 years of age.

Please understand, I'm not talking ill of the dead. Stieg Larsson clearly had a brilliant mind that was very creative; however, parts of his books almost read like he's giving a history report. I, by no means, am saying that Swedish history and scandal are not important and enthralling--but for a novel I don't need to know every nook and cranny. There's also the curious part of me that thinks fiction shouldn't have footnotes: You should intrigue your audience enough to make them research and learn on their own.

Another reason that it dragged for me is that I really just don't care for third person narrative at this point in my reading career. Because at the end of the day, I want to be in a character's head. I want to know their emotions, motivations and their fears. It plugs the reader (at least for me) deeper into the story and adds a connection that third person never truly accomplishes.

Also (and I may just be too sensitive to this issue) the sex in the book seems skewed. Sex scenes in a book that move the plot do not offend me, so the scene(s) in this trilogy didn't offend me. What does somewhat irritated me is that the only scene that actually details and describes the sex is a rape scene. There are other scenes where sex is alluded to but the narrative cuts off right as "so and so" land in bed, even though it is made clear more times that I can count in the books that both main characters enjoy sex. I realize that the rape scene is highly important to the overall story but I think this decision misrepresents Lisbeth's over all view of sex.

I will admit it took me far longer to finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo than it should have (I'm talking months here). I made it through the last two books much quicker for a few reasons: 1. My work schedule is currently not insane; 2. The action in the books was kicked into high gear; and 3. I vowed to myself that I'd finish the series.

While the books are intriguing and the main character Lisbeth Salander is spellbinding and disturbing, I can only recommend these books for an consistent readers. If you only read occasionally or don't truly enjoy reading, I don't think this is the book for you. Any other words: Only avid readers need apply.

You Were My (Fill in the Blank)

There is a fantastic, brilliant rumor roaming the internet right now: David Tennant will be returning for the season finale of Doctor Who. Let me say right now: I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER THE RUMOR IS TRUE OR NOT! IMDB reports that Tennant along with the fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, are appearing in this season's finale alongside the current Doctor, Matt Smith. In general, IMDB is quasi-reliable (at least for release dates); however, current show runner Steven Moffat is sneaky and sometimes too brilliant for his own good. Moffat hasn't tweeted Tennant's return which, honestly, doesn't hurt or help the rumor.

Regardless of whether the rumor is true or not, the idea of it got me thinking and remembering a mini-Doctor Who episode that had both Tennant and Davison. In the small (maybe five minute) episode "Time Crash", Tennant tells Davison, "You were MY Doctor." Of course, this made me want to make a list of my MY's "fill in the blanks."

• David Tennant--You were MY Doctor. Yes, I enjoy the others and Smith is growing on me more and more each episode--but it still ends and begins with Tennant for me.
• Lestat--You were MY vampire. I read, watch, and write way too many vampire books, shows, movies, and stories. But at the end of the day, my first fang love will always be Lestat. (For clarification, I mean the literary character, NOT Tom Cruise or Stuart Townsend.)
• Vincent D'Onofrio--You were MY Thor. I enjoyed the new movie and Chris Hemsworth was very entertaining. However, Adventures in Babysitting is one of my all time feel good movies; and nothing beats Sara handing you the helmet and melting your heart.

• Sarah Michelle Gellar--You were MY Buffy. Don't get me wrong I loved the movie for the brainchild it was, and doing a reboot without Joss is (and I quote) "are really stupid idea." When all is said and done, I want my world saving, asses kicked and clever quips said by SMG.
• Michael Keaton--You were MY Batman. I know Christian Bale is doing a great job with the darker, re-envisioning; BUT who didn't LOVE Keaton as the man with great toys?
• Christopher Reeve--You were MY Superman. (Wow, I am really showing my comic book geekiness!) I am a fan of all things Man of Steel, and Superman vs Batman is a common debate in my home. But when I read a Superman or Kal-El story, it's Christopher I will always picture.
• Tim Curry--You were MY Frank-n-Furter. Frank is going to be another victim of a reboot. This reboot is especially annoying to me because is being headed by the dreaded Ryan Murphy; he might make Frank into an African-American, heterosexual woman...Oh wait! He already did that on Glee. 

I'm sure there are countless others that could be added to this list, especially with the ever growing trend of reboots. If I made a list of all the rehashed characters, this blog would never end. So, I'll leave you with MY top picks.

The Touch, The Feel...The Smell

Today I read what I consider to be very depressing news: eBooks are out selling paperbacks! I know many of you are thinking, "welcome to the new millennium." But I just can't get behind this; I can't do it.

Maybe I don't like change. I admit that it took a lot for me to join the iPod generation (looking back it took a lot for me to trade in my cassette tapes, too). Once I started purchasing CD's, I saw no end in sight. I loved the way they sound (albeit not as good as vinyl; but what is?). Despite all the downloading software and even the creation of iTunes, I still preferred to burn a CD at the end of the day. I saw no problem with this until I had (WAY) too many CD's to appropriately switch around while driving. That's it: I got an iPod because I'm pragmatic. End of story.

I see no pragmatism for getting eBooks rather than a hardcover or paperback book. I know books take up a lot of room, and they aren't exactly environmentally friendly. But I remember being a little girl watching Beauty and the Beast in the theater, and I was immediately giddy and jealous of the library the Beast showed Belle (that scene is probably why it's my favorite Disney movie). Still to this day I dream of having a room in my house filled from floor to ceiling with books.

The library the Beast gave to Belle. Isn't it beautiful?

eBooks are also killing bookstores, which plunges me into an even deeper despair. I can and have gotten lost in a book store for hours. Even if there is no book that I want, I will dilly dally around the store. I love the feel of running my hands over the book spines. I swear you can hear the words humming through them. It's almost romantic. I love the fact that my multiple copies of Our Town have white lines all through the spines; I feel like those lines tell their own story.

I anticipate the touch of turning a page. The slight crisp crack that each page makes as it falls to the next. The creak that a brand new book makes when you first open it and enter the world the author has laid out for you. Old books exude a smell that cannot be captured by anything else. Years ago, after reading A Tale of Two Cities, my parents bought me an entire collection of Charles Dickens books published in 1881. They are a prized possession. I lately haven't read any of them, but I do occasionally pick them up just to breathe in the musty, intoxicating smell of history and genius.

Maybe this post is my love letter to a dying breed. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic who looks forward to entering a bookstore to see a long anticipated friend on a given Tuesday (I'm coming on June 7th Hit List). Or maybe I'm just stubborn; and you'll have to pull a 1st Edition Hamilton, Rice or Dickens out of my cold dead hands and replace it with this thing you call a Kindle, Nook, or whatever if you want me to convert.

A Competent Addition to Summer Reading

My dear husband recently bought me a present for being a super supportive wife (I didn't realize it was anything spectacular, but he apparently thought it was). The present was something that he swears I told him about, and probably did; although I don't remember having the conversation. Anywho, he bought me the trilogy of The Hunger Games. I had no clue what the books were about and didn't remember hearing/talking about them.

The hubby thought that he had bought me a vampire series, and he couldn't be more wrong! And I couldn't be happier about it! (I know, anyone who knows me is shocked and a little disoriented by that statement, but hear me out.) In a world where summer reading lists now include Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games are a breath of fresh air and needed intelligence.

That last bit of information (the summer reading list) came from a very smart and spunky lady I know. We were both appalled to find out that Meyer's series was considered educational. Upon that conversation, I decided I would do a comparison for my blog.

The Hunger Games vs Twilight (A Non-Teeny Bopper Weighs in):
The Heroine:
HG: Katniss Everdeen. Truthfully, there aren't enough nice things to say about Katniss. She is strong, pragmatic, fierce, sarcastic, and not driven by some sappy romance. She, despite being from a post-apocalyptic world, is what teenage girls use to be before there were bombarded with sex and the "need" for relationships everywhere; she doesn't even want to get married or have kids. Katniss isn't defined by a man/idea/family, but--whether she likes it or not--her actions. This makes her a wonderful role model for people her age where they seem to often be taught that there are no consequences in this world. 

Twilight: Bella Swan. For me, Bella is the exact opposite; she's weak, sniveling, and destructive. She isn't a role model by any means. She isn't a fighter until the final book, and at that point it's only because she herself is supernatural. Bella is constantly defined by what relationship she is or isn't in. She never really stands on her own two feet, which as a female audience member is infuriating. I want to shake her or throw something at her.

The Setting:
HG: Post-apocalyptic. Sounds depressing; right? But oddly enough, it's not. Collins was brilliant to use what was once the United States without exactly saying so. Plus, I was so enmeshed with her world, I was hurt there wasn't a map in any of the books... I'm still not entirely sure where all of the Districts fall.

Twilight: A rainy, dreary town in Washington State. Sounds depressing; right? Exactly. The setting completely matches the love-sick Bella. If I were here I'd want the curse of immortality and watching all my family and friends dying too. Oh wait, that's supposed to be romantic isn't?

The Love Story:
HG: A triangle with two boys--one from a poor family, one from a not so poor family. There's absolutely nothing forced about either love interest here. One is a best friend, who Katniss hasn't realized could be more. The other a boy who noticed her at a time (which seems to be most of her life) that Katniss is worried about survival. I enjoy the fact that the love story in this book is secondary. There are bigger priorities than an obsessive love.

Twilight: A triangle with a vampire and werewolf. Please don't misunderstand from this post, I am a vampire FAN (yes, in all caps). But this idea of a triangle isn't new or different, I hate to tell all you Meyer fans out there. It's been done more times than I can count, and done infinitely better to boot (check out the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton). Also the love story in Twilight isn't healthy! It's obsessive, possessive and destructive to the point that the main character DIES... wait, I mean becomes immortal.

The Writing:
HG: Suzanne Collins. She writes in first person narrative, which I love.  She is also a former television writer, which means her understanding of how a story lays out and is viewed is impeccable. She gives the reader just enough detail for their imagination to still play. Her writing still is active, and I'm not just talking about all the action in the story (which there is TONS of). The other, most important part of her writing, is you can tell it was written by an adult.

Twilight: Stephanie Meyer. For me, Meyer's writing style is mediocre at best. She also writes first person narrative which, despite not being a fan of Bella, I still love. But Meyer often reminds me of a high school student who writes, and writes, and writes and doesn't understand commas. Nor does she understand that you can say the same thing in three separate sentences and have the same, if not more, power in it.

The Educational Value:
HG: High. The Hunger Games, in my opinion, will eventually be taught along with Orwell's 1984, Connell's The Most Dangerous Game, and Jackson's The Lottery. It delves into what freedom, sacrifice, self-esteem and so much more means. It also talks about government and philosophy. In college the biggest debate in my philosophy class was always, "is it better to kill a few to save a thousand, or should you try to save everyone even knowing that you can't?" Collins centers around that constantly through out all three books.

Twilight: None. Twilight doesn't really teach anything. I suppose at the end of the day maybe it teaches to accept all people whatever their differences (despite glitter or turning furry). But beyond that I think the most valuable lesson it shows is a "what not to be" to girls.

Now here's a few disclaimers: I have read both series, despite being almost 30. I am also well aware that the plots and stories of both books are very different; my comparison is based on the fact they share the same target audience.

I also feel the need to tell you that my disdain for the Twilight  series and Meyer has nothing to do with the fact that I'm bitter she made vampires popular, which I readily admit that I am. I do want to say that I am grateful that both sets of books inspire kids to read in our ADD, a 1,000 TV channels world.